Hello, I’m Laura, creator of Fanfaron. I’m a proud graduate of Whitworth University in Spokane, WA.  I taught elementary school in Washington, Arizona, Texas, and now Tennessee. I live with my wonderful husband, adorable daughter, and super fluffy cat.

 

 

 

 

I am so grateful to be married to Justin. We love to travel together, eat s’mores by the campfire, and play tennis (though Justin always wins)! Justin is a coach, speaker, and blogger. You can check out his website at http://theexcellingedge.com.

 

 

 

 

 

This is Ivy Lou, doing one of her favorite things: sleeping. She also loves being brushed (which causes immediate purring), catching crickets, and walking in the yard on her leash. Ivy is, of course, the inspiration behind my Ivy stories. I started writing them for my students in Arizona, before I got married, when I was known as “Miss Waite.”

 

 

Fanfaron

[fan-fuh-ron]

What is Fanfaron?

I started Fanfaron in 2012 as an Etsy shop where I sold my handmade jewelry. I continue to create a small amount of  jewelry, but Fanfaron has evolved into much more.

As a teacher, one of my passions was to encourage creativity in my students. I love the quote from Muhammad Ali in which he said, “The man who has no imagination has no wings.” I’d change the quote to say, “The child who has imagination has wings to fly.”

With that in mind, I started a YouTube channel, also called Fanfaron. Its purpose is encourage imagination by demonstrating how kids and their families can make fun, creative, inexpensive craft projects.

This website takes it even further and gives children a place to publish and share creative writing about their craft projects. I also plan to make it an outlet for my own creativity.  We’ll see where it goes!

What does Fanfaron mean?

Fanfaron is a noun, a synonym for “showoff.”  I think it’s an apt name for a website designed to showcase creativity.  This is a place for children to show and be proud of what they have created.  I believe that we’re made in the image of God, our creator, and that in using our God-given talents to create, we bring him glory.

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. Spending time with a boastful person gets old quickly. That’s not the type of person I want to be, nor do I desire to see it in others. This definition reminds me that all that I have is a gift from the God. He blessed me beyond measure in the gift of his Son, Jesus, and I can never repay him for doing so.

Thanks for stopping by. Please join me in giving children wings to fly!

My Privacy Policy is available here.