Oh, Hi There!

The reason behind the name change

If you’ve been with me for a while now (well since summer 2020 to be exact), you might have noticed that, as of today (February 7, 2022), I’ve traded in Bruises Bows and Books for Blue Bows and Books. While I haven’t been as active on the blog side of things, my instagram community has been a place for me to stay connected, stay creative, and still be able to contribute while feeling less pressure to produce longer written text. I do have every intention of returning to this written space when I feel like I can manage it, but I at least wanted to hop on during the hiatus to give some voice to the aforementioned name change.

The summer of 2020 brought a whole new world to my identity. I began sharing motherhood, teacher life, and creativity publicly through this space and instagram, and with that I fell in love with Bruises Bows and Books. For a little background, the term ‘bruises’ is an ode to my two sons, who manifest all things boy constantly. The term ‘bows’ is an ode to my daughter, and the term ‘books’ is an ode to my profession, my passion, and my work with Usborne Books & More! Over the past two years, it has become a piece of my identity. I affectionately refer to this as ‘bruises’ to my close friends and family, and they immediately know what I’m referring to when I do.

I am proud of my space, but also reflective and on a continuous journey of evolution and growth.

I really started to question the ‘bruises’ side of the name a few months back, when I went to search for my account using the search bar. I typed in ‘bruises’ thinking the shorthand would pop up my account, but instead I got flagged by instagram with a message letting me know that the search term I used (bruises) was censored due to the graphic nature and breach of community guidelines. I inferred then that this was due to bruises being representative of violence, but then I also more specifically thought about the connection of the term to domestic violence.

Either way, it made me realize two things: (1) That is not what my account represents, and if I made the name with underlying implicit bias, it is my duty to now recognize that and undo it, and (2) I do not wish for my account name to be a trigger for anyone.

It’s funny, because when I brought the issue up with my instagram community, I received nothing short of an outpouring of support. So many of you engaged and communicated with me through my stories explaining that you had never once thought of anything negative associated with the handle. For that I am grateful!

And then I mentioned a dream. At this point, it is just that…a dream to one day have my own small business. A book and coffee boutique for families. Something that invites families in for comfort, play, and a good book. And I know I would never ever put the word ‘bruises’ in the name of my business. It just wouldn’t feel right. Even though I have no current plans to bring this dream to fruition, I know that if, down the road, I do, I would want this space to have evolved beyond ‘bruises’ so that the name on here is synonymous with the name attached to my business.

After spending the weekend chatting with all of you and asking for your ideas, I ended up with a list of about 30 options for new handles. (!!!!) All of your support, feedback, and conversations is beyond my wildest dreams, and really helped me see what a beautiful community this is. I have thought through every single option presented, including the most popular one (brosbowsandbooks), and I’ve decided on on Blue Bows and Books because of it’s softer tone. Truth be told, if you think deeply about all options, including Blue Bows and Books, you can find something unintended with how they flow. Super eye opening! But I think this one gives me the softest tone moving forward, which is representative of the creative side of things and an ode to my two sons as well. A blend of both things, which I adore. (Thanks to the friend who suggested it!)

It’s going to take time, even for me, as I grieve ‘bruisesbowsandbooks’ and get adjusted to ‘bluebowsandbooks’. The good news is bruisesbowsandbooks will always be a piece of my identity, and one that I will hold very near and dear to my heart. I’m not trying to erase it entirely, that’s why you’ll see that I won’t be changing anything on the blog or on instagram prior to this day.

It has been a journey, and one that is not over, just headed in a new direction.