TOPAZ HORIZON

My first name always gets massacred. Francis. Franzen. Princess. Pansit. My last name is pretty simple but it's spelled as Salas, Sanchez and Sally. I'm exasperated but I'm used to it because I grew up with people wondering about my maiden name, too, which is Amper. Amper is not so common so people turn it into Amber, Ampere, Unfair. So I'm quite used to people not remembering my name. Then there are also a lot of people who can't forget my name because apparently it's unusual.

Frances Amper.

I think it's a pretty name. An intelligent name. I love my former name. I love it so much that when I got married, I didn't change my name. My husband is Vince Sales and his wife—me—is Frances Amper.

I also married at 30 and have built a career with that name so I didn't want to change my name. But on our first anniversary, Vince said he'd like for us to share the same last name. So, because I promised to love and obey, I changed my name to Frances Sales.

I use Frances Amper Sales professionally. Because of that, I guess that's why people address correspondence to me as such: "To Ms. Frances Amper-Sales."

My last name is just Sales. It isn't hyphenated. When you hyphenate a last name, that means you use the whole thing, so if we must be formal, I'd be addressed as "Ms. Amper-Sales." On invitations and letters addressed to us as a couple, the correct address is "To Vince Sales and Frances Amper-Sales." But my last name isn't Amper-Sales. It's just Sales. No hyphen. So you can write on the envelope, "To Vince and Frances Sales."

This is correct because Amper is my middle name.

This is incorrect because my last name isn't Amper-Sales.

Frances Sales.

In normal, ordinary life, that's the name I use. When I introduce myself to my kids' friends, teachers, to my husband's friends, I'm Frances Sales. In the last couple of years, I've dropped my maiden name, however. I now just tell people—whether I work with them or not—to address me as Frances Sales. It's simpler.


I like my name now because it rhymes. Someone even asked me if that was a stage name I invented. Haha, it's my real name, folks. I really married a Mr. Sales and I married him for love not because I wanted a name that rhymed.

Was it difficult for me to become a Ms. Sales, to let go of my father's name and take on my husband's name? Well, in the beginning, yes. I'm attached to Amper. I mean, I've been attached to it all my life! But I like that I changed my name. Here are my reasons:

1. To my surprise, I actually loved that my new name made me feel like I am one with my husband. We're a team. That's what married life is all about!
2. I liked how symbolic it was to drop my maiden name—it didn't just usher in a new life as a married woman; it also reminded me that I was leaving my family. By changing my name, I felt like life was going to be better because I'm a new person now. I have a new name! 
3. When the children came, I was happy I shared their last name. We were all the same, in the same team, one family unit. My new name told my kids that I belong to their papa, I belong to them, and that they all belong to me. 
4. I actually like that my name rhymes!

How about you? Did you keep your maiden name? Did you take your husband's name? Do you like your married name? Did life change when you changed your name? Tell me! I'd like to know!


* * * * * * *
P.S.
Like me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram
Love me on Bloglovin'

Summer is nearly over but I still can't get over the fact that I have a summery nail polish color named after my blog! Thanks so much, Girlstuff Forever! I'm so enjoying all these photos of the #BloggersEliteSummer Collection having a fun summer:


I also enjoyed it when nail art and nail polish enthusiasts posted their fabulous nails over on Instagram:

I'm so in love with the Girlstuff #BloggersEliteSummer Collection but I'm definitely most smitten by my bright and creamy yellow polish, Topaz Horizon! It's soooo ME—bright, bold, can't ignore and yet comforting and friendly.

Here are a few behind-the-scenes photos from the photo shoot of us bloggers (Nikki Tiu of AskMeWhats, Jackie Go of Go Jackie Go!, and Cristina Decena of Strutting on Sunshine).

It's been five weeks since I told you that I have a new nail polish color named after this fabulous blog. Have you gotten yourself a bottle of Girlstuff's Topaz Horizon yet?!? Please tell me you have a bottle of Topaz Horizon and you're wearing that fun and bold yellow hue on your nails!

I've been enjoying the various masterpieces that nail artists have been posting on Instagram using the #BloggersEliteSummer collection, which are four bright colors named after four fab blogs: AskMeWhats, Go Jackie Go, Strutting on Sunshine, and Topaz Horizon. I'd like to see your nails, too!

But I'll talk about those stunning nail art in another post. Right now, I want to share with you the party! It was so fun and cute and colorful and girly!

The media found this smorgasbord of treats!

I'm the yellow, Nikki Tiu is the pink.

My new friend Cristina Decena!

The party started with everyone getting nail art.

Here's mine! Topaz Horizon with an accent nail of confetti.

If you're anything like me, this set of photos will make your heart quicken.