Worn...Weathered...and Blooming...

 Stitching...painting...journaling...scrapbooking...singing... these all are things that remind me that no matter how old I may be, I still have a lot of blooming to do. I may be 51 with a wrinkle here and there, but when I stitch a butterfly, I feel pretty.

That's why I love it when I see my mom, who is 86, wearing a fresh, bright and pretty blouse. At this age, yes, she's a little worn and weathered--but she's blooming!

Some of my wearable art on my embroidered cutoffs.

 Maybe this is why some of the most beautiful and colorful needle arts are traditionally thought of as being done by older women--that age-old stereotype of the old woman knitting in her rocking chair. Although I got my first little sewing machine when I was 8, picked up knitting needles at 10, and was well into my cross-stitch career in my twenties, it is easy to understand that looks may fade, but yarns, threads and ribbons can color the tapestry of your life as long as you wish.

Stitching with beautiful colors makes me feel good!

I also think of a friend who owns a beautiful little consignment and antiques shop. She specializes in certain eras, and when she receives something like a very old knotty pine table, dined on for decades, she presents it in her store in a way that it still radiates with classic beauty and elegance.

This glass pendant was recycled to a thrift store and purchased by me for 74 cents. It's getting a new, organic cotton and beaded crocheted cord. Trash to treasure!

So there's something about seeing a beautiful bloom in an old pot or next to weathered wood. Somehow the contrast captures a deep essence of beauty as each shows off the other. This kind of contrast drives me to tear the edges of pretty papers, and tea-stain muslin to embroider on with beautiful new flosses.

Blooming...growing...blossoming...whatever your age, it means don't stop learning, changing, and expanding your horizons. But most of all, don't act your age--just act like you. Eat, Write, Dream, Stitch, Grow!

"Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."
--Actress Doris Roberts