why photos mean the world to me.

we had the honor of being photographed by new friend, lara blair, last week. i met lara last summer in a really spontaneous way (on a farm, in the middle of nowhere!). we share a love of all things mixed media, girlie adventures, boots, ruffles, and flea markets (monticello is a fave). she is a wildly talented photographer of doggies and people and we were so glad she came to capture us last week.

i've seen exactly one photo of me as a baby with my mama - and i saw it for the first time last year. as i made my way into the world, i often wished there were more photos of me as a baby, as a toddler, in the arms of my mom. times were a bit tumultuous when i was a babe and most photos of me during that time were lost in the division, in the chaos. i also don't remember much of my childhood so i suppose photos would have been the story tellers for me, the evidence that i existed, that i once was just born, 2 years old, five years old, and so on - no matter how crazy or broken life was then.

when it comes down to it, i think my longing for childhood images comes from a place of wanting to believe that i was special, that my babyhood mattered so much that it had to be captured in photos. of course, i was special and i meant the world to my family - i just wish there were photos to help tell my early stories, to help me fill in the gaps, to help me see myself more tenderly. and so.....that's part of why it's so important to me to make sure that i capture True's babyhood, of him in my arms, in john's arms, with all of us together. he is so special.

i wanted to share a few of our favorite shots from our day with lara:

thank you, lara, for gifting us with some amazing images that will help tell baby true's story.

Weekly Sponsor Spotlight: Be Present Retreats, Gwynnie B Designs + Lindy Gruger Hanson

Big thanks to my sponsors...I'm really enjoying these weekly sponsor spotlights where their creative talents and businesses are featured. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email for further information!

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Come along to the Oregon Coast from March 30 to April 3 with Mati Rose McDonough, Andrea Jenkins, Tracy Benjamin, and Liz Lamoreux as your guides as we focus on the theme of joy at this Be Present Retreat. We will eat delicious meals, gather for laughter and connection, spend time sharing our stories, play with paint and instant photography and food. We will find our way to the quiet and take time to breathe deeply as we look out at the sea. We will begin to listen to the joy that is whispering inside us.

And there will be strawberries and cupcakes and laughter and dancing and time to soak it all in and invitations to really see yourself and music and messiness and moments where you just might realize you can live your wildest dreams into reality.

To put it simply: This one is gonna be good. And this is your official invitation to come along...There are still a few spots available. Visit the Joy information page to find out more.

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If you stop by my seaside studio you'll find a delightful mess of beads, twinkling purple lights, paint drips on pretty much everything, and 4 silly animals helping out. My dogs, Lucy and Louie, love to sniff my new designs, while the 2 cats, Fatso Skinny and Bleu Kitty look at them as if they're crazy! It's a happy studio filled with music and giggles, which makes for an atmosphere full of inspiration. Please stop by my blog Beautiful heART to see what's new in the Gwynnie B studio, and my Etsy shop and website to see all of my handcrafted pretties. So what's your heART story this Valentine's??

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Hi, my name is Lindy Gruger Hanson and I work out of my home studio in Bend, Oregon which I call "Color Spirit Studio". Painting refreshes my spirit! My paintings are a way to express my inner vision in what I call my symbolic language. I believe art can be healing, like a breath of fresh air rejuvenating one's soul. I love color. I love texture. I like to take shapes, lines, textures and colors to create a world from the imagination. Inspiration is everywhere – a red next to a blue, a line from a song, birds, gardens, trees, a photo, a snippet of conversation. My aim is to create paintings with the belief that art can inspire people, make a house a home, and bring joy and positive energy into the world! I hope it can lift your spirit! I have colorful prints and greeting cards in my Etsy Shop and original paintings can be found on my website. In my Etsy Shop, all Kelly Rae Readers receive a 10% discount with purchase, along with a free gift when you use the discount code KELLYRAE2010. Good through the end of February. I hope you'll come by and check it out!

missing my beginner artist self.

i made this painting just before christmas. i was in experimentation mode, trying not to be attached, and working at being playful. before it looked like the above, it looked like this (a background that i had sitting around for nearly a year):

i didn't love the finished piece at first but after looking at it again this morning, it charmed me. i like how the lace still comes through in her hair. and i like how it still looks like me but not me.

i'm all over the place these days when it comes to painting. i think that's because i'm all over the place. my world is shifting and recalibrating and that comes through in my art. i sort of like that. it feels adventurous and i wonder where i'll land, if i'll land. art, for me, is extremely narrative. my paintings tell the story of where i happen to be in my life. i love, love, love this part of being a painter - the story telling.

(that's me in 2006 - the year i started painting and selling my work)

speaking of paintings, i'm currently working on several licensing projects that have me going through my entire portfolio. that means i'm looking at every single piece of art i've made in the last five years - hundreds of paintings. as i go back and look at each one, i'm reminded of how far i've come, how each piece represents a moment in time for me, how they tell the story of where i've been these last five years, how i've grown as a person, as an artist. as i see and witness the transformation in my portfolio, i can now really see and witness the transformation of myself these last five years. i hold so much tenderness for that 30 yr old girl (pictured above) who found her passion and never looked back. i'm so proud of her, in awe of her and in some ways, i miss her.

i miss her optimism. and courage. and determination. i get all teary eyed about her. i really, really do. so much has happened since she dared to dream big. and knowing what i know now about how complicated our stories can be, and how easy it is to get off track, and how gratitude is the only way to joy, i want to reach out and give her a giant bear hug and thank her for reaching out toward something that was greater than herself and embracing all the possibilities that were waiting for her all along.

right now, today, i am reminded of my own beginnings. i miss them, i miss her, and i'm working hard at embracing that beginner's mind again. there is so much magic in those moments of working hard and being thankful about what is today, and dreaming big about tomorrow.

you can let your sexy OUT, sister.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

home tour: our kitchen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Big thanks to my sponsors...I'm really enjoying these weekly sponsor spotlights where their creative talents and businesses are featured. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor (includes your ad on the sidebar + ongoing spotlights), please send me an email for further information!

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My name is Katherine Quinn and I am the New Zealand artist behind Sleep And Her Sisters. I sell my original works to 8 galleries around New Zealand and have three online shops where I also sell originals, prints and other goodies. I live with my two children, 17 year old Hannah, 5 year old Ben and our 10 year old cat... Holly. I work from my kitchen table at our home in the sunny Hawke's Bay where I love to create with paint, chalk pastels, graphite, paper and a little bit of jewellery… I also love to collect things. My favourite colour at the moment is a soft, pale, antique sort of blue.

I am a firm believer that our stories are not for us alone that they are for us to give courage, support and wisdom to each other. You can read about my creative journey and see my latest works on my blog.

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

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

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

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Reaching new heights....doesn't that make you feel so accomplished? In this art journey I find myself reaching new heights daily. Whether it's through a finished painting, a piece of jewelry with just the right components, or a lovely stuffed feathered friend that makes me giggle, the artwork I create literally lifts me to new levels. I share these accomplishments through my blog and encourage you to stop by, borrow one of my red heart balloons and lift yourself to new heights as well.

You can find many finished paintings and products listed in my ETSY shop. From bag tags, key chains, prints, jewelry and original work, all the joy I place into each individual piece is another way I share my red balloons with you. I look forward to hearing from you all! Jenni Horne (Mattie's Social Circle)

crushes + discoveries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

atlanta gift market

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

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

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

and there were several displays!! check it out:

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

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

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

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

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

here's another shot of them:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(anne, leigh, me)

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

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

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

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

i'm working hard to savor every second.