If you really knew me...

I saw this post on Sometimes Sweet, and thought I'd give it a whirl. So here goes nothing.



If you really knew me...

...you'd know I become obsessed with TV shows and love to watch them live (not TiVoed) when they first air. I sometimes get so wrapped up in their worlds that I dream I'm there with the characters. This weekend I dreamt I was hanging out with the people from the Newsroom, and we were all just at a bar chatting about their co-workers and mine. So weird.

...you'd know I'm a big time procrastinator. Why not wait til the last minute to do something? That was always my motto in school and even later in life. I did most of my papers in school the night before they were due. And when I used to write for a magazine, I did them same thing. Now if I have a deadline for a sewing project I'll usually push it out to the last minute. I always get it done, I guess I just like the pressure of the last minute stuff.

...you'd know sometimes I just don't want to sew. Sometimes I'm just burnt out, but sometimes the thought of sewing just seems like drudgery. It seems like a hassle to lug out all the stuff and cut the fabric to start making something. Though, once I actually get started on a project it doesn't seem like a big deal at all. But getting started sometimes is the worst part of all.

...you'd know that this is not where I imagined I'd be in my life at 33. Life threw me for a total loop at 30, which means now at 33, I'm nowhere where I thought I would be. I thought I'd have a family, kids and that whole deal, but apparently it wasn't meant to be for me right now. So I'm really trying to make the best of it and enjoy what I have now.

...you'd know that I don't do pink. I used to wear pink when I was younger, but now I wouldn't be caught dead in pink now. I think I went into pink overload, since my childhood bedroom had pink carpet. I had to work with that pink, since I couldn't change it, so I just got over the whole pink thing. You won't catch me in anything pink, but my brother, Richard, on the other hand loves wearing pink.

...you'd know that I was a total nerd in school. Like super smart, honors classes nerd. (Oh and I had glasses since I was 3, so I don't think that helped either). In hindsight, being a nerd was pretty good. It made college a breeze for me, and now I have tons of useless information in my brain on the off chance you wanted to know that Virginia (the state) was named after Queen Victoria, the "Virgin Queen." And sometimes I still feel like the nerd, but it's all good, cause you know nerds actually rule the world. ;)

So that's a little about me. What are some thing I would know if I really knew you?

Currently...

grey & rainy morning in paradise today

Obsessing over: Instagram! I'm one of the Android folks that finally got instagram this week and I'm loving it. The pic above was taken with Instagram this morning.

Working on: My fitness. I found an awesome trainer, through Couptessa, and I really love going to her circuit training classes. Plus, the classes are only 30 minutes, so it's done before you know it. I feel myself slowly getting stronger, and hope to be able to see some of the results on my body soon.

Thinking about: The tattoo I'm getting this weekend. I finally made my appointment and will have some new ink to show off soon. It's something small, but cute. I'm super excited, but a little scared too. I got my first and only tattoo 6 years ago, but I know this one will be great too.

Anticipating: My Vegas trip next weekend! I so need to get away. I'll be meeting up some awesome girls, a couple of my good friends from high school and some awesome new girls that I'll be meeting for the first time. If all of our emails are any indication, it's gonna be a blast!

Listening to: Pandora, the "Broadway Showtunes" station. Yes, I'm that kind of geek.

Eating: My lunch, a yummy chicken and rice bowl. It's from a new local place, Grill It. It's right around the corner from my office, so we go there a lot. But not only is it close, but the food is delicious and the staff is awesome. They are so nice and helpful there. I think it's the people that keep us coming back.

Wishing: I was at home working on my new sundress. I think I finally have the design of the dress that I want nailed down, now it's just a matter of making it. I can't wait to get started on it.

*thanks to Danielle from Sometimes Sweet for the post inspiration!

A-Z of me

I got this off of Made by Trisha's blog. This feels super old school, but I thought it would be fun to post a little about me.

A. Age: 31, turning 32 on the 29th!
B. Bed size: queen, just downgraded from a king that was just taking up too much space in my room.
C. Chore that you hate: scrubbing... though I may need to take one for the team and scrub the pool edge this weekend  

my Tiffi!

D. Dogs: 1, 15 year old mini-pekingese named Tiffi
E. Essential start to your day: a walk for Tiffi. more essential to me than her, but she won't let me wake up without bothering me to go out
F. Favourite color: right now i'm still stuck on green (lime or apple) 
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5 foot
I. Instruments you play: i took piano lessons for like 2 years. i can play mary had a little lamb 
J. Job title: Network Operations Coordinator (day job) / CFO...lol (Handmade Miami) 
K. Kids: are really cool little people. I'll get a few of my own one day :) 
L. Live: in Miami, Florida 
M. Mother's name: Ana Rosa, but she goes by Rosie 
N. Nicknames: D, Di, Dianaita 
O. Overnight hospital stays: none
P. Pet peeve: stupid people 
Q. Quote from a movie: this is the first one that came to mind, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it." -Ferris Bueller 
R. Right or left handed: right

with my little brothers, Richard & Angel

S. Siblings: two younger brothers that now look older than me 
T. Time you wake up: 6am on weekdays... 7:30-8ish on weekends
U. Underwear: apparently hipsters, since victoria's secret stopped carrying low rise bikinis 
V. Vegetable you hate: until about two years ago, vegetables and I were mortal enemies. but we've grown to love each other. still not a fan of cucumbers though 
W. What makes you run late: other people. 
X. X-Rays you've had: shoulder, teeth
Y. Yummy food that you make: anything! I always get request for my brushetta topping. And I make a yummy chicken picatta
Z. Zoo animal: giraffes. especially since they have a giraffe feeding station at Zoo Miami.

Q is for Questions

The frequently asked kind, or FAQs, as they call them. So I figured I'd give you the FAQs of designed by Diana.

Who makes all of this stuff?I do! Which is why it's called designed by Diana. It's me and my little hands that do it all. It's guaranteed that Diana made the item you are purchasing!

How did you learn to sew?I get this one a LOT. Now I don't think I actually technically even really sat down and was taught to sew. I just did it. I guess I have to chock it up to genetics and family history. I always saw grandma sewing, so I just picked it up and started. I haven't looked back since.

I love this wallet (pouch, apron etc.), can I get it in another pattern/color?Of course you can. Just message or email me with the color or pattern that you'd like and I'll be happy to make a custom one for you.
How long will my custom order take to be completed?Depending on the size and complexity of the item and the other orders that I already have, your order should take about two weeks. This time may be a bit longer around the holidays though.
I don't have PayPal, can I still order from your online store?Definitely. I also accept Money Orders. And you can also pay via credit card without having a PayPal account. Don't log in on the right hand side of the page, instead follow the insructions on the left and your credit card will be processed without the hassle of setting up an account.

I ordered an item online, how long will it take to ship?All of the items in my online store are already made and should ship in 2-4 days after your payment clears.
Those are the most frequently asked questions for designed by Diana. If you have any other questions, just let me know and I'll answer them as soon as I can.

wallets, wallets everywhere!

Well it's been a while since I've posted. I hadn't noticed how long it had been.


dbD is doing really great the last few months, our Girly D Wallets seem to be a hit! As soon as they're posted, they're gone. Look out for plenty more of those in the upcoming weeks.


I also have a show I'll be attending on August 2nd. Chelly, my brother's friend and bandmate, asked me to participate in an art show that she's hosting at Churchills! Churchills is a cool British pub in Little Haiti (I know what a weird combo--but it seems to work). There will be a lot of great artists there and I'll be posting more infor once it gets closer. Needless to say, my mini-sweatshop (which is me and my sewing machines) will be gearing up for this event.


My birthday was a few weeks ago. It was great. I went to IKEA for the first time (since the closest one is about an hour away in broward county). I LOVED IT! I didn't make it to the fabric section, but I did get a new table for my sewing machines, and am slowly re-vamping my area. It's looking really good, and it's much more organized, which makes for easier sewing. And my brother-in-law always knows a great gift for me, a JoAnn's giftcard! I haven't used it yet, but I know it won't go to waste.


I guess that's it for now, and I will make a point to post more often! It's been waaay too long.