I can hardly believe it, but today marks one year since I first published my first post on this lovely little blog of mine. This post is my 97th. Who knew I would think of something to say 97 times!! I have had such a fun time this year writing posts, tracking my projects, and best of all, meeting so many friends in this on-line quilting community.
I read a lot of blogs. From food, vintage collecting and thrifting, finance information and investing, to humor and parenting (which should go hand in hand, in my opinion!) there are blogs about anything and everything. However, the quilting community of bloggers is unique. This community is caring, respectful, and supportive. Honestly, this is a great group of people. There are all levels of quilters in the blog world – some are experts with endless talent, many are beginners and everyone has a common love of cutting fabric into bits and creating something from it. The philanthropic and caring nature of this group impresses me no end. I have seen so many situations where another quilter is experiencing a hardship and is immediately supported by quilters as a group. Conversely, when there is reason to celebrate, this community is right there cheering you on.
I am grateful for all that I learned this year. It was nervewracking to publish my first post. I was not at all sure anyone would want to read what I had written. I remember thinking, well, I would have at least six readers (my five sisters and my parents!) Here it is one year later and I have nearly 100 followers. Thank you.
Gratitude also goes to my son, Andrew. He set up this self-hosted blog, does the updates and other miscellaneous tasks needed to keep it running. When I come with questions, can I do this, how do I do that, he is so patient with his explanations. Better yet, he often just makes the changes I want. Take a look at those gorgeous social media buttons on the upper right side of the page. Yep, thank you Andrew!
I am truly grateful for this community. Getting involved with other bloggers has enabled me to improve my quilting skills. The tutorials that are so generously provided and painstakingly written are such a great source of learning material (hah – pun intended!) Just this year, using tutorials, I learned to use a Hera marker for quilting, found cleaner methods for binding my quilts, learned to look at color values when deciding which fabrics to use in a project, and free motion quilting – oh, how thankful I am for the endless posts on FMQ! The many link parties that are hosted each week have provided me with exposure so that readers could find my little blog as well as allowed me to find other blogs that I may never have stumbled across.
It has been a blast and I look forward to my second year! In celebration of this milestone, I wanted to do something special. I considered a giveaway of some sort of fabric but it didn’t seem right. Really, don’t we have enough fabric? Aren’t our shelves bursting with it? Be honest now. 🙂 Instead, let’s celebrate in the giving way that our community is known for. I would like to make a donation to your favorite non-profit. Leave me a comment with a link to your favorite charity. Maybe add one or two lines about the charity. (Who knows, maybe others reading the comments will be intrigued by your charity and get involved.) I will pick one lucky winner and donate $25.00 (USD) to your charity. I am looking forward to reading about the organizations that are near and dear to your heart. This type of giveaway also allows me to include international readers. Previously, I have always included only USA readers in my giveaways because the shipping costs are so expensive. But this giveaway is open to anyone! Just give me the link to contact your non-profit. This giveaway is open until Monday, June 8, 2015. I will announce the winner on Tuesday the 9th. I hope everyone will enter so that your charity has a chance for a donation.
UPDATE: The donation to your favorite charity has just been matched by my sister Patti! She is celebrating my one year blogaversary with me and wants to double the donation. Yay!! This means that $50.00 will be donated to the charity of one lucky winner. Isn’t she the best? See her comment offering to make this match. Thank you Patti!!!
I hope you all know that I am thankful for your readership and even more thankful for your friendship.
Linking to Thankful Thursday at Quilting Jetgirl and Lorna at Let’s Bee Social.
I personally love Operation Smile and get excited to be able to donate to them each year. What a lovely gesture, and congratulations on your anniversary!
Happy Blogaversary Bernie! I’m happy I recently discovered your blog and have enjoyed reading about your life and family. I think your giveaway is the best one I’ve seen on any blog! Kudos to you. 🙂
My favorite charity is for our four-legged friends – the Montgomery County Animal Shelter in Conroe, TX: http://www.mcaspets.org/
We first became acquainted with them when adopted a very shy older dog from them many years ago. She died of old age after we moved to Oklahoma. We also adopted Buddy, our “baby”, from a dog rescue in Oklahoma, so we are firm believers in pet rescue and adoption. We are back in Texas, and when we are ready for another dog or cat, we will head to MCAS.
MCAS has a presence on Facebook and posts daily, featuring photos and videos of pets for adoption. You really want to adopt every single cat or dog they have!
Thanks for hosting this giveaway – we are all winners of this kind of giveaway. 🙂
Congrats! I look forward to getting to know you on the New Bloggers Hop.
My favorite charity is the Children’s Hospital of GA. (http://www.grhealth.org/childrens-hospital-of-georgia/childrens-hospital-of-georgia-home) It was known as MCG Children’s Hospital when my son was cared for in NICCU 22 years ago. He’s a miracle baby, or man now, and though his doctor could only give the credit to God, I still am thankful that they were his willing instruments!
Love your giveaway!
Hi, Bernie. Just discovered you through the 2015 new bloggers hop. Congratulations on your anniversary! What an awesome idea for a giveaway. I am involved with Girl Guides of Canada. If I happen to be the lucky winner, Girl Scouts of America would work just as well.
Happy Blogaversary!!! I love this idea for a giveaway! I don’t have a particular charity to recommend, so you don’t have to include me in the giveaway.
Congratulations on your anniversary Bernie! You have a wonderful blog and I hope it continues for a long time. I agree that the online quilting community is terrific. Your giveaway idea is wonderful! What a great idea! One of our favorite charities is the Waukesha Food Pantry, so how about a contribution to your local food pantry/program? These places usually survive entirely on donations and they feed hundreds of people every week for free. And ours takes all who come in–no paperwork, no proof, no questions, just some good food. They also take your leftover garden produce and distribute it, so if you get too many tomatoes or zucchini, there’s a place for it!
Congratulations again, and happy sewing!
Happy blogiversary Bernie! What a unique giveaway. My favorite charity is Ronald McDonald House in London. My youngest son and his wife have had to spend time there on 2 separate occasions. First when my granddaughter was 6 weeks old she had two emergency surgeries within 4 weeks and then this past October she had two more emergency surgeries. What a blessing Ronald McDonald house was to them both times, a safe haven for her parents.
Happy Blogiversary!! I had no idea when I started reading your blog late last summer that you were so new to blogging. I thought you were a seasoned blogger at the time, and I learned a lot from how you wrote and shared your quilting (and personal) life. My favorite charity right now (for quilts) is Margaret’s Hope Chest. And my favorite program to donate quilts to is their A Mother’s Hope program, which provides quilts for mothers who are working through postpartum depression at a mental health center. It’s a neat day program which includes both mothers and babies. But the quilts are specifically for the mothers. I’m sure they would appreciate monetary support–or even some fabric. They have a website, but it might be best to contact them through Facebook (they have a public group) as it’s a more active site, or, if you choose them, contact me and I can provide you with an address and contact person. Congratulations! This is a great giveaway!
You are such a selfless person Bernie, I am proud to call you my sister. I would be honored to double your charity winner. Count me in. Love you so much. Patti
Happy Blogaversary! The charity that is especially near and dear to my heart (pun intended) is the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. Great idea! 🙂
Happy blogiversary! What a special and unique giveaway. And thank you Patti for contributing as well! The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has a special place in my heart as my friend’s 18-year-old daughter (who I’ve known since she was 2 or 3) is living with CF. She just graduated from high school and is on her way to college. I admire how hard she has worked while also having daily treatments and regular hospital stays to deal with her CF.
Thank you Sarah! Also Thank you Bernie and Patti for your donation to CFF! My daughter is a great person and we really need a cure for CF so she can breathe like the rest of us!
Debbie: Hope that a cure is found at some point in time. You are so welcome!
Take care,
Bernie (and Patti too!)
Congratulations, Bernie! I am glad you found me on this quilting and blogging adventure. My dear friend Eboni recently launched a nonprofit, Yvonne’s Heart, to empower young women and girls. She hopes to open a transitional home. Eboni is a passionate advocate and I am proud to support her! You can read more at http://www.yvonnesheart.org. What a great giveaway!
Happy 1 year anniversary, Bernie. I so enjoy reading your posts.
One of my favorite charities – Women of Worth in Grass Valley – Hetty’s Haven.
What a great idea to do a donation.
On to year 2!!!!!
Thanks Mary Ann! I also love Women of Worth. They do amazing work in our community. Also, thanks so much for faithfully reading this little blog. I apprciate it!
Take care,
B.
Happy Blogiversary, Bernie! Great idea for a celebratory giveaway. Your sister Patti and yourself are such wonderful givers! My charity of choice would be the Canadian Cancer Society. Thank you for your generosity sisters!
Hi Bernie. What a lovely and gracious thing to do to celebrate. My favorite charity is Teen Impact at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. It’s a program for teenagers with cancer and blood diseases- it helps them cope with their illness. I used to work there, and I will never forget the strength and resilience of those children. It changed my life forever.
What a lovely comment Stephanie. Working with that sort of program would be so rewarding but also hard emotionally. I could see where it would totally be a life changer. Certainly puts things in perspective, doesn’t it? I feel so fortunate to have healthy kids.