The history behind "Little Red Bird"
People always ask me "why little red bird?" Well...get ready for a good story.
Growing up. I lived with my mom and grandma. It was a house of strong women between my mom and gram. My mom was a single mom working 1/2/3 jobs at a time to help keep us afloat, while my gram helped watch me, drive me around to dance or appointments, and all of the above. I was an active kid, so trying to get me to sit down was a struggle. But there was one thing that always got me to sit and focus - arts and crafts.
I have always loved arts and crafts. Whether it is simple finger painting, making bracelets, or shrinky dinks (for anyone who remembers those!), it was the one thing that kept my busy mind focused.
At a young age, my grandma taught me how to sew and quilt. I remember making my first little pillow - it was the BEST feeling ever! She even taught me how to use a sewing machine, and simple sewing tricks to use on the go when you are in a pinch.
Then, she showed me the fun craft of yarn latching. Yarn latching is such a fun little hobby to do. It does require some patience (which I do NOT have) and to stay determined even when you are in a tough spot of the project. These little life lessons have helped me in my future, and I thank my grandma for helping teach me to slow down and take time in life. It is true, you can't take out of a sock more than you put into it.
On my gram's last days, she worked on a latch hook project. We were working on this project together for over a year, but never got to finishing it. We always hit a bump in the road, or we just put it down and forgot to go back to it. I brought it back out the last few days she was still alive. We joked that she couldn't pass because she was waiting for us to finish the dang project we started! Sure enough, five minutes later after I finished the project, Betty Boop passed away.
After making this project, I knew that I wanted to continue my love for arts and crafts just like my Gram loved. I wanted to pass it along from generation to generation, just like she did. That is why I started to do what I do. She was my inspiration for my entire company.
Now for the bird: Why a "little red bird?" Gram (aka Betty Boop) was a lover of cardinals. She had them all over the house, in every single room. One birthday, she gave me her favorite little bird that she always had next to her bed. She told me, "once I pass, I want you to have this to remember me." That cardinal sits on my nightstand to this day.
The little red bird symbolizes more than a loved one who has passed - it reminds me of the amazing memories I had with my grandma. It symbolizes the strength my grandma had, and that you can be "small but mighty." It is the reason I am where I am today.