Everything's Coming Up Roses! New Arrivals Are Finally Here! Limoges, Rose Oil Painting, Antique Story Book and More!

So happy to be able to bring you this proverbial rose garden of treasures!
My new arrivals are listed in my shop, here.

 

So many neat pieces this week.

Here are links to the pieces shown:

Blakeman & Henderson Limoges Covered Dish

The Paragon Tea Cup

The condensed milk or jam jar

Rose Oil Painting

Rose Hanky (or is that Hankie?)

Queen Anne Tea Cup

Jewelry

Victorian Ephemera

and lots, lots, more!

 

Many things did not make tonight's listing.

If there was something you may have seen on my

blog and it is not listed yet, let me know and

I will list it for you.

 

Enjoy the day!

 

Blessings,

Jillian

 

With all of these tea cups I just had to link to
"Share Your Cup Thursday"

with Mrs. Olson.

Sleeping Beauty, A Fairy Garden, and Some Bachelors

This summer has been a lot of fun so far. And this past weekend I ramped up the busy.

Bebe and I were invited to see a play at a local playhouse. It was geared toward a younger audience.

When I heard that it was called "Sleeping Beauty and the Bachelors" I was a bit concerned however!

It turned out that Sleeping Beauty had a hard time staying awake long enough to meet the right guy.

Bebe had a lot of fun and she enjoyed hanging out with her BFF.

The playhouse is located in a vintage, turn of the century "camp meeting" community. It is so quaint and so sweet. And it just so happens another bloggy friend of mine, Joyce from The Quilted Nest, shares her cottage from there on her blog.

 

Bebe's bestie was so excited to show

us a "Fairy Garden" the children like to play in.

Now let me just say I am not the fairy type..

But when I saw all of the little tea sets and figurines set around this wooded scene, it was just too adorable! The children can bring things to leave there and they can set up different scenes with the existing fairies, figurines, and tea cups. How fun.

Hope you enjoyed our day at the playhouse as much as we did!

Enjoy the day,

Jillian

Next up:
Hopefully my next post will be new listings for BellaRosaAntiques.com ! 

Linking with What's it Wednesday with Ivy and Elephants.

Star Spangled Banner Inspiration

(Note: All pictures on this blog post are the property of Bella Rosa Antiques. Please contact me for permission to use them.)

If you've been following along with my blog over the years, you may know that I have a penchant for the Patriotic.

My Sister has it too. We met up this weekend (in the middle of our two geographic locations) at Fort McHenry in Baltimore. We think it is our Father's influence. (His ancestors fought in both the Revolutionary War era as well as the Civil war.)

What makes Fort McHenry so special is its special place in history.  It is the home of the Star Spangled banner.

It all began with the War of 1812. ( I have also grown to love history as well. I think being a lover of antiques helps.)

Anyway, the War of 1812. This yet another set of skirmishes with the British.They had already claimed Washington, burned the White House and more, and were now setting their sights on Baltimore. The only way they could do it was to take down Fort Henry.

Our soldiers worked hard and prepared for battle against the world's strongest military. They were ready.

The battle lasted 25 hours. Then, the Brits finally ran out of mortars and rockets. Through the fog of war, literally, the Americans waited to see if they would be attacked again.

That morning, Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer, was watching for a sign of who had won. He waited to see which flag had been raised.

He describes that moment in his poem:

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

(This is the flag that currently flies over Fort McHenry.)

Below is the actual flag that is now sitting in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

 

Photo credit:

Smithsonian Institute

 

In a few years we'll be heading down to D.C. to

see it in person to give Bebe a better look.

 

Here are the rest of the verses in Key's poem.

Scroll down to the last stanza if you don't feel

like reading the whole thing. (But it is interesting.)

 

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream: 'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion, A home and a country should leave us no more! Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved home and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Take note of the third to last verse.
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

I'm carrying on the triumphant wave.... I hope you will too.

This weekend we also went to see the new movie "America." It was a very good documentary about the indictments people make against our country, but it also made many good arguments about what makes America special. Really special. As in, once you leave these borders, you are not in Kansas anymore... as Dorothy used to say.  We are living in the only "land of the free" on the planet.

When the movie was over, the audience applauded. When the lights came on, I saw that my husband and I were the youngest people in the theater.

It saddened me because I realized it is the younger generation that need to see the movie. Not my generation and the one ahead of me. We already know what makes America special.

(A close up of the young men in the

fife and drum corps playing at Fort McHenry)

When the movie comes out on DVD I encourage you to buy it and share it with the younger set. They need to see it.

(Visitors at Fort McHenry take part in a flag

demonstration and tour.)

Links to more Information:

A website with great facts about the flag and what happened to it:

Fort McHenry: CRWFlags.com

The Fort McHenry Website:

http://www.nps.gov/fomc/index.htm
 

A China Rose Garden

Look what I found...a "china rose garden!"

Sometime in the not too distant future, I will get these new tea party items listed in my shop! (Some are listed, some are not) My babysitter is back from a missions trip and I think that with her help, a bunch of new listings will happen next week.

I was fortunate enough to happen upon a few gorgeous tea cups... and then at my favorite shop around the corner, I found the condensed milk jar. Putting them all together like this in a collage makes it look like so beautiful, enchanting ... 

A few of the pieces are already on Etsy and on my main website, BellaRosaAntiques.com. One has sold already, can you guess which one?

Hope your summer is in full swing and full of fun!

Linking with Pink Saturday.

Walking in an Etsy Wonderland

Ever wish you could go shopping in an "Etsy-like" world?

Recently I discovered, I can.

Back in the spring we made the decision to end our booth at the antique mall where I had a space for 14 years. It was something I needed to do, yet it was difficult to say good bye to the friends and memories, not to mention the great spot we had right near the check-out counter!

Then the hubby and walked into an "Etsy-like" world in a warehouse style antique and handmade co-op in our local downtown area.

And the advertising even states "It's like Etsy LIVE." (I grabbed a piece from the co-op's website. I don't think they will mind the free advertising.)

It is called Building Character, and as you can see, their tag line is "Vintage, Recycled, and Handmade."

Really fun place. Loved the "vibe" and the creative, artistic feel. 

We really liked the co - op, the owner, and the spaces, but we were torn between finally having our weekends back and how cool it would be to join these dealers.

In the end we decided to put this on hold for now and weigh our options.
I'm actually scouting out all of the small downtown areas ... looking for open store fronts and other opportunities. I'd love to have my own brick and mortar shop.

But for now we can always go shopping here for inspiration!

Loved this table!

I'll be back with another inspiring town filled with inspiration...I'm taking my blog readers along on my journey as I figure out what I'm going to do this coming year.

Enjoy the day!

Office Makeover: Up Close and Personal

Last week I finally revealed the

results of my year long office

transformation project with the
"Where Bloggers Create" party.

 

What fun it was! I am amazed by all

of the beautiful and creative work

put out by so many bloggers!

 

And I mentioned that this

week I would show some

of the "up close and personal"

views of my office.

 

This time, no drum roll,

just a "Ta daaaaaa!"

 

Let's take a closer look,

shall we?

 

 

I have never regretted buying

this ribbon dispenser from

Ballard Designs.

 

It is so handy and it blends

in with my décor. Not that I had

any specific décor when I bought it

mind you, but now it goes really well!

 

Now when I am wrapping a gift

or adding special touches

to an order, I have several ribbon

choices, right at my finger tips.

 

 

These little Scottie dogs were not

purchased together... but their pairing

 is almost turning into a collection.

Isn't it three or more of something

... that makes it a collection?

 

So, I'm good.

So far.

 

 

This black and white print came

from my hubby's house

before we were married.

 

I painted this shelf just for the

office makeover... and found

this little baby dress to hang there.

 

What you can't see really well

is a pin cushion/tape measure

 I bought at a flea market when

I was a little girl. It is one of

those things I will never sell.

 

An array of vintage industrial

things displayed on a Victorian

glass vanity tray. I like how the

two looks can "hang out" together.

 

This is what is patiently waiting on

my desk to be listed next...

I think.

Summer seems to be the hardest

time of year for me to get new

items into the shop.

 

There is much to do with my

sweet Bebe.

 

This is my dress form ...

I found her in a booth in the

antique mall where we used to

have a space...

 

And then a couple of months

later I found another one

in the same booth! She was a

really good deal because she

was a little disjointed.

 

This antique tea chest

came from my hubby's house, again,

before we were married. I loved the

look of it and the fact that it is

from a Boston Tea Company!

How cool is that?

With my love for American

History this is really a neat

piece to have in my office.

It is filled with supplies

like printer paper, labels,

disks, printer ink, etc.

 

 

And here is a look at my
"Ladies in Waiting."

Waiting to be sold, that is!

Sweet and lovely vintage figurines

...complete with lace and florals.

What's not to love?

 

Hope you enjoyed my up

close and personal tour

through my office.

 

Linking with "Share Your Cup Thursday"

with Mrs. Olson ...

 

and linking with Pink Saturday

at How Sweet the Sound.

 

 

Before you go I wanted to

mention that my "CHRISTMAS

IN JULY SALE" is almost over...

 some of you have discovered

the SUPER SAVINGS you can get

with this 25% off on top of already

great deals! Like 50% off and then

another 25% on top of that!

 

SALE ENDS Friday, JULY 18th

at Midnight!

 

You must click here to 

receive the extra discount.

 

 

Enjoy the day!

 

Linking with Pink Saturday

at How Sweet the Sound.

 

Christmas in July Sale! Save 25% on EVERYTHING!

Going on this week...

My Christmas in July Sale!

 

 

Is there something you've admired or wanted from

my Bella Rosa Antiques shop and never purchased?

Now's your chance...click this link to save 25% on EVERYTHING,

not just on Christmas ornaments and goodies, but

in every single category in the shop!

 

(Update: Just adding a note about the great savings some of you

have discovered... I left everything marked down

this sale is on top of many 50% off reductions already in place!)

 

 

Sale ends this Friday,

July 18th at midnight!

Where Bloggers Create Linky Party 2014: The Office & Craft Space Reveal!

I cannot believe a year has gone by so quickly.

It was around this time last year that I made a promise to work on my studio/office/work space and have it ready for this year's "Where Bloggers Create" party.

Well, this is it! Today is the day! The big REVEAL!!!!! The moment I've been waiting for.  Now I'm not sure if you've all been waiting for it too, but I have worked on it one small chunk at a time.

Here is the before:

 

This shot and the one below are more recent

as you can see Bebe is an older child here.

But yep, last year at this time, my

office looked like this!

 

And here is the other side! Awful!

There are so many things

one accumulates when you sell

vintage. It is just part of the territory.

 

Here is a shot from a few years ago.

Look at this awful rug!!!

Can we say leftover from the dining room

of our first house?

Didn't know what else to put in there?

Take note of the green office

chair in the background.

You'll see it soon! It gets a makeover!

 

This is my favorite shot:

Even Bebe couldn't believe

how awful my space was,

look how she is grabbing the

back of her head!

 

I joke... but seriously I was a new Mom

and I was trying to start up a new shop

so the office was not a priority.

 

So, are you ready?

Here it comes...

 

Drum roll please....

 

 

Here it is!!!

My office makeover on a budget.

We live in the woods so the lighting

is not that great which is why

I went with white furniture.

Only one piece in the shop is brand new.

The rest is recycled vintage.

 

Can you pick it out?

It is the table with the glass doors.

From Target!

 

This is the piece that we picked up

at a local auction, then placed

my former 1990's computer desk hutch

 right on top after it was painted white.

 

 

 Just yesterday I painted the closet doors!

Nothing like last minute!

The "yard long" photo above is from

a yard sale then placed in a Goodwill frame.

 

I'm beginning to think those white

doors are like a blank canvas begging

to have something done to them.

Collage of black and white photos?

Stencil perhaps?

 

 

This is the chair my Mother found

while we were at Goodwill a few years ago.

 

It was a mahogany stained Bombay Co.

chair. Remember Bombay Co.?

 

I painted it and gave it a new seat cover.

The material I found at... where else?

Goodwill!

 

There was enough fabric left over

to make a curtain valance too!

 I like to decorate with antiques

so most of the décor is for sale

in one of my shops... which means the

décor will change often. I happen to

like change so this is okay with me!

I'm thinking about hanging the

aqua tray but it is probably not staying

so why put a nail in the wall yet? 

 

 

Here is my desk!

If you recall in the before photo,

it is one of those Sauder brand

computer desks from the 1990's.

I hang onto things for a long time!
(The hubs is happy about this.)

 

I painted it white.

The hubs added a shelf where

the filing cabinet portion used to be.

 

The other filing cabinet was painted too.

 

 

And here is my chair!

It used to be green.

 

I used the same fabric

from Goodwill! I really got

my money's worth out of it!

 

 

When I first started re-decorating last fall,

my hubby bought this print for me

from HomeGoods. Wasn't that sweet?

 

I just love the black and white portraits

on the wall above my desk. They were in

a booth at the antique mall where we used

to have a space. They are perfect in here!
And I have to admit, I can't let these go either.

 

The "B" is for Bella and I will probably

be on the hunt for an R sometime in

the future. The B was purchased at Hobby

Lobby a few years ago. It used to be

gold, I decided to paint it black.

 

These two shelves are ever changing.

 

Below them is this shelf

which has a few themes.

Industrial on the lower portion

and the top shelf is currently

"summer at the beach" with

souvenirs from Atlantic City

and antique magazine prints.

I have not yet let these go into

my shop. I just love them!

 

There are so many more details I

could talk about... but I'll save

them for another post next week.

 

I'm super excited and so happy

we finally finished!

Now really quick I wanted to

give you a sneak peek into

another space I am working on.

 

It is located in our master bedroom,

believe it or not. It was originally

intended for the former owner

to sit and sew here...

the cut out in the formica is
still there for a sewing machine.
I thought it was perfect for a

crafty corner and covered it up!

 

 

So now this is where Bebe

 and I work on crafty projects together.

 

I found the above cabinet at

a garage sale for 5 bucks!

Love how I can put all of my

scrapbooking stuff, glitter,

doodad containers, etc in there!

 

 

There just wasn't enough room

in my office/work space

to fit both.

 

And I'm proud to say I am linking

with the 2014 Where Bloggers

Create linky party at My Desert

Cottage which starts Saturday,

July 12th!

 

Also with Pink Saturday

at How Sweet the Sound, 

the Show and Share Party

at Coastal Charm,

 

and "What's It Wednesday"

with Ivy and Elephants.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time

to check out my new spaces!

 

I can't wait to see all of the other

offices, studios, and craft rooms...

 

Have a wonderful weekend!