So, I had a location, a lease, and a vision — of a gift shop selling everything from postcards to windup toys to American Crafts. Things that would give pleasure in some way and make my future customers smile or laugh or wonder. Then it occurred to me that stores have names — I needed a name. After a night spent at the kitchen table with a few friends and a bottle or two of wine, I had one: Joie de Vivre. In the end it had come down to that or "The Graham Cracker Club." The later was ultimately rejected as being just a shade too esoteric. It also would have been outright theft — it was the title of a New Yorker cartoon drawn by my cartooning idol, Roz Chast. "Joie de Vivre" seemed to sum up the feeling I wanted — a store where everything we sold would be something that would bring a little joy to our customers, be it a wind-up toy, a funny postcard, or a hundred dollar kaleidoscope. Little did I know then that I'd have to spell it out about a hundred billion times — (not a problem with a name like The Red Balloon!) and also that many people would not only not know what it meant, but would be afraid to try to say it. (We also had a few memorable deliveries for "Joey D. Veevur — is he here?") Of course many did know that phrase — and it was fun explaining it to the rest — I'm glad we chose it!