Kelly Rae Roberts's Blog, page 77

a big big week on the blog

Do not miss it. It all starts Monday, June 20th (which is also my birthday!) and will continue all week long, every single day. Be sure to sign up for the RSS feed so that you don't miss the big deal giveaways, the celebrations, the inspiration, the videos, the dreaming BIG.

It's going to be good. See you then!
XO, Kelly Rae

on the other side of through

(true, 8 mos, photo by andrea scher)

True has started to give these really gooey wide open mouth kisses. It's the best. And he goes bananas over his stuffed dolls at the moment, giving them open mouth kisses, too.

During an interview for Mondo Beyondo, Jen asked me what dreams I was currently working toward. I told her that the biggest dream I've been working on these last 8 months has been the dream of building a rich and deeply fulfilling new life (with baby) where my work (and the long work hours) is no longer the top priority, where family gets the best of me (and not everything/everybody else), where life/work balance is in place, and where rest + play is built into every single day.


(my studio table. photo by andrea scher)

As a result of making many big and micro decisions that align themselves with that dream, we've reduced our childcare, cut back on our work hours, and have settled into what feels like a manageable routine that has a nice balance of family time, work time, alone time, fun time. A friend of mine recently commented that I seem happier than ever before. I couldn't agree more (though I was pretty darned happy before True - but likely not in work/life balance kind of way). I feel peaceful in real soulful ways and loving that I'm more in love with my life than ever before. I think the biggest difference is the peace I now feel that ultimately came from surrendering work, lists, perfectionism, control.

I'm also feeling incredibly inspired creatively in ways I haven't in a long long time - ways that make work feel like play (which is always the goal). I'm getting jazzed (Did I just use the word jazzed? Oh yes, yes I did.) and excited about brand new projects, brand new collaborations (big ones), brand new paintings. I'm losing sleep not over baby (he's a dream sleeper most of the time) but over exciting ideas. I love it when this happens.


(me last week enjoying my fave drink, a vanilla lemondrop. photo by rachael)

I remember feeling like an entirely new person the first week he was born, but now after 8 months of coming through the fire so to speak (of surrendering, of birth trauma, of workaholic detox, of new mama adjustment, of hormones, of living with a brand new wide open exposed heart, and more), I feel like I'm inside an entirely new life that finally feels familiar and just right - one that I thank my lucky stars for every second of every day. Thank you god, spirit, universe, world, and every dear soul in my life that helped me through. The only way through is through. I am so thankful to be here in this very spot on the other side of through.

dear world

i've been painting. and it feels really great.

a love letter to my new cowgirl boots

(they're old gringos - love their boots)

a big gift to myself, these boots reached all the way through the you-don't-need-another-pair-of-cowgirl-boots and the they-are-too-expensive and the who-do-you-think-you-are gremlins and traveled directly to a piece of me that said YES. i bought them. i love them. and more importantly, they affirm a few of the things i believe with my whole self:

- that taking chances + embracing adventure bring a lot of sequels + joy. these boots scream adventure.

- that we become more of ourselves when we purchase and surround ourselves only with things that we are absolutely in love with. this is true for house decor, clothing, and on and on. john taught me that. don't buy anything unless you're in love with it. the rest is just filler. so true!

- that what you loved as a child still rings true today and that play is oh so important

- that a YEE-HAW every now and again is totally necessary

- that freedom feels like the releasing of heart, of ideas, of dreams, of expression, of wearing artisan cowgirl boots.

- that you can still rock these boots while being a thirty something year old mom who barely has time to get dressed


ps - photos and moments like these are what it's all about. i cannot get enough of these two lately.

Weekly Sponsor Spotlights: Andrea Schroeder, Fern Tree Studio, Katherine Quinn + Joyful Spirit

Big thanks to my sponsors...I'm really enjoying these weekly sponsor spotlights where their creative talents and businesses are featured. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email for further information!
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Creative Journal Magic
Because sometimes nothing short of magic sparkles will do. And when you've got them – everything changes.
A creative journal can be a place to connect with your inner magic and use it to do amazing things.

Like healing, forgiveness, transformation, calming down, getting in touch with intuitive wisdom and unearthing the treasures that live within you. Getting unstuck.

Yes! All of that!

And all you need is a journal and a pen, maybe some glitter paints and magazines to cut up. Oh, and a willingness to be magic. And someone to help you navigate through it all.

That's where Creative Journal Magic comes in. This is a four week e-course to help you create your own unique magical journal practice - all custom tailored for you. Click here to learn more.
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Mixed media artist and children's illustrator, Angela Traunig has a penchant for all things whimsical and silly.

Wife and mother to a 2 year old little man, Angie somehow still finds time to create original works of art, prints, jewelry, greeting cards, bookmarks and a myriad of other things featuring her trademark 'knobby knee' Ferntree Studio characters. You can find her artwork here, and her lovely paper flowers here.

In her Ferntree Studio world, you will find humor, love, honesty and the 'Joy of an Art Filled Life.' Angela hopes to inspire other fledgling artists with her tenacity, creativity and belief that if "You put good things out into the world and just leave all the doors and windows open, sometimes something fantastic will slip back in."

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My name is Katherine Quinn and I am the New Zealand artist behind Sleep And Her Sisters. I sell my original works to 8 galleries around New Zealand and have three online shops where I also sell originals, prints and other goodies. I live with my two children, 17 year old Hannah, 5 year old Ben and our 10 year old cat... Holly. I work from my kitchen table at our home in the sunny Hawke's Bay where I love to create with paint, chalk pastels, graphite, paper and a little bit of jewellery… I also love to collect things. My favourite colour at the moment is a soft, pale, antique sort of blue.
I am a firm believer that our stories are not for us alone that they are for us to give courage, support and wisdom to each other. You can read about my creative journey and see my latest works on my blog.
*****************************************Greetings from Valerie! I'm a mixed media artist from Chicago who loves to throw a little bit of whimsy into all my work. I have had the desire to create for as long as I can remember and feel incredibly blessed to do so each day.

My newest venture is a line of personalized animal prints for children's rooms…thank you to my gorgeous niece who's turning 1 this week. The gift I created for her gave me the idea to do a whole line of these prints. So far there's a monkey, puppy, bird, tiger, dinosaur and elephant. I look forward to adding more designs in the future. Perfect for the child or the "child at heart!" You have the choice to personalize or not. Kelly Rae readers can visit my shop and receive 10% off your order (Coupon Code KELLYRAE10). Cheers!

danielle laporte, i'm still crushing on you!

i've been crushing on danielle laporte for a bit now. i even sent her a fan letter a couple of months ago. you know, like a real fan letter. i just went back and read it again and yep, it's as cheesy as it gets (i have no shame. i like cheesy. especially if it's cheesy honesty and i love writing quick emails to people who have made an impact on my thinking/dreaming). she came into my orbit a few months ago when i stumbled on her site. i was intrigued and i go back every now and again for a morsel of power/truth. i like her energy. i like her approach.

i had the opportunity to hear her speak at the world domination summit (a summit about living a non-conformist life) here in portland last weekend. i knew it would be good, but i didn't think i would be running out of room on my paper for all the notes and tidbits of wisdom i was jotting down. at one point, i felt like i was in church and hearing a really good sermon/lesson.



here are a few things i learned from her (that i'm still thinking about) that i wanted to share:

- we have to understand why we love what we love in order to keep going in the direction of what lights us up. i love this idea of really getting underneath the things we love and using the answers to "why do you love what you love" as our guiding forces in making the choices we make in life and in business. when i answer that question for myself (why do i love fresh flowers? why do i love making stuff? why do i love singing out loud in the car with the windows down?), the answer seems to always come down to this: it makes me feel joyful. so it makes sense that i should make life/biz decisions in that direction of joy whenever possible.

- you have to know the rules in order to break the rules. super powerful concept but oh so true. the idea is that we don't have to conform. to a full time job. to a traditional marriage. to what we've been told our whole lives to do. to what the world expects of us. period. if we know the rules that have been laid upon us (overtly or otherwise), then we can choose to break them and live our most authentic, alive lives. but we have to know the rules, the nuances of them. this reminds me of something i wrote about in my book: we have to unlearn, unlearn, unlearn.



- to truly innovate, you have to push through, let go of things. sometimes that means giving up that logo that you paid $1000 for that you just don't love anymore. sometimes that means starting all over on a project that just isn't fun anymore or maybe letting it go entirely. love this idea.

- it's more efficient to simply embrace the path that we were born into. forget resisting. forget resenting. forget pretending that it never happened. instead, understand that you have very specific skills that came about due to the exact path/circumstance you were born into. embracing those skills makes you way more believable and efficient.




- i love this one and it's a game changer for me. instead of writing a to-do list, make a list of how you want to feel. this is especially helpful to those of us who are task masters, wondering if we'll ever "arrive." we never really feel like we've arrived because the to-do list never ends - there's always something more. but if we reframe it for ourselves by replacing our to-do lists with lists of how we want to feel, then there's more satisfaction. and then we simply have to ask ourselves every single day this question: "what do you have to do every single day to generate those feelings on your list." this list should be on top of your to-do/goal list so that your to-do/goal list is completely aligned with HOW YOU WANT TO FEEL. such a basic, but life changing concept for me! thank you, danielle!

- someone in the audience asked her advice on how to handle corporate america boardrooms, meetings, disengaged family members, etc when you are the only one that seems to embrace the idea of being real. her response was brilliant: the only thing you can do is simply radiate your aliveness, your beliefs, but to be very careful to convince anybody of anything. the minute you try to do that, you've already created division/opposition. just radiate. be who you are. period.

"Openness is our greatest human resource." - Rebecca Walker

- someone else asked how to live with the fact that they hate their dayjob every single minute of every day. her response was to love the hell you are living in - celebrate the choice you are making to be there whether it's that you need the money, the time to build your small biz on the side, etc. love the hell you're in while also at the same time coming up with a plan to exit.

- she mentioned the idea of doing a stop-doing list. are there things in your life that you want to stop doing? i love this idea as an alternative to a to-do list.



toward the end, this woman stood up and said something really funny (but so true!). she said "in my 20s i was worried about what people thought of me. in my 40s i didn't care what people thought of me. in my 50s i realized that they weren't thinking of me all along!"

which means, that we should simply be who we are. we are the ones we need to impress. we are the ones we've been waiting for.....

thank you, danielle. i so loved your talk!
ps: all photos of danielle taken by the WDS photographer, Armosa Studios. more event photos here.

cards!

I have so much to tell you about what I learned during her talk (it was good, people), some motherhood soul shifts that have been happening over here, and I've got a few new paintings to share, too. But it's late and boy am I tired from staying up way too late last nite playing words with friends. Do you know that app? It's a good one, but be careful of quick addiction. I never thought I'd be that happy over a 66 pt word (mile) that I'd keep going and going and going all night.

While I sort myself out, I wanted to let you know that those greeting cards I mentioned awhile back? Well, they are here friends! They are here. So happy to offer these up - love, love, love them.

* PS: The previously sold out collectable figures are back in stock. Get em' while you can!


(they love one another. photo by andrea scher))

One more thing:
* Fellow blogger Liv of Choosing Beauty interviewed me for her upcoming ecourse (registration closes super soon). She asked some seriously good questions that had me going down memory lane and really considering a few things. Questions like, "I feel like your voice on the blog began to change in 2006 – about a year after you started blogging. In fact, I noticed in May 2006 your writing started to sound more poetic and your thoughts became deeper and more intentional – similar to your writing style today. Do you remember feeling that shift, feeling more confident in sharing your authentic voice and becoming an inspiration to others?" See what I mean? It was a great interview. Check out her new ecourse on blogging to learn more!

on witnessing, power + truth, celebrating friends

i had a really magical three days with my friends, andrea and jen. they were in town for the world domination summit (really great conference - more on that in another post).

there are two things that i will always carry with me from this weekend that i really wanted to share with you:



#1. you know how when you fall in love for the first time and you are so blissed out that you want everyone dear in your life to be feeling what you feel - that specific exhilarating experience of falling in love? now, many years post falling in love, i still have similar thoughts of wanting everyone i love to know/feel certain things: what it feels like to have a dream come true, what it's like to do something you never thought you could do, and so on. there is so much juice in life. i want us all to experience it together.



this weekend, my friends andrea and jen gave the speech of their lives to 500 people. i was in the front row practically jumping out of my skin for them and for the people who were listening in the audience. i knew it was changing hearts, changing minds, changing the lives of everyone there. jen + andrea were so completely standing in their power and it inspired the rest of us to do the same. it was awesome.



and then i had that feeling again from long ago when i was in love and wanting everyone else to experience it, too. but this time it, it was how i felt about these two friends. i wanted everyone to know their hearts, to know what they have to say, and how they can inspire. and so, when they brought the house down during their speech, complete with a standing ovation, i was honored to witness so many people seeing them the way i do: brave, radical in their truth, and so very very alive. loved it. i love love love witnessing my friends inside their powerful truths.


#2. the other thing that i'll take from this weekend is this: i have ushered in so many life/motherhood triumphs these last many months (after a lot of work, adjusting, processing) and now that i'm in a space of really settling into this new life, i'm not sure i've ever been happier. there was something about spending the weekend with two of my soul sisters that left me feeling like my heart/life transformation has been really seen and witnessed and that the pure happiness i've been feeling has been declared, stamped into solid impression.

that's what friendships do. they witness us at our very best, and they witness us at our most broken. either way, their seeing us is celebration + healing all at once. i wish all of you, every single heart out there, to be witnessed and to be a witness.

ps: can you tell i've discovered instagram? yes, yes i have.

NEW Sponsor Spotlights: NatoBottoArt, Willowing, Jeanne Oliver, Gussy Sews, Deb Chaney + Light Hunters

Today, I'd like to offer a warm welcome to my newest sponsors. There is so much goodness in their offerings. Please enjoy their spotlights! PS: If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email for further information!
Nato Botto Art is "creations from the heart" by artist Natalie Kelsey. Her art inspires through whimsy, beauty, peace, faith, and tenacious optimism! With equal measure of kindness, patience, gratitude and creativity, she urges all of us to trust the process that leads to the joyful life we are each destined to create for ourselves. Above all, Natalie encourages all of us to nurture the artist within, and to trust that your heart is your compass, follow it!

Visit her etsy shop to find unique, playful, jewelry, accessories, and inspirational works of art--creations from the heart!! Be sure to mention that Kelly Rae sent you and receive a free gift with any purchase. Each item from Nato Botto Art is made purely from joy and arrives to you all packaged up snazzy and ready to give as a gift. For shop news, heart warming stories, and giggles please visit: http:/www.natobottoart.blogspot.com
Inspiration comes from the most peculiar places...What inspires you?
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Hello I am Tam. :) I am a mixed media and digital artist, illustrator and online art teacher. I am just about to launch my first ever Digital Art Course (exciting!) in which I am teaching people the basics of Photoshop and then gradually the ability to create their own beautiful digital art. I have also run several other online art courses which were all mixed media based. I sell those courses now on DVD. I also sell original art, prints of my art work and other items like pocket mirrors and art dolls. I hope you'll come check out my ning site where you can take many of my art courses: willowing.ning.com. I live in Brighton UK with my beautiful child Dylan and magical husband Andy. I like avocados, messy hair and pink bubblegum. :) More of my work can be found over here: willowing.org and my Etsy shop can be found here: willowing.etsy.com - Hugs!

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My name is Jeanne. I am the owner and designer of Jeanne Oliver Designs. I have dreamed of designing fashion and accessories since I was a little girl. It is one of my biggest joys to be able to offer you my creations.

I grew up watching old movies. I was inspired by the styles and femininity of the past. Nothing seemed more glamourous to me than Vivien Leigh sweeping down a staircase, Grace Kelly wearing white gloves with a black cocktail dress or Audrey Hepburn outside of Tiffany's. Hours were spent designing my own creations and dreaming of wearing all the apparel my fingers could sketch. Today I have the honor of offering you collections of my clothing, bags, art, jewelry and vintage pieces that tell a story. Each piece full of attention to detail and design. My hope is that from the moment you receive an item from my shop that you know it is different from the attention to wrapping, fabrics, embellishments and vintage finds. Whether you are wearing one of my dresses, pieces of jewelry or carrying one of my bags ... I want you to feel beautiful and feminine. Welcome to my shop and I hope you enjoy your visit.
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Helloooo! My name is Gussy, and I sew ruffles and share my adventures of having a handmade biz on my blog. I live in Minneapolis with my husband Zack and puppy Bauer. I had never dreamt of being a small biz/indie biz owner, but clearly this is my passion. I love that I'm able to share my story of learning how to sew (which includes our story of unemployment), my story of an indie biz owner, and YOUR story of handmade goodness. Supporting other handmade shop owners is a true delight :]
Inside my shop you'll find colorful, ruffled accessories: tote, laptop and market tote bags, zipped pouches, make-up bags, wristlets, headbands -- even eReader cases. Visit my shop and check out or girlie, sassy products! xoxo
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Looking to get away to a beautiful place this summer? Join Deb Chaney this summer on 5 day journey whereby all the secrets of the illuminated artist are revealed in support of your creativity. As a metaphor for the creative process, Deb will create a large abstract mixed media painting specifically to illustrate ways in which we can overcome creative blocks such as overwhelm, procrastination, and fear; as well as learn how to support and nurture our inner artist to thrive. This retreat is open to artists of all genres.

Illuminate the Artist Within(tm) Retreat will be held June 27th through July 1st, 2011 in the beautiful Gulf Islands of British Columbia. A community art studio and table space for each participant will be available 24 hours/day - meal packages available - quiet time for yourself - hot tub - hiking - laughter - joy - rest - yoga - supportive creative community. Only eight (8) spots available. Register: 604-736-5111 or register (at) debchaney (dot) come. More details: http://www.debchaney.com
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Light Hunters is a 30 day adventure into falling in love with light. Whether you are just beginning to explore photography (or yearning to) or a seasoned photographer: light is the common language that we speak. Each day of the month of July participants receive an inspiring and visually rich post in their inboxes focusing on an aspect of photographing light! Vivienne McMaster will lead you in this light filled creative adventure which is perfectly suited for some summer photography fun and affordable too. Vivienne also teaches the You are Your Own Muse Workshops! You can find out more about Light Hunters and all of Vivienne's online photography classes here!

the best idea EVER EVER EVER.

I know I might be a little late to see this, but this has to be one of the best ideas I've ever happened upon, like change-my-life best idea. Really, really good. Although I'm not quite ready to jump into the google chrome browser this ad is ultimately trying to sell, it's the story in the ad that changes everything for me.

I've been using gmail/email accounts for years (love them), but after watching this video, I was inspired to create a special gmail account just for baby True. Now that he has his own email, we're (me, John, our closest family members, and friends) sending him emails with short little letters, photos (from our iphones!) with short descriptions (first high chair!, first blueberry!). We're emailing him short video clips (from the iphone!) with short descriptions, and even short voice recordings (of the songs we sing to him - again, recorded on the iphones!). The plan is to document his life in an easy, simple way. When he's older, he'll have his own inbox FILLED to the brim with stories and photos and video and letters and voice recordings from those that love him (and us) the most. He'll see his life unfolding from babyhood to boyhood to manhood. A virtual scrapbook/journal if you will.



This project is totally blowing my mind.

Why? Because I've been a tad anxious about how I can best document his everyday life without stressing about creating scrapbooks + beautiful journals. I've often admired Ali's way of documenting the life of her family but each time I attempt, I never finish. Sending letters/photos/videos/voice recordings to his own special email account is our personal perfect solution in addition to the memory boxes we'll keep of drawings, favorite toys and such. What I love most about this email scrapbook is the story telling aspect - that when he's older he'll have actual letters from us to him.



It's so important for me that True has all the details of our everday joys that we're experiencing with him. I don't want to miss a thing. I don't want him to miss a thing. And I want to remember it all. Thank you gmail, for this awesome idea and inspiration. We are all over it! And thank you, iphones for allowing us to easily and quickly send photos, stories, videos, and voice recording directly from our phones to our baby's email address (ditto for you, Flickr). Awesome, awesome. It has changed our lives.