Jillian's Pages

Ms. Jillian is Moving

2010-02-22T12:37:00.004-05:00

We've moved! We've packed up and moved to another blog, Bella Rosa Antiques.

If you're a faithful reader, family member or friend, please add this new link to your favorites list...we'd love to have you continue following our adventures. If you're hand typing it is:

http://www.bellarosaantiques.blogspot.com

It may have a new name which will incorporate Jillian into the mix... still deciding! The url address remains the same.

Thanks so much for following. I've enjoyed writing on this blog and I felt so torn about combining my two blogs but with a toddler who's very active I've come to the conclusion... it is time!

See you on the other blog!

Champagne & Roses with a Little Romance

2010-02-19T13:56:00.008-05:00

Since February is a month to celebrate romance, the items I've listed this week fit in quite well!
This satiny rose fabric is great to have on hand for those special projects. I love the champagne color tone.

The first illustrated page of this antique book titled "Lucile" reads: "The Duke bowed his lips o'er her hand."

I don't know about you but that sounds pretty romantic to me!

And the cover appealed to me with the lovely pink and green flower motif on gold.

For that special night out... a pair of prong set rhinestone hoops.

The dollhouse furniture is also up on the site now for the miniature collectors.

Also, a big shout out "THANK YOU!" to those who are on FACEBOOK and became a fan of our new Facebook page for Bella Rosa Antiques. You'll get ten percent off your next order as well as you'll be the first to see my latest finds and hear about upcoming sales/events.

I'll be making the transition soon to just one blog. It is too difficult with Dear Bebe being so active to maintain two blogs. I'll provide a link over to the Bella Blog when I finally do. Working on a few different graphics to incorporate "Jillian's Pages" and "Bella Rosa Antiques" into one.

Hopefully I'll be able to go antiquing this weekend...we've had so much snow I haven't been going on my weekly hunting trips. And speaking of snow...another big shout out to TEAM USA during the Olympics. Whoooo Hooooo! Great job!

Have a great weekend!

Shrunk in the Dryer Cute

2010-02-17T11:39:00.004-05:00

Recently I came across this vintage doll furniture. I fell in love with it immediately. So cute. To quote an old friend they are "Shrunk in the dryer cute!"
How great my LuRay dinnerware would look on the table. Tee hee!

That gives me an idea... make mini LuRay dishes!

What this furniture is really making me think about is getting a dollhouse for Dear Bebe someday. How much fun it will be!

But I think for now I will imagine sitting on this patio set with the sun shining on my face. The snow is still here but spring is only 32 days away! THIRTY TWO DAYS, people, 32 days! It's do-able. Think I can make it!

Along with some vintage rose fabric, books and jewelry, I will be adding these cute vintage pieces to the Bella Rosa website tonight. Think I'll start a new "Vintage Toys" category. Fun!

Are you a dollhouse person? I'd love to hear about yours!

February is For Parties

2010-02-15T11:02:00.005-05:00

We like to party. Birthday's, reunions, babies, weddings and holidays are reasons enough for me to break out the party gear.

This weekend we were partying it up! I'm exhausted. But it was fun!

Friday kicked off the festivities with Dear Bebe's friends's birthday party.

Here he is contemplating the cupcake. (Do I eat that thing on top too?)

She was enjoying all of his toys... wheeeeeeeeeee!

We don't have a firetruck at home, Mommy!

Oooh the alphabet letters are fun!

Giving presents can be just as fun as getting them!

Saturday we had a whirlwind shower to attend. It was over in a flash, but as all hearty partiers know, it's all about the good food and goodies!

Then for Valentine's Day Dear Hubs and I decided the best restaurant in town was right in our own living room! We have this awesome view of the town below and seated our selves for dinner right in front of the window.

Dear Hubs made chicken marsala with angel hair pasta and I made a heart shaped cake.

Hmmmm... I think the Bistro is open!

A Valentine's Day Wish

2010-02-12T12:28:00.003-05:00

May you give those you love an extra hug and kiss and enjoy sweet treats! Dear Hubs and I treated ourselves to a box of Belgian chocolates... not to be opened until Sunday!

Here is my sweetpea... in her warm and snuggly hearts. She loves watching her Da-Da plow away snow.

A Happy Valentine's Day this weekend to all!

B- B- B- B-L-I-Z-Z-A-R-D!

2010-02-10T21:47:00.008-05:00

Last week I thought we received a lot of snow. We were all excited... a snow storm, a snow storm! It's fun to be snowed in! Whoo hoo!

We did the staying in and baking thing.

We ate soup.

We took pictures. We bragged about how much snow accumulated.

We thought we had received the big one.

I've changed my mind after today. THIS is a lot of snow! I think we had sixteen inches today on top of the twenty-one inches we had last week.

Our front azalea bushes were pummeled. They don't resemble ANYTHING.

Our car is barely visible!

The front landscaping looks like a scene from a movie. I haven't seen this much snow in YEARS.

At least we've been spending good quality family time together.

Ha! I'm ready to get out of here!

Cabin fever will be setting in!

We'll be digging out tomorrow. Er, I mean Dear Hubs will be out there with his snow plow tractor thingy.

I'm going to be praying this is the last of the big white storms.

It Came, It Saw, It Conquered!

2010-02-06T14:08:00.004-05:00

The big blizzard of 2010:

The snowstorm hit, we were covered with a big fluffy blanket of snow. Probably about 2 feet!

I've never seen so much snow on the back railing of our deck!

Turned our birdhouse into a skyscraper...

Off to go dig out and have fun!

Pending Snowstorm

2010-02-05T07:37:00.003-05:00

Our area of the country is all a buzz with talk of a snow storm. I've seen it on the radar and this one is a BIGGIE. A friend of mine wrote on facebook how she had seen a local headline read: Mid Atlantic Region to be Mauled by Snowstorm.

Mauled? I'm not sure about that one. A little too dramatic don't ya think?

Well, the pantry is full of soup, so we're good.

I'm kidding.

We actually do have a ton of soup. I'm not sure what we were thinking when stocking up. But it's there.

My calendar is also turning into swiss cheese. It is full of holes now!

We have our annual Valentine's Day Tea at the antique mall where we have a booth on Sunday. It also happens to be Super Bowl Sunday! We were hoping to go to a get together but this may not happen either. Not because of the snow, but because we can't find a baby sitter yet.

So, more on the Valentine's Day tea later. I've got to get my snow gear ready. And make these yummy cookies to serve.

Blogs, Facebook, I'm All a Twitter!

2010-02-02T08:22:00.007-05:00

Think it's all too much? Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Passwords, Cell Phones, Debit Cards, Pin Numbers.... ahhhhhhkkkk! What happened to the simpler days?

I twitter but my tweets have become far and few between. Could I be tweeted out?

I just started using FACEBOOK for my website, Bella Rosa Antiques. FUN!

Did you ever stop and think....remember when life wasn't so complicated with passwords, URL's, HTML's, pin numbers, cell phones, etc?

Think this is why I appreciate antiques!

Anyway, check me out on FACEBOOk under Bella Rosa Antiques. I'd love it if you'd become a fan, too. (Facebook account is necessary.)

His N Hers

2010-01-28T09:07:00.010-05:00

This past weekend I decided a change was in order for my office area. First, let me say I share an office with my Dear Hubby so my space is limited.

So we have "your half" and "my half" going on.

It helps if I can let Dear Bebe in the office with me so I can work occasionally on orders for my website or answer some of the emails I receive.

Sounds good? Not if you have antiques on open shelves in the room. Nightmare with a toddler with grippy hands.

So I decided to buy new shelving that would fit in the closet and store everthing where the doors can be closed.

That left my current shelving available for other items! I hadn't thought about it until the new space was created and I love what I've decided to use it for. My shipping supplies, boxes, ribbons, etc.

She loves to play with the boxes and ribbons which can easily be wound up again and put back on the shelf. Nothing to break there!
This is the other half of the room. It doesn't help we also have an antique booth and end up with lots of excess stuff, bins, boxes, containers waiting to be taken to the antique mall.

Even Dear Bebe thinks it's a mess.

Goal for this year: Work on this room as well as our dining room. We had big plans when we moved in four years ago to paint and put up crown molding, etc in our formal dining area.

Ha! We'll see. I've got 11 months left.

Maybe I'll just start with organizing the rest of my shelves.

Those Were The Days!

2010-01-24T19:38:00.002-05:00

Recently I came across a few photos on the internet while Facebooking (is this a term?) The photos stopped me in my tracks and my eyes opened wide:

I've always been drawn to the spotlight and back in high school I auditioned for our high school musical. That year (1984) we did SOUTH PACIFIC. This play was so much fun to be in.

That's me, the red head third or fourth on the left and whaddya know, I'm not facing forward like I should be and my arm isn't with all the other dancers. And look at that funky 80s hair!

But it was great seeing these old photos... I don't think I had ever seen these before. Someone loaded them onto a reunion page on Facebook and I'm so glad he did.

This was a photo taken during the song "Nothin Like a Dame." Looks pretty good, eh? I haven't gotten the song out of my head since I saw it this afternoon.

And WOW! The entire cast photo. I'm the first girl on the left. Boy do I look like a skinny minny there.

Those were the days!

Chocolate Museum & Factory

2010-01-21T10:53:00.008-05:00

Who doesn't love chocolate? Okay, I know there are some who don't, but most people I know wouldn't turn down a piece, or two....or three!

Last weekend I encouraged Dear Hubs to take us for a family outing. As Dear Bebe gets older, this will get more and more fun to do.

He looked up some things to do online and found a local chocolate factory had a mini museum inside. I did not protest.

They make these cute little (and very tasty morsels) called BUDS. They look like KISSES but they are not. Which came first? The KISS or the BUD? Tee hee.

Either way these are delicious. I'm halfway through the bag of them already.

The museum was really neat, but small.

Just as I was about to take a photo of their gorgeous display of porcelain chocolate pots... my camera battery died. Ahhhhhhh!

Here are all the chocolate molds they've collected as well as other neat items used to make chocolate.

But we had fun and we look forward to more family outings! Especially if they involve food!

Leap Year : More Like Leap Frog!

2010-01-18T13:28:00.012-05:00

My friend and I went out for a girl's night and we chose to see the movie, Leap Year.

Amy Adams again in a starring role. I like her. I really do.

But maybe not in this role. Here she is hoping to receive a proposal from her doctor boyfriend and instead receives a pair of diamond earrings.
She spends the rest of the movie stomping (in high heels mind you) through the rest of the movie up and down the hills of Ireland trying to get to him on February 29th, to propose to him during a rare Irish Leap Year tradition.

Then of course, she meets another guy and they seem to like each other despite hating each other. (And haven't we seen THIS scenario over and over before?)

Okay. So, it had potential.

The biggest problem was a lack of chemistry between any of the actors.

I won't give the rest of the story away in case you'd like to rent it...which is the only way I would recommend it. The price of a movie and the six dollar popcorn just isn't worth it!

See? No sparks.

You'd think the casting director would have seen that during early script reading.

I give it 2 and a half popcorns. Maybe a three if I didn't have to buy the ticket or the popcorn. Like if I just sat on my couch, made microwave popcorn and had rented it. Now there's a tradition I can leap to!

Winter Blues

2010-01-14T13:08:00.003-05:00

It's almost the middle of January. And I've got the winter blues really bad! The cold arrived eons ago and it didn't seem like it was going to lift....but I'm thrilled to say today we had warmer temperatures! Like, no longer frigid.

I know it is not spring, but it was enough to motivate me.

So now I can start thinking about future days when I can go to the local farmers market and see these....

And even sooner when I can bring these home to brighten up the house.

For now though my trusty crockpot is here. What's your favorite "beat the winter blues" recipe for the slow cooker? I'd love to hear about it.

Need a Lift?

2010-01-08T14:58:00.004-05:00

When New Year's day rolls around... I scoff at making resolutions. Who really sticks to them anyway?

I decided instead... I needed a lift.

My hair was getting pretty long and I had a few inches cut off.

Instant lift!

New year, new hair. It's a great "pick me up."

Now, the only thing that could make it better would be spring.

How many more days?

Baby It's Cold Outside ~ Got Soup?

2010-01-04T10:58:00.002-05:00

It is soooooo cold here on the North East Coast. The only solution is to make soup.

And lots of it. Dear Hubs got out the ol' vintage enamelware stock pot and set to work.

I think I'll pour myself a bowl...

And this photo is for Grandma ... Dear Bebe is wearing her Santa slippers! Thank you!

Now I'm going to go warm up and have some of that yummy soup.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T13:06:00.003-05:00

As the clock counts down to the end of 2009, we welcome what 2010 will bring.

This year has been a very good one. So much to be thankful for.

We're going to celebrate at home with some festive dips, appetizers, a movie, and a sparkling toast!

Hope you have a very Happy and Blessed New Year!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2009-12-29T11:42:00.009-05:00

It is not because of these...

But because of these! Family gathering and enjoying time together. Dear Bebe was getting kisses and hugs from her Aunt and cousins...

And big sisters! Here Step-Daughter #1 watches as Dear Bebe plays with a gift she gave to her. The joy on her face was precious!

Step-Daughter #2 and her boyfriend...(she was in a car accident that morning so prayers please for her to get the car back on the road! We were just so thankful she was okay.)
Then there were Christmas carols.... sung by the tree. . .

And well, I'd be lying if I said these weren't fun this time of year too!

Hope you all had a great time with your family this Christmas.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T09:58:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas! Today begins a wonderful celebration of Christ's birth.

The reason for the season! All are welcome to celebrate, no one is excluded.

For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, for whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

Enjoy the day with your family and friends... today we also celebrate my Dear Hubby's birthday.

A special time to share with those you love.

Snow Bucks

2009-12-22T12:32:00.005-05:00

Just in time for Christmas....

It's either Comet or Cupid....

No, make that Donner or Vixen....

Ut oh! Fighting over who gets to pull the sleigh!

Well, we've cleared out enough snow to get out and about...we're not used to getting 15 inches this early in the season. It wasn't even officially winter yet.

Getting ready for Christmas! Hope you're all enjoying the season.

Be a Grinch: Let Your Heart Grow Three Sizes

2009-12-20T08:12:00.005-05:00

Christmas: When Your Heart Grows Three Sizes

(This devotion was written by Jim Liebelt)

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;
I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26

In Dr. Seuss’ classic Christmas tale, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch suffers from having a small heart. The source of his heart problem is his lack of understanding the meaning of Christmas. As the story goes, the Grinch tries to put a stop to Christmas, but in the end, he comes to understand what Christmas is all about and his heart grows three sizes! This heart change makes a big difference in his life.

I’m not sure what Dr. Seuss’ intentions were when he wrote the story back in 1957, but it certainly comes across as a Christian parable to me that parallels the change that takes place in a person’s life when he or she comes to understand the true meaning of Christmas: the birth of Jesus, God’s Son, who was born to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). When the light of the Good News of Jesus dawns upon the heart of a person, God replaces the old heart of stone, with a new, fleshy heart – and a new person emerges.

As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

“Welcome Christmas – While we stand – Heart to heart – And hand in hand.”1
It might just make all the difference in the world.

We celebrate Christmas because of the power Jesus brought to change our hearts.

Don't miss more uplifting posts this Christmas on Charlotte on Ginger's blog....Spiritual Sunday.

Pink Saturday ~ Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow!

2009-12-18T23:50:00.002-05:00

Happy Pink Saturday! We're about to get slammed with snow here on the East Coast so this post is about snow...and pink. Pink jammies that is!

This photo of Dear Bebe eyeing the snow for the first time is a reprise from an earlier post, but it was too perfect not to use it again for Pink Saturday.

We're also sharing the theme of holiday traditions. Not unlike other households we have typical traditions

Each year Dear Hubs and I put up the tree together and watch It's a Wonderful Life. He had never seen it before he had met me.

The other tradition we have is to hang the pickle ornament somewhere on the tree and let our neice and nephew look for it to receive a special present.

We also remember the reason for the season and celebrate the birth of Christ on Christmas Eve. We each open one gift.

For more pinks and holiday traditions visit Beverly's blog at How Sweet the Sound.

And have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Joy of Julie & Julia

2009-12-17T21:54:00.006-05:00

Here's a little secret I'm going to let out while reviewing the movie, Julie & Julia.

As a pre-teen I was fascinated with watching Julia Child. I loved her show. Something about the way she effortlessly created delicious looking meal after meal sparked something in me. Maybe I was hungry. I don't know.

For awhile I wanted to become a chef because of this infatuation with a cooking show.

A chef! How is it that I arrived in the land of television so many years later? Well, that's a long story for another time... but let's get back to the subject at hand.

Food. Yes, delicious food. You will want to find some and consume it the entire time you are watching the film. A good idea would be to start cooking dinner when watching the movie to help curb the urge.

And Meryl Streep. Wow. She did an excellent job! I mean, really good.

The movie lagged at points but Dear Hubs and I hung in there anyway. I'd say it was the only down side, for me.

I had never heard of Julie Powell, who blogged all about cooking and Julia so this was new to me but intriquing at the same time because I blog. I've heard others say they didn't like the Julie Powell character (played by Amy Adams) but she seemed normal to me. (Despite all of her meltdowns. Doesn't everyone have meltdowns? :0) ) These were also people who read the book before they saw the movie. See, this is why I don't read the books...this way I won't be disappointed. (I'm kidding, people, kidding.)

Anyway, in Jillian's Pages style I'm going to give the movie 3 1/2 popcorns. It brought back a nostalgic memory for me...sitting in the living room watching Julia whip up something while I dreamed of cooking something fabulously French someday when I had my own kitchen.

But for Ms. Streep's performance I have to go all the way and give her the whole set of 5:

Bon Appetit!

Santa Was a Jolly Ol' Soul

2009-12-15T21:27:00.006-05:00

A jolly old soul was he!

Hello, Mr. Claus!

Meet Dear Bebe...

Dear Bebe = not jolly.

At all.

Well, at least we tried... she did enjoy the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer display.

Remember Rudolph's little girlfriend? Clarice was more Dear Bebe's style.

Dear Bebe's little friend had similar issues...

Would. Not. Let. Go.

Poor Santa... better luck next year!

Christmas, On Top of the World

2009-12-13T19:21:00.005-05:00

Oh woe is me!

My legs are aching. My feet are killing me.

But it was all worth it.

Danced and danced until the last song at Dear Hub's company Christmas party.

It all takes place at this wonderful lodge called Skytop, near the Pocono mountains. It's the most magical place, especially during the holidays.

Remember the summer lodge in the movie Dirty Dancing?

It's just like that. Just like it!

And we love it. Here is a shot of their annual gingerbread house, baked by the culinary staff. Amazing!

All hand iced and all the little candies stuck on with icing.

In the library is a gigantic tree flanked by two statuary angels holding the ribbons from the tree.
Gorgeous!

Here was the view from our room. There is a lake which was icing over. So picturesque.

The lodge's slogan is "Where the past meets the present."

We hope we get to enjoy it for many years to come.

Christmas Card Photos

2009-12-10T07:19:00.002-05:00

We took some pictures of Dear Bebe around the house for our Christmas cards.
Unfortunately these two pictures won't work because I didn't notice the storage boxes in the background before I snapped the photo.

I even wrapped a few presents early in order to have "props" for her
to use in the photos.

She didn't want to have anything to do with them, of course!

Ornaments are THE thing.

Luckily we didn't put out any of the old, glass breakables!

I did manage to get one or two good photos.
It is harder than it looks to get the right shot!

Whatcha Got Cookin?

2009-12-08T21:08:00.002-05:00

So after a few days of feeling completely YUCKO... I decided to use my new surge of energy to cook lasagna.

Then in the middle of it I wondered why I thought it was such a good idea. Ever do that?

But by the time the delicious smells were wafting through the air and then the finished product came out... I was glad I put the extra time in to make it.

Even better... I don't have to cook tomorrow!

First Snow

2009-12-06T21:43:00.003-05:00

This morning our backyard looked like a winter wonderland...

And while it did snow last year when Dear Bebe was about three months old...

This was the first time she actually noticed it.

Her reaction was great!

Christmas Memory

2009-12-05T09:10:00.002-05:00

My most impressionable memory which carries lots of nostalgia for me is putting up the tree with my Sister every year. We had a small artificial tree we hauled out of the basement. The same Christmas album would be played which began with the song "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."

To this day the song brings me right back to that moment when the needle hit the vinyl and the ornaments came out of the box. I always had to dance around for a few verses too, of course!

What's your favorite Christmas memory?

A Welcome Home

2009-12-03T11:25:00.005-05:00

Our soldier is home on break... and he is so glad to be back.

I made him a cheery patriotic sign to welcome him home.

He hadn't been home too long when we took this photo and he looks so tired, poor guy! The jet lag takes some getting used to.

We were coaxing him to try and look awake!

He's going back in about 9 days. Let's just say he's really been appreciating the good 'ol USA!

And we've been glad to have him back, especially dear Hubs.

As for me, I've been busy with Dear Bebe, having company (Ms. Daisy and family were here for T'Giving...hoping to get photos soon), and getting things ready for the holidays.

I just listed some items from recent antique excursions Mom and I went to while she was here.

Here are a few of my favorites:

We went to a local auction and found some great things... many of the items I took to my antique booth. There are things that sell better there than on my website. Like vintage toy cars for instance. Not a good fit for "Bella Rosa", eh?

I'd love to see what you've been up to .... I'll be perusing the blogs later on after Dear Bebe goes "night night!"

Cyber Monday

2009-11-29T21:42:00.004-05:00

Black Friday is a day I used to enjoy when I was younger. Much younger. I now realize I need to stay as far away as possible.

Then along came Cyber Monday. While the world and technology is changing faster than I can keep up with it.... I have to think Cyber Monday can't be all that bad.

Just look at these sales:

Sitting around in my jammies without waiting in line? Free shipping?

Priceless!

The only problem is ... as I was trying to avoid the crowds...I finished my Christmas shopping early!

Is it too early to shop for me?

How about you?

Do you shop on "Cyber Monday?" I'd love to hear your take on it.

Turkey Day Prep - Can I Chicken Out?

2009-11-23T21:17:00.007-05:00

It's here already! The week of Thanksgiving.

I always think it's going to be easy. But then I realize... it's not!

I'm talking about hosting dinner.

Each year since I've been married I think we've hosted...and even when we were dating we hosted. I actually used to cook but then Dear Hubs started to show a little sign of KCF (kitchen control freak *gasp! not DEAR HUBS!*) and we switched roles. I decided it wasn't worth arguing over a turkey dinner and would visit with my visiting family instead... plus my Step-children liked having food they were used to instead of how I made it.

But this year my Step-son is coming home from being overseas. Yeah! We are all excited to see him. And Dear Hubby is especially excited. So, this year we're all going to pitch in and help cook.

Now, if I could just get my house cleaned in time.

Antique Dealers Need Inspiration, Too

2009-11-19T10:21:00.003-05:00

Most of the blogs I visit highlight the crafts talented artists create for their own enjoyment or to sell. I enjoy looking at them all... I just don't have time to craft right now.

The time I do have is spent with my sweet Dear Bebe who demands a lot of my attention. Then when I get a chance, I go antiquing.

And believe it or not, antique dealers need to be inspired too. One of the places I shop is where we have our own antique booth in Hershey, PA.

This dealer ALWAYS has the neatest and most unique little vintage items. We are amazed each week to see what she has found and has on display. Lots of eye candy!

She is what we would consider a "higher end" antique dealer. But sometimes the price is right and I buy something out of her lovely case of treasures to sell on my Bella Rosa website. Just look at those beaded purses! Ahhhhhhh!

I hope you enjoyed a little peek inside my antique world!

It's Beginning to Look Like...

2009-11-17T10:58:00.003-05:00

CHRISTMAS! Well, at least on my website.

These are just a few of the vintage holiday items I found recently.
I thought it was great to find little angels with roses on them!

Getting in the mood! But, we wait until at least after Thanksgiving is over. When do you start decorating?

God's Eraser

2009-11-15T08:28:00.005-05:00

Years ago my Dear Sister gave me a devotional bible which I've been using ever since. This past week I came across one which had a great story:

A Gramdmother had been standing on a hillside with her Grandaughter watching an airplane while it was skywriting. The little girl wanted to know where the letters disappeared to. While the Grandmother tried to come up with the words to explain to this little four year old, the girl exclaimed... "Ill bet Jesus has an eraser!"

Out of her innocence comes a great piece of wisdom. When we ask God for forgiveness and let Him be the guide of our life, he wipes away all of our mistakes. No one is perfect which is why we all need "God's eraser."

For more inspirational posts check out Charlotte & Ginger's blog...Spiritual Sunday.

Working on the Blog

2009-11-13T23:18:00.004-05:00

Slowly but surely I am taking small steps towards combining the two blogs that I have. After getting ideas from you all... (thank you very much by the way for always lifting me up and encouraging me) I think (note I'm not committing to it yet!) I like Bella Rosa Antiques by Jillian for a title.

And I have been playing with new backgrounds and a blog header.

Getting more and more used to the idea all the time. This could be fun!

Twilight ~ Not that Great

2009-11-12T07:43:00.001-05:00

After all of the hype and "hullabaloo" surrounding this movie, I finally watched it.

Before you read any further...don't hate me if you LOVED it.

It was kinda weird.

I can appreciate the basic story about girl sees boy, boy sees girl, they meet and fall in love.

Maybe I'm just from a different generation and I really CAN'T appreciate this movie style....the dark dreary color and foreboding tones.

And speaking of tones, I did notice the pale makeup job on Edward's face .... and you know how? It was obviously not done well.

But I think what bothered me most (besides the whole vamp premise) was why they fell for each other. I just wasn't buying it. Edward was you know, moody and dark.... and Bella, well, what made her interesting? I mean, really!

So my rating for this movie is just a mere 3 popcorns. Not sure it was worth all of the hype.

A little late, yes. But just in time for the next movie to come out...which I probably won't get around to seeing until next year. If at all.

Let me know what you thought of it... and what other movies you've seen lately.

Hello, Bella Rosa? I need a job.

2009-11-10T10:31:00.003-05:00

Not too long ago I was in the car with Dear Bebe about to leave for the grocery store.

My cell phone rang. I looked at the number and didn't recognize it...and the area code was from another state. (For some reason, I tend to get a lot of wrong number calls.)

Since it is the number I use for my website, I answered it anyway.

The young man's voice on the other end said: "Hello, Bella Rosa? Are you hiring?"

I giggled and said "I'm sorry but this is a one man band."

He sounded desperate ... as though he had been calling a long list of phone numbers and this had just become routine. He sort of laughed and said "OK!" And quickly remembered to ask my name before hanging up. I guess when collecting unemployment you need to show who you called.

I felt bad for him but I also remembered a time when I was fresh out of college and couldn't find a job in my field. I had to work two jobs in retail to pay my bills until the real thing came along. Which took awhile.

If he adopts the same "can do" attitude, he'll be okay too.

In the meantime I'm going to keep my "can do" attitude, as well!

Maybe someday I'll have a big enough business I can hire a caller who says "Hello, Bella Rosa? I need a job!"

Serenity

2009-11-07T19:11:00.004-05:00

Often in life I find myself repeating these few lines as a reminder:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

But I didn't know about the rest of the prayer until recently:

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Combining the Blogs

2009-11-05T07:20:00.003-05:00

Recently I wrote a post about feeling at a crossroads about blogging. After receiving many AWESOME comments from AWESOME bloggers I came to the conclusion the best scenario would be to combine my two blogs, Jillian's Pages and Bella Rosa Antiques.

Okay. This seems easy enough. But now I need to make a decision. Keep the title Jillian's Pages? This was my original blog.

In order to maintain following on my website I need to somehow keep Bella Rosa in the title as well.

Hmmmm. Bella Pages? Jillian's Bella Pages? Just go with Bella Rosa Antiques and let the readers find out who I am?

These are all possible...and I will be coming up with a plan. It just takes TIME. Maybe by the new year I will have it all figured out.

In the meantime, feel free to leave me your thoughts. I may or may not go with them but I'm up for ideas!

Thanks again for all of the wonderful support and encouraging words. It meant so much!

On Voting

2009-11-03T22:34:00.004-05:00

Today was election day. I got up in anticipation, knowing I was going to go exercise my right as an American citizen.

And if felt good.

No. No, it didn't feel good. IT FELT GREAT!

I don't normally vote in "smaller" elections like deciding who our judges are going to be but I did this year. I'm going to make sure I vote in every election I possibly can from now on, too.

It is that important. Now that I have Dear Bebe everything has changed!

How exciting.

Mundane Mommy Tasks

2009-11-01T08:17:00.007-05:00

A little more than a year ago I became a stay at home Mommy for the first time. I love my little baby girl and feel blessed I get to stay home and care for her. But some days I miss working. Not just a 9 - 5 job.... but my actual CAREER.

My career as a local TV producer gave me an identity. I was part of something that mattered.

There are days I find myself wondering what happened to that person. Where did she go?

Is the woman I hear saying "where is your blankie?" and "does Bebe want some milky?" the same woman who used to write scripts, draw storyboards, and edit on air promotions? It sure doesn't seem like it. These tasks seem so SIMPLE.

But one day a devotion I read really caught my attention. It was about how mundane tasks are the things that matter.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, Philippians 2:14

Since I have no idea what God's plans are for me, my family, and especially my little girl, who am I to complain about something which may seem mundane when actually this is the biggest, most important task of all!

So could you hand me a blankie and pass the milky? These are my new tools of the trade and I work for a very high authority.

I'd like to thank Charlotte and Ginger for hosting Spiritual Sunday.

What “mundane” things in your life may, in reality, be the “real thing”?

There's No Place Like...

2009-10-30T08:28:00.003-04:00

The Theatre!

Last night we went out on a date to see the wonderful Wizard of Oz!

The ruby slippers sparkled...

And the actors were excellent!

I did not bring my camera for blog pictures but if I had, I would have taken photos of all the little girls dressed up as Dorothy. So cute!

Can't wait until I can bring Dear Bebe to see shows.

I'd give the show four popcorns ~

A great night out! (Which ultimately means Dear Hubs gets five popcorns just for getting us out on a date!)

Yay!

A Shaker and A Mover

2009-10-28T19:59:00.004-04:00

Dear Bebe is at a wonderful stage. She's learning so many new things, absorbing like a sponge.

She already thinks a DVD box somehow goes in the machine with all of the buttons.... those little eyes are watching all the time! I couldn't believe it when she held up a Baby Einstein DVD last week and then tried to stick it in the slot.

Dear Bebe is also pointing AT EVERYTHING. We have been asking her to "show" us different items as we say them. This week we are working on colors.

She holds her own bottle now... no, not this kind ... but she likes to shake Mommy's water bottles and crinkle them to make a funny sound.

She's also moving very fast! Not yet walking ... but oh SO close. As soon as she does aaaakkkkkkk! I think I'm going to need an extra boost of energy. I'm tired as it is now.

But it is exciting! (I know, I won't be saying this at the end of each day)

I'm cherishing each milestone and embracing her achievements. Isn't that what Mommy and Daddy are for?

What are the chances?

2009-10-26T19:46:00.003-04:00

Sunday was a gorgeous day... perfect weather and the leaves on the trees were at their peak of color.

I took a few hours of "me" time and went antiquing for my shop.

There were quite a few little goodies I found but this one made me smile:

Is that what I think it says on there?

It is just the sweetest old mug and I thought it perfectly BELLA!

I wonder who made painted it and for whom? What are the chances of me finding this one for my store...Bella Rosa Antiques. Wow! Neat.

It is also one of those....do I sell it ....do I keep it?

Spiritual Sunday ~ Who is in Control?

2009-10-24T19:23:00.007-04:00

(This devotional was written by Jim Burns of Homeword Devotions)

When it comes to our life, we have nothing to say about our birth and little say about our death, but in between these two events most of the decisions are ours to be made. Are you letting life and circumstances control you, or are you controlling your own life and destiny with God’s help. Don't let life pass you by when you have the God-given ability to make things happen. I've heard it said:

You can't control the length of your life, but you can control its use.

You can't control your facial appearance, but you can control its expression.

You can't control the weather, but you can control the moral atmosphere that surrounds you.

You can't control the distance of your head above the ground, but you can control the height of the contents in your head.

You can't control the other fellow's annoying faults, but you can see to it that you do not develop similar faults.

Why worry about things you cannot control? Get busy controlling the things that depend on you.

For more uplifting words and thoughts click on Charlotte and Ginger's blog.

Behind the Scenes of an Antique Shop

2009-10-23T15:11:00.001-04:00

The antique business may come across as so glitz and glam (ha!) with all of the hob nobbing we do with estate sale people and such...

The fancy furs we wear...

The bling of the vintage jewelry...

The elegant handbags ...

But here's a behind the scenes look at what I'm doing to get things ready for "photo shoots."

My latest vintage china mugs and cups are in the "soaking process" before washing. Just to get the top coat of dust or dirt from years of storage. Sometimes adhesive from a price tag is left behind. And it all takes time.

Linens are also time consuming. They need to be washed and then ironed.

And did I mention I do not like ironing?

But when you find little sweeties like these vintage Christmas hankies... you can't help but take good care of them. There may be items that need repair... vintage toys sometimes get a trip to the "hospital" before making it to our antique booth.

Most of the time vintage items we buy are best kept in their current agey look... the old genuine patina on something shouldn't be removed in many cases... as in furniture or vintage papers.... and old skeleton keys.

It is really up to the dealer how to present the antiques for sale.

Part of the fun for me is setting up scenes for picture taking before items are loaded onto the Bella Rosa website. It is really not a whole lot different than what I used to do as a TV producer. This time however it is still pictures I am working with, not video.

And glamorous or not, it's what goes on, "behind the scenes."

Girls Night Out

2009-10-21T21:41:00.002-04:00

Rarely I get to have a night out with girlfriends and I looked forward to this all day.

Met two "old" friends (we all met ten years ago in a local young professionals organization)

The restaurant of choice...Italian.

We started out with the bruschetta...

Then I ordered the chicken caprese.... YUM

It was DE-Lizioso! Let's face it... a night out...

I didn't have to cook..... it was WONDERFUL!

And it was especially nice to catch up with good friends.
Look how excited I was... tee hee. I'll have to do this more often!

Jillian Goes to a Country Auction & Finds Mr. Stinky

2009-10-20T19:15:00.010-04:00

Today we had gorgeous weather .... great day to head to a country auction nearby.

Looking for "new" goodies to add to my shop.

When I walked in the tables were filled and all set to go.

I did spot a few items I wouldn't mind bringing home...

This pretty roses urn...

Oui Oui! I wouldn't mind having this French perfume bottle...

Amazing looking Staffordshire (style?) dogs..

A beautiful beaded collar...

But then I ran into Mr. Stinky here. What. Is. This. I had to laugh. He was making quite a spectacle each time a potential bidder would walk in and check out the prospects. Just wondering if stuffed skunks have become the new collectible!

I actually never stayed long enough to find out how much he went for.

The auction was starting much later than anticpated and I didn't have a whole lot of time. Dear Hubs was home watching Dear Bebe for me so... I left and headed for the outdoor fleamarket. With what time I had left I scoured table after table and brought home a few goodies.

I'll be sharing them on here after I take photos of them tomorrow.

An interesting and fun day ... there's a saying I think for this:

Country auctions are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get!

Fall Clean Out

2009-10-19T18:52:00.004-04:00

Fall.

You may think of pumpkins, warm apple cider, football games and other fun stuff.

I think of cold weather approaching and how the heck I'm going to make it 'til March.

Seriously.

Lately I've been in a "FALL CLEANOUT" mood. If I had my way I'd be filling up bags and boxes of things to go to the thrift store.

This weekend I finally tackled one of my annual projects. The clothes transfer.

Does anyone else do this? Pack up all of the summer stuff and drag out the fall/winter things? This is a major feat in my house. I have to nag...uh...I mean, ask nicely for Dear Hubby to get up in the attic and find the storage containers.

Then it is a whole afternoon or evening sorting and hanging.

For women it's major:

Blouses
Shirts
Blazers
Shoes
Belts
Handbags
Holiday clothes

Men:

Pants

Shirts

Sweats

It was good to go through a lot of things and send them off to Goodwill. Last year I didn't get to wear much of my Fall/Winter wardrobe because I was still trying to fit into pants and opting for "comfy clothes".... er...sweatpants.

So this year was kind of fun...finding clothes I haven't worn since '07/'08. Which made me think I need a little updating here and there in the clothes department. Not many I just found out... Dear Hubs told me he budgets 50.00 a month for clothes. I laughed and laughed! In some stores that buys you half a pair of pants. Sigh.

Anyway, the Fall transfer is over for now. I just couldn't help but think how long I'd have to wait until we were dragging out the summer clothes again! Ahhhhhhhh!

Gorgeous Palette, Gorgeous Art

2009-10-18T07:30:00.003-04:00

Photo: Baxter State Park in Maine. Photo Credit; J. Stone

We've had so much chilly rain here in the Northeast I am remembering why it is needed today.

God is a wonderful creator. Just look at that scene! How Great Thou ART!

If you enjoyed my post this Sunday... hop on over to Charlotte and Ginger's blog for more uplifting thoughts here.

Have an awesome day!

Pondering: To blog or not to blog

2009-10-15T19:29:00.006-04:00

This is going to be an honest post. And the truth is... I'm not sure if I should keep up with this blog.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE my blog. I started writing online to help me get through a painful, emotional experience. And it has been great. Much more than I ever thought it would be.

But 2 years and 338 posts later, I'm feeling burnt out. Running out of creative ideas. Some days I doubt I ever had any!

I do think it is difficult keeping up with a one year old, a blog, an online website, another blog and my antique booth... not to mention household chores! And a husband! Aaaaaakkkk! Oh the dust bunnies! (on the floor, not on the husband)

Maybe I could save time by combining my two blogs into one? This is what I'm contemplating.

I keep Jillian's Pages going for a few reasons:

* The gal pals I've "met" and keep in touch with

* My family reads it to keep up with our adventures

* I enjoy it, gives my creative brain room to play

There are days though I feel let down. Disappointed. I know I don't have a whole lot of time to visit other blogs so I really shouldn't expect much in return.

Please feel free to leave a comment and throw me some words of encouragement if you'd like. Maybe I just need to hear them?

Outdoor Wednesday ~ Road to ?

2009-10-14T09:45:00.006-04:00

This was the scene from our hayride...er wagon ride last weekend as we headed toward a pumpkin patch with friends of ours.

It is funny how the road appears to go no where. Kind of like the yellow brick road on the Wizard of Oz! It actually bends to the left among the corn rows. I also think the big houses appearing at the horizon line is interesting. So many farms have been sold off to developers that this has become a common scene in our area.

Other great scenes from this farm.... the pumpkins! We kept laughing because these were the only large pumpkins to be found. It was like they were running out. By the time we arrived to the field of pumpkins, only the small ones were left! But that was okay because they teeny size was perfect for Dear Bebe.

Dear Bebe also loved the "moo" cows.

And we had lots of fun anyway!

Check out more outdoor scenes on Susan's blog... here.

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Who's Got the Pumpkin?

2009-10-11T16:40:00.005-04:00

Dear Bebe was feeling much better today so we decided to enjoy the weather and great fall activities. Perfect day to look for pumpkins!

We arrived to find the farm packed with lots and lots of families.

Another couple met us there and brought their little boy.

He's too cute in his overalls!

Dear Bebe was trying to decide what these big orange things were.

Here we are with my friend about to take the "hayride" that was advertised. We did notice there was no hay on the wagon. Oh well! It's all about the event, isn't it?

Lots of corn stalks to see on the ride to the pumpkin patch.

Here is Bebe's little friend with a pumpkin he picked out himself!

Mommy and Bebe found one, too. She started to like them by this point.

We finally found some hay and it was a great place for photos.

A great afternoon! Okay... so I know I was sad to see summer go... I guess I have to say fall isn't THAT bad.

Falling for Fun Vintage Finds

2009-10-07T22:01:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to share some of our fun finds as of late. This looks like an old Disney ornament doesn't it? Is that Thumper on there? I'd love to do some more research to see when this was made.

This Scottie Dog figurine is very unique in my opinion. (Whatever that is worth!) It is very heavy and has a shine to it like glass but the bottom looks like it is a type of pottery. When you shake it it sounds like there is sand inside? And there is a weird spot on the bottom like a plugged up hole or pontil mark although it is not handblown glass. Hmmmm.

A first edition of Mad Hatter's Tea Party from Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland! Although it has a few tears it is in pretty good condition for it's age.

This is an old Paris Fashion print in a lovely Victorian gold shadow box style frame.

And a parlor dome or display for a vintage watch. An ornament would look pretty in there too.

I've been busy loading these and more to the website...

it has been a tough week with Dear Bebe being sick. She was better today but still stuffy and ooooh boy, cranky at times! Hopefully Mommy taking vitamin C and getting some rest (?) will help ward off this bug. Still hoping to go to a pumpkin patch. We'll see! We've had some lovely brisk and cool autumn weather.

What fall activities are you planning for October?

Poor Little Pumpkin!

2009-10-06T11:52:00.004-04:00

Well the Jillian's Pages household is dealing with the first cold of the season. Unfortunately it is Dear Bebe who has it. The poor little pumpkin! It is so hard to not be able to help when a baby isn't feeling well.

And speaking of pumpkins, I was just starting to plan a playdate to a pumpkin patch for some fun fall pictures. We'll have to postpone for another time.

Until then, I'll be busy trying to help Dear Bebe as much as possible...and taking my vitamin C! Hope you're all doing well!

Hmmmm....

2009-10-04T06:49:00.001-04:00

I saw this on a church marquee while driving the other day:

AUTUMN LEAVES

GOD DOESN'T

Such a play on words...yet so true.

What road are you on?

For more spiritual sunday posts...visit Charlotte and Ginger today!

The Luckiest Girl ~ Beverly Cleary

2009-10-02T11:07:00.004-04:00

Recently Dear Hubs came home from an antique show in a local town nearby...and brought home this "pink book" for me to share on Pink Saturday.

Of course I thought it was cute. But being busy with a one year old, planning parties and MORE, I laughed at the title "The Luckiest Girl" (Dear Hubs kept pointing out that the title was ME) and put the book aside.

Just the other day I picked it up to take a photo of it for Pink Saturday and eventually my shop.

I took note of the title again: "The Luckiest Girl." (1958)

Hmmph.

Didn't recognize it really. Took note of the author...Beverly Cleary!

Oh my goodness, I thought, I know BEVERLY CLEARY! Who didn't read one of her books when we were growing up about Ramona, the Mouse, and more. Loved them!

This also led me to think about other vintage books I loved. Did you ever get to read Peter Potts? I LOVED THIS BOOK. I actually still have it and have stashed it in Dear Bebe's closet for when she is of reading age. Hilarious stuff.

What were some of your favorites?

Photo of the Week: Ewww! Icing!

2009-09-30T22:25:00.002-04:00

While other babies enjoy smashing their first birthday cake, mine did not.

What do an Air Show, a Wedding & Elvis have in common?

2009-09-29T18:59:00.009-04:00

They were all found while we were at the beach! (And you thought I was going to say Vegas!)

A little more than a week ago we were just celebrating the end of summer with a last hurrah visit to the shore.

While walking along the boardwalk one night we spotted this:

Let's see... people gathered in one place forming an aisle down the center...

An arbor with flowers ....a woman in white and a man in black....

It's a beach wedding!

Awwwwwww. So many people were stopping to take photos and to watch. Not like we could hear it or anything, nor did any of us know the couple getting married... yet we were fascinated just the same.

And while sitting under our umbrella, there's an airshow (practice) going on. All we had to do was sit there and enjoy! Pretty cool!

It was tough getting a good photo with the glare of the sun.

With my chintzy little travel digi camera.

Looks like this seagull wanted some attention as well.

Crazy loop de loops! The seagull backed out on this trick.

These last two images are pretty neat. It was amazing in person. The F-16's that flew overhead previously were SO LOUD. And scary. Heard them while in the hotel before we hit the beach. Luckily someone had told us there would be an air show practice going on that afternoon. If they hadn't, I would have thought we were under some sort of attack. Didn't scare Dear Bebe though. She was excited!

I never thought I would be interested in an airshow but I liked it!

So after seeing a wedding and an air show... it was no surprise to find this guy singing and swinging his hips along the boards.

The only thing Dear Bebe was interested in was watching the seagulls. A little something for everyone, I guess!

ELMO Steals the Show

2009-09-28T08:48:00.008-04:00

Mommy had everything all set for Dear Bebe's big party...

Set up coordinating colored party decor...

Provided enough little Elmo's to feed a hungry crowd...(are they cute or what...made by a sweet sweet friend)

People came and had fun on the swings,

(the birthday girl)

Played on the see-saw

and more...

Ate tons and tons of food...

But this guy

stole

the show!

A Bebe's First Birthday

2009-09-24T07:10:00.001-04:00

Dear Bebe turned one yesterday! I can't believe it has been a year since she was born already. The time does fly so fast.

We are having her party this weekend so to keep it low key but to celebrate her day Dear Hubs and I just had small cupcakes (the only ones he could find were Halloween themed!) and she opened one present.

The funniest moment was when she didn't know what the cupcake was all about and promptly tossed it on the floor.

Sometimes you just have to laugh. But then as you can see by the photo, she figured it out!

Here is the invitation I made for her upcoming "First Birthday Bash." The names have been changed of course.

There's lots to write about what we've been doing to plan for her get together. This is mostly for Mommy I think! She won't remember a thing. But I'm just so excited and want to celebrate this milestone.

We have Ms. Daisy coming to see us and Mrs. Tuneful (my Sister and her family)

Happy Birthday Sweetpea!

Shrivers Salt Water Taffy

2009-09-23T06:53:00.006-04:00

This week I'll be continuing to blog about our recent beach trip. We did a lot in a few days. Ms. Daisy even came over to see us on the boardwalk where we were staying.

One of my favorite places on the boards is this old salt water taffy store.

The vintage building...always there, never changing. Like coming "home" everytime I visit.

Just look at that! Fun fun fun.

And not only do they make taffy....how about that fudge! Love the old fashioned display cases.

And the boxes and boxes of taffy in their signature wrappings. Of course we picked out our favorite flavors to take home with us.

At the back of the store is a glass window where you can see the staff making the taffy.

I got lucky and that day they were making strawberry flavored. PINK!

Yummy yummy.

One night while walking along the shops we stopped at the front of the taffy store because they have these little rotating dolls that flip. Dear Bebe was very excited to see them. I hope we can continue the tradition to visit our favorite beach each year. It is a fun place for the whole family!

Back from the Beach!

2009-09-21T07:48:00.004-04:00

We're back! During my "break" from Jillian's Pages we took a trip to the beach. I love it there. Let's just say September can either be a perfect time to go or it can go the other way. We had a little of both.

But Dear Bebe still got an afternoon of being on the beach for the first time. She wasn't sure what to do with the shovel. Dear Hubs gave her a helping hand.

How cute is that?

Here's Mommy and Dear Bebe. I love her little sundress. She loved the seagulls.

The boardwalk is one of my favorite things to do. Salt water taffy, shopping, pizza! Since it was the end of the season (clearance sales!) I indulged in a bunch of beachwear. Oh, and did I mention the pizza?

We'll be back soon to show you more pictures. We saw an air show too while out on the beach. It was really cool! I even managed to do some antique shopping and found some really nice pieces. I'll be showing them either on this blog or the Bella Rosa blog.

I'm still trying to recooperate from the vacation. Why is it we seem more tired from a "relaxing" trip to the beach????

Taking a Break

2009-09-17T09:27:00.000-04:00

I'll be taking a little break for the rest of the week...

It will be nice to just coast along for awhile.

See you when I get back.

I Was a Steel Magnolia

2009-09-14T20:21:00.003-04:00

It's been a little more than three years since then.

I don't remember now what made me want to do it. Maybe I saw an ad somewhere or maybe it had been my recent stint back on the stage dancing, but I decided to audition for a local theatre production of Steel Magnolias.

To tell you the truth, I really didn't think I was going to get a part. I had never really acted before, I'd always been in the chorus or the dance troupe in high school... and well, that had been quite some time ago.

But it was either my skills learned while working in TV or maybe it was the fact I had red hair. It turns out the young woman who landed the role of Shelby (the Julia Roberts character) was a redhead so it must have made logical sense to select me. Or, maybe I actually did a good job in my audition.

Either way, I had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into. I hadn't seen the movie in eons. I mean, I really didn't realize which character I could be getting. I was just going to go and read some lines and well, just see.

Ha! Well, this is what happens y'all when you aren't paying attention. I was given the role of M'Lynn, the mother of Shelby. (The Sally Field character.)

So to my surprise one night while going over the script with the cast I discovered I had to portray this scene below. Oh yes.

My first reaction was. Oh no. Oh no no no no nooooooo. I can't do this. I CAN'T!!!!

The directors just looked at me like "oh yes you can."

And over the course of time I learned my lines. I went over that scene and over that scene... until finally I made my peace with it.

They even had "Shelby" and I go to a bridal shop together and get into character and act like we were gown shopping. What a hoot! It actually helped give us a mother/daughter bond.

But I think now I would have played out that scene a lot different. I understand the feelings of having a daughter of my own. I think I would have been sobbing real tears.

Maybe I'm a Steel Magnolia after all.

I Hope You'll Dance Today!

2009-09-13T07:01:00.001-04:00

There is a time to mourn ... a time to dance!

(Eccles 3:4)

He (God) turns our mourning into dancing!

(Ps 30:11)

Praise His name with dancing!

(Ps 149:3)

Visit Charlotte and Ginger for more uplifting, Spiritual Sunday posts today!

WOW ~ Now that's a DC Rally

2009-09-12T18:33:00.006-04:00

These photos were emailed to me today... I'm putting them on my blog because I was amazed by the amount of people who gathered in Washington, DC today.

This is it!

2009-09-10T15:15:00.010-04:00

The last goodies of the summer...zucchini, corn, tomatoes. It's all going bye bye.

*Sniff*

The tomatoes were home grown, the zucchini and corn were bought at a local farmer's stand.

I decided to make my new favorite zucchini dish as we were using up the last of our summer produce.

Diced up two tomatoes and made a "salad" by adding onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and sweet basil.

Set it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Then right before cooking dinner, I took two zucchini (the larger the better)

And cut them in half.

Carved them out to look like "boats."

Lined a baking sheet with foil and placed the zukes in a row.

Filled the boats with the tomato salad mixture. Added parmesan cheese to two of them for Dear Hubs...(he has a low tolerance for cheese.) Added provolone to the other two.

Baked them for 30 minutes at 400 degress. Larger zukes take longer to cook.

Paired them up with angel hair pasta

And a fresh salad...grape tomatoes came from our deck container garden!

MMMMMMmmmmm MMMMMmmmm.

Delizioso.

Cottage Dreamy

2009-09-09T08:53:00.000-04:00

Last week Dear Bebe and I went to visit a friend at her summer cottage. This is where she and her family go to get away from it all. Their cottage was built in 1900. It is surrounded by other cottages and woods in a cute artsy, camplike setting. I wrote about our last trip to this area a few months ago when Dear Hubs and I took a Sunday drive. (We rarely get to go on those!)

There's not a whole lot of TV, computers (blogs...ha!), or electronic gadgets to distract you. It's well, it's kind of nice!

And relaxing.

This charming cottage is decorated with all kinds of vintage pieces. To let you in on a little secret...she is actually one of our fellow antique dealers where Dear Hubs and I have our antique booth.

Look how sweet she decorated!

And this was a great idea for placing notes or hang artwork. So cute!

This vintage sink even has charm!

And a claw foot bathtub!

What a dreamy place to go for a retreat. Dear Bebe and I enjoyed our outing and seeing her dreamy cottage. Where do you like to go to get away?

Simple Words With Big Impact

2009-09-05T21:05:00.008-04:00

(Lebanon, PA Townhall Meeting, August 2009. Arlen Specter US Congressman)

Recently I was feeling anxious and worried about things happening in our country, to our country, and with our country. I probably don't need to explain any further.

Here is what comforted me:

Psalm 91 (New International Version)

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,

6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the LORD, who is my refuge-

10 then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;

12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

15 He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation."

It may sound old fashioned, outdated, and a bunch of gobbley gook to those who don't read the bible...but what happens when we pull some of the basic context out of the phrasing. These words are simple, but stand the test of time:

Rest
Refuge
Fortress
Trust
Save
Cover
Faithful
Shield
No Fear
No Harm
No Disaster
Guard
Lift Up
Love
Rescue
Protect
Deliver
Honor
Satisfy
Salvation.

What an awesome promise.

Gee, I think I can handle that.

For more inspiring thoughts today visit Charlotte and Ginger's blog for Spiritual Sunday. The list of participants is growing each week.

Back to School!

2009-09-03T21:01:00.002-04:00

My sweetie pies (neice and nephew) went back to school this week.

Are they adorable or what? I especially love the school uniforms. My Sister and I didn't have to wear them. Makes it easy to figure out what to wear!

I remember that first day back to school feeling. Excitement, anxious about the unknown. Will I like my new teachers? Will I see my friends?

Wasn't being a kid grand?

I'm Going to Miss...

2009-09-02T18:34:00.008-04:00

As Dear Bebe approaches her one year birthday I am realizing how much I'm going to miss my little baby girl. Yes, she'll always be my baby girl but this was our first year together and it was special!

I'm going to miss seeing her Grandmothers hold her for the first time.

And her Aunties.

I'm going to miss her little chubby cheeks as I dressed her in "too too cute" outfits.

Like this one with ears.

And the bunny suit. Gosh that was cute.

And I'm going to miss how much she hated her first bath. No, scratch that. I'm not going to miss that. I felt terrible. Just look AT THAT FACE. The "Why are you doing this to me face."

But then look at that sleeping cherubic face!

Or this one. So sweet! I'm going to miss these moments.

And the way she discovered new things.

I'm going to miss how proud she was of herself for sitting up in a real chair.

And I'm definitely going to miss how she hooks her little feet onto the tray of the high chair.

Well, I'm just going to miss just about EVERYTHING!

But I look forward to more. More things she will learn, more ways I can teach her, and more ways that she teaches me things about my life.

Thanks for a great year, Sweetie.

Kitty Apron Finds a New Home

2009-08-31T22:26:00.008-04:00

Last week I picked winners in my apron giveaway. I think this is the first time a blogger (Caroline of Antique Rose) took a picture of her gift and emailed it to me.

She won the kitty kat apron. I thought taking photos was a great idea!

And fun!

So happy she liked it.

It was an extra long apron. Good thing she is tall. It looks great on her!

And there she is with her kitty kat!

A cat lover to boot!

I love it when things I buy for my website find new, happy homes.

Parties, Parks, & Parents

2009-08-30T22:35:00.004-04:00

It was a gorgeous day. Not too hot, not raining. And I needed to go scout out some of the local parks. I'm leaning toward having Dear Bebe's first birthday get together outside: where cake crumbs, icing, and hyperactive toddlers can be free to roam.

Of course we had to test drive some of the swings. Dear Bebe didn't seem to mind.

We had lots of fun giggling and laughing, although Mommy looks a little goofy with that silly look on her face.

And Da-Da always gets a giggle and a smile...

I can't believe it is going to be a year already.

She's just growing so big! Walking along the couch, waving, clapping, holding her arms up in the air and reacting to our calls of "SOOOO BIIIIIGGGG!" She's just ....well, brilliant!

Am I a biased parent or what?

Maybe so (isn't that my job really?) but I've got a party to plan with invitations to send out this week. Need to figure out the location, and once I do that, I think I'll be good. After checking out three today I'm still undecided. Each one had a plus and a minus. Maybe it will come down to the rental price.

Anyone have any great ideas?

High Speed, I luv ya!

2009-08-27T19:39:00.009-04:00

Ahhhhhhhh. Sigh of relief. We have our high speed internet back. It is such a different world than dial -up. But thank goodness it was there when I needed it. Well, I didn't really NEED it, but you know what I mean.

Last night I tried to upload my new arrivals and only managed to get ten of them onto the Bella Rosa website. Here's a little look...I'm finding more and more things for crafters.

Like these antique checks, dated 1873 - 1875. After looking them over I think they were payroll checks. Most have the bearer's signature on the back. Part of me wants to find the families of these people for genealogy purposes. How great would it be to have the signature and work place of one of your ancestors? The other part of me says "I don't have time!"

So, off they go to someone who might be able to use them in scrapbooking or altered art projects.

A while back I was looking for crepe paper (vintage would be best) to make July 4th projects and discovered it was hard to come by. To my surprise I found some old, unused rolls of red crepe paper streamers. I'm keeping some and letting the rest go.

This was also interesting. It is a blank cookbook. On the inside someone wrote how the book was made for her by (probably her child) in school. It was done well but it's not perfect like a machine would make so I really liked it.

How often do you come across something like that?

Also a different piece. This was the week for finding unique things! It is a pin cushion of sorts which reads "Laundry Account" at the top. Below that is a list of clothing, etc with the numbers to the right as though you were going to count them as you did the cleaning.

And a 1934 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland combined with the Through the Looking Glass book, both by Lewis Carroll.

Now that my computer is online (and running fast and smooth) I'm off to go on my own internet adventure...see you when I get back!

Up and Running...SLOWLY

2009-08-25T19:15:00.007-04:00

Hello! Hello! I'm back. Albeit ever so slowly.

I decided I couldn't wait until the technician's arrival on Saturday to get online. Having the internet taken away abruptly has really taught me some lessons.

1. I have an addiction

2. When I'm without the internet I feel helpless.

3. The phone book print is teeny tiny

Since the number one lesson is obviously much worse than I had thought, I tried to figure out how I could get online without waiting the 3-4 days (Horrors!) until someone could either get us a new modem or find out what the problems is. I decided it was worth a shot to try the old dial up method. I found a disc from AOL in a box of things (luckily it wasn't too outdated) and I called the number on the back. About an hour later after hearing the familiar dial up sound....I am connected!

But I forgot how slow dial up can be. However, I am not complaining. Just thrilled to be able to reach out to the world again! Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Do they have Internet Anonymous sessions I could sign up for? I might need it.

STILL CAN'T GET ONLINE!

2009-08-25T10:53:00.002-04:00

This is just a quick note to let you know that I can't get online...Ms. Daisy of The Daisy Chain is helping me by writing this post. We should have a tech out to the house soon. I may be down but I'm not out!
Be back soon and get to your comments as soon as possible.

Jillian

Giveaway WINNER... And what I did before the internet

2009-08-24T14:58:00.006-04:00

They say lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice, right? Let's hope not. I really have been wondering what I did before the internet. My internet service is down more than it is up and we think it is from the lightning hit we took at the end of last week. Dear Hubs finally has our Direct Tv back up and running (that was tough too) but my ability to communicate with my blog pals is random. Very frustrating!

So without further delay or before my webpage freezes up...and everything I've already typed gets sucked up into a vast black hole of lost words and sentences out in cyberspace, I'm announcing the winners of the APRON GIVEAWAY!

The winners are ...

Polly of Counting Your Blessings
Caroline of Antique Rose
and
Lisa of PUPPYLUV

Congratulations, ladies!

Please contact me as soon as you can and email your address....also...if anyone has a definite preference on which apron you may want out of the three, let me know and I'll make sure you get it.

Thanks so much for helping me celebrate my 2nd blogaversary and my 300th post!

We've Been Hit! And what I really think of Benji Button

2009-08-20T21:58:00.005-04:00

We had a nasty storm today and well, I think lightning took out our tv and my ethernet connection. I heard a huge crack and saw a yellowish bright light and was positive a tree had been split in two! (Poor Dear Bebe was terrified...it was her first time being aware of a storm.)

So, my office computer is down but somehow I can use my laptop? Dear Hubby needs to explain this one to me but for now I should just be glad I can still post. I just can't get my emails. Hopefully this will be fixed in time for Monday when I announce the winner of the Apron GIVEAWAY! (See post below for details.)

I was going to do a movie review in this post about The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Which I suppose I could still do, but my popcorn graphics are on my office computer. I think I could go back to an old movie review post and steal my own photo!

(A scene from the movie with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.)

Basically I wasn't too crazy about the movie. It was pretty good for awhile. And then it wasn't. Hard to explain without giving the ending away. It's an adapted story from F. Scott Fitzgerald...about a man who is born old and lives his life in reverse. As in gets younger instead of aging like the rest of us do. This is an interesting concept but I think I was disappointed in the end.

I'd give it 3 popcorns out of 5.

(Imagine you see 3 cartoon looking movie popcorns here.)

And Brad Pitt is getting better at acting...for the longest time I thought he was mediocre. Let's face it - he's really easy to watch on a big screen for two hours! But unlike Benjamin, he isn't getting any younger.

Hopefully I'll be back with some good news about my computer situation. And there's still time to take part in the vintage apron giveaway. Leave a comment on the post below until Sunday, August 23rd at midnight!

Blogaversary & 300th Post Giveaway

2009-08-19T08:43:00.007-04:00

Last week I dropped the blogaversary ball. It was my SECOND anniversary of having my blog and I forgot.

FORGOT. Can you believe it? I knew it was coming up in August but I didn't realize it was in the middle of the month.

And then... it gets better. I didn't notice I had reached 300 posts! What? This is a blogatastrophe.

So, to make up for my lack of support on my own blog, I decided the only thing I could do was to have a giveaway. And I'm giving away three prizes! To three different winners. (300 posts....playing on the three theme. Get it? 300 winners would just be too much.)

Without further ado, I mean bad jokes.... here is what I'm giving away. To anyone in the world who leaves a comment on this post until Sunday night August 23rd, East Coast time, USA.

ANYONE IN THE WORLD! And who in the world wouldn't want one of my vintage aprons from my shop: Bella Rosa Antiques. (If I don't say so myself!)

Aqua gingham with kitty kats and rick rack! Sewwwwwww cute!

A NOEL Christmas apron. This is made of a heavy barkcloth. I love it.

And another vintage Christmas apron.

Feel free to tell others on your blog about my apron giveaway and grab the giveaway graphic. If you do, I of course will give you ANOTHER entry....please let me know!

Good luck!

Hiding Behind Furniture On My Birthday

2009-08-17T14:01:00.004-04:00

Its what the box said to do.

Instructions:
Close and lock door.
Hide behind large piece of furniture.
Quietly open box.
Savor and enjoy!

Sweet!

Oh. My. Gosh. Chocolate covered strawberries! Luscious. Now I know why I'm hiding behind furniture! You don't want anyone else to get these babies.

What a nice surprise I received on my birthday last week from my Aunt M. This is a great gift if you are in need of one soon. Even for yourself! Berries.com. Highly recommended!

Then later my Dear Sister and Dear Hubs decorated the house for more birthdya fun. Thank you! How sweet. The day couldn't have been any better.

Well, okay, except when there are more goodies like this homemade chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. Can we say battle of the bulge now? Yikes. It was delicious!

Hey, who is that trying to get in my birthday picture?

My Dear Nephew! Here he is with my Dear Neice. It was a great having family over for my special day!

Another fun year. Isn't always when you turn 29?

Be back soon to write about my belated blogaversary giveaway ~ coming soon!

Spiritual Sunday ~ Bald Knob Cross

2009-08-16T07:26:00.004-04:00

Last night I started writing up my Spiritual Sunday post. It was long and lengthy and full of all kinds of stuff about what is happening to our country, townhall meetings, etc.

I decided to take a break from the post and get a good night's sleep. When I woke up this morning I headed back to the computer. I couldn't get the words Bald Knob Cross out of my head.

Bald Knob Cross is a HUGE structure in Southern Illinois, built back in 1937. When I was a young TV producer out in Missouri, I had the great experience of visiting this cross to get video of it for local promotion of our coverage area. People there love this cross. Friends of mine who worked at the TV station with me were so inspired by this cross they were engaged to be married there. Many Easter sunrise services have been held there. A truly incredible place. The website's slogan reads "Standing as a testimony to God's love." Beautiful!

This morning when I went to pull up images of the cross to show you, I discovered this:

My heart sank. What? The last (ten) years have not been good to the cross.

I even found a blog where people were mocking it, hoping it would be destroyed.
My heart sank even further. It was a VERY inspiring place, let me tell you. High up on a hill it can be seen for miles. Here is more on its history.

When I went to the Bald Knob Cross website, I discovered they are trying to restore it. Hallelujah!

They do need help to keep it going. I was so moved, I made a donation. I don't normally ask this but if you would like, could you also help today? If not with money, but maybe with prayers so that others may be able to donate.

The future of many sunrise services depend on it.

Thanks so much for reading about a very inspiring and spiritual place!

For more great Spiritual Sunday posts... check out Charlotte and Ginger's blog here.

The number of bloggers joining up is growing. Another Hallelujah. Won't you join them?

Blogoversary Ball Drop

2009-08-15T12:37:00.004-04:00

Omigosh. Guess what I just found out? TODAY IS MY BLOGOVERSARY!
Yes, yes it is.

And a lovely blogger just wished me a happy blogoversary on my birthday "CELEBRATE" post. I didn't even realize it. This is terrible in my little blog world (the one swirling around with ideas in my head...come on, you know what I mean!)

How did I let the ball drop you ask?

Too many things GOING ON AT ONCE.

Sigh.

I think the song "Its my party and I'll cry if I want to" is appropriate now. Sniff.

How will I ever make this up? Do I have to? Not really. Do I want to? OH YES!

We'll see what I can come up with this week. Maybe it's time for a giveaway!

For now, I'll link you back to my very first post and you can see how far I've come. I still love blogging and I never ever knew it would turn out to be so rewarding!

I'll leave you with some pretty pink roses...be back soon!

CELEBRATE!

2009-08-12T08:17:00.001-04:00

Another year older, another year wiser? Well, I don't know about that...but if you're guessing it is my birthday you'd be the wiser! I'm celebrating by having my lovely Sister and my sweet Neice and Nephew visit with me for awhile.

In the meantime have a piece of this:

Photo courtesy of Pinkcakebox found on FLICKR!

And maybe one of these:

To celebrate my birthday.

See you soon!

Giveaway Win...So Sweet!

2009-08-11T10:14:00.004-04:00

Recently I was the winner of a giveaway by Lisa at.Fern Creek Cottage. The prizes were these sweet little antique books from England.

I love them! Thank you so much. Look how pretty they are. And they have roses on the covers!!!!

Bloggers are so nice. Hope you're having agreat day!

Weathering the Storms

2009-08-08T18:44:00.005-04:00

I would be an ungrateful person if I didn't say I'd had a great life so far. I have. But I didn't always feel this way. Often I felt the opposite.

There were some emotional rough "patches" for awhile in my life. Without going into them in detail I can just say I'm sure I'm no different than any other person. We all have times in our lives we don't feel confident or happy. I suppose it is how we get through them that matters.

I took this photo while on a trip in Maine. It is the front door of a church in Springfield. We were stopping to visit a thrift sale and the door just caught my attention...so I snapped the photo.

When I returned from the trip and had the film developed I framed it and wanted to give it a title. It occurred to me that I was feeling like the door appeared: shabby, weathered, and beaten up a little. The wreath however was placed there with love and kindness... as though the members love the church with all their hearts, no matter what the building has been through.

God is our wreath. He places His love and forgiveness upon us no matter what we've been through in our past. We weathered our storms and turned to Him. He accepted us with His inspiring and amazing grace.*

Stop by and visit Charlotte and Ginger's blog for more inspiring posts...or better yet, write your own! The list of bloggers who are joining Spiritual Sunday is growing each week.

How exciting.

*Check out the bible, especially the book of John for more on His amazing grace: John 3:16.

So I asked him to use the video camera

2009-08-06T22:26:00.007-04:00

On the baby.

I think it went something like this:

"Honey, could you please start using the video camera? Dear Bebe is starting to do all kinds of things and I'd like to have you shoot video of her doing them. Okay?"

"Yes, dear."

This is what he shot yesterday after three weeks of asking the same question in about five different ways:

Maybe I should have questioned the spelling on "Yes, DEER."

What do you want for five BUCKS.

Getting Caught Up

2009-08-05T09:58:00.005-04:00

Ever feel you just can't get caught up? I'm having one of those weeks.

My organized self just can't seem to get out of my own way. I usually have my posts planned or at least an idea of what I'm going to write...with pictures a day or two in advance. Guess it is the former TV producer in me.

Today, I have no plan. No pictures. So what I'm going to do is show you what I have been doing.

Taking care of Dear Bebe....playing with the mayonnaise jar! I hope she's going to help Mommy cook. I've been planning on making potato salad...my favorite summer dish. I haven't gotten around to that either. Sigh.

I'm also putting a lot of time working on my website. Buying inventory, taking photos, uploading them, writing descriptions, taking orders, and packing. Dear hubs has been a big help in packing/shipping. Thank you honey!

I thought this beaded slipper coin purse was adorable. It sold already!

Between those two things...Dear Bebe and the site, ZIP! There goes my time. The first of course, Dear Bebe, being the most important.

I'm off to go relax for a few minutes before Bebe wakes up from her morning nap. I hope to get around to visit your blogs today. I've been terribly neglectful. See you soon!

Playdates R FUN!

2009-08-03T10:56:00.004-04:00

Dear Bebe and I went on another playdate last week. I went to see a friend of mine who had a baby boy and he's 18 months already!

One thing I've noticed is how quickly time flies when you have a baby. I just realized Wednesday was the last time I had posted on this blog.

Well Bebe had a great time seeing all of her new friend's toys... it was like going to an amusement park! Started the ball rolling in my mind of what I can get for her first birthday. It's coming up in September already! See what I mean? Time just flies.

And here is my friend with Dear Bebe. And by the way, you can thank my friend (we'll call her Pattian) for giving me my nickname which is how I named the blog. Hint hint!

Hope you had a great weekend. Dear hubs and I went out on a date! Yeah! Out to dinner and then to see a local guitarist/singer. It is fun to get away...but I always miss my Dear Bebe.

So, I'm still trying to catch up today... there's lots I did not accomplish this weekend. You know, HOUSEWORK.

Like my neighbor said to me "That's for when the weather gets cold!"

I like her a lot.

Taking the Plunge: Advertising & Marketing

2009-07-29T15:01:00.006-04:00

Yes, yes, I've taken the plunge. I'm not talking about marriage here.

I'm talking about ADVERTISING. For someone with a little antique website like mine, it seemed like a big enough decision....almost like saying "I do."

You have to spend money to make money, right?

This autumn, you'll see my ad in Somerset Life! This will be my first time to be seen in a magazine! Exciting? You bet!

They sent me a sample copy and I really enjoyed it. Nothing like any other magazine I've ever had before. Thick, almost book like pages and lots of great stories on women who create and own businesses...with lots of great photos of antiques and vintage styles. Really quite beautiful.

Although stunning and a great read, I wasn't sure about taking this plunge. It is a new magazine... and I haven't seen it on a newsstand here yet.

But this magazine I have seen. The adored Romantic Homes. I even subscribe to it.

I called them to try and compare rates and advertise as well. Their sales team did not return my call.

Then I tried contacting them on their "contact us" section of the website. The email came right back to me.

So we'll see how things go with Somerset Life. If things go too well, I could be in up to my ears with work! (Of course, this is really a good thing!) Right now I am able to handle everything and take care of Dear Bebe at the same time. ( I may have to enlist Dear Hubs with his help in packing and shipping! )

I am looking forward to finding out. One thing I'm not afraid of .... taking a risk. You benefit either way. If it pays off then GREAT.... and if it doesn't, well, there is always something to learn.

When have you taken a risk? Did it work for you? What did you learn from it? I'd love to hear from you.

Walkin' On Sunshine, Baby!

2009-07-28T15:00:00.004-04:00

We went on a pool playdate and had lots of fun.

There were 7 moms and about 10 children!

At one point it seemed like we were all in the hot tub and it was crazy!

But fun!

This is Bebe's friend... she was wearing her floatee outfit and kept touching

the front like it was her belly. She's too cute.

A great morning full of happy mom's capturing some happy

photographic moments! (That's Miss Leslie getting a picture of her little guy.)

Can't wait until we can all do it again in a few weeks.

Another reason to love summer!

A Lake House with Antiquing....and Shopping, Again!

2009-07-27T06:47:00.001-04:00

Dear Hubs and I decided at the last minute to travel up north to visit with family and to check out a lake house.

Dear Bebe did pretty well on the ride...and looked excited as we started the journey...

Here is the view from the sun room. Look how great the view is! Having a place on a lake would be REALLY REALLY nice.

There's a cute deck for dining, docks to jump off, and places to bring your boat. I'm just not sure this would be the right one, right now.

We even looked at another one, right down the lane.

This one was so cute on the outside (I can just see the 4th of July fun we could have here!) but the inside needed a huge overhaul. HUGE.

Not really easy to do with a baby.

So it was fun to take a look. We have our dreams. And sometimes they come true. I keep telling Dear Hubs.

"Patience."

I'm not sure he appreciates my words of wisdom.

Then the next day my Dear Sister-in-law and my Dear Mother-in-law took me to a few of their favorite shops.

You know it when you see it. It's going to be good.

Those old, vintage, general stores with the big open shelving and wide counters on either side? You can just picture what it must have looked like in it's prime.

Just too cute. I love these old stores and so glad some towns have kept them intact. Although there really weren't too many antiques for sale in here... I did find some cute things for Dear Bebe.

Then we went to another collection of dealer shops in an older style home. The displays in this co-op are fun to look through.

Here, I happened to find baby clothes. One cute little pair of cotton overalls with roses caught my eye. Unfortunately Dear Bebe has already grown past this size!

My Dear Sister-In-Law was taking it all in. I'm so glad they asked me to go along with them...I love going to old fashioned shops and stores in small towns.

My kind of afternoon!

To see what I found ... check out my Bella Blog, here.

Antiquing Inspirations

2009-07-21T22:12:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I went antiquing to stir my creative mind and also to find items to fill my online shop, Bella Rosa Antiques. I love browsing through the different dealer displays. My trusty little camera captured a few inspirational views:

These look like some oldies but goodies.

A collection of shells to remind me of the ocean...

Shiny elegance!Swirly sconces add a little drama!

What inspires you to work on your projects or decorate your home?

To see what I found on my search hop on over here to my Bella Blog!

Summer Time = Picnic

2009-07-20T09:12:00.005-04:00

After having so much rain this spring we've really been fortunate to have so many beautiful days this July. Yesterday was a great day for a picnic.

Dear Bebe's little friend is absolutely adorable. Dear Bebe reached out and appeared to try and hug her. I thought it was so cute. Then her friend was trying to do the same thing but I think Bebe didn't know what to do at that point. Its so cute and fun watching her learn everything. That is her friend's Dad looking on. He must have thought it was cute, too.

We all gathered from our church at a local park and devoured homemade dishes brought by each family. I made my pasta salad that I wrote about last year here.

There were all kinds of goodies... fried chicken, potato salads, macaroni salads, desserts. Just what you'd expect from a summer get together. Fabulous! We are very fortunate to be so blessed with so much.

And Dear Bebe really enjoyed the baby swing.

Today Mommy is vewry vewry tired. Too much "partying" I think!

Hope you all had a great weekend. Tell me what you did for fun!

Spiritual Sunday ~ God's Rainbow Promise

2009-07-18T22:44:00.000-04:00

After Noah left his ark, God gave him a promise to never destroy the human race again by showing a rainbow in the clouds. (Gen 9:13)

Whenever Noah saw the beautiful bow he knew God was keeping his promise.

How can we relate to this promise?

First, rainbows are associated with storms. Kind of like our storms of life. We see the beauty of God's promise shining through our gloom.

God gives us many promises throughout the bible. It is thought there are thirty thousand of them or more.

And what's even better, God's promises are unchangeable. They have remained the same throughout time.

Just like his rainbow.

For more uplifting thoughts...visit Charlotte and Ginger's Spiritual Sunday.

What's that BUZZ?

2009-07-16T18:30:00.006-04:00

Shhhhh! What's that noise? There's something buzzing.

Do you hear it? Come on....tell me you can hear it.

I'm not sure where it is coming from...

Shhhh! I hear it again!

Oh my! It's coming from this package I just received from Oliver Rain.

Why it's a bumblebee backpack for Dear Bebe! HOW CUTE IS THAT?

Of course that's what the buzz is all about.

And a market bag for Mommy, too. (I was a giveaway winner! Whoo hoo!)

Thank you!

And handmade too. You just don't find wonderful things like this at the store anymore.

Only through bloggyland. Isn't it fabulous?

Hope you're enjoying the beginning of your weekend. I'm off to use my new bag.

Girl Time ... Digging Through the Hope Chest

2009-07-15T08:30:00.002-04:00

Over the July 4th holiday we had friends of my Dear Hubby's over for a barbecue. They are also now my friends, of course. While the guys were outside running around, playing horseshoes, bocce ball and generally just getting sweaty, the girls were inside.

Having GIRL TIME.

One thing led to another and the next thing you know, I'm pulling things out of my hope chest I've been saving for "someday." For the longest time I didn't know if anyone would ever care...or if I'd have a little girl of my own to show them to. Well, I do have a little girl but she's not old enough yet.

But my friend's oldest daughter takes dance lessons and REALLY wanted to see one of my ballet costumes.

I even let her try it on!

Isn't she sweet? Now at this point I must mention she had gone to a swimming birthday party and her father drove them to our house in a convertible...so pay no attention to her airblown dry hair. Tee hee!

Then it was this Coca-Cola shirt that really made her mother laugh. Does anyone remember wearing these in the late 80's and early 90's? I don't know why I thought it necessary to save it in my hope chest, but I'm glad I did now.

I also shared other items I've been saving like my cheerleading jacket, disco purse (what did I need that for at age 11????), and sequined leg warmers.

One of my favorite things to do is reminisce.

I can't wait until I can share these things with Dear Bebe.

What have you saved for "someday?"

Bambi Sighting

2009-07-12T22:54:00.003-04:00

I've been so busy lately I haven't been able to blog about the little fawns we had in our backyard. We live in the woods so this is why it looks like the "grass" needs to be mowed!

It was difficult getting these photos. Dear Bebe had just learned to crawl and I had to keep my eye on her and the deer. It was tough! After I had taken several I looked down at the camera and it read "No Camera Card." Aaaargh! Very frustrating.

So these are the shots I did get. I hope you enjoy the Bambinos as much as I did. They looked so frail and tiny compared to their momma.

Spiritual Sunday ~ Plugging In

2009-07-11T20:48:00.002-04:00

(This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt.)

More and more, we are a culture that is dependent upon technology. I find that I rely heavily on technology today. Like many people, I own a cell phone, laptop, and a digital camera. These are great tools that I have learned to depend on from day to day. So, there’s no surprise that these electronics are dependent on… electricity. I pretty much run my electronic “tools” on battery power, and generally, it’s not a problem. Yet, if you are like me, then you know it always seems that it’s at the worst possible moment—when we really need to use that camera, make a call on that cell phone or send off one more email—that the batteries inevitably go dead. It’s so frustrating!

Okay, I know that I bring this on myself! I understand that I ought to keep on top of my battery charging, but I just don’t seem to get around to it. I think I ought to have learned by now that I need to keep these tools charged, especially when I can anticipate times when I have tasks that I need to make sure are completed. Often, anticipating the need is the issue, and is exactly where I run into trouble.

This is a simple, average life experience that has a profound spiritual parallel. We understand we are totally dependent on God to empower us to live life as faithful Christ-followers. We know that we have to stay plugged into the power source in order to be able to face the day-to-day challenges that life throws our way. Yet too often we fail to anticipate our spiritual need. We disconnect and attempt to live life in our own strength. And just when we most need God’s life flowing into ours, we find that our spiritual batteries are dead. Then we experience the remorse that comes from knowing better.

Fortunately, God’s power to recharge our lives is not far away. We don’t have to shut everything down, pack everything up and wait for next Sunday’s church service. We can access God’s power wherever we are through prayer. We can find strength in His Word. We can find support and empowerment through His people.

Today, if you find your spiritual batteries are running low, don’t wait. Wherever you are, plug in!

To really charge your spiritual batteries visit the Spiritual Sunday blog, hosted by Charlotte & Ginger...you'll be glad you did!