The Beginning

Last December when Patrick and I were visiting my family in Phoenix, my mom and I rummaged through her craft room. I borrowed some cute embroidery projects, coveted her fabric stash (super cute vintage fabrics!), and she gave me a cross stitch that I did as a kid. It most likely is the first cross stitch I ever did.

I remember in 2nd grade we had an after school project where my friend's mom taught us how to stitch. We had a simple little apple pattern where we did a running stitch in red around the border of the apple. I remember being excited about learning a new skill and wanting so badly for mine to look perfect. I chuckle now...I still feel that way when I start a new project. Anyway, that's the first time I remember stitching.

The cross stitch was probably sometime after that, so I was anywhere between 8 and 10, I'd guess. Here's the little beauty:



Now I need to figure out what I'm going to do with it. I could frame it, put it in a quilted/pieced block and frame it, put it on a pillow (the cats would mess it up, scratch that idea), who knows. I do want to put it up somewhere, though.

Another side note about the saying on the pattern: Make your own sunshine. ... I realize that even when I was a young child, I always understood that people are ultimately responsible for creating their own happiness. We choose to be happy...or not. Regardless of the circumstances, happiness is still a personal choice. My mom did such an incredible job teaching that principle to her children. Some of us absorbed it better than others, and I consider myself very blessed to understand it. I love my mom! :)