Thank you for your wonderful responses to our last Ribbon. I love hearing from you and sharing thoughts.
I celebrated another birthday this past weekend, and that always makes me stop and think about how fast time is passing. It’s probably going at the same rate; it just feels faster as wrinkles and various saggings are more pronounced and seem to appear overnight. Just saying! I made the mistake of buying a makeup mirror that has 10X power. Mercy, I can see the cells in my skin! But in order to get the eyeliner close to my lashes, it was necessary. But it does reveal that my face could resemble the map of Canada very soon. I am the oldest child of three, and I always tell people I am the youngest, which drives my sister Janice totally nuts. She has guest blogged before, and I am sure you remember her. She is the baby. Another topic for another day.
A doctor said to me several years ago, as he was grimacing about his clients that love Botox, “Why can’t you women just age gracefully? Put away the magnifying mirrors and be beautiful for the age you are!” As we talked, he said the movie stars that were considered glamourous were in the 1950s and didn’t have all these wonder drugs. They became more beautiful with age. I attributed it to Ponds Cold Cream. My grandmothers used that!
More beautiful with age…that is something to ponder. It is not just our physical appearance, but our countenance and inner beauty that makes us who we are. More beautiful with age is a lovely thought to dwell on. While we will all continue the fight against wrinkles, I have known some of the most physically beautiful women that were so hateful that there was no beauty. Our true beauty, or lack of it, comes from within.
Inner beauty is the kind that seeps from our heart to our face. Our eyes show it, our smile reveals it, and our face has a radiant look that can’t be faked. That doesn’t mean that we won’t have hard times, but even through those times, we can be ourselves. I like to think that what we put in our mind grows in our heart. If we fill our thoughts with lovely moments and things that encourage us, we will see beauty grow in us. It will crowd out the negative that lurks everywhere today. We can bring encouragement to those who are in need of a loving word.
So as I start another year of my life, I pray I will find things to fill my heart that will spill over into my words and my expressions on my face that will be pleasing to those around me. But yes, I will color my hair and slather on the creams…some things will never change!
Comments 30
Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.
I love your posts.
I’m just glad to get through 2020 all intact even with all that has been going on.
Every day is another learning experience.
I too have had a few women comment to me that I look good for my age and that makes me feel good. They are the ones who have had nips and tucks and Botox. I have no problem with that. It’s just not for me.
My hair has turned more gray this year. It’s no big deal.
We are getting through this year none of us will soon forget.
Please keep doing these posts, Phyllis.
Happy Birthday, Phyllis! You have brought your beauty to life through the art of media, and the images from your magazines, books, and posts have made the world a more beautiful place. Thank you. We have all needed this during this very challenging year.
Happy birthday dear Phyllis. Wishing you continued blessings and joy. What a meaningful post especially as we live through these challenging times.
Thank You Phyllis once again for a lovely and inspiring post. Any one who brings such beautiful magazines and other products has to be beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. Victoria is our favorite magazine. The November/December issue is gorgeous. We look forward to ever issue. Tea Time is another favorite of ours. It is a comforting magazine. Wishing you blessings and happiness throughout your birthday year.God Bless.
HAPPY BELATED BLESSED BIRTHDAY PHYLLIS
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
The happiest of belated birthday wishes to you for all year long. I am glad to see the blog posts back again. I have missed them. As always, I am thoroughly in love with all things Hoffman Publishing, and am enjoying the early copies of your Christmas magazines so far.
Best to you and your family during these trying times.
Happy birthday, Phyllis! This post really resonated with me. I have tried to let my hair go gray three times, and I usually give up around the third month. But with the advent of COVID-19, I have finally succeeded! It took 10 months. Right now it is a bit shorter than I prefer, but I was anxious to get those last bits trimmed off. I’m still getting used to seeing myself in the mirror, but my hair is so soft, and those silver highlights are beautiful! I still take excellent care of my skin with creams and moisturizers. I did have a bit of skin cancer near my eye a few months ago that required surgery to remove, but the surgeon did an excellent job, and now I can barely see the scar. As many others have expressed, I’m grateful to be alive, and I am grateful for the life I have.
Lovely message and so true. People usually tell me I don’t look my age(almost 72) but I disagree. However, I am learning to be so very grateful I have lived this long. So many don’t.
Wishing you so very many more.
Happy Birthday, Phyllis! A very nice message.
I am reminded of what my dad used to tell me when I was a little girl (when I was acting ugly, probably) and that is that “Pretty is as pretty does”.
In regards to aging gracefully, I am dealing with all the same forces everyone else is, but I would take the outward evidence (like the wrinkles, sagging skin and even the thinning hair) over beauty, IF I could FEEL as pain-free as I did in my youth!
But, regardless, I am grateful because everything is relative and God has truly blessed me and I am really very healthy!
So, here is to your health AND beauty!
Happy Belated Birthday! Today’s society places some much emphasis on looking young & an unrealistic idea of beauty. We must remind ourselves, as the Lord did Samuel, “man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” An ugly heart makes for an ugly person. Thanks for sharing your beautiful words.
Thank you for the reminder of pretty is as pretty does- my grandmother would say. I pray your new year has many blessings and many post to share .
Happy belated birthday, Phyllis! I can relate to and love every word of your blog . . . truth has spoken! Funny thing is . . . . I am harder on myself than on other people! I see all of my physical flaws in all of their glory, yet when I look at a happy, kind, loving person, I don’t seem to notice their wrinkles, sagging double chin or extra pounds. Instead, I see their beautiful smile, their twinkling eyes and the glow of joy that emanates from their entire being. You’ve inspired me to try and see myself in the same light . . . thank you!
As always, thank you for your lovely thoughts! They are always heart warming.
I just received the November/December Victoria and that beautiful cover inspired me to jump right in and read every entry. Simply put, it filled me with holiday spirit. Merry Christmas back to you!
Yes to hair color, creams and all you’ve written. Let’s embrace this, ladies!
Beautiful words to live by! Thank you beautiful lady.
Thank you for your lovely post, and wishing you a belated Happy Birthday. I loved your comment, “I like to think that what we put in our mind grows in our heart”. Thank you for all the love and inspiration you share. You are so appreciated.
I’d like to add my belated birthday wishes to you Phyllis. Just a small comment about age related thoughts…my maternal grandfather, born in 1878, used to tell my grandmother “powder and paint can’t make you what you ain’t”. Not implying we shouldn’t try to be attractive, but everything can be over done!!
Happy happy birthday, Phyllis! You are truly one of those women who get more beautiful with age. Your heart shines through your every written word. Having spoken with you on several occasions, your voice radiates kindness and care. I know that your husband, children, your little people, your friends and your staff are blessed by your presence.
When I think of the woman I loved most and who I thought most beautiful- it was definitely my grandmother who never wore make-up but whose love shone from her very presence. God intended for us to grow in wisdom and kindness and beauty and as we age. I strive for that- but I do still color my hair and wear make-up! Xo Lidy
I hope your birthday was beautifully shared with your loved ones. I have so missed hearing from you. You and your lovely Victoria Magazine bring beauty to my days. I received my Holiday issue of Victoria and have hidden it from myself so I can savor every page in a couple of weeks…ha ha ha.
I hope we will hear from you again soon. Stay beautiful inside and out.
I celebrated my 80th birthday in July. Not everyone is lucky enough to have longevity. I am healthy, and enjoy an active life. So I embrace my “laugh lines” as well as my stylish grey hair. A belated happy birthday to you and may you enjoy many more.
Thanks for your beautiful post Phyllis. It’s always filled with wisdom and inspiration. Happy Birthday and may God bless you and your readers.
Happy Belated Birthday. Agree with all that you wrote, including that
10x mirror.
This was a great post! I actually just prayed this morning for God to help me to learn to accept my aging body!
I hope you had a wonderful & blessed birthday!
I love all that you have written so much in today’s post, I feel like printing it out and putting on a wall as words to live by! I’m reminded of the scripture that says it’s not the braiding of hair or adorning of gold but the inner spirit that makes a woman beautiful. Today, October 20, is my birthday! I love the autumn season; we’re surrounded by such colorful beauty. I hope you had a splendid birthday! Thank you for writing your blog post again. Your words give hope and encouragement.
Belated happy birthday wishes…much good health, happiness and God’s blessings. I once read a very interesting article about patina….and how we value things that have aged and will even pay a lot of money for them in antique stores , whether they be an old chair, a vintage dress or a distressed leather handbag. Why can we then not see the same beauty in our faces? They , like that piece of furniture have stories to tell, every line and wrinkle should be valued as that person’s life story and then more than likely that beauty from within will supremely radiate and cast a magnificent glow to be admired and truly appreciated.
I always think back to Audrey Hepburn…not in her roles where she is wearing beautiful clothes and makeup but in her last role as UN Goodwill ambassador, where she worked in some of the poorest communities….her silver tinged hair plainly tied, no makeup hiding her fine lines but looking more beautiful than ever as she embraces an orphaned child with so much love and tenderness.
Lovely post!
Happy belated birthday, Phyllis! I also have one of those mirrors, it is rather frightening. As I will celebrate my birthday later this month, I love the thought, more beautiful with age. It is always a pleasure to visit the ribbon in your journal!
I love that reminder. Beautiful post. Happy Belated birthday. B.T.W. I have a 20X! Talk about scaring myself!
Great post! I, too have known women who were physically beautiful until they opened their mouth. Very disappointing when what is within contradicts what we see on the outside. Happy Birthday to you 🙂
This is my first time at your journal site and I liked it very much and look forward to following it regularly. Thank you