I’m 39 years old today!
…
Some people has said that I look a little bit younger than my actual age. In fact, the reaction people made when I told them my age made me felt like I’ve just confessed a big lie. Of course I didn’t lie, I just didn’t see any opportunity nor reason to talk about my age. But yeah, I was born in 1971 and the eighties happened in my teenage years. My first perfume was Electric Youth by Debbie Gibson, I bought it in a supermarket near my high school in 1989.
When I was a teenager, I used to think that 39 is soooo old. It turned out that when you’re 39, you don’t feel much different than when you’re 29 or even 19. I still don’t get a lot of things and have so many things to learn everyday. Where is that wisdom and maturity? Deep inside, I still have no idea how the world works. Sometimes I feel like I’m still a confused twelye years old. The worse thing is, you might still feel the same, but your body is not the same anymore.
Most people will get to 39 one day. Everybody, everything, will get old. Sometimes it is hard to accept. When fine lines started to show around my eyes five years ago, I used to worry about them. But worrying over fine lines won’t make them disappear, and maybe would make them even more pronounced. So I’ve grown to like them. Now I can say that my face has more character! I also got my first white hair this year. It’s a single strand on the front part of my head. Sidra doesn’t like it and pretends that he doesn’t see it. He’s still in denial, I guess.
Of course the white hair is just a beginning. More of them will come. There is already more back pain and physical limitation now. There are more lines around my eyes and on my face. My body has started sagging and the texture of my skin is changing. But I hope that they will be well accepted in my life. Well, I should work on the back pain issue because pain is not nice, but at least I’ve tried to prepare myself.
I’m getting old, or older than before, it doesn’t matter. But the past few years has been one of the happiest time in my life. The two love of my life are on either side of me, they tell me that they love me everyday and I tell them the same everyday. I wish to grow old(er) with them and be together as long as possible. The sad thing about life is that there is no forever. Even if you’re lucky, like, really, really lucky, you can never have more than a hundred years to be together.
Until then, I’m hoping to age gracefully like the people in this lovely blog. Maybe in ten years I will be eligible to be featured there!
Happy 39th! - from Sidra
PS:
- Stay tuned for my birthday giveaway post later today!
- This morning I found out that my autumn dress is one of top 50 finalists of the BERNINA ‘Party Through the Decades’ International Competition at Burdastyle! Please check them out HERE and submit your vote to your favorite finalists!
Salam kenal, mbak!
Post yang ini saya suka banget. ^^
Ooh I’m a bit late to say happy birthday – but happy birthday anyway! You are so youthful and beautiful.
And congratulations for winning the Burda thread organiser giveaway – so jealous!
Just wanna say HAPPY BIRTHDAY girl! I’ve been reading your blog for a long time now and its truly inspiring. Your creations are so adorable and beautiful! Please have a wonderful year ahead & wonderful well-wishes to your hubby & dear Sidra too!
Happy Birthday
P.S. I so love it when you post your son’s drawings; they’re awesome!
Happy Birthday to You!
Surprised to know I am just 4 days elder. I also share your feeling about age.
Your blog gave me many nice minutes in the last months, THANK YOU!
Happy birthday!
Happy belated birthday Novita! You share the samebirthdate as my sister!
As others ahvementioned, you don’t look 39 at all! I thought you are at most 30!
Don’t worry about those grey hairs, they are there to make us look wiser? That’s what I tell myself, i have grey hairs since i was a teenager! Lol..
Hope you have many many more years to love and be loved!
Love your blog lots!
many many happy returns of the day Novita…May God bless you with a lot more happy birthdays ^_^…
HAPPY BDAY dearie!!! May God Bless YOu and the family
Happy Birthday! And what a beautiful family!
Feliz cumpleaños.
Te deseo un feliz día y que cumplas mucho mas.
Happy birthday!!
Happy Birthday Novita!I didnt really start sewing till this year, at 29, and Sometimes I have the nagging feelign taht I started too old to ever get as good at this as I want. (totally silly, I know. There are tons of folks on the blogosphere who started later than that, and are terrific at what they do.) But I see your work, and I realize that its worth it to keep trying to get better at this craft. You inspire me with every post, and I wish you many more years of feeling young.
Happy Birthday! It’s so refreshing to see someone in my age range blogging too! I’m only a year younger than you and have also been told that I look young for my age. My first TWO gray hairs were both found in the front of my head on my 30th birthday! I yanked them out in a panic and never saw them again, until a tiny gray one appeared near the same spot this year. Now, I think I may have to accept it. I can’t just yank out all of my hair.
I love how honest you were about it all. It would be great to see more of us in our age range blogging and talking about it!
Happy Birthday!! I also look younger than my age to most people, I was 31 in October. I also found my first white hair this year. So you see, it could always be worse lol ;p
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Novita Dear, Have a wonderful & blessed birthday, for u are indeed blessed! Im a huge fan of yr work
Keep it up & take care. p/s. Im 39 too (march 71′) and loving each year as it comes!
Happy Birthday to you – and to me! Yes, today is my birthday, too, but I am 68 today. Age is a state of mind, I believe, but I agree that our bodies betray us as pieces/parts wear out. I am a huge fan and wish I could find that wonderful Japanese pattern book you often use! I need some dresses similar to yours because I’m having a difficult hand surgery soon and will be in splints for 3 months, then another 3-6 months in therapy. It will be impossible to wear slacks (I’m having my dominant hand’s thumb and index finger rebuilt) so I need some over-the-head slipon type dresses such as you make. Your creativity is a joy to see! I read your entire blog in one day – all 50 pages – because I enjoy it so much! Keep up the great work! You’re an inspiration!
Happy birthday Barbara! Here’s to both of us!
By the way, you can find those books from some etsy sellers, here’s one: http://www.etsy.com/shop/pomadour24?section_id=5162898
I hope the surgery will go well, Barbara. Wish you health and lovely time ahead.
Thank you for giving one day of your time to read my blog! I’m glad that you like it ^_^
BUON COMPLEANNO!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Hope you’ll have a beautiful day with your family!!
Sidra is really a lucky boy having such a nice mother as you!
I like your creations!!
Greetings!!
Laura
Hope you are having a wonderful birthday (it is mine today aswell, i’m 38) I love reading your blog!
Happy birthday to you too Alexandra! Sending you best wishes from Tokyo ^_^
Happy birthday Novita! You look at least 6-7 years younger, but you know what they say -you’re young as you feel
Well at least they say this here 
)
Can’t agree more! Thank you Jelena!
happy birthday Novita!!!!
haaaappy birthday novita!!
Dear Novita,
I love your post, your courage, your style and your creations. Thank you for sharing it with us all and have a wonderful birthday with your beautiful family.
Sarah
A very happy birthday to you!
Selamat ulangtahun Novita!
We say it “selamat hari jadi” here, although that never makes sense linguistically. You absolutely don’t look your age, you’re so blessed! 
May you have many many more wonderful birthdays to come, and please keep making and blogging! Your writing style is just very sincere and likeable. 
)
Thank you Aneesah! Maybe ‘selamat hari jadi’ means congratulation for the day when you ‘menjadi (manusia)’ or something like that haha
Novita-san, happy birthday. You look very happy in this post. You mentioned about the wrinkles showing on your face about 5 years ago and it did shock me a bit. I take it as a mental note to be ready for that change. So, thank you for mentioning it.
I wish you well and many happy returns in the days to come. But above all I wish your back gets better and better.
You moved me to tears as I read your post, I absolutely agree with you!! You are so young and BEAUTIFUL inside and out!! ~What a beautiful family they are so lucky to have you too!! ~Happy Birthday~ Novita and many, many more!!
I’d never quess – you absolutely don’t look your real age!
Hei, happy birthday, dear
I love your blog so much, u are so talented 
and u have such a wonderful family 
Wish u all the best 
Happy birthday!!!!!
Happy birthday Novita~~~ A very sweet post!
i love your thoughts! have a wonderful day with your family! And keep on creating!!! I love your style!!
PS. Gorgeous beanie on you!!:)
Thank you Jo!
The beanie was actually belong to Sidra. I made it a couple of years ago, but now he thinks it is too ‘cute’ so it’s mine now
Happy Birthday, I really love reading your blog, you are so delightful Novita…
Happy birthday! I must admit I was shocked to hear you’re 39! I seriously thought you were near my age (28) hehe you are a beautiful woman you know that? my best friend in high school was indo and you remind me of her. Hey keep up the loving and the sewing! here’s to aging gracefully!
Happy birthday!
Lines on your face are the proof of a happy life- lots of smiling and laughing! enjoy it.
Happy Birthday Novita! I am not scared to get old if 39 year-old woman is like you! Hope you have a great day with your family!!
Happy birthday! and no kidding, 39? I would love to look as young as you by then… But as I read abt your fine lines (where are they?) and your grey hair (I’ll take your word for it) appearing just lately I realize I don’t stand a chance:)) you look 16ish to me and, I’m sorry, I don’t think you can age gracefully simply coz you don’t age!;) but with such a beautiful family to console you I’m sure you’ll find that undeniable fact quite acceptable;)
Haha no way 16! Anyway, I’ve tried taking picture of the white hair (really!), but apparently taking picture of a single white hair against darker background is just too difficult!
Thank you so much Magda!
Hai ..
Saya Marla dari Bandung , saya seneng ngintip Blog nya , keren mba ..
btw..Happy Birthday truly you look younger ..:)
salam
A very happy birthday to you!!–祝你生日快乐
We are the same age, and you look stunning!!–我们是同年龄，你看看惊人
Enjoy the day and have a blessed year.
Hugs,
拥抱
Yvette
伊韦特
happy birthday!!
Thank you for sharing this lovely post. Ah, life is beautiful as are you. Happy birthday!
Happy birthday! I’m 39 too (born March of ’71) and totally relate to what you wrote. 40 is around the corner… YIKES!!
Next year! (^_^)/
aww, happy birthday! I seriously thought you are just a few years older than me! (like, early early 30s
) you do “age” gracefully, if at all! i agree with you — our body doesnt perform well as we age, but sometimes, life just does get better! 
Thank you! Yes, it feels that as we grow older, our body doesn’t synchronize too well with our mind. But on the other hand, good times usually come later in life
You made me smile and also moved me to tears with this post. I absolutely agree with you. You are a jewel and I love your writings. Happy Birthday Dear Novita!
You’re so sweet Yoshimi! I’m glad to have met you ♥
Thank you so much!