I LOVE terms of endearment.  It amuses me to no end to call my cat Coco “puppy”.  It’s one of my little loving names for her, as is Sweet Pumpkin Girl. I think loving and/or funny nicknames add a wonderful depth to a relationship…it’s part of the world you create together.

My brother David calls me Sissy, at first to tease me and now as a loving gesture, and his wife calls me Sassy.  My first major nickname, Lacy was given to me in college by Debbie, my college roommate and it became such a big part of my life….I used it as an artist name for many years and there are plenty of people who know me first by that name.  I even have an ex who had “Lacy” tattooed on his body…not once, but twice.

Debbie and I started calling each other Punkin and Sweetpea.  I call my dad Daddy-O.  He likes it.  I have friends I call Little Miss Sassy Pants, Miss Pink, Boo boo, and funny Donna.  One calls me Phoenix.  My boyfriend calls me Sunshine and I call him Handsome.  My mom and I have fun calling each other Mommy Dearest and Daughter Dearest.  I call myself a glitter girl and Miss Smarty Pants.

But my all-time favorite nickname is what my 8-year-old nephew Ty calls me.  Lovely Dame.  It doesn’t get any better than that.