Fanfaron: Show It Off
My shop is named for a fish. Read on, the story is a little deeper than you might guess:
"Fanfaron" is a noun, a synonym for "showoff." In college, I had a gorgeous red beta who, as most betas are, was quite the showoff, particularly when he saw himself in a mirror. Hence, I named him Fanfaron. He was beautiful and he knew it.
When I opened my shop in 2012 to sell jewelry, I chose the name Fanfaron because it represents the way I hope people feel wearing my jewelry. I believe God made each of us in his image, beautiful in unique ways, both inside and out. Sadly, in our world of photoshopped models, too many of us lose sight of what true beauty really is.
However, that's not end of the story. The word fanfaron has a "shadow side," if you will. It also means "braggart," a negative connotation. No one likes to spend time with a boastful person. This reminds me that anything I have, whether it be beauty, knowledge, skills, relationships, love, life - it's all a gift from the God. He blessed me beyond measure and I can never repay him for doing so.
As the years have passed, Fanfaron has evolved into a shop that sells craft projects for children. I stumbled on to the idea while spending time with a friend's children. After we made and played with a paper house and paper dolls, I thought I'd make a how-to video and post it on YouTube. I never dreamed that over 2 million people would watch the video! Now that I have a child of my own, time for craft shows is scarce so I've put aside most of the jewelry to focus on the instant download crafts. I love knowing they give children the opportunity to be creative and imaginative, something that gets a bit lost in the hustle and bustle of today's standards-driven education. Plus, I feel like the name "Fanfaron" still fits. I love when children are so proud of their projects that they can't wait to show them off!
And finally I'd like to share that out of gratitude to my Savior I give to others through Fanfaron. A portion of my profits goes to provide hope for sexually exploited girls and career training for woman and girls across the globe through World Vision. If you've never read the book, "Half the Sky" by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, I would encourage you to do so. You can't help but be moved to action.