All things in my life have been inspired by my grandmothers. I was lucky enough as a kid to life close enough to ride my bike to both of their homes if I wanted to, and was loved and nurtured by them exponentially. They both taught me the value and importance of honestly and integrity and rolling up your sleeves to put in a hard days work. And, the lessons I learned from these women have inspired me in all aspects of my life from how I dress to how I raise my kids; they way I talk to and treat others to how I practice my faith. They taught me the importance of putting family first, and doing what I need to do to always be there for my family as well.
One of these great women however, spent my entire childhood, teaching me how to sew. Whenever my sister and I were at her home as girls, she sat us down, desperate to pass on her talents for crochet and needle work, and her talents as a seamstress. And never, not once, did those lessons stick. Maybe it's because I grew too fast as a girl to be coordinated enough to thread a needle, or maybe it's because I was just too busy to pay attention. And, when her frustration hit an all time high, as they were apt to do, the worse scolding I ever got was an "Oh Honestly Annabelle!", which has become a moniker for my life in more ways than one. Even though the lessons she taught didn't rub off in the way that she intended, that Grandma of mine was successful in instilling in me a love of arts and crafts, and making things with my hands.
Flash forward many many years to the day I was browsing on ETSY and saw so many wonderfully hand crafted and sewn items that my heart was full of jealousy - at the women (and men) who made such beautiful works of art. It was that day that I decided a sewing machine was in my future and that I too would be one of those people. It's taken me a while to work on my skills and find my niche, but I'm pretty sure that my grandmas in heaven are cheering me on. And, that one grandma in particular is pretty proud that her love for sewing, even though it didn't quite hit when she was alive, has definitely found it's way into my soul now that she has passed.
