MaDonna's Firefox Themes

Just real quickly thought I would let you all know I didn't win the theme contest, but Perfect Christmas Eve came in 2nd. So I did some research a bit ago and it looks like the guy that won is a pro...so this old great grandma doesn't feel too bad. I can't say I wasn't disappointed because I am a tad competitive. And I had tons of people tell me that Perfect Christmas Eve was much more "Christmas" than the one that won, so thanks to all of you.  And to all a Merry Christmas.

I have said before that I don't seem to have a grasp on what people like. Apparently it is an age thing! I am a traditionalist when it comes to holidays, especially Christmas. I thought my design "Perfect Christmas Eve" would gain more votes than it is. So, if you have time to do me a favor, please go to: http://brandthunder.com/2011/announcing-best-holiday-browser-theme-finalists-vote-for-your-favorite/   and place a vote for Perfect Christmas Eve. You can vote every day through Dec. 22nd. I had decided I was done making Christmas wallpapers and Personas but ended up and made a bunch more today. I should save them till next year because I am pretty sure everyone is busy and not changing things on their computers.  I am really looking forward to Christmas Eve this year. It will be so much fun with all 3 great grandsons here, all 3 kids and most all of the grandkids. Can't wait to see them open their presents. I always try to make sure I spend the same amount on e...

  Perfect Christmas Eve Hi, all...I don't  think I mentioned that I was entering some holiday themes in Brand Thunders contest. Today they announced the 5 semi finalists. and I actually have two that are semi finalists. One is  Perfect Christmas Eve, which is my favorite and the other one is called A Year to Celebrate. Actually having 2 in puts me at a disadvantage because I can't ask you to vote for just one! I don't do Facebook, etc. so don't have a social network except for family and the fans who happen to read this. But I am going to ask you to go to:  http://brandthunder.com/2011/announcing-best-holiday-browser-theme-finalists-vote-for-your-favorite/  and vote for one of my designs.  You can vote every day through December 22nd. I included a shot at the top of the one I like best and hope you check out Brand Thunder, vote, and tell your friends. Thanks one and all and  a Very Merry Christmas. And thanks to Brand Thunder for getting me invol...

I just wanted to report that I now have quite a few designs on Brand Thunder and they are being used. The designs they have can be used on Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Firefox, so anyone that doesn't use Firefox can now fancy up their browser. If you are interested, you can find their site at: http://gallery.brandthunder.com/en-US /  I got my 2012 calenders finished for the family and also got our Christmas cards designed and printed out. Now just have to get  the letters written to go with them. Then I have to start getting Christmas decorations up. I don't put up as much as I used to. Putting them up isn't so bad, but taking them all down is a big job. I doubt if I get back on before Christmas so I will wish you all a Happy Holiday. Call the ones you love that you won't be seeing!

A Purple Christmas Delight   https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/445900 It is really hard to believe but the last month of 2011 is here. Where has the year gone? I have worked so hard on Christmas and winter designs and have a bunch more made to submit so I should quit making them, but I still have some good ideas and will probably work up until Christmas eve. I have more spirit for Christmas this year and it will be so much more fun with toddlers around. I had a great time doing some shopping for them this year. I personally do not like going to town to shop so love Amazon. The things come right to me and I don't have to get frustrated with crowds! I have made quite a few designs for Brand Thunder and they are being used, too. I think I mentioned that they were going to feature me on their site and I was so surprised that they actually did. The link to see it if you are interested is: http://brandthunder.com/2011/theme-spotlight-firefox-personas-theme-designer-madonna/...

 Frost on the Roses https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/443997 Hi, all. I wanted to take the time to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving and hope you get to spend it with family. As many as can make it to our house will be here so have started my shopping. We just got a call from our oldest grandson that we will have a new family member for next Thanksgiving. So that is exciting. Our family is very heavy on the boy side so it would be nice to have at least one more girl! But as long as it is healthy we will be satisfied. More good news, anyway for me. But it involves more work which I really don't need. But as I posted earlier this month I was invited to make designs for a site called Brand Thunder. They are in the early stages but it sounds like a good deal for people that don't use Firefox or even if they do. The Personas from Brand Thunder can be used on Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome. So today I spent some time submitting some. The way they have you sub...

Glow Lilies https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/438875 Just a quick post to let you know I am putting some of my Persona designs on Brand Thunder and they can be used for either Firefox or Internet Explorer!  The link for this one, Glow Lilies is: https://bt-engage.com/themes/i4i4p/Glow-Lilies/download. Just in case you use Internet Explorer rather than Firefox you should be able to click that link and download it. I may try it...probably should have before I posted here. Have a great day....♥♥

  Raindrops Keep Falling https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/434975 Wow, I can't believe I didn't take the time to post since the beginning of last month! I am sorry, but if you follow my work at all you know I have been very busy. I keep saying I am done with fall designs and then I get an idea or some graphic that I have to work on. But I have to start concentrating on winter and Christmas, which I am working on. I have to say I like making wallpapers much more than Personas. I have so much more area to work on and can get an entire picture or theme made. But with Personas the space is so small it is hard to get an idea displayed so you can really see it. So some of the Personas aren't as good as the wallpapers that match. I am beginning to think about the holidays and trying to figure out where everyone will be and who can make it here for Thanksgiving. This will be the 53rd year in a row I have fixed Thanksgiving dinner.  The first year we had a 1 year old baby...

I am on my laptop while my husband watches football and I don't have my graphics in the laptop so this will be my first post without a graphic at the top. I have started working on winter wallpapers and Personas. Kind of fun as I am having to hunt for more graphics. Last winter when I was making them I really didn't have a good hold on PhotoShop so didn't know as much as I do this year or how to do things so is a lot more fun this year and hopefully better designs. Today was the first day I haven't done any designing at all for a long time. But I think it was good to take a rest from it. Just keeping a computer with everything updating constantly is a full time job. Firefox has new updates every other day seems like. And all of my extensions still won't work with the latest version. I have had one that I like called Gmail Manager that is so handy because it keeps your Gmail icons on the lower taskbar so you can see if you have new mail for more than one address. I...

Top of Mount Baker http://nature.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/794443/ I am so bad about posting here, aren't I? I get so busy working on designs I forget to post and then I notice it is a month almost and I haven't checked in. Well, I am still here. We went on a photo shoot Wed, and I took a lot of pictures but as anyone who takes scenery pictures, most of the time they don't turn out like you hope. The one above turned out really well. The sun was working with me this time! But we didn't get to go up near as far as we wanted because our vehicle overheated! You have all read my complaints about no summer weather, well we are having it now and it is in the 80's which is something for this area and it is supposed to get hotter over the week end. For once I guessed right on a Persona that I thought might be a popular one and it was the one I showcased last month, Purple Prize.  It got popular very quickly for some reason. Well, it is nice but a lot of them are nice a...

Purple Prize https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/427552 We are finally getting some heat! I know everyone else has been sweltering but we have been lucky to get 70° here and we have finally made it. Our first really good weather has been this week and it is supposed to last through the week end. Hurrah!!! I think I had mentioned getting an inexpensive video camera. Well, we got it, it is easy to use and it allows us to share videos with people through a program that is in the camera itself. And then I discovered Windows Movie Maker.  So made a little movie and actually put it on You Tube. I thought I would share it with you all. We were taking care of our one year old great grandson one day and my husband decided he would attempt to use it.  So you can check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1oR4C0dlVs/ and you can tell we were having as much fun as he was. I just wish I could have deleted our voices and just kept his but I either can't or don't know how! Am s...

Floral Elegance https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/422770  Frog Loves Strawberries Too https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/423871 Hello everyone and happy August to you. We have sunshine today as we should in August! I posted two designs I thought turned out well for me. The first one, floral Elegance took a long time to make as their was almost 60 different layers I had to put in. The wallpaper to match it is on line also. This is the Persona I am using myself I liked it so well. The second one, Frog Loves Strawberries Too was a fun one to make and I was tickled when I tried it on my screen. Fact is, I laughed out loud. So I hope others enjoy it. So many people are into frog "stuff". I have gone through different phases of liking something such as frogs. I had daisies at one point, where I had a daisy clock, mugs, etc. Then the owl phase, Native American phase and of course bears. I have a quite a few bear figurines, etc. in our house and outside, too actuall...

Butterfly Blues II https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/420532 I was so excited about my latest accomplishment I had to write about it on my blog! I am learning how to make movies. Right now I don't have a video camera but the digital camera I have actually makes short videos. I had tried to use it once before, unsuccessfully I may add. But we had one of our great grandsons for several hours last week and it was lunch time. We have our 54 year old Cosco stainless steel high chair that my grandmother had sent money for when our first son was born. We re-did the upholstery when our grandkids were born so they could use it and now our great grandkids are using it! So it has gotten lots of use. Anyway, we had him in the high chair and we were feeding him. He had a spoon in each hand and decided he wanted to try feeding himself. So I got my camera and thought I would try the video again. And it worked! It is not the highest quality but it is so cute and he was proud of himself.  G...

Peony Pride https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/415781 How is everyone doing? Enjoying the summer? It sounds like the eastern US is have a really hot spell. After thinking about it, I think I like our cooler summer better. The heat can just sap the strength out of you and as you get older you notice it more. The problem  the Pacific Northwest has is that it can be 60° one day and 85° the next and that is kind of hard to take. My Mom used to tell us kids to always take a coat because you never knew what the weather was going to do. I have been working away as usual and enjoying it so much. I like making the wallpapers almost better than the Personas, though. You have so much more space to work with. I usually make a wallpaper first and then "try" to get most of that into this little tiny space at the upper right corner of the header and sometimes it is nearly impossible and sometimes it is impossible. Then I feel kind of like a failure... For some reason I have been m...

It is the day after the 4th of July and summer is finally here! For the first time in awhile we had really nice weather for the 4th. But now I will start getting sad, because this is the first year in many, many that I won't be able to ride my bike. I guess I should be happy and proud that I got to ride it last year when I was 71, but I told myself on every ride last year that it was the last year and for my own sake  it is for the best. I bought this bike new and have had the best of times on it. I had been riding motorcycles for many years, dirt biking for fun and then competition. I did really well, too and have the trophy's to show for it. At that time they didn't make motocross gear for women so I had to buy boys or mens. I rode in a marathon one time in January and it was 5 ° and so cold the kerchief I had over my nose and mouth kept freezing. But I loved it! Then we got road bikes. I wasn't about to ride behind my husband so bought my own. The last one I bough...

Eagle of Freedom http://animals.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/690709/  Almost the 4th of July and hopefully that is when our summer will start. I wanted to put a graphic on that depicted the 4th of July for me. It isn't just a day off from work, hot dogs and fireworks. It is the holiday that represents our freedom and the fight for freedom. I hope my friends from the USA have a happy and safe 4th. I just discovered something that most people already know! Sometimes I get very depressed and have no reason to be so, but it happens and I think it happens more with age. Anyway it has for me. A couple weeks ago I was downloading a song from Amazon and it had been a downer day. But after playing the new song several times I really got to feeling better. So, I have been trying to play "my music" while I work and find at times I am singing at the top of my lungs. And let me tell you that is not a pretty sound! I can not sing! I can't carry a tune and half the time I can't ...

We the People https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/411872 Well, I think I updated my blog so it has a different look. Hopefully it will! I had a difficult time changing from the old...but perseverance  usually wins out. I am posting this design called "We the People" and thought I would use it on todays blog because tomorrow is Flag Day. We have our flag on a big flag pole and it waves in the winds of the Pacific Northwest almost every day. We do take it down in the winter because of the high winds we have here and it destroys a flag very quickly. I have put a few patriotic Personas and wallpapers on line in the last week for the 4th of July celebration coming up. If you are an American, I hope you will look them up. This one means a lot to me since the first graphic on the far right is of an American soldier or Marine with his head down in front of the flag. I can't imagine what he is thinking about. Probably buddies that have been killed or maimed while they pr...

Well, I have been trying to update my blog and remove the "fancy" design but so far haven't been able to figure it out so you will have to excuse me until I get an answer from the place I got it. The wild life has been rampant in our yard lately. I got a great shot of one of our many hummingbirds at the feeder the other evening. The sun was shining through the kitchen window Sunday evening, so I grabbed my camera and took the picture through the window.   And yesterday morning this young buck was eating leaves off the cherry tree so took this picture through the dining room window. Guess it was good I got the windows cleaned a couple weeks ago. With all the rain we have had, the windows really get dirty. I have been really working away at wallpapers and Personas lately. Making too many, as usual. I have wallpapers and Personas on line that match the hummingbird and deer. I won't leave links for them as I am sure you can find them. If not, let me know. Please excus...

Spring Barn http://architecture.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/663965/   We got out to take a few pictures and visit my brother and his wife a week or so ago. I found this old barn with a flowering plum tree in front of it and made my poor hubby stop along the road so I could take a picture. It turned out pretty well. I also made a Persona to match and the link to that is with the wallpaper.   We actually got some days of sunshine and it was great. We sold our whole rhubarb crop to a local winery and am excited to taste it. It isn't actually wine, it is mead and from what I have read about it, it is becoming very popular. It is a drink from the olden days and not made with grapes. I took the quote below from the winery's website, Honeymoon Mead. "Wine made from fermented honey, rather than grapes, mead was the nectar of the gods on Mt. Olympus, the celebrated drink of poets, lovers and kings.  It has long been touted as an elixir of health, fertility and longevity.  ...

Blues on Blue https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/404647 I was working on my blog yesterday and all of a sudden everything I had done was gone and apparently they were working on blogger so I lost everything I had put on. So will re-work it.  I found this cool place by accident where you can really put in nice backgrounds. The link is: http://www.scrappinblogs.blogspot.com/. If you have a blog it would be worth checking out and donating to their work. I am going to since I love some of the designs and I don't have time to work on that end of a blog! I don't have a lot of money to toss around but I am sure every little bit will help.That is where I got the background for the one I am currently using. Now to Mothers Day! I got to see or hear from all of my kids and some of the grand kids so was a nice day. I am so blessed that all 3 of our kids live within a few miles of us. Hope you all had a good Mothers Day if you are a Mother or got to visit or at least call your Mo...

Happy after Easter Tuesday...I am breaking a record here posting two days in a row. I wanted to update my main picture, though and have worked all day trying to figure out what to put on. I like this one, called Violets and Pink. It is a wallpaper I added today and it is:  Violets and Pink http://nature.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/651352 /     The Persona isn't on line yet, as they are a bit slow reviewing this week so I will add the link when it is available. I hope you all have a good week and will pop in again soon. So, until then.... Thursday...April 28th...Well, the Violets and Pink Persona is on line at:  https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/400138

Fall Autumn https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/398260 I know, it isn't autumn (yet) but it feels like it. We got spoiled on Saturday with a beautiful spring day. We also got a chance to visit and play with our three beautiful great grandsons for awhile, so it was a very precious day. The babies are growing up too fast, though. I would love to post some pictures but I don't feel I should. I do have a Persona on line of our oldest great grandson and it is called The Littlest Cowboy. It is several years old and only shows his back, so I will post it.  https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/268112  I have written about him before and his love of bull riding. He gets to go to a PBR event this week end and is very excited about that.  I hope you all had a great Easter. Our weather was not kind to us but we had a good dinner here with part of the family members and we had a really great time. My parents used to have the family Easter dinner, and after my Dad passed ...

  What we woke up to on this beautiful April 14th day!   I just had to take this photo this morning. It isn't anything to brag about, but I just posted a few days ago that it was feeling more like spring out. Well, this is what spring looks like in the Pacific Northwest. I am sure there was actually more snow earlier but we did get to sleep in a bit this morning and neither one of us could believe our eyes when I pulled the shade! If this keeps up the Easter bunny is going to get frost bite when he hides Easter eggs for the little ones. I hope it is nice and warm where you live....have a good day!

Sakura Pink http://nature.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/638370/    MaDonnas Sakura Pink  https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/395149   I made a beautiful wallpaper and it has become very popular so thought I would try using it as a background for my blog and it seems to work fairly well. So I posted the link for both the wallpaper and the Persona. I made this because cherry blossoms are most noted for Japan and since everyone is wishing the best for that country, I made these to show our support. Today it actually looks like spring could be around the corner.  Wishing you all a good week. And again, thanks for writing and letting me know you are using and enjoying my work.

Poppies for Spring http://nature.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/627008/   Well, it is supposed to be spring but we had hail and some snow yesterday which is NOT spring weather! Plus it was 30 degrees last night!  And the forecast doesn't sound very good for the week end. Guess I will just keep dreaming of warm weather and working at making spring, Easter and summer designs. The above picture is very springy and I have a Persona to match it at: https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/389335   The new header picture is one I worked on a long time and am pleased with it. Of course it is nature at its finest. The wallpaper is at: http://nature.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/634891/ and the Persona is called The Enchanted Forest Two at:  (https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/393769). The reason I called it Two was because the first one I made didn't show the deer in the preview and to me that is the best part of it. Now to my updating to  Firefox 4. I did it last wee...

I wonder how many of you have updated to Firefox 4 and if you like it. I tried it last week and was very unhappy with it. It is very different and people are not very happy with the way the Personas display. I have a Bookmark Toolbar on mine so it shows more. But I used FF4 a half  day and put back in my older version of 3.6.16. I like it and it is much easier to design with. I know I am going to have to update to the new version, but...Another thing I didn't like was the home page place had changed, the re-load button was almost impossible to find, too. I am not a very patient person and when I am busy designing it just slowed me down too much.  I just thought I would add a note to my blog concerning Firefox 4 and if I were you, I would wait a couple weeks till they have all the little bugs figured out and more extensions have been updated for it. Mozilla isn't going to change it as they are already working on Firefox 5, so we are going to have to get used to it. I don't ...

Little Girls Wonder https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/382027 Spring begins on Sunday and one of my grandsons will be 28 that day so it is a very special day to me. Besides being a fantastic grandson that I am very proud of, he is my computer expert that builds my computers and keeps them running. Our weather has been cold and windy and awful. I am so ready for spring and some sunshine, but I heard this morning that spring in the Pacific Northwest will be cool and wet! What else is new? I love it here but would really like a bit more sunshine. I have been so busy working on designs and have tons made and more in my head and computer to do. The  one above is very springy, if that is a word. I started out not having any idea of what it would be and just kept checking my files of graphics and added to it and added to it and kept adding to it. I was real pleased with it. I had planned on putting an Easter design on today since Saint Patrick's Day is over but I made this and ...