About — Life, by Donna
I suppose Life, by Donna began long before I ever thought about creating a blog.
It began when I was a little girl, fascinated by everything that made a house feel like a home—the colors, the furniture, the little details, and the simple magic of making a space beautiful and inviting. I loved looking through my mother’s old magazines, clipping recipes that caught my eye and carefully saving them for the day I would finally make them. I’ve made quite a few over the years, although I’m still nowhere near the end of that rather ambitious collection, lol.
I’ve always been drawn to creating, too. What began with childhood arts & crafts eventually grew into a life as a multidisciplinary artist, creating jewelry, artwork, and designs from materials such as metal, clay, bones, branches, botanicals, and other natural elements. I’m also a writer and photographer, and over the years I’ve had the privilege of working as a freelance writer and photographer for national and international print publications, as well as online publications, along with offering portrait photography to local clients.
Through all of it, certain things have remained constant: writing, creating, nature photography, homemaking, cooking and baking, and simply finding beauty and meaning in everyday life.
And then there is the mysterious side of life.
I’ve always been fascinated by the paranormal, the supernatural, folklore, old stories, forgotten traditions, and all the things that exist just beyond what we can easily explain. I’m equally happy wandering through the woods with a camera, spending time with animals, creating something with my hands, baking something from an old recipe, or quietly reconnecting with myself and Nature as I am searching out ghosts in abandoned buildings or slowly cruising down country roads, waiting for something to walk out in front of my car. Life, by Donna is a little piece of all of that—
but with slightly less of the creepy side, and a little less of the witchy side.
Here, you'll find the things that make an everyday life feel beautiful, interesting, meaningful, and a little bit magical. I share recipes, homemaking and home décor ideas & inspiration, DIY creative projects, gardening, seasonal living and traditions, and the simple pleasures of slowing down and being present.
I also love discovering unusual and thoughtfully chosen things that add beauty, character, or a little enchantment to everyday life. As an affiliate marketer and content creator, I share products and finds that genuinely inspire me or that I believe are worth passing along. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. You can read more about that affiliate disclosure.
You'll find much of this woven throughout The Journal—my collection of stories, ideas, recipes, inspiration, discoveries, and little pieces of everyday life. Think of it as wandering through the pages of a personal journal, where one day I might be sharing something I've baked in my kitchen, the next might be a home decorating idea, a forgotten seasonal tradition, a creative project, or something I've discovered while wandering through nature.
My aesthetic, however, has a mind of its own.
I tend to gravitate toward the dark, moody, romantic, and old-world—gothic, witchy, a little wild, and wonderfully free-spirited. I love gothic beauty, cottagecore charm, witchy touches, candlelight, moonlight, wild gardens, beautiful old houses, and anything with a little character and soul. But I also love the light—the pretty yellow flowers, a sunlit kitchen, a table full of homemade food, a garden in summer, and a perfectly imperfect afternoon spent doing absolutely nothing.
Because I don't believe we have to choose between the two.
There is room for the romantic and the practical, the light and the dark, the beautiful and the unusual. You can love cottagecore and gothic style. You can bake Juliet Childs-inspired recipes and decorate like Morticia Addams. You can spend the morning tending your garden and the evening lighting candles and reading an old ghost story.
If that's your kind of beautiful, welcome. If it isn't...well, you've been warned. 😉
This is my little corner of the world, where beauty doesn't have to be perfect, creativity doesn't have to follow rules, and ordinary days can still hold a little magic. So, whether you've come looking for a recipe, a bit of decorating inspiration, a creative project, a seasonal idea, something unusual to add to your home, or simply a quiet place to wander for a while, I hope you'll find something here that speaks to you.
And if you're looking for the really strange stuff...
If you're more inclined toward the full-blown creepy, paranormal, and supernatural side of things, come wander over to The Haunted Path, where things go bump in the night.
And if your heart leans a little more toward folklore, witchcraft, herbs, magic, and the mysterious side of nature, you'll find BlueBellaMagic waiting beyond the veil.
But here, at Life, by Donna, we'll keep one foot firmly planted in everyday life—with the other occasionally wandering somewhere a little more magical. Welcome to my world.
Life, by Donna · Things I Love ♠
— Donna
