Happy Spring!  If you’ve visited the Late 2 Bloom facebook page, or are seeing this from the blog main page, you’ve noticed things look a bit different around here.  The peachy snowy path has been replaced by a trio of chibis.  There will definitely be more of them in the future, because I feel like there are a number of major topics that aren’t represented yet.  For now, let me introduce you to…me!

Late 2 Bloom started out as a beauty blog.  It was my first serious attempt at anything makeup related.  At 32, I was just beginning to accept that makeup could be something fun that I could do for myself and didn’t change who I am inside.  Wearing makeup didn’t mean I was trying to impress anyone.  It didn’t mean I was going to bust out a Pinterest board for my dream wedding or start naming potential children.  Makeup is just one more way I can express my creativity and love of color.  It’s sad to think that it took me so many years to stop fighting against the female gender stereotypes and judging other women based on things I knew firsthand to be untrue.  If it hadn’t been for my boyfriend, who is more of a feminist than I am, I might never have opened up to the other half of the world population.

Accepting the friendship of women has led me back to another passion of mine that began in my childhood.  One of my cool hippie friends recommended a subscription service for gemstones, and because of this, I pulled out my old collection and decided to take on my Stone of the Week project.  It tipped this blog heavily in the direction of metaphysical, which may surprise some, because I’m also a firm believer that science is the answer to all mysteries of the universe.  I do, however, believe that stones, meditation and chakra alignment all serve as focuses for self-improvement by giving us manageable tasks to work through.  The mind is a powerful thing, and being able to put all its energy towards a specific goal can be facilitated by use of tangible resources.  You could just as easily wear a red shirt to keep yourself motivated for a challenging day if the color empowers you.  These beliefs are no less scientific; psychology is real science, and we still understand so little of the human mind’s potential.

Finally, the arts and crafts chibi!  Before there was makeup in my life, and before I took an active interest in gemstones, I was making things with my hands.  Drawing, painting, molding shapes in Play-Doh, cutting out minuscule bits of colored paper to build tiny 3D scenes, you name it, I was doing it.  In 2010, I completed my Bachelor of Fine Arts to certify a lifetime of creation.  Sure, you can be an artist without a degree, but going through the courses pushed me to experiment with styles and methods that I might have overlooked, and which consequently became parts of my own style.  I have shared very little of my artwork on this blog so far, but I have shared my progress on this year’s big crafting challenge, the Weather Blanket.  This chibi is pictured with yarn and a crochet hook.  Just so you know, I had never attempted to crochet anything until this year, and now I can’t stop.  At 33, I’ve acquired a new passion!  This only further proves the theme of my blog: it’s never too late.

I hope that you find something here that you enjoy, and maybe you will find inspiration in this blog that leads you to a new passion of your own.  Thanks for reading, following and commenting!