Discover Me Wednesday

This week's edition of Discover me Wednesday is very special to my heart. I am featuring my best friend Dorana.

Dorana and I met many years ago and I will never say it was chance that brought us together. I don't believe in chance.  I was a Partylite consultant at the time and went into Staples to make some copies. Dorana was there as well and we started talking at the register. After a brief conversation about candles and Partylite I left her with a catalog and we both said goodbye. I walked out of the store. Once outside I remembered something I had recently learned in a training. The teacher said..."never walk away without getting the other persons information", so I took a deep breath, walked back in the store and asked Dorana if I could have her phone number to follow up with her. She gladly gave it to me and encouraged me to give her a ring.

That day God brought Dorana and I together. Through the years there are days, weeks and sometimes months where Dorana and I don't speak regularly (we are both extremely busy women), but when we do get together it is like no time has passed at all and we laugh, cry, and love like we were never out of each others company for even a day. I recently found a quote on a blog whose name I can't recall at the moment and it reminded me so much of Dorana that I wrote it down. It is this " What a gift it is to stand in the light of an old friends gaze and feel the wonder of stopping, even reversing time - for at least a few days. A stopped clock presents us with time to remember - time to know that who we were, remains who we are." That is how I feel when Dorana and I are afforded the luxury of spending time together. Like time has stopped and each moment lasts for an eternity.

Dorana is my crying shoulder, my nursemaid : ) , my confidant, my inspiration, my sister, my opposite and my equal. She drives me crazy and grounds me all at the same time! We have been a lot to each other and I ponder what our future looks like all the time. Along the road of our relationship, Partylite went by the wayside and I started with a new direct sales company that had me going to peoples homes and teaching them how to make their own jewelry with gemstones and sterling silver components. Naturally Dorana; ever the artist; was intrigued by this concept of making your own jewelry and joined the company to support me. But Doranas journey went a different way than mine and she began to create some of the most intricate, and beautiful designs I had ever seen. It was not long before she found ETSY and started her own shop where she could sell her handcrafted jewelry. Not only did she open her shop "A Dorana Design" but she also started a Forum on ETSY called More Meaningful Gifts which is a Buy and Replace Thread where ETSY artists support one another through sales and encouragement. One of the many ways that Dorana and I are alike is that she is a little ADD when it comes to crafting. She is constantly thinking of new designs, ideas, ways of doing things. In January of 2009 Dorana opened her second ETSY shop called "ddots". This unique shop sells greeting cards and gift tags that are all hand-dotted with hammer and special tools. They ARE NOT done by a hole punch!  I have been in Doranas art room at her home and I can attest to how much work goes into just one of these beautiful cards. You really need to check out her shop to see all of the choices and keep in mind that Dorana also does custom work as well if you are looking for something personal. This driven woman did not just stop at two ETSY shops and a thread that she maintains in the ETSY forums; NO! She went on to create her own website called My Handmade Registry. This fantastic site is original and innovative. It is not just another networking site for crafters, it is a place that connects buyers of handmade gifts to sellers of handmade gifts. Anyone can go on this Handmade Registry - a place where everyone can create a personal page with a list of their favorite items from only HANDMADE RETAILERS! It is really an incredible website and you should take a moment to check it out and create your own registry page! 

 
Dorana is not only an artist, but she can write the most eloquent Blog posts. Her Blog Siempre - Dorana, will make you laugh out loud, run for a box of tissues, and have you watching patiently for the next Blog post. She writes in a way that is so vivid you can almost see exactly what she is trying to convey in words in your head. I promise you will not regret going to her blog and taking the time to read her posts.  

I remember when Dorana first discovered ETSY she told me that someday she wanted to have an all handmade wedding and then have it featured on ETSY. This was a dream that she just recently turned into a reality when she wed her wonderful husband Todd this past December. On December 26th 2009 among only their closest friends and family Dorana and Todd got married in their beautiful home in Mendham, NJ. The entire wedding was handmade. The dress, The cake toppers, The flowers, everything was found on ETSY. On July 19th 2010, Doranas handmade wedding was featured on ETSY. In an article titled "Handmade Weddings - A Simple Fairytale" Dorana describes her dream of a handmade wedding and shares photos of the items she used as well as links to all the artists shops who participated in this beautiful day. Her next goal...to have a Handmade Baby shower!  

It has been my honor to share this incredible woman with you. I hope you have enjoyed the photos of Doranas work, as well as hearing her story. Please visit her website, shops, Blog and thread on ETSY and let her know you heard about her here at Heathers Meadow.