You may or may not find this post interesting, I promise to keep it short though! I was told by a very wise person in the sewing industry that she loves my work and my social media and website, but there was something missing. She said she didn’t see me. My response was, I know, I want you to see my work, no one cares about me! But I started thinking about it and thought maybe, just maybe, someone might be interested in the person behind the designs. So as hard as this is for me, here you go…a few facts about me, the designer of Big Bee Applique.
- I was born and raised in Amite, a small town in south Louisiana. I currently live 15 miles north of that town, still in LA with my husband.
- I have 3 kids. 1 son (32) and 2 daughters (28 and 30). I also have 3 granddaughters.
- I lost my middle child (daughter) 2 years ago to an unexpected death. I currently raise her daughter (my grandaughter). She calls me mawmaw but calls my husband Daddy! It makes her happy so I am okay with it.
- My faith in God is what got me through the tragedy of losing my daughter. I believe that God is first in all things and He always has a plan for me, and no, I can’t see it, but I trust Him.
- I named my design company Big Bee Applique after my papa. He owned a western store named Big B Western Store that I was raised in. The B comes from my father’s name, Baiamonte. My name is Melissa which means honey bee, and I really do think bees are cute!
- I don’t have curtains on my bedroom window because….wait for it…I can make them better than what I can buy them for! I’ve been in this house for almost 20 years! It’s okay because I live in the country and my window faces the woods.
- I have 5 horses too many! I love them all and can’t find a way to part with any of them.
- I have chickens, lots of them. I won’t eat an egg from the store….refuse to do it!
- I have a full time job outside the house that doesn’t involve being creative in any way. It’s a great job with great benefits so I can’t leave it. I do the majority of my digitizing at night and on weekends.
- My ideal vacation is sitting on a mountain staring at nature or sitting on the beach staring at the ocean. Notice the pattern…doing nothing!
- Before I went to college, right after high school, I went to beauty school. I did hair to support myself and kids through college.
There you have it….a few fun and not so fun facts about me! By the way, the guy in the picture is my husband, Brad and the little blonde is my oldest granddaughter, Alayna.
Visit www.melissabryandesigns.com to shop for your favorite embroidery designs.
I love this. It’s great to know about the person behind the designs. God bless you and your husband as you raise that precious grand daughter. Thanks for sharing about yourself with those of us who love your designs and wish we could do what you do. Thanks for making us look good with such cute designs.
Thank you for your sweet response. This was a huge step for me!
You ate truly amazing!!! I miss seeing you!!!
Miss seeing you too…let me know if you get back in a local fabric store. Sew This is my favorite and where I usually go now.
Thank you, you are so sweet. My stepdad swears that I live in Pike County I’m so close to the line! And you should post your picture, no one is more of an introvert than me! You can do it! Send me your page and I’ll cheer you on.