Gossip Bench Before & After

Remember that cute little telephone gossip bench that I bought at a garage sale?

Well, she's even cuter now, maybe even tres chic!

First I used a liquid sanding product on her. Then, spray painted on a primer. Next, I hand painted her black, 2 coats. Then for fun, I painted the top areas with chalkboard paint. Then she sat around for awhile waiting for a new seat...


After much inner debate, I went with a light green, sagey sort of color with some swirls and floral designs in it, I really like it! I really thought I was going to make this chair 'casual', but my fanciness just got the best of me and well, I just made her all pretty and stuff...hope that's OK.

My seat is so w i d e, like my new owner's ;)

Just for fun, some Chalkboard Paint, love that stuff!

Oh, the D? It stands for Decorating Dork, haha. I think I read that on Nester's blog once and it is stuck in my head now ;)

So, are the next 5 days going to be the longest days of our lives or what?

PS: I added this post to the Sanctuary Arts Makeover Open House. To see what everyone is making over, head over there for more fabulous makeovers!

PPS: Make sure to enter to win a beautiful lamp from CSN Lighting! Good Luck!

And The Winner Of The Wedding Photo Frame Is...

...Post #39, Peggy!!! Who said:

"I love the wall plaque ,Mom's busy,take a cookie is so cute. Peggy"

Kristina will be sending your handmade wedding frame to you soon!

Thank you to everyone who entered to win, I hope you will bookmark Kristina's Etsy Shop, Cute Frames by K's, Crafty Ladies, Gifts & Supplies and remember to take a look around there the next time you are shopping for something special.

Thanks again, Kristina for sponsoring such a nice giveaway on my blog!

Thanks everyone!

Bella

PS: The Chex-Spa basket giveaway is still going on, make sure to enter, there will be 3 winners!

Chex Mix Bars ~ Basket of Indulgence Giveaway!!!

Hey, it's that time again...Bloggy Carnival Giveaway time!!!

So, how does a Chex Mix Bars Basket of Indulgence sound?

The prize basket includes a box of tasty Turtle Chex Mix Bars, chocolate candles, caramel lotion and spa essentials: a loofah, hand massager, nail brush and a spa towel. Wow!

And if that isn't decadent enough...guess what? There will be THREE WINNERS...THREE!!! Isn't that awesome??? Thank you, Chex Mix Bars!!!

Haven't heard of Chex Mix Bars? Me, either, so let me tell you a little bit about them...

"New Chex Mix Bars combine crunchy Chex pieces, pretzels and peanuts with chewy and indulgent ingredients like caramel and chocolate. And if that's not enough, they have less than 150 calories per bar and provide at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving (48 grams recommended daily)!"

Here's what 3 lucky winners will receive:

Isn't that fun? Those chocolate candles are too cute! And the basket is black, so it will definitely fit in all blogging decorating gals' decor ;)

So, how do you enter? Just leave me a comment telling me what your favorite Chex product is. That's it, pretty simple! I would appreciate it if you made your post kind of witty, just to keep it interesting, but that's just a request, not a prerequisite ;) I'll announce the winners on Tuesday, November 4th, because that's my birthday and I just think that it would be cool to give away nice things on my birthday! (US Residents Only, Please, Thanks!)

Extra Entries:

1. Tweet about this giveaway and post a separate comment with your twitter name, so I can verify.

2. Post about this giveaway on your blog and post a separate comment with the link to your post, so I can verify.

Want a chance to win even more prizes? Then head over to Bloggy Carnival, there are so many great bloggers holding contests this week! Good Luck!!! And thanks for reading my blog, you all rock!!!

ttfn,

Bella

PS: I will be drawing the WINNER of the Wedding Photo Frame TOMORROW!!!

Just This In!

New sheets! lol The sheer embarassment of my last post made me do it!

20% off coupon at Bed, Bath & Beyond...the kids don't need Christmas presents this year anyhow, they still don't play with all of the crap they got last year ;) (kidding, kidding)....

I am still waiting for the information & pics on the prize that I am giving out for Bloggy Carnival...so as soon as I get all of that, I will post, hopefully today!

Now the cat will give me a little respect when he sees the new sheets ;)

ttfn,

Bella

PS: The doorbell just rang, it was the package of goodies that I am giving away...will post SOON about the giveaway :) :)

Duct Tape: Not Just For Men

OK...so you all have seen our bedroom:

Looks nice enough, but what's lurking under all of that fluffy bedding?

This!!! Ripped Sheets!!!

Eek! Oh, the horror!!!

So, what was my brilliant decorating on a budget idea?

Yep, Duct Tape! When I asked Mr. Casa where it was, he wanted to know why...when I told him, he just started laughing.

Even the cat is disgusted...

But what's a gal to do in this flippin' economy? I only like those nice, soft sheets from Bed, Bath & Beyond...and they're just not in the ole Casa budget right now, so duct tape it is! ;)

I know, it's so (fill in the blank)...

(shakes head in shame)

ttfn,
Bella & her duct tape
PS: Only a couple more days til I draw the winner of the Wedding Photo Frame and make sure to stop back tomorrow for Bloggy Carnival, I'll have a brand new giveaway to announce!

Where In The Hell Is This House Tour?

Today's home tour will be in all places, Hell, Michigan...gotta love their motto:

Hell, Michigan, a little town on its way up!

Hell, Michigan is actually an unincorporated community in Putnam Township, MI, with a population of 266. It's about 15 miles northwest of Ann Arbor, MI.

I've been there a few times, it is about a half hour's drive from my home. My first impression of Hell was, "Wow, it's GORGEOUS here!" It has rolling hills, trees and horse farms. I was pretty perplexed at how it got such a negative name.

So, how did Hell get its name? From Wikipedia:

"There are two leading theories cited by residents for the origin of Hell's name:

The first holds that a pair of German travelers stepped out of a stagecoach one sunny afternoon in the 1830s, and one said to the other, "So schön und hell!" - translated as, "So beautiful and bright!" Their comments were overheard by some locals and the name stuck.[1]

The second holds that after Michigan gained statehood, George Reeves was asked what he thought the town he helped settle should be called, and replied, "I don't care, you can name it Hell for all I care." The name became official on October 13, 1841.[2]

A third possibility is that the town was named after Hell, Norway."

Hell's most famous landmarks are Hell's Country Store , where you can purchase hot sauce, T-shirts and probably best of all, a postcard to mail to your friends, postmarked from, "Hell."

Then there's Scream's Ice Cream, where Erik Reichenbach from, "Survivor" worked. You can enjoy an ice cream cone while you peruse their shop, which looks like a Hallmark Halloween store, all year round...kids (of all ages) just love this place!

And don't forget the Dam Site Inn restaurant on Hell Creek. And heck (hell?), you can even get married in Hell! Where? In Hell's Wedding Chapel of course!

Oh and the burning question you all have...does Hell ever freeze over?

Um, hello, this is Michigan, so what do you think? ;)

Now, on with the house tour...

I bet you thought the house would look kind of like this:

Sorry to disappoint, How about this instead? * It's the most expensive home for sale, at $2,100,000!

I think this one is the best deal around at $199,900!*

Or how about a horse ranch?* OK, the horse ranch it is!

Here is the description, from the selling agent, Michelle Vedder from Real Estate One:

"HORSE LOVERS PARADISE. HUGE BARN W/ 16 STALLS, HAYLOFT, TWO TACK ROOMS, BIRTHING STALLS,TWO WATER HYDRANTS. APPROX 6.5 ACRES OF PASTURE/PADDOCK AREA. HOUSE IS VERY OPEN WITH HARDWOOD FLOORS, CHERRY CABINETS, JENNAIR DOUBLE OVEN, COOKTOP & FRIG. HUGE MASTER WITH WALK IN SHOWER W/ DOUBLE HEADS. FANTASTIC VIEW OF 15TH HOLE AT TIMBER TRACE GOLF COURSE. BIGGER THAN LOOKS, OWNER IS AGENT."

Open floor plan, gorgeous floors, lots of lighting...

Beautiful hearth on this fireplace!
I told you it was pretty here!


I mean, really, look at that sunset...looks heavenly to me! What's in a name? Perhaps just letters...

Want to see more home tours? Visit Julia at Hooked On Houses to view more incredible home tours!

ttfn,

Bella

PS: Have you entered to win this sweet wedding frame yet?

* These homes are in Putnam Township, MI, however, I am not sure if they are in Hell, MI or not...since Hell is not really on the map and no listings on realtor.com list the city as "Hell". Sort of like the missing 13th floors in many sky scrapers. But frankly, I wouldn't mind living there, like I said, it's a gorgeous place, no matter what the hell they call it ;)

Dollar Tree Christmas Finds & Bloggy Giveaway Carnival

I was at my favorite store yesterday, The Dollar Tree, lol, nothing but the best for me...and I bought a couple of goodies:

Barn star ornament with a snowman on it. They had Santa, too, and I think a few others, but I chose the snowman because I figured if I wanted him to hang around the rest of the winter, it would be fine since he is more 'winter' than 'Christmas". He's so cute :)

And this is a little chalkboard, how sweet! My little guy (and heck maybe my teen, too?) can count down the days til Christmas with this. They also had Santa and I think a snowman.

I really can't believe these were only a $1 each....wonder how long The Dollar Tree will keep things at $1? Hopefully, for a good long time, but I have my doubts...

Next week Bloggy Giveaways will be hosting their quarterly Bloggy Carnival. I will have some really nice prizes, I can't wait!!!

This is a GREAT way to meet other bloggers and gain new readers. If you need any tips on how to host a giveaway, just shoot me an email and I will be glad to help. My email is in my profile.

Other ways to network with fellow bloggers is with twitter and Entrecard. If you join either of those, please let me know so I can add you as a friend!

Make sure to enter my giveaway for a Wedding Photo Frame, I will be picking a winner next Tuesday, good luck!

Oh...and the Fall Home Tour starts tomorrow over at Hooked On Houses! I am pretty excited about my town and home that I chose to do a tour on. Don't be scared of the title of my post tomorrow, it's just tongue in cheek ;)

See you then!

Bella

PS: I am cooking a TURKEY in the oven, with stuffing, mashed potatoes and everything...the house smells soooo good...mmmmm!!!

To Heck With Wordless Wednesday --- I've Got Something To Say!!!

Hey everyone!!!

I just want to write a quick post to let you know that you should RUN to JCPenney!!! I just stopped in to use my $10/$10 coupon and they are having their $1.97 blow-out clearance sale!!!

I got my 13 year old 2 pairs of pants and 7 shirts and my 4 year old 2 pairs of jeans a pair of shorts and 7 shirts...got myself a pair of linen pants, too...and I paid about $65 for all of it!!! Not everything was $1.97, but most of it was!

And then if you have a Kroger near by and some coupons...their Celestial Seasonings Tea is $1 and there are $1 coupons that came out in the newspaper recently and the same thing for Brut Deodorant, it's $1 and there are $1 coupons. I had to get a rain check on the deodorant because they were out of it, but that's all right.

I love a bargain, how about you? Wait, don't answer that...get going to JCP and Kroger :)

ttfn,
Bella
PS: Don't forget to enter to win a Wedding Photo Frame from Cute Frames By K! Good Luck!!!

Political Wordless Wednesday

It's Giveaway Time Again!!!

Isn't this a darling wedding photo frame?





Well, it can be yours!!! Yep, it's giveaway time again at Bella Casa!!!




Here's more information on this cutie patootie photo frame:






"A wedding is such a magical day and this frame captures it all. This pink glittered metal frame holds a 5 x 7 picture and it can be either hung on the wall or stand on its own. It consists of wedding bells, pink & purple rhinestones (hearts & circles), metal embellishments that say "xoxo" and "Love". It also has a wedding bouquet and his & her wedding rings. What makes this such a cute frame is that there is a, "Just Married" car zooming off w/ the bride & groom. What a unique touch. The word "KISS" is also captured on the bottom of the frame and so is a glittered saying of "magical" on the top."






To enter, just visit Kristina's Cute Frames by K's Etsy shop, Crafty Ladies, Gifts & Supplies, look around her site and then come back here and leave a comment on what your favorite item is.






To receive an extra entry, just mention this giveaway on your blog and make sure to leave a separate comment with a link to your blog post.






Another way to earn an entry is to post this giveaway on Twitter. Then again, leave a separate post with your twitter web link. Don't know what Twitter is? It's really a great tool for bloggers, a great way to network with other bloggers and get the word out about your blog...I love Twitter, I think you will, too, give it a try! You can find me there HERE.


US Residents only, please, thanks!



I will pick a winner this week...contest extended so that more of you visiting from Bloggy Carnival can enter!!! Good Luck!!!






Good Luck!!! And thanks again, Kristina for such a nice prize!!!






ttfn,

Bella

Halloween Blog Party - Living Locurto

Hi Everyone!

Boy the blog parties are in full swing, aren't they? They're so much fun though!

Today, through October 31st, Amy at Living Locurto will be hosting a Halloween Blog Party! So make sure to head on over there and add your link and check out all of the other spooktacular parties, too!

Amy is also hold a CONTEST!!! Isn't she sweet? The winners will be announced on Halloween, so good luck to all of you!!!

I had so much fun making these personalized Trick-Or-Treat buckets for my son and his preschool classmates, that I just wanted to share with you where the inspiration came from and how I made them, just click here on the how-to's...so easy and so fun!!! Give it a try!

And there are 2 more upcoming blog parties:

Today, The Inspired Room's Fall Porch Party begins and then this Friday, over at Hooked On Houses, there will be a House Tour Party!

Where's the lampshade? Might as well put it on my head now, with all of these parties I will be attending ;)

ttfn,

Bella

PS: If you want to see what other fun I have been having this Halloween season, just click below on the "Halloween Decor" tag link. Eek!!!

PPS: I wish more of you had Entrecard!!! Check it out, such a great way to meet new bloggers!!!

Whatcha Doing? Just Window Shopping At Etsy!!!

Have you ever shopped at Etsy.com? It's so much fun! And the best thing is that everything is handmade by the most creative artisans from all over the world.

I thought I would showcase a few of my blogging friends' Etsy shops.

Come, window shop with me, won't you?

A Day In The Life Of Ramona's Etsy shop:

Ramona Owens Designs

She has the cutest pin cushions and hand painted, mixed media pictures!

The Lettered Cottage's Layla Palmer's Etsy Shop:

{lettered olive}

She has blank note cards and classic signs for the home that will make the rest of your walls jealous!

Lisa Lehmann (The Bead Girl) from Studio Jewel's Etsy Shop:

Studio Jewel

She makes GORGEOUS handmade jewelry, so very chic & cosmopolitan, you will be ready for the runway when you are wearing any of her creations! Do yourself a favor and send your honey the link to her site as a hint for the upcoming holidays!

rkdsign88's Etsy Shop:

rkdsign88

She draws the cutest pictures, here just take a look, how can you resist???

The Nesting Place's Nester's Etsy Shop:

Nesting Place

And everyone knows what The Nester sells...TASSELS!!!

Wasn't that fun? I just love Etsy!

So, whatcha waiting for? Grab a hot or cold beverage and get comfy, because you are going to be window shopping for a long time!!!

Long Live Etsy!!!

ttfn,
Bella
PS: Do you have a favorite Etsy shop or do you sell on Etsy? I would love to hear all about it!!!