The brick on the house that my husband grew up in has "FRANKIE" etched in it. No Frankie in this family. We all like the character it adds. I suppose it takes 30 years (+/-) before one can enjoy such character. lol.

I remember doing that with a dining room chair that was "stored" in my room when not in use. My mom was pretty mad that my initials were on the back. I thought it was cool because it was mine. LOL.

My dd#1 carved into my kitchen table. I was not happy at the time, but now I don't even notice it.

Oh my goodness! Ten years ago I saved and scrimped and searched antique stores looking for a formal mahogany dining room set. I felt like such a grown up after it was delivered.

Three days later, my three year old thought the dining room set up would be a perfect place to play "office". She got a piece of notebook paper and a ball point pen, had a seat at the head chair and scribble scrabbled away.

My dining room table still has an 8 1/2 by 11 inch section of very deep imprints of her toddler scribbles. I was so destroyed when it happened but eventually found the humor in it a while later.

Now we are downsizing but I really don't want to part with that table. If it didn't have the scribble scrabble I wouldn't have a second thought about getting rid of it. As a compromise, think I'll take a photo of the damage/memory and hang it in a frame with a picture of her impish three year old face.

it's reassuring to hear that there are so many other "artists" out there, none of whom have gone on to be arrested for vandalism. :)

I'd keep that adoring signature. If you ever decide on something else it can always be changed. But I can see this remaining through her college years and possibly part of her in adulthood with a family to enjoy history. Think of how valuable this could be if she became "known" in some famous environment. I'd bet there are presidents who have carved their names in unknown furniture sitting in their museums.

My husband wrote on his desk ( second hand to him)...but he did it on the inside of the drawer. we had that desk when we were first married as our bill paying desk...I never knew about the name in the drawer. I "Antiqued" the desk with some greenish paint and a couple of different glazes and our son used it. Somehow it got to my daughter's and painted royal blue with every wooden knob a different primary color for her youngest son. This summer my grand daughter was gathering furniture to move to her first college apartment, she sanded the desk down and found her grandfather's childish scrawl....and her uncle's childish scrawl.....and promptly added her own name.
That desk is now gloss black with bright chrome knobs....and 3 generations of signatures.
Maggie knows a good thing!

kdw, where did your daughter inscribe her name? There might be a way to incorporate her "artwork" into your ideas for the desk.