A D O R N

I’ve always enjoyed this word. For me, it has almost an archaic feel, feeling more powerful and meaningful than the word “decorate”, though arguably they mean the same thing.

 

When I see or hear this word, I envision items being selected with purpose, with intention, with meaning. People ‘adorn’ altars, their bedrooms, their gardens, their clothing… and their bodies. Humans have been adorning themselves and their spaces since the beginning of time, with precious metals, stones, shells or with local materials or products of trade.

And what a joy it is, to adorn your own body or that of a loved one. Jewelry gives power. It gives confidence, it gives love, it gives honor, tradition, and celebration. It is exchanged from one to another with only the best intentions, sometimes layered with stories.

 

I decided to name my business Desert Adorned because I wanted to celebrate the beauty of this place that I call home.

The desert exudes profound exquisiteness if you know where to look.  It's bright yellow flowers on prickly pear cacti on a summer hike, their dark red spiny fruits hanging heavy from ripeness. It’s seeing fluffy white blooms on the tall yucca stalks, and high mountain meadows bursting into carpets of color after a cool, nourishing monsoon rainstorm.

It's cicadas buzzing in the late August heat, puffs of cotton floating on the breeze by the river, the blazing pink and orange that washes the mountains as the shadows grow long and the sun slinks below the horizon.

It's the sea of varying shades of gold as the tall rustling cottonwood trees transition from summer to fall, and snow sitting gently on cactus spines after a winter storm.

What we see out here is sparse, survivalistic beauty through subtle embellishments. Here in the desert, the most is made out of very little but it doesn’t lessen its sweetness. In fact, it enhances it.

And this is the thinking I want to take into my work. There is so much in this world to embellish and celebrate. The inherent beauty is already there, I’m just seeking to amplify it.

It's an incredible honor for me to see my creations on other people, and for my work to be selected for celebration, to feel strength, beauty, or to show love. I hope you find something I've made that speaks to you and helps you feel something positive. ❤️

 

- Stephanie