Kelly Rae Roberts's Blog, page 57

Really REALLY good day at Teahouse Art Studios

 
The dream? Andrea and I wanted to host an event where we'd gather around a table with a collection of women, and simply talk about creativity, business, life, love. Super simple. Why? Because we knew that women + conversation + a dash of serendipity mixed in = awesomeness, belonging, sparks flying.

And that's what happened.

   
The ladies at Teahouse Art Studio hosted our event and let us go a bit wild decorating for the gathering.  Above is Mati Rose up on the ladder, about to work some magic with paint and her gorgeous hand script.

   
The three of us (Andrea, me, Mati) had the best time decorating the space, putting together goodie bags, hanging up art, banners, inspiration lines on the walls, rearranging couches, rugs, etc.

Photo credit: Andrea ScherThere was a very real intention around getting the space ready for our gathering.


Photo credit: Andrea ScherWe took our time, we talked about what we wanted to invite into the experience while setting the tables, while hanging up string lights, while draping aprons on the chairs, while hanging up dresses on the walls, while writing hope notes for each person who would be attending.  

We wanted our new friends to walk into this space on Mother's Day and be delighted, to feel bright, to be greeted with color and light and creativity.

Photo credit: Stefani Renee  Andrea wrote a post that perfectly describes the day. It's hard to explain, but the intention behind this gathering was key. We put our hearts into it and wanted to create a very specific experience both for ourselves and our guests. It worked!

Show the world your magic - love this so much.

   
The day before the gathering, after we finished decorating, tending, and preparing, I snapped this photo  - a peek into what would be waiting for us and all the women who were to arrive the next morning. I love this photo - feels like a sweet surprise, like a glimpse of Christmas Morning.

    
And then they arrived and it was a delicious fest of conversation, amazing food, celebrations, meaningful discoveries, serendipitous moments - a collision of spirits built on the idea that this would be a collaborative experience, trusting that just the right people would show up.

Photo credit: Stefani Renee

And just the right people definitely showed up. They were kind, hilarious, open, sweet, rooted in all that really matters in life. I learned so much.  Photo credit: Stefani Renee Photo credit: Nicole Photo credit:TracyWe all showed up. Not for a workshop, not to be taught something, not to instructed, but rather to share.
I have not taught a painting workshop since early 2010. As much as I loved it, I remember thinking it would likely be my last. There is something about teaching in the traditional sense that just doesn't feel right to me. A conversation about all of this with Andrea is exactly how this gathering was born - instead of "teaching" or being looked upon as "experts", we simply wanted to gather around and hear stories and share and talk to other women because both of us deeply feel that this is where the real learning comes for all of us - from simply sharing what we're learning, what we're struggling with, what we're celebrating as women, as mothers, as daughters, as business owners, as friends.

I could go on and on. This is the kind of thing that lights me up. I don't want to teach. I want to share.

Photo credit: NicoleBy the end of the day, I was in love with this kind of experience, the women, the day, the whole thing.

   
One of the best parts about doing this gathering at Teahouse was spending the weekend with Mati.  We lounged, talked, cried, read scandalous books together, ate, and had the best time working our magic decorating and sprucing up the studio.

I just adore that girl.

   
I took this quick self portrait in the cab on my way to the airport. Tired, but happy. Sad to leave, but blissed out from the long weekend. There was a deep sense of renewal that I received while in CA - best mother's day gift ever.      

Photo credit: Stefani Renee Andrea are so in love with this concept, that we're taking the whole thing on the road. Our hope is to travel to different parts of the country and simply gather with women and share our stories, hear their stories, and connect, connect, connect. There is so much wisdom, clarity, and FUN that comes with connection and preparing for days like the one we had with these women.
We can't wait to do it again. We'll keep you posted!

Website Redo!

I think of my website as my online living room. And just like I love rearranging my real life living room, I also love rearranging my website from time to time. It is, afterall, my home in online world. I want it to be cozy and full of beauty, inspiration, and stories.

With the help of the spectacular Leah of Leah Creates and Jessica Swift, I've got a new border, new background, new flowers on the sidebar, updated menu bar, and lots of new pages. Let me give you a quick tour:

  (A mama life - new page on the website)
I've been thinking (a lot) about my motherhood journey. When True turned 18 months (just last month), I began to feel, really feel, like I've come through a very specific journey of embracing motherhood. It is a story that has been unfolding for his whole life, one that now feels complete in some ways because I no longer feel like a brand new mama with brand new delicate mama wings. I'm so glad I wrote about my journey into motherhood - from pregnancy to those first many wobbly weeks to now. I wanted a place to collect the stories of my mama life in progress and so I created this page where the first 18 months of a very heart filled journey can live and be read by other mamas on the journey. We need each other and we need our stories.
 (All things house - renovation, DIY, room tours)
While I was collecting all my stories about mama life, I collected all the stories about making our home (they happened simultaneously!) a cozy nest for our new family. I created a page that chronicles our home's story from renovation process to DIY projects to room tours. For those of you interested in all the details when it comes to all things house, this is the page.

(New page featuring favorite art supplies, camera gear, and more)
This is likely my favorite new additon to the website renovation: a visual guide/collection of all my favorite art supplies, crafty books, printing gear, etc etc. I'm calling it Stuff I Love.

Have a peek around - feels like www.KellyRaeRoberts.com got a makeover.

Again, HUGE HUGE HUGE thanks to Leah for the design work and the coding work - she makes it easy for me. And HUGE thanks to Jess for the detailed design work as well. I'm lucky to have both of them in my creative business village.

 PS: Working on a post about an extraordinary experience I had last week at Teahouse Art Studio in Berkeley, CA. Andrea and I gathered some women together. And as it always happens when women gather, it was amazing. Andrea wrote about the whole thing perfectly. 
PPS: We cut True's bangs ever so slightly. His first hair cut and now he really looks all grown up. Wah.

From the archives: What I learned when I witnessed a bird knock himself out

(Originally posted Sept, 2010)
 

one of the best things about where we live is that the house behind ours has a really great backyard with trees and bird feeders and water gardens. the dividing fence is low but there's enough greenery to still give us both privacy. we love that we can hear their water garden and peek at the birdies feed in the feeders. it's such a morning treat!

so today i was in the kitchen making some tea when i looked up and saw one of the birds crash into our closed kitchen window. he fell straight to the ground. oh no! he wasn't moving, and i was sure he was dead. i wasn't sure what to do. to make matters worse (poor little guy), it was drizzling outside. i stood there for a few long minutes considering what i could do when i noticed about 5 other birdies collecting around the surrounding bushes. looking in the fallen bird's direction, they just squeaked and squeaked some more. loud. it made me tear up as i was sure they were mourning.
a few minutes passed. i was sure the bird was dead.
a few more passed. and he lifted his head. turns out, he we wasn't dead, he just knocked himself out.
a few more minutes passed and he was still on the ground but with his eyes open and his head up. his fellow birdie friends continued to squeak and squeak and squeak as if they were saying "you can do it! you can do it!" they never stopped squeaking.
i watched the whole thing go down for about 15 minutes.
and then he was off. alive. recovered. reborn. he flew straight to his community of birds who had been rooting for him the whole time. he stayed there in the bushes with them for a few minutes before they all took off. i am not kidding. i got emotional.
the whole thing reminded me of community and friendship - of how we root for one another and call out to one another in times of need. how we look in the direction of one another and stay near. how we gather around in friendship and bear witness. how even when we can't physically lift one another's heads up and will spirits to fly, we can squeak and squeak in undying support until we finally muster enough strength to spread our wings and soar.
what a gift.

Sponsor Spotlights!

I like to think of my sponsorship program as a way of playing matchmaker between you and some really amazing people who are providing unique and well crafted offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information! 

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Superhero Photo and Mondo Beyondo 



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I design things that make people exquisitely HAPPY. Like paintings, prints, necklaces, and..... rain boots! My motto is majorly simple: live color to the MAX! Because when we surround ourselves with color + beauty, we start to love ourselves — and each other — just a little bit more.

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Creative Dream Incubator 

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The Creative Dream Incubator is a self-paced wish-fulfillment master class to help you GROW YOUR DREAM, by guiding you through every stage of the Creative Dream Process.
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Big thanks to my sponsors! I'm honored to highlight their offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!

the magic of feedback (feels good)

 (me and Beth, photo by Tiffany Kirchner-Dixon)
Beth and I have been doing some serious exhaling, celebrating, and virtual toasts with one another lately. Our collaborative e-course, The Business Soul Sessions: Where Passion Meets Profit, has ended it's first run.

Let me tell you, this experience has been front and center in my life since last summer when we started collaborating on the content, the ideas, the mission of the course, and on and on. I am incredibly proud and quite grateful to Beth. She is an amazing partner and I'm counting my lucky stars to be in business with her.

I'm also counting my lucky stars for the INCREDIBLE feedback we've been getting on this course. I had to share some of it with you...........



"I keep realizing how life-changing this has already been. How on earth did Kelly Rae and Beth figure out how to do this? Whatever it is, I thank you. You are shaping my future."

"I dove into the Business Soul Sessions and within the first couple of days felt a powerful shift in my life. The course is designed to help us discover the soul in our business, to approach business in a novel, revolutionary way. I haven’t been disappointed. In fact, I have found myself feeling as if I am having a secret love affair.I have been high for a few days. I keep experiencing this breathless excitement, like just after having discovered a new crush that you don’t want anyone to know about but can’t help hide that big goofy smile that is liable to give it all away."

"This class can help more than just artists. ANYONE really interested in living from the soul. I know so many entrepreneurs....in the food business, massage therapy business, etc....and if they could take this class....I KNOW it would benefit them!"

"Thank you Kelly Rae Robert and Beth Nicholls. Talk about life changing and addicting. Oh my. Loving this and so grateful!"


"I've been swept away, and I'm glad I'm not the only one having vivid dreams. I was going to hire a business coach, but the content here is proving so much more valuable."

"My art business is VERY new and I knew I was a little premature for the content of this class, but I wanted to do it anyway. And I'm glad I did! It's challenging me for sure and makes me giddy for the future! Thank you, thank you!"

"Feeling energized, empowered and pee in my pants excited about where this is taking me."

   (me and Beth, photo by Tiffany Kirchner-Dixon)"Just wanted to say thank you. This has opened up massive possibilities for me."

"Wow I am just blown away. I had know idea I had all this inside of me trying to get out! 
Thank you Kelly and Beth for helping me see my shining light!!"

"WOW! I cannot believe how transforming this is!"

"I think this HSHB model is finally a functional and meaningful business model that powerfully engages a feminine approach to business. Where traditional (masculine) business approaches have brought us corporate greed, corruption and unethical, usustainable business practices, HSHB embodies an approach that is personal, accountable and empowered, where service is a way a life and not a marketing ploy tacked on at the last minute and outsourced. It creates the context for meaningful interaction between individuals and businesses that will nourish us personally, locally and globally and rejects the notion that we have to sell our souls to turn a profit."

 
"I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels totally absorbed by HSHB. I think about it in the supermarket, while I'm getting dressed, while watching tv. I actually forgot about my three etsy shops which I need to tend to. I think as long as I don't forget I have a son to take care of, this is a great thing!"

"Stunning exercises."

"Harvard Business School could learn a lot from this class!"

"I believe I’m at the right place here. I have been learning all about traditional ways of growing a business, but I always felt that something was missing. No one talked about the soul part. So, I felt alone, different and felt that my business will never grow, because I’m looking for the ‘soul’ part… Now I know it is possible!! Thank you!"


"I am loving the whole basis and energy that this class emits. It's an incredible amount of work that you have put together for us. I just love the energy and warmth that you both seem to manage so well to generate even over the net and also when we're on the topic of business. It's refreshing, enlightening and thoroughly enjoyable. I am loving all the unearthing, learning, discovering, writing, drawing and all the while looking at this from such a different approach, one that makes so much sense though! Thank you, words just don't come as perfectly as I'd like to say thank you for such an incredible online course!"

"I ended up writing until my hand hurt. What a great exercise!"

"I feel like the whole world has been opened up to me since I started this! Thank you!"

 
"Truly thank YOU. I feel like you are giving me the keys to unlock so much positive energy and It's only just begun. I haven't felt this elated at any time other than when I had my first baby. "

"...I'm blown away...The attention to detail and excellence....stunning, the content...rich and vast, and the heart and soul that went into Hello Soul...palpable...thank you to the moon and back!!!!"

"Hello Soul Hello Business is more than just an e-course on business. It’s an ignition, a kind of spark that sets fire to a wild and uncontrollable wave of innovation. And in its flame is born inspiration, motivation, and possibility – all limitless. The course is many things wrapped up into one, a journey well worth the initial struggle, resulting with a swell of accomplishment."



(Beth and me - taken with my iphone)
There are some things we do in life that we just know in our bones makes a difference and that we'll always be proud of. This is one of those things for me in my life.

Beth and I are now reworking this ecourse into a pioneering, innovative and soulful business development experience vs a traditional e-course. It’s going to knock your socks off. Click here if you want to be notified when we announce all the details soon!

Big, HUGE thanks to all of you who took the course. You made it incredibly special.

Image credits: All photos taken by the amazing Tracey Clark unless otherwise credited. Tracey also shot all the beautiful images throughout the ecourse, making it one gorgeous classroom.

30 seconds of True

Just a quick little video of True saying hello, and showing you a couple of his old favorite tricks.... And yes, that's avocado you see on my sweater. Mama life!

i want my breaths to have mattered

  (new print, available here, original sold)
Here's a bit of what I'm letting go at the moment:
The fear that the shoe will drop on our abundance any second now.The gremlin that I'm just lucky, not smart.The worry that I'll never lose these 20lbs and the clothes still waiting in my closet since before baby was born.Unrealistic expectations.Realistic expectations. Envy.Untrue stories.
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What I'm inviting in: Permission to let all those things go.Permission to be gentle on myself in the process.
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Life is one big breath of letting some stuff go, and letting some stuff in. I suppose the trick is discerning what to exhale, and what to breathe in. Takes practice. And I love it. Because in the end, I want my breaths to have mattered - to have taken in the juciest, most joyous morsels of life while letting the rest of it go.

living room makeover

So, it happened. Again. 
 
My mom and I moved some stuff around. The old living room is no more. The new arrangement is our favorite, so far. She took our green couch and we took her brown - a fair trade transaction, promise.
 
We gave the DIY birdcage a few more birds and a sweet little home next to the wall of birdie paintings (why not?). 
We moved the basement rug and chair up and I'm thinking they're happier in their new arrangement.

True loves this coffee table (it's from my home decor line with Creative Co-op, you can see a peek of it in a photo here with it's fabric topper) and uses it as a play table most days and often stand on top and dances to his music, which is almost always The Itsy Bitsy Spider channel on Pandora.
 True's happy. Parents are happy. House is happy.Oh how I love moving stuff around.
Until the furniture rearranging gods call again...this is cozy for now.

Sponsor Spotlights!

I like to think of my sponsorship program as a way of playing matchmaker between you and some really amazing people who are providing unique and well crafted offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!

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Susannah Conway: Blogging from the Heart

“Thank you for creating this course, it was wonderful! I was a lost little blogger with no real sense of direction and I felt I had no connection to my blog. Through your course and guidance I found my voice and have found the courage to put my face and myself in my blog. Now I simply love it and I can not imagine ever giving up this world that blogging has given me.” ~ Leigh, Blogging from the Heart, spring 2012

In Blogging from the Heart I teach you how to share your life and heart online as a way to express yourself creatively, dive deep and meet like-minded friends along the way.  There’s lots of writing prompts for blog posts as well as interviews with creatives who inspire me. I won’t be looking at how to make money from blogging, but if you have a biz and want to share more of yourself online with your customers, then this course will definitely help with that. It’s all about being honest and open, enjoying the writing process, recording your world with your camera and getting your creative juices flowing!

The summer class starts this Monday, May 14th, and runs for 6 weeks. There are still a few places left, so if you’d like to take your blogging to the next level come join us! >> Registration is open here <<

Susannah xo

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Beth Nicholls: Do What You Love Ecourse 

Life changing.  Awe-inspiring.  Transformational.
This is how the Do What You Love e-course has been described by recent participants. This online adventure will take you step-by-step on a path to discovering your true passion, and finding a way to make it a greater part of your everyday life.  In six weeks you will expand your comfort zone, nurture your playful spirit and use this to feed your creative soul.  You will travel this path with a community of like-minded people from across the world, sharing your stories, forging new connections, and inspiring each other. This will be like no other class you have ever taken. Can you afford not to join us?

The adventure begins on Monday May 14, so hurry up and register!   For the first time ever this course will be run from Japan where founder Beth Nicholls will be on her own big adventure.  Don’t miss out!

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Jennifer Valentine: Sacred Cake
Assemblage Jewelry by Jennifer Valentine of Sacred Cake
You want the jewelry you wear to be meaningful and expressive. Not the latest fad. Not mass produced. Affordable. You want your jewelry to be like you…timeless and memorable. One of a kind.
How about something a bit different? Something with a history. Something with a special story…jewelry with a past, yet relevant to the present.
At Sacred Cake you will find affordable heirloom quality vintage assemblage jewelry combined with timeless appeal. Whether it is for your wedding, graduation, promotion, a gift, or for your everyday victories; look to me for personal service that you can always rely on to exceed your expectations and make you feel as special and as singular as you are.
There is only one you. There is only one Sacred Cake. Every piece tells a story. What will your story be?
*Kelly Rae readers receive free shipping + a special gift. Visit my etsy shop and enter the code “ONEOFAKIND” to receive your free shipping and your gift.  I’d love for you to visit my blog for more simple projects, stories and inspiration. 
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Big thanks to my sponsors! I'm honored to highlight their offerings. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email at kellyraeroberts@gmail.com for further information!

Introducing my first collection of jewelry: cuff bracelets!

My heart is about to explode with the news of this new jewelry line with Demdaco. It's been in the works for well over a year, and finally it's a go. Please let me share it with you.....OMG!

Gorgeously crafted with a combination of materials: leather, suede, velvet, painterly backgrounds on fiber, metal charms with stamped phrases and words, these cuff bracelets are a substantial, cool, unique, and creative piece of jewelry. I cannot wait to wear them.

What I love about them is that they totally represent my style - what I would make, wear, and gift to others in my everyday life. That, and they totally look like my paintings, but on a bracelet. Super cool.

We've got 14 (fourteen!) different styles....some with lace and all with detailed stitching and double snaps for two different sizing options. I CANNOT wait to give these to all of my girlfriends. Let me show you all 14 designs:

When I saw the first prototype of these, my heart lept. They are special. Incredibly well made. Super affordable (about $20 retail), and just incredibly unique. When it comes to jewelry, or any product really, my hope is for my paintings to be revealed in new, honest, fresh ways. This cuff bracelet line is the perfect example of that.

HUGE thanks to the good folks at Demdaco for their vision. A couple of their designers went the extra mile on this project and their efforts completely made this line extra incredible in design, structure, and creativity. I think these might be my favorite gift product release, ever.  
 
I have ordered a very limited quantity of these bracelets to sell in my online shop. Please sign up for the newsletter if you'd like to be notified when they go on sale. As many of you know, I no longer sell my licensed products in my shop, but I could not resist sending these out into the world myself. So , I've ordered a small batch that I plan to sign and then sell. They'll go quickly so stay tuned if you want to get one through my shop.
Retailers, these bracelets, along with some other new goodies (including new wall canvases, mugs (they're awesome), and more are now available for wholesale. Please get in touch with your Demdaco rep to order (order quickly before things go on backorder).
Again, giant gratitude to Demdaco. They've totally outdone themselves with these. I'm 100% smitten and so thrilled to finally share them with you! 
XO,Kelly Rae