Vintage Christmas Ornaments

Like a little squirrel getting ready for winter... I'm stocking up on inventory for the holiday shopping season.... just finished listing and I'm excited about finding more VINTAGE over the next few weeks! Ho Ho Ho!

These little red ornaments are from my own personal stash. I tend to decorate with pinks and pastels so I've decided to pass these on. Each one is uniquely different!

Sweet little chirping birdies on a wire... wrap around your tree branch for some fun.

Shelf elves! Perch one on your mantle this year for a little whimsy.

Yummy in pink with glitter and pearly sheen!

The really old pieces are hard to find. I have a grouping of four available.

A tree full of these reminds me of the Nutcracker... a sugar plum fairy tree!

It is amazing they survive the years because they are so delicate.

Just listed last night... plus more! Old pointe shoes, sapphire earrings, sterling G Clef earrings, Victorian die cuts and sentiments, 3D postcards PLUS the FRENCH prints I was hinting about last week!

All in the Bella Rosa store.

Next post.... Dear Bebe and I were invited to brunch with Dear friends...

Second Chance Tuesday #7 ~ Hat Pin History

Welcome to Second Chance Tuesday where we get a chance to show off or highlight something that deserves another look. Usually I show some of my antiques from my shop, Bella Rosa Antiques, but today I'm going to do a rerun of hat pin history. All of the hat pins have sold except for the last amethyst pin in the photo at the bottom.

So without further ado, here is one of my former blog posts:

Stunning , sparkly, and very sharp. Mysterious.

The Hat pin.




A vintage piece of the past we no longer use. But for some reason, we love to collect and display them.





Here is a bit of history of the hatpin from The American Hatpin Society:


Prized by antique collectors today, hatpins were commonplace and controversial. They ranged in size between 6 and 12 inches long depending on the size of the hat they needed to secure to a woman’s head. They were fancy or practical, made from every available material ranging from precious metals to gemstones to plastics and paste. Hatpin makers marketed their products to the various levels of society, ranging from the extremely ornate and expensive to the simple and functional. The heyday of the hatpin was between the 1880's and 1920’s, after which hair styles became short and the hats became smaller making the pins unnecessary.



I've been collecting hatpins for several years now. I had seen them in antique malls and had been drawn to their glitz and glamour. After I started attending local auctions I was able to acquire a few of my own to keep...and some to pass on to others for their own collections. They always seem to sell out. They get harder and harder to find and unfortunately, for the antique dealer, the price keeps going up when bidding. But I just had to bid on a hatpin holder and a few pins for the Bella Rosa store. It just seemed like the right fit.






This one is a favorite...it has a ruby colored stone in it.

This is my only hat pin left available for sale... and it has a beautiful victorian look with a purple glass stone.

If you would like to join today's Second Chance Tuesday, feel free to grab the Second Chance Tuesday button, link back to my post here, and add your name to the Mr. Linky below:

Jillian's Top Ten All Time Favorites

My husband and I have come across many antiques in our travels. We buy and sell some...we ooh and ahhh over others.

Then there are those I look back and think: "Maybe I should have kept THAT." Here are my favorites, sold in my Bella Rosa store ...and not in any certain order.

Pink prom dress... too sweet! I wish I had my own brick and mortar store to display this in. It is the kind you would put in the front window!

This was a French art book... basically a dictionary of French terms used by people who studied art. I joked that it may have been used by Degas or Monet...as it came from the Frick Museum!

This mother of pearl writing pen was soooo pretty and it came

with this lovely red velvet box.

This autograph book was GORGEOUS!

Very very old and I loved reading the poetry.

This tri fold mirror was so glamorous! Loved it!

I had never come across one of these before....a Souvenir of FRANCE silk apron. SILK! France! Apron! Did none of this convince me to keep it?

What was I thinking??????


Pink. Frilly. Fan. Beautiful! Let it go too....


Souvenir of France....again, when will I learn?

This was a recent find and it too, was hard to part with.

I even knew the history behind it.

And this little celluloid covered bible...enchanting picture.

Are these sweet or what???

It is all part of seeking out the best and most beautiful vintage things I can find...

and then finding a home for them...I leave up to you.

Fortunately we are in a great area for antiques! Dear Hubby just came home from an auction and found some fabulous old postcards from the early 1900's. We had to mortgage our home to pay for them, but we think they were worth it!

(Yes, I'm kidding! But have you been to an auction lately? Around here, it is tough competition!)

Now the task to do the research on them.

I'll be writing an upcoming post about artist signed postcards this week.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend~

PS. If you were counting (... you'd notice I have eleven things mentioned... I couldn't stop at ten!)

Its Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

Vintage! And Christmas too!

Here are some of my JUST LISTED items:

Funky old minstrel Santa Claus...

Beautiful art deco bracelet, showing wear and well loved but still special!

French money! Ooh la la... what could we buy?


Tin German house signs... wondering if these were saved/removed during World War II?




Sterling silver CORO brooch

Fifties bridesmaid hat with surrounding veil

Rhinestone sweater clip...

Two sets of vintage Christmas greeting cards to make whatever you want with!

Gorgeous 3D frame...

Wedgwood cross ornament...

Victorian paperie... great stocking fillers!

Next listing: French prints and more fine jewelry. Stay tuned...

Second Chance Tuesday #6 : Special Election Day Edition

Welcome to Second Chance Tuesday where I highlight things that deserve a another look. If you'd like to join me you may add your name and blog to the linky at the bottom. I like to show things from my shop, Bella Rosa Antiques, but you may share a blog post you really liked again or maybe there is something else deserving of this day.

In honor of Election day here in the United States of America, I am highlighting items from my patriotic category.

Think the bold and the brave with these vintage postcards...

A vintage photograph album...makes a nice piece for scrapping now!

Very cool book!

This sign is one of my favorites... the only one I've come across like it.

Vintage crepe paper streamers to celebrate your victory party...

Thank you for giving them a second chance!

You may join in with Mr. Linky below:

This is not a political blog...

It is a big day tomorrow... elections. While this is not a political themed blog, I do think tomorrow's election is very important. Antiques are about history and so is voting. I think it is important for American's to do their part, and vote smart. Research before you go!

I may be out voting tomorrow, but I'll be back for "Second Chance Tuesday." There are no second chances with voting. (Just had to throw that in there.)

Have a super Bella day!