the grands are here.

my parents are here which, you know, means a ton of baby snuggles, play time, reading.....

chilling on the couch, baking, home cooked meals, walks...........

yard work, adventures to the fabric store, collaging with mom, and all things grandparents...

i'm on my way to pick up mati rose from the airport - so excited!
ps: shop is being completely rebuilt on a new platform with a lovely and awesome new programmer. after so many glitches, we are starting completely over. we'll have it back up and running super soon!

shop is down

hey friends,
just a quick note to say that the online shop is completely down. stay tuned....it might be awhile on this front. i am working on BREATHING! there are worse things that could happen :)

in the meantime, i am smiling over here with my parents who just arrived from florida!
xo,
kelly rae

Weekly Sponsor Spotlight: Liz Lamoreux, Tamar Schechner, Amelia Critchlow, Kate Johnson, Lisa Ferrante + Flora Bowley

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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When we tell our stories, we shine a light on the beauty of what is real. We heal. We dance inside joy. We find our way to laughter. We fill in the cracks that life creates in our hearts. We sit inside love and truth. We find ourselves standing tall and we give ourselves the much needed permission to rest. I believe we must sift through all that has been to find our way to all that is to come. Come and find a piece of your story in The Little Room, designs by Liz Lamoreux.

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Checkout the new specialty Textile collection line from Nest Pretty Things, the line is made with fabric covered buttons using vintage and modern cotton fabrics from the Tamar's vast textile collection. The necklaces and soon to come earrings and bracelets are light weight and very comfortable to wear and will make a fun, funky and colorful addition to any wardrobe. This new line is also available for children in the Nest Pretty Things Kids shop with teeny tiny buttons and lovely sweet calico flower cotton fabrics.

The collection consists of the "Modern Necklaces" made with fabrics from the 60's, 70's and new contemporary designs, The "Vintage Necklaces" made with fabric from the 30's-70's , "The Liberty Necklaces" made with Liberty Of London fabrics, and the "Little Flower" collection with three little flower buttons for a sweet summery look. Nest Pretty Things Also has a newFacebook Fan Page, make sure you sign up for news, sales, tutorials and updates!

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Experimental art e-course: Take 6 weeks to delve into the process of creating art in its many forms. Together we will paint, collage, take photos, sculpt with paper and much more! Take your first steps into creating art or get re-inspired with what you already do. Discover your passion, share ideas, and benefit from individual feedback on your creations from me (Amelia Critchlow); I’m a practicing artist and trained tutor working in the UK. The world is your oyster, so lets start creating the ideas you have. The course has many pdf and web resources, links to a wide range of artists, art books (with a give-away), a private online group space, and I share tips and strategies from years of making and teaching art.

As a special offer - exclusive to Kelly Rae readers – I’m offering 10% discount on places for the Spring 2011 course, until 1st April 2011. To take this offer up, see here. Visit my art website here and blog here, and read what others have said about the course here.

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My name is Kate Johnson, and I began Heartwork to encourage the creativity inherent in all of us. I started by wondering, what are the obstacles we create that keep us from feeling able to fully express ourselves? How do we gently and compassionately set aside self-doubts and feelings of insufficiency to just get to it? So many of us are trying to find some sort of balance between the pragmatic (must make money to eat and be clothed) and the creative sides of ourselves. I want so much to fuse the two into a more holistic life.

I think and write a lot about identity and the creative process, and would love it if you'd stop by. Also, artwork is welcome! Please let me know if you have an image that I could use with full attribution, and I would be delighted to do so. I recently took a bit of my own advice and now I have a new Etsy site with a few paintings. Soon there will be cards and prints too.

I also blog at i-cant-whistle.blogspot.com, and intuitiveleadership.blogspot.com.

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My name is Lisa Ferrante and I am a self taught mixed media artist. All my pieces are about love, maternal love, romantic love, self love and self empowerment. They are me exposed; each purges a powerful emotion, a profound realization, another step in my evolution as a woman. A customer recently wrote: “Lisa, your package brought me, my sister and my daughter to tears. Your generosity of spirit and kindness on top of the sheer beauty of the pieces filled us to overflowing with gratitude, love for art, artists and life! We all felt so aware that what we were celebrating was the supportive relationships between women and the amazing effects we can have on our worlds”.

Kelly Rae readers receive a free gift with purchase just write in “message to seller” Kelly Rae sent me! Browse my shop at chloeandsofiasmom.etsy.com for beautiful and inspirational prints and reproductions pieces for you and every woman you love. Or check out my blog atLisaFerrante.com

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Flora's fresh approach to art making comes from a space of freedom, non-judgment and experimentation. Her vibrant paintings are rich with color, soul and imagination and her love for life and spontaneous nature are clearly visible in her work. Flora generously shares her philosophies about loosening up, letting go of expectations, having fun and allowing art to unfold naturally, in her popular "Bloom True!" workshops. To see a list of Flora's upcoming workshops, please visit her website here. There are still a few spots open in her Australian workshops next month!

When not traveling around the world. Flora's home base is Portland, Oregon, where she is inspired by magical forests, abundant gardens, a vibrant community of fellow artists, and her love affair with the present moment. Her work can be found in numerous galleries and homes across the US and internationally, and also on a variety of unique products made in collaboration with Papaya! Find out more about Flora on her website and read about her current travels in Bali on her blog.

what i've been up to around here

* working on getting true's nursery totally together. it's taken a few transformations but i think we're almost there. we just bought the above nursery chair from target. we love it! it glides and reclines and swivels and it's got that old time vintage feel. true immediately responded with smiles and rolls.

* spent a whole day with leigh (aka curly girl) while she was in town for a product signing. totally adore her. we ate and chatted and roamed all day long and it was total bliss. wish she lived closer.

* been working a lot over here on all sorts of new artwork, product stuff, website stuff. sometimes i step outside of my vision for a moment and realize that i am running a full on small business over here. it's a busy busy life and i absolutely love it. feeling really thankful for Dani (lovely studio asst) and for all the supports that help me do what i do.

* did i tell you that i'm going to hong kong next month? i am going to hong kong next month! i can't wait to tell you why and how i can't to meet some very special people. while there, i'll be attending a traditional chinese wedding!

* john and i were talking the other day about how having a baby makes your heart feel like it's completely exposed and stripped down. i've said this many times here before but it's still so present in my life - the feeling like my heart is wide open, vulnerable 24/7. i'm still adjusting to all the elements that rush in when there are such cracks. i'm learning that this is what being a parent really feels like - a heart stretching/widening/opening experience. someone told me today that having a baby was everything that they didn't think they needed. amen to that. baby true is everything, including that. what a gift.

* had dinner last nite with my new friend, alicia. we had southern comfort food at the screen door and closed the place down with our forever chatting. i really like alicia. i have a new friend crush on her, still.

* my parents arrive from florida today. i can barely wait for them to see how much he's grown. i imagine lots and lots of grandparent snuggles this week for baby true.

* front yard restoration has begun! trees have been planted. bushes have been pulled. and off we go!

* i wanted to say a deep thanks to all of you who have been placing orders this week. many of you have had trouble ordering as the shop is still experiencing some minor glitches. we are working on this issue constantly at the moment, upgrading our server needs, etc. for those of you who are having trouble, feel free to shoot us an email at kellyrae.orders@gmail.com with all the items you'd like and we'll get you all squared away via paypal. for those of you not having trouble, fantastic! we'll have the entire thing sorted out super soon!

FINALLY - shop is open, new products are here, and joy all around

Hi friends!
I'm so delighted to share the news that the online shop is back open! It reopened (after a long winter break) a couple of weeks ago but there were a few technical difficulties that closed it up again. I'm happy to report it's REALLY REALLY open now! I should say that we are still working out a few glitches but it should work. If for some reason it's not working for you, please shoot us an email at kellyrae.orders@gmail.com with the items you'd like and we'll paypal you and get your order shipped - no problem at all. The glitch is a browser issue and we are working on a permanent fix for those of you who are having trouble (so sorry!).

We've got a few new goodies, but today I'd like to give you a tour of the new wall canvases. In the past, we've run out of stock very quickly on the canvases but we got smart this time and ordered a lot - these should stay in stock for awhile (I hope!).

BRAND NEW WALL CANVASES:

I'm doing a bit of a happy dance over here because I really love the new wall canvases that have been added to the collection this year. We've introduced large canvases (size 18x24) and we've also added several new canvases that range in size from 16x16 to 6x6.

(Believe, Love Always Wins, + Open Heart. I especially love the canvases when they are paired together - these are all 6x6's and are $16 each. Here's (and here) another decor example of the small 6x6's paired together.)

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the wall canvases, they are reproductions of original paintings. They are seriously affordable, arrive ready to hang, and look stunningly close to the original painting! Each canvas also arrives with a special certificate of authenticity signed by me.

Above is one of my favorites. It reads "hopeful spirit" on her chest. Love the colors, the wings, the crown, the sentiment.

This is another one of my faves. It reads "together, it was a journey of hearts." I made this piece while gathered with some dear friends over a weekend. It was also the cover of Somerset Studio last March! I'm so, so glad to be able to offer it now as a canvas.

I think this one, called Deeply Loved, would be darling for either mama (mother's day is coming up!) or daughter. The words were inspired my my motherhood journey. It reads:

May we always be connected in our traveling journeys and may you always know how deeply you are loved, how your life shines brightly and how your heart is never alone.

Here are a few others that I love that are new to the online shop:

Hello, courage. I have this one hanging in my dining room underneath a larger painting.

Create. Yes, yes indeed. I've been creating a lot in the studio lately. Feels great.

Likely one of my all time sentiments because it reaches me in just about every single scenario: What does your heart say?

It reads, "She knew the answers would come with time and love." Available here.

Because we have to have it. Faith.

Yes, yes it does. Love Always Wins.

I created this one when I was pregnant with baby True. Little did I know then how much our hearts really do open and widen with every breath of motherhood. It's a practice to keep our hearts open but I can't think of any better practice to have.

This is a larger 16x16 canvas. It reads: Hope. We are all meant for these journeys of hope, of tenderness, of love, of doing the things we never thought we could do. This is where our courage lives. It's where we find ourselves standing strong and hopeful, ready to claim what is ours. Available here.

The one on the left is another large 16x16. Her chest reads Brave Girl.
And this sweet little 6x6 is for all of you mama and daughters out there, sisters, and bffs.

Thank you so much. I can't tell you how fun it is to introduce new goodies to you guys. There is still so much more to show you, including new sketchbooks and winged hearts but I'll share those in another posts. In the meantime, feel free to roam.
XO
Kelly Rae

thoughts on feeling lost as a new mama

(available as an 8x8 matted print)

it happens when i least expect it, usually late at night: an unsettling and sharp feeling of being lost. it comes out of nowhere and it feels like i'm in the middle of some wildly unfamiliar world, wondering if i'll ever find my way back to safe waters, if i'll ever feel like myself again, if i'll ever feel back in my body. because it happens in an instant, it feels like a shock to my emotional system. the only accurate word i can use to describe the feeling is lost. suddenly lost. i remember being lost in the mall once when i was a kid. my mom and i got separated and i was panicked until security scooped me up and found her. that same feeling of being lost and panicked is what i'm experiencing in those sudden moments - like i don't belong to anyone or anything, like i'm out there on my own in a strange world trying to survive. it doesn't happen every day, not even every week, but enough to leave me frightened and hoping it doesn't happen again. the only thing that helps are tears and words. a lot of those two things.

i am a brand new mom.

sometimes, most of the time, we are getting along beautifully - especially since month three. we're getting sleep, baby true is happy, healthy. we're blissed out, taking photos, taking walks, working on our milestones, singing songs, learning to let go and simplify, balancing work and life. but then that lost feeling rushes in every once in awhile and i'm all out of sorts. i remember that same acute unfamiliar feeling being present quite a bit in the early days just after true was born but over time the grounding of all of this has begun to build its support and it's all become much, much easier. a couple of months ago i began to recognize myself again, to see myself coming through the fog. and most days, that's how it is. but every now and again, i'm right back to the scary place where i don't recognize any of this, and it's all as unfamiliar as it was in the beginning.

(fearless, now available as a wall canvas)

these are the sort of moments that you can't prepare for, the ones that shock you in and out of reality, the ones that can make you feel utterly undone. in these really hard moments, i go back to the beginning. i rely on my mantras (brave in sadness, brave in love. nothing is wasted.). i sing to true. i soothe myself. i cry. i write. i talk. i look for the beauty in tiny places. i look for myself in tiny places. i surrender the day, the work, the to-do lists, the schedule. i sit with my words for the year: gentle and simple, and try to go easy on myself. most importantly, i try really really hard to keep my heart open despite the inclination to close it up with fear.

everyday, this is a practice. of surrendering. of staying open. of being free.

i keep thinking about something i wrote the week true was born:
surrendering is surrendering, even if if you are surrendering to love. it's powerful, hard, life changing, vulnerable, yet it feels like it sets you free. like truth. like how truth sets you free. but in this case, it's a baby boy named True.

Weekly Sponsor Spotlight: Beth Quinn, Unravelling, The Rusted Chain, Amy Peters Studios, The Build Zone + Louise Gale

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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Jewelry artist Beth Quinn is "a mom of two wonderful little boys, married to my best friend, and an artist who loves to create anything from paper, fabric, wood, paint and metal." Influenced by her late father's metal working and her grandmother's creativity, her jewelry is "full of her love for the old , worn and shiny ... she loves to combine texture to create jewelry that can be loved and cherished for years to come." Please head over to Beth's website where you can find hershop and her blog! Her new spring line is now available and includes a new line of children's jewelry.

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The Unravelling e-course is an 8-week online class designed to help you heal the way you see your self and your world, using photography and journalling to access hidden thoughts & dreams and encourage personal realisations, all in the safe space of a like-minded community. Photographer & writer Susannah Conway is your guide through this process, sharing her insights and wisdom gleaned from a four-year voyage through grief and healing. You don’t need any previous photography experience to do this course - all you need is a camera (iPhones are perfect for unravelling!), a journal & pen and an open heart.

Registration for the Summer Unravelling: Ways of Seeing My Self class will open in April! You can check out what past participants have said about their Unravelling journeys over here (there are videos too :)

Happy spring, everybody!

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The Rusted Chain specializes in unique handstamped jewelry.

A bit organic.

A bit glamorous.

Completely meaningful.

Our designs are loved by “real” women like you and me, and celebrities like Deanna Daughtry (wife of artist Chris Daughtry) and Bachelorette Trista Sutter, and actress Candace Cameron Bure. Come say hi on our blog

Please enjoy 15% off your purchase with code KELLY15.

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Jewelry inscribed with hopes, dreams and absolute truths. Amy Peters' Studio creates jewelry that speaks to your creative and caring soul. Each unique design is lovingly created in our sunny coastal California studio and holds meaning deeper than even words can express.

1. Pocket Thoughts 2. Identity Bracelets 3. Rings

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Looking to grow your basic jewelry making skills? Want to ensure that your jewelry has that finished look that's essential to truly beautiful jewelry? Interested in learning about what makes good jewelry design? Welcome to The Build Zone. Deryn Mentock is a jewelry designer and instructor who believes the best way to attain the level of perfection and professionalism you desire in your mixed media jewelry creations is to build a solid foundation of basic skills. In her brand new online class, she shares her years of experience in found object jewelry making to help you master those essential skills. Class begins Feb. 14 and registration is now open. Check out her e-course offerings on her Jewelry Works site then strap on your tool belt and prepare to create something sublime!

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Do you wish you had a roadmap to show you the way to your dream life? Louise from “Dream-Inspire-Create” will take you on a journey to accelerate yourself to success.

You will vision the future, energize your soul and create a personalized roadmap to get closer to your dream life. This 6 week program gives you the tools, techniques, inspiration, community and celebration to empower you to go from where you are now, to where you want to be. The greatest freedom is the freedom of choice, so choose to take action and become your dream.

Register Now. The Spring session of Big Dreams, Small Wonders starts on Monday April 11th.

japan, our breath, our lives.

like all of us, i'm having a really difficult time processing the devastation in japan. last nite as i was watching the coverage, i could barely hold it together. john came home with taco bell to find me on the couch sobbing. in that moment i was imagining baby true holding on to me and then being ripped away by the force of a tsunami. you know how our mind wanders to the worst case scenario? and how it brings us to our knees?

the people in japan are in our collective worst case scenarios. and they are on their knees.

i know many of us are considering what we can do. we give our prayers, our money, our thoughts, our lit candles. for me, today, in this moment, i'm giving my gratitude for being alive, for being safe, for the safety of my family. i cannot, i absolutely cannot imagine losing my baby, yet so many daughters and sons have been lost to the devastation. they belonged to someone. to a mama. and a papa. i think about the devastation of hearts worldwide, the impact of all of that brokenness. i want to honor all that loss by living my very best life, today. today, today, today. we just never know if we'll be gone tomorrow....you just never know.

it brings such an acute awareness to the fragility of our lives, doesn't it? rachel awes. do you know her? she makes glorious, profound art that really and truly celebrates the fullness of what it means to be alive - super inspiring. she made a painting called what if we treasured every single beat and i haven't stopped thinking of it since i saw it weeks ago. last week when i was in the studio i thought of her painting and it inspired me, along with my gratitude for my family and my life in the midst of so much devastation, to create this piece. what if we treasured every single breath? what if we lived as if our breathing, our aliveness was temporary...because it is. what if we honored all of the loss in japan and all around the world by treasuring our every single beat, our every single breath? i can't think of a better way to honor the lives of those we've lost. i really cannot.

japan, you are in our hearts. and we are with you in your suffering - every breath of it.

for those of you who are walking your own grief journey, no matter how long it's been, i wish for you this: that you honor their beautiful gift of life by living, really living, your beautiful gift of life.

xo, kelly rae

ps: i will be auctioning a few pieces of original art, along with several artists, in an upcoming online event to raise funds for japan. stay tuned...the above piece of art will be included in the auction.

thoughts on practicing courage

(print available here)

in my ebooks and throughout my ecourse last year, i talked a lot about the idea of practicing courage. whether we're doing something new or intimidating, or just living our everyday lives, i like the idea of little by little practicing what it means to be courageous.

i think about john and i and how we're practicing, little by little yet every single day, how to communicate, how to love our best. i think about the early days when i tip-toed my way into the creative life and how scary it was. i would practice the task of being fearless by casually trying it on for the day just to see what would happen (pretending until we're not pretending anymore). inevitably what would happen is that i'd get inspired, and keep going and practice my little heart out, one day at a time. it all eventually led to not just trying it on for a day, but adopting it as a core value in my life.

i can't tell you how all of that practicing comes in handy right now - a time in my life that is requiring all the courage i can muster as i embrace the wonky ride of new motherhood. courage to let the love in. courage to let it go. courage to adjust, realign, re-evaluate, fall apart, rebuild, and on an on. i hope i'm still practicing my courage when i'm an elderly woman - fierce yet tender, strong yet open. in so many ways, courage keeps our souls alive because it keeps us a little bit afraid when we push up against our own boundaries, when we consider our leaps, our risks, and when we take small steps in spite of the fear. i like that. i like you, courage. you definitely take some practice, but i like you.

i wonder how different our worlds would be - our work worlds, our family worlds, our immediate household worlds - if we were all walking around practicing courage?

i imagine we'd be apologizing more because we wouldn't be afraid of the vulnerability that comes with admitting when we're wrong.
we'd be fearlessly telling those we love how much we love them.
we'd be taking small steps toward the lives we envision for ourselves and our families.
we'd be waking up more and more aware that we really are enough.
we'd be embracing our soul work with confidence, knowing that each day is just a practice at doing the best we can.
we'd be giving everyone else in our lives permission to be brave.

and that's what it's all about. permission to be brave.

ps - i'm considering running my ecourse again this year (just once this year)! if you think you might be interested, please sign up for my newsletter for updates. if you're not an ecourse kind of gal, the same content is shared in my ebooks where you can read and absorb at your own pace. i still remain so so proud of my ebooks. in some ways they are the best work i've ever done and i'm happy to report that i've never, not once, received bad feedback from the almost two thousand that have sold since last fall. that says a lot. and it feels really, really good. i am so proud! but yes, i'm considering running the ecourse version again. it was such a special experience and the community continues to support one another and soar, soar, soar. i really want to be a part of that creation again. we'll see!

what makes your heart flutter?

(new print in a new series i've started. available here.)

true love.
waking up to sunshine.
falling asleep to rain.
tip of the horizon possibilities.
unearthed courage.
a good idea.
an inspiring conversation.
a new friend.
an old friend.
a new love.
an old love.
feeling like i have just discovered a new set of wings.

master bedroom - home tour

home tour continues! we've already done the kitchen, dining room, and living room. today it's our master bedroom + bath.

when we bought this house, this attic space was bare boned, no insulation, no bathroom. the walls were just a single sheet of plywood, but it had awesome fir floors (that were painted orange) and a great amount of space. we knew immediately we'd remodel it into an open concept master bedroom/bath. here's what the space looked like prior to the remodel (scroll down to the attic photos). and below is what it looks like today. all photos were taken by andrea jenkins, aka hula.

above is the space that you see when you walk up the stairs to our bedroom. what i love about attic bedrooms is that they feel like forts, like childhood forts. this little alcove is a sweet and small little reading area. the chair belonged to one of john's great aunts and was passed down to him just recently - he's got great memories hanging out in this chair as a kid and i'm so happy we've got it with us today. it's low to the ground, super cozy, and it got a fashion face-lift when my mom re-upholstered it with some fun fabric.

painting is one of mati's originals. orange rug is an older one from pottery barn. if you look closely, you'll notice some ribbon strands hanging from the white curtain clips. this is a great DIY project and it adds some color to the area.

the low rider dresser was the first piece of furniture i bought when i first moved to portland in 1999. good memories....

candles are placed on top of quilting flowers that i found at a local junk store. not sure if they're called quilting flowers (?) but essentially they are quilting pieces that were sold separately. they looked like this when i bought them and then i've simply placed candles in the center. love!

here's a view looking toward the alcove at the top of the stairs. the vintage bassinet is no longer there, but i still love that piece (in storage now). the brown wooden dresser on the left belonged to john when we first met. i love it for being with us all of these years. it no longer holds the changing table, but rather a few treasures:

a couple of my fave necklaces by nest pretty things, and a fave photo taken by lara blair.

the two skylights we put in bring a ton of light to this space - likely the brightest space in the entire house. and we are loving all the built-in closet spaces that you see above. orange rug is an older pottery barn rug.

bedspread is an older anthropologie spread. love the colors. the bed is also a pottery barn purchase from a couple of years ago. we were super thankful that the headboard fit in this awkward attic space. and i love a good bed skirt - gotta have them.

this is another built-in that holds more treasures, magazine collection, clock collection and all things turquoise. here's a closer peek at this area:

a little love alter is needed in every master bed if i do say so myself. by the way, the love always wins canvas is finally available in my shop!

john surprised me with this lovely dress form + tutu for christmas. i have these awesome visions of john walking around the junk store with this dress form and tutu - makes me chuckle. it's now one of my favorite things. i've been working on dressing her up a bit. in this photo she's wearing one of my brand new winged hearts!

turquoise + green = love affair.

the other alcove in our bedroom houses the bathroom. we spent a lot of time configuring where to put a full bathroom in this space and we're really happy with how it turned out.

you can't really tell in this photo, but on the opposite wall facing the shower is a built-in and another door that opens up to the toilet - here's a photo if you're interested.

this bathroom has been a great space to wake up to each morning. nice and bright, cheery, and i still can't believe we have two sinks. two sinks! his and hers. so cool.

i found this vanity years ago at a gargage sale and painted it white. i feel so proper and girlie having a vanity but i just love it.

and that's our bedroom space. thanks again to hula for taking the photos. the paint color, by the way is palladium blue by benji moore. i am officially in love with this color. it serene, calming, creative, and happy.

other photo tours of our home:
kitchen
dining room
living room
the complete remodel