true love necklace, a giveaway!

oh my, we are in for one very awesome giveaway today. mati rose is offering up one of her super popular true love necklaces, but first ...

(me + mati rose wearing our true love necklaces, photo by denise andrade)

have i mentioned lately how much i miss mati rose? she was one of the best things that happened to me during my two years in the san fran area - when we became friends, when our stories converged, when our silliness connected, when our hearts collided. it's hard to believe that it's been almost a year since i moved away. i'm thinking she's one of a kind, that girl. that i'll likely not meet anyone like her ever again, and that makes her incredibly special.

we are in some serious luck today because mati is offering one lucky reader a CUSTOM true love neckalce! woohoooo! i've got two of these bad boys and i wear one just about every day. yes, yes i do. here are the details taken from mati's shop:

These one-of-a-kind necklaces are made with true love on both coasts-- between San Francisco based artist Mati Rose McDonough and North Carolina jeweler Kristen Randall-Townsend of Moodswing Studios.

Here's how it will work: The giveaway winner will get to choose any 2 images of art from Mati Rose's shop for the front and back of the reversible necklace! The beads will be coordinated by Kristen, the jeweler, and will be a mix of Czech glass, recycled vintage beads and semi-precious stone.

Pretty cool, eh? Huge thanks to Mati + Kristen for their generosity in offering one of these up!

giveaway rules:
* to enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post - but there's a twist. please just leave a one-three word comment. using just 1-3 words, tell us what you are most looking forward to.
* just one comment per person, please.
* i'll announce the winner in just a couple of days.
* go!

ORIGINALS FOR SALE: WED, 9/30, 10AM PST

Several new original paintings (approx 18 new ones!) will be added to my etsy shop on Wednesday, September 30th at 10am PST. The last online art sale was a huge success (sold out in 15 minutes), so please mark your calendars for the next one and I'll see you there...thank you so much!

PLEASE NOTE: The originals will be listed in my etsy shop (not the new shop at www.kellyraeroberts.com). This is so that people buying internationally can participate in the sale!

I am so excited to offer up this next batch of original paintings (sneak peeks of a few of them above). I've had so much fun playing with color, collage, flat backgrounds, messy backgrounds, words, and on and on. I hope you find something you love!

Tips for getting an original:
* If you don't already have an etsy account, be sure to sign up for one so you are ready to go when the sale begins.
* Sign into etsy just before the sale begins and head on over to my etsy shop page.
* Hit refresh several times just before 10am until you see all the paintings listed
* Find the one you love, the one that makes your heart sing, and add it to your cart
* Purchase it immediately or risk it being snatched out of your cart by someone else :(

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For all of you who pre-orderded the datebooks + calendars, they will be shipping out this week! I'm so thrilled to send these out into the world!

It's not too late to get your signed datebook or calendar! Please refer to this recent blog post for more photos and information on how you can get yours. Thank you!

ps- if you can't swing an original this time around, i've added prints of most of the new originals to the shop today! have a peek!

we must do what we are made for (thank you, ama)

The past is beautiful, like the darkness between the fireflies - one my my fave mason jennings lyrics.

everyone knows i love mason jennings. love him, love him, love him. it was such a pleasure to see him live last nite in seattle in such an old school, cozy venue (the showbox).

i love what he's says about his latest album: I wrote about how hard it is to be 34 and be a parent and sane and married and true and positive and yourself and a man and funny and a decent person and a not decent person and human and in love.

you see why i love him so? mason jennings is just another extraordinary human being out there in the world trying to stay true, make his art, be a good person. just like the rest of us. you and me. as my one of my oldest friends recently wrote on her blog, we must do what we are made for. we must. i'm learning more than ever how true this is - that we are all such gifts to one another and to the world as we give what is uniquely ours to give and offer up.

for those of you who are new to mason's music, you MUST hear his first self titled album (1998), or his use your voice, or century spring, or boneclouds albums. his lyrics will blow you away. and i'd like to officially modify my mondo beyondo list to include having a conversation with mason jennings himself. is that allowed? god, i hope so.

in other news, i've discovered crackle and now i'm experimenting and playing and getting more inspired everyday. tim holtz, i love you too. your products make me swoon. like, for reals.

trust the abundance

(it reads, "she was learning to trust the abundance")

i am feeling so full of hope, i can barely stand it. yesterday, i spent the day with anne (the woman responsible for kelly rae product design with DEMDACO). we met earlier this year and we're in pretty constant contact with one another as we tweak and flush out new product ideas/prototypes. she came to seattle with the sole purpose to brainstorm and to dream up future lines, ideas, products. i can't tell you how fun it was to sit around our dining room table and dream up wild and exciting ideas for products. there was a lot of "how about this?" and "oh, i love that idea!" and "omg, this is could be so cool!" the current product line is pretty exciting, but what's coming down the pipe is truly inventive and makes me want to do happy dances every single minute. i can barely wait to show you.

throughout the day i found myself marveling: is this my life? this is so much fun, how in the world did i get so lucky? as we brainstormed, i was challenged to dream even bigger for myself, to step deeper into what could be possible, to be mondo beyondo in creating a vision for what could be. i'm so grateful for the opportunity to work with someone like anne who believes that if we can dream it up, then it's possible. before yesterday, i never in a million years thought this big, this crazy, this dreamy. i suppose my possibilitarian muscles are learning to flex and grow. and i am so thankful to anne and demdaco for the dreaming, for challenging me to see what is possible - it feels really incredible to have someone else show you what could be. thank you...

later in the day, we walked up to this amazing viewpoint, and then celebrated + toasted all that dreaming and success with an amazing meal + drinks shared with john and bev (local sales rep extraordinaire). awesome day. i am so full. and i'm indeed learning to trust the abundance.

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ps: winners of the giveaway are as follows:

*mim who said surrounded by love wins the bracelet hazelnut cottage

*gem who said how i feel wins the necklace by hazelnut cottage

*creative flutter who said lake and mountains wins the print, cards and calendar by valerie lorimer

*mamafeelgood who said my wee family wins the ecourse of her choice from the Goddess School.

congratulations! please get in touch with me so we can get your goodies out to you! and thank you again to our sponsors for their generosity!

ramblings for you...

i'm a little smitten (obsessed) with these latest birdies on top of girlies. i am so in love with making art right now. it feels incredibly good to be inspired. it seems my artful messes have been on a traveling adventure this summer. first there was lovebomb where one little suitcase full of art supplies created an explosion of creativity between 13 ladies on the living room floor in one oceanside cabin. then there was making art in the orange crush vw van during our two week roadtrip where that same little suitcase came in handy again. and then there was my dining room where more messes were made very carefully as to not stain the pretty rug. i loved painting in the middle of our home so much, that i may just do that again and again (out growing my little studio these days).

so yes, i'm learning to ride the wave of inspiration. to take my supplies with me everywhere i go. to run with it because inevitably, it will vanish. it's just how inspiration (for me) works. it comes and it goes.

i've been paying close attention to my life these days and what i can tell you is this: i am calmer. my to-do list remains forever long but i'm learning to be settled with it more than ever. my days come and go without much angst about time constraints, or what i need to do. i'm just simply waking up in the morning, taking showers, putting on a cute outfit, and getting to work. i'm taking breaks for walks, and eating, and lots of local + weekly adventures with john and friends. i'm going to bed early. i'm getting plenty of sleep. i'm taking bubble baths, sometimes in the middle of my work day. i'm answering my emails as i'm able and not worrying about how long it takes me to do anything. i'm spending less and less time online and more and more time unplugged while keeping totally manageable work hours. all of this is a stark difference from 2007 + 2008 when i skipped breakfast, showering, and meals just so i could work, work, work. i was a girl on a mission. and the inspiration and dreams carried me along. those were also years when john was in grad school and often traveling, leaving me at home with countless hours to be productive. nowadays, my soul deeply needs the balance. and our lives feel so much more rooted in time together, lounging, and soul care.

there are so many reasons for the shift. the move to seattle. john settling into a job. my settling into a new routine. loving our home space. and of course having elyse (my assistant who i can't live without) who keeps me all together, who manages the shop orders, who keeps tracks of my income + expenses, filing, inventory, and things like that has made a HUGE difference in my life. HUGE. also, more than ever, there is a sharp sense of slow down, enjoy this, every minute, you won't be forgotten if you take a break.

i suppose i'm also feeling more settled as an artist making a living at what i do. i'm relatively new at this and boy were those first couple of years a wild ride. things are settling in a bit now. i feel more solid, more grown up (yet not at all), more accustomed to what routine and balance (or lack of) looks like when inspiration hits, and more in control of the choices i can make. there are a million paths i could have taken these last two years. so far, i'm really proud of the decisions i've made along the way and i give full credit to the magic of the universe, intuition, and good advice. and as always, to love, love, and love. without it, this recent settling after a wild ride wouldn't be possible.

it's late. i'm rambling. more soon!

ps - i've updated the shop with a couple of new prints of recent works, previously sold out bookmarks (LOVE these!), more necklaces (they keep going so quickly!), and two (one, two) canvases that have been on backorder for months and months and are finally available.

taking flight

um, hello there....just wanted to peek in and say i'm here even though i'm feeling a little quiet. and oh yes, i so love painting! it's been so good for my soul - especially this last week...

sponsor giveaways (4 winners!)

i have so much new artwork to share (i'm scanning, scanning, scanning) but first a few giveaways - we are SO in luck today with these amazing giveaways from 3 of our sponsors!

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(loved in all things - a bracelet, retail $52)

we are so lucky today because the vibrant Jan over at Hazelnut Cottage is not only giving away the above gorgeous, gorgeous bracelet, but she's also giving one lucky reader a necklace (photo + details below). needless to say, my heart skipped a beat when i saw her etsy shop - full to the brim with meaning and talent. by the way, if you're thinking you must have this bracelet asap, then head on over to jan's etsy shop where she is offering all kelly rae blog readers a special price ($48) on this very bracelet plus free shipping - be sure to let her know that you're a blog reader during the check out process in order to get the deal (offer is good until the end of october).

okay, here is jan's description of the bracelet she's giving away:

*{THE MEANING}*
…just as you are, in this very moment, may you know that you are loved in all things…

*{THE DESCRIPTION}*
Hand stamped bracelet with a beautiful open linked, patterned sterling silver chain. Long silver teardrop (thin and delicate) is hand stamped with the phrase “LOVED IN ALL THINGS”. Accented with a small garnet and filigreed double-sided heart charm. The entire bracelet has been oxidized by hand to give it a rich, warm tarnish. Finished with a lobster clasp.

(loved in all things - a necklace, retail $106)

totally loving everything about this necklace. one lucky reader will win this too! thank you, jan, for your generosity. necklace details as follows:

*{THE MEANING}*
…just as you are, in this very moment, may you know that you are loved in all things…

*{THE DESCRIPTION}*
One-of-a-kind hand stamped necklace on pretty long and short sterling silver chain. Teardrop pendant in sterling silver features the phrase, “LOVED IN ALL THINGS”. The chain is accented with six small garnets along its almost 22 inch length. Accenting the hand stamped pendant is a sterling silver wing, filigreed double-sided heart charm and teardrop shaped garnet. Finished with a lobster clasp. The entire necklace has been oxidized by hand to give it a rich, warm tarnish.

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our luck continues because talented artist Valerie Lorimer is offering one reader a trilogy of giveaway gifts! included is a signed print of First Glance which is pictured above (LOVE this print!), a set of First Glance note cards, and a 2010 calendar! the winner will also receive a "mystery" item in their package! if you'd like to see images from the calendar (and other hopeful artwork), please visit her etsy shop. also, be sure to check out her blog.

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and last but certainly not least, the inspiring + insightful Goddess Leonie is offering up a doozy of a great giveaway: one reader will win the ecourse of their choice offered at the Goddess School (e-courses begin next week, sept 28th!). information + details per leonie's description:

There are two e-courses you can choose from this term:
**The Creative Goddess e-course: six weeks to explore creativity as a place for spirituality, joy and a way to discover the wise, beautiful, shining Goddess in you!
**The Making Space for your Goddess to Shine e-course: six weeks to create a home that inspires and nourishes you through divine decluttering & magical space clearing!

Each e-course comes with ebooks, projects, videos and meditations, as well as access to the Goddess School private forums so you can share and connect with other Goddesses on the same journey! Discover the wise, joyful, creative Goddess in you at Goddess School - check out the e-courses available this term and enroll before September 28!

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recap (FOUR winners today):

*one reader will win the Loved In All Things necklace by Jan at Hazelnut Cottage
*one reader will win the Loved In All Things bracelet, also by Jan at Hazelnut Cottage
*one reader will win the the print, cards, and calendar by Valerie Lorimer.

*one reader will win the e-course of their choice at the Goddess School

giveaway rules:
* to enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post - but there's a twist. please just leave a one-three word comment. using just 1-3 words, tell us what you most love about where you live.
* just one comment per person, please.
* i'll announce the winner in just a couple of days.
* go!

a visit from my parents

my parents left this morning after a week of visiting us here in seattle. the house feels so quiet today...and i miss them both already. they traveled all the way from florida - aren't they cute? we did a whole lot of lounging with a small bit of adventure thrown in, including kayaking:

where the views of downtown seattle were pretty remarkable with the amazing sky! (that's greggie in the kayak).

we ventured out to snohomish, washington - and i'm so glad we did because the universe had a big surprise in store. it's a quaint little town with antiques stores galore. finally! i've trying to figure out where all the antique and junk stores were in this area and now i know. later in the day, my mom and i walked into one adorable store called joyworks. as soon as we walked in we saw a large display of my products - the canvases, bookmarks, necklaces, cards, calendars, datebooks and more! my mom just about peed her pants, she was so excited. it was the first time she had seen any of my products in a store and i was so HAPPY that i was with her for her first time (thank you, universe!). so fun! here i am with the sweet jana in front of some of the canvases.

we turned our dining room into a big giant arty mess which was really fun.

my mom made a couple of paintings. i'm LOVING this photo of her holding her brave painting. my mom is a lot of things and brave is most definitely one of them. she promised she'd frame it when she got home :)

lately, i can't get enough of painting. i'm loving having all of my paints and supplies strewn across the dining room - where it all seems a bit more accessible and where space isn't an issue. this painting reads "open up. let it go. possibility is waiting."

here we are. the two of us. lives intertwined, so much love. my mom is very much a person who is deeply loved and adored by her community and her family. we've traveled such distance over the years and i'm always left in awe of her spark, her energy, her creativity, her love, and her friendship.

i was sad to see them go. love them both so....it's hard being so far away sometimes.

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in other news, have you guys seen julie+julia??? i loved that movie because it's all about finding our passion, no matter how old we are, and running with it. it's also very much a love story and about how love is often the very thing that offers up the vision for what we can do, our possibilities. loved that movie!

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giveaway winner is wildflowr who said "light filtering through" - please get in touch with us so we can get your gorgeous earrings shipped out. thanks again for playing along and to my sister for her generosity!

journey of heart

i love this recent painting (16x20 canvas). it reads, "together, it was a journey of heart"

and that's exactly where i'm at these days: navigating some of life's most unexpected turns with the love and support of the dearest people in my life. people i know, people i haven't met yet, my immediate family, and circle and circles of unending hearts and support. i feel like a girl who has found herself in one of the most important walks of her life. it's a walk that has changed everything. and however tender and scary it's turning out to be, i'm just really grateful for the love. for being loved. i feel every ounce of it.

i've been learning more than ever that our stories need to be told. over and over again. until we feel the full breath of it ourselves. until we gasp in disbelief. until we extract every piece of meaning and goodness from its untold or forgotten or silenced chapters. i am in the heart of telling and piecing together my own early years and i can't tell you what it means to see myself so tenderly like never before.

it's a long story. maybe one day i'll tell it here. but for now, i'm soaking in long forgotten and deeply missed pieces. it's all good. and so important. together, with those closest in my life, it's been a journey of heart.

special giveaway: my sister, jennifer valentine!

i'm so excited to offer today's giveaway because the special giver awayer is my older sister, Jennifer Valentine! for all of my life, my older sister has been a creative soul. she's gifted me with some of my most precious handmade treasures and she's always wow'd me with her writing, her poetry, her voice (she's a talented singer), her assemblages, her decor, and her willingness to be brave in her expression. i have learned so much from her...and she's been one of my biggest supporters as i made my way into this creative life. i just adore her and all that she creates....

i'm so thrilled to feature some of her latest work here, ask her a few questions, and offer one lucky reader a gorgeous pair of her vintage assemblage earrings (details below!).

so, i'm totally loving your latest jewelry creations! what's the story behind this inspiration?

Thank you so much! It all began with Stephanie Lee's book, Semiprecious Salvage. I fell in love with her incredible creations and the whole hands-on process of making the jewelry...the use of the torch and hammer and resin...it is all very physical and elemental if that makes sense. My husband saw something welling up in me that he hadn't seen before... he bought me everything I needed to create whatever I wanted from her book. I started with making the "Flotsam and Jetsom" necklace from her book and then I was completely smitten with making art that you can wear...and Stephanie was so supportive! She answered my many many questions and praised the photos I sent her of my proud creations. It was the boost I needed to keep going making jewelry. That was earlier this year. Since then, I have begun creating jewelry that reflects my own spirit, while carrying some of my favorite jewelry makers softly in my pocket as I sit down to my special jewelry table to create. My first loves and secret muses are Stephanie Lee, Nina Bagley, Jennifer Black Reinhardt, and Janet at Oh My Gypsy Soul.

what does inspiration look like, feel like for you?

My inspiration looks like all my ancient cigar boxes and platters overflowing with pieces of the past..waiting to be brought into the light again with the deep appreciation I have for all of the elements of my jewelry that have survived for decades in silence. I give them a voice in a way I suppose, while at the same time, giving myself a voice. Inspiration feels like being in love for the first time, all the time.

is it true that i was a bossy little kid?

Yes. It is true my dear. To this day I have visions of you with your hands on your little hips and that serious look on your face, telling me that if you can't tag along, that your tellin' Mooooo-oooom! But you know, that "bossiness" turned into assertiveness and passion in your adult years and I have so enjoyed watching you grow into the incredible person you are now.

how has mom inspired you as an artist?

Oh my gosh, Mom has always been such an inspiration to me. No matter where we lived, she always made a lovely home for us. Always. Our surroundings were important to her and since as far back as I can remember, she has always had a creative and stylish touch. For example, in the late 70's when you and I were little, she made bottles of colored water and placed them on the window sills in the sun. I loved that. Lately, Mom has been going through this decorating transformation moving from a darker pallet to a much lighter one (I knew she was serious when she painted her antique china cabinet white!) and she's had such a creative breakthrough the past few years that has been such a delight to witness. I adore her creations (like the bottles with wings)...and I think all those trips to flea markets and antique malls throughout my life cultivated a deep love and appreciation for time worn treasures. There is so much I can say about our mother. She (like you) is incredibly supportive of my work. I wouldn't be who I am without her. I adore her...

what's next? what are your dreams for your creative business?

Well, First of all, I'd love to some day soon have my own website. I really want to do something with my work that helps to better the lives of others. That is most important to me. I am a firm believer in us being God's hands here on earth...using our given gifts to make life better for others. I have just begun donating a percentage of my sales to Blood:Water Mission. They provide wells, among other services, to impoverished people all over Africa....something I feel very passionate about.

I envision my artwork and jewelry hanging in some of my favorite shops and galleries downtown... I imagine creating a "following" of people that love what I do. ..and someday visiting a well in Africa that I helped to build....I would especially love to travel and teach workshops on how to put together meaningful, wearable jewelry or help people make assemblages from beloved mementos and photographs. I'd also love to teach at Artfest someday. Teaching others brings me such indescribable joy...I want my life as well as my art to be meaningful. There is a line from my favorite Mary Oliver Poem called "When Death Comes" that resonates within me each and every day. The last line of the poem says, "I don't want to end up simply having visited this world."

thank you, jennifer! okay, one very lucky winner is going to win the GORGEOUS pair of earrings you see above that jennifer made using a necklace from the 1920's and vintage aurora borealis crystals. please be sure to head on over to jennifer's etsy shop, sacred cake, to see more of her works! she's got jewelry, assemblage art, and a few vintage finds you won't want to miss.

giveaway rules:

* to enter the giveaway, leave a comment in this post - but there's a twist. please just leave a 1-3 word comment. using just 1-3 words, tell us what you most love about your day so far.
* just one comment per person, please.
* i'll announce the winner in just a couple of days.
* go!

insomnia sucks

for the first time in my life, i'm experiencing some pretty annoying insomnia that's been keeping me up well after 3am. i'm sure there are many factors involved but i'm hoping it will disappear soon. until then, i'm all about the naps (rare for me), the taking it easy, and the letting go of my entire to-do list. my oh my. i have some serious compassion for anyone out there with chronic sleep deprivation.

in between naps, i've had such a full week of hanging out with old friends, new friends (including jaimie who just started a blog - go say hello!), eating at new restaurants and cafes, and generally exploring seattle. i've been saying yes to any and all invites to get out of the house and out into the gorgeous weather - and i've been loving all the inspiration and lift that comes from meeting new people and exploring new places.

more soon! i'm going to try and get my mom to paint with me (she + greggie are here for a visit) and i can't wait to see how it goes!

oregon, we love you so

i am dying to tell you about our road trip adventure in the orange crush along the oregon coast. but we've been home a week already and i have found myself happy and busy and running out of hours to tell the whole story.

for now i will say that it felt so good to be back where we most feel at home, where we feel most like ourselves, and where falling asleep next to the ocean in a 1974 vw camper van with your soulmate and doggie feels like heaven.

and how trying new things, like not showering often and painting inside a car, are often hilarious and not easy and adventuresome all at once.

i can also tell you that roaming around oregon with no schedule or to-do list (except to find good surf or the next sunset or heart rock) is so very our style and feels incredibly perfect.

i can also say that finding a place for drying artwork inside a fully packed van proves to be difficult yet it can yield a pretty cool reflective photo while it's up on the dashboard drying. what else?

i love the beauty of matching flip flops, spirits aligned, dreams lived, possibilities imagined. it was a good trip for our souls. thank you oregon. you always deliver....xxo

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ps-please welcome newest sponsors, Kate MacAndrew of Inspired Naturally , and Leonie Allan's Goddess School. thank you!

so much to say, but first an announcement

i'm finally home after almost an entire month on the road. i have so much to say, so many stories, many photos, new art, and on an on. but first, i wanted to make a couple of quick announcements!

i've updated the shop with previously sold out necklaces, including a few new ones that i haven't previously offered, including these darlings:

(it reads, "you and me" on the other side - perfect for gift giving)

(it reads, "side by side" on the other side - lovely for a sister, or bff)

(it reads, "wish" on the other side - i've been wearing this one a lot lately [maybe because of all the dreaming and wishing lately])

these, along with many others from the collection, are available right here. they go fast, so get them while you can.

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many of you have been asking about the new 2010 datebooks, so i thought i'd give you more of a sneak peak into the inside of the book. these are available now for pre-order (shipping out in the next few weeks) and will arrive signed by me.

love that it's spiral, and that it comes with an elastic closure

it features large squares for writing notes....and it also has:

month-at-a-glance sections (!!) and.....

each month has a page or so dedicated to note taking, and....

sweet rounded monthly tabs with inspiring quotes throughout. there's even a sturdy pocket inside for loose papers and such.

again, all the details here (with more photos) on how to get yours. i'm so proud of this datebook - my first ever!

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and last but not least, my first calendar, also available as a pre-order (shipping out in the next few weeks - in plenty of time for christmas).

just like the datebooks, the calendars will arrive signed by me. more calendar details here!

it's so strange and a bit surreal to have datebooks and calendars out in the world, but i'm soaking it up and loving it!

speaking of surreal, i FINALLY saw the canvas line in a store for the first time ever. i was with john in one of our favorite little shops here in seattle. i turned around, and there they were: canvases and necklaces. it was a moment.

more soon!! but thanks for letting me give you the scoop on the new goodies before i dive into road trip adventure stories, like how i pulled so hard on the emergency brake in our old vw bus that the whole handle/break came flying out. yeah, stories like that.

let me try this again

(i took this photo during my recent travels. the little birdies look like a bunch of dreams taking flight. i just love the imagery...and wanted to share.)

so, the mondo beyono-ers (teachers + students) have so inspired me to DREAM BIGGER, to be more specific, and to re-do my list. this one feels much better, much more mondo. i feel funny putting it out here - it's that grand, that vulnerable - but i want to stay true. so here it is:

*start a family as soon as possible

*to feel fantastic during pregnancy and to deliver a healthy baby

*to collaborate with singer/songwriters that i admire on writing lyrics (deb talan, mason jennings, brandi carlile, be good tanyas, patty griffin, indigo girls - to name a few)

*move back to portland into an old restored 3 bedroom bungalow (small and cozy) that has a basement and large artist studio/cottage in the back yard.

*earn enough money by next summer to put down a large deposit toward dream home and to pay off john's student loans entirely

*to be a momma that integrates creativity into family life - good balance and self care along the way

*support john and all of his dreams - continue to love one another well.

*have one very heartfelt and meaningful conversation with oprah winfrey

*work with anthropologie in some way and for it to be really cool

*make huge giant art

*write another creativity book - a follow up to Taking Flight

*write a book about being brave in sadness, brave in love and for it to be wildly successful

*create and teach e-courses on painting, and creative flight - beginning next spring

*go to france again, stay longer, learn french

*ditto for italy

*get in the best shape of my life through yoga

*to accept/trust all the abundance while not waiting for the shoe to drop

*to travel with my friends, including an international trip with jen and the lovebombers

*to paint collaboratively with new friend jennifer mercedes

*make dreams come true for others - set up a website, grassroots organization to make this happen

*investigate my birth story and youth - get/find answers, recover memories, heal

*have fun with romance, get silly, more fun!

*invest wisely and for it to pay off so that we can financially help our families

*for my parents to live bi-coastal

*to expand my licensing gigs and for this venture to continue to do well, especially with demdaco

*write more articles for more magazines (oprah!)

*to have our home featured in a premier decor magazine

*learn how to make gorgeous videos of art in progress (beginning to end)

*inspire my friends, and family - not hold back and to strengthen a few friendships that have slipped. be honest, vulnerable

*more public speaking (i really love this!)

*step more into my leadership capacity - facilitate more

*for inspiration to keep its grip on my life and for the dreams to continue

*to keep making a living at what i do - the best and i hope it never ends.