I just decided it was time.

No, I'm not closing my shop.

 

And I'm not taking a break

 from blogging either.

(This is REALLY awful!)

I decided it was TIME to empty out my office area and give it a makeover!

If you knew how many things I store in here due to the Bella Rosa Shop, my crafting endeavors, and years of gathering ribbons and stuff, you'd have put it off just like I had.

But on Thursday, I decided I could not stand to be in it one minute more, until I had re-created my space.

My space where I run my website, create cards, wrap gifts, create layouts and designs for photography, digital scrapbooking, jewelry making supplies, you name it...it is in here.

Things are now ALL OVER THE PLACE.

Hopefully I can get everything back in within the next few days.

Although now, my Dear Hubby has come home with an injured back.

He is resting comfortably.

I will wait until he is better to mention to him that my desk needs to be carried down and outside for a nice coat of spray paint.

Yesterday I painted the walls..... in a desert/sand/taupe color. I can't even tell you the name of it because we decided to paint my office the same color as our hallway downstairs and my hubby took the outlet cover off of the wall and told me to hand it to the paint girl at Lowes.  (This was before he injured his back.)

She actually did a great job matching it.

So, I have no name for it.

But, I am very happy with the color.

 

Anyway, I am raiding other

rooms for shelves, crates

 and things to create storage.

Shopping my basement was

great fun. Who knew we

had all kinds of things

for a "studio?"

 

It helps when

keeping a tight budget.

Besides, isn't it more

fun to use vintage?

 

I will post updates and before / after

 photos as soon  as I get them. 

 

Linking to Etsy Cottage Style

Welcome to the Craft Room

 

Sneak Peek: Treasures in the Woods and All Around the Lake

Summer at the lake means

relaxing and enjoying the outdoors....

But it also means great

places to find new inventory

for my Bella Rosa and Etsy shop.

 

 

A quick peek:

a Lady head vase, rose hat box,

a PINK LuRay salad bowl,

condensed milk holder, a Jack

and Jill book.

 

But wait! There's more!

 

 

Six jadeite FIRE KING mugs...

 

These lovely apothecary

jars are from Wheaton

glass...which is right near

my old hometown!

 

Found them, ironically,

in this Dear Blogger's booth,

52 Flea.

 

Here is the sign

from her booth.

 

 

I'm like

"Hey, I recognize that sign

from the blog world!"

 

It was a weird moment,

in my real world

because they both

collided and it turns out

Laura stays not too far from

our lake house.

 

It got even funnier when

we realized we had been

standing across from each other

in the local fourth of July

parade and didn't even know it!

 How great is that?

What are the chances?

 

 

 

I spotted this vintage star

ornament and grabbed it

really FAST during this

year's crazy rummage sale.

 

I posted about it here,

last year. The sale was similar

to last summer, but maybe

the line was even longer

to get in!

 

Unfortunately we only

found a few vintage things

at this year's sale.

 

Okay, so I went off

track there...let's

get back on track:

 

 

 

A train will get me on track

as well as these other vintage toys...

 

Some vintage jewelry....

 

 

Pyrex mixing bowls!

The small pink one

is perfect all by itself.

 

 

An atomic / retro

alarm clock....and a

booklet about the new

baby prince!

 

Interesting to see the

family history now that

Kate and William are

having a baby.

 

And what a fun time

it was looking for

all of these vintage

pieces.

 

I found the clock and the jadeite

mugs here:

 

 

 A little thrift shop in the woods!

Bebe and I love going here.

She finds fun toys

(Old Polly Pockets are her

biggest thrill) and I

find vintage goodies!

 

 

Now for the hard part...

getting them listed.

 

Stay tuned!

 

Linking to:

Ivy andElephant's

 What's It Wednesday.

 

and

Pink Saturday

at How Sweet the Sound

 

 

 

A Summer Place at the Lake

Another summer at the lake

filled with good times

and lots of outdoor sunshine!
Now that we have most
of the renovations finished
it is time to enjoy the water
and surrounding area.
Yea!

 

While hubby was driving

the boat I was getting

creative with the camera lens...

 

I never thought I was

 the type to enjoy a

trip around the lake

in a canoe but you

know what...

I really like it!

 

And a Momma duck found

that our dock was a great

place for rest and relaxation.

Unfortunately they

also thought it was a

great place to do

their morning "business."

 

 

In comes the water

for a clean up!

(Notice my attempts at watermarks?)

 

Bebe enjoyed every minute

outside. From flowers

to fishing she just

soaked it all in.

 

Especially the boat rides.

Faster Daddy, Faster!

 

 

I couldn't resist this shot.

Father / Daughter fishing.

Too cute.

 

 

When did my Bebe get so big?

 

 

And when did she learn

how to fish! Go Bebe!

 

Maybe next year I'll

get brave and try

kayaking.... it looks

like such fun!

 

This is one of my favorite shots.

We had the mallard ducks

sitting on our dock

and this Mother duck

(A common Merganser)

would sometimes carry

all of her ducklings on

her back and wings.

It was a sight to see.

All right in front of our lake house.

We have been surely blessed.

Linking to:
What's It Wednesday

Outdoor Wednesday
at Southern Daydreamer

and Hope in Every Season
Homemaking Party.

 

BLOG SHOP Link Party Means Big Summer SAVINGS

It's BLOG SHOP time!

 

 

 

All blog shoppers receive 20% off a minimum purchase from the Bella Rosa Antiques shop on Etsy.

 

Click here and hop on over to my Etsy shop.

 

Be sure to use coupon code SUMMER20

 

Enjoy and have a fantastic day!

 

 

Be sure to check out

Beverly's Blog Shop page

 

July 4th Hometown Style Parade!

What a way to celebrate

America's birthday...

 

With a hometown style,

 4th of July Parade!

 

People lined up

along the main street

in this pretty lakeside town...

you can just barely see

the lake at the end

of the road.

 

 

Waiting in anticipation....

 

 

 

For fun, patriotic sights

 

 

Surprises and candy!

 

 My favorite were the Fife and Drum Corps

 

 

 

Parade flags were

handed out,

for a small donation

only if you were able....

 

It was your typical

American Pie and

 

star spangled parade

 

 

Including a little

bit of Elvis!

 

And we loved it!

 

 

What did you do for the 4th?

 

 

 

 

Linking to:
 

 

Battle Hymn

While looking for vintage sheet music

to place inside a vintage frame,

I came across a sheet torn from an antique hymnal.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic.

 

Mine eyes have seen the glory
of the coming of the lord,
He is trampling out the vintage
where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He hath loosed his fateful lightning
of His terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

I have seen Him in the watch fires
of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar
in the evening dews and damps,
I can read his righteous sentence
in the dim and daring lamps,
His day is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

I have read a fiery Gospel
writ in burnished rows of steel,
"As ye deal with My contemners
so with you My grace shall deal,"
Let the Hero born of woman
crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

He has sounded forth the trumpet
that shall never call retreat,
He is sitting out the hearts of men
before His judgment seat,
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him!
Be jubilant, my feet,
Our God is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

Here are some interesting facts found on this website:

 

- Julia Ward Howe wrote the lyrics to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic" after visiting a Union Army Camp on the Potomac River near Washington D.C. in December of 1861. Her ancestors were famous during The American Revolutionary War.

 

                - While visiting the army camp, she heard a favorite marching song of the Union Army. The song was set to the melody from the parody song “John Brown’s Body.” The John Brown in the song referred to a Scottish Sergeant in the 12th Massachusetts Regiment, not John Brown the famous abolitionist.

- The song's melody was made famous before the Civil War by a South Carolinian choirmaster and organist named William Steffe. He is believed to have written the melody in 1856. The song was originally titled “Say Brothers Will You Meet Us.”

- Reverend James Freeman Clark challenged Julia Ward Howe into writing a poem with a more powerful message for the marching song.

- That same night Julia Ward Howe dreamed the first line and awoke with it on her mind in the middle of the night. She wrote the entire poem by candle light before dawn. She forced herself up from her sleep because she was fearful that if she did not immediately write the poem she would forget it.

- The Atlantic Monthly paid her five dollars for the poem and published it in 1862, James T. Field of The Atlantic Monthly named the poem “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

- The chaplain of the 122nd Ohio Regiment taught it to Union soldiers every where.

- It is said that President Abraham Lincoln was so moved by the song, he wept when he heard it.

What immense feeling and passion in this song.

Glory, glory, hallelujah.

Happy Birthday, America!

July 4th Summer Mantel: Using Vintage (and Getting a Bit Philosophical)

These past few weeks

have been really busy

for our family.

 

So my mantel

was a bit neglected.

 

The other day I quickly

put this together using

vintage stuff I already

had on shelves or in

my Bella Rosa stash.

 

 

While I'm not crazy about

the brick or the mantel,

I do enjoy decorating

for holidays.

 

And the patriotic

gal in me really

appreciates what

has come before us

here in America.

 

The land of the free.

 

I grabbed an old

blue and white

creamer and

used it to hold

mini flags.

 

Looking intently

all of a sudden

at the red, the

white, and the blue.

 

Then I started thinking.

(And pardon my

moment of philosophy)

 

Do we take for

granted what the

   American Flag stands for?

 

 

Do we remember the

hard toil and labor

that it took to

build this great nation?

 

Do we see what could

happen if we don't hold

onto the values

that lay down

our foundation?

That there is
NO OTHER

free place

left on this earth?

 

Have we forgotten

about our history

and the reasons

we wanted freedom?

What do we think

when we see the lady liberty?

 

 

 

The liberty bell?

 

I still see America.

But an America

that is changing.

Turning away

from it's history.

 

And as we turn 237

years old this week

I hope we can

remain strong in

our values, our principles.

 

Are we too

divided, too passive?

Getting out my

old vintage things

and arranging them

into a Fourth of

July theme,

makes me realize I'm

eager to teach those

who are coming after me

the truth. The truth that

will set them free.

 

One nation, under God.

Without God,

there is no freedom.

That's it.

If you remove
God from our

future, there is

no America.

It is virtually

impossible to

keep the same

ideals of freedom

unless we keep Him

as our Guide and

our mighty Counselor.

 

With God as the

authority, no man

can ever have total

charge over your freedom.

Regardless of your

race, religious affiliation,

financial status,

or politic views.

 

So, Happy Fourth!
May your flags

wave for America

and for all who reside

within it's borders

that work to keep

it going.

 

We salute you!

Amen.