A year ago today, I sent my first blog post of Life at Bella Terra.  It was an intimidating moment, because I thought “who would ever want to read this?”  I don’t consider myself a very good writer and I’m really trying to improve upon that.  But your words of encouragement have brought me back to the computer to post again and again.  If it wasn’t for your kindness and support, it would have been easy to just quit.  Thank you for your loyalty and feedback and comments. Truly. From the bottom of my heart.

Each time I send out an email letting you know I’ve created a new post, I am praying you find it interesting, enlightening or even motivating.  I try to share a small piece of loveliness in hopes that I can brighten your day. As I look out into the world, I believe we each need to find sources of joy and create our own beauty.  Whether it be feeling the warmth from a freshly picked tomato, or the scent of a homegrown flower, these moments of perfection can only help feed the soul.

Blogging for me, is a chance to stop and capture a sliver of time, an exquisite photo or a recipe that bursts with flavor. Plus it is forcing me to attack those cluttered corners of the house or undone projects while showing you my progress. But I can honestly say, I am still a long way from feeling confident about creatively illustrating that to you. But I will keep trying.

So here is a look back at the year and some of my favorite photos and posts.

My very first blog post was about the New York Times Bestselling author, Rhys Bowen and the fundraising English tea we had here at Bella Terra.

And other events we happily hosted here…..

Recipes shared…..

My Renovations and Restorations….

Travel and leisure…..

Decorating and Design…

The holidays….

Cleaning, Organizing, and Updating…

Sharing our home and yard….

My attempt at art….

Flower arranging..

Our pets…

And a few DIYs….

My online store….

There is still so much to learn, especially better photography, writing and getting my watermarks the same size on every photo.  So thank you again for following me and sharing my blog with others.

PLEASE send in your comments~~What area of interest would you like for me to expand? What are your favorite topics? How often should I post (trying to do a maximum of twice per week)? What can I do to be better for you?  My goals for the next year are to do a contest or giveaway and conduct a real survey into your likes and interests.

Here’s to one year and onto the next!! I couldn’t have done it without you.

 

 

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I have always liked the look of a French Bistro Chair. I recently had all the staging furniture removed from my Willetta house restoration (see post here), primarily because it was an added expense every month. The house has such beautiful bones,  and it shows well whether it is furnished or not. I did keep the kitchen table in place, but I needed some chairs~~and thought it was a great idea (excuse!) to finally purchase some French bistro chairs.

I have been eyeing the ones at Serena & Lily but couldn’t justify spending the amount they wanted per chair (plus their handling fees). In addition, I was looking for ones I could use both indoors and out.

As a newbie blogger, as you can tell, I don’t have any advertisers or sponsors.  The good news is my blog posts are not cluttered with ads. If I am recommending a product or service, I am not receiving any compensation at all from the vendor/supplier.  I just believe when you find a good bargain or a great product, it’s worth sharing.

In my online search for this retro chair, I happened upon a GREAT price at Joss & Main.  I ordered 3 sets (6 chairs) in the grey/white. They are called Sawyer Patio Chairs. 

For 2 chairs (yes, 2!)  the price was $219.99 (approximately $110 each) with free shipping.  They come in Blue, Blue/White, Grey/White, Red/White and Yellow/White.  I believe they might be currently out of stock on all except the red/white ones.

The manufacturer is Safavieh and in searching them online, I discovered you can buy these chairs at several locations~~Hayneedle, Overstock, Wayfair and Target.  I also discovered that you can get them for less than $219.99, however, most at the lower prices had limited color selections or were out-of-stock and no longer available.

Here’s what I like about them:  The frames are aluminum which makes them lightweight; they are stackable; and the woven wicker is waterproof and weatherproof. Plus they are VERY comfortable and a bit playful.  Their dimensions are : 18″ wide x 21.6″ deep x 34.6″ high.  After the Willetta house sells, I am planning on using these chairs around a pine farm dining table which is outside on our deck at our cabin.

I ordered these chairs on June 21 and received them on June 28th.  The ordering process online was fast and easy and everything arrived in perfect condition. Perhaps with some more research I could have found these chairs elsewhere for less, but I am very happy with my experience with Joss & Main from start to finish. …worth spending a few extra dollars.

As I write this, we are currently up in the mountains.  The wind has shifted and we can now smell the smoke from the fires.  We pray for all the fire fighters who are spending their holiday weekend battling the numerous fires in Arizona.

Be safe and have a wonderful July 4th holiday.

 

 

 

 

The Willetta project is moving along and I’ve got my fingers crossed that it will be completed by March 25.  Right now, we are putting all the pieces of the puzzle back-the kitchen cabinets, countertops, appliances, tiling, final window and door trim, and final paint.

The last 5% of any renovation/restoration is the most important.  Generally that’s when your work crew is looking to their next job and may be losing interest.  It’s the last chapter that requires the most attention to detail.  Picking the right faucet, cabinet hardware, the door knobs is what I call the house’s jewelry….it’s what people notice.  Even though most of the investment is behind the walls in the form of new electricity, plumbing, HVAC, it’s the details that win over a potential new owner.

The Willetta house had many original details that we have chosen to preserve.  However, much of it was covered in layers upon layers of paint or deterioration.

These solid brass door hinges with the ball pin are very expensive to replace, if you can find them at all.  My husband accepted the task of cleaning all of the hardware from the house.  In our relationship, I’m the more organic one-never wanting to use chemicals and exhausting natural ways to accomplish tasks.

I have an old crock pot I dug out of the basement and read that you can “cook” hardware overnight to loosen the gunked up paint. Note the dents and the rust….after using this for cleaning hardware do not prepare food in it…

I added some dish soap and turned it on high and left it on the counter in the kitchen overnight. Not the best idea because the smell the next morning in the kitchen wasn’t very pleasant-a dusty, stale, old smell.  Just what you’d expect from boiling decades of old paint from hardware.

The paint was loosened up quite a bit, however, my husband thinks that soaking the hardware in the chemicals work better.  He used Klean Strip Stripper for wood, metal and masonry and Brasso Metal Polish.

At least one has choices!

All the interior doors have skeleton keys and mortise locks–of course there are no keys to be found, but the octogonal hardware is so attractive and matches the plate behind the glass door knobs.

I can’t wait to show you the finished house at Willetta~~it is such a gem and worthy of all this tedious work.  Big hugs to Scott for cleaning up the “jewelry”!