New Branding, New Name

Over the past year, I have been trying to develop a cohesive look and have a singular brand.

When I first began 'Nomsa' in 2009, I really didn't think that it would grow into what it has and I didn't do enough research beforehand on the name. 

'Nomsa' is a Swahili word meaning grace and is a common name in South Africa and Swaziland. I came upon this name while on a mission trip and it was love at first listen. 

Unfortunately, there are a lot of brands and websites (especially in that part of the world) that use 'Nomsa.' 

Too many.

Later on in 2009, I started selling my handmade jewelry on etsy and didn't want to have it in my Nomsa store. I wanted to keep the hair accessories and jewelry separate. 'My Cellar Door' was born thanks to the movie Donnie Darko. In the movie, Drew Barrymore's character tells Donnie Darko that a famous linguist once said that of all the phrases in the world and all the combinations of words, my cellar door, is the most beautiful.

Whether or not this is true, I don't know, but it stuck. 

Two years roll by and I start to get an urge to have one brand. I am selling online, in stores, at craft shows and I need one name that I can tell people rather than explain what item can be found where.

One business name that in encompasses everything. One identity.

So after some brainstorming, my husband and I came up with 'My Sweet Nomsa,' which translates into 'My Sweet Grace.' This business has always been a much needed creative outlet for me and is a form of grace to me. It allows me to be what I want to be, an artisan. 

So I got this website, started blogging again and I have officially changed the etsy store 'My Cellar Door' to 'My Sweet Nomsa.'  It was a bit scary to change the name because there is no changing it back, but it needed to be done. 

After some hemming and hawing, I finally decided on a brand look that is all my own. I made everything about it, so I can do whatever the hell I want with it :)

I just got all my new branding and packaging stuff in the mail, so I thought I would share. 

Let me know what you think!

( I absolutely love how my jewelry is packaged now. Makes it more like a present to yourself when it is wrapped up so pretty!)