It's the most wonderful time of the year...

So, don't clutter it up!

 We are anxiously preparing the store for our first annual Christmas Open House on Saturday, November 12 from 10:00-6:00 and Sunday, November 13 from 1:00-5:00. Whether you are in need of a great wreath, fabulous Christmas ornaments to brighten up your tree or a whole new look for your mantle, we have it all! The store is practically glittering with beautiful treasures. Perhaps, it is not an ornament you are in need of, but a great Christmas gift for someone you love? We have incredible options with my favorite being antique reproduction Swedish Grandfather Clocks that are absolutely to die for. Come in and take a peek!

As we have been anxiously decorating, I have been thinking that this time of year is when we unbox those treasured collections of Snow Villages, Christmas Plates, Mark Roberts Fairies (my favorite!...and available at Bella Designs!) or a wonderful set of china. One of the key mistakes that people make when displaying a prized collection is that we tend to spread it out over a hutch, a bookcase, or several rooms. The key thing to remember when displaying your favorite collection is, "Gather, don't scatter!" The great thing about collections is that they complement one another, so take advantage of that.

One of my favorite collections of my own is brown transferware. I do have a plate here and there, but most of my collection is highlighted in an antique display cabinet in my living room. At the moment, I have over thirty brown and cream transferware pitchers spread over this entire cabinet. All the various shapes, sizes and patterns work together to create a wonderful tableau especially at this time of year. Find a place of honor for your favorite collection and let their beauty do the work for you!

Happy Friday!

I first shared this photo on Facebook a couple of  nights ago,  but thought these products deserved a bit more attention.  These fabulous Carafes, Mini Decanters & Decanters are perfect for gift giving, holiday parties, wine parties and make wonderful hostess gifts.  We adore this company and their great products including tumblers etched with numbers 1 - 12!  No more wondering if you have your glass or someone elses!  We also adore the mini cloches with the words "delicious", "delightful", "decadent" and our favorite adjective, "divine",  (divine, 2nd only to fabulous!) etched in beautiful script letters.  The newest addition to this fabulous collection is a very large cloche with "Fromage"  etched across the front.  Pair it with our new nickel cheese markers for your next party!  Hoping you enjoy these as much as we do! 

Wishing you all a fabulous week-end!  Don't forget we are open tomorrow from 10-2:00!  Stop by and make sure you let us know you read our blog!

Pairing Old and New

It's hard to believe but we just finished our first full week!  We had a great time and loved meeting so many new customers!  Don't forget our Grand Opening is this Tuesday, Oct. 11th, 4:00-8:00 p.m.  If you are unable to come during that time, please stop by anytime during the day, as we will be open regular business hours!  We can hardly wait to share the store with you!

I couldn't resist posting this picture of one of our displays.  The gorgeous plaster scroll candle holder would be great on an occasional table, a bathroom vanity, a bedside table, etc.  I love the pattern of the cheetah pillow with the tones of this gorgeous piece!  Notice, we paired it with antique suitcases we found on our trip to Round Top.  When putting together any grouping I always suggest that you don't stick to one style, as then your room becomes too thematic.  The suitcases/trunks give this grouping warmth and character.  It makes the room much more comfortable and adds that lived in touch. 

Just wanted to say thank you to my sweet friends who have dropped by to see the beautiful store and wish us well.  We are so excited to see our old customers and to meet new ones!  I am blessed to have an amazing family and friends.  I truly love my life and those in it, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! 

He's back!  This gorgeous black rooster would be beautiful on an island or dining table.  I think many of us are afraid to venture back into the world of the "country style" of the 80's!   The difference is he is now done in one color.  No colored feathers and please, no friends!  Just one per household, please.   The home today shouldn't resemble a barn, full of farm animals.  Instead, an accent piece.  And this guy, well he is stately and beautiful, standing 17 1/2 inches tall.  He is available in black and stone.

The Black Rooster was a favorite at our open house in May! Pair him with a great floral and cookbook stand and you have an instant kitchen island grouping.

The Stone Rooster is equally as gorgeous and regal! He would be a fabulous addition to any home.

What a great day we had today!  Our first customers of the day were Jennifer M. and Leslee D.   Jennifer took home a piece of our great fall decor, and Leslee stuck to our signature staple, a few fabulous Carriage Candles and a feather wine bottle topper!  Since both arrived at about the same time, we decided they tied for our first customers at our new location!  We have a special surprise for them during our Grand Opening festivities on the 11th!  Who knows?  We may have a surprise for you as well....just saying.  I would mention it on Tuesday night if I was you!  It will let us know you "follow" our blog.  We love or FB Fans and Blogspot Followers!

If you haven't made it in yet,  here's a peek of one of my favorite things!  Enjoy! 

In less than 12 short hours we will be OPEN!  Even though I should wait until tomorrow, I couldn't resist sharing these gorgeous candles with you.  Hand sculpted in San Diego and available in several different finishes and styles.  They are almost too beautiful to burn!  Whether it's a fleur de lis, cross or a beautiful crown, you won't be able to resist adding these to your home.

Don't feel like you have to wait until next Tuesday for our Grand Opening.  We'll be there all week!  Or better yet, come see us now AND later!  Can't wait to see you!

p.s. Thanks Debi for following us!

Opening Tuesday!

The day is finally here!  We will open our doors at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday!  Our operating hours will be Tuesday - Friday, 10:00 - 5:30 and Saturday, 10:00-2:00 or by appointment. 

We are so excited to be able to expand our design services and inventory. From beautiful hand sculptured candles, luxurious table and bed linens, one of a kind home decor pieces, custom florals, wine and table accessories and the best in seasonal decor. Whether redecorating an entire room or simply looking for an exciting new piece to refresh an existing room, Bella Designs excels in our offering of upscale home decor.

Our grand opening will be Tuesday, October 11 from 4:00-8:00 in the evening! Enjoy appetizers and champagne, while shopping in our fabulous new store front. Can't make it? Come by during our regular operating hours to experience Denton's new best kept secret. It is 475 square feet of fabulous!

Our window facing Oak Street with our gorgeous new lanterns! Fabulous treasures from Round Top! Come and see all of the beautiful things inside!

  

Our debut Open House was a huge success.  Thanks to all of you that came by.  For those of you who didn't make it, please feel free to come by for a visit.  Just give me a call and we can set up a special time...just for you.  If you haven't already, become a fan of Bella Designs on Facebook!  I posted a few pictures of a few of my favorite things and am committed to adding more! 

Summer is well on it's way and I love the color of Spring and Summer.  (I could do without the 90 degree temperature we are experiencing!  It's only June!)   The green grass, all the beautiful flowers and landscaping are just a few of the things I enjoy.   Traveling across town or across the country is much more enjoyable when the grass is green, the skies blue and the flowers are all in bloom!

I am thinking about Christmas and ordering Christmas inventory for Bella Designs.  As I type about color I can't help thinking about the beautiful colors and textures of Christmas!   It makes my heart beat fast just thinking about it!  What excites you about your holiday decorating? 

This is going to be a bittersweet week for our family.  Tomorrow is my oldest sons 23rd birthday.  He has been "home" for the last year, on and off.  He leaves Monday for 10 weeks in Massachusetts.  I know I'm really going to miss him.  We've had an unbelievable great time over the past 12 months getting BD up and running!  He has a magnificent eye for things of beauty and is a great sounding board for me!  Thanks Cole for all you do for me and for the joy of being your Mom! 

Check back soon for more info on new products and our next Open House!

It's Spring Break and we are busy busy looking for fabulous new products for our customers!  I cannot wait to offer fabulous Christmas decor to my customers, along with our design services.   Great stockings, tree skirts, ornaments and other Christmas Decor items will be just a few of the great things we have in store for you!  Don't forget to book your holiday decorating appointment soon as dates are already filling up. 

Are you ready for more exciting news????  Bella Designs is now offering some of the most oppulent bedding, throws, table runners and window treatments on the market.  I have been on the looking for months now and have finally found a product that I would love to share with my customers.   Be on the look out for pictures...they'll be up in the next few days.

Also, we are beginning a "Candle of the Month" promotion.  Email me for details. 

Hope you all are having a wonderful Spring Break!  Spring is definately in the air here!

It was a great week end for my family.  We celebrated my youngest sons 19th birthday.  He is away at college and wasn't able to come home the week end of his birthday. Even though it was eight days after the big day, it was fun all the same.

Birthdays have always been a big deal at our house.  I think everyone deserves a special celebration on their special day.  Birthday celebrations have sort of evolved at our house.  From Pirate, Princess and Sports parties, to 21st Birthday celebrations it seems that these birthdays have taken on a life of their own.   Often dinner out is followed by dessert at home, yet sometimes the honoree choses a home cooked meal.  Either way, we try to make it as "special" as possible.

I'd love to know how you celebrate special days with your family!

It appears that North Texas has shut down for the next day or two!  In anticipation of the big snow storm Cole and I headed to Frisco on Monday to prowl around one of our favorite furniture stores, Anderson's.  I love the things at Anderson Furniture and especially love the girls at the Frisco location.  I have always had a deep appreciation for anything with a story, thus my love of antiques.  I love to incorporate a few history pieces with new trendy items in my decor.  Anderson's seems to share my love of that style.  If you haven't been there...go now.  It's definately worth the trip.  Don't forget to call me!  I'll go with you or meet you there!

It's so exciting to have this blog up and running.  I've been thinking for a while now of how I could share with you things that inspire me, excite me and new products available at Bella Designs  in a different forum than FB.  I've been bloggging here on blospot since Cole's sophomore year of college when he spent a semester abroad.  I don't know why it took me so long to think of a blog for BD, but here it is!

For those of you who are new to Bella Designs and aren't sure what we are about (I love that I say "we"!  Hahaha!  It's only me, but I suppose we sounds better!) here's the short version.

In 1991 I closed my business Crystal's Crafts to become a stay at home Mom to my four fabulous children.  Shortly after closing my business I discovered I was pregnant again with our youngest son, Ross.  I've tried every way possible to keep them from growing up, but they insisted.   Since the closing of Crystal's Crafts I often helped friends with decorating their homes, just for fun and something to do.  Early last year I decided it was time to jump back into the business.  With the notion of redesign in mind, Bella Designs specializes in taking your existing home accents and creating a new space with what you already have.  We also do Holiday decorating and special event design. 

I am so excited to be a retailer for Carriage Candles and Wine-A-Rita.  We have a large selection of both products in stock.  I love love love Carriage Candles and I promise, you will too!  There are over 50 fragrances available along with what I consider to be the prettiest candle warmer on the market! 

My plan is to update this blog several times a week so you can see all the exciting things going on with us.  Welcome aboard!