Member Interview

Introducing...

Hi all! I'm Stephanie from Bonita Bellita and I'm so glad to have some time with you! Bonita Bellita is my etsy shop, and the name comes from my belief that everyone is in their own way beautiful (bonita is beautiful in spanish) and Bellita is my daughter who's nickname is Bella, and the -ita makes it more of an endearing term. It's also a play on Bella, Italian for beautiful. My shop holds lots of little treasures to choose from. Most are hair accessories, little blooming bobby pins are my favorite, but there also are rings, the occasional necklace, brooches, and I'll be introducing earrings and some home decor soon. Everything I make comes from my home in sunny southern California.


I learned about Etsy Project Embrace around Christmas time, when another shop Lillyella (www.etsy.com/shop/lillyella) told me about a fun Christmas exchange she was doing. I took a quick peek and found it was based on good etsy shops that wanted to do a little more than just sell fabulous items; they wanted to give a helping hand back to others who were hurting, specifically from cancer. It hit me personally, because my mom was diagnosed with cancer this last year. It made me want to do something. I decided this was a good way to achieve that goal.


Out of everything in my shop, I think my favorite to share with everyone is the Golden Afternoon hairband (www.etsy.com/listing/60053425/golden-afternoon-hairband). It was just an experiment, and it turned out beautifully. It's been requested for weddings and now there will be more color options coming soon from the fantastic feedback from everyone! The color just matches so much, and it flatters everyone!

Golden Afternoon Hairband

One of the things that inspires me is also one of my possessions most dear to my heart. My wedding ring. It's not just pretty diamonds or a promise of love, it's a symbol of the support from my amazing husband. His own wedding ring and mine were custom made by his grandparents so its generations of love, not just a brand new ring (although I would just love one of those too! Since I work with my hands on a constant basis, it's nice to see a little glint of sparkle and be reminded that my other half as well as my ring's is out there, loving me too.

I also like to collect photos... well, take photos is a better way to say it. I take all the photos for my shop, but I also do photography for fun on the side. All my family events, friendly gatherings, and just in general my life are always captured on my Canon camera. I keep cds of it all, I want to keep those memories for my children one day.



I try to share a bit on my blog, but I'm not always as devoted to it as I should be. However, if you'd like to visit me atbonitabellita.blogspot.com you're more than welcome to!


The current dream is to have some stores locally consign my items over the next few years (so far there is just one dear shop that does for my baby items) and then one day, probably during that 10th year, to have a brick-and-mortar shop. There will be expanded lines of clothes and house decor, which I also want to get involved in. I don't just want to hold my own items, but also those of other artists with a similar dream. By then I also want to be in a home with a garden, more fluent in spanish.

Thank you so much for sharing Stephanie!!
xoxo