Kelly Rae Roberts's Blog, page 86

you can let your sexy OUT, sister.

this photo is all wrong. wrong, wrong, wrong. but i love it anyway because it makes me chuckle. and i love finding silly notes in silly places - this one was found last summer during a girlie retreat with some friends.

just yesterday john found a sticky love note i hid in the pocket of one of his jackets. i love random notes. we need more silly and love notes in the world, no?


(he's been doing this really hilarious thing where he sticks his bottom lip out when he's done feeding and ready to nap - cracks me up every time.)

all is well over here. i am working hard at not working hard on the days that i have baby true (when john works his looonnnggg days) and then i'm working hard on trying to focus on work/deadlines/creativity when i have the time scheduled out to do so. everything about my life (play, work, downtime, studio time, etc) is super scheduled these days. it's a whole new way of working and operating. i miss the days of following that idea NOW or writing that blog post NOW or working on that painting idea NOW or running out to do xyz NOW. so yes, i have a lot to learn inside this new way of scheduling every single detail - a lot of adjusting and stumbling and figuring it out. we'll get there, but these beginning efforts feel super wobbly.

for now, i'm trying to be super gentle with myself while also practicing various routines/rhythms until i find the one that feels right. the one thing that definitely and most certainly feels right is simply and fully being present with baby true on the days that i have him all day/evening long. i surrender all work, all to-do lists, all expectations. and we just do our thing. i love it.

today, i was video taping him doing something funny with his tongue when all of the sudden he busted out with his first real deal, full-on laugh. it was awesome.



ps: i wanted to mention that my friends lisa congdon + mati rose have teamed up to offer an amazing painting ecourse! i love what they're calling it: Get Your Paint On! it starts super soon (jan 31st) and i can't tell you how thrilled i am to take this course, try new things, and get inspired. the class is geared toward all levels, so c'mon over and join in the fun! xxo, kelly rae

home tour: our kitchen

i'm so excited to finally share our home spaces with you guys! i'll be sharing photos of each room over the next few weeks, starting today with a tour of our kitchen.

as you can see from the photo above, these images were captured a long time ago - just a few days before baby true was born and when it was actually sunny in portland! all of these photos were taken by the lovely and talented andrea jenkins, aka hula. if you prefer, you can see a slideshow of much larger images here.



adding the wall of windows was a great idea. it just floods light into our whole house. and that dutch door? best decision ever.



remember what the kitchen looked like before the remodel? i'm happy to report that the stove finally arrived (about two weeks after we moved in) and that this kitchen is the heart of our home. we are always in it, usually sitting at the island chatting or watching the birds out the windows or cooking or doing dishes or making tea or or or.



i seriously love this stool. here's the post that tells how my mom came up with the idea. at first, we just tied the apron to the stool but to make it a bit more permanent i eventually used heavy duty velcro (the kind that has the adhesive/sticky sides) to attach two aprons around the stool. love, love....



we're still loving our ikea counters, our granite island, and glass seagreen tiles. and the farm sink. that thing totally rocks.





a simple stand created by stacking plates with candle holders. another one of my mom's diy projects (thanks, ma!). we have a ton of silver pieces that were handed down to us from john's family. i'm loving using them as vases and such around the house.





the letters moved from our seattle kitchen to our portland kitchen. andrea, who took all of these photos, is who inspired me to start collecting letters. we edited down the letter collection quite a bit for the new kitchen. i like it less cluttered right now, but who knows, maybe we'll add more as time goes on.



the lampshade was another quick diy project. i bought a plain white shade at target and glued quilting yo yos along the rim. super cute and super fast. the lamp base is a vintage find. and the painting is one that mati made when we taught together in italy!



k is for kelly rae, j is for john. and that's what this home is about. it's about our togetherness, our family, our hanging out in the kitchen whipping up some dreams.

big thanks again to andrea jenkins for all of the photos in this post. that girl so totally knows what's she's doing. xxo

Weekly Sponsor Spotlight: Katherine Quinn, Louise Gale + Jenni Horne

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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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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Are you ready to make 2011 YOUR year to see some wonderful dreams come true? Join Louise Gale and other creative souls to dream, plan and build your roadmap to success. Big Dreams, Small Wonders is a 4 week program that started on Jan 3rd and there is still time to join in! The e-course is designed to kick start your year with tools, techniques and lots of planning resources to ensure you are ready to follow your passion and make some great things happen.

We are really excited to be building a community of dreamers who are dedicated to making 2011 their year. We cant wait to track progress and celebrate all of our successes.

Connect with Louise:: Blog :: Facebook :: Etsy Shop :: Twitter ::

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Reaching new heights....doesn't that make you feel so accomplished? In this art journey I find myself reaching new heights daily. Whether it's through a finished painting, a piece of jewelry with just the right components, or a lovely stuffed feathered friend that makes me giggle, the artwork I create literally lifts me to new levels. I share these accomplishments through my blog and encourage you to stop by, borrow one of my red heart balloons and lift yourself to new heights as well.
You can find many finished paintings and products listed in my ETSY shop. From bag tags, key chains, prints, jewelry and original work, all the joy I place into each individual piece is another way I share my red balloons with you. I look forward to hearing from you all! Jenni Horne (Mattie's Social Circle)

crushes + discoveries

lord help me, i've discovered the mobile photobooth app thanks to my mom who is way more hip than me.

other recent discoveries:
- seriously loving this new creative workbook by artist katherine dunn. quarry seems on fire lately with their books - really fun to see.

- john surprised me with these amazing green boots and i wear them constantly!

- i'm loving this local artist's work. hoping to meet ms betsy walton some day here in portland.

- loved every single thing in their showroom in atlanta. and this one too.

- loving that trader joe's is carrying a few kelly rae greeting cards! we are big trader joe shoppers in our house.

- seriously loving diapers.com. i mean, really. it's the best gift ever to order baby necessities today and have them delivered (for free!) on our doorstep tomorrow.

- really loving the line-up for fall's squam art workshops - lots of artist pals teaching and it makes me want to go (bad).

- currently crushing on serena and i want to be a farm chick just like her.

atlanta gift market

oh my, i hardly know where to begin. i went to the atlanta gift market this past weekend. it was a whirlwind - a very quick 36 hour adventure.

all of the new demdaco products in the Kelly Rae Roberts Collection debuted and it was awesome. this is my third year partnering with demdaco and my second year attending the show (you can see photos + read about my 2010 show experience here and here). i almost always feel like the luckiest girl on the planet when it comes to demdaco, the success of the collection, and how i get to work with some pretty amazing people.



i almost jumped out of my shoes when i saw how the new product was styled and displayed in the showrooms this year. last year was pretty awesome, too, but this year was out of the box awesome. the suitcases, the lampshades, the utility carts, the rustic file drawers. seriously, people. my mom came with me to see what the show was all about and she teared up when she saw this display. they could not have done a better job inserting my style/aesthetic into the displays. i feel so lucky.

and there were several displays!! check it out:



the girlie figures are a new format. this particular product feels like a big leap for me and it's been a couple of years in the making to get them just right. i'm really happy with how they turned out and i'm loving (loving) how the set designers displayed them here in a file bin. how cool is that?

the wall to the left is pretty awesome, too. here's a close up:



as you can see, we've added large 18x24 canvases to the line as well as longer 8x24 canvases, too. we also added MANY new canvases in various sizes (6x6, 12x12, 8x12, 16x16, etc) that you'll see sprinkled throughout these photos. but the large 18x24 canvases are pretty awesome - perfect for larger home spaces.



this is a whole other display...loving the studio desk setup. again, they did such an amazing job...pinching myself.



here's a close up of some of my favorite new products. they're soft heart shaped everyday ornaments with wings! more photos of these coming soon. they're so whimsical and fun and they're double sided with imagery and words and art.

here's another shot of them:




we've also got new butterfly clips which you can see on the lamp shade above. love this idea of creating a mobile of sorts out of old lamp shades and butterfly clips!



my mom flew up from florida at the last minute to come with me. it was really fun to give her a peek into what i do! it was also great fun to introduce her to the folks at demdaco, friends, and other people i work with (including my licensing agent!).



here's another fun display showing all three of the new large 18x24 canvases as well as the girlie figures and few other goodies.

as if that wasn't enough excitement for me to last the entire year, i walked into demdaco's holiday showroom and this is what i saw:



omg! the krr holiday collection was displayed so beautifully. a blue tree, a dress form with a tutu (on the left), birdie cages, and more. totally loved the strings of ornaments coming down from the ceiling. wow.

the ribbon on the tutu is one of my all time favorite krr collection products. here's a more detailed shot of it.

i can't wait to show you guys ALL of the new stuff. we are working on getting it all uploaded to the online shop which will reopen in a few weeks.



this is one of the new ornaments. love. we've got several like these..


this photo shows a couple of the ornaments (could be everyday or holiday). the one in the right background is awesome - can't wait to get better shots of those. they are made to look like they've been constructed from painted salvage wood - really cool!

it was so hard for me to get shots of all the new stuff but i'll share detailed shots of it all when the online shop reopens. be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you want to know just when it reopens and is fully stocked with new stuff and old faves.



i was able to get in a good visit with my friend leigh of curly girl designs. she's one of my friends who totally gets the ins and outs of the industry as an artist, so it's always nice to be able to talk shop with her. plus, she's just so sweet and fun and we have very similar tastes in just about everything. she's one of those friends that i really really really wish didn't live 3000 miles away.


(anne, leigh, me)

leigh and curly girl opened up their own permanent showroom in atlanta and it was so fun to see it (GORGEOUS) and help celebrate. it's a mighty big accomplishment and we're so proud of her!



here we are, my mom and i, in leigh's showroom on the cozy couch. so glad she could come and be a part of the whirlwind.




thank you, jonathan, for sending over these photos of my signing! this was my third signing with demdaco and it's always such a treat to meet the people who buy the product, including a few bloggers who stopped by!

giant thanks to everyone at demdaco and to all you who support the line. its success is a team effort and i can't thank you enough for being a part of the team! these trips to the showrooms always bring it home for me. there are so many people behind the scenes that work so very hard to make all of this possible. i'm very aware of that hard work and the atlanta show feels like a celebration of all of that hard work. the product designers, the marketing department, the graphic designers, the packaging designers, the shipping folks, the creative directors, the sales reps, the set designers, the photographers, and on and on - there are SO MANY people, so many hearts that make all of this possible. i'm one of those many hearts and i'm just so very grateful to be a part of it. truly.

i'm working hard to savor every second.

3.5 months old - baby true photos!

i'm back from the atlanta gift show where all the new product in the kelly rae roberts collection (with demdaco) debuted. it was awesome. i have lots of photos coming up soon but while i get my bearings, i wanted to share a few recent photos of baby true and what he's been up to.



true is 3.5 months old, weighs about 14lbs. he's so achingly beautiful to me that sometimes it's hard to believe that we made him! his eyes are a clear blue, just like john's. in fact, he's a mini john with a bit of me in there but he's got john's head shape and skin/hair coloring and body. it's really cute. he loves kicking his legs all day long and has recently figured out how to roll from tummy to back which means that he doesn't get a lot of tummy time anymore! loves rolling...



he is super duper smiley. smiles all day long. if you talk to him, he smiles. sing to him, he smiles. if you touch his face or belly or feet, he smiles. if i leave him alone in his swing or bouncy seat, he'll talk to himself and smile. it's really cute to look across the room and watch him watching things and smiling at them. soooo sweet. he loves to be held and he's all about assisted standing, but he's not really into carriers these days. he practically lived in the sling those first couple of months but now he wants the freedom to move his arms, kick his legs so we're working on different carriers to see which ones he likes.



he's so completely different than he was those first 6 weeks when he was uncomfortable from the reflux. these days he is mr. chill - again, just like his papa. almost never cries. he definitely fusses when he's hungry or tired, but he's super responsive to soothing, naps, and food. he's an easy baby if we make sure he gets his sleep. right now he won't sleep anywhere except in his room which means he's not very portable and we are always home for his naps. but i'm so grateful that when we put him down to sleep, that he falls asleep pretty easily.



he's totally in love with his hands. they are pretty much always in his mouth. recently he figured out how to hold things and whatever it is he's holding, it goes straight into his mouth. he loves standing in front of the mirror and checking himself out. he stomps his feet and gets all fired up. so fun! he also loves looking at the art on the walls, book illustrations, and the mobiles. and people. he loves looking at people.





we've been doing a bedtime routine for the last several weeks that involve a bath every nite. he loves loves bath time. he kicks and laughs and generally enjoys making a ruckus in the warm water. i think it might be his favorite part of the day. he doesn't mind when water runs down his face or anything. totally chilled out.


after bath, he chills out in his crib for a bit before one last big feeding and then bedtime. he's a great sleeper - sleeps from about 7ish - 8ish and gets up twice during the nite for quick feedings. this past week we had a couple of nites where he only woke up once for a feeding (omg!). he's taking his naps throughout the day. we've definitely learned that a well rested baby true makes for a super happy baby true.

it's hard to think back to those first couple of months when things felt (and were) so hard. we are so grateful that his reflux has responded so perfectly to medication and that he's a chilled out happy baby. we are learning to pick our battles and not be too rigid when it comes to a myriad of things and just try to go with the flow and pick up is cues. my favorite part of the day? waking up because i know he's going to be full of smiles and i can barely wait to see them...

Weekly Sponsor Spotlight: Kaye-Lee Pantony, Tidings of Great Joy, Jessica Sprague + Goddess Leonie Allan

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****************************************************** Hi! I am Kaye-Lee Pantony an artist by nature and a psychotherapist by trade. Here again to tell you about my ecoures. Ever feel like you aren't as effective as you would like to be? Ever feel pulled in different directions? My ecourse Sublime was designed to address this struggle. I believe that many of us feel like this because we are not integrated internally. I often see people who seem to have their child/adolescent/adult selves working at odds with each other. I designed Sublime to heal this rift. The focus in this class is on remembering and calling forth one of these parts of us that I think holds much of our forgotten power-the preadolescent self. It has been my experience that once the girl-within is integrated that women feel a resurgence of vitality and strength.

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J. Wecker Frisch is the owner of Tidings of Great Joy, LLC, an art licensing company that features her vintage quality, illustrations. She is most noted for her woodsy creatures and animal characters widely available on high quality fabric sold exclusively in quilt shops. "500 Year Tradition of the Decorated Christmas Tree" products are available at Fine Art Ltd.

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the secret ingredient is YOU

(you are the magic you've been waiting for)

one of my greatest joys is encouraging other creative souls of the world to go for it. i think the world needs more of us chasing our dreams, creating artwork, inspiring others, and telling our stories. it's why i wrote a book, teach workshops, launched my ecourse last summer, and wrote the ebooks. i truly believe in sharing the stories of how we made it into creative lives, and how we made it into success - so that others can see and cultivate their own dreams. i just wish everyone would realize that you have to chase YOUR dreams, tell YOUR stories, and be YOURSELF every single step of the way.

earlier this week i was disappointed to see a fellow creative teaching a workshop at a national event where the class examples were strikingly similar to my work. it upsets me that a teacher is setting that sort of example for her students - that it's okay to do such a thing. and then today i was super disappointed to have discovered that one of my previous students, a blogger in our mixed media community, used my EXACT words (without credit) from this post on her own blog for a post she also called "what is and is not okay" - i thought it was ironic (and bold) that she stole my words from a post where i wrote about not stealing. did she not think that our community would notice? her website was full of other striking similarities, too - not entirely in artwork, but in the text/words throughout her blog and website. in all honesty, it made me chuckle at the irony of it. and then i felt quite sad for her. i wrote her a kind (but firm) email informing her that she had absolutely crossed a boundary (plagiarism) and that i was saddened that it didn't appear as though she could trust her OWN voice and use her own words.

i encouraged her to cultivate her own voice, especially now that she was pursuing publishing - that people would soon start looking up to her and that she'd have to have her OWN voice, her own words, her own heart + soul in order to best represent herself and be a mentor for others. it's about responsibility, artistic/creative integrity, and setting a good example for your audience. and you simply cannot plagiarize. period. she, of course, was mortified by my email and sent over a gentle and kind response. it was a good and important exchange and i think she got it. i hope so. she's certainly not alone in her mistake. we've all been there to one degree or another.

the truth is is that this stuff happens all the time (not just to me, but to so many of us!). people want what you've got. and so, they do exactly what you do: write what you write, sell what you sell, submit your ideas as their own, teach your workshops. blog posts are stolen, verbatim. paintings are created in near replicas, website content is copied, and on and on. no credit is ever given. they're just chasing, chasing, chasing something that will never authentically be their own. they're not aware that they are the secret ingredient to what they're chasing after - not me, my words/art/blog/ideas or anybody else's.

what truly disappoints me is that it's often someone in my orbit - in my community that i've mentored along the way via my ecourse, or ebooks, or through a workshop i taught, or even by just being a reader of this blog . my heart really does sink though i'm also very clear that these things happen and always will. it's just a part of it.


(photo by tracey clark)

besides writing what i've already written on the matter, i just want to scream out to the world:
YOU are the secret ingredient to your success. YOU!

not just success in the sense of being published, licensed, etc but also the feeling of success that comes from being authentically you no matter where you are in your creative path! we have to (we must) pave our own way. let's be inspired by one another's words/work/careers but let's also find our own voice, our own way of writing, our own way of connecting, blogging, creating, facebooking, twittering, e-coursing, etc etc etc.

The absolute #1 secret ingredient to a successful blog/website/art career/etc is the element of YOU. You really are the most delicious ingredient. You are the essence, the cherry on the top, the thing that makes your offerings unique. Your audience will grow by like minded people seeing something in YOU that they see in themselves - a kindred connection, something that makes you relatable. The more of you that we see, the more we are going to connect to you. The more we connect to you (the artist behind the craft), the more likely we are to come back (it's all about connection). The more we come back, the more your audience grows. The more your audience grows, the more your creative business grows. And the circle keeps going until you find yourself in the center of living your dreams.

But it all starts with YOU. YOU are the secret ingredient to your success.

Folks who are hugely successful in their craft are hugely successful because they are being themselves, whether that's funny, irreverent, inspiring, and so on. Once you have the being yourself down (even as you grow, change, and evolve), there are other how-to elements that can certainly help shape your success - how to market, how to get traffic to your online shops, how to create a dynamic blog, how to sell online/offline, etc etc - but before any of that will work you have to stop blocking the heart and soul of WHO you are from your audience. If you're funny, let that show. If you're corny, let that come through. If you're insightful, let that show. If you're contemplative, type A, or spiritual – whoever you are – let your true essence come through in EVERYTHING that you do (your products, your writings, your marketing, your websites, etc etc). Why? Because you will attract like minded souls. These like minded souls will become YOUR community, YOUR audience, YOUR customers, YOUR biggest supporters. These are the people who will make all of your creative dreams come true by buying your art, signing up for your ecourses, spreading the word about you, and on and on. You cannot create that kind of community/audience/success by mimicking someone else's essence as your own. It will never lead to true, authentic success. I'm talking the kind of success that warms your heart from knowing that it's all YOU - that it was your idea, your words, your heart that paved the way and not someone else's.

You are the secret ingredient to your success.

Everything I've ever tried to do that wasn't 100% me felt harder, less fun, wasn't as fulfilling, and never truly succeeded. Why? Because I wasn't following my true north in those instances. I wasn't listening to what MY heart wanted to do. Instead, I was trying too hard to do what I thought my audience would want, what I thought would work (because it worked for so and so), what I thought made more sense. We've all made this mistake and it's a hard one to learn from. We get lazy, we get careless. We forget to simply show up and be ourselves. But it turns out that simply being ourselves is SO MUCH FUN, way easier, not as complicated, and attracts a community that we adore. And it's our communities that we owe our success to - again, it's about connection, a connection that starts with YOU by you being yourself.

YOU are the secret ingredient to your success.

Not sure who or what you are? Remember, everything takes practice, even unearthing who we are. Embrace a starting point. Experiment with your blog posts, your paintings, your websites. Try on new voices, new ideas, new ways of doing things until you stumble upon the thing that screams, "This is me! There I am. Nice to see you!" My guess is that this discovery process will also inform your creativity and infuse your work with more of YOU, which will in turn make your creations/blogs/websites/etc more fulfilling, more connectable to those who come across it. It's all about connection. Connection to YOU. In the meantime, don't lift someone's words, creations, etc - give credit. Being inspiried is 100% okay and natural and giving credit is good karma. More of my thoughts on this topic here (written a couple of years ago).

You are the secret ingredient to your success.

generosity + gratitude = heart explosion

i don't know what in the world is happening but my friends, my mom's friends, and people i don't even know are sending such amazing gifts. i hardly know what to do with the gratitude. i received so many lovely gifts for baby true these last three months - handmade outfits, blankets, hats, shoes, knit sweaters, artwork, burp cloths, books...many from fellow bloggers from around the world, including the most incredible quilt crafted by a group of dear students who took my ecourse last summer. i need to show you photos of it - it's stunning! my heart has been so touched by the generosity!

i've also received so much heart to heart support, too. phone calls, emails, books have been sent to me (funny, practical, thoughtful), text messages - anything just to reach out and say i see you, hang in there, love you, thinking of you. these things have meant the world to me as i find my way through this remarkable experience.



we also received an 80 lb box on christmas eve. it was from one of my mom's dearest friends (hi, gena!) and it was FULL of the sweetest baby boy hand-me-downs. we could not believe our eyes. leather shoes, one cute outfit after the next, lots of socks/bibs/hats, and even some cold weather snugglies from patagonia! true has worn something from this stash just about every single day since the box arrived and it's enough clothes to easily get us through the year - crazy, right? most of the clothes are from tea, zutano, and hanna anderson. i hadn't even heard of these and now i'm all smitten. i will be taking gentle care of all of these clothes over the next year and can't wait to pass them on to the next mama of a little boy. thank you, gena, for the generosity and for showing me that little boy clothes CAN be cute and cool and hip!



and then yesterday, my friend stephanie lee was in town for a few hours and surprised me with a large painting that made me cry the minute i saw it. i simply could not believe that someone would do something like this for me (which is how i've felt about being the receiver of all the goodies/love/support we've been receiving). i just stood there in complete awe and then i started to cry. because it was stunningly beautiful and exactly what is in my heart only now there it was interpreted in a painting that could not be more perfect for our home. because it's beauty and meaning we so dearly true to all that i am. because i simply could not believe she did this, MADE this, created this, thought of this....for me, for my family. i felt so, so special. i could hardly believe it.



this morning i came downstairs and there it was, propped up in the dining room. in my morning haze i had forgotten about it yet there it was inside another moment of beautiful surprise all over again. love at first sight...all over again.





made from plaster and paint and carvings, and framed with salvage wood, my heart is still skipping a beat. i mean, seriously.



i'm not sure i've ever been so stunned by a gift before. or surprised. or so in love. feels like i won some sort of amazing lottery. thank you, stephanie! girl, you are wildly talented and thoughtful.



and then to top off these last amazing few days, i got to spend most of the day today with friends ali and hula! there was a delicious brunch (the best french toast in town), another trip to anthropologie, some boutique browsing, and good conversation. exactly what i needed. i totally love how precious everything feels these days - friendship, shared meals, shopping, all of it. precious.

i am feeling so full. thank you, universe! i so promise to pay forward all the generosity that's been coming our way. really thankful. and now i really really need to get some thank you cards in the mail.

flora bowley = inspiration overload

i've been a big fan of flora bowley's for a couple of years now. i think i learned of her from anahata's blog and i've been crushed out on her and her artwork ever since. we've been emailing a bit here and there but we finally had the chance to meet recently (she lives in portland, too). we had a nice lonngg dinner with a fellow friend (who i adore) and then another nice lonnngg lunch a couple of weeks later. you know how sometimes you meet a new friend and they sort of remind you of yourself in some ways because your life views are so similar that you recognize yourself in their stories? and you could go on and on and talk for hours and never shut up? and you know instantly that they so totally get what you're about? yes, yes, meeting flora has been just like that. instant connection. love!



i was so happy to have taken her two day workshop this past weekend in her amazing + vibrant studio. it's been so long (years?) since i've taken a creative workshop and it was just what i needed to get re-energized, re-inspired. and the people! the other 10 students were so seriously warm and delightful. i haven't felt that giddy inside community in a long time - really felt like i made a few new local friends - best feeling in the world.



flora has entered the world of teaching and i can't recommend taking one of her workshops enough if you ever get the chance. i have a feeling she's going to be teaching for many years and be highly sought after (she already is!). i learned so much from her and absolutely loved watching her paint. seriously inspired! she is extremely intuitive when she paints and she's a master at letting the painting come together organically rather than methodically. i learned so, so much and it was such good practice (though hard - good hard) to stretch outside of my comfort zone.



it felt liberating to follow her prompts and direction and just completely let go and have fun. these are my two canvases that i worked on throughout the weekend. above is what they looked like at the end of day #1. i sort of loved them just like that but she encouraged us all to not get attached, to keep layering and get bold and brave. it really is true that if you paint in a way that you aren't attached to the piece then the work usually turns out way more inventive and interesting.




above is what my canvases looked like in the middle of day #2 (not done yet). totally loved my little work station. notice the tote bag under the table. it's a papaya designed bag with flora's work. LOVE it and haven't stopped using it since i got it.



these two days were the longest stretches of time (7hrs each day) that i've been away from baby true. i missed him (greatly) but john texted a steady stream of photos all day long. it was also really good to return home after so many playful hours.



totally loved flora's studio and all the hopeful messages and reminders she had on the walls. surprise yourself. love that.




the works up high are flora's works in progress. the works below are student works in progress. amazing. and can i just say that i love all the drippies and colorful marks all over the walls?

so yes, really great weekend. really great people. OMG, and the food was catered both days by pixie retreat! i am not a raw food girl, but i was seriously astonished (astonished!) by how freakishly delicious both our meals were that i might just be a changed woman. even the cannolis were to die for. and kale chips - holy smokes. and on and on. i'm so inspired that i'm considering signing up for their cooking classes. like, for reals. inspiration all around - food AND art AND people. so grateful...

i'm getting back to what feels like myself as well as feeling familiar in my new skin/life. i'm being gentle with myself and soaking in all the new experiences and friendship. stephanie lee was in my home today for several hours and i cannot wait to show you what she gave me. i cried when i saw it. like full on. cried.