About Bananamade life

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Hello! I’m Anna Louise. I’m currently a part-time embroiderer and all-around crafter. At my day job, I’m an archivist at a university library - in a nutshell, I organize and describe manuscripts and records so researchers can discover and use them. I’m looking forward to when I call embroidery my full-time gig. 

Growing up, I was never far from a box of crayons or markers. Even when I broke my right arm (I’m right-handed) in fifth grade, I was drawing up different characters with my left hand. I still have that sketchbook that shows me my creative juices kept on flowing! I remember starting to play around with thread and fabric when I was in middle school. My mom has always been a hand quilter. Without realizing it, I truly absorbed her patience to sit with a needle.  

It wasn’t until my early twenties that I really got into embroidery and learning different stitches. I took an evening workshop really to just get out the house. Fast forward about 15 years and I’m still stitching away. I’ve even taught a few workshops of my own.  

The idea for Bananamade Life blossomed in 2014, during the first year of my career as a librarian and archivist. I’ll be writing a blog post with the full story and the first attempt at a logo soon. The “fuck” embroidery and its message was born not long after.  

I believe in the power of focusing on the positives in your life and the world around you - give a fuck about the good shit in life. That’s not to say that we should bury our heads in the sand about the negative stuff. On the contrary, we look for ways we can positively influence the negative stuff. It may be as small as changing the way we approach or think about something. Often times that has a bigger impact than we think. Also day-to-day small acts of kindness - smiling at a stranger, saying hello to your coworkers, picking up trash on your daily walk.  

With my “fuck” magnets and pins, I hope to spread that message of positivity. We can make changes in this world with one smile, positive word, thought, or action at a time. It all adds up. Also five dollars of every purchase goes to a cause that I give a fuck about - sexual abuse prevention and education. See the product page for the current non-profit to which I donate.

Thank you so much for being here and I hope you will give your fucks to the wonderful, beautiful things in your life!