Playing Catch Up

A Bit of This and That

Hello dear Bloggy Buddies, I am so thrilled with the response to my anniversary giveaway! Many, many thanks to all those posting about it on their blogs. The blogging world continues to amaze and delight me.

With the rare exception, I haven’t been around much this past week. I am having problems with sinus issues and this causes me to not sleep well….and you know the rest, I am tired!  So, I will try and play catch up with all of you in the next day or so.

My giveaway continues through Tuesday, Feb 2nd at 5:00 Eastern time. Just click the button at the top of my sidebar to be taken to the giveaway post. I do hope all of you are well and staying warm!

Barb

Anniversary Giveaway!

Celebrating One Year in the Blogging World

  

To celebrate my first year of blogging and one of my very favorite memories from it…The Rooster Party….I am having a giveaway. The giveaway consists of A Rooster Casserole that would also be perfect for soups and stews. It also makes a delightful centerpiece! The giveaway also includes four little adorable rooster bowls. These are so cute placed on side tables when not in actual use.  By the way, the Rooster Party will return this summer! :-)

Anyone may enter. If you do not have a blog, please include your email address so I will know how to contact you should you win.

1.  Leave a comment under THIS POST for one chance to win.

2. If you are a follower, or become a new follower, you will receive another chance to win.

3. Mention my giveaway on your blog, with a link back to Bella Vista, and you will receive another THREE chances to win! You must let me know you are doing this.

I will announce the winner on Wednesday, Feb. 3rd. Good luck to everyone and a special thanks to all those who left such kind and generous comments on my anniversary post. I am so grateful for all of you!

Barb

Living Room Mantel

Decorating the Mantel on a Natural Field Rock Fireplace

  

Hello everyone….I am joining Mantel Friday hosted by Beth at The Stories of A to Z. Please visit her blog for a list of participants and all the lovely mantels that will be shown this week.

 

This is the mantel on our Living Room fireplace. The fireplace itself is massive with  fieldstone going from floor to a twelve foot ceiling. For the longest time I thought I would paint it white….but now I am glad I did not. The fieldstone is gorgeous and adds much texture and warmth to our living room.

I have decorated it with plates in a golden color and some old books…..which I adore! I am always on the hunt for old books of any kind.

Thanks so much for stopping by this week. I hope you enjoyed my pictures. Please come back soon.

Barb

One Year Blogging Anniversary

 

One year ago, today, I signed on for a blog. Wow, I didn’t even know what a blog was. I had almost no knowledge of blogs and absolutely no experience. It has been a wonderful year. Thank you so much to all the people who read Bella Vista….who comment…and a special thanks to those who follow me. You ALL are so very much appreciated!

I will have a giveaway to celebrate shortly. Please come back and check for it.

Thank you for your sweet friendship!

Barb

Tabletop Tuesday

    Several Vignettes Throughout Our Home

Hello everyone….I am joining the Tabletop Tuesday blog event hosted by Barb at Grits and Glamour. Please visit her blog for a list of participants and a chance to see some wonderful tabletop designs all throughout Blogland. Thanks for hosting this Barb!

This is the coffee table in our small den….a room I truly love. I have fewer accessories on my tables in these last years. I used to have a need to cover every square inch….but feel a need to breathe a bit more now.

I love decanters and have a collection of them in several rooms of our home.

A small vignette on the family room bookshelves. I will show more later. :-)

Thanks so much for coming by and visiting with me….please come back soon.

Barb

Family Room Fireplace Mantel

Decorating in Blue and White

Hello and welcome to Blue Monday hosted by Sally at Smiling Sally. Please visit her blog for a complete list of participants. This is the first time in a while that I have participated. I ran out of blue things for a while but I am happy to be back! Thanks Sally!   

This is the mantel in our family room. We have a lot of blue in this room. The color is soothing and I recently placed my Victorian picture of a little girl in this room. I notice that I am returning to many of my Victorian things in the last month or so. I tend to go in cycles with my decorating but find the Victorian items refreshing for a change.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I am always happy to see you!

Barb

Strawberries!!

They are So Plump and Delicious

My husband and I drove over to the strawberry fields today…not knowing what we would find with all the cold weather we have had. Look what we found! Aren’t they beautiful and the fields were just gorgeous. We bought lots to make desserts and new recipes. How fun!

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Barb

Den Mantel

A Favorite Place To Decorate

  

Hello everyone! I am joining my first Mantel Party hosted by Beth at The Stories of A to Z. Please check her blog for a complete listing of all the participants.

This is the mantel in our little den….one of my favorite rooms in our home. The fireplace add so much to the cozy feeling in our den and I love to change the decor on top of it regularly….like all the time! Ha. I love books and always add some to the top and also old books….I adore old books. I usually add what pleases my eye and not always what I would consider ‘proper.’

Thank you so much for coming by and hope you come back soon!

 

Barb

I Won!

 

My sweet friend, Theresa at theycallmeganky had a wonderful giveaway and I won!! Blessed me!

Just look at all the sweet things Theresa included in my package. I am just thrilled and don’t you love the way it arrived? So precious. Thank you Theresa….you made my day. Please pay her a visit…you will love her delightful blog.

Barb

Dreaming

Our weather is finally getting a tad warmer and I am dreaming of sitting on the porch again with my favorite magazines. Being in the South and not being able to sit on the porch is almost a sin….ha!

I am so looking forward to Valentines….it is truly one of my favorite holidays. My husband asked me to marry him on Valentines Day. Now….to stay out of the Valentine’s candy!!!!!! Ouch. Hope you are able to dream a little these days about what makes you happy.

Barb

Winter!!!

Whoa, I cannot believe this kind of weather in good ole Florida. It is cold…….icy cold! We are supposed to have a hard freeze tonight…..so we’ve been out covering all our delicate tropical plants. Yikes. Hope they survive. And, I hope you are warm and safe…..where you are.

Barb

My Girl

My Sweet Missy Girl

This is my darling girl….Missy. She comes in and visits me often when I am blogging. In fact, I think she wants her own blog….because Mom spends too much time on the computer! What would we do without our little darlings?

Barb

Just To Make You Smile

 Definitely a Little Cool Here

Taken at my favorite garden shop….Spring 2009.

I thought I would show this picture just to make you smile, hopefully! Are you cold? I am! Florida feels like an ice cube and we are sooooo NOT used to this. So, today, I finally get a chance to wear some of those winter clothes hanging in my closet. Ha! I’ve heard the cold clears your head….not a bad thing, huh?

Bundle up!!

Barb

How About A Cup of Tea?

It is Downright Cold in Good Ole Florida…..Brrrrrrr

How does a hot cup of tea sound about right now? It sounds wonderful to me because it is cold here in sunny Florida….supposed to freeze tonight! Yikes. My hubby has been out picking oranges and grapefruit in our backyard…just in case it becomes a hard freeze. I am warm and cozy inside. Hope all of you are finding a warm and cozy spot to enjoy this January weather. Brrrrrrrr.

Barb

Happy New Year!

Hello, dear Bloggy Buddies, I do hope this New Year is finding you well and happy. It is a rainy and cool day here…one that is perfect for removing Christmas trees and beloved decorations. I always like to move things around a bit after taking the decorations down….gives me a lift! I love to ‘play’ in my home, don’t you? Then I think I will watch some of the bowl games on television. I love football but my hubby doesn’t….I always think this is such a hoot.

Of course, my mind is running to you all….what a part of my life you all have become. Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments in my last post and several of you mentioned the Rooster Party from 2009….it will be returning this year. What a fun time we had!

Be happy today…..take good care of yourself and I hope 2010 gives you more blessings than you can contain.