Karen Helenthal, is the oldest of 8 children who grew up in Satellite Beach, Florida, during the “Right Stuff” era of the U.S. space industry. It’s Karen’s strong sense of family from which she draws her inspiration for her heartwarming and sentimental Expressions from the Heart.

Karen credits her maternal grandfather, an Irish immigrant, with her penchant for story-telling, her mother, Susan, with her flair for creative writing and her father, Joseph, with her eye for detail and passion for design.

The Expressions from the Heart concept originates with the name given to each heart’s coloration and design and, especially, the sentimental and heartwarming story associated with that name. A printed Story Card accompanies each heart which combines the old-world charm of mouth-blown glass Crystallized™ with Swarovski®, using 160 sparkling crystal chatons hand set into waffled indentations, elegantly suspended from a hand-tied, double bow trimmed ribbon, and presented in an elegant keepsake box.

Karen is married to her high school sweetheart and firefighter, Donald Mark Helenthal; they are the parents of two sons, Chad and Christopher Helenthal and reside in Winter Springs, Florida, just outside Orlando.