House of Love

The House of Love has moved.

2009-04-18T06:20:00.000-07:00

Please visit the House of Love at our new home: www.houseoflove.chebellafiori.com

Ciao!

Che Bella Interview KUSI Good Morning San Diego

2009-03-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

Breakdancing for the Pope

2009-01-28T12:29:00.001-08:00

Peanut Planet

2009-01-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Saw this on TV.
It caught my attention.

Note the music accompanying this commercial

Sound familiar?

What woman would say no?

2009-01-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

The Beautiful Ones - P Rain

If you haven't heard of Charice... You will

2009-01-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

Farewell 2008, Hellooo 2009

2009-01-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

We had our 2008 purge party last night at Fiesta Island. Everything we wanted to be rid of from last year was thrown into the fire. Let's hope that like the phoenix 2008 will rise from the ashes to be a healthy, prosperous and stellar 2009! There's more pix, just click on "Read More".

This is how the 70s got rollin'

2008-12-31T15:59:00.000-08:00

Jimi - Live at the Filmore: December 31, 1969 (Audio Track Only)

Hope you enjoy!

Christmas Morning Song

2008-12-23T12:35:00.000-08:00

Buy This Book

2008-12-13T11:06:00.001-08:00

My Sister-in-Law gave me this little book last month – The Go-Giver A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea. I must admit that I don’t read “self help” books, and it sat on my nightstand until the day before yesterday. This quarter has been so rough, that I thought what the hell, it couldn’t hurt.

Not only do I not read self help books, I don’t recommend them either. But in this case I’m going to make an exception. I strongly recommend buying this little book. In a nutshell the book offers five basic principles to practice in business to ensure success. It is told in story through a guy named Joe, an ambitious young man having trouble meeting his quarterly quotas. In desperation, he seeks out the help of a “spectacularly successful” consultant for his secret to success. In actuality Joe is seeking this consultant’s clout in order to close a huge deal, in order to meet his quota. The consultant agrees to meet with him the following week and give him daily lessons. Over the course of the next week, Joe learns these five basic principles:

The Law of Value – Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.

The Law of Compensation – Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.

The Law of Influence – You influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.

The Law of Authenticity – The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.

The Law of Receptivity – The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.

I won’t elaborate on these principles you’ll have to read the book for that, but I will share with you a couple of thoughts. First, if you’re reading this book to become a successful business person, you’re reading it for the wrong reason. These five principles are life principles. If you live your life by them, then success will naturally follow.

Second, it occurred to my as I was reading that Che Bella truly follows these principles because that’s how we live our life. At least that’s what I like to believe. After all, “A House of Love with no Limits” is our mission statement.

Third, ask George Bailey about the Go-Giver. He lived his life following the above, although he had to have an angel named Clarence make him realize it.

And lastly, as if to validate it all I received this email this morning:

“How funny, Lisa just called (finally) to let us know that she got the flowers. She spent 10 minutes talking about how beautiful and unique the flowers were. Most importantly, she spoke very highly of how special you made her feel. I must apologize for giving you the wrong hospital and applaud your amazing efforts to locate our special friend.

In an economy such as this, it’s refreshing to work with a business that is devoted to impecable customer service. I will highly recommend, as will Lisa, your flowers to anyone in the area looking to send flowers.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your beautiful flowers. Happy Holidays.

Melissa”

Pretty cool, don’t you think?

The story of Amalthea

2008-12-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

We recently received a gift from a friend of ours - a room spray called Cornucopia. In the inside of the top of the box was the etymology of the word Cornucopia. I quote verbatim "The Cornucopia (latin: Cornu Copiae) literally Horn of Plenty, and also know as the Harvest Cone, is a symbol of food and abundance dating back to the 5Th century BC.

In Greek mythology, Amalthea raised Zeus on the milk of a goat. In return Zeus gave Amalthea the goat's horn. It had the power to give to the person in possession of it whatever he or she wished for. This gave rise to the legend of the cornucopia."

La and I did not find this out until much later, but it was a serendipitous discovery. T's name came from the Unicorn in Peter S. Beagle's book - the Last Unicorn. We read that book when we were 17 years old....

Quite a few years ago.

Anyway, we were quite touched when we opened the box and read the above. It's not every day Amalthea's name comes up like that.

Oh and by the way, the day Amalthea was born, a new moon was discovered on Jupiter - the name...

Amalthea.

Human Flower Project

2008-12-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

I've added a new link to the Blogs of Note section - The Human Flower Project. It's mission: "The Human Flower Project is an international newsgroup, photo album and discussion of how people live through flowers. We report on art, medicine, society, politics, religion, and commerce. "

It's a very informative site detailing how flowers affect just about every facet of our life. Check it out!

December Floral Classes

2008-12-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun last month that we decided to have to floral classes. One for Hanukkah and the other for Christmas Centerpieces. Here's the details:

Hanukkah - Sunday December 14. Class begins @ 1:00 pm. Registration closes Monday December 8 or if we fill the 6 seats available prior to the registration deadline.

Christmas - Sunday December 21. Class begins @ 1:00 pm. Registration closes Monday December 22 or if we fill the 6 seats available prior to the registration deadline.

Prepayment of $75.00 is required to secure a seat. You can register either online or giving us a call at 619.232.3193. To register online click here. In the "Order Description" type in floral class and in the delivery date field enter the appropriate class date.

As the online ordering feature is accustomed to floral orders it will add a delivery charge and CA Sales Tax, but not to worry we'll take care of the manually so your card is charged the flat class fee of $75.00.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Our First Floral Class

2008-11-26T13:45:00.000-08:00

and it was a great success!

Here's some pics...

November Floral Class Pics

A special thanks to Chris Morrow for the pics and the video on CNN.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

A friend of ours sent this along to us yesterday and we thought we'd share it with you. We couldn't have said it any better, so click on read more and enjoy. We are all truly grateful for our family, friends, and clients. We have many angels watching over us and we'll be thinking of you all tomorrow.

Why does life throw challenges and crisis at us, like the financial crisis the world is dealing with today? Because that is the only way we will change…it is the only way we will rid ourselves of evil, bad habits, greed, ego and the wrong priorities. Its human nature wanting to stay the course…not to rock the boat, and usually the only way we will change is if we are forced into it by some outside influence…i.e. financial crisis, death, illness, catastrophe. We have to look at the challenges of today as an opportunity…as a way to reprioritize what is important.

What is happening with most people today is they are consumed by what has been taken away and not focused on being thankful for what we have and the opportunities of tomorrow. Step back for a moment…the reason things get taken away…the reason life throws us challenges and crisis is because it is the only way we will wake up and quit overlooking those things which are really most important in life…our family, our friends, our health, our spirituality, balance, etc. Challenge and crisis gets thrown at us because it is the only thing that will slap us in the face hard enough to get our attention. Think back in your life to a time of crisis…yes you may have lost something or someone…there may have been a scare in your life of some kind, but with that a door opened…a new person appeared when you looked in the mirror…usually a better person…a more thankful person…a more humble person…a more caring person…a person with better priorities.

In every crisis and in every challenge there is an opportunity…we just have to find it. But, until we let go of the pain and anger of what we have lost, and focus on all that we have which is really most important, the agony will not stop. And, once we do focus on what we have, life will be even better than it was before. This week and beyond, make a commitment EVERYDAY to give thanks and be grateful for everything and everyone you have in your life…quit being consumed by what you have lost, or the pain will not stop and we will not be able to move forward towards accomplishing greatness. If we can do this, not only will the pain stop, but life will be better and we will be more at peace than ever before.

Remember, life is about who we become and how we grow when faced with challenge, with crisis, with pain. It is what life is all about…it is when we grow…it is why we are here. Who are you becoming?

This week is Thanksgiving…be thankful and be grateful for all we have in our lives. The rest is just “stuff”. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tip for Thanksgiving

2008-11-24T09:39:00.001-08:00

New links at Blogs of Note

2008-11-20T15:08:00.000-08:00

Check out Exquisite Corpse - an online journal of Letters and Life. Founded by Andre Codrescu - you may have heard him on NPR's All things Considered. And if you have a sweet tooth visit Cake.

It's Hot! - Africa Hot

2008-11-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

Raymond Chandler on the Santa Ana's:

"There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands’ necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."

Hat Tip: Roger L. Simon - PJM

The Genuine Article

2008-11-12T21:06:00.000-08:00

The title speaks for itself.

(See YouTube link below)

Hat Tip: Amalthea

Ode to an Onion

2008-11-12T10:41:00.000-08:00

Hat Tip: Gretchen

Ode to the Onion
by Pablo Neruda

Onion,
luminous flask,
your beauty formed
petal by petal,
crystal scales expanded you
and in the secrecy of the dark earth
your belly grew round with dew.

Under the earth
the miracle
happened
and when your clumsy
green stem appeared,
and your leaves were born
like swords
in the garden,
the earth heaped up her power
showing your naked transparency,
and as the remote sea
in lifting the breasts of Aphrodite
duplicated the magnolia,
so did the earth
make you,
onion,
clear as a planet,
and destined
to shine,
constant constellation,
round rose of water,
upon
the table
of the poor.

Generously
you undo
your globe of freshness
in the fervent consummation
of the cooking pot,
and the crystal shred
in the flaming heat of the oil
is transformed into a curled golden feather.

Then, too, I will recall how fertile
is your influence on the love of the salad,
and it seem that the sky contributes
by giving you the shape of hailstones
to celebrate your chopped brightness
on the hemispheres of a tomato.
But within reach
of the hands of the common people,
sprinkled with oil,
dusted
with a bit of salt,
you kill the hunger
of the day-laborer on his hard path.

Star of the poor,
fairy godmother
wrapped
in delicate
paper, you rise from the ground
eternal, whole, pure
like an astral seed,
and when the kitchen knife
cuts you, there arises
the only tear
without sorrow.

You make us cry without hurting us.
I have praised everything that exists,
but to me, onion, you are
more beautiful than a bird
of dazzling feathers,
you are to my eyes
a heavenly globe, a platinum goblet,
an unmoving dance
of the snowy anemone

and the fragrance of the earth lives
in your crystalline nature.

I'd rather be a blind girl...

2008-11-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

...than live the rest of my life without hearing magic like this.

Quote of the Week

2008-11-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

La and I were enjoying a pleasant Sunday morning at the Piazza Natale in Little Italy when we overhead this gentleman say rather loudly into his cell phone:

"I was at church you prick!"

I guess he was talking to his brother. We almost fell out of our chairs laughing.

Che Bella's New Web Site is Up!

2008-11-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

Our new website is up today! Hooray! Many thanks to Amy at Persimmon Design for the overall look of the site, and Jane at Alternative Strategies for her outstanding web work.

Click on the title to check it out. We'd love to hear what you think.

An Historic Day

2008-11-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

Today we wake up to an historic day. The House of Love wishes to congratulate President-Elect Obama for his victory. Let us all wish him good luck, God's guidance and our support. He's going to need it.
The world was watching yesterday, so I thought I'd share with you some of the headlines.

The Telegraph

The Guardian

London Times

Le Figaro

International Herald Tribune

Der Spiegel

Corriere della Sera

Asia Times

The Australian

Did You?

2008-11-04T09:54:00.001-08:00

Having spent the last two hours in the rain waiting to cast our votes, we certainly hope you took the opportunity to make your voice heard, or are planning to get it done sometime today.

We've never seen an election where we had to wait in line, let alone two hours! But it was fun and exciting, saw a whole slew of neighbors, shivering, wet, cappucino or macchiato in hand (we after all live in Little Italy).

We'd love to hear your voting experience (not who you voted for), let us know your thoughts this historic day.

Ciao! and good on ya if you got to the polls.