Growing up in a little river town.

I grew up in a little river town. I think we had one stoplight. I lived one block from the mighty Mississippi river. I loved the river. We lived on the river in the summer, my dad always had boats and mom and dad and I would pack the coolers, get gas for the boat and launch out for a sun filled boating adventure.

I have been looking at the spirit warrior paintings that keep coming to be for the past several months. They are changing (I actually am liking them) they seem to be bringing me comfort and a sense of home. They are teaching me what is important to my soul at this time in my life. I am listening, paying close attention, journaling and taking notes. How does my style work in this medium? Where is the graphic designer in all of this that I have been for most of my career? I can tell I am heavily influenced by color I was in my design work as well. I still continue to layer, layer and layer more.
 I too do that in my design work. I like these discoveries.

I love what the river and nature has taught me. It feels like home whenever I am around water, sand, fields, docks, cabins. I simply feel alive when I see water. I adore it. I have big plans in my life for this summer (perhaps we will be able to afford a small boat) that would be dreamy.

I know the river has much to teach me still. I feel it. My spirit warriors are starting to become more about nature and elements that breathe life into me. Fire, water, fields, flowers a delicate balance of seeing and capturing these elements with paint. I like it.

I have found that my favorite medium to paint on is heavy wood. I love being able to sand it, cut into it, layer and layer then remove and make marks. It is forgiving and still looks amazing with the raw attempts to texturize it. Yes, I am fond of wood.

Interesting I find that home for me is near water, with a fire, wind, rocks to discover, driftwood to collect, shells to wash ashore. The little girl from the little river town is becoming whole and healing here in this tiny new town of historic everything in the past two years that we have lived here in Galena Illinois.

I have much to give in this artful life I have created. This is the year I give. I show up. I create big huge stuff. I reveal all of my walks, challenges and pray that I help others believe in good, know pure joy, and really appreciate just being alive. I have really big goals this year that I will continue to share. I am full out blasting open every fear and going for it all. I am asking friends for help if I need the connections, I am learning programs, video skills for online class creating. Meeting others who can help guide me to be the best artist I can be.

Tomorrow it is suppose to be 44 degrees here (kind of a heat wave in January)
I will go to the river and thank it for all it continues to bless me with.

Perhaps you have a special place that makes you feel most alive? Maybe, you too can visit it.
I wish this for you.

www.kellimaykrenz.com

2017 blessed, lucky, spirit filled = my life.

blessed spirit. one of my original paintings in my series of spirit warriors. 

I have been thinking lots about what it means to be lucky. What does it mean to be blessed? I am of firm belief that it does not mean you live a super charmed easy life. Nope. Not for me at least. I believe that my life is tested in ways others might not see as lucky or blessed. I seem to have a big bit of huge scary stuff that continues to create me. I am stronger, braver, more blessed because I have survived.

I have been faced with a renal artery aneurysm, a horrible cheating lying marriage (due to his being gay and not admitting), watching someone i love die suddenly in three minutes and being able to do nothing (enlarged heart), several "normal" surgeries gone terribly wrong, people being truly ugly and mean. I know every single soul has big stuff.  I am not saying, "Oh I have so much hard life stuff."
I know that many of you suffer much bigger, much worse and so much harder life stuff. I get it.
My wish is to show others you can survive and be a spirit warrior to not only yourself but, to others as well.

Okay, so the list could go on. Here's what I believe I am really lucky to have seen this part of life, lived through it with all of my imperfections. I am here, I am able to help others (I pray) by showing up and living a full happy, joy filled life. I have financial struggles like some. I get up every single day and choose to see my life as great, filled with more possibilities, more love and really excited to share my joy for living.

I am choosing to make this fine year of 2017 the year I break all of my silences that keep me from being all that I am meant to be. I am going for all of the moments I dream of. I will find ways to finance these dreams. I will make myself known for a shining light and help others dream bigger and know they are loved always. I will write my book and I will publish it.

See I am so lucky because since I was a very little girl I have know that my art would matter. That I could do nothing else. I must create every single day. I have so much to share, give and gift in this world. I have often said that if I had lots of money - I mean lots - I would gather handmade gifts and just spend my days = gifting others. I love packaging gifts and sending them out into the world.

Perhaps, my gifts are here in social media too? I know one thing for sure. I am grateful, I am lucky and I am beyond blessed to have this knowing inside my soul.

Loving more. I am choosing this every single day.

www.kellimaykrenz.com

Staying safe in what I know.

I have been through lots of big hard things in my life. We all have I know this. I have been blessed with great miracles = one of the biggest is my life. I am beyond grateful to wake up each and everyday.

So much heavy big stuff in my life of late. Balancing the emotional makings of life with a creative business is always interesting to me. I often try looking above my life as if part of me is sitting in a tree looking down on me. I wonder what really counts this moment and what can be shifted aside.
I listen to my heart (it always knows) It is in the practicing of listening and hearing that days are filled with more then just trying.

I have noticed that I tend to create what I need. If I need to be extra strong I create warriors, wise beings with antlers and adorned bodies. I am seeing myself in all that I have been creating lately. The stories that these pieces are telling me and then watching them come to life.

I have so much to learn yet, I feel like I know a whole big bunch too. I want to share more, give more and seek more like souls to surround me.

I know that I will continue to climb the biggest mountains and be grateful while I do.
I hope to be a blessing to those of you who follow me.

day 21, 22 and yes 23 of #100 days of YOU with kelli

original mixed media art, quote by me. love more.

Love your heart with tender care. it matters. Truth. We need to love ourselves with all of our flaws (that we see more then anyone else ever) It is hard to get past lots of old stuff, I know. I also know that living in the moment is everything good. It feels terrific to give love to others. Imagine how great it will feel to show yourself some of that whole love. Yes, let's do it.

I struggle with giving myself the love that I give out so freely to others. I am certainly nice to me, I am so grateful for my body and the life it gives me. I think maybe, loving the emotional parts will be a good practice for me. You know the forgiving ourselves for past hurts, not feeling like we do enough or we are enough. Turn those thoughts around every time one tries to sneak in - just say NO.

This weekend was about loving more for me. Finding ways to show love with words, actions and listening. These are all gifts we all have and can give. Let's just be mindful of who gets US and our love.

Leaving you with this idea. What would it look like to wake up tomorrow and do one really precious milestone thing you have been putting off? Like a thank you call you have been meaning to make, a special moment to share with another person who loves you (hug) even in a short note you mail out, taking a picture of something you never ever want to forget. Have fun with your life. It is precious and I promise this stuff matters the very most.

Love more.

day 19 and 20 of #100 days of YOU with kelli

what if you face that fear and WIN! make it happen. you can do it. 

Mindfully living is what we are all on this journey for. Connecting with others of like souls, wounds, visions, hope and love. Yes, we are practicing the fine art of mindfully living. Living in the moment, living in the here and now. Practicing letting go of old tapes that no longer serve us. Letting go of the hurts that folks swing at us. No need to hang on to hurt, it truly will only continue to haunt you and will never ever serve you for anything good. I promise.

So what if you face that fear and win? What would that look like for you? Would it be a huge mountain to climb and you would be faced with your wildest nightmare? Believe me if you can imagine it, it can happen (probably not) but, it can. I have imagined the worst possible things happening in my life and somehow I have been called out and given bigger more horrible things then my imagination could dream up. Oh, and I have a wild good imagination. My point is I lived through these things with lots of love and help from others. I learned so much. Yes, I suffered greatly. Yes, I live my life practicing the healing love I so deserve and need.

So perhaps you write down your worse fears, and you look at what you would need in your life to change these around and make them go away. SUPER HARD stuff no kidding. We YOU can do it.

I know with my whole heart that we are all capable of more self love. I know it!!! I learn it every single day. Give your best and love YOU.

We are on the mountain together hand in hand and we are doing this!!! Yes, we are taking our fears and making them turn into puffy white clouds that simply float away. I picture my big fears then I turn them into a puffy white pretty cloud and I send them up to the great blue sky. NOT EASY at all. Practicing makes it easier every single day. I love you.

You are safe and loved here on this #100 day journey of YOU with me.

Day 12 of "100 Days of YOU with Kelli

we wander together and become stronger 

Happy Day 12 of #100 days of YOU with Kelli. I have been thinking a lot about how very precious life is. We have all experienced horrible hard things. We all speak the universal language of grief and loss. I am here to try and start a new practice in finding hope while in the midst of hard things.

Hope. I such a pretty word. I love the look of it with it's straight edges mixed with open spaces. I love the meaning of it. Hope can speak to all of us in very personal ways. Interesting enough for me it is in the very simplest of things. Example = when I am in the middle of something very hard and I yawn, I instantly remember that there is hope. The ability to have normal moments in a time of hardship helps me move forward. Odd as it sounds think about moments in your life when you have really needed HOPE. What are those things that gave you a moment of normal.

If we take our list of normal helpful moments and combine them with our affirmations we are suddenly looking at a very hopeful path to start walking and practicing.

Use your wounds to empower you. Use your sadness to help you stand back up. Use this 100 day journey to inspire you to try a new way of approaching your life. Even the tiny steps count. Even just showing up to greet a new day is huge.

I promise you this. I have had really terrible things happen in my life that I thought "How will I live through this?" Truth is I faced it straight on and struggled, I owned it and never once pretended it was not hurting me. I let others help me when I knew I needed help. I found comfort in the familiar. I was crushed and slowly stood back up.

I am up and my wish is to spread STANDING STRONG in your space right here right now through my artwork and words. I hope I am helping even one person right this minute.

Love more. It is so important. Love YOU. thank you for being here with me.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/859440144162697/

painting sold. words matter. 

from one of my journals. play today. 

every new day you can begin again

her spirit moved mountains. painting sold. words matter..

Happy day 10 and 11. So sorry yesterday was a blur. Hard as I tried I had deadlines in my design world that kept busting me. So proof that I am human and I missed our day 10 together. Every new day you can begin again. I love this and it is pure truth.

Now is a great time to talk about why we are so hard on ourselves? What good does it serve us? Why do we choose to not be as kind to ourselves as we are with others? I do not believe it is our nature to do this. At least I hope not. I believe that we think we are going to push ourselves more if we are hard on ourselves. I am learning that when I do this for month at a time, I just shut down. SO new way of thinking = every time I think I am going to be hard on ME, I say STOP, I train myself to say this, "you are doing your very best, showing up everyday, YOU matter keep going."

I know by practicing we can stop the negative self talk, the non positive positioning we but, ourselves in. No fun to feel trapped by your own limitations. Time to practice your way OUT.

You can write about what this looks like for you. You can paint about it. You can build a visual page about it with pictures and words clipped from magazines. Any way that you can express and work on releasing what it is that you are unhappy with. DO IT!!! In time it changes YOU for the healthier better YOU.

Let's share together how this journey of YOU is feeling. Thank you for being here and taking this journey of 100 days with me. Love Kelli


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Day 8 of "100 days of YOU with kelli"

me at 52 sharing my life with you. grateful. i am. 

Hello day 8. I think this is going great! Yes, I do. I love that a few of you are sharing and really diving into this journey with me. Thank you so very much.

I have decided that it would be a great idea for me to talk about some biggies that I have climbed over. How I have put these moments in my life and turned them around to give me more passion and grace.

We have been thinking of our childhood loves. How our childhood free thoughts and sense of wonder was so giving and such a carefree time. I love to hold onto the really great stuff. We all have some I just know it, along with hard stuff that we have overcome.

When I was growing up I was bullied A LOT! I grew up in a small river town in Iowa so everyone knew everyone. There were some really mean girls that would bully me. I would walk to school in fear, I would have tons of fear in the locker room or even just at my locker in the hall. Yes, I was treated terribly. Of course, my parents were always having my back and trying to make this stop. As we all know sometimes this makes it worse. Drats!!! I learned a few great things about mean bully people. I learned that it is always about the other person who just needs to act out and hurt others because they feel good pushing someone smaller around. I learned that I could rise above it and succeed with my ability to ignore. I would find great comfort in my art and would develop a wonderful imagination to feel beyond the hurt. I continue to rise above mean people. Sure I am sensitive and I have feelings that get hurt from time to time. I will say this - I tell myself how lucky I am to be alive, how blessed I am to be able to show love and give love, I tell myself that I am so heavenly lucky to not be a bully or mean person. Grace is a gift. I give myself grace and love every single day. I turn away from people or moments in my life that do not serve me to my greater good.
NO this is not easy - but with practice it becomes easy and so healing.

Maybe, when we think about our childhood some icky feeling pop up. Yes, that is okay because we are being given the gift of healing those long ago hurts. How wonderful to know that we can heal even a zillion years later. Yes, we are strong, brave and showing up to create our best life yet.

We are all here and climbing our mountain together. I love us. I love you.

Thank you for being present, for taking time to notice the stuff in your life that works for you.
This matters. You matter the very most.

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Day 7 of #100 days of YOU with kelli

affirmations designed by me = for you 

Happy one week of being here in this sacred space together. I do hope you are getting the magic that is here for you. I know it takes so much to start changing habits and practicing new ideas. I am positive that by being mindful and loving your intentions your new practice of loving YOU will happen. Yes, it might take 100 days or the rest of your life, either way it is a practice worth investing in = because it is YOU.

I feel like it is important for me to really open up and share my life with you. It gives me a foundations to start from and for you to see me. I have always been open and sharing. I have always been an over gifter (if there is such a thing) I know that about me. I do not do it for praise or to make someone like me. I do it because I absolutely LOVE making others feel loved, noticed, appreciated.
It is my dream that I will reach far into the world with my light, love and desire to share more.

I think it is so important for us to remember all that we have accomplished up until this very moment. Really it is crazy how much we live through, how strong we really are, our minds do the self preservation thing where we tend not to hold onto the really hard stuff - I for one am super thrilled about that. I have lived through more really hard things then lots of people. For those of you who do not know me you might be surprised. Instead of thinking about my past I practice really really hard at staying in the present, the here and now. I know we have no control over what tomorrow might bring. Live as fully out loud with joy, grace, giddy silly goofy stuff right now. Just let go of the stuff you are holding. Just let it go. Practice at just letting it go.

I have found it really useful to write what I am trying to let go of. Often times I burn the letter up while saying a little prayer of intention with it. It is enough for me to write it, spill it out and then start the real life practice of letting it go.

So maybe, we can all find a few things we would be better off without? I know I have some.

Thank you for walking this path with me. I am honored beyond that you are here. I love you.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/859440144162697/

link to our closed facebook group. please join us if you like.

Day 6 of "100 days of YOU with kelli

me on the far right with little tie around my neck 

 me on the blue floaty - i was always very thin

me with the pink hat on and my grandpa carrying me - i was 3 

me with our neighbors dogs. i have always loved dogs. 

So what if we keep thinking about what we loved as a child. I know for me it was water, the river, my friends, playing dress up, creating art, flowers, bike rides, the smell of rain, wind in my face, drinking from a tea cup at my grandmothers house. The list goes on and on but, I still love all of these things and I try my best to make them a part of my life.

What if we take a few of these things that we loved as kids and bring them back. Yes, make them happen more often. Surely, there are ways to embrace those memories we hold so dear. I am going to make sure I get outside and feel the wind more. Wind makes me feel alive. Free to get and makes me appreciate even more my life.

Next week we will be starting journals together. I will give you step by step easy ways to create a custom journal. We can add photos of us when we were young and now. We can list the crazy giddy joys we had as kids that we would like to focus on now.

I know that by remembering good things (and we all have them) and really noticing how we might bring them back into our days we will be empowered and feel a deep sense of joy!

I live this way. I know these things to be true. This journey is meant for me and YOU. Please let me know how this feels to you and if you are able to create tiny windows of happy. Love to you.

Happy day 6 of 100 days.

believing in myself - not always easy

 Listening to the knowing in my soul is not always easy. I get washed away by what I think I should be creating to try and fit the mold. I am taking a new online class and I found in week one I tried to fit a mold. I never do well trying to fit in. I know better. Today was a very hard day for me. I often rise above the hard stuff beautifully and never share this hard stuff.

I want to be helpful and by being honest with hard moments just might help others? I pray that it does. I am filled at times with self doubt. I tend to believe that if I am not making good money being a graphic designer, illustrator, artist that I am no good. Money should not be able to create this self doubt but, it does. I know to face the fears and do it anyway. I know that if we do what we are called to do we will be rewarded. I have had great success in my life as a graphic designer and illustrator.

Only in the last two years since, I made the decision to mindfully leave the corporate clients behind and march into a new world has it been interesting. Moving three times in the past two years, across the country twice well it has been a whirlwind.

So today I marched through the fears again. I created everything in this post and lots more too. I lost myself in French music (I do not speak French) French music is calming to me. I simply did not think I just created. I am always best if I can just get out of my own way.

I wonder how others face fears. Do you have fears of money and survival? Do you create because for you too it is like breathing? Do you look at friends who seem to have it easy and wonder why is that not me? I wonder.

I do know this I am wildly happy to be alive. I know I am a good person. I know that I will make money doing what I love again. It is my life and boy do I love my life.

www.kellimaykrenz.com

loving life - celebrating moments I am

Pearl Button cherished beyond 

magic when I hold her 

she is pure love 

nothing more real pure light 

This past week was a rush of living life out loud and fully. Friends visiting (who have never been here before). New journey into learning more scheduling and order to my creative days with a very talented mentor and coach. New online class that requires me to be brave, learn more and take more leaps into faith and a knowing in my heart.

Then came an hour of sunshine through the window, fun clothes to play dress up in, layering my pearl necklaces (all gifts from friends) putting a bit of silly on and holding my most precious little Pearl Button.

My hubby grabbing his iphone and snapping some photos of this space and time in my life.

Yes, I am 52 and still learning every single day. Yes, I am aging and changing both inside and out. I work daily at embracing all that I am. Loving me fully for the goodness I know I have. These photos are not retouched or doctored up to look special. For me these photos represent taking a moment in my life to say this, "Kelli you are so blessed to be alive, have love surround you and truly know beauty."

Celebrating the precious everyday. I am trying. It makes a difference. Loving more.

www.kellimaykrenz.com

being grateful and giving back tis the season

my biggest sale EVER. happening right now.

custom dream catcher. filled with many layers of beauty.

original painting. layers of dreams and truth found here.

handmade gorgeous. hands stitched tiny bits. vintage linen.

the most beautiful inspired secret treasure box.

a princess crown of love. 

I live my life practicing being grateful. I am grateful just to wake up each day. I do my best to make moments matter. I try hard to give back to others and really to over give (if there is such a thing).

I have said for many many years how I wish that I were independently wealthy and could create for free. I would in a nano second. I am not fortunate to be able to do this. I will keep wishing and doing and perhaps one day this will be so for me.

I build a wildly successful career as a graphic designer and illustrator working for big huge fortune 500 companies for lots of years. Two years ago I decided I wanted a life where I created from me for me. I had a dream where I would create happy and share with this big world. I have mindfully been finding my path to making this happen. I am once again living the life of a struggling artist financially. Hard facts to admit but, so true. I know deep inside that this will change. I will find the right people in the perfect time and space who will notice my talents, my passion and my desire to make a difference in some small way in this big world.

I am empowered to make this happen as I see it in my soul when I rest at night. I am driven when I wake each day to work harder, create more pure art and be seen.  I am not meant to worry about money each day. I am meant to share and give and then love more.

I think by being open and honest about my life I can inspire and help others. This is my wish. This is my gift that sits inside my heart patiently waiting to shine.

I am grateful for this time in my life to be able to create for me and try with all of my might to be seen. I am grateful to all of my friends and kindred spirits who follow me. I never ever take any of this for granted.

Loving more every single day. I am.

www.kellimaykrenz.com

i paint, i draw, i write every single day. i wake up and do it all over again. i believe.

my world in bits

my world in living color

my world in layers

my world inside my head

my world is happy

I have such a huge dream for my life. I realize I wake up and repeat what I did the day before. Sure I shake it up and change routine around but, really I wake up and create all day long. I am driven by a need to share, give and seriously know personal achievements. I look back on my life and zoom through all of the creating I have done both personally and in my career. I think to myself what drives me so much. Answer I know what I want and I am not there yet.

I adore color, layers, vintage, pattern, inks, paints, pencils, sketching, details in everything. I want to share my passions big, like really BIG. So I am dreaming huge. Bigger then feels comfortable at times. I push through the fears, the odd feeling that sometimes visits. I know that I am going to get to this place I dream and work for. I can see it. I can hear the conversations. I know it like I know myself.

So I keep showing up. I keep creating. I keep being grateful for the ability to wake up and have my life. I know that I am lucky to be full of passions and ideas. I am very very blessed.

We are all blessed with a knowing. Listen to yours and then charge ahead. Never to late to join in your dreams.

http://www.kellimaykrenz.com/
find more of my life right here in my new website

At the end of each day HOPE remains.

layers coming together to build my house of hope

big world. big dreams. big climbing.

at the end of each day HOPE remains.

details matter to me.

I have been thinking lots about hope, dreams, reality versus what I can actually make happen.
Yes, lots of big thoughts. I have been spilling out the journey of listening to my heart and painting. Painting like there is no tomorrow. No real direction just spilling, etching, carving, layering, scratching the surfaces of what hope means to me.

Lately, I think hope means to wake up and try my best to put direction into my day. I have so many creative energies pulling me. I know that my card line is waiting patiently for me to have it be seen by more stores. I know that I have been healing physically for months and continue to heal. I am surprised by how having shingles and nerve pain has altered my life. I am grateful that at the end of each day HOPE does remain powerful for me. I am driven by the power of hope. The listening of who I am and who I need to be.

I am about to walk into unknown adventures again. Clinging to the hope I feel inside and the knowing I am meant to be seen. Daily I crave sharing goodness, happy and really making a difference. Surrounding myself with every good intention I can muster up. Grateful as ever.

http://www.kellimaykrenz.com/

wide open land. wide open life. keep dreaming.

oh this. memories for me. dreams that still need nurtured.

land. fields. trees. barns. gravel. space.

my little family dreaming with me. hubby and pearl button.

I often write about how fast time dashes by. Seems like I can blink and one month is gone. I have been searching, dreaming, moving, reaching, building, working so hard for the past two years. I know the only way to achieve all that I need to fill my soul up is to work really hard and focus. Lessons that I have know most of my life. Listening to my heart. Listening to the voices that speak the loudest to me. Listening to this art filled life of mine that keeps me inspired, keeps me loving big, keeps me pushing.

Dreams are funny things. I know that dreams only come true with tons of hard work. I have had so many of my dreams come true. Seems funny I can still want more, I do. I want what I know is inside of me just waiting to SHINE out.  I stumble, I flat out fall but, I get back up and keep pushing the mountains aside.

Drive. I sometimes ask myself - where does my drive come from? Is it just survival? No, not for me.
I want to thrive in giving love. I want to share my messages of hope, surviving, dreaming big and creating a life well lived.

Hard lessons only push me harder. I pray to be a light for others.

Why the pictures of this farm and land? Right now in this time and space the rolling hills, the green grass, gravel roads, crickets singing, grasshoppers hopping and mind stopping beauty has my heart.
I wonder do I need to be out in the midst of 20 acres creating, retreating and making my biggest dream come true?

Come with me and see this adventure that is wide open. Grateful to be noticing my days with grace and appreciation. Never ever take your life for granted. You are precious.

http://www.kellimaykrenz.com/ my new website where you can learn more about my life and my art.

my summer of learning and listening

stitch. pray. heal.

finding delight in the tiny details. every single day.

Wow it has been over one month since I have blogged. I have been living in a sort of constant days and nights rolling into one month of time. This is my summer of fighting shingles. Fighting is not the best word to use when describing non stop pain. I usually try to surround everything in my body with love and positive words. Lately I've been feeling like this really is a fight to survive with my mental goodness. I am not good at resting non stop. I like to do things. I love adventures and outings and finding unexpected fun.

This is a time in my life to learn lessons about healing, about myself and really listen. I am not sure I am really good at this listening part. I am practicing on getting better at it daily.

I have been stitching a great deal as I can rest and still create. I often write that creating is like breathing to me. I must do it. So I have found a way to create even while healing. I am so grateful for this.

My days are getting better as I do have more energy then I did one month ago. I know that good things take time. My healing is a very good thing so I will surround this time with as much love as I know how to.

I have been extremely blessed with the love from others. Prayers are being heard and I am most thankful. I will continue to create each day in the ways that I can hoping that my dreams will continue to grow and the mountains I need to climb will be waiting for me.

Looking forward to life after shingle pain.

the path i followed = how dreams grew for me.

90 cards arrived from printer = excitement overload

build a booth exactly like the one in NYC in our living room

Rent a van and drive across the country to NYC

National Stationery Show booth BEFORE

Get lucky and have 2 cards chosen for BEST NEW PRODUCT categories

FINISHED BOOTH before the crowds arrive.

View from our living room. We are home.

Two years ago this May I had a dream to create my own line of greeting cards, paper products and showcase them in NYC at the National Stationery Show. In order to make this happen I would need money. So after loving my home of 17 years my hubby and I decided to sell it. Get the equity out of the home and start fresh with dreams. We moved to Sarasota FL with big hopes of starting this path of dog inspired goods. We tried but, this was not to be our place. We moved to Siesta Key (not far from our first rental but, close to the #1 beach in the USA) thinking this would be the connection. Nope. So we stayed for a little over one year and moved to a city I have been smitten with since I was in 6th grade, Galena IL.

We arrived in Galena in October. In Dec I  sent samples of my artwork to the National Stationery Show division called Fresh ( a jury picks who gets in ) I got in. Starting in Jan I thought I best get busy and start designing this line.

In four months I designed over 90 cards - all illustrated, painted, hand lettering, designed by me. I had no assistants (my hubby and my parents) I paid no one to help me with all of this creative and work except one person at the last minute (I hired a darling writer to write my press release) impossible for me to write about myself. He he he.

I cannot begin to tell you the amount of endless days went into this creation of Pearl Button's World.

I showed up in NYC I faced my anxieties of being in front of my creative. No panic attacks. Hard stuff for me. I did it. I was present and gracious and thrilled to be standing in my dream. Yes, at times it was surreal and overwhelming to think of all it took to be standing there in that time and space.

The show went really well for me. I have several good orders from shops that really got me. I also have several licensing conversations in the works. Super positive potential and more hard work to complete. I am following up with everything and everyone as that is part of the show. I have learned so very much, I have moved out of my comfort zone and into a new launch of me.

I am proud of myself. I worked really hard next to my hubby who supports me with wisdom and hard work too. This dream took years to make happen. This dream will continue to take big thinking and more more more dreaming even bigger. I am up for this challenge and very excited about it all.

My new website will launch very soon and my etsy shop will be loaded with goods.

I live in Galena now with my hubby and our little girl Pearl Button. We are happy, we have started to find a community of like souls who want to know us and are so so nice. Our travels in the past two years have been crazy nuts goofy and honestly the lessons I have learned and creative that I have found in myself is incredible. I am one lucky girl.

Here's to knowing how precious life is and busting down everything for dreams.

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