happy anniversary, taking flight!

dear Taking Flight,

it was two years ago this month that you were released out into the world. can you believe it? sometimes it feels like forever ago and yet sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday when we were staying up until the wee hours getting ready to ship you off to homes all over the world.

i hope you know you have been a big bright spot in my life. you showed me what i was capable of, that i had something worth saying, that i was passionate about writing, about dreaming big, about possibility, about the creative life, about sharing creative projects and techniques.

i love that i still get letters from good hearted people who have bumped into you at the bookstore. they write to say how surprised they were by you - how you not only showed them true blue mixed media techniques, but how you opened up their hearts, how you reawakened their creative selves. i always agree with these kind souls and tell them how you did the same thing for me. you really are special.

thank you for helping me and countless others discover inspiration. it's been a wild and grand adventure, having you in my life. you were a lot of hard work to birth, but you've been worth every single moment. we'll always be connected, you and me. and that makes me so very happy.

i'm so very very grateful,

xxo

kelly rae

ps: just in case you've forgotten, here's how you were birthed:
1. we worked hard on your proposal (my heart was wide open)
2. and then our proposal was accepted (very very exciting day)
3. and then i went into a cocoon and made a lot of art for your pages
4. and then i traveled to the publisher's headquarters to work on your how-to pages (scary but really good)
5. and then i wrote all of your content on a red couch, next to my dog, in a small apt in oakland california in a matter of weeks.
6. writing you sometimes felt light and sometimes it felt intense
7. and let's not forget that day when i lost an entire chapter (chapter 2) due to a technology glitch. oh that was super super painful.
8. but through it all, i learned so much about life
9. and then, before we knew it, we were launching pre-orders for you!
10. and then you finally released out into the real world and you were even ranked #1 on amazon in creative reference and spirituality for a day or two (even now, two whole years later, you're still top 10 in both categories - you go!)
11. and then i realized how vulnerable it can be to have your heart out in the world - but it was that vulnerability that taught me so much about how important it is to share our stories. thank you for giving me that gift of sharing my story. i won't ever forget it.

full, full, full and oh so close.

life has been so full lately. in between spending many hours each day training dani, my new studio assistant (who is AWESOME in every way - seriously counting my lucky stars for her), i've been doing all of those misc details that you do just before you are due to have a baby: tying up lots and lots of loose ends, washing all the laundry, answering the backlog of emails, writing thank you notes (which i love to do), sending out gifts that i've been meaning to send for months (also love to do), tidying up the house, and so much more.

in between all of that, i've been having fun in the sun here in portland where we are being blessed with some pretty awesome weather. we've been getting out and about, eating at our fave spots, taking walks, and visiting with friends. here i am a couple of days ago with our friends, mary grace + malina, who were here over the weekend visiting from hawaii! they're big fans of stumptown coffee and so we took them to the stumptown cafe where it all happens (portlanders LOVE their stumptown coffee) which is where this photo was taken. these ladies are two of the most lovable girls around.

i am getting more huge by the second as you can see from the photos. my midwife is predicting an 8+ pound baby. she's also commented on how his booty cheeks seem to be "above average in size" which totally cracks me up. my sister and i were both 8lb babies so perhaps it runs in the family, though i'm not sure where the big booty cheeks come in - that's all john, i'm sure of it! sleep has become an enemy. i'm waking up each morning a little tearful at how uncomfortable the sleeping hours were. i suppose it's good preparation. other than that, i'm still truckin along, staying busy and pretty active, but every once in awhile i crash and burn. the other day i went to bed at 5pm and didn't wake again until 7:30am the following day.

john is taking such great care of me and has been so insanely loving when it comes to my morning tears, and my moments of anxiety where i want to do silly things like weather strip the basement windows NOW. in between momentary freak outs, we've been celebrating some pretty awesome biz news, having great conversations, and just trying to be very aware of these days together.

we are waiting waiting waiting...will keep you posted as i do plan to keep blogging after baby arrives, though i might disappear from this space for a week or so! due date is officially friday.

ps: online shop will stay open (thank you dani!) throughout the holidays and my maternity leave. don't forget to get your pre-orders in for 2011 datebooks (click the image on this datebook page to see more photos of what the inside looks like) and calendars. we are shipping out what we have in stock now and the rest will ship no later than Nov 1st!

entryway dresser before + after

still no baby arrival! but i wanted to share a home project with you guys...a before and after (love those!)

one of the first projects i tackled after moving in was transforming this dresser. i knew it would be in our entryway - a place to hold scarves and hats and all those misc items we walk in the door with. because it's the first thing you see when you walk into the house, i wanted it to pop.

here's the after:

pretty fun, no? we totally love it. before i share the process of how i did it, i wanted to show you a couple of other peeks at what it looks like within the context of the entire space.

here's the view from our front door:

it's a very happy hello and way to enter the house. and we love the light fixture above - john found it at one of our favorite portland restoration joints called hippo hardware. it's old and funky and perfect for the space.

here's a couple of closer looks from the inside of the house:

it's a really fun and easy breezy project and can transform any space - i've seen all sorts of variations out there, including doing the same project but with fabric! in this project, i simply used vintage wall paper scraps that i cut into varying sizes, all square.

this photo shows all the drawers all lined up with some of the patchwork already done. to the right was my stash of papers i was using. i didn't really have a plan. i just grabbed a piece of paper that i liked, cut a few squares, and then randomly glued them to the drawers using gel medium (in gloss).

once all pieces were glued down in a patchwork style, i went over the drawers with a coat of gel medium (gloss) so it would be sealed and easy to clean once dry. i then swapped out the pulls with some pretty glass pulls from home depot. last but not least, my dear mom painted the rest of dresser a pretty shade of beige (carrington beige from benji moore to be exact).

and that's that! i've got many more projects to share but this is a fave. love the vintage, artsy fun of it all and it so nice to walk into a teal house and this be the first thing you see!

more soon - maybe the next post will be sharing the news that we had the baby (can't wait for that one). by the way, if i disappear from this space for a few days, it's because i'm having that baby, and will be back soon :)

xo

Weekly Sponsor Spotlights: Heartwork (Kate Johnson), True Essence Coaching, + Yes and Amen

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! Now taking sign-ups for the holiday season (Oct/Nov/Dec).

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My name is Kate Johnson. Heartwork is a site about joy and exploration, curiosity and creativity. So much of life is about doing. I wanted to create a space where I could explore the act of being, to truly revel in self discovery and rediscovery, and to share some insights, questions and curiosities along the way.

I've been offering some e-workshops centered around the wildly unstructured act of journaling, but will be taking a short new-baby-hiatus from those intensive workshops in October and November-- but I invite you to join me in November anyway- I hope to post a journaling prompt-a-day to support folks delving into NANOWRIMO, or folks who just want to try journaling each day to see how that feels. I'll be starting up the online workshops as soon as I feel I can. I hope you'll join me!

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Would you like to enrich your life? Express who you really are in your daily activities? Do you feel out of balance? Would you like to experience more joy, more energy and live more healthfully? True Essence Coaching provides life coaching, wellness counseling, postpartum doula services and other complimentary therapies to women and mothers. She helps women carve out time for themselves, remember how to nurture themselves in busy times, and schedule in some fun and creativity in the process. Eithne Egan is a single mom who has a special place in her heart (and her practice) for other single parents, and for anyone raising a child with special needs. Discounts and sliding scales available, plus combination sessions for flexibility. Connect on Facebook or Twitter too and sign up for my newsletter here.

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Yes and Amen is a site dedicated to playful curiosity, passionate photojournalism, and daily adventures in a small town. With a light hearted attitude, walking the dirt paths, Junelle Jacobsen came to love the sheep farm as a place of healing and hope, not realizing that the little lambs would *make a mess of her heart* forever. With a bit of a push from Kelly Rae's flying lessons, a little shop on the corner was created: (YesandAmen). One-of-a-kind photographs, cards, and postcards from {the blessed barnyard} are available for purchase and every image can be made into beautiful and unique holiday cards. Orders for Christmas cards are already being filled! (20% off any order - if you message in your order: Kelly Rae) Freelance photography is always available as well.

If it's time for a new kind of adventure or if you are seeking an encouraging (albeit rural & farm fresh) community~ Come and see what is happening in the messy barnyard and be blessed. (Save the dates - October is time for fall sheep trailings - thousands of sheep coming home from summer camp in the mountains - and sheep shearing/ gorgeous fiber arts, don't miss this!). You can find me here: blog, barnyard stories, + little shop.

on ruffle dresses, end of pregnancy, gratitude, and kindness

i bought this ruffle dress earlier this summer from target in a large enough size so that i could use it as a maternity tunic (over jeans). besides my jersey boden dresses (which i'm still wearing, all the way to the end), it's the only cutified outfit i've got left with this size of a belly. i love it! if i'm not wearing this or a jersey dress, i'm in my yoga cotton target maternity pants + maternity cotton shirt. ugh. i'm so bored with the limitations of my wardrobe, i can hardly wait to get back into my clothes!

liz elayne has been here the last couple of days with baby eleanor jane (best name ever!). we've been visiting and chatting and she's been teaching me so much about baby supplies and new mama expectations, and so much more. while ellie totally won me over with her adorableness (she even smiled at the mobile john and i made!), there was so much rich conversation and chocolate and brainstorming. liz even stayed an extra day to help me with some last minute biz preparations that i was desperate to accomplish. i've been feeling so intensely grateful for all the help coming my way lately - from john, from my mom, from liz, from my new studio assistant, from friend phone calls. i could cry at these offerings as i've never really felt so reliant before on this level/kind of help - and we haven't even had a baby yet! it's very very warming and i won't ever forget it.

at over 39 weeks, we're starting to get the texts and calls with "well, is there a baby yet!" and everyone is starting to make their bets on the day of arrival. i'm still keeping myself busy with very very last minute, down to the wire, biz preparations that will afford me a good solid maternity leave (so that things like the online shop, and other biz related activities continue to move forward during that leave). with that in mind, my bet for baby arrival is early next week, after all those last minute preparations are final and settled. i just have a feeling...if baby doesn't arrive early next week, you can find me in my totally unpacked studio painting, painting, painting.

i wanted to share two very awesome messages that came into my inbox today. they just warmed warmed warmed my soul and reminded me of exactly why i did the ecourse and then the ebooks:

"I am about halfway through Flying Lessons, and I am so in awe of you!! Thank you so, so much for this book, because it's making me feel that I can also be in awe of myself." - Tammy Gilley

"ABUNDANT: This is the word that best describes "Flying Lessons...The Whole Shebang". I have just finished re-reading the book for the second time and am amazed at how very comprehensive the book's information is for anyone who wants to launch a creative business. I have been in Marketing and Communications for 15 years and have read every book I can get my hands on related to my industry. I found your e-book to be the best I have read as it relates to the BIG PICTURE in running an on-line creative business. This is especially true because of all the detail you have provided on website development and social media and its various platforms. Additionally, the amount of information you have shared about how YOU have personally built your creative business, including the loads of inspiration from other successful creative businesses/artists and a list of resources sharing all of your sources and equipment, is comprehensive and invaluable. As I am endeavoring to grow my creative business, I found your book to be worth every bit what I paid for it and would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to start a creative business or anyone who anyone who is currently running a creative business they want to grow. Thank you for the time you put into the development of your book and for your belief that sharing this information with others is a good thing" - Shawn Stratman

more soon! next up: some home photos (yee-haw!)

list o' blessings

taken moments ago. it's huge, i tell you.

my mom was here the last few days to help us finish the last of the unpacking and house projects. i'm running out of steam over here and the nurturing and comfort of having her here for the homestretch (baby room is done!) was invaluable. the day before she arrived, john and i thought for sure we were having a baby. contractions, a trip to the hospital, the whole deal. but then things calmed down and we're still about 10 days out from our official due date. we're in that part where it could be any second and the anticipation is driving us crazy in fun ways: maybe todays the day? maybe tonite? who knows! i'm happy to say that we are so ready. ready, ready, ready. while we wait, i'm tending to some last minute biz preparations. i've got some super exciting news on the biz front but it's nothing i can discuss yet. i hate that!

we had a housewarming over the weekend which was so much fun. i cannot believe i didn't take a single photo but our home was full of friends who came and gathered to help us celebrate our new home and soon to be baby arrival.

here are a few of my favorite things from the last few days that i want to remember:

-having my mom here the last few days. she was hoping baby would come while she was here, but i think the universe brought her here to provide some much needed comfort and nurturing to me and john during these last days before baby. i haven't felt this settled in months and i'm sure it's because she came again.

-having a very special prayer/blessing in baby's room with just me, john, and mom. we sat on the floor and said some tender words. for the first time in my life, i was wordless. my mom and john took over and it was so, so good.

-having morning talks with tea in hand with john on the front porch. bella is there, usually hanging out watching the world go by. she loves this house, esp the front porch

-having my midwife predict an 8lb baby is on its way. she said his booty cheeks are a "healthy" size which made me chuckle. she also predicts he won't arrive early.

-having so many of our old and new friends gathered in our kitchen and whole house for our housewarming and giving tours of all the hard work we've been up to these last many months.

-getting all dressed up (sort of) for the event and hearing my friends tell me i look great even when i feel pooped.

-hula making the most beautiful words and wishes books for folks to write their baby blessings in and gifting me with this most precious photo print ever which i promptly framed.

- having fresh cut flower arrangements via my talented mom. she put them everywhere. she even included cut lemons in her arrangements. so creative.

-having our neighbors come over to join in on the housewarming fun. we seriously got lucky on the neighbor front

-seeing old friends that we've known since moving to portland 11 years ago. we've stayed in touch throughout the years of our leaving portland and moving back. we love them all dearly.

-seeing our friends' kids all grown up since the last time we saw them (we've been gone almost 4 years)

-all the cards and hand-me-downs and fun gifts that have been arriving for baby. i am sensing that john and i are being ushered into a community we had no idea existed before

-finishing house projects that have been on my mind, including getting the laundry area ready to go and basement/lounge area totally unpacked and baby room too! no way we could have done it without my mom here to motivate and inspire. even things like printing photos for the baby's room and new photos for refrigerator - small projects like this when completed feel like bliss to me right now.

-eating the best grapes ever from safeway and chocolate cake too

-totally ignoring my inbox and online world for a few days so mom and i could hang out and focus.

-listening to the birth stories of my friends

-feeling deeply supported. everyone is ready to help us with food, meals, whatever we need

-loving that my bff booked her airline tix the week baby is due.

-all the tender moments being exchanged between john and i right now. we are savoring these moments and i won't ever forget them. last nite, we took a long walk in the rain. bliss.

on apologies

i received the kindest hand written apology letter in the mail a couple of weeks ago from a dear someone. it was warm and gracious and handwritten - which made it that much more meaningful. it made me think about apologies and all the courage it takes to give a good one.

we all make mistakes. everyday. we snap at those we love. we raise our voices. we forget birthdays and big events. we say things we don't actually mean. or worse, we say things we can never take back. we react instead of thinking our way through. we give people the silent treatment. we judge. we make assumptions. for all those mistakes i make on a constant basis, i'm afraid i'm not very good at apologizing. i am, however, pretty good at defending myself. i'm an expert at readying myself with all sorts of prepared conversation for a battle that usually never even happens. you know the drill - all those make believe conversations that you have with so and so inside your head. ugh.

but receiving a lovely handwritten apology just totally melted my heart and made me think about all the opportunities that mistakes give us to really connect with the people in our lives. i actually felt compassion for my friend who wrote the apology note - my heart was connecting to hers. i've learned that when i do approach a situation with an apology rather than with a prepared battle, i feel so much cleaner about it. if i just let my heart do the talking and admit i was wrong or unfair, then it gives the other person permission to let their guard down too - something my friend must have known! and that's where the connecting happens. it's very very good. but it takes practice - i'm trying to apologize faster these days, before the passing of time blows it out of proportion, before hurt feelings become messy anger. it's tricky, giving good apologies. but i'm up for the challenge, for the courage piece of it.

besides, just as this hope note says, most of the time it was an honest mistake and there's no way we could have known.

Weekly Sponsor Spotlights: The Word Cellar, Gwynnie B Designs, Blue Muse Jewelry, Experimental Art E-Course, + The Declaration of You

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! Now taking sign-ups for the holiday season (Oct/Nov/Dec).

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I invite you to join me (Jenna McGuiggan) in The Word Cellar for a writing adventure called Alchemy: The Art & Craft of Writing. This online course for creative souls (that means you!) is a doorway into a magical world where practical tips and craft lessons ignite your inspiration and help you to bloom as a writer. As with all art forms, writing is a combination of the artist and the materials. When you understand the tools and techniques of your craft, you can explore more possibilities and create more freely.

In this six-week course, I'll share my most effective tips and techniques for transforming everyday words into beautiful, meaningful stories. There will be craft lessons, writing exercises, special guests, and invitations to inspiration. We'll also have a private online community where we can share our work and share the experience of living the writing life. The course starts October 11 and runs through through November 21. Find out more and register for Alchemy: The Art & Craft of Writing.

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If you stop by Gwynnie B's seaside studio you'll find a delightful mess of color and beads and paint and 4 crazy animals helping out. The dogs, Lucy and Louie, offer suggestions with a wag of their tails, while the 2 cats, Fatso Skinny and Bleu Kitty offer purrs with the occasional nudge to get attention. It's a happy studio filled with lots of sunlight and music, which makes for an atmosphere full of inspiration. Please stop by Gwynnie's website to see whimsical jewelry and unique gifts and also her blog to find out what's new in the Gwynnie B studio.

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Blue Muse Jewelry is a collaboration between two sisters, Kelly Letky and Conni Bills, who, for the past five years, have used their love of handmade jewelry as a way to bond and spend lots of time together. Their favorite material is precious metal clay, and they also work with artisan glass and semi-precious stones. Creating unique, one-of-a-kind pieces is their way of adding a little beauty to life, everyday. Visit their etsy shop to see more of their work, and Kelly's blogfor updates, imagery, and writing on life, art, and working as a graphic/jewelry designer.

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Do you want to find the natural artist in you? Amelia Critchlow's e-course, Experimental Art, explores a variety of art techniques in experimental ways whilst having fun with an on-line community, sharing and discussing ideas and work produced. This 6 week course is for busy people who want to take their creative inclinations to the first step, or people already practicing their art and want to try something new, getting some fresh inspiration, all from the comfort of home. The course costs £60 ($90 based on current exchange rate) and will include an extensive look at a variety of artists, with lots of pdfs, web and book resources, as well as individual feedback from Amelia - a qualified tutor and practicing artist in the UK. The Autumn 2010 experimental art e-course started on Monday (Sept 13th), however if people are keen to join, Amelia can fit a couple more people on board if people are happy to catch up. See here. Be sure to check out Amelia's website where you can find her gallery, blog, and more. For testimonials about the course, see here.

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YOU: creative thinker. Artistically inclined, even if it’s “just” in ideas. Someone who won’t rest until you’re living a life you love. Willing to live in the questions in order to find the “right” answers, even if you might not believe them at first. Ready to take the “shoulds” from your life and and kick them to the curb. You’re looking for the unconventional, the inspirational, the passion filled — but only if it pulls you closer to discovering what it means to be you: truly, fully, honestly you.

US: Jessica Swift: a full-time artist via surface pattern design, illustration, and painting; a woman who believes you can connect your eyes to your heart through images; living the life she declared. Michelle Ward: the When I Grow Up Coach; a former Corporate America prisoner; a lover and performer of musical theater; living the life she declared.

YOUR MISSION: should you choose to accept it, is to uncover your Declaration, step into it, and shout it from the rooftops. If you’d like to be notified of further classified information, enter your email here so we can reach you directly. You can also keep your eyes on thedeclarationofyou.com. The rest of the conventional world must not know what we’re up to.

some thoughts on all that negative noise

(an older painting i don't think i've ever shared. it says "listening to grace" which is exactly what i'm trying to do these days :)

i received an email the other day from another soon to be creative mama. she too had a similar panic like i had a couple of weeks ago - the one i wrote about in this post. i related to so much she said in her letter about how hard it is to trust that you can create the life you envision as a mama AND a creative biz owner - especially when so many people signal to you how hard it's going to be, how unrealistic you are being, how you have no idea what you're in for, how what you envision just isn't actually possible, how there is no way you can properly tend to your wee one while tending to your passions at the same time - how this might even be a bit selfish. it's so true - as much as i'm surrounded by support and possibility and creative mama mentors, these other signals seep in all around me.

it all gets me a tad bit feisty. for me, if you tell me i can't, then i most certainly will. i wasn't always this way. this gene kicked in when i finally discovered my passion (art) - when i finally loved something enough to fight for it even when everyone told me i was being unrealistic to think i could one day quit my full time day job and make art for a living, esp when i had zero training in the arts. i'm not suggesting we should change our whole lives just because we were told we can't to do it. i'm just saying that we need to trust our own center, our own callings and run with them - not from a place of nonconformity for the sake of nonconformity, but for the sake of what's really calling us in our lives.

lately, i've been feeling that same bit of feistiness again - my heart has been on high alert for fighting for what it wants when it seems there are so many subtle signals and voices out there insisting that it's going to be a hard hard road to create this next part of my life. it's a bit hard to navigate all the noise and opinions about how i should do things. how much rest i should get. how much work i should get done now before it's too late. how i shouldn't work to hard right now. how i have no idea how my whole creative biz world is going to end when baby arrives. how i should schedule my life when baby arrives. how much time i should take off. how i should or should not give birth, breast feed, carry my baby. how our whole worlds are going to change with the birth of this baby (there's always this tinge of negativity to the statement that just drives me crazy).

oh my! all of that noise and feedback is downright exhausting. it's as if these voices want me to fail or are waiting for me to fall flat on my face. in my best moments, i'm in the center of my own beliefs and intuition about what i know to be true and possible, but every now and again i get sucked into all of that noise and it leaves me feeling unnerved.

when i consider all the inspiring creative moms out there who are doing just fine and creating wonderful lives for their families. when i surround myself with the words i most need to hear. when i get really quiet at the end of the day. even when i'm afraid and have no idea what i'm doing, i do know this: it's possible. i deeply deeply believe that we must create the life we most imagine. do i imagine myself working as hard as i've worked these last many years while being a new mom? no. do i want to work that hard while being a new mom? no. do i realistically think i'll be able to take a three month maternity leave? no. is that okay with me? yes! do i think there's going to be a whole lot of surrendering and adjusting and time and flexibility? yes. but in the end, do i think it's possible to create what we most want our life to look like with baby, creative life, and so much more? wholeheartedly, yes. and that's what matters and that's what i'm trying to remember every day. i really want to look back on this and remember my own hopeful words. i know i'm going to need them. i already know it's going to be hard, but i also know that hard doesn't always have to mean bad. and i also know in my bones that love will always fill the spaces of uncertainty, of negativity, of overwhelm, of anxiety. and that it will always, always win.

we all have our own experiences, and our own opportunities to create the lives we dream of. i just want to always subscribe to the idea that we each have an ever expanding capacity of limitlessness and possibility, baby or no baby, job or no job. whatever our circumstances, i say we tune out the noise that makes us hesitate on creating that possibility and get back to center. what is calling you? what do you most want to change? what small steps can you take today? how can you begin? how can you surround yourself with people who believe what you believe: that life doesn't have to be one subtle message after the next about what's hard and what's not possible but rather what is possible and what is waiting for you (love and connection and change in all the best ways).

on being photographed by tracey clark

back in july, my friend tracey clark shot these photos of me. at the time, i was about 31 weeks pregnant and just starting to really truly sink into my pregnancy. we were gathered with some friends on the oregon coast and my memories of taking these photos with her are so sweet and tender. tracey is a dear friend but also a seriously talented photographer, founder of shutter sisters (one of my daily reads), and author/editor of the recently released, Expressive Photography. the girl has got it going on. i love witnessing when passion and talent collide. that's what it's like to watch her inside her gift and talent - getting giddy about natural light, excited about shooting possibilities, and endlessly learning her craft. so inspiring.

when she recently sent over a bunch of photos from our shoot together, i was reminded of an old blog post i wrote in 2008 just after meeting tracey and being photographed by her (and a couple other photographers who were at our gathering too) for the first time. i revisited that post and wanted to share part of it again today because i can't express it better than i did then - how it feels to be photographed and how the gift of photography (and photographers) really does transform. i love, love love these images. tracey has captured a once in a lifetime experience for me that i know i'll look back on with such love and hope (deep and wide).

below are a few of my favorite photos that tracey took along with a few excerpts from that old blog post:

like so many other women, i've struggled with how i look. my hair is too thin. my skin is splotchy. my arms are too flabby. you know how it goes. we live in a world where women seem to undermine their beauty over and over again with comments about their weight and their bodies. i'm not immune to harmful self judgement - it's taken me many years to find my own peace about my physical skin.

somewhere along the line i began to find a brighter version of my body : the gap between my two front teeth didn't seem so bad afterall. my booty wasn't so blah afterall. wow, my spirit is housed in this body. and it's healthy - even with all the self perceived flaws. it's all still me, it's more than enough, and i'm grateful. of course, some days are better than others, but the general acceptance of my body has been a major blessing of one long struggle overcome.

and then i went to the lovebomb retreat where i was really seen. seen not just as a girl who paints, but for all that i am (bigger than my creative self) and who i'm becoming. seen for all of my potential and possibilities. for all the love, friendship, and capacity for connection that i hold. for the first time in my life, i saw myself being mirrored back to me in ways that undoubtedly changed everything about my life. during those few days, the photogs of the group seemed to capture the shift that was occurring for many of us. while all that inner work was happening on the inside, they were capturing the essence of it from the outside with photos likethis and this and this.

it was the first time i fully realized that photographers capture us how they actually see us and sometimes how they see us is a gift of even more sight into how we see ourselves. oh, that's me? do you really see me this way? how did you capture how i was feeling so perfectly? they capture the essence of our spirits, what we're going through, where we are in our lives.

quite honestly, it's a talent that blows me away. and it's a remarkable gift to give someone - an image of their face, their brightness seen through the eyes of a person who really sees them, not just in physical form, but in spirit, too. that gift of sight is HUGE for those of us who struggle with visioning ourselves of how we're actually seen.

so yes, i want to say to all of you: go get your photos taken! give yourself the gift of a talented soul capturing you just as you are: beautiful and wild and whole and unique. if you're like me, then you'll wonder why you didn't do it long ago. you'll find yourself in images that translate to how you feel on the inside and it will help you feel more like yourself, both in physical and spiritual form. who knew this was the magic and gift of talented photographers? i love it.

thank you, tracey. these images of my first pregnancy, of my belly growing, of me growing, of my life expanding, of true love being born are images that will stay with me always. i am so seriously grateful.

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edited to add: many of you are asking where the earrings and necklace i'm wearing in these photographs came from. earrings came from sacred cake and the necklace came from nest pretty things - two of my favorite shops ever.

on gratitude

I wanted to share a post I wrote for Karen + Lori's gratitude blog awhile back:

To me, gratitude comes in those small spaces of breathing between all the tiny moments that happen throughout our days: when the phone rings and it’s the voice of a dear friend you were just thinking about, when a stranger opens a door for you, when an unexpected package arrives in the mail. It’s honoring all the small moments, the ones that collect and create a perimeter of goodness around your life. It’s paying attention to the way someone looks at you, to the way you feel when you’re inspired, to how those cute new shoes put a skip in your step. Gratitude. It’s recognizing, even in times of struggle, that you have all you could ever need, that there are moments every single day that ask you to notice, and to celebrate. It’s in these moments, for me, especially the small ones, where gratitude lives.

Re-reading my words made me think of today. Lately, life is really really full of all these small moments. Like today, when I wandered into our seriously nasty and overgrown backyard (big project --> on the next year to do list) and cut some roses found in a corner of the yard and brought them inside to our dining room which, by the way, is finally all unpacked and cutie-fied. I LOVED the smell of these roses all day long and I especially loved that they came from our backyard. We have a backyard, people! With roses!

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Speaking of gratitude, thank YOU so much for making the relaunching of the online shop successful! We're running out of items (paperweights, iphone/laptop skins, magnets) but I do believe we'll be able to get more in very very soon. I'm not sure how many more of the datebooks and calendars I'll be able to get my hands on (the manufacturer has sold out of its supply to other retailers), so if you want to place a pre-order, now is the time to do it for those two items! Thank you guys!

online store back open!!!

hey you guys! below is the big announcement i sent out via my newsletter over the weekend (newsletter subscribers are the first to know when big new hits). and now i'm so happy to share the news with you! a few of the items have already sold out (paperweights) and/or are close to selling out, but we've still got a pretty good stock of all the favorites (yee haw!!).

can't tell you how thrilled i am to finally have the shop back open. i've missed it! i hope you like all the new goodies. all the old favorites are there too! we are taking orders all week but will not start shipping until next monday. my new studio assistant, dani (who rocks), will handling all shipping and online orders now through the holidays! so happy to have her on board!

FINALLY THE ONLINE SHOP IS BACK OPEN!

(WITH LOTS OF NEW GOODIES + OLD FAVORITES)

The online shop is finally back open. I'm so excited about all the new goodies we have, including laptop skins, iphone/ipad skins, paperweights, and some really cool interactive art blocks.

You can also pre-order the 2011 datebooks and calendars - they'll ship no later than Nov 1st and they'll arrive signed by me! Limited quantities available so get them while you can!

The shop is also well stocked with the decorative art girlies which have been so hard to keep in stock (they're my favorite, too!) as well as more wall canvases, necklaces, and so much more. All the details below!

PLEASE NOTE: Please do any important holiday shopping now as I can't guarantee that I'll have any of these items back in stock before the holidays once they are sold out. Why? Because many of these products (esp the wall canvases and decorative art girlies) are perpetually on backorder from the manufacturer - something I don't have any control over. So yes, what we've got in stock NOW is likely all that we're going to have in stock for the rest of the holiday season. So if you see something that tickles your fancy (for you or for a gift), grab it now! Thank you guys for understanding - I know it can be frustrating.

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Pre-ORDER YOUR SIGNED 2011 DATEBOOK AND CALENDAR TODAY!

Truly, these are fantastic and a favorite! This datebook features full-color art + inspirational quotes throughout as well as durable tabbed divider pages and a nifty elastic closure. These SELL OUT every year so be sure to order yours soon. To see more photos of the inside pages and layout, click here. These will arrive signed by me!

Pre-Order your signed 2011 wall calendar today! Again, quantities are super limited this year. Calendars are 12"x12" and feature artwork and inspiring quotes throughout. For more views, head on over here! Just like the datebooks, they will arrive signed by me!

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LAPTOP SKINS + IPHONE SKINS ARE HERE!

(AND THEY ARE AWESOME!!!!)

Make your laptop happy with a laptop skin! These are a new product for us and we loovvveee them! Totally removable and repositionable (with no residue!), you can play dress up with your laptop over and over again with these artful skins - we've got six different designs to choose from - all the details are here. Seriously love these - also make great gifts! Here's a recent candid shot of the one I'm using!

I'm having a secret love affair with these new iphone skins, too. I can't help it. LOVE, love, love. Here's a recent self portrait photo I took with my iphone. My favorite part of this photo? You guessed it: my iphone cover! Get yours today - super affordable and make great stocking stuffers and gifts! And for those of you who have ipads (lucky you!), we've got ipad covers too - check them out! Woohooo!

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BRAND NEW: INTERACTIVE ART BLOCKS

(SWOON!!!!)

Another new favorite product, these interactive art blocks make great desk accessories or gifts! Made from pine wood, each set consists of 9 full color blocks with words and images that you can totally have fun with. Line them up to create inspiring phrases or piece blocks together to reveal a painting, or even stack them up to create your own design. We've got six designs to choose from - click here for more photos and ideas. LOVE these!

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ALSO NEW: PAPERWEIGHTS TO DELIGHT YOUR OFFICE!

These are super cute square canvas paperweights that are sure to bring a little love and delight to your desk area. Double sided, they feature art on both sides, including inspirational artsy messages on the backside of each paperweight. They also arrive ready to gift in an organza fabric pouch. We've got six designs of these beauties - click here to learn and see more! UPDATE: THESE HAVE SOLD OUT. We're working on getting more in stock asap!

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DECORATIVE ART GIRLIES ARE BACK

(CAN I GET AN AMEN?)

Go get em'! These decorative art girlies are a best seller and I'm still smitten with them, too! They look great either hanging from their ribbon or standing up in the display stand (sold separately). They look especially stunning when paired together and are perfect for gift giving or adding a bit of creativity to home/office spaces. We've got all the favorites in stock - click here to get yours!!!

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OLD FAVORITES: NECKLACES + MAGNETS!

It's been a long while since I've had these popular necklaces in stock and I'm so happy to report they are back! They're glass pendants, with art on each side, and super affordable. They're chunky, and delightful (with artwork on the back as well). Oh yes, and all necklaces arrive ready to gift inside a sweet little gift pouch:

What I love about these chunky magnets is that they also look great placed on a small easel (see image below for an example) - like a lovely little piece of art, perfect for gift giving to all the art lovers in our lives. And super duper affordable. I'm running low on these but I still have quite a selection to choose from. Love, love these...

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MORE OLD FAVES: WALL CANVASES

AND SENTIMENT RIBBON!

We've stocked up and added many more canvases to the shop, including many of the previously sold out smaller 6x6 canvases. Totally love how these freshen up small spaces like our desks and work spaces. Also love, love, love them when they're paired together and collected. All arrive ready to hang and signed by me! And, don't forget the inspiration ribbon for all of your gift wrapping!

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AND FINALLY (WHEW!), MATTED PRINTS!

Last but not least, we always have prints in the shop. All prints arrive signed, matted, and ready to frame. Print quality is stunning, stunning, stunning - you will not be disappointed!

Weekly Sponsor Spotlights: Katherine Quinn, Sacred Cake, Louise Gale, + Stephanie Lee

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! Now taking sign-ups for the holiday season (Oct/Nov/Dec).

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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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Jennifer Valentine of Sacred Cake is an assemblage artist and vintage assemblage jewelry designer living in Michigan with her husband, a talented portrait painter, and four of her five lively children. Her inspiration drawn from natural elements, religious iconography, and remnants of the past all come together to create one of a kind assemblage jewelry and functional artwork infused with spirit and the stories of her heart. You can read more about her on her blog (where she's currently hosting a great giveaway!) and her website or you can follow her on Twitter and on Facebook. To celebrate my recent article in Belle Armoire Jewelry, I'd like to offer a 10% to all Kelly Rae blog readers for purchases made in my etsy shop.

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Creativity, Color and Community have been three of Louise’s words for the past month as she hosted the Creative Color Challenge on her blog “Dream, Inspire, Create” for some summer fun. Picking a different color each week in August, Louise brought together over 80 artists to be challenged, explore color and post their artwork to share. It was free to join in and over 400+ creations were posted which included: art, photography, jewelry, stitched items, graphic design and mixed media. Louise chose colors that sparked Energy, Passion, Tranquility, Growth and Spiritualism. Louise said “I really wanted to explore color over the summer and have some fun doing so, so I posted a call out on my blog and was so excited when others wanted to join in. The sense of creativity and community was fantastic.

Sound like fun? Louise will be hosting another official Color Challenge in the new year, but she also plans a special color inspired Holiday Ornament swap being announced late October, so if you would like to join in, make sure you sign up to Louise’s newsletter here or “follow” her blog to get the scoop.

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Stephanie Lee writes, "I'm so pleased to present another round of my most comprehensive, non-traditional metal-smithing class to date! The first four-week round was a huge success and I'm so excited to be sharing an entire weeks worth of new information this go 'round. (You don't have to have taken session one to join in on session two.) It comes at the perfect time of year...just in time for Holiday gift giving. Imagine being able to generously give your own handcrafted beautiful works of metal art and jewelry to all your amazed friends! Heck, you could even give the class itself as an early present! If you've never done anything like this before, no worries. I'm totally committed to helping you comfortably explore the medium at whatever pace you want.

There is so much information I'll be sharing with you in class. FIVE (!!) weeks of video tutorials, PDF's, and a heckuva lot more. Not only that, but you will also have three full months after the last official day of class where you will have access to the class site and all content so's you can digest it all at your own pace. Whether you are a jeweler or a dabbler in other mediums, this class is sure to have plenty of spark to light your creative fire! I'd love to have you in on the fun!