What's in a name...

Elizabeth E.  Elizabeth Lindsay E.  Elizabeth EE?   I believe a name defines someone as much as their profession and way of life.  For the first 14 years of my life, I went by my middle name.  I joke that it was a harsh trick my parents played on me so that it would force me to correct the teacher and speak up in class (something I feared doing for the first 13 years of my life).   In reality, my parents felt that I was a Lindsay and Elizabeth Lindsay sounds better than Lindsay Elizabeth.  Fast forward to high school, I was beginning to define myself and with college applications in the near future, I decided that Lindsay no longer fit the woman I was becoming.

Yes, Elizabeth, simply Elizabeth.  Not Liz, Libby or Beth (maybe occasionally Lizzy if you are my nieces or nephews or Lizabeth if you were a high school friend) but Elizabeth.   It was confusing at first and I began responding to practically any name that I was called.  Of course, when I started my new job as a barista, there was another Elizabeth, a slightly older Elizabeth who had already been established as an Elizabeth in the work setting.  My name was thus shortened to E2 which was not just because of being another Elizabeth but also to incorporate my last name which also started with an E.  

I can thank my husband for the 3^rd E on my name.  Lindsay was officially dropped in 2006 and my name not only had the same three initials but was ridiculous long.  Elizabeth Emsweller Ellenbecker.  I constantly get remarks when people look at my Military Spouse ID and see a barely visible font squeezing all 29 letters in a ½ inch space.  

So, E3.  I’ve played with this symbol before.  In college, I designed a major in Art Gallery Management.  My dream at the time was to open an Art Gallery called The Cube (cute, huh).  My life led me into a different direction (across the ocean, a continent and another ocean to be exact) and that dream was put on a hold.  It was a good thing, however, as I learned more about the Elizabeth I was and the passions and dreams that would soon follow.

This is the start to embracing my dreams and hopefully in turn, will help me decide what to ultimately do with my life (besides of course being a wife to my husband and mother to my son). Through my art, inspirations, recipes, and thoughts I will explore my passions of life which range from Photography and Interior Design to Cooking and Going Green.  This chapter of my life will be using 3 different but defining Es to Creating an Enriching, Expressive, an Eco-Friendly Life.  I hope you enjoy the journey.