My Casa Bella

COME IN THE EVENING, OR COME IN THE MORNING;

COME WHEN YOU'RE LOOK'D FOR,

OR COME WITHOUT WARNING.

KISSES AND WELCOME YOU'LL FIND BEFORE YOU,

AND THE OFTENER YOU COME HERE

THE MORE I'LL ADORE YOU!

-Thomas Osbourne Davis



Welcome To My Casa Bella

My Casa Bella- means-my beautiful home- but it can mean so many other things. How you make your home a home. The sounds of children or pets playing. The aroma of scones in the oven or a lilac candle burning. The flowers blooming in your garden. The home grown vegetables ready to be picked. Grandma's quilt at the foot of the bed. A fire to curl up to with a good book. Or just a family spending time together with love, laughter and a good time.





















Thursday, May 28, 2009

My Beautiful Roses




When we returned from our vacation, I found all my beautiful rose bushes in bloom. Just breathtaking. They always look so beautiful and healthy this time of year, before the beetles and aphids attack.
Last night my DH put up a trellis for the one bush because we had a storm before we left and the poor rose was hanging down forward. Ready to snap. So when we returned I bought a white trellis and kindly and lovingly asked him to PLEASE stake my beautiful rose bush. I've had it for several years now and did not want to lose it like I lost my Rose Climber 5 years ago from a hurricane. I loved that climber. It was healthy and so tall with gorgeous yellow double roses. The most beautiful plant I had. It was my pride and joy. Then a hurricane came through and just ripped it out of the ground!!! I actually cried. I babied that rose and cared for it. Then it was gone. So I replaced it with another, it's beautiful, but it's not my precious climber. But that's ok, a rose is beautiful no matter what. Although my DH probably wouldn't agree after the ordeal it took to put in the trellis. Poor guy, trying to dig behind a large rose bush with their lovely thorns was not fun for him. I think if it were up to him he would of dug it up. Close your little buds my dear rose bush. He didn't mean it. But he did a good job. Now it's standing up straight and proud.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Spring Craft Show







So we did our Spring Show last weekend. Sadly, it wasn't the best show we ever did. The crowd was very slim. What were we thinking!!! It's spring, people are landscaping, planting their flowers and their veggies. That's what I would of been doing if I were home then. I never even thought about it. I just got excited about doing a show. We do well at craft shows and I thought, great another one to do and sell!!! So from now on, no more shows in mid spring or early summer. People are vacationing in the summer time as well. So note to self "do shows that are in the fall time and late winter/early spring".
But as you can see we did have a pretty booth. I love all the colors it's just cheerful.
We're looking forward to the next one. Which is in July, if we choose to do that one. Otherwise there's one in August as well. We'll see.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

My Humble Oasis





I'm not sure what the exact fascination is with viewing into other peoples homes. Is it curiosity? Looking for ideas? Seeing how the other lives? Or just plain nosey..lol..? Whatever it is, it's certainly something I enjoy. I've joined other blog sites and so many of them post pictures of their homes and it's like looking at a magazine online. It's so much fun for me. Get to see how they decorate and how they live in their homes. The pride they take in their homes shows in the pictures. So I thought, why not? I'll post some pictures of my home that my dh and I share together along with our "children", my kitties.
We bought this home in 2000. Our first home, it was so exciting. It's a simple home. One story ranch style. It needed quite a bit of updating since everything was original and just didn't fit us. On the inside, we put in a new kitchen, after seven years of living here. Then we added the french doors between the dining room and family room. We finally fixed up our bedroom two years after all the other renovations. But we knew when we bought the home that it would take time to fix it up and make it ours. That it did, it took alot of time. But after living in the home for awhile you get a feel of what you really want to do with it. The most exciting renovation was the kitchen. My hubby let me pick out everything!!! This room is my domain. I love to bake and cook. So he told me as long as we can keep in our budget, I could pick whatever I'd like. HOW EXCITING!!!
My next joy is our bedroom. I did not like our bedroom, but like all projects, that is usually the last to get fixed. And we finally did it, last year. Now, I just love going in there, and when the sun shines through the sheer curtains, it takes on a romantic flair. It looks like I'm in the clouds.
So after all the hard work, time, energy, tears and sweat, we got the humble oasis we wanted.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Project Finished


So here it is, the finished product. I'm excited. They were so much fun to make. Of course I'm still feeling that high from the glue and spray...lol. My hands were covered in glue and I think I got it on every surface of my workstation. So clean up was not fun, but all worth it. Now we'll see how the craft show goes this Saturday.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Father and Daughter Story



I love ribbons. I have been collecting them for some time now. I buy them when they're on sale, when I'm looking for specific ones for a project or just because they're pretty and I have to have it. The ribbons you see are only a fraction of what I have. I have a pile there because I'm looking through them to see what I could use for my clipboard project.
To show you how I'm obsessed with ribbons involves my dad. I was on eBay one morning, dangerous. And I saw someone was selling a lot of ribbon. Lots and Lots of ribbon. Well, I was going to work, and at the time there was no computer, so I called my dad. You see dad and I really enjoy eBay, sometimes too much. But my dad is good at bidding. I get my talents from him...lol...so I called him that morning. "Dad, could you do me a favor?" I asked. "Sure, what is it?" he said. "Well you see, I was on eBay this morning and saw some ribbon that I would like and I can't bid on it from work, can you do it for me?"I asked. "Let me get on and see what you're looking at." He said. I told him which one it was. "Why do you need all that ribbon?"he asked. "Why? Because I have an addiction and I need to satisfy it."I said. He laughs. "But this is the rule"I said, "No more than $20.00 for that whole lot. The shipping on it is already another $20.00 so my budget is only 20, ok?" I said. "Ok,"he said. "Dad I know you, don't go crazy" I said. "What do you mean?"he asks. So the morning goes by, he's bidding. And it's a bidding war. It's ugly, I tell you. The bid is over. I call him. "So what happend?"I asked. "Well, this is what happend"he says. "Dad, what did you do?"I ask. "Well, I got it. For $40.00."he says. "WHAT!!!!"I said. "This is what happend, some woman, she wouldn't stop. Everytime I bid then she bid. It was crazy, she wouldn't back down!!!" he explains.He sounded flustered and frustrated. "But dad, I told you no more then $20.00. That's way over!!!"I said. "I know, I know, don't worry mama, this is what I'll do, you pay for Shipping and I'll pay for the ribbon." He says. "But dad" I said. "I'm sorry, but she made me mad and I had to get it, she just wouldn't stop!!" he says. But he beat her to it, he got the last bid in before time was up. That felt good. " I understand, dad. I've been there, done that."I said. So, my big box of ribbon arrived and I called my dad, I told him it came and that I loved him. And that I now understand where I get my competive spirit from.
This is for you dad. Love you

Another Craft Show



My friend, Valerie and I, are getting ready for another show this Saturday. The show is in Cascade, MD at the Ft. Ritchie Community Center. This time I'm trying to make some pretty clipboards. Of course, this isn't a new idea. It's been done by others and I thought, "I could do that". I collect scrapbook paper and all kinds of stickers and fun stuff. I like paper crafting and so does Valerie. So we attempting this project. My workstation looked like it exploded. But that's how I work. Then when I'm done, you wouldn't be able to tell I was even there. I love my workshop. My hubby gave up the "man room" for me. Since I love to sew, scrapbook, and do crafting, he gave me the room beside the garage. I'll have to take pictures and post them. It's a great room, my getaway. And as you see, I even have tea there. I do have pretty tea cups, I just need to get them out, since tea is much better in dainty girly teacups.
So, I've been working hard getting ready for the show and I can't wait. All I need to do is add ribbon to my clipboards and I'm ready to go. Oh my, it's only 3 days away, no stress.............

Ok, so when I first started this blog, I started out saying how excited I was that Spring was finally coming. My flowers are coming through, everything is so green. I weeded a little this morning. Now I need to go and buy flowers. But in March I started these Tomato Seedlings. I have 4 dozen of them. Now, I won't plant them all, I will give some away to family and friends but I will plant at least a dozen or more. They were given to me from a friend and she does hers by seed. They're heirloom. I've never done heirloom before. Some of the plants I never heard of. But since I like making my own salsa and spaghetti sauce, she thought I would love these. So right now, they're growing quickly. I water them every other day and I can't wait to get them in the ground. This will be my first time doing it this way. Otherwise, I go to the nursery and by the plants. So I can't wait.


Well, its been quite some time since I blogged. Way too long. I don't know why, because I do enjoy doing this. Maybe too much. Once I start, I can't get off the computer. Oh well, here I am and here is my last sewing creation. I really enjoy making aprons. This one I made for a dear friend who lives in Upstate NY, we visited them back in March and we had such a great time. So I wanted to send her an apron. It has tea cups and teapots with sayings. She and her husband LOVE tea. They introduced me to some loose tea and I'm addicted. Just love it. I have one to two cups a day. So I thought I'd make her an apron with tea all over it. Of course, I've yet to mail it. It's all packaged and ready to go, but for some reason I just hate going to the Post Office, but this gift is way over due.