Finding Me at Fifty

I've always liked nutcrackers, selecting small ones here and there over the years. But it was the life size ones that always left me starry-eyed. There was something stately about them, kind of magical. I wanted one for years before I ever found the fully customizable kind, and even then, it took three years before I finally got my hands on one.

That timing turned out to matter. With a newly empty nest and a new season on the horizon, I wanted to reconnect with myself. I've always been a thrifter and a scavenger at heart, someone who can walk into a space filled with all sorts of this or that and spot something fantastic. Friends often comment on my finds and smile. I just hadn't turned that eye toward a paintbrush or a craft yet.

So with a giant nutcracker finally in hand, I taught myself. A little at a time, mostly through hours of tutorials and trial and error, (and maybe a few tears) I learned to paint. Finding a new passion and skill at this age wasn't something I expected, but it's turned into one of the best surprises of my life.

It wasn't until later, when I was naming this business, it all came together, something clicked. Fifty is its own kind of cracking open - a little worn in places, something new emerging, bits and pieces collected of a life lived - and feeling a little more myself than ever. All along I was a curator. Throw in that I painted Nut-crackers in my fashion, and it just fit. I didn't just choose the name, I, too, am Cracked & Curated. And now, with all of that coming together, I get to share that passion and skill with clients, curating a beloved nutcracker for their home or business.