Kelly Rae Roberts's Blog, page 79

hawaii!

hi friends! we're in hawaii for our first family vacation. i was incredibly nervous about baby true's first plane ride but it went great. no blowouts. no crying. no drama. we were able to keep him occupied for the entire six hours with new snacks, new toys, a good nap, and lots of wiggling and looking at people and other babies. awesome. there is something about traveling with him that has made me feel a bit more empowered as a new mom and definitely more confident about being a bit adventurous.


you can find me:
-enjoying the warm breeze which feels like heaven. we've had just one day of 70 degree weather in portland so far this entire year of unusually cold and wet weather so it feels like complete bliss here.
- hanging out in the hammock with john.
- sleeping a lot, eating a lot (hello, cheetos. you are seriously good)


- reading this book which was recommended by oprah and does not disappoint (i'm a new lowe fan!)
- falling more and more in love with my baby. he is so active these days and eating so much and crawling and loving sippy cups and sleeping beautifully and teething and laughing hard. he's happiest when being held or outside. currently he is unhappy if taken into the ocean or put on the sand or struggling with his first tummy virus which he is now thankfully over! he is such a dear, i can hardly take it.



i wanted to let you know that i've got an original painting that is included in the above auction to raise money for japan. 100% or proceeds go to the red cross. to learn more, head on over to jenny doh's website, crescendoh. lots of great art up for sale over there!

village appreciation day!

holy smokes you guys...thank you so much for all the orders and for all the positive feedback about the new shop. i'm loving how fast and organized it is! we sold out of a few things but we'll have more of those items super soon.


i would like to give a HUGE shout out of thanks to my new programmer, leah of leahcreates.com who rebuilt the shop on an entirely new platform (more info on that below). having had not so wonderful experiences before with programmers, i was soooooo delighted (and relieved) to have found her (via a connection on twitter, no less!). totally professional, patient, speedy, and sweet - she's stuck with me for programming/coding/website life. love her!

just like i'm learning with parenting, it takes a village to run a creative biz. they are they people who help live our dreams visions into actual and functional websites, ebooks, customer service and so on. i have a strict rule with myself to only work with people i actually like, people who are nice and kind. they can be super knowledgeable but if i don't like them or if they're not someone i would hang out with then i don't work with them. i learned that lesson the hard way. here are a list of the people in my village that i LOVE. they make my biz life that much more enjoyable, efficient, and joyful. i absolutely could not do what i do without them.

- shopify. oh lordy, i'm in love, love, love. i've had my online shop hosted by etsy and then on eshop (wordpress plugin) and now it's on shopify. i suppose third time is the charm because let me tell you, it's 100% worth the small monthly fee for this e-commerce platform. leah was able to customize my shopify account to look like it's integrated with the rest of my website. benefits? super fast. completely customizable. awesome customer service (they even celebrated my 100th order by footing the bill). extremely easy check out process for customers with confirmation emails, shipping emails, etc etc. they also have a super easy interface for order fulfillment, keeping track of customers, inventory, etc etc. dani, leah, and i all agree: this e-commerce program is the best.


- christine of darling tree studio. she designed my website in 2009 and i still love it (it's built on wordpress which means i can easily update the content). she was delightful to work with while also being professional creative. she's a great example of a mama running a successful creative biz. sometimes i wished she lived on my street. we could have playdates and talk creative biz all at once.

- wired tree. having tried several hosting/server providers, these guys are the best. they have the best customer service (i'm a stickler for great customer service) and go above and beyond. love them.

- my village of friends family. they talk me off the ledge. they celebrate big. they show up and invite me to play big, never small. they understand when i disappear for a bit when working on a creative project. and most importantly, they are my witness, my collective memories of my beginnings, my hard work, my struggles, my triumphs. i could never never have created my biz without their support. we must must must surround ourselves with people who will support our dreams, no matter how wacky (the dream and the friends!) they may be.



- laurie of daydream designs. she's the expert who designed and created the ebooks. this girl knows what she's doing, making the ebooks incredibly interactive and highly functional. she goes above and beyond while being super responsive, detail oriented, incredibly kind. loved working with her for that massive, massive project. and she loves oreos as much as i do!

- my kick ass licensing agency. it was quite a long process, but i'm so glad i ended up with this agency. i owe all of the new and recent opportunities (card line! home decor line! stationery line!) to their team. i am so so grateful.

- ejunkie. they do all sorts of stuff but i use them for selling my ebooks affliliate program management. as soon as someone purchases an ebook, ejunkie sends them the ebook as an instant download. pretty awesome. ejunkie also manages my affiliate payments and such. super easy. love this program.

- dani. she's my studio assistant that i can't live without. she puts up with me and all of my detail oriented ways while totally rocking all the ins and outs of fulfilling orders, emails, inventory, sponsorships, and all sorts of other stuff. she's giggly, spiritually grounded in all that matters, and just a lovely lovely soul. i am so lucky to have her!

- the incredible demdaco team. i have so much to say about the folks at demdaco. i have loved working with them and am so inspired by their company culture. i've got a whole "demdaco appreciation week" coming up on the blog in june. i'll share stories of how the process works (making products), stories of our trip to china (we designed an artisan jewelry line while there!), interviews with key people i work with on their team, and much more. stay tuned!

- paypal. have i told you lately how much i love and rely on paypal's multi-shipping program? it's how we ship all of our orders. a must have and super duper easy.



- john. my creative biz would simply be impossible without john. i spoke about all of this in this post and every word is true. without love, i wouldn't have lasted this long. i wouldn't have been able to fuel the commitment and the passion it takes to make it all work. and i wouldn't be enjoying it as much as i do without him to share it with. and now we've got baby true. the love in my life is big and i feel wrapped, totally wrapped, in its abundance.

Sponsor Spotlights: Word Cellar, Jenny Shih, Conscious|Cool|Chic, Sleep and Her Sisters + Lindy Gruger Hanson

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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Calling all writers and "wish-to-be" writers to The Word Cellar. Would you like gentle, useful feedback on your writing? What about personalized creative coaching? Let me (Jenna McGuiggan) be a supportive and honest guide along your writing journey. Here's how it works: You'll email me your work, I'll review it and then send you written comments on what's working, what could be improved, and suggestions on how to move forward. As your writing coach, I'll help you to follow your dreams and find creative clarity by asking questions, listening, and recommending books, resources, and creative practices. We'll meet via phone or Skype and can discuss anything related to writing or creativity. I'll serve as your sounding board, cheerleader, nurturer, and brainstorming partner. Whether you need one session or ongoing monthly support, let me know how I can help – and I'll design a custom package just for you and your writing wishes. Learn more or contact me.
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You're changing the world. I'm here to help.

Hi, I'm Jenny Shih. I work with right-brained, solo entrepreneurs who have something they need to get out into the world. Sometimes they know what it is. Sometimes they can just feel it or sense it. Either way, they know it's important. It's big. And it MUST be shared. I help them dream, plan, create, and execute. Then, incredible things happen.

Whether you're the type who usually jumps in too quickly and gets caught with your pants down, or you prefer to wait and wait and wait until you have the perfect plan in place, we can find a way that works for you and your style to get your thing out into the world. And it will be fun, I promise.

Nothing should stop you if you want to change the world.

Visit me at jennyshih.com
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Fabulous Free Stuff is the latest and greatest thing to share with you over on Conscious | Cool | Chic! The Little eBook of Big Affirmations has been a huge hit so far with over 75 original affirmations and thoughts on Creativity, Love, Forgiveness, Career, Trust, Success, Health, Living Your Best Life and so much more. Want a copy? Awesomeness! Then I want you to have it, so come on over and check it out.

Conscious | Cool | Chic offers daily inspirational thoughts, quotes and messages to connect with your inner Spirit and beautiful essence. Follow along on the Book of Faces for special updates and perks, or sign up for the (occasional) newsletter to know about the release of more Fabulous Free Stuff that will give your creativity a surge!
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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.
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Hi, my name is Lindy Gruger Hanson and I work out of my home studio in Bend, Oregon. I love to create colorful, whimsical paintings! Vivid color is always one of the most important elements in my work; this is followed by the liberal use of flowing, swirling line-work and textural pattern and shapes. My aim is to create paintings with the belief that art can inspire people, make a house a home, and bring joy and positive energy into the world. I hope you'll stop by my Etsy shop to purchase colorful prints and greeting cards and you can see my original acrylic paintings at www.lgruger.com.

the shop is back, dear friends. it's back!

We are so delighted to FINALLY share with you some big and happy news! Our online shop has been completely rebuilt, redesigned, and restocked! It's also faster, more reliable (no more long load times), and a whole lot prettier....

It even has a nifty little search feature that allows you to search and find products by format or even by sentiment. Search love, hope, or brave, for example, and you'll get a list of products matching those sentiments - LOVE this!



Did I mention all the new goodies? We're loving the brand new + super delightful winged hearts - everyday ornaments for your office, for your home, for your gift giving! And the highly anticipated new figures are finally here - we'll have even more of these beauties in a couple of weeks.



We've added many brand new stationery products to the shop, including the new 2012 BEAUTIFUL calendar, a couple of notepads, and more. Our new sketchpads/journals are a show stopper + they'll arrive signed by yours truly with a meaningful note, just for you.




And please don't miss the many MANY brand new wall canvases we've added to the shop. Ranging in size from 6x6 to 16x16, they're affordable and will add lovely meaning to your home + office spaces.



It feels like we grew up a bit with this brand new shop, like we polished our shoes and got a bit more confidence. We hope you love it, too! Lots of new exciting product will be added to the shop in the coming weeks - we can't help ourselves!

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I just want to say a very sincere thank you for your support. It has meant the world to me as I continue to dream big + embrace the wild ride of living inside one very full creative life!
Big xoxo, Kelly Rae

ps: Internatinal buyers: we are still not able to ship internationally but please shoot us an email and we'll connect you to an online vendor that carries many of the products and can ship to any international destination!

some thoughts on love, mothering

sitting here, this eve of my first mother's day. i'm thinking about baby true and how i hope our journey together here on earth is long and joyful. thinking about a dear friend who recently lost her mom and how this particular weekend must be so, so hard for her. i'm thinking about the wonderful documentary i saw recently called babies, a film about all the different ways we mamas from all over the world care for our babies with the same exact language: the language of unparalleled love. i'm thinking about my own story of how fortunate i've been to be mothered my whole life by not just my own mother, but by the nurturing hearts of my friends, my mentors, my teachers. we are all mothers when we tend to the hearts of others. i'm thinking of my dear mom and how i can barely wait for her to move to portland this summer so that i can see her happy face as often as i'd like.



i'm thinking about how my own journey into motherhood has changed everything. how my heart is broken open and how that will always be. i know now how deeply my mother must love me simply because of how achingly i love my own child. in so many absolute unexpected ways motherhood has helped me feel connected to how deeply loved i am. and that very connection opens me up to love and nurture and mother those in my own life in new ways. you know how they say you have to love yourself first in order to love others? i believe you also have to feel (receive) how deeply loved you are in order to love (give) others with your whole heart. and that's one monumental thing that motherhood has awakened in me - that feeling of not just knowing but rather connecting with my whole heart how deeply i have been loved my whole life by my own family. that's what mothers and motherhood does. it's powerful and it changes everything.

to my own mom and to everyone who has ever nurtured another, happy mother's day. you are so so special and as what my friend katherine says in this video that i keep coming back to over and over: what you do matters.

NEW Sponsor Spotlights:

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!
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Hello Beautiful Dreamer.Whatever your dream is - if you want to quit your job to be an artist, or travel the world, or write a play, or knit a sweater or start a brand new charity - your dream is important and needed in this world. Your dream is a light and a gift that can inspire and nourish you and others.

Growing your dream is about soul work.

It's about creativity and intuition and purpose and connection. It's about light and joy and heart, but sometimes the path is confusing and scary and frustrating. Sometimes the obstacles seem so big that it feels like there is just no way around them.

Even though you have so much passion and love for it, sometimes it's very hard to bring a dream to life. You can make it all easier in the Creative Dream Incubator.
The Creative Dream Incubator is an e-course and a blog that help you to grow your Creative Dreams. Plant your dream seeds and watch the magic happen.
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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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With Kristen Robinson

Embark with well known Artist, Author and Instructor Kristen Robinson on an (online) adventure of a lifetime! Imagine a bit of time to play; time in your creative space with no boundaries and absolutely no rules. The objective is to HAVE FUN and revisit the child in you - the one who use to create for no other reason than fun.

As children we see the world in such a different scope. Coloring books and drawing pads were viewed as a playground of creativity. As we get older we tend to forget the nature of play and the fulfillment it brought us. It is Kristen's goal to reignite that fire that once drove us all to create. A bit of time out of of your day is all you will need to participate in the fun we are going to have.

Come along as we journal, create, aspire and DO! Play along as Kristen shares her tips and tricks that she uses to get the creative ideas flowing!

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Hi…I'm Valerie Lorimer, and I love creating whimsical, uplifting artwork. I'm so inspired by nature, architecture and the written word. There are so many beautiful things surrounding us to draw inspiration from each day. It's always so special when I'm at a fair or exhibit and someone really connects with a piece of my art. It's rewarding to put something positive out there into the world.
Affordable originals, prints and note cards are all available through my shop, and Kelly Rae readers can take 10% off by using the coupon code KELLYRAE10.

all that really matters

i'm totally floundering a bit over here - completely swamped with unexpected projects. all exciting and joyful but i'm learning that hard lesson of mastering the practice of being present inside life's small + sweet moments without getting distracted with all the there is so much to do thoughts. for me, this is one of the absolute beauties of having a baby. it forces me to simply be aware of the moment. and there are so many awesome moments.



right now i'm sitting upstairs in the little nook working on the online shop - you know, the one that i used have open millions of years ago and the one that is taking forever to get back up and running because it crashed and needed to be rebuilt on an entirely new platform with an entirely new programmer (who i love - you'll meet her soon) with all new images and text and and and and. it's been a massive project - totally unexpected but so worth it in the end (i hope!). should be open in the next couple of days.

anyway, i am positively loving the pink blooms on our dogwood tree. i can see them through the window as i sit here and work and they make me so happy. i love the beauty of these small gifts as i crank out tedious work.

another thought that keeps mulling in my head these days are the thoughts of growing pains. growing pains as a new mom (the juggling, the heart expansion). growing pains as my creative biz expands (am i making the right decisions?). growing pains as i become more fully who i am. it all comes with undeniable blessings...and growing pains are the portal to that very place where we reach beyond ourselves toward all that is possible. i try to keep it simple and just do the very best i can and make decisions to journey only in ways that feel exciting and authentic. but keeping all the inner noise/critique at bay is a practice - a growing pain in and of itself. life is such a journey, no? i really really love this particular piece of being alive.

more soon! thank you for hearing my words. i love coming to this space to breathe and to reconnect with all that truly and deeply matters.

perfectly perfect

you know how sometimes it feels like you are moving a small mountain? all of that effort. all of that dreaming. all of the details. and how sometimes it feels like it takes a century of time to move that small mountain? that's where i've been since coming home from china. did i tell you that i took a last minute trip to china? i did. i have so much to tell you. so much.

but for now i am working hard and very very slowly at moving a small mountain that involves recovering from what feels like endless jetlag, a long catch up to-do list, and an entirely new online shop that is in the homestretch of completion (cannot wait!).



between insomnia and naps, i am with my baby true who turned 7 months today. i am struck at how deeply changed i still feel, how his beauty still grows, how my heart still nearly explodes every single day. i love being a mama. i love the new slower pace of my life. i love that i can no longer keep up with anything and how that somehow feels just perfectly perfect.

This THURSDAY!

Hi friends!
For those of you in the Oregon area, I'd love it if you come join me Thursday evening! I'll be at Garden Gallery Iron Works, a fun store located in Woodburn, Oregon (about halfway between Salem + Portland). They've got a large selection of Kelly Rae products that I'll be signing from 4-8pm. They'll be free gifts, French wine, deserts, and a sale just for you!

The shop is located in a popular outdoor shopping center so come with your friends + family for a bit of Mother's Day shopping fun!

Sponsor Spotlights: Liz Lamoreux, Lisa Ferrante, Amy Peter's Studio, Louise Gale + Kaye-Lee Pantony

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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Soul Mantra lockets and other jewelry designs are created by Liz Lamoreux. The mantras in her shop are reminders to share pieces of your story as you walk on your path. Liz writes, "When we tell our stories, we shine a light on the beauty of what is real. We heal. We dance inside joy. We find our way to laughter. We fill in the cracks that life creates in our hearts. We sit inside love and truth. We find ourselves standing tall and we give ourselves the much needed permission to rest. I believe we must sift through all that has been to find our way to all that is to come." Visit Liz's Etsy shop, soul mantras and other stories, to find a talisman for your journey. You can also connect with Liz on her blog. And a special discount just for you: From now until May 8, use coupon code "KINDRED" for a 15% discount on your jewelry order.
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My name is Lisa Ferrante and I am a self taught mixed media artist. All my pieces are about love, maternal love, romantic love, self love and self empowerment. They are me exposed; each purges a powerful emotion, a profound realization, another step in my evolution as a woman. A customer recently wrote: "Lisa, your package brought me, my sister and my daughter to tears. Your generosity of spirit and kindness on top of the sheer beauty of the pieces filled us to overflowing with gratitude, love for art, artists and life! We all felt so aware that what we were celebrating was the supportive relationships between women and the amazing effects we can have on our worlds".
Kelly Rae readers receive a free gift with purchase just write in "message to seller" Kelly Rae sent me! Browse my shop at chloeandsofiasmom.etsy.com for beautiful and inspirational prints and reproductions pieces for you and every woman you love. Or check out my blog atLisaFerrante.com

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Jewelry inscribed with hopes, dreams and absolute truths. Amy Peters' Studio creates jewelry that speaks to your creative and caring soul. Each unique design is lovingly created in our sunny coastal California studio and holds meaning deeper than even words can express.

1. Pocket Thoughts 2. Identity Bracelets 3. Rings

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Do you believe in the power of the Universe? Louise Gale does and she is super excited to be introducing a new blog series called "Stories from the Universe" to celebrate the launch of her new website & blog and the one year anniversary of living her creative life full-time. Starting tomorrow- May 1st, 12 Inspiring and creative women (including our very own Kelly Rae Roberts) share their tales of Serendipity, Synchronicity and following their intuition.
Come read their stories throughout May, be totally inspired and sign up to Louise's mailing list to be one of the first to receive the FREE e-book with all the stories compiled together. A perfect gift from the universe to you. Visit louisegale.com from tomorrow for part 1 of the series and the schedule of wonderful stories.
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Hi! I'm Kaye-Lee Pantony an artist by nature and a psychotherapist by trade. Here again to tell you about my ecourses. Sublime is currently under way. However, I am offering The Man Code again, only this time it is a photo journalism ecourse. Would you like to improve your relationships with the boys and men in your life? Do you want to fall in love with them all over again? Then this is the course for you! The goal in this e course is to have fun learning how men see the world around them and how to use this information to improve our communication with them.
Through photography and journaling we will learn to appreciate and laugh about the differences between us. I guarantee that you will learn something you didn't know before about boys and men! To Register you can contact me at kpantony(at)cogeco(dot)ca or by visiting my blog. The Man Code will start on May 9, 2011 and run for 4 weeks. The cost will be $59 (reduced from $99) until the start date.