Wedding Recovery

Finally Married!!!

Yay, that stress is over.

Now, to recount the last month and a week. On Oct.19th, I was rushed to the hospital with stomach pains that had lasted for 3 days. Turns out I got appendicitus so I had to have emergency surgery just 5 days before walking down the long aisle into the rest of my life. I was unable to follow the doctors orders of rest, no straining, and no lifting until the 10 staples could be removed in 2 weeks. So I had to take one for the team as a determined bride and just took my pain pills just to get through those 2 weeks. 1 week to prepare for the wedding and the next was our honeymoon.

I was pulled aside in the airport and thoroughly searched due to my 10 staples. Thanks terrorist for making our lives ridiculous.

Many things went out the window the day of the wedding and you pretty much can't count on what people say they will do even if you are paying them...so my advice is be ready to just go on without whatever you need to and not worry about it as hard as it may be.

In the end, we had a great day and a great honeymoon and lots of memories we will laugh about in our old age.

Bliss Magazine is Out!!!

Here it is...Bliss Magazine. I'm on page 14 and 15, yay!!

Check it out at http://zoominlocal.com/the-press-of-atlantic-city/2009/09/14/#?z=83&article=535979

Website is Now Live

Great news!!! The website is now live. Check out www.DonnaElla.com

And more news....DonnaElla now has a facebook fanpage.

Getting Back on Track

After the Bridal Shower last week I found myself getting back on track for the wedding. I think I needed that little push to get psyched about it again.

I absolutely loved what I got at the shower. My mom got us new towels...yay!!! Plus I got lots of gift cards which was fun shopping for what I needed, which needless to say I went on a shopping spree the very next day.

The good thing about the gift cards is I was able to buy my wedding invitations with the gift cards I got from Walmart. How great is that! Plus Walmart's clearanced section had dove invitations for $6 for a pack of 20...yay again.

Featured in GoAC.com Lady Luck!

I am featured in this weeks Lady Luck on GoAC.com

Check it out!

http://ck-dspress.tier1servers.com/_townnews/static/ladyluck/archives/wednesday.html

Tesi Bridal Boutique Announcement

I have an annoucement to make. Many of my items are now displayed at Tesi Bridal Boutique in Ventnor, NJ. Since many of my items are one of a kind pieces I took down the listings from etsy for the items that are now for sale at Tesi Bridal. Although the feathers and many of the flowers can be ordered in a custom order the center may be different if there is no other of that exact one. Feel free to inquire about various vintage accents that can be added as I am always replenishing my inventory. These are here to give you a jumping off point for your unique one of a kind hair piece

Here are some of my pieces Tesi Bridal now has:

Bliss Magazine Photoshoot

Just completed the photoshoot with Bliss Magazine. I can't wait to see how it turns out. 3 of my looks will be featured: the Candy Veil in a deep red with swarovski crystals, Jacqueline feather flower fascinator with vintage accent, and a white ranunculus flower with a rhinestone center. I am super excited...can't you tell. I believe it will be out on September 21st and of course I will post lots of pictures:)

New Items, New Pictures, New Look

I've been a busy bee working on the new look for the DonnaElla Shop. Plus I've added a few more new items worth a look as well. I hope you enjoy it. Check it out!

http://www.donnaella.etsy.com

Check out my other blog!

If you like DonnaElla's attitude, you'll love my new blog which fits me to a tee! Ask any one of my friends or family what I say on a daily basis and they will say, "I'm gonna write a letter."
This brings me to my new blog called I'm Gonna Write A Letter, a blog about my rants, raves, rambles, and reviews. www.imgonnawritealetter.blogspot.com

And the Winner is...

Today I put 119 names in a box, gave it a shake, and my daughter pulled out a name.

Louise, who is getting married on October 11th, 2009, was that name.

Congratulations Louise!

Thanks again!

A big thanks for all the brides and 1 groom for stopping by my blog and entering the contest.

I appreciate all the inspiring praise from everyone and I wish you the best of luck with your wedding planning.

www.donnaella.etsy.com

CaNdY Veils

They're elegant!
They're fashionable!
They're available only thru DonnaElla!

These beautiful new veils are called Candy Veils and come in a variety of vibrant colors, 32 flavors to be exact. Now your birdcage veil can match your wedding colors or even your dress, as more and more brides have been wearing dresses with a little color to them.

I even like the idea of full color coverage veils for the bridesmaids.

Plus you can even get metallic colors as well such as gold and silver. Here is a list of the 32 colors to choose from.

***Metallics***
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Metallic Green
Metallic Pink
Metallic Teal
Metallic Blue
Metallic Purple

***Candy Colors***
Lapis Purple
Fuschia
Candy Pink
Berry Sangria
Cotton Candy
Wisteria
Navy
Marine
Aqua
Brilliant Purple
Burgundy
Chocolate
Peach
Coral
Orange
Lemon
Lime
Green Apple
Sea Foam
Fern Green
Dark Green
Red Apple
Grey
Black

100 Entries and Counting

WOW!!! I am so excited to have all these wonderful brides enter into the Birdcage Veil Giveaway. There is still 20 days to go to enter into the contest, so if you haven't go ahead and do that now.
Thank you all for your wonderful compliments and the best of luck.
Here's a couple more veils to add to your palette.

The first one is the full head birdcage veil that comes adjustable so you may get the desired size, style, and effect that is right for you. This particular one has been hand dyed to a tea-stained color. Many dresses are more of a tint of brown where as ivory is more of a tint of yellow, therefore an ivory veil may not look as good with that color dress....so......I came up with the solution. So far, it has received excellent reviews. This color can be applied to any of the veils I make.

The second picture is of a traditional birdcage veil
that attaches at the front or top of the crown and
falls elegantly over the face.

BIRDCAGE VEIL -- GIVEAWAY!!

Post a comment to sign up for the Birdcage Veil Giveaway. Drawing will be held on July 24th. You must include your name, wedding date, and where you heard about the offer.
The veil will be a custom order designed just for you in the style and color you would like for your wedding day. Limit one entry per person.

Making Progress: Flower Girl Dress

I got my dress from David's Bridal and I bought what was as close to my dress as I could find for my daughter. Unforetunately, it was not 100% what I wanted and the pick-ups on the dress made her look like she was wearing a mushroom cloud. My dress has beautiful pick-ups with pearls and beads at each point so I wanted her's to at least have pick-ups like mine.

I added pearls from my dress extras that they included with my dress as the "just in case it's needed" ziploc. I had to order her dress larger than she is since she is not a toothpick and trimmed off a substantial amount so she could possibly walk in it.

Without further adieu...

Here is before



And Here is my daughter with the alterations...I still have to shorten the straps but you get the idea.

Another Great Deal

I found some more clearanced items and it kind of inspired me for the wedding some more...so I ended up deciding on making CD's for everyone of "Our" songs. We really do have way more than one song in our relationship. We always have been very into music and dancing so it is really fitting for the wedding. I found these cute little box sets of Wedding CD labels, sleeves, and stickers for that finished look and I just couldn't help but to buy them at $5 for 25. I never pass up a deal, lol:) Plus I can't wait to start working on them. I have alot to do in 4 months....tick tock, tick tock, is getting louder every day. YIKES

New Style Veil

I really like this one. Black Masque...not just for weddings.

Pre-Wedding Panic

I got my corset bra thingy and the thing to make my dress go poof...but I still don't know what it's called, lol. I am realizing that I am coming up on the 4 month mark and I have so much to do still that I am starting to panic a bit. I am a list maker by nature so I guess I will have to start making a list to feel better although I may feel more overwhelmed. So much to do and don't know where to start.

Bridal Wrist Cuffs

While I was clipping some birdcage netting one day, a small piece fell off and landed on my wrist and I thought to myself how cute it would be instead of wearing gloves that cover your ring finger to have a small piece of veiling with maybe a touch of punk.

So if anyone reads this and would like to add an opinion of yay or nah, feel free. I really enjoy the offbeat and those that stray from the norm. It gives me a chance to be creative and possibly come up with something that maybe, just maybe, somebody else hasn't.

I will probably be making more of these cuffs and maybe some not so bridal and maybe just fun since I really do enjoy that style.

What a Sale!

If you have a walmart by you and you want to save some money on wedding items, check out their wedding section. Our Walmart just marked down a bunch of stuff on clearance. I found a signing photo mat for like $3, 100 thank you cards for $6, a dove wreath for $3, and some dove stickers for $1.50.
I did some shopping through annsbridalbargains.com which had some good clearance as well. I picked up some dove printable wedding programs for $5 for 25.

New Birdcage Veil

I just posted a new birdcage veil named Chloe. She was inspired through a custom order request. Chloe is available for just $20 and is attached to a clear hair comb. A metal hair comb is available for an additional $2.

Finished the Birdcage

I just finished painting the birdcage for my wedding. It's really funny how I acquired such a thing. If you have read my blogs then you will see I went to a penny party some time ago and not only did I win the George Forman Grill but also this birdcage. When I got the birdcage though it was not painted in desirable colors for a wedding. It was pasteled all over from green to yellow to pink and blue. It looked like an easter egg. Well here it is now in white and purple, which are the colors of the wedding of course. Plus I added a glitter paint overtop the purple to give it a starlight effect. I have some faux doves to put in the center when I find a dow the right size for it. The theme of the wedding is doves which stems from one of our first dates.

When we had first got together we were taking a walk outside my house and two doves came by and perched on the edge of the swimming pool right next to us and then we had our first kiss. It was kind of a sign for us and it actually has continued that way throughout our relationship to the point where when I found out I was pregnant we saw to doves with a baby dove. I know that sounds really weird but hey that's my life, lol. Actually, we are going to get matching dove tattoos as well. I can't wait.

Muse Blessed

I was feeling inspired yesterday and just started creating some new items including this feathered tri-leaf design and I absolutely love the new birdcage veil with the little blue flowers. That turned out beautiful. It almost looks like a head wreath of flowers.

My Latest and Greatest

Bustle, Bustle, who's got the Bustle

I looked it up on ebay...I looked it up on etsy. I still don't know what a bustle really is. I was told I need one from the "experts" at David's Bridal. I brang my dress home and they didn't even offer to show me a bustle or to try it on with my dress. They just talked amongst themselves about how I need a bustle. Now I am home wondering what in the devil is a bustle. Ebay had something that looked like one of those neck pillows. Etsy had bustles that looked like stripper's lingerie. I still don't know what I am talking about and if that is really what I need or is it something else entirely that would work better. My dress needs something definitely since it needs to poof. I have "pick-ups"...it's actually more of a pinch really all over the bottom portion of my dress, like cinderella. It doesn't pop-up quite like Alice in Wonderland's dress did when falling down the rabbit hole. I think I may need a bustle....help!

Reception Concerns

For our wedding, we are booking the J.Thompson Baker House which is a beautiful old victorian house in Wildwood, NJ. I think it is absolutely beautiful but we are the first ones to ever rent it for a wedding, apparently, even though they have advertised for it at the Bridal Show in Wildwood. So I find myself with the unfortunate circumstance of being their trial and error person. The person I have been commuticating with doesn't seem to know much and can't make decisions without discussing everything I say to the whole Civic Club. She is a nice lady but I don't think she understands how urgent this is for me. I need to plan everything right now and until she gets back to me with more information I am at a stalemate. I need numbers....numbers of the sizes of the tables, number of tables, and overall how much I got to work with so I can start buying the necessary stuff before it becomes a rush job. I want to pay her and get it done and over with as well. I guess you could say I am a planner and like things taken care of early. I'm just rambling...lol.

Newest Creations

I have been dabbling with the pillbox hat look lately which I do like how it turned out. I am debating about making more and I'm starting to wish I had some black netting, lol. I was pretty productive yesterday and completed a few projects along with starting some new ones.

New Hair Color

Alright, here it is my new hair color. Well, what does everyone think???

Trying Out Some Color/6 months to go

I'm trying out some new colors for my hair in preparation for the upcoming wedding and to cover a white hair or too, lol:) I will post a new picture of my new color is done developing. It says medium auburn but it is more of a bright red to me on the box. My natural color is a copper red. Which is darker in winter and I get some blonde highlights in the summer. I only got 6 months before the wedding and I am running out of time quickly. I still have alot to do and I really don't want to be worrying about my hair so...let's get started with the hair preparation. I have tried Feria recently...I'm trying to remember what number it was. I did like it but I want to see all my options and obviously it didn't last too long since that was only maybe 2 months ago. Ok, my hair is almost done so...to be continued.

Some Interesting Facts Everyone Should Know

Things you Should Know and Consider :

Did you know that it takes

2 to 5 months for paper to decompose
6 months for orange peels
5 Years for milk cartons
10 to 12 years for cigarettes
10 to 20 years for plastic bags
24 to 40 years for leather shoes
50 to 80 years for plastic containers
75 years for disposable diapers
100 years for tin cans
200 to 500 years for aluminum cans
never for styrofoam

Just something to think about.

Doo Dah

So I went to the Doo Dah Parade today with the fam in Ocean City. It's the second year in a row that I went. It is really interesting and unusual...and if you have been keeping up with my blogs you can tell that I like the strange and unusual. It includes things such as the only windchime band and over 500 bassett hounds. It doesn't get much more unusual than that, lol. We all had fun and it was a day away from the house which gave my brain a chance to relax enough to come up with a few mused ideas that need to be put into formation. I am of course in the process of...and will post some more as it comes to fruition...I hope that was spelled correctly. Well i am off to shower then bed.

Does Displaying your product on your banner matter?

I am pondering this question while having a drink so forgive me if I don't make much sense. I entered into the etsy critique class/forum and someone said that my banner didn't display my items properly. I'm not sure if I agree with that. It is supposed to bring my items to a more personal level because after all it is my eyes reworked in photobucket and ink stamp. Sure it isn't full of feathers but it is who I am and my items hopefully reflect who I am as an artistan. What do you think as the reader, the consumer, and the observer??????

My Handmade Registry

I am honored to have made front page of myhandmaderegistry.com
This is a really great idea for a website. Check it out!

The Etsy-static Emotion

What is The Esty-static Emotion? It is that feeling you get when you see people checking out your items, marking your items as favorites, posting them in their very special treasuries, and talking about you on blogs. What a feeling! I look forward to every night at midnight checking to see how many people looked at my items today. I was recently added to a treasury and my item was a feature of a blog on bhuz.com. Yes, I actually shed a tear of enjoyment. What a great feeling to make something that people look for, that people recommend, and that people will one day wear and be so happy to receive. Handmade items are wonderful that way. The Etsy-static movement is bringing people so much happiness. Yes, they are making money but more importantly the person purchasing it is connecting with the creator on a whole other level. You purchase something and await for it in the mail with great anticipation. The person you buy it off of becomes happy from someone liking their creation. The buyer receives it and wears or uses the item probably and knows where the energy came from...not just from some warehouse of mass produced items. Some items can be customed made just for you. How wonderful you feel....Etsy-static!

Russian and French Veils

The new old way of accessorizing your wedding gown is with a french or russian veil. As vintage does make its way back around I have begun creating my new line of birdcage veils which go beautifully with the fascinators I already make. I like the old style and the way it frames the face instead of the classic veil which makes you look like your hiding under a sheet or curtain. It is definitely more flattering. Flowers and feathers make fabulous accents to the netting and can add a dash of color or sparkle which can work great with a plain dress and save you lots of money on the wedding budget.

All That Sparkles

My latest creations have seem to pick up some interest with etsy shoppers. I have been making more sparkly creations. I am like a parrot that way; I just love things that sparkle, shine, glimmer, and gleam. I have made the Etsy Treasury recently which is boosting my ego slightly. I have lots planned for this week so I probably won't get to create everything I want to, but it will be worth it. Going to dye eggs with the kids tomorrow and then Easter we will be going to the Boardwalk and hopefully monday or tuesday will involve a tour of the reception spot. I'm pretty excited about this week actually. The break from the feathers and gems will do me good though and I am hoping it will spark some new creativity. Have a great Easter everyone!

Dabbling in Black and Red

Today while shopping for supplies, I decided I was going to start making some Goth style hair fascinators. Goth has always had a special place in my black little heart ever since I was 12 years old. This was kind of a phase I never grew out of and it never gets old. I still dress mostly in black. Although I like Gothic fashion I still subscribe to lots of traditional ways. So I started today out by making a Gothic feather fascinator with red and black. Great complimenting colors that make it almost look traditional victorian. I love it. Sometimes it's just easier to go with the flow of your creativity then to fight it. I should go to bed now and make more tomorrow refreshed.

Flashing Lights

I am having issues with my pictures I am using on Etsy. If I use the flash it whites out most of the item and if I don't my products live in the shadows. I'm not reaching people like I would want to and I wonder if this is the problem. Some of these beautiful handmade items are just not coming acrossed in the pictures and no one will get to see them the way I do that way. Is it my camera?

Made it to the Etsy Treasury

Yay!!! One of my Wedding Hair Fascinators made it to the Etsy Treasury. I'm so excited about this. I hope this will bring some viewers to my items. I wonder sometimes if my items are reaching the viewers or if anyone ever reads my blog.

How I got my wedding dress

First let me say that it is very important for any bride attempting a budget to go to as many bridal shows as possible. This will give you so much information on what is available, huge discounts, and haggling power that you may have never had before. If you have an opportunity to go to a huge bridal fair consider doing it.

The tale of my wedding dress starts about a week and a half ago where I along with my maid of honor had an opportunity to go up to David's Bridal which is a good hour drive from my house unforetunately. We got up their and was greeted by a snobby woman who proceeded to ask why I waited so late in picking out a dress. 7 months to me is still quite a long time before the wedding, I think and I couldn't believe the way this woman was talking to me. So she asked me what I wanted in a dress and colors I liked and I had an idea already of what I wanted my dress to look like. I wanted gathered pick-ups with a train, sleeveless, and with beautiful beading. She showed me a small handful of dresses that I didn't really care for the style of and said "well, try them on for me so I can see how they look". So I went to the dressing room and tried on these dresses only to find out what I already knew....that I didn't like them. The sales woman tried to talk me into one of the dresses by telling me how nice it looked on me and how I would otherwise have to order out of the catalog and pay for it before I could get to try it on and if it didn't fit I would not get my money back. Wow...customer service has come a long way since I last purchased something. I started to think maybe I would be better off buying the dress I knew fit me and looked pretty good on me. This dress had pick-ups but not the way I wanted and a halter top. Other than that it was plain and had no beading or train. This was $399 which was the best thing about the dress. I had put my budget for the dress at about $700 and was not trying to go over it. My maid of honor thought that I looked good in the dress and took some pictures with her phone while I had tried it on. I left the store feeling like I should settle on this gown because it looked good on me and it had a good price but otherwise I was very sad that they didn't have a dress for me and was not willing to work with me.

Then there was a bridal fair at the Wildwood Convention Center on Saturday which I went to with my mom and I ran into none other than David's Bridal. The sales woman began to ask me if I would make an appointment with one of her consultants to try on wedding dresses and told me I would receive a $50 gift card if I did. I told her I had just been there and couldn't find what I was looking for and she assured me that they get new dresses in all the time and that maybe something else would be there when I went in. So she made an appointment for tuesday and handed me the gift card. I figured at the least if I get the $399 dress I will save $50 so it sounded like a good idea but some how I still felt sad. It just wasn't "the dress". I was considering not going to the appointment but I did end up making the hour drive and when I got there I was greeted by a different consultant who went through the usual set of questions. I this time was trying to keep a more open mind on different styles of dresses that I was hoping would give me more options than the plain trainless halter that I was considering. I tried on the dresses with my 3 year old on looking and found a dress that was a bit more my speed with beading and a train. The price tag was $849 I believe but they were having a sale which the woman last week never told me about which would get me a $100 off plus I could use my gift card so the price was looking a little better. I think the sales lady realized price was a factor at this point. I was walking around the store trying to convince myself to pick one of these dresses and I thought about my first wedding. How I settled on the first wedding dress I tried on which was second hand at a thrift store for $250. I didn't like the dress really but it fit well and I was getting married because I was pregnant. I settled on the man and I settled on the dress and i didn't want this marriage to be like that. I told the consultant that and I explained again the style of dress that I had in my head from reviewing all the magazines and websites months before. She then looked at me like a light bulb just went off above her head. She went over to the rack and pulled off a size 6 dress and showed me. It was the dress...no where near my size but it was the dress. She told me it was on clearance because it was last year's model and it wasn't something they could order. I sulked and she walked away for awhile. She came back and said prepare to be happy. She explained that there was another store that has the same dress in my size and the original price was $899 and it was marked down to $799 which she went to her manager and asked if they could do better with the price and she said yes if I am going to buy it they would knock it down another $400 since it was last year's style and on top of that I was able to still use my $50 gift card. WOW!! Now that is customer service. So needless to say I teared up said yes and walked away a happy girl. The very next day they called me to come pick up my dress, the dress, and it was only $349.
....and it fit perfectly, ever after:)

New to Blogging and About me

Okay, so I'm new to blogging and the most anyone has ever known about me is my myspace page I suppose. I wonder if anyone reads this or not and would love to hear from anyone who is...out of curiousity, lol.

About me: My name is Donna and I am 30 years old and I live with my fiance, Benny;my son Brandon from my first marriage; and my daughter Gwendolyn Paige...we call her Paige (she's 3).

I recently lost my job of 10 years at Home Depot bookkeeping and I have been enjoying the life I never had with my children. I always wanted to be that mom that wasn't too tired to take my kids to the park, zoo, chuck.e.cheese, etc., who has time to go for a walk, color with their kids, and just get to show them life first hand. To really have the time to teach your children what you know about plants is far more rewarding than sending them to school and having no clue what they learned and when you ask how their day was they reply "fine" and when you ask what they learned they reply "nothing". So....yes, I am enjoying being unemployed as scary as it is and how bad of timing it may pose. We have planned our wedding before the loss of my job and I can't see canceling everything and losing all that money so I intend to have the wedding of my dreams with the man of my dreams on October 24th, 2009. I will just have to keep a strict budget and haggle prices the best I can.

Anyway, getting away from who and why I am here. I have seen that many etsy sellers have blogs and in the spirit of keeping the handmade universe personal, which I am all for. I like history and would prefer to live in a place where things are made by hand. I love the idea of crafters making things I use, wear, etc. and I enjoy knowing where the items came from and what kind of energy that person has about themselves.

I am a spiritual earth-based person as you may see and I love many types of art forms. My love for fashion and my upcoming wedding has spawned my line of fascinators and miniVEILs. I hope to be able to stay home with my children and maintain an income to be able to live. I hope people enjoy my items as much as I enjoy making them. It really fulfills my need to be creative in my work and I would really be able to see myself being happy with this.

So...may DonnaElla.etsy.com do well:)