Here’s to Iris Apfel!

The world lost an icon last week. An icon of fashion. An icon of design. An icon of style. An icon of living--and aging--well. An icon of LIFE.

Over the course of her 102 years, Iris Apfel became known for her wit, wisdom, bold looks, oversized glasses, and lavish layers of costume jewelry. More importantly, she became a thought leader when it came to embracing aging. Here are a few pearls of wisdom she shared over the years:

"If you don't learn constantly, you don't grow, and you will wither. Too many people wither on the vine. Sure, it gets a little harder as you get older, but new experiences and new challenges keep it fresh."

"Why should one be ashamed to be 84? Why do you have to say that you're 52? Nobody's going to believe you anyway, so why be such a fool? It's nice that you got to be so old. It's a blessing."

"In my view, you can't go to the future if you haven't come from the past."

"Just because you get to a certain number doesn't mean you have to roll up into a ball and wait for the grim reaper. We were put on this earth to do something! If you stop using your brain, at any age, it is going to stop working. It's like if you stop using your hand, it will atrophy. I think doing nothing is a curse."

"You don't find out who you are unless you work at it."

"If you're lucky enough to get old, I think you should celebrate it."

"You only have one trip. You might as well enjoy it."

“I think I still keep my sense of wonder, which I call childlike, not childish, childlike. I still have a vivid imagination, and I like to try a lot of new things.”

"I just never want to completely grow up."

Here's to the one-and-only Iris Apfel. May her memory be for a blessing. And her life be a lesson to us all.