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Bella Branch DIY
Lifestyle Blog for DIY Crafters and Makers
 * DIY
 * Home Decor
 * Food
 * Shop
 * About Michele
 * 
 * 

Home » About


ABOUT MICHELE BARATTA

Hi! I’m Michele Baratta…it’s so nice to meet you!  xo
I started this blog to share my passion for all things DIY with lots of content
related to home decor, styling, fashion, and more. 

I have always loved creating. I started my creative path as a fashion jewelry
designer at the age of 20 while still in college.  It was really an accident.  I
attended FIDM and then Parsons School of Design for clothing design…not jewelry
design.  During a summer break I started making sterling silver bracelets with
glass beads.  It was while I was working a summer job at a clothing store in
Malibu that everything changed. Customers kept asking about my bracelets so the
owner of the store asked if I could make some bracelets and earrings to sell.
 Within a week everything had sold out.  I made more and they sold out too.

A few weeks later a neighbor found out what I was doing and encouraged me to put
a line together and show at the LA Gift Show, which he ran.  He said he would
give me a leftover booth for $500 which was incredible considering they were
thousands of dollars.

My boyfriend Andy, who is now my husband, helped put together the booth. It was
a 4 day show.  It was a success!  I picked up my first sales rep and had orders
from more than 50 stores, including Nordstrom, Sundance Catalog, Fred Segal, J
Jill, and the list went on.  The Nordstrom order alone was a $20,000 purchase
order.  Now I had to make everything!  I turned my mom’s living room into a
manufacturing facility where I made every singe piece of jewelry myself.

Shortly after my business began my jewelry started getting some press because
the actors on the tv shows Friends and 90210 were wearing my necklaces.  For
those old enough to remember those days, my necklaces became a huge trend
because of the shows.  My business grew from only one employee, me, to 10
employees.

Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Miley Cyrus, Ellen DeGeneress, Taylor Swift,
Courtney Cox, Kathy Lee, Mila Kunis, Scarlett Johannson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese
Withersoon, Dakota Fanning to name a few all wore my jewelry. I have been
featured in dozens of TV shows like The View, ABC, NBC, CW, Rachel Ray, Oprah’s
Favorite Things. And hundreds of magazines like InStyle, People, US Weekly, WWW,
and Forbes.

Check out my jewelry at www.BellaBranch.com

Fast forward 32 years and hear I am.  My hubby and I are empty nesters and live
in San Diego. Both our kids live in Los Angeles. My daughter, Lily, graduated
college a few years ago.  She’s an actress and screen writer.  I will be filling
you in on all of the exciting stuff she does.  She and her writing partner wrote
a TV show and is filming the pilot in a few months along with a few movies in
the works.  My son, Tristan, recently graduated from the University of Southern
California.  He studied design and entrepreneurship.  He is also a working
model/actor and his biggest passion is designing clothing. Lots to share about
him too!

A few years ago, with the encouragement of my family, I started a YouTube
channel to share some of my creativity outside of jewelry design.  The channel
is all DIY and How-to’s showing you how to make projects for your home or as a
gift.

I created this blog as a journal for my DIY projects and a place to journal
about my life.  My goal is to make it a fun place for people to be inspired to
make something cool!

F.A.Q’s
Where do you live? By the beach in San Diego, California.

How would you describe your style?
Eclectic. It’s like Anthropologie and a Beach House had a baby.  That’s my
style.  A beach vibe with style.

Do you have children? 
Yes, we have two adult kids. Lily is a screenwriter and actress.  Tristan’s a
working model/actor and also has his own clothing line called STAN. Stan uses
antique found textiles from across the globe, recycling the old and making them
into modern workwear style clothes. I’m a proud mama!

Do you have any pets?
Yes! My fur babies…Lucky & Maisy.  They’re Chihuahua mixes.
A chance encounter lead me to both of them.  And a beautiful kitty named Honey. 
xoxo
We just added another puppy…he’s Golden Retriever named Ferdinand.

Are you the jewelry designer Michele Baratta?
Yep…that’s me!  I started Bella Branch by Michele Baratta way back in 1990 and
in 2010 I took a break and semi-retired. Now, I am on a new adventure with this
blog!  So glad you’re hear to follow my journey. 

What’s your YouTube Channel? 
It’s called BellaBranchTv

Can I pin your projects? 
Yes, of course! Pin away!!!

I still have a question. Can I email you?
Of course. My email address is hello@BellaBranchDIY.com

Thanks for stopping by…I hope to keep you entertained with DIY ideas!
xo, Michele


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