Name that Blog

After assessing all the blog names that I could find, I still couldn’t come up with something uniquely personal. I was starting to get discouraged.

September 9, 2013 | | Blogs | Community | Leisure | Two Blue Boots

What’s in a name, really? I mean, besides a bunch of letters or sounds strung together to make a word. Does a rose by any other name really smell as sweet?
Would the most famous love story in the world be as poignant if it was called Romeo and Gertrude? Why is what we call ourselves so important?”
Julie Kagawa

You may wonder how this blog came to be called Two Blue Boots. The answer is a long story. The name did not come easily. I had to embark on a challenging quest to discover something unique, relevant, catchy and meaningful.

My first approach to blog-naming was to simply sit and wait – outside in nature. It was my fervent hope that perhaps some profound words would arrive on the wind and partake in some type of mystic dance with my intuition. I assumed that as I listened to the babbling of the brook and the buzz of the bees, mysterious words would be whispered into my ear by an ancient Indian Spirit (or the like) – universal words, symbolic of peace or joy. When days passed and there were no blog name revelations, I realized this passive plan was futile.

Next, I decided to take a closer look at the names of some of my favourite blogs. Perhaps this would help me to create a clever “play on words” – an artful alliteration – a playful pun. Clutter Free Classroom is one of my go-to teaching blogs. The title is self-explanatory. The words in the name are crisp and efficient sounding. The name brings up an image of a perfectly organized classroom with an efficient teacher at the helm. Read this blog and you’ll be a perfect teacher too!

Swissmiss is the popular blog belonging to Tina Roth Eisenberg. She is a designer who owns a studio in New York City. She reports on innovative products and new projects. Because Tina is formerly from Switzerland, her moniker is very appropriate.

A Cup of Jo is another famous blog compiled by Joanna Goddard. She is a former magazine writer and she blogs about everything from fashion and beauty to travel and relationships. When you read her blog, you have the feeling that you’re skimming through the pages of a magazine, while enjoying a cup of coffee. So her blog name is perfect.

Grumbles and Grunts is a well-known “Mommy” blog addressing the trials and tribulations of motherhood. I can only imagine how that blog name relates to the subject matter.

But after assessing all the blog names that I could find, I still couldn’t come up with something uniquely personal. I was starting to get discouraged.

I decided to embark on some online research. I discovered a handy tool called the SPIN X0 Blog Name Generator. The instructions seemed simple enough – just fill in the following blanks:

Name or Nickname: Woody (don’t ask)

What are you like? funny (sometimes)

Hobbies: yoga (is that a hobby?)

Things you like: flea markets (collecting junk)

Important Word: curiosity (being nosy)

Numbers: 54 (guess why I chose that number)

Next, I was instructed to click on a large yellow SPIN button and wait for the magic to happen. Within seconds, the Blog Name Generator had created 78 name suggestions. This is a small sampling of the possibilities: Dunny Funny, Teenie Flea, Curiousity Wood, Flenser Flea, and Wood Mud?? I was not impressed. I clicked the SPIN button again to hatch a fresh batch of options. Round 2 produced Woodcut Woody, Solid Flea, Funny Pinch, Yoga 54, and Broody Woody?? I sadly concluded that the Blog Name Generator was not helpful. What kind of readership would I possibly attract with the name Wood Mud or Funny Pinch? Pinches are not funny!

The answer was finally provided to me quite serendipitously, with the aid of Charlie Brown (resident yellow Lab). After wrestling one of my boots from his mouth and tossing it back into the closet, I had an epiphany. My electric-blue Doc Martin boots have been my trademark footwear for the past several years. The grade eight students taught me how to “rock my docks” by rolling down the top edges and leaving the laces lazily askew. They flash me the thumbs-up sign whenever I wear them.

The kindergarten students love my “shiny shoes” and ask if they can touch them. Perfect strangers stop me in the street to ask me about my boots. They want to know where I bought them and then will often proceed to share a story about their own favourite boots.

What could be a more perfect blog name than Two Blue Boots? The boots symbolize my sense of humour, my sense of style, and my sense of adventure. They represent the road I walk and the wonderful people I meet along the way. My boots will continue to have many tales to tell over the years, as I enjoy life “in the hills.”

So now you know the story. I told you it was a long one.

About the Author More by Laurie May

Laurie teaches Grade 4 at Island Lake Public School in Orangeville and writes in her spare time. She lives in Mono and looks for the humour in everyday country life. Check out her blog “Two Blue Boots”.

Comments

36 Comments

  1. Laurie,
    Your Mom sent me the blog, and, what fun it was to see the process you went through to find a name for it, only to find that you already had it in the dog’s mouth!!
    Apparently teaching and writing go well together, as I thoroughly enjoyed reading your thoughts and listening to your words.
    Looking forward to seeing more of your blogs real soon!!!

    Eddie

    Eddie Sokoloff from Collingwood on Sep 15, 2014 at 1:51 pm | Reply

    • Hi Eddie: Thanks so much for your kind words. Keep on reading!

      Laurie May on Sep 18, 2014 at 5:10 pm | Reply

  2. Well, you and your two blue boots hooked me! I will definitely be following your blog – and hope to connect in Ohio! Great story!

    Janine from United States on Jan 12, 2014 at 2:06 pm | Reply

    • Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog, Janine! You are my first American reader. I hope to meet you in April. 🙂

      Laurie May from Mono on Jan 13, 2014 at 11:14 am | Reply

  3. Hi Kent: Ah yes….the disappearing comment! Thanks to the wisdom of Webmaster Valerie Jones–all is well now.
    Your comment about teachers “saying a lot about nothing” made me laugh. How true! It was suggested to me that 250 words per blog entry would be a good length. I just can’t seem to do it. I’ll work on it. Thanks for taking the time to write to me.

    Laurie May from Mono on Sep 16, 2013 at 9:20 am | Reply

  4. Laurie: My first comment has seemed to have disappeared so I’ll try again. Enjoyed your column. We have something in common that we both enjoy writing about nothing . As a former teacher myself perhaps we both have learned to say a lot about nothing.
    My editor only gives me 600 words to say my piece so it limits my going on too long. Thank Dad for linking me into your blog. Have fun with it. Kent.

    Kent Walton from Blue Mountains on Sep 12, 2013 at 11:14 am | Reply

  5. Nice job Laurie! Congrats from Essex County all the way to “the hills”. What more can you ask for – humour, style & adventure all in one cousin 🙂 Wishing you all the best with your newfound talent.

    Troy Gee from Leamington on Sep 11, 2013 at 6:03 pm | Reply

    • Thanks, Troy! It’s great to hear from you. I’m glad the blog made its way to Essex County. Say hello to the gang for me.

      Laurie May on Sep 12, 2013 at 11:29 am | Reply

  6. Great story. If only those Two Blue Boots could talk! I am sure they would have many interesting stories to tell! Diane

    Diane on Sep 11, 2013 at 1:34 pm | Reply

    • Yes, Diane–you are right. The first time I wore those boots was when I attended the rodeo at the Orangeveville Fall Fair a few years ago. I came home and I had to scrape out the hay and horse poop from the bottoms. I wonder what my boots would have had to say about that?!

      Laurie May on Sep 12, 2013 at 11:26 am | Reply

  7. Cute and clever blog but could be shorter.

    Connie Atkinson from Collingwood on Sep 11, 2013 at 10:33 am | Reply

    • Hi Connie: You are right. I will try harder to shorten these blog entries. I know that most people have very limited time these days—I have to learn how to keep it “short and sweet”. Another idea is to divide a long entry into several shorter entries. Thanks for your comment.

      Laurie May on Sep 11, 2013 at 11:35 am | Reply

  8. I really enjoyed your blog! Glad your mother pointed me in the right direction. I love writing too but have never done a blog – only some little stories for our community paper. Keep writing Laurie and let your talent soar!

    Gail Smith from Freelton, Ontario on Sep 10, 2013 at 8:07 pm | Reply

    • Hi Gail: Writing “little stories” is a perfect way to share your ideas and thoughts with your community. If you can do that–you would enjoy blogging too! I think you should give it a try. I appreciate your kind words.

      Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 10:00 pm | Reply

  9. Thanks Dad!!! Yep—“these boots are made for walking”–just like the song.
    Maybe I need a theme song????

    Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 5:56 pm | Reply

  10. Love the blog. Keep up the great writing!

    Ryan from Canada on Sep 10, 2013 at 5:48 pm | Reply

    • Ryan from Canada: I’ll keep on writing–keep on following my blog. Thanks!

      Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 9:56 pm | Reply

  11. Great!!! I especially liked the part about waiting for the whisperings in your ear from an “Ancient Indian Spirit” That had me.

    Till we meet again.

    M. Malone on Sep 10, 2013 at 5:15 pm | Reply

    • Thank-you, M. Malone. Apparently the ancient spirits have been known to whisper– but personally I’ve never heard them. Thanks for being such a great fan!

      Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 9:54 pm | Reply

  12. These boots were made for walking, talking, gawking, hawking, flaunting, kicking and whatever!! Kudos for another must-read Blog.

    Larry Gee from Collimgwood - The Town above Mono! on Sep 10, 2013 at 4:23 pm | Reply

    • Thanks Dad!!! Yep—”these boots are made for walking”–just like the song.
      Maybe I need a theme song????

      Laurie May on Sep 11, 2013 at 11:36 am | Reply

  13. Laurie. Great blog. I like your humour in all your blogs but this one had me laughing out loud.
    30 years ago we didn’t have any automatic generators when I was naming my company. But there were lots of brain storming, quirky questions and word lists.
    After weeks of this it came to me in a flash and sat there for a couple of days until I acknowledge that this was the right name for my company.
    It’s funny how even with all our technology the creative process is still left I the hands of your imagination.
    Keep writing.

    Janet Wilcox from Markham, On on Sep 10, 2013 at 2:04 pm | Reply

    • Thanks for sharing your story Janet. I absolutely love your line: ” It’s funny how even with all our technology the creative process is still left I the hands of your imagination.” How true!

      Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 5:50 pm | Reply

      • O.K. Janet—I just realized that we both made the exact same typo in the middle of the sentence. But we know what we mean—don’t we?

        Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 5:58 pm

  14. What a story-teller you are! Perfect blog name and I look forward to”life as Laurie sees it” in the next edition.
    I imagine too that life in the hills will have a lot in common with other rural towns – I’m sure we will smile, laugh out loud and nod in agreement with your stories, even though we don’t live in Mono. Great post!

    Deb Mobbs from Collingwood & Clarksburg, ON on Sep 10, 2013 at 1:00 pm | Reply

    • Hi Deb: Thanks for taking the time to comment on my blog. You would love it here. The Hills are a great place to live—and a great place to visit. Actually—“Life as Laurie Sees It” would have been a cool blog name as well. I needed you a few months ago when I was trying to think up a name!

      Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 5:48 pm | Reply

  15. A very interesting story. I am not familiar with blogs but if this is an example of one then I am all for them. Good work relating to your students in that way. I am sure it is something they will remeber all their lives. As teachers we are not always aware of the impact we have on young lives. I am many years retired but I know that if I were to do it all again i would be a much better teacher having seen what my grandchildren go through. I have a grand daughter just entering grade four. She is most mature and reads 500 page books I would hesitate to attack, yet her new teacher gave directions that students must read and record 12 pages of reading per night! I suggested he just take in the several books’ names she reads each week but no she has to do as the teacher advises. Have fun. I enjoyed teaching grade four the most. Barbara D

    Barbara Distin from Collingwood on Sep 10, 2013 at 12:55 pm | Reply

    • Hi Barbara: Thanks for your kind comments. Your granddaughter is very lucky to have “the love of reading”. Teachers have all kinds of tools and tricks to encourage reading–but if she has a natural love of books–she is very fortunate–and nothing will hold her back. She will likely also enjoy writing. Good readers often love to write as well.

      Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 5:44 pm | Reply

  16. If your boots could talk they wouldn’t be talking in Mono, they’d be talking in stereo. A cute discourse. If I’m in Mono I’ll be looking for “Blue Boots”, hope it rains a lot.

    Danno from between Utopia and Haeven on Sep 10, 2013 at 12:42 pm | Reply

    • Hi back to you, Danno: I love that visual of the two boots “talking in stereo”. Thanks!

      Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 5:39 pm | Reply

  17. What a catchy name Laurie. I enjoyed reading the evolution to your final brilliant decision. Good luck with your blog!

    Kris Purc on Sep 10, 2013 at 12:09 pm | Reply

    • I’m glad that you enjoyed reading my blog, Kris. I love the word “evolution”. I could have used that in my story!

      Laurie May on Sep 10, 2013 at 5:37 pm | Reply

  18. WHERE DID YOU GET THIS TALENT?? I enjoyed every word in your blog. I think you have hit your nitche and you did it all by yourself.
    Could I share your blogs with my friends??? I can’t wait until I read the next blog.

    Norma Gee from Collingwoo on Sep 10, 2013 at 11:34 am | Reply

  19. Great post, Laurie May! I’ve struggled with choosing blog names in the past… But as you say, when the right name comes along, it just clicks! I’ll be looking for your blue docs around town!

    Gillian on Sep 10, 2013 at 6:37 am | Reply

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