Thursday, June 30, 2011

the "belle" & the "beanzer"

Why belle&beanzer you ask?...

The process of selecting a name was almost painful for me. I mean, it's a NAME. All roads lead back. Names conjure up all sorts images and emotions. When we name our children, how many of us have gone through that selection/rejection process where we just loooo-o-ove this one, and that one is a no-go because  you knew someone with that name in 5th grade who made fun of your quirky hair. 25 years later, and you can't warm up to that name!

belle&beanzer was the first name I came up with when I was developing the line of newborn, infant and toddler clothes. It's the name I came back to because of it's personal significance.
I thought, If I'm going to do this, it's got to have my fingerprints all over it. 

I come from a proud, long lineage of nick-namers. My mom, pop, auntieM and uncle, my grampy and grammy... ALL clever conjurers of nomenclature. The gene runs strong in me as well. My daughter can often be heard telling me authoritatively, "NO. I'm JUST Ava. A-V-A." Someday she'll look back and smile...

My own nick-names are alive and kicking in my family. I'm 36 and I'm rarely, maybe never, called by my given name...and I love that. It's playful, creative, clever and warms my heart that there isn't just one name the people in my life can call me that fully captures me, and the love they have for me. I feel that, and am so tickled when they go to speak my name all sorts of fun, silly, loving quirkiness comes out instead. Right back atcha Fab Fam! (that's the nick name we have for ourselves. Is the love and affection making you sick? that's what we call turning the lights down low and putting on candles at dinner time. grooan)

So, here is the quick list (mom, feel free to add any I've forgotten):
mousey • mousateria • wanda june jellyspoon • maggie (no, my middle name isn't maggie and maggie isn't short for anything else) • maggers duke • duke nucleus (nucleus is the center and I'm the center of my pops heart) • noodles • Mercury (bc mercury is the closest planet to the sun and therefore the brightest) • rudy, • rudus • rudus abudus • dog daughter (no clue, but it's not mean) • baby coo • marsha (no reason) • reba • rebar • aaaannnnd lulu belle
And, there you have the "belle" of belle&beanzer.



Me at 1 year. YES, I snuck up on the table to get more turkey. 


Beanzer is my brother's baby name. It is a derivative of Beany J Boy...which was bc like a bean that sprouts and grows so quickly, so did my brother. Think Jack and the Bean Stalk. Other family faves are: Zachariah T Woodstock, Jackson, Jacko, Zacko, Zachers, Jack and the most awesome big brother ever. Okay, that one, I just put in right now...

It was important to include my brother's nick name, because it was his encouragement and nudging that was the catalyst. An email, a call, a long talk, a meeting, more emails... He got me started, and  encouraged me from a stance of total confidence, and certainty that I could and would do it. As if I was already a baby clothes designer.

The Law of Attraction states  "...BE (ing) the person you want to be, and then you DO what that person would do, to HAVE what they would have."  (Thank you Lisa for that link!!) My Brother did that for me. He spoke to me as though I already was, and I saw I was, and now I am. I don't have clever words for that....just, THANK YOU.

belle&beanzer. then end.

What are your thoughts on the name I selected?
What images does it conjure up for you?
Did you have any fun, creative, weird, lovable nick-names from and for your family?
Please share, I'd love to hear from you!

Monday, June 27, 2011

5 people want to know...

So, my blog is up and running. BIG milestone for me! As my husband cheered me on,
"That's great, babe! What's on your mind? Five people want to know!!" (wink, wink)
Well, you five fabulous people, than you for following me. I hope I keep it interesting for you!

Once upon a time...I was a full-time working mom and wife. I commuted almost 4 hours a day. I worked about 12 hours a day. I skipped my lunch break to try and get out at a reasonable time, and it wasn't enough...for anyone. Truth be told, I was distracted at work. I was unfulfilled. I was missing my children, my husband, a life. I had so much to do, to juggle, I had to multi-task and cram my personal life into the cracks and crevices of my work life. Sound familiar?

The whole thing became impossible. It was a broken routine. We knew it, we talked about it, and yet what to do about it? We HAD to keep going like that... Didn't we? We had no choices...Did we? This what what people HAVE to do...Don't they?

We all have those moments of clarity, right? When all the waffling, confusion, and areas of gray are no longer. Your instincts are like a tuning fork, and the message is a buzz in your head that is loud and clear. You crumble your pro and con list, toss it in the garbage. You know what you have to do. You know what is next. The fear is gone. It's going to work out.

I had that moment. I remember I walked down to the loud busy street in NYC. I looked around. I watched all the people headed to their next destination. I thought about the mornings I'd rushed through those door. I called my husband and said, "This is over. This whole thing we've been struggling with. It's over." I could feel a ball of excitement forming in my stomach. I was totally sure this was the right thing to do. So, was Andrew.  Quick thoughts about Andrew...For anything we've ever disagreed about along the way, he's NEVER held me back from change. He's been my support, my cheerleader, and my voice telling me that it'll all work out.

From there it was a series of conversations, and 4.5 years of my life was over. It's amazing how much time you invest in your job, and how quickly your paperwork can be wrapped up in the end.

I. Never. Looked. Back.

Ava, Me and Jonah - August 2010

Thursday, June 23, 2011

My Fairy Tale

Next entry, I promise, will be the genesis of this blog. This venture. This adventure.
For now, it's enough that it's simply UP! THANK YOU, Kim thinkdesign-thoughts.blogspot.com

WHO: Me. A wife, a mom, a designer. 

WHAT: A clothing line newborn-2T. Totally cute. Totally easy. 

WHY: Because I had a great idea, and I had the support and love to go for it. Because, we can all use more of those little minutes here and there added up to create more time and space for connecting, laughing, and just being. Because It can be that easy...that simple. 

more to come...