sponsor GIVEAWAY!!!

i'd like to start offering sponsor giveaways, so why not start with a superhero pendant? i wear mine often (sometimes i wear this bulls eye pendant with the joy starburst pendant, you know, for the days i need the extra inspiration), and i can't tell you what a difference i feel when i put it on. in taking flight, i talk about creating meaning in our work. it doesn't have to be obvious, but just a little something that gives our work (whether it's jewelry, painting, scrapbooking, etc) a bit of intention. andrea's pieces are the perfect example of this. they're all about transformation, inspiration, and giving ourselves a bit of oomph in our everyday lives. it's true that we're all our own superheros. and having a gorgeous reminder around our necks is sometimes all we need to turn an ordinary day into one with magic and meaning. 

lucky for us, andrea is giving away one special pendant to one special reader. all you have to do is enter a comment, but there's a twist. your comment must only be ONE WORD and it must describe what the word 'superhero' means to you. is it joy, wild, strength....we'd love to know. off you go! i'll announce the winner super soon. 

and for those of you who are looking for a special valentine's day treat, andrea's offering a sale on ALL of her superhero bead necklace designs ($20 off), so get em' while you can, peeps. get em' while you can. 

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ps - you guys, thanks so much for the well wishes. my RN husband has enrolled me into an intense get well boot camp. it involves back rubs, snuggles, movies, meds, vitamin c, an insane amt of fluids, and a lot of sleep. i'm feeling hopeful. and better :)

pps- if you are interested in becoming a sponsor over on the sidebar (to promote your creative biz, projects, blogs), then shoot me an email and i'll get the details to you :)

sickness, shame, sea glass

i so wish i were coming here to report how fantastic cha was. that i loved teaching. that i'm exhausted by all the fun of signing books and meeting people. that i made some great connections and felt energized after meeting with my editor about the possibility of a second book. but the truth is is that i had to cancel my trip at the very last minute. last week, just as i declared myself unsick after several weeks of battling my way thru some serious upper respiratory yuck, i made the mistake of exerting myself with a bit of exercise on a gorgeous seattle day. and ever since then, well, i'm back to sick. canceling was very hard for me to do. i've never canceled a trip. never not been up for fun and adventure. and i pride myself on meeting deadlines, being dependable, professional, and on and on. but this thing, this prolonged illness, has me beat and surrendering to my limitations. last nite, in the dead of stillness, i woke up to a near panic attack over it: will i ever get better, i wondered? i've done everything i've been told to do. rest. antibiotics, immune boosters, etc, etc and still, i am still not even close to 100%. all of this is to say that i find it interesting that even while sitting in a doctor's office, i feel such a giant amount of shame about not being able to follow through on my cha commitment. if john were sick, i'd cancel in a heartbeat without hesitation, but when i'm the one who's sick, i feel shame. clearly, i have some soul work to do. but in the end, i did choose to stay home, to try and get well, and i suppose that's progress. 

the silver linings have been all the reading i'm getting in (i read this book in just one day, it was so good.), the napping, the eating a ton of soup and pudding, and the sweetness of john who is taking good care of me. he even got me out of the house yesterday for exactly one blissful hour of seattle sunshine on alki beach (photo above) where we found gobfulls of sea glass. he's a keeper, that john :)

dining room tour, january blessings, and cha

i can't help myself with all of these room tours. i seriously hope you aren't sick of me. once, when i was fresh out of college, i sent my bff a letter. i included a couple of photos of my new apartment - i thought she might like to see my surroundings as it was the first time we'd ever been separated in different cities. i thought i was being clever and she lovingly thought i was a total dork. i keep thinking about that as i post these images every week of our new digs. it sort of cracks me up but i like it anyway. so, here we go. this week it's our dining room...

lucky for us, this room was already painted this soothing color when we moved in. and we were also super lucky to score this table (loving the bench on one side) from my sister-in-law who needed to store it in our house. the windows on the right bring in a lot of natural light which is so nice here in seattle (speaking of windows, this is how they're tied. cute, no?). the heart on the wall was made by anthony hansen from old recycled metal. i love everything he creates. the little birdie sculpture underneath it was made by friend stephanie lee (another artist who creates magic with her hands). these are two of my favorite artsy pieces in the house. oh how i adore them! 

i love how the items in our homes have stories. this weathered piece was the first piece of furniture i bought in portland when we moved there in 1999. and the window box, which holds our paperweight collection, was constructed by a carpenter who sold his unique pieces each week at portland's saturday market (i can't remember his name) - a really fantastic market with artists galore. the frames, made by reclaimed wood, were bought at the home rebuilding center in portland many years ago. they hold some of our most treasured photos. so, i suppose this little corner is all about portland, each piece being born there with fond memories attached. 

this is a view/peek into the living room. the yucca tree on the left has traveled with us everywhere we've ever gone in the last ten years. it belonged to john well before he met me and he insisted that it make the move with us from florida to oregon in a tiny honda civic hatchback - that was the summer of 1999. we traveled and camped our way across the country for weeks and weeks. just the two of us and the yucca. it reminds me of the plant in that movie the professional - the one where the hitman takes his beloved plant with him everywhere he goes. if you've seen that movie, then you know what i'm talking about. we love our yucca. it's been with us through so much. 

i haven't found any good junk stores in seattle yet, but i did fall in love with this repurposed wooden column thingy that is now used as a giant candle stick - found at a local antique store called antika. oh how i loved this the moment i saw it. john has a strict rule which is this: only buy the things you are deeply in love with. period. and this certainly fell into that category. the trays in the background are vintage metal tv trays. so cool, adore those things. 

you can't really tell in the images above, but these vintage ornaments atop glass candle sticks (an idea i had after seeing these at my mom's house) sit in the window sill. loving how they look in the light, the color brightening up the room.

and finally, our collection of rusty tin that sits on top of our pie safe. the rocking doggie is one of my most favorite pieces in the whole house :) 

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(i sat on this bench the other day for hours while on the phone with a friend. felt so good!)

in other news, i've been really enjoying the month off. did i mention that i gave myself january off (still taking etsy orders, by the way, but no shipping until february)?  it was a smart decision, something i think i'll do each and every january from now on if i can swing it. seems like a good month to regroup after inevitably super busy autumns.  john starts his new CRNA job in a couple of weeks and we've so enjoyed having some play time before he heads back to a working schedule. i've also been on the phone, catching up with family + friends, packaging gifts, writing letters, planning adventures, reading magazines (so fun to see a full page advertisement for taking flight on the inside cover of this month's somerset studios - did anyone see that?), a lot of walks and exploring. feels so good to replenish, to get ready for the year. all the moving and rearranging of furniture/collections has been soothing to my creativity, giving it a different focus for bit which has been good, too - a bit of renewal all around.

i'm heading to CHA for the weekend where i'll be teaching, demo-ing, and signing books. i've heard so much about this event, that i can't wait to see it for myself. my goals? to meet donna downey and tim holtz (huge fans of these two) and to explore some new possibilities/direction for myself. i have a feeling i'll return home overwhelmed with inspiration. i'll be home early next week with photos and stories....see you guys on the flipside :)

ps-feel free to post photos of your digs and share it in the comments. wouldn't it be fun to see one another's spaces? i love this sort of stuff. 

pps- there are exactly two spots left for the Art Nest - the sweet wintery creative retreat in utah where i'm teaching next month (alongside mati and jane wynn). this is your chance! follow your spontaneous creative dreams and come join us for what i KNOW is going to be a deeply meaningful and fun time in a dreamy cabin in utah. seriously, i think you should come :)

seattle, a thank you, and inauguration

we've had a couple gorgeous days here in seattle.  i snapped this shot yesterday while on a drive around our neighborhood (queen anne). on a clear day we can see this exact shot from our bedroom window (such a treat). slowly, seattle is capturing my heart, showing us its beauty, and encouraging us to feel at home. part of me can't wait to feel familiar with this city, with favorite restaurants, parks, shops, even just how to get around the streets. but part of me also wants to savor all the newness, however fragile it may feel. i am continuously reminded these days how uprooting one's life really does take time to soothe. to make new roots. to expand into a landscape of a new life.

it feels like december slipped away from me in a blink. and much of january has felt the same. now, as i begin to awaken from the fog of illness, of holidays, of travel, of moving, i am feeling ready to begin - in earnest.

thank you so much for your lively thoughts and ideas about online classes (keep em' coming). i'm feeling hopeful about how it could all unfold, how it could be a powerful forum for shared creative possibility - and this gets me seriously inspired. i'll keep you updated on the progress as i begin to put it all together (with your helpful suggestions).

also, i can't let this day escape without a huge and joyful recognition of inauguration day. like so many millions of others, i am feeling incredibly lifted by what is possible for our country. it really does feel like a renewal, like a whole new world has been ushered in with a collective hope that feels bigger than ourselves. pretty magical. and i'm so happy to be alive to witness this day, to be a small part of that collective hopefulness. 

a question for you

i've been getting several emails asking about if/when i plan to offer online classes. it's been something that's been rattling around in my brain for a few months and as i consider jumping in into this project, i wanted to ask you a couple questions....i would really love it if you shared your thoughts and ideas :)

* is this something you guys are interested in? i'd love to get a good idea of the interest out there.

* if i were to offer online classes, what are you most interested in learning? journal projects? faces? backgrounds? collage? or something totally different - perhaps a workshop on the ins and outs of building a creative business? or perhaps an online course that would take you through Taking Flight, chapter by chapter? 

* what components are most important to you? live help? video instruction of painting projects, start to finish? a forum where you can connect with other students who are taking the class?

really, i'd love your input as i begin to consider this new direction...i think it could be really good. 

another tour: the new studio

i'm so excited to share the new studio space with you guys. when it was all said and done, i was totally in love with the set up, the organization, the color, and the inspiration. i went back and forth on whether or not i wanted to set up a space in our home, or if i wanted to have a studio space outside the home. ultimately, i decided to keep it at home, upstairs in one of the spare bedrooms. it's a smallish room, requiring a bit of creative organization, as i really needed this room to be fully functional both for creating and for the business end (files, shipping supplies, computer work, printer, scanner, etc) of what i do. so here we go....a tour of a VERY clean and tidy studio (before it got all messy with paint)!

when we moved in, the walls in this room were already painted a vibrant, funky green  - perfect for a creative space. i already had one ikea work table and decided to get two more and put them all together to create an L shape. the tables are adjusted to stand higher than a standard table height as i prefer to work standing up. the long side of the L is where i create/paint and the short side of the L (where the chair is) is where i do office/computer work. i love that i can house all of my most used components (scanner, printer, paints, computer, etc) all on one table top while still having defined areas for each. 

john made this bookshelf for me a couple of years ago out of salvage wood found at portland's home rebuilding center. it's one of my absolute favorite pieces - super sturdy and holds white wooden boxes (ikea) that store all sorts of supplies. to the left of the bookshelf is a large window that holds one of our stained glass pieces, and on a clear day, i can see the olympic range from that window (gorgeous). the sisal rug (also found at ikea) has a plastic backing - perfect for protecting the carpet from inevitable paint spills. the white chair and trash can are also from ikea (it was one very long day at the local ikea - hilarious, i tell you!).

over the holidays, my mom made some lovely table curtains for me using some gorgeous amy butler fabric (i could melt into her fabrics - seriously). attached to the tables with velcro, the curtains are perfect for concealing more supplies under the tables that i need to access on a regular basis (i have a couple rolling tupperware containers directly underneath my painting area that hold all sorts of stuff, including more paint, inks, pens, pencils, ephemera, stamps, etc). the take flight banner was custom made by etsy seller, meringue designs, and it's purely inspirational (i love it). above the banner is the heart my sister made for our wedding cake years ago. it reads blessed be on it and it's one of my most treasured gifts ever. the wooden frame on the wall was found years ago on the side of the road. 

the wire inspiration line (for photos, inspiration, reminders, etc) that spans the entire length of the wall came from ikea - i love how the clips make it easy to take things on/off the wire (a fave).

i found this old yellow metal tool box at a junk store recently and am using it to store most of my fluid acrylic paints. love this. it's got a handle and everything :)

loving my heap of painting aprons hanging on the bookshelf. curtain ties are left over fabric from the table curtains. 

the letter K (anthropologie) is a perfect bookend to my stash of creative magazines on the book shelf. next to it is a peach vintage glass that holds some of my sea glass (oh how i love to find sea glass!).

a bit of book inspiration on the shelves, along with a couple art journals from taking flight. 

hanging on the wall by the door, is this little winged project - also made for taking flight. made from an old metal doorknob holder, it holds a beloved photo of my mom.

this is a close-up of my work/office/computer area. the bins to the right are fabric boxes made to go inside a hanging clothes shelf, but i'm using them to hold various paper, mattes, and shipping supplies. and i absolutely love my white desktop carousel - perfect for holding pens, scissors, postcards, tape, and more. and last, but not least, a favorite photo of me and john is tacked to the wall. 

what you can't see is the large closet on the opposite wall from this window. it has shelves and plenty of space to hold more shipping supplies, boxes, and more - things that i don't need to get to very often but are nice to have around in the studio. 

so that's the tour. for me, it's really important that my creative space be colorful, and that it house some of my favorite things - things that speak to my heart and make me happy. it's a room i'll be spending a ton of time in and i hope it continues to inspire me to do my best, create fearlessly, and to enjoy it every step of the way. 

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ps - thanks for all the celebration comments in my last post. i am still sick over here. i finally saw a doctor today and am now on prescription drugs for a nasty ear infection/bronchitis/sinus infection (all at once, oh my!), but your comments have really lifted me up as i rest and wait for a full recovery.

xo

16 things about me + an announcement

1. i walk around in the world feeling like the above, like our spirits are all intertwined, that we all matter, that we have so much to teach one another. sometimes i feel overwhelmed by all the goodness, like i'm not sure where to put all the energy.

2. i don't like coffee. but i must have black tea in the morning with sugar + milk.

3. i went to seven different schools in seven years (k-7). in some ways, it taught me to adapt easily to change, to meet people easily, but it also taught me to crave stability. 

4. i have the world's worst memory. my friends kimmie and garrett are the only people i know with worse. i keep a super detailed organizer - it's the only way i remember to do anything. 

5. i'm a huge actualizer. if i think about something, a project, or something i want to do for whatever reason, then i do it. no over thinking. no planning. i just get in the car, or hop on the internet, or go to my studio, or call someone, etc, etc and work toward whatever task/project/thought it is. my mom is the same way. for a long time, i didn't think much about this trait but i'm learning how different i am from several of my friends in this area because they keep pointing it out to me! when it comes to things i need, however, or self-care, i'm not so fast to actualize - totally need to work on that. 

6. i often need silence. no tv. no music. nothing. just silence. this drives john nuts as he's a huge music person - likes it on in the mornings, afternoons, evenings. i love music (soulful alt country, folk, etc) but i can't have it on all day long. it's best in the studio when i'm painting. 

7. i have never been good at flossing. and everyday i hear the inner voice that says "only floss the ones you want to keep" and i still don't floss (see what i mean, #5?).

8. in highschool, i was voted most likely to wear stripes with plaids. hmm. and in college i'm pretty sure i wore overalls every single day from 1993-1996.

9. if you told me 3 years ago that i would be living this life, working full time as an artist and creative business owner, i would have told you you were nuts.  

10. i am very, very far-sighted and have worn glasses since i was ten years old. 

11. i shamelessly love and watch the hills, the city, and the bachelor :)

12. i am equally extraverted as i am introverted. i ALWAYS score middle of the road for every personality trait on every personality test i've ever taken. always. sometimes this makes me feel non-existent, like i'm not interesting enough. but i'm learning that i'm just easy, adaptable, and flexible. 

13. i love it when the house is clean, especially the hardwoods so i can walk around barefoot. 

14. i asked my husband out on our first date almost ten years ago. 

15. i go back + forth about whether or not i want to be a momma. it changes every other week, my thoughts on this. 

16. i can get super spooked by darkness. 

consider yourself tagged. would love to know 16 things about you! 

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i am so proud to announce the Kelly Rae Roberts Collection debuted last week at the Atlanta gift show. DEMDACO is carrying this extensive line of wall art reproductions and i'm totally thrilled with how they turned out - on canvas with thicker sides, totally looks and feels like an original painting, and insanely affordable. 

the sizes range from 6x6 inches to 18x18 inches. they just debuted last week but will start filtering out to stores nationwide soon. totally surreal + exciting for me to see these images taken by my friend laura - she snapped these photos for me as i wasn't able to attend the atlanta show (thanks so much laura!). more products will debut this summer from DEMDACO, including glass charm necklaces, adorable gift boxes, tote bags, bookmarks, and more. but for now, i'm smitten with the wall art line. how cool is that? 

guest bedroom/office + other peeks.

i hope you guys don't get tired of my room tours. i am downright obsessed these days with nesting and moving furniture around and settling in. i'm still sick, and have lost my voice, but have enjoyed puttering around the house in between meds and taking it easy. 

here's the guest bedroom/office and some other views from upstairs:

it's bright and happy yellow with a bright and happy bedspread. the office nook to the right is primarily john's space for computer and paperwork stuff. 

framed artwork above the bed is by steve rubinkam (adore him). and the other painting is one that i kept from taking flight. i still love this rusty green bed we found in florida years ago. we recently upgraded to a queen size (hello leg room!) so it had to go in another room besides ours. i'm pretty sure it likes all the color in this room. good company. 

i took all of our random photo frames and hung them up here, in the guest bedroom/office. friends + family, all there together. i hope to add more to the collection so that it grows to the right and spreads out over the wall. wouldn't that be cute? 

vanity detail of vintage mirror and green leafed bottle my mom made and gave to me (from previous post).

this is the top of our computer/office nook. i've always had a thing for vintage clocks.

l.o.v.e.l.y. is what you see when you walk into the upstairs bathrooms with sailboat blue walls and white beadboard. i believe these are old letterpress blocks, found at a junk store recently. i so love this bathroom. i really do. 

this is a view from the upstairs landing looking into our bedroom. original works from mati rose, sabrina ward harrison, carla sonheim, and stephanie lee. more to be added soon to this little wall art collection, including a piece i just purchased from amy ruppel (it's so HARD to snag one of her paintings before they're all sold out...it must have been a very lucky day for me:)

speaking of art, i bought this beauty last month at seattle's urban craft uprising show. painted by raa, i absolutely adore it and it also hangs in the upstairs landing. 

so there you have it. peeks into some of our upstairs spaces.  next up will be a studio tour (which is in one of the spare bedrooms upstairs). you can see a sneak peek here. as i nest and obsess about arrangement of collections, furniture placement, etc, etc, i'm deeply reminded how important it is to surround ourselves only with the things we love, that speak to our senses, and make us feel most like ourselves. to me, that's art, photos, vintage collections, and color. what about you? what beauty do you surround yourself with in your spaces that you call home?

thought on letting go, 2009 words, and more.

i still love mason jennings. lately, i keep going back to this one particular song where he sings "life is something that you can't control....when you try to hold onto it, it makes you let go." i'm reminded that it's when i get sick that i'm forced to let go - to slow down, nurture, and loosen the grips on life a little . it happened last april, and it's happening again now. the lesson keeps coming around and around until i get it: slow down and let it go. every time i don't, i get very ill after all the excitement of travel/projects/holidays are over.  so, that's what i've been up to - forcing myself to take meds, hot baths, and to get better fast.

i'm also coming up with a plan for myself in 2009. my words for 2008 were self-care and balance. and i'm making them my words again for 2009. again, i believe the lessons keep repeating themselves until we finally get it. and these two words sum up my ever revolving lessons/needs/wants/wishes/goals. my hope is that if i can find ways to balance my days with work, play, and self-care, then i'll be happier, more creative, more productive, and healthier. that's the hope and i'm all over it for 2009. because, frankly, i will be SO embarrassed if they are my words for 2010.  

i know there are a ton of words out there circling for 2009. now, one week into 2009, how are your words feeling? what are your words? why did you choose them? what is your biggest wish for yourself in 09 (i'd love to know)? and like me, does it take you several weeks to really start in on new year beginnings (please say yes)?

ps - i wanted to thank memory makers magazine for publishing a fun how-to article i wrote for their current issue. the jan/feb issue is in stores now! 

pps - and this is killing me. in the best of ways. can you believe it? can you? so many people, friends, kindreds have pulled together to make this happen. it's so exciting to witness, really. 

slowly waking up

been feeling a bit quiet over here. trying very hard to re-enter life after moving and holiday travel and overwhelm. i was shaken a bit more awake today by a few inspiring friends, including tracey's video post that had my eyes watering up (already bought the book), brene's bravery, mati's phone call, ali's strength, and finally:

jen's efforts to finish esteria's home in rwanda. i know times are tough but $5 goes a long, long way if you are able to give. you guys proved how small gifts can give birth to big dreams in africa. and now the house that love built is ready to be finished. please, if you can, help us finish. details right here. 

hoping you all are well and blessed with abundance in 09. 

xo

2008. a review.

dear 2008,

you were an insane year if i do say so myself. so much activity. so much whirlwind. sometimes i wasn't sure of my footing, and other times i savored the flight. in the end, even with all the rolling ups + downs, you were nothing less than magical. and i mean it when i say magic. for example, i just took a moment to re-read my mondo beyondo dreams for 2008 -  the giant, daring dreams i wanted to manifest for 08. and guess what? they all happened: i did travel to italy with john. although we didn't rent a vw bus and drive it all around europe, we did recently buy one for all the adventures waiting for us in our backyard. pretty cool, eh? and the dreams kept coming all year: i did have a successful book release.  i did embrace the idea of teaching workshops in faraway places (hello, italy). and i did move back up to the northwest in a cute old house with a studio upstairs (not portland, but you surprised us with seattle instead). and lastly, i did remain inspired, in gratitude, and in love. like i said, 2008, you were full of magic. thank you so much for all of it. 

here are your other highlights:

* celebrating a few licensing deals. this was an unexpected surprise, but i'm so glad i jumped on board. 2009 will bring all sorts of new goodies, including canvas wall art reproductions, adorable glass pendant necklaces, more stationery products (calendars!), and so much more. totally excited about this as it all begins to unfold in full. 

* battling the blues. this was a constant as we negotiated living apart for many months while john was in graduate school. we never warmed up to california, although our time there was deeply important. it had major gifts, but our hearts were slow on the uptake. 

* i became a possibilitarian. 

* lots of art making and heart finding and photo taking. 

* the quest for balance was never ending (as always for me). you even gifted me with major burnout from time to time :) 

* kellyraeroberts.com got a major facelift as did this blog :)

* dreaming up an italy workshop with mati rose (who i MISS so much these days!)

* big love for my man. always. and always. 

* taking my mom to artfest. boy, did she love it. and we're going again in a few months! 

* a trip home to florida for greggie's retirement party (wahoo!). and then another trip home for the holidays and my mom's big surprise party for her 60th birthday (serious fun). 

* i bought a pair of shorts - this was big, people. 

* i turned 33 yrs old. 

* holding Taking Flight in my hands for the first time ever. andrea was with me to celebrate when i opened it. (i so MISS andrea these days, too!). and the days of book release week were wild and wild. and i can't forget to mention all the reviews (both on amazon and in my inbox) i am forever grateful that this book reaches people and inspires them to create. what a gift. 

* one super scary medical scare (still unresolved, but i'm totally okay)

* lots of good press (thank you!)

* an awakening. 

* a life-shifting gathering of lovebombs. 

* traveling to squam and speaking at this event with mati (so nervous!)

* my first photo session, both alone, and with a dear friend. 

* spontaneously teaching at portland's art+soul (so glad i did) 

* loving italy every step of the way (teaching + traveling) 

* leaving oakland for seattle. we had always planned to move back to portland, but it seemed seattle insisted we move to its city (you are tricky, 2008).

* being a part of the house that love built in rwanda. this was extraordinary. 

see what i mean, 2008? you were simply insane, exhausting (in the best of ways), and magical. thank you for all of it - you will always be remembered, celebrated, and held close. in between all the creative fun + work, what i will most remember about you are the friendships and the time spent with family and with john. in the end, it's the heart to heart connections that make all the celebrations worth celebrating. so thank you for all the hearts in my life. they are precious and meaningful to me. 

xo