Monogram mania

Monograms are back in a big way. Whether it's fashion items, travel or home style, putting your own stamp on your style (literally) is hot all over again.

When it comes to fashion, classic knits with initials woven into the mix are making the rounds. But it's monogram jewellery of all kinds that is really catching my eye this season.

Clockwise from top left: Silver monogram necklaces from Just for Fun, BestpersJewellery and McLaughlinCreations on Etsy.

I would LOVE a classic silver monogram necklace; in fact, I've been searching Etsy for a while for something just right. The only problem is that I only have two initials!

You see, my mother cannot stand her middle name, so when I was born, she didn't want to saddle me with a traditional or family name that I might have hated as an adult. So I was just Katy. No middle name, nothing that can translate into a middle initial for me. (For the record, my brother doesn't have a middle name either. Just Jamie).

I know that a lot of married women take their maiden name as a middle initial when they're getting a three-letter monogram, but the issue with that for me is that I don't like my maiden name. I really, really don't. It's just my biological father's last name, and I don't care to take it back at all. In fact, I was thrilled to get a new last name when I married BB!

I could just go the two-initial route, but I'm not sure I like the look of that in a monogram, it doesn't seem well-balanced.

Another chic way this trend is turning up is in home décor. Wood letters, classic monogram pillows, bedding and throw blankets are everywhere. The key is to keep it simple with a piece or two. You don't want to go as far as having it engraved on your front door, but a few good initials here and there can look fresh long after the trend dies down in the coming years. And even my very blokey husband couldn't find fault with some fancy letters on cushions, right?

Zazzle monogrammed cushion

Zazzle monogrammed candy jar

Zazzle monogrammed cushion

I think the easiest way to get in on the monogram trend is with gadget accessories. iPhone cases in a bunch of styles and colors can be found online at shops like Zazzle, and preppy journals, notebooks, note cards and date books are always a classic.

monogrammed coral anchor Zazzle iPhone case / monogrammed mint stripe Zazzle iPhone case

monogrammed stationery from Modern Pink Paper

So what's the solution to my monogram dilemma?

Stick to just the letter K? Pick my own middle name like I did when I was 9 years old? (In case you're wondering, I wanted it to be Bronzewing. Like the bird - Bronzewing Pigeon. Go figure.)

Any suggestions?