Picture Perfect Blog Header

My sister Lisa commissioned the Genevieve from le petit elefant to do a painting of my girls a few months back.  I immediately fell in love with Genevieve's work.  She is amazingly talented.  So I emailed her and asked her to create a header for my new blog, to help me with my new beginning here. She painted the piece, which I will frame and hang in my room, then scanned it and added the name for the blog. She was able to incorporate all the little details I emailed her about into this perfect little vision I had in my head.  I just love when people find their true calling, their real talent, and get to use it and make others happy by doing so.  This is by far my favorite blog header.  It represents so much to me, and I know one day when I look back on it, I'll remember this time in my life perfectly.  (I so love all the little details).  Thank you, Genevieve! 

What's in a Name?

At a new juncture in my life, I wanted to start with a fresh new blog. And starting with a new blog requires coming up with a clever new name. I was all out of cleverness, and it seems that every other Brooke out there already nabbed my idea for a clever name. So I came up with a kind of hybrid - Babbling Brooke Trout. 

The first part of the name - Babbling Brooke - pays homage to my childhood years. When I was little, I loved playing with Cabbage Patch Kids and collecting Garbage Pail Kids trading cards. Yes, I was a product of the mid-70s and enjoyed the fads of the 80s. Even if I did talk a lot, I was always a little offended by the Babbling Brooke trading card, simply because I was never that messy. (For those of you who may have known me in my previous blog-life, you know full well that I can babble with the best of them.)

The second part of the blog name - Brooke Trout - is a little family joke. When my parents named me over thirty years ago, no one had heard of the name. My father's mother had asked "Brooke? Brooke? What kind of name is that? Brooke?" And my father said "Yeah, and her middle name is Trout." And on occasion that's what he'd call me. (Plus, I think it's funny the brook trout is native to the lake I grew up swimming in each summer on our family vacation).

So there you have it, my new blog is Babbling Brooke Trout. I know, it's nothing crazily creative in the name department, but it sure feels good to shed the old blog and start fresh! Here's hoping for a fun ride on this journey.