Coffee and the Sunday Paper!!

It is so great to wake up on Sunday, have a cup of coffee and look through the paper. It is even better to come across a picture that has something you designed in a really cool picture. In today's paper was a free Wilmington Magazine, winter 2009/2010 issue, in it was was a FABULOUS fashion layout titled 'Mad' Season, and on page 32 one of my headpieces that is located at Ziabird was in the picture. WOOHOO! The blond lady is wearing a sparkly silver flower with silver feather comb. Very cool! it is only $50. and so fun. This layout was photographed by Leslie Koehn and styled by her and Robin Hertzog. You can see more of Leslie work on her website www.glossphotographic.com and of course you can go to www.ziabird.com and see all this wonderful store offers. I just love working with all the stylist and photographer here in Wilmington, such talented and creative people. I get inspired everyday as I look through all the local publication. Who need NY, tee hee!

THANKS Leslie and as always THANKS Lynn @ Ziabird!!

New Headpieces for Ziabird!!

Finally got to drop off some great news pieces for Lynn at Ziabird. These styles are fun and colorful great for the holidays or everyday when you feel sassy! I will have some of these styles at Foutaines Holiday Open House on Dec 10th from 5-7. It will be a wonderful time to sit and visit with friends, family and expecially clients! We will have drinks, treats, and my designs, which include jewelry, headpieces and more....Please try and stop by either Ziabird in Lumina Station or you can check out the website http://www.ziabird.com/ or come and celebrate with us on Dec 10th. But of course if you cant come by, everthing is alway available by ordering via my website http://www.joannemirandadesigns.com/. Orders need to be placed by 12-15 for shipping. Enjoy the shopping season!!

THINGS HAVE BEEN SO GREAT SINCE MOVING INTO MY NEW HOME @ FOUNTAINE BRIDALS

I have been so busy getting settled into Fountaine's with Lindsay, but it has be fantastic!! We did the Bridal Expo together, and our runway models were the best! We got so much great feedback and praise, I was so happy all the hard work payed off. Since that the store has been so busy, we have met wonderful brides, and we are pleased to make them very happy. Lots of new items and services are coming to the shop, with Lindsay help, we have been creating alot of new designs, which will be great for brides, there bridesmaids, friends and more......! Our goal or you say our mission is to make each and every bride feel so special, look there best, and not to have any worries about wedding day look!! The beautiful Fountaine models are June and Jennifer, they look amazing! The gowns are by Allure Bridals and they are available at the store, and so are the accessories which are designed by JMD and also available at the store...isn't that tulle boa fantastic....come by the store and try it on!!!!

JMDesigns FOUND A NEW HOME!!!

I have wonderful news, I have moved my business from home to a beautiful bridal shop here in Wilmington! It is call Fountaine Bridals and Formals, it is located at 5101 Dunlea Court, Wilmington 910.794.9959...check out there website http://www.fountainebridals.com/ they carry a fantastic selection of bridal, bridesmaids, mothers and flowergirls, and a beautiful selection of accessories and custom stationary. The store has been know for wonderful customer service, and that is very important to me! I will be onsite to working with brides to come up with there custom designs, which I love to do. I am very excited to be in Fountaine and working closely with the store owner Lindsay to make this the BEST BRIDAL SHOP in town, to fit all your bridal needs.

Also we will be offering a great new service very soon called a Bridal Stylist, we will make you also feel like a celebrity on your wedding day....more info on that to come......So come by and see the beautiful shop and check in with me!!

Heard from Olive....HUGE SUCCESS!!!

I was so honored to make headpiece for my very good friend Olive...she is a up and coming designer! Her designs are fantastic, artistic, exciting and MORE! I have only good things to say about her as a person and a DESIGNER! her new website is http://www.olivejpage.com/ check it out!!
Yesterday she had her largest fashion show in Savannah, Ga and unfortunatly I was unable to attend, but I got to send some of my headpieces....She called last night and was soooo happy and said everyone one loved her designs and my headpieces! I enjoyed coming up with styles to go with her garments....We will be working together in the future, only good things can come of it! Best of Luck Olive! you are a true Fashionesta!!

Can be purchased at Ziabird!!

These are new designs I did for Ziabird, a fantastic new shop located in Sunny Wilmington. You can check out the store at http://www.ziabird.com/ or stop by Lumina Station and see all the beautiful designs!! Thanks Lynn for letting me a part of such a wonderful shop!!
If you are interested in these designs and can't make it to Ziabird, contact me at joannemirandadesigns@yahoo.com, or go throught my website www.joannemirandadesigns.com. If you need a different color, I can do custom designs too! Hopefully soon I will get to update my etsy shop also!!

September 11th 2001

I will always remember this day, my son was less than a month old and I was giving him a bottle and watching the Today Show. Saw it happen as everyone else did and I froze, then called my mom and asked her is this real? From that moment on, the rest of the day I was glued to the tv and called as many people I know that could have been affected. Finding out as close as my sister-in-laws brother happened to be late to work that day, thank god! He was one of the people walking over the bridges to get away from the destruction. I will always take a minute to breath and thank god for my family being safe, and hope each year the families of the people that died on this day will find it alittle easier and have less sadness. Prayers to those families!

New Feather Fancy Headpiece!

I just completed this beautiful Feather Fancy comb, it was designed for a "bride~to~be" that wanted something special for a engagement photo shoot that is coming up. Very cool!! Well I think it came out beautiful and I thought many other ladies may like one too. It can be done in many color, like white, ivory, red etc...So here is the Tifanie (proudly named after the bride) in black, with matching birdcage veil(which is separate)!!!!

The comb will cost you only $60.00 and the matching birdcage veil costs $45.00(add $7.00 for shipping/handling for my out of town ladies)

BASEBALL MOM NECKLACES!!!!!

Hey Baseball Mom's look at these great necklaces!! What a great way to where your son's or daughter's number proudly! A great friend of mine, (who by the way it the best baseball mom I know!) ask if I could design a necklace for her with her son's jersey # on it. He was on the All-Star team and she wanted to wear his number for luck! So of course I said no problem, and she sent a email out to the other mom's and within minutes she had a huge response for buying these necklaces! So I wanted to show them off, and of course I would love for other moms, (me included) to have one for the next season. So if you are interested contact me through my website, http://www.joannemirandadesigns.com/ or my email joannemirandadesigns@yahoo.com. The necklace are made with ceramic baseballs beads, and sterling silver numbers, and the cost of each is $25.00 for up to 2#'s, if you have more than one child's #, add $4.00 each.

Necklaces are also available for those Soccer, Football and Basketball Mom's, even Volleyball Mom's too!!

SEE YOU AT THE BALLPARK!!!

WOW! LOOK AT THIS!!!!

Once again I was honored to create headpieces for the Love Affair Workshop. It was hosted by Millie Holloman, Lauren Clark, Kelly Moore and Davina Fear, and it was held in Atlanta. Millie's studio manager, Amanda and I were talking before hand about doing a top hat, so this is what I came up with. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought the pictures would come out so FANTASTIC.....The beautiful model is Meggie Low Velasco, she rocked it!!!!

More pictures to come.! If you would like more info on this wonderful workshop or about these amazing photographers, check out www.loveaffairworkshop.com

photo taken by Lauren Clark
stylist was Brandi Howard

Vintage Jewelry re-do!!

A wonderful bride from Raleigh came to me and asked if I could take some of her grandma's vintage earrings and brooches and make them into fascinators for her bridesmaids. The wedding theme is a old southern style with a British twist. The bride is from the south and the groom is from England, so they wanted to have both background's represented. The British love to wear hats, fascinators with feathers to special events and occasions, and having the brides grandma's old jewelry, it brings it all together. I am also making beautiful feathers combs for the bride's mom, groom's mom and her friend. This has been a very rewarding project, I really love making something old new again!! So here is what I came up with!

What am I working on!!!

HEADBANDS!!!!!!!!!!!

FLORAL FASCINATORS!!!!!!!!!!!

FEATHERS & MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so excited I am going to put my designs in Ziabird!!

It is a beautiful new studio, owned by designer Lynn Manock, which features more than 30 U.S. designers that create jewelry, handbags, clothing, hats, and more!! So I am very honored to join this amazing group of artists! Check it out http://www.ziabird.com/ !!

I can't forget about my brides, right now I am working on a very unique order, a bride came to me with beautiful rhinestone vintage jewelry like earrings and brooches, from her grandmother, she asked if I could make fascinators for each of her bridesmaids, and special attendants.....I jump at the chance, I love taking something old and make it new again....................................

More Beautiful Brides!

Wanted to show off this beautiful picture taken by Ray Baca, of a bride that work one of my floral headpieces. Her dress was a Nicole Miller and the fabric was a metal taffata, which is hard to match, so I found these beautiful taupe silk flower that match perfect, add black feather. This bride is very creative and loved something alittle different, so this is how it all came together. Check out Ray's fantastic work on his website http://www.bacaphotography.com/

Tara Twilight Party headpiece!!

I was so excited to create something for a friend in Altanta who was having a special birthday, she was turning 30 and wanted to do it in a big way. She is a Twilight fan and designed a Twilight theme party! Here is a picture she posted on her blog this morning so I wanted to share it with all of you! Now of course I cant wait to see a picture of her wearing it, which I will be adding to my website, that was beautifully created by the birthday girl's husband, Peter Lazar owner of Lazar Webscapes. If you want to get some really cool ideas and inspirations for your own Twilight theme party check out her blog, www.tarastwilightparty.blogspot.com ....

Takin some time off!!

I am so sorry about not posting in awhile! I have taken some time off to do some renovations to my home, getting ready for a big party for my son who is making his 1st Holy Communion this Sat, and just catch up and organize. Also I have enjoyed my son's baseball, we have spent alot of time at the ballpark. The most important thing about this time is to catch up with my boys, I work so much and time just fly's by and they are growing up so fast so I have to remind myself to stop and enjoy them!

Things have been kinda slow on the wedding front, so takin some time to myself is a good thing, cause I will get regenerated. I have lots of new ideas so in the weeks ahead will give me the time to create!! I will be getting ready for some new designs, and take the time to add to my etsy shop, which I have not done a thing with , sorry :( Please keep checking back with me in the next month or two, and see some new designs!!

Twilight headpiece!!

I am working on a headpiece for a friend who is planning a "Twilight" theme 30th birthday bash!! that was a mouth full!! She is wedding/party planner and I know no detail will be left out! I am so looking forward to seeing pictures of the party! Hey Tara, hope you love your headpiece and enjoy your PARTY!!

Goin' Global!!

How excited am I to think I maybe working with a bride in Australia. I got a very nice email the other day from someone that was inquiring about a vintage style hat for her friend that was getting married. Was I suprised to see that the inquiry came form Australia, wow so far! I have worked with many people from all over the US, but not that far! I was interested on how she found me and it was done by a google search, glad to know it really works. Most of my business has been through word of mouth, and working with all the fantastic photographers as far away as Utah. So we are currently working out the details, it is a whole other world, figuring out money conversation and shipping. But I would be so honored to work with her, I hope it will come to be. Also with writing back in fourth with Ms Sheree, she may want me to design a hat for her when she goes to the Melbourne Cup, which is like us going to the Kentucky Derby, it is all about horses, fashion and HATS!!

Recycle = Cool Headbands

Last year, my friends mom gave me a bunch of furniture fabric swatches (ya know what you look at when picking out a sofa etc.) the store was going to be thrown away due to closing. It is all different fabric, some silk, linen, twill. I finally came up with something to do with it, make really cool headbands, and totes. In May I will be doing "The New Deal", and I thought these will be really neat to sell...

What do ya think??? soon to be on etsy!! I will keep you posted!!!

Headpieces are off to the photo shoot!!!

Boy I am so tired today, I stayed up really late, like 3am to get the last final touches done on the headpieces and this morning my husband shipped them off to the Southern Wedding Magazine photo shoot in Fla. I am so excited to be apart of this project, the gowns that will be worn with my headpieces will be Pricilla of Boston. You can go to http://www.iloveswmag.net/ and check out the details and watch for posting of the photo shoot that will take place the end of this week. Any of these pieces can be ordered, just go to my website www.joannemirandadesigns.com and contact me!!

Something New!

It is a beautiful morning in NC, but a little chilly. Yesterday was stormy and even some tornado touchdown, so I worked in my studio on some ideas for a photographer Jenna Henderson,(www.jhendersonstudios.com) she is doing a "Trash the Dress" with one of her brides and she wanted a birdcage and a comb with peacocks. I love peacocks feathers! The brides has beautiful red hair, and Jenna thought peacock feathers would look great against red hair. So I wanted to posted the 2 styles I made for her to pick from.....Which do you like best??? send me a comment!

The New Deal Fashion Show & Handmade Market

I just found a great fundraising event in one of our local publications "Focus on the Coast" called The New Deal. It is an event that brings local vendors to sell and give back to the community in helping DREAMS Center of Art Education (http://www.dreamswilmington.org/) The funds will help expand the program and reach out to more children and share art with them!! A great store in Downtown Wilmington, Edge of Urge's owner Jessie Williams is holding this event, and looking for vendors. So I applied by email, hope to hear back and get accepted...Besides the market there will be an Fashion Show too. So I would love to be a part of this....keep checking back to see if I get a spot!!! The event will be held on May 9th, 1:00 till after the Fashion Show which will be at & 7:00 and it will be at the The New Hanover Center, 3709 Oleander Drive(across from Independence Mall)

Tiara and rubber gloves!

Just wanted to show off a really pretty hat I made for the mom of a a special bride I just worked with. I was excited to do something in color. I got a email for the bride, she said her mom is so excited and loved it, and would not take it off. I wrote back and said "after wedding she should wear it to clean the house" When a bride buys a tiara or headpiece they really love, why can't they wear it to clean! Once a princess always a princess even with rubber gloves!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Wishing everyone the Luck of the Irish!

This day means alot to me, I think of my Nana. She came to the states from Ireland when she was only 18years. She always shared stories of Ireland. She lived with us growing up so every weekend I would hear Irish music coming from her little portable radio that barely could be tuned in, but the Irish music came in clear! I miss sharing this day with her and my whole family. I have lots of cousins in Pearl River, NY that we would celebrate with. Go to the parade and have wonderful food. Since moving to NC, I try to keep some of the same traditions, but is not the same.

Happy St Paddy's Day Nana!! I Miss You So Much!!

Valentine Bride !

Here are the pictures of my "Valentine Bride" these shots were taken by a fantastic photographer that you should check out!! Kelly Moore Photography, she is based in Ruston, Louisiana. I have been fortunate to work with Kelly by supplying her with headpiece, etc for past photo shoots. I really love her style, very modern. Her pictures look like they just fell out of a "High Fashion Magazine" I am honored to work with her....Love her! You can see her work by going to her website http://www.kellymoorephotography.com/ and you must go to her blog and see her most recent projects.

THE ONE!!

Recently I went back to being a bridal consultant with David's Bridal in Wilmington, NC. I still am working hard at building my business, but in these hard economical times extra income is good! But also I really love the one on one with brides and it is also a way of keep me in with current trends in the bridal world! I will never sway a bride from the wonderful products that Davids have to offer. My own bride are looking for something different than what they might find at Davids.

I wanted to share a story about a bride I had yesterday. She was so wonderful, it was such a pleasure to work with her and her mom. She keep saying to me "I will know the ONE", "it will be so emotional when she finds the ONE!" Well we went through many styles she of course looked so beautiful in all of them, so it was starting to get difficult to pick. She loved them all, but she didnt get that feeling of it being "THE ONE!" Well I pulled out one gown, that had some things that she like from other gowns, and her mom was looking through the catalog one last time and came across it too. I helped her get into it, and I stepped out of the fitting room first and she followed and when she first saw herself in the mirror, she started to CRY! For all the years that I have been selling dress(5yr) I have never got a reation as emotional as that one! This once again reminds me why I love what I do!!! How a bride looks on her wedding day is so special, and how lucky am I to be a part of that!

Girls in NC!

I have been busy visiting with my oldest and greatest friend Angela and her teenage daughters. We had a great time, shopping for prom dresses, we checked out UNC of Chapel Hill and UNC Pembroke, and we went to Screen Gem Studios for a tour of One Tree Hill, and even went down to Wrightsville Beach to put our feet in the cold water. It was so great to be with them, I will be very sad to bring them to the airport tomorrow! Love ya girls! And I will miss you so Much!!!