~ Bella Rosa GRAND OPENING Celebration! ~

It's finally here! The big moment has arrived! A vision, a dream, a lot of hard work, but lots of fun, too.

The Grand Opening of my new online shop, Bella Rosa Antiques.

And to celebrate, I've been accepting entries for a giveaway. I love having giveaways. They are actually a lot of fun to execute. Again, I recruited my Dear Hubby to help pick the winners. He asked what the prize was. I told him a $15.00 voucher towards merchandise on the website. He thought about and said "Fifteen dollars for your GRAND opening?"

And I realized he was right.

All these years of thinking of having a store, all the years of learning about antiques, all the time and effort put in by the web designer at Retro Boutiques... all came down to this: it had to be bigger.

I mean, this is really a cause for celebration! But how was I going to "up the ante" at this point? I had advertised the fifteen dollar prize.

So, we decided that not just ONE person was going to win, but TWO!!!!!!

So, he picked two names out of this vintage bowl.

And the winners are......

Michelle of I'm a Little Teapot and Penny of Lavender Hill Studio!

CONGRATULATIONS, ladies! Thank you so much for entering the drawing. I'll be contacting you with information on how to get your 15.00 vouchers.

And thank you to EVERYONE who entered the giveaway, who gave lots of support and advice, and for all of the kind words. It really helps.

Feel free to stop by today and have a look around during the GRAND OPENING of Bella Rosa Antiques. There have been many new items added since two weeks ago.

Have a very BELLA day!

GRAND OPENING TOMORROW ~ May 1st!

Wow! I can't believe it is almost here already. The GRAND OPENING of Bella Rosa Antiques. We've been very busy getting ready. Tomorrow we select a winner of the 15.00 Gift Voucher towards merchandise. There's lots to choose from:

Vintage Crown Rhinestone & Pearl Pin

Aqua Rhinestone Pin


"Millefiori" Scarab Type Bracelet
(Millefiori means "a thousand flowers")

Vintage Shoe/Button Hooks

Rose "Y" Necklace

(Adjustable Chain Length)

Vintage Hatpin

Rose Needle Crewelwork Picture


There's still time to enter. Just click on this LINK to take you directly to our site. Sign the guestbook and let us know how to contact you if you win! To be honest, there aren't a whole lot of entries so far ... your chances of winning are very GOOD! Have fun and of course, have a very BELLA day!

Ephemera ~ What is it? Vintage Postcards, Letters, Calling Cards...PLUS Giveaway Has 1 Week Left!

Everyday we probably use all kinds of paper items that get tossed in the trash. Some people save these printed pieces for either sentimental reasons, or for financial records, or for family history.

How many of you save the greeting cards sent by family and friends? And if you save them, for what purpose? I save Christmas cards for several years and then after awhile, make them into cute and fun gift tags to use on next year's packages. But, this would mean the cards were no longer in their original condition.

So this is what leads me to today's post. Ephemera. That is what this paper stuff is called and the much older pieces are highly collectible today. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, the term ephemera means "the printed matter of passing interest." Or dictionary.com puts it like this: "items designed to be useful or important for only a short time, esp. pamphlets, notices, tickets, etc."

Luckily some people decided to save some of their paper items. Really collectible items are things like a Civil War document, a letter signed by a famous person, or a deed to a famous piece of real estate.

My favorites are vintage postcards, letters, old photos, wedding invitations, marriage certificates, calling cards, etc. Some of the beautiful images are still vibrant and stunning to this day.

We've added an "Ephemera" category to Bella Rosa Antiques with some lovely vintage rose items. We'll be adding more in the future so check back if you love pretty paper things!

There's just ONE WEEK left 'til a winner is chosen in our May 1st GRAND OPENING Giveaway! For more details on how to win a $15.00 voucher towards merchandise/shipping click here.

Vintage Celluloid Collar Box - History

One of the things I have always loved about antiques are the mysteries behind them. The more time passes, the more things change for the next generations. Sadly, this leaves behind traditions and customs we don't use anymore and most often are forgotten about.

Thank you, this has sold!

When I found this collar box to place on the Bella Rosa Antiques website, I mainly bid on it because of the rose decoration. But the more I thought about it ... the more I wondered why they were even made. We certainly don't remove our collars these days. Here is a little bit of history I found on Wikipedia:

"Having a false collar allows the shirt to be washed without the special washing method that a starched collar requires. Although they have fallen out of favour for everyday use, starched collars are often worn when wearing a white tie. Having a false collar ensures that the wings of a winged collar don't droop. Starching of detachable collars involves the dipping of the collar into a solution of starch and water before cooking the starch with a hot iron and curling the stiff collar by slowly drawing the collar between the board and the iron. The result is a pristinely white, smooth, stiff collar that holds its shape until it is washed. Detachable collars are typically kept in a collar box; a small, circular box in which the collars can better keep their shape."

This leads me to wonder about the women who were starching and ironing these collars. I can't even imagine doing this today. I don't even iron my regular clothes. Out of the dryer they go, right onto the hanger, with hopefully little to no wrinkles! Oh how things have changed.

The Bella Rosa Antiques Giveaway is on... please feel free to stop by and sign our GUESTBOOK. We're giving away a 15.00 merchandise voucher to celebrate the GRAND OPENING at the beginning of May! Click HERE for more details. Buona Fortuna! (Good luck!)

Bella Rosa Antiques ~ A GIVEAWAY!

Oh my! Where do I begin? I am having so much fun setting up the new Bella Rosa Antiques website. Things are coming along nicely and I do hope you enjoy what you find. I'm so excited about it, I've decided to have a giveaway, leading up to the Grand Opening!

Here's how it works:

1. Go to the Bella Rosa Antiques website by clicking on this link.

2. Click on "Guestbook" on the left hand side.

3. Leave me a message in the guestbook and add something like "I was sent here from your blog!"

4. You can only enter once.

5. You'll be entered to win a voucher for $ 15.00 towards merchandise on the website!

6. Winner will be announced in about three weeks with a date to be determined for the Grand Opening of Bella Rosa Antiques. More information to follow.



Isn't this beaded bag adorable? I was so excited when I found it it just shouted "I'm so Bella Rosaaaaaaaa" when I saw it. Items are already available for purchase so if you see something you like, you don't have to wait for the "Grand Opening." My purpose for having a Grand Opening is more of a PR and marketing thing...(oh boy, does that ever sound so corporate?) Also, I would love to test out the site and who better to help me out than my blogger gal pals. If you find any snafu's... please email me and let me know so I may make corrections as soon as possible. I'm getting the hang of the website technology but I'm still figuring it out.

I'll be adding more inventory as we go along to replace sold items, so keep checking back and good luck on the giveaway. Most importantly, thank you for all of your support and kind words. They have been a big help and I really appreciate them.

Have a very BELLA day!

Bella Rosa Antiques ~ Grand Opening Coming SOON!

Final touches are being made to the new Bella Rosa Antiques website. How exciting! After much deliberation and I'm sure many hours of work on the designer's end, we now have a template located at the url address.

Waiting to be added are categories and other links...plus I need to be trained on how to run the website. Can't wait! I love a new challenge and think of all the possibilities that lie ahead with the new online store.

Check back soon for more details and a giveaway to celebrate our grand opening!

Antiquing Trips ~ Pennsylvania ~ Reed & Barton Trophy Bowl

There's no denying it. One of my favorite things to do is explore. And I'm not talking about with a pair of hiking shoes, a backpack, and the sun to guide me. I'm talking about a pair of comfy shoes, a handbag, and a vision. I'm talking about antiquing.

We recently stopped at a tiny little store near Abbottstown, Pennsylvania. Kind of jammed full of trinkets and odds and ends....perfect really, for finding that "something special." But you have to dig. And dig I did!

This little Reed & Barton silverplated bowl caught my eye. ( That and some silver napkin rings, souvenir spoons, and a pastel McCoy mixing bowl set.) It wasn't easy to see because it was wrapped up in a plastic sandwhich bag which was stapled shut. At first, I just thought it was a minature sized version of a bowl I had at home, which of course, made me love it instantly. Then I noticed it was marked Reed & Barton. Then upon further inspection I noticed it was a trophy! Truly charming!

Some of the designers in the decorating magazines use them for wonderful bookshelf displays, vignettes, etc. I love to pass on the treasures I find...so they may find the right home. Since my new website, Bella Rosa Antiques is not quite ready yet, I have listed it in my online auction, here, in case you are looking for trophies like this to add to your collection.


Of course, if you are an avid antiquer like myself, you know how much fun it is to find something "special"... which only means you are even more eager to go exploring, again, and as soon as possible! Maybe I do need those hiking shoes and a backpack. . .

Oh so Bella! ~ Antiques From a Local Auction

Thrilling! This is the word that comes to mind when I think of my time at the auction. I actually had to attend TWO different auctions because the first one resulted in only a few great finds.

The first day I was able to bring home a lovely Tole handpainted roses tray, some vintage jewelry, an old and very beautiful marriage certificate, the cutest child's chair, an old German Testament, and some glassware items.

But then yesterday I went again to a different auctioneer and wow, I was just filled with anticipation. There were so many things I wanted to bid on, I had to write a list. I did manage to bid on and win several of the things I wanted. Yay! One of my favorites is this gorgeous, vintage ROSE collar box, seen in the photo below. There were collars inside, too! This was definitely "Bella Rosa!"

I also love vintage jewelry and I brought home several pieces that I just fell in love with. Rhinestone earrings, necklaces, pearl necklaces, bracelets, clear and colored crystal necklaces, and LOTS of sparkly pins. I love to decorate my denim jackets with the pins, but during this time of year, my dress coat.

Some of the other vintage finds: evening bags, an extremely tall hat pin holder, even taller hat pins, a very old photo album, a roses fan, sterling pieces, perfume bottle, mini decorated shoes, prints, and a very kitschy kitty kat string holder.

Some of the "jazzy thoughts" I received (from some very bella bloggers) helped tremendously. This may lead to a "request list" on my website. This way, if you're searching for something, tell me, and you just never know, I may be able to find it.

Well, there are more finds that I did not show...some things need to be a surprise! But, as the inventory grows, so does my excitement to begin my new venture. And as usual, I'll post the latest update on my blog.

What Antiques Would You Like to See?

The time has come! Time to start adding to my inventory!


I have to admit, this might be my favorite part. Shopping! What gal doesn't like to go out and spend a little money?

So, I'm asking for some of your input. What type of antiques would you be interested in on Bella Rosa Antiques? There are a couple of auctions coming up this week, and I am heading there with goals in mind.

Something vintage classy, like this?

Or cozy and cottagey like an artist made vase full of colorful flowers?

Or something fun and nostalgic like a vintage piggy bank or other figurine?

Or if you're like me, you like old books:

Or for the entertainer; classic vintage dinnerware and flatware:

Or for the VERY refined settings:

Or basic items chock full of vintage patina like old keys?

I'd love to hear from you all....tell me what you LOVE! I'll be sure to look for it. And thank you so much for all of your support on my new website. Coming soon!

Moving Right Along & A Very Bella Recipient

We're getting closer and closer to having the first steps complete in the construction of the new website. Pretty soon I will be able to see what Arlene of Retro Boutiques has created for me.

Yesterday I went on a little buying trip as well. Found some pretty things I thought you might enjoy. I'm going to keep them a surprise for now...but just think vintage sassy with beaded, sparkly, and some additional shine!

For another post I'm going to ask for requests and find out what YOU are interested in seeing. This way when I am attending local auctions, estates sales and roaming area antique stores, I can find what you might be looking for. Or just leave me a comment on my blog, anytime and I'll add your name and item to my list.

And in closing for today, I would like to link you back to the winner of my "A Very Bella Giveaway," Carol of Sassafras & Lulu. Her photo is just too cute. I'm not sure who enjoyed the giveaway more, the giver or the receiver!