What's in a Name

I'm almost ready to start selling my stuff (it'll probably be a month or six weeks) and I've been toying with name ideas for my business for a while. The last time I sold anything I made, I was sixteen, and sold my jewelry at market in Australia under a hand beaded sign that read "Beaded Bijoux." Other then the fact that I wouldn't have to make another sign (ha!), I wanted to think of something else for this time around because (a) although I'm mostly selling beaded things, I have a couple of things I've knit specifically to sell. I already have a crafts blog with the word "knit" in it, where knitting isn't always the only or even the primary thing I write about, and I want to give myself room to grow/change (if this ever amounts to anything!) and (b) Apart from what would meet a college language requirement, I don't actually speak French. In a world where crafts are often sold on the internet, I don't want to be misleading.

That meant I had to come up with a brand new name. I definitely want to start an etsy site, and I might even some day (gasp!) have my own website! The obvious choice was stripedfrog. That name just started out as a hotmail account when I was fifteen (that I still use) because I liked frogs and all of the other frogs (spottedfrog, polkadottedfrog, etc.) were taken. For some reason, that name has always gotten a lot of attention. People always ask me about my email address at random times. I just wish there was a more meaningful story behind it!

And then I could go with the more narcissistic option - "Adina Designs." It sounds professional, which is kind of what I'm going for. Plus, being of Eastern European Jewish origin, it is unlikely that I will name a child after myself (that's considered bad luck) so this business might be my only chance. (I mean, maybe I could name a pet after myself, but I think that would get a little confusing. It would also be very weird. "This is my dog, Adina, Jr. And this is my cat, Adina the Third.") Then there is the alliteration of the D. It sounds kind of cool to me.

I was going to ask around and get some opinions on this matter. But last yesterday, I was surfing etsy.com (as I often do) and came across this awesome painting by Hillarie Tasche. After going back and forth to it all day, I finally caved in and ordered it. But in order to do that, I had to get an etsy account, and in order to do that, I had to have a name! And etsy warns to choose one's name carefully because it can never be changed. What ever was I to do??

I thought about it for about thirty seconds and went with the narcissism. Adina Designs it is! (Well, will be, anyway. Once I get it all up and running...)