From Assisi Farms - Name the Puppy

"Rio" named by Paige

"Cocoa" named by Audrey

"Puggles" named by Sofia

"Natalie" named by Katelyn

Che bellissima e carina. My very own Assisi Farms which is supported entirely by BellaRustica has made a donation to Labradors and Friends Name The Puppy Program. A substantial portion of every sale from BellaRustica goes to sponsor the Humane Society of the United States, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, and Labs and Friends (see Those Who Do....)

Labs and Friends regularly rescue puppies and are requesting a $25.00 donation to help name these pups. You will receive a photo of the pup you choose and will be acknowledged on their website. I encourage everyone, when giving any gifts, to make small donations such as these in the name of the person you are buying a gift for along with the gift - especially i bambini (the children) as that gift will imprint upon their hearts. I am doing so in the names of my nieces - Sofia, Paige, Audrey, Kate, and Michelle.

"Ceci" named by Michelle.

Bella Rustica Seaside Cottage

Our new home (after Thanksgiving) has three bedrooms, two baths, open beam ceilings, a working fireplace, hardwoods floors, a small sun room and french doors leading to a deck off the back. The posts on the right allow for a hammock. I will fence in the rear and side yard to secure a lovely, tree canopied area for the Labbies. Commute time is twenty minutes.

I have already created a Bella Rustica Seaside Cottage decorating notebook. This move allows me the perfect excuse to expand my style further to incorporate more linens and burlap than cottons and velvet. I've purchased several jute rugs and will experiment with more painted items incorporated with the natural woods I tend to prefer. I am having several items slipcovered and embellished with my own designs used on my pillows - Italian phrases and images.

La Isola di Santa Simone - St. Simon's Island

Our new home will be on Saint Simon's Island which is an hour north of Jacksonville, Florida and one hour South of Savannah, Georgia. Saint Simon's Island is co-located with Sea Island and next to Jeckell Island for those of you familiar with the South Georgia Coast.

Similar marsh view from the front yard of what will be Bella Rustica Cottage, Ocean Road, St. Simon's Island. The Atlantic Ocean and Dog Beach are four blocks the other way...

One of many tree lined streets for our walks.

Mappa vecchia e bellissima.

Andiammo a Georgia - Ciao ya'll!

I have accepted a position to be a lead-instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in South Coastal Georgia. I am renting my home in Coronado and renting a darling cottage on Ocean Road on Saint Simon's Island, Georgia. I will call it Bella Rustica Cottage - villino (little villa) or caseta in Italian - and am already decorating it from California. I will chronicle the trip and cottage transformation for you here.

Because I had been fostering Kenyon for only a month when this opportunity came along I decided to adopt him. When a fostering turns into an adoption you join una gruppa speziale ( a special group) - Foster Failures.

I am not required to attend classes but I have practiced the required introduction if I had to, "Hello, my name is Kim Kelly and I am a Foster Failure". I suspect I would be in good company. Scout, adopted at the South Georgia Coastal Humane Society during my last Temporary Duty at FLETC four years ago, will be going home.

If I were being entirely honest, however, I would have to admit that within the first week of fostering I had to buy Kenyon a collar as he did not come with one and was wearing an old leopard print collar from my beloved Bear, a girl, who left us last June. The day I bought the brown and green polka dot collar I also purchased two brown and pink polka dot collars for Paws and Scout.... just in case.

Cosi, andiamo a Georgia. In about a month I will begin another adventure starting with a Road Trip across the Estati Uniti with my Labbies.

Ciao ya'll