Christmas in July

I'm participating in the Etsybloggers Street Team's Christmas in July sale. I keep a Christmas section in my Etsy shop all year long, letting some of the items expire as the year goes on and bringing them back during the fall. This year I'm bringing them back early and all Christmas items are marked half the usual price so get 'em while you can!

This is your once a year chance to get my handsewn Puzzle Ball Christmas Ornaments for only $20. Every stitch made by hand, I don't use a sewing machine for these. I'm considering extending my sale through the month of August, too, since it'll take me a while to make more of my Mini-Puzzle Ball Ornaments (I sold out last year).



I also have my Pocket Mirror Christmas Ornaments which were good sellers for me last year. Some are my original designs, some made with one of a kind images recycled from vintage magazines, but any and all will be beautiful hanging on your Christmas tree.



Grab a few of my "Merry Christmas Darling" buttons to add to your packages this year or let me make some custom buttons for every member of the family!



Keep checking back because I'm planning to add something new to my Christmas section every day!


By the way...the cross-stitched log cabin wreath posted at the top of this blog entry is not for sale. It's one I did many years ago and I'm keeping it. But I am considering putting a photo of it on mugs in my Zazzle shop, so I'll let you know when that's available. Stay tuned....

My Father's Birthday

Today is my father's birthday, but he'll tell you he's not technically 80 years old until 11:37pm. At least that's what he said when I called him this afternoon to wish him a happy birthday. It would be wonderful to be with him today and hug his neck, but we live in different states now. The funny thing is he now lives in the same small Texas town where I lived for 11 years before moving to Maryland. And he's now married to one of my dear church friends (a childhood friend of his), surrounded by many other good friends of mine who are all taking very good care of him. That's a comfort to me now that I'm so far away.

We had a birthday ritual, of sorts, during my growing up years. The conversation would go something like this.

Dad: How old are you now?

Donna: I'm twelve!

Dad: Oh, oh...twelve! That's right.... Why, by the time I was your age I was fifteen already!


Is it any wonder I was never very good at Math?


Happy Birthday, Dad!

Good Report

Headed into Baltimore today for my daughter's first follow-up appointment with her surgeon and we got a good report. Everything is as it should be and tonight...she got to have mashed potatoes for dinner! She's been a good sport about the liquid diet but that really hit the spot! We still have several weeks of recovery before she's back to her old self...or should I say, her new self...but we're getting there!

Here are a couple of photos I took with my cell phone as we were driving into downtown Baltimore...a very interesting town!

Home From the Hospital

The title of this blog entry is something I felt like I'd never be able to say when we found ourselves staying at the hospital a couple of days longer than we expected after my daughter's jaw surgery last week. The surgery itself went very well, just as it should. It was the recovery process that presented most of the problem. I don't want to dwell on the negative so I won't go into a commentary on hospital red tape, which was only part of the problem. I prefer to shine a spotlight on the wonderful medical professionals we encountered during our stay.

Let me just say that I have the utmost respect for nurses. I can't say enough to thank them for all they do. I hope they realize the impact they have on our lives when we need them the most. They become part of the story of my family as we remember those difficult times and the people who somehow made it a little easier to bear.

My daughter is doing very well, recovering nicely. She's in good spirits about her liquid diet that will last for the next six weeks or so, too. We thank all our friends and family for their prayers and good thoughts and expressions of concern for her well-being.

No picture with this article...maybe someday I'll get her permission and post before and after photos!

I hope to make more regular entries to this blog now. I've missed it.

What Would Olivia Do?

I've had a lot of fun playing around with designs for fans of "Guiding Light" and adding them to my Zazzle shop. This week it was announced that the extraordinary Crystal Chappell will be moving on to "Days of Our Lives" this fall. In honor of her character on "Guiding Light", Olivia Spencer, I designed this:

My Life is a Soap Opera: Olivia Mug by donnapool
View other Otalia Mugs

Eden Riegel Charity Auction

Last fall I had the privilege of attending a luncheon for Eden Riegel (Bianca Montgomery on All My Children) along with about 30 or so other fans where we auctioned off some items autographed by Eden to benefit the Much Love Animal Rescue shelter in Los Angeles. We had so much fun with the auction that we ran out of time and decided to auction off the remaining items on eBay someday. Round One of that auction finished last week with a little over $200 as the result and Round Two has just begun.

This time, the money raised will go to support Eden's latest endeavor, a half-marathon to benefit the APLA (AIDS Project Los Angeles). Every penny of the winning bids will go to Eden's fund for this worthy cause.

Featured in this auction is a Teddy Bear I sewed by hand, signed by Eden Riegel. This is the only one that will be offered during this auction. Three of my bears were auctioned off at the luncheon last fall and I even got a couple of special orders from other luncheon attendees. What can I say, my bears are cute and cuddly and made with love! We could have offered more but my fingers can only fly so fast, so they are by definition, limited edition items. The bidding just began yesterday and already this little cutie is up to $100!

Tonight I added an additional note to the description of that listing: the bear is wearing a special one-of-a-kind button pin bearing the logo I designed for the Luncheon With Eden.

See that very special Teddy Bear and all the items currently available, just click here.

Save the Light Rally NYC 5.22.09

I've made no secret of the fact that I watch soap operas. I keep the TV on while I'm doing my artsy craftsy thing every day and my soaps keep me company while I work. A few years ago, when I was stuck in the house with a sinus infection and feeling particularly isolated, I looked around on the internet and found a way to connect with other soap fans on message boards and my life has been enriched as a result.

I now have friends all over the world, many of whom I've met in person at fan events or when they vacationed in my area. I've even made some of my teddy bears to be autographed and auctioned off for charity at a luncheon for Eden Riegel in October of last year.

So when I was contacted by organizers of a very special event, I was delighted to do what I could for the cause. Fans of Guiding Light will be joining together for a rally in New York City on May 22, 2009. The organizers of this event found me because I'd made some buttons for "Team Otalia", the fans of the love story of Olivia and Natalia on Guiding Light. These buttons had been mentioned by some soap reporters who covered a fan event at Universal Studios. It was Andrea Berry of eLife magazine who remembered those buttons and told the organizers of the rally how to find me. I put together some designs and now, you can get your buttons for the rally here.



This show has been on the air for 72 years (first radio, then TV) and was recently canceled by CBS. I just started watching this one a few months ago and was immediately hooked by some of the best writing and acting I've seen on daytime TV in years. Like millions of other fans, I am hopeful that the show can find a new home on another network.