Blogging in a Sea of Crafters

They're everywhere around me. I hop over to this blog....I switch to that one. Then I click here and BAM! There's another one.

Blogs of crafty, artistic women.



I'm not saying I'm not crafty or artistic....I may be. But my blog is mostly my focus on finding unique and beautiful antiques. Where do I fit in .... in this sea of crafters?


I've had my website almost two years now. I'm hoping to find my way... the waters can get kind of rough when you're not just like the rest. There aren't as many blogs highlighting antique dealers as there are "women who create."

I've been an antiquer since I can remember. My Mother used to take me to different shops and we'd peek in an out of dealer displays admiring, "ooohing" and "ahhhing" the things from the past.

You know, I think that's the way to do it. How to find my way.... peek in and out of the blogs of these crafty, artistic women. Inspiration can stir so many things. Ideas, new avenues of doing things... you just never know. I may end up adding new artistic lines to my website.

Excuse me while I go put on my "floatee" and start surfing again... the waters are starting to look a lot better!

100 and Counting! Plus Limoges Porcelain, Glass Cloche, Celluloid Bible

Just logged on and noticed I have hit 100 followers ! Thank you! What a nice way to start out today's post.

This weekend went by so fast...where did it go? I finally set aside some time to work on my latest finds and finished listing them onto the website moments ago. Well okay, the truth here is.... I set aside time to watch Dancing with the Stars while listing my stuff. What can I say, it is fun and relaxing!

Here are some pretty things for you to check out this week:

This old bible is simply amazing! I believe the cover is made of celluloid. The artwork on the front is just beautiful.

vintage petit point pocket mirror and the lovely case

a green lustre trimmed bowl with a pretty pink rose transfer

I rarely find heart shaped pin dishes...this one is so sweet covered in violets!

for the creative soul... a mini glass cloche waiting for you to find a little special something to place underneath... I chose the little crown topped bottle... but you get to make it your own!

a B & H Limoges, France porcelain pin dish. The pretty petite pink roses are what makes this sooooo sweet!

a rose lover should be able to find many uses for this ginger/biscuit jar



I've never come across a vintage holy water set before... unique, full of

passion and history.

ribbon work makes this victorian style picture frame especially nice...

All found under my special category which makes it easy to find new items... called "Just Listed!"

Show & Tell Friday

I'm joining Show & Tell Friday today... I used to be a participant awhile back (gosh is that almost two years ago already?) when I first started blogging.

Thank you to Cindy of My Romantic Home for hosting !

I'm showing some very special footwear today:


This pair of toe shoes is one of my most valued treasures. I wore them on stage during The Nutcracker, to dance a Fairy Doll Waltz, and a pageant or two.

Plus all of the dance classes and rehearsals.

I remember sewing the ribbons on myself in high school, excited with the anticipation of breaking in a new pair of toe shoes.

Nothing could make me feel more graceful or more beautiful than when I was dancing "en Pointe."

Worn and tattered, I've had an artist create a painting of them and I also used them as props for a photo of Dear Bebe when she was 8 months old.

Very special shoes, indeed.

LuRay Pastels and a Girl's Night

Spring is here! Time to break out the pastels.

I'm hosting a "girl's night" after dinner dessert at my house this weekend.

Its a great excuse to use my vintage Lu-Ray dinnerware.

Now that I know what we'll be eating on.... I need to plan what were actually having!

Suggestions welcome.

Playground Life

Last week we had gorgeous weather. Ahhhhhhh! It was so nice and warm I was ready to break out my capris and shorts!

My friend and I met at a local playground for a Bebe playdate... hoping to take advantage of the sunshine. I'm really kind of new at the playground thing. Dear Bebe didn't start walking until Christmas so we haven't been visiting them for that long.

One thing I have observed about them. They are really nice! We didn't have play areas like this when I was a kid.

Dear Bebe took to it right away! Note blankie in her hand...this poor thing is dragged everywhere. I wash it so often it is frayed and falling apart. Yet it continues to be loved and loved! And it is pink!

Here is my friend helping her into a swing. A really BIG swing.

She looked so cute in there.

We're going to be visiting more parks ... there's so many more beautiful days to come!

So when I'm not on the hunt for antiques you can see I am a full time Mommy and she just melts my heart on a daily basis. I have the best job in the world!

But I also pray for her future. Our recent change in law about our healthcare system has me concerned, of course. . . on so many levels. While I don't like to blog much about politics, this affects everything I care so much about.

Time will tell.

That's the thing about time. It moves forward whether we're ready or not. Things change, people grow, and we have to figure out a way to go with the punches.

Life was so much easier as a kid on a playground!

A SPRINGkling of Pink Things

This week I have a handful of pretty pinks to share and they are for sale on my Bella Rosa website (I just added this part as someone asked me if the rose ornament was for sale) and I'm celebrating SPRING!



A rosey pin dish

Vintage Asian and Egyptian prints for framing...

A lovely vintage photo of a young lady wearing an even lovelier pink gown!

A pink glittered rose ornament... how lucky was I to come across this???? And why am I not keeping it????

A trio of vintage earrings with oooh look at that....a pink pair!



And a vintage pair of earrings that I have a connection to. They were given to me over twenty years ago by my first love's Mother. She was a very sweet Italian lady and must have liked me. I wore them once in a Glamour Shots photo. Remember those? They were a lot of fun... wonder why they went out of business?

For more fun check out Mary's blog, Vintage Comfort. She's created such a fun and colorful blog. Since I'm a vintage nut, what's not to like?

She's also a participant in PINK Saturday over on Beverly's blog, How Sweet the Sound.

Happy Spring! We're off to share a picnic as a family today out in the sunshine...

Fun ideas

Ever get an idea in your head that just keeps popping up?

A few days ago I decided it would be fun to make my own Bella Rosa Antiques T-Shirt.

So today I went out a picked up a couple of plain T's in white and pink.

Bought ten sheets of printable iron on transfer paper.

And realized when I got home my printer is out of color ink.

Don't you hate it when that happens?

Hopefully I'll get to the office supply store soon. We'll see how they turn out. If I like the way they look I'll give one away during a Pink Saturday post!

We've been having such gorgeous spring-like weather... I've been taking Dear Bebe to parks and strolls round the neighborhood. She just loves it.

I'll be back soon though to show you my T-Riffic (hopefully) results!

For you on St. Patty's Day! French Bottles, Vintage Jewelry, Rose Ornament, Art Deco Frame

Believe it or not... I'm wearing green today and didn't even realize it was St. Patrick's Day until I started writing my blog post! I am part Irish so it must have just come naturally!

To celebrate I'm posting two St. Pat's postcard graphics for your scrapbooking or card making. That's about all of the celebrating I will be doing.

Dear Hubs is going out with a friend tonight (it's a guys night out tradition)

(Have some stew for me, honey!)

Now here's what I've been working on for Bella Rosa this week. A few more items not pictured still to upload but I've run into some back pain after taking Dear Bebe to a playtime event.... so here is what I have so far:

A little rosey chic dish for your romantic shabby style decor.

A cameo mug! This one is a cool cobalt blue and made in Germany.

I loved this beautiful photo inside the gold art deco picture frame. What a sweet pink gown she is wearing.

Picnic season is coming up. How fun would these French Limonade bottles be with chilled water or hey, lemonade!

Antique Egyptian prints. They also come with two Asian scenes.

Another "I wanted to keep it for myself" item. I am resisting the urge to keep everything!

Three pairs of dainty vintage earrings. They look so cute against the old sheet music.

I plan on updating my Facebook page and hopefully add some more items this evening.

May the luck o' the Irish be with me and my back feels better!

Happy St. Patrick's Day !

Spring Fling

Spring is in the air.

I know it must be because I am getting the urge to straighten up and clean out. It started last week with me going through closets and pulling out clothes I haven't worn in awhile. Like, before I was pregnant with Dear Bebe. My Dear Step-Daughter happened to be here for this sudden closet purge and was thrilled with her new wardrobe. She and her college roommate will be able to make good use of them. Now there's room for replacements! Shhhh....don't tell Dear Hubs. Ha!





Then our antique booth received an overhaul. Well, not a complete overhaul but a good sweeping and rearranging. It feels so good to do this after a long cold winter.


Then last night we watched the show HOARDERS on TLC. Wow. Couldn't believe the stuff people save and pile up. I mean REALLY pile up. Makes me want to clean out every room in the house! While we are not hoarders ...it is still tough with an antique biz. You just can't help but have things waiting to be sold or to go to the booth. Organizing is key!


What do you like to do when Spring arrives?

First Hair Cut ~ Snip Snip Snap!

Dear Bebe was such an angel for her first hair cut! Mommy was so happy and surprised! (She is afraid of things that sound like hair dryers.)

Just a couple of snips and of course a snap of the camera shutter and it was all over.

My little bebe is getting SO big!

Great day for the beach?

As predicted, this winter was more harsh than I would have liked. It is common knowledge around our house that I do not tolerate cold weather too well. We had tons of snow in February and it seemed like a hint of spring would never arrive.

It appeared out of nowhere this weekend! I was thrilled! I'm starting to really like MARCH.

I was even more thrilled to take a walk along the New Jersey shore yesterday. We took a nice long drive to visit with family.

It turned out to be such a beautiful day! Gramma (Ms. Daisy of The Daisy Chain) is to my left. Dear Hubs was obviously focusing on Dear Bebe because he cut my head off a little. This is what happens when you have a baby...

ha ha!

It was so crowded. I was surprised! We decided it must have been the perfect way to cure cabin fever for those cruising the boardwalk. It certainly helped me.

We're hoping to reserve a rental this summer at the beach. Something to look forward to!

This week is going to be busy. Dear Bebe has her first haircut tomorrow!

Then, it's another photo session with one of our favorite photographers. Mommy is trying to find just the right outfit. Last session we did a ballet theme. How do you top it? Suggestions welcome!

Stay tuned for photos...

Pinks Are Popping Up for Spring!

Welcome to Bella Rosa the blog! I've recently moved over from my personal blog page to this website blog page and I'm enjoying the new home for all of my latest news. I do have to confess I'm in a bit of a "blog mourning" phase. I didn't realize I would miss posting to "Jillian's Pages" so much.

Lots of comments and visitors will really perk up my spirits. (*Hint Hint*)

You'll find bits and pieces of what were up to on the home front as well as our latest vintage finds.

Today I'm joining fellow pink fans for Pink Saturday. Beverly hosts this event. Find other pinkers on her page here.

What I'm offering this week in PINK:


A vintage head vase or planter. This has such a late forties/early fifties look
The pink roses in this transfer cake plate are beautiful!

This was unique. Possibly a flue cover in a square, turned to the side in a diamond shape. I normally find round flue covers. The rose print is not perfect but it has a great look. Chic for the shabby collector.

Each week Beverly asks that we highlight a new blogger on our post. I'd like to share Kandy's page over at Pink Sugar Castle. Her blog is so sweet!

~Jillian