12 September 2016

14 years ago today my life was savedi

i believe in prayers and intentions 

i believe in magic and miracles

i believe in being me


Fourteen years ago today I went into Methodist Hospital in Minneapolis to face a surgery that would save my life. No one knew if I would live or die. I had an renal artery aneurysm, it had wrapped itself around my right kidney and made the surgery super risky and surgeons unsure that I would make it. It was a super long surgery and I remember waking up in ICU and asking the nurse if I was alive. I remember her face, I remember all of the tubes coming out from everywhere, mostly I remember that I was alive.

I had made a deal with God the day of my surgery as I walked into the hospital. I remember looking up at the clouds in the blue sky, feeling wind on my face and thinking, "I will see this again!" I also made a promise (my deal with God) that I would start living my life happy, even if it meant changing the reality I lived in.

My recovery was not super fast but, I did do a great job healing, being brave, strong and mindful.

The surgery brought my life into focus, it made me stop and listen to my heart. My world looked different after that. It was changed forever.

I continue to have yearly tests to make sure my renal artery (that is now created from veins in my left leg) the artery is smaller then my original one so I must take care to keep it well. I know that my life is a miracle. It is such a miracle that I am still here after 14 years with this new artery. It is a miracle that I have fully changed my life. REALLY changed my life.

Once, every year when I have the tests I think - wow, will I be okay. What if it is not okay? Then I realize - hey you ended up with 14 more years. Keep going.

I celebrate today in such a meaningful loving way. I try to remember to just keep being me, I am more then enough. I celebrate waking up everyday. Sure I do not have a super easy life. I work hard. I create daily towards bigger dreams that I keep challenging myself with. The very best part of all of this is - I get to. I am alive. I am so beyond grateful to just be alive. Happy re birthday to me.

Love your life. Every minute matters. It truly does.


www.kellimaykrenz.com

30 August 2016

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.

28 June 2016

My family launches a new product. Pride in family. Spot Stuff.

grateful to be the designer behind this new product.
My sister in law Milissa is brilliant and has been creating on this oil and grease stain remover for the past three years (while working full time). She has created a dry formula that removes stains like crazy good.

I have used it on butter, salad dressing, lipstick, coconut oil, A & D ointment and it is all removed and good. It works on new and old stains without washing. I know right? this is so cool.

We are launching this as a family starting with our indiegogo campaign. We have purchased the machines to make this happen big, we have 2 patents pending, we have lots of money into marketing, developing and sharing the word.

This is huge for our little family. My husband Dan will be traveling around the country selling and meeting with large corporations to make this a household name.

Please show your support by visiting the links below. Both facebook and our indiegogo campaign.

I am thrilled to be designing, marketing and watching such a love for a product soar.

Grateful for creating in so many ways.

https://www.facebook.com/spotstuff/?pnref=story

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/spot-stuff-the-next-generation-in-stain-remover--4#/


23 May 2016

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.

20 May 2016

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.


18 May 2016

day 18 of #100 days of YOU with kelli

knowing we are on the right journey. working, creating, loving yourself. 
Lately I have been seeing a new side of me that is even more determined then normal. I am seeing things around me in my world that need editing big time. So what do I do when this pops up? I listen and I edit. So around my studio space things are getting moved, cleaned, edited. New vision boards are being created. I am planning a new launch of ME. It feels good, empowered by the words I tell myself and the actions I am taking to make my dreams happen even more. Yes, we all can do this.

Try this look down on yourself as if you were a giraffe looking down. What do you see? Do you like what you see? Is there anything you can do to make it different? Are there baby steps or big giant leaps you can take? YOU CAN DO IT!!! Think big and then start, it matters. See if you can step out of your everyday head space long enough to really look, listen and see YOU, you can start making YOU a better happier soul.

My blog name came from this concept = here's another way of looking at it. I try to look at my life and my journey from different perspectives. If I do not like the way it looks then I bust out and try with all of my earnest might to change it.

YOU can do this. Practice loving YOU. You are worth the investment of time. I promise YOU are.

So much love I am putting out into this big world for YOU and me too.

It is what it is until it isn't anymore. Change can be a really great thing!

http://www.kellimaykrenz.com/

17 May 2016

day 17 of #100 days of YOU with kelli

be kind 
Here we are on day 17 of reflecting on childhood memories, replacing old tapes that no longer serve us with new positive affirmations. We are starting a practice of coming back to be so very kind to ourselves. As kind as we are to others we need to be a zillion times kinder to US!!

When we fill ourselves with self love we have an energy that radiates light and goodness. We know how to pick ourselves up. We surround ourselves with like energy. Mean hurtful situations are easier to walk away from with grace. Looking into what serves us and makes us feel whole is so important.

If we make our vision boards - journal pages - writings in a notebook all about what we need. What life might look at if we gave it the energy, structure we desire. What might that look like? For me it looks like this = Simplify even more, create every day for the power of goodness, take time to do the little things i love (walks, candles, flowers, yummy bites of good food, laughter, setting a pretty table and having a few lovely friends over) the list is long and lots of these things I do. I can do better and I am practicing at the scheduling. Scheduling my time is a challenge for me. I have deadlines which I always meet but, I do let others take my time and energy and sometimes it does not feel good.

So for this week I am focusing on looking at how I give my time and love. Yes, I will always over give (if there is such I thing).

Here is our list of what we are practicing.
• Mindfully waking up and doing things that make us feel good.
• Journal writing to ourselves about how our life might look if we change some habits that no longer   serve us in a positive way.
• Affirmations - creating our own or using the page I created for us.

We can share this journey on our facebook page more if you like. Please let me know how you are doing and what's working for you and what's hard.

This is a journey all about YOU. Let's make it happen together. Love love love YOU!!!!

16 May 2016

day 15 and 16 "100 days of YOU with kelli"

artwork by me. thought by me.
Forgiving yourself. You did what you knew. Strong words that will connect with some of you. Others will wonder what in the world this message means. That's okay. It is perfect actually. We all have our walk and some have more mountain climbing then others.

I am so very hard on myself. I set out my visions and plans and then I work so very hard at manifesting those moments to happen. I try to have no expectations (almost impossible) but, I do a very good job at attempting this one. I have blind faith. I believe in good. I believe that if I put enough energy into my life, good will come.

I have been listening to an artist - singer songwriter named Jason Isbell. He has a song called, "Teach me how to forget". Over the past few months I have listened to this song over and over until I know it by heart. The words haunt me in a very healing knowing way. I need to forgive myself. I need to know that I did my very best (what I knew to do) The time that went wrong for me is okay. I can forgive myself for what I did (even if I am unsure of what it was) Let it go as it no longer serves me. It hurts me. It hurts my heart. So I am forgiving myself again.

I think by replacing a hard moment with a good moment is a beautiful thing to practice. Some days it is simply hard to practice and we dive back into the lesson we are trying so hard to unlearn.

Well, I am here, I am flawed and I am practicing just like all of you. I will continue to climb this mountain every single day. I would love for you to gleam a goodness from my 100 days. I sure hope this speaks to your hearts and helps you find healing, love and a path of greater good for you.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8qTsRO8xt8
Jason Isbell's song right here.


14 May 2016

Day 13 and 14 of #100 days of YOU with Kelli

one word 
Hi, I have been thinking about words. Lots of words and all the meanings that they have. The permanent places words can hold in our lives if we choose to let them. Sometimes it is a word that makes our day seem better or it can turn our day around and hurt us (only if we let it).

I like to find words that move me to a feeling of good. I love the word SHINE. I love the word HOPE. I love the word KIND. There are so many words that move me but, these three stay constant.

When I turned 50 I wanted a tat that said shine - why? I wanted to remind myself daily that I could make a choice to shine in my light and to be a good bringer of shine to others. I have never not loved this word on my forearm. Each day I still am reminded of exactly why I put it there.

Our affirmations are much like my tattoo. Less permanent in some ways but, can make a permanent place in our minds and hearts. I love this.

Making mindful choices of what we want to tell ourselves everyday matters. I hope you are all making a list of sorts. Helping affirmations that will help you practice daily goodness to YOU.

I am so grateful that you are here. This next week we will start our journal making together. I look forward to sharing more of my heart with you.

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


12 May 2016

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/

11 May 2016

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


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


09 May 2016

Day 9 of #100 days of YOU with kelli

we are telling our stories. right here right now. 
We are into our second week of this journey together. Lots of feeling come up. Some are not so fun to look at. I know this. Here are a few ideas and ways that I have honored the hard times and bad memories but, let them go.

Remember, you do not have to be that person who is hurt and angry anymore. You can choose to move past your fears. Letting go of anger does not mean that you have to forget what has happened in your life to make you feel the things you feel. It simply means you no longer want to hold space in your precious heart for things that make you feel bad.

Write your list of happy. Write your list of sad. See which list feels more like YOU. Practice liking yourself without the sadness that was given to you as a child or ever. Practice letting go of these hurts. Replace these hurt feelings with new happy moments. Simply put, when your brain starts remembering or old tapes start repeating in your head - say STOP (you can even say it out loud if it helps) then immediately think of a happy memory and start replacing.

This takes time and lots of practice. I know I have done it. It works. I went through a few years of therapy working on these practices. I am now a huge fan of believing in good over bad.

So for today let it be enough that we are owning our feelings. We are loved and sharing and everything is unfolding as it should.

Thank you for showing up on day 9. I love you.


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

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.

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

07 May 2016

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.

06 May 2016

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.

05 May 2016

Day 5 of #100 days of YOU with kelli"

we can plant our own dream seeds everyday. start today. it matters. 


dreaming. doing. loving my soul and spirit. i can plant my dreams. knowing.
Precious Life - Plant your dream seeds. What does this look like for you? If you were to dream even just a little bit. What would you start with? What would you like to build in your life? How could you start taking baby steps to make your seeds grow? I know how. Yes, I do.

Step one. Start dreaming. Crazy, fun, goofy stuff and write it down.

Step two. Plant your dream seeds.
Make a list of little steps it will take to create your dream.
Each dream can have its own page. Spill open everything that you come up with about this one dream. What does it look like? How does it feel in your body when you imagine it coming true?
Good I bet.

Step three. Nurture your thoughts and dreams. Water, weed out and plant more. Keep planting daily.
Take your time this planting stuff takes time. The sooner you start the sooner dreams are born.

Enjoy the process of getting back to YOU. It is not done quickly. Remember all good things take time. Time is precious so let's fill ours with dreams, listening and doing acts for us that make us feel most alive.

pure love. plant love. plant dreams. love YOU!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/859440144162697/?pnref=story




04 May 2016

Day 4 of #100 days of YOU with kelli

she believed she could so she did.
created with an old photo of me, torn wallpaper, words that i love,
image of a cool door i love. one quiet word STRENGTH 
Here we are on day four. WOW. I love that we are all engaging together on our facebook page.
Thank you for showing up. I know this journey is not easy, deep soul searching stuff, time taking energy. I also know just showing up and doing nothing but reading will help you. So no worries
if you are not making the lists, or thinking about your childhood, or soul searching just yet.
You will join this climb if it is right for you. I promise you will find inspiration, goodness and pure love here and that just might be enough for you. Yeah.

We are working on our lists and diving into when we last felt truly alive with joy (perhaps even the innocent joy of a child) before the big adult stuff hit us. I think keeping a bit of your childlike nature alive is essential for dealing with life. By that I mean this. When you can pack a picnic and drive to the park or sit on your lawn and eat lunch DO IT. If you have the chance to walk to the park or sit on the phone and answer emails - GO FOR THE WALK. If you feel like playing loud music and singing DO IT. When you set the table to eat use your nice dishes or a paper towel whatever makes YOU happy. Try to break the rules you can, you know the ones you give yourself that really are not rules at all. Yes, those!!!

Affirmations we are working on - I believe I can, so I will. I believe I can, so I will. I believe I can, so I will. Remember, in grade school when we would do something wrong the teachers would make us write 100 times - I will not poke so and so in the arm. Well I think that affirmations of positive are everything. Let's forget writing the stuff that has not served us yet. Let's write the fun good stuff we would like to become new habits.

I will be creating affirmation sheets you can print out and hang around your space if you like.
So far we have two. After our first week together I will design us our first sheet. If you like you can use these in your journals as well.

I am also going to have a super easy journal making idea to share with you. We are going to learn to create with items we have in our home. We are not buying things. We are loving ourselves with a natural non spending joyful way. I LOVE THIS. I sure hope you do too.

So happy day four to YOU who I happen to adore.

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

03 May 2016

Day 3 of #100 Days of YOU with Kelli

affirmation card = reminder to your soul 

stitching with color is one way i deal with anxiety 

creating something happy from little bits helps me stay present in happy 


many meaning for this one = all of them make me smile 
Happy day 3 of #100 days of YOU with kelli. I am so happy that you are here. We are at the very beginning of looking at ourselves, noticing things we long for that we have forgotten, noticing that we might have some patterns in our life that are not healthy and working for us anymore, we might be sad and feeling like there is this happy soul just laying under the surface ready to come out and be a light in this world. YES, you are in the right company and safe here with this loving group of like minded souls.

We are creating something much bigger then ourselves. We matter. We are stronger together. We are helping ourselves fall back in love with life and all that we are and can be.

Over the next few days start making that list of things you miss in your life. How would your life look if you were to architect it just for you. How would it feel to know you were working and practicing to get that life back? It is yours for the asking. The trick is to fill up with affirmations, and a longing to change the old habits into new strong ones. Yes, it takes great focus and mindfully showing up to do the work. We can do this. We can do really hard things. This is not so hard just different and might feel odd. It is really what all of our souls, spirits and hearts long for.

See I know this because I am the queen of beating myself up. I am the best at never giving myself credit for how hard I work. I am the best at marching forward climbing mountains making huge strides in my world and never taking the time to praise me for the goodness I have done. I am great at never giving myself the hall pass when things do not work so great. I give hall passes to everyone I know but, not myself. Yes, this is one of those huge practicing things I write about. These matter, these are some of the reasons we are here and I have created this #100 days of YOU with kelli.

See I need these new practices in my life. I too am working on more self love. I am not sure how or why I lost it but, I did. Let me note that I do love me. I love myself. I am beyond grateful to be alive.
MY BIGGY is I have little ego, self esteem about all that I create in the world. That is not good for me. I am knowing that by showing up here with all of you, I will create new habits and practice daily.

So we are here. Yes, in this time and space right now. Let's look at creating our lists (maybe your list is one item - that's perfect) maybe your list is a huge page that is perfect too.

Today day 3 is list making. Just listing. I will walk you through what to do with your list in the coming days and weeks.

Please note that our facebook page which is closed to public is for us. It is for us to read and perhaps share. You do not in anyway have to post or respond or write anything ever. You can be a presence in this group and never say a word. That too is perfectly wonderful! No pressures on YOU. Just be YOU.

I am creating affirmations that will be available to you to print out. Hang around your home, space any place you need gentle reminders.

I love you. You are beloved. You are here and that means you are ready to love YOU.


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



02 May 2016

Welcome to day 2 "100 days of YOU with Kelli"






Day 2 is all about YOU. Remember those pieces of YOU that you loved about yourself when you were little? Remember how you felt when you woke in the morning? Before real life and responsibility hit and suddenly some of those closest dearest morning loves fell by the wayside.

We are going to climb over this mountain of having lost those loves together.

Today let's remember a few things we would love to feel again when we wake up. Joy for the birds singing - so much that we take our coffee, tea, water and sit outside for 10 minutes and just listen and sip. Music - yes, MUSIC that makes us feel alive and happy. Perhaps, we create a ten minute music morning with the soul stirring stuff that makes us feel like we can (and will) do anything.

Be empowered by your soulful stirrings. They matter the most. No more dusting them away with I MUST DO THIS IMMEDIATELY. Let's be mindful and practice finding a few lost loves that helped us be our very best.

While we are climbing on this new path lets go ahead and add one new affirmation. This is it get ready = I deserve these 10 minutes. I need these 10 minutes. I am worth these 10 minutes. I will give myself this gift.

Remember to love yourself. Practice is the only way. I am honored and thrilled you are with me.
Of course, I will be doing this practice with you. Feel free to share if you like (if not no worries) this is about YOU.

links to our closed facebook page. please feel free to share with anyone you think this would be helpful to. i love that you are here.

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


http://www.kellimaykrenz.com/

01 May 2016

Welcome to #100 Days of YOU

baby me - the world awaits 

first grade me - sweet, artistic = already knowing 

me at 14 always loving fashion and vintage = dress up 

me now at 52 curious, smart, driven = still searching and knowing.
Welcome to #100 Days of YOU.

My wish is that on this journey together at the end of 100 days we will have created new good self talk, replaced old habits that are not working for us with new found life and joyful new habits.

I share the pictures above to help remind me that we all start out as children. We all have ideas about who we want to be. Already in first grade I knew that I would be an artist for life. I never worried about if it would make me money or fame. I just knew I had to create. The voices of others never changed my path, I kept marching. Already as a young girl my soul needed vintage clothing and dress up, fashion and fabric. All of these things make me = ME.

Think about what makes you YOU. What did you love as a child? Did you ever really write down your childhood passions? If not do it. Please grab a notebook and start your #100 Days of YOU. It will be a joy to have next to you. Affirming.

My absolute biggest mountain to climb over is being kinder to me. Kinder with my self talk, kinder with the affirmations I tell myself, kinder with the forgiveness I give myself. Owning my talents and having more self esteem for everything I do and create. Learning to know that I am so very special and have wonderful ME to share with this world in a BIG WAY!!!

I am going to share with you my new daily practice (I am using the word PRACTICE like you would in yoga) always changing and doing your very best.

Most of what I share with these exercises, tips, and doings is what works for me. It is all learned from years of having little ego surrounding what I design, illustrate, paint, stitch = CREATE. I know that I am talented and that creating is like breathing for me. I also know that I never have an ego about this or let it really sink in that it is okay and good to own these qualities. I actually say "Kelli you are worth all of this and more, keep going, climb the biggest mountains and get what you want in life."

My wish is that when #100 days of YOU has happened. We together will have moved a few of our personal mountains together. YES WE WILL.

We will share. We will find more of ourselves. We will be proud. Mostly we will love ourselves more with each new affirmation thought. Our new habits will change our worlds. Yes, these are lofty ambitions, I know we can do it. Together we are stronger. Here we go.

Thank you for joining me. You matter. I love you and your passion for living.

Know that if you leave comments here I will be checking daily and listening.

www.kellimaykrenz.com

https://www.facebook.com/kelli.maykrenz


28 April 2016

#100 Days of Believing in YOU


Join me #100 days of YOU 
I practice daily at believing in positive living and doing my best to share this joy I feel for living.

I have a weakness in not believing in me. It is crazy as I have had lots of success as a graphic designer and illustrator, artist. Still I remain longing for more. I have a deep need to fill up the world with the joy, caring soulful goodness I have learned in my life. I need to do this. I must believe in myself more. I must affirm myself more.

I thought if I feel this way maybe, other talented artists, lovely friends feel the same way? So I am starting on May 1st which is this Sunday (May Day) my maiden name. My project is going to be called 100 Days of YOU!

I will post daily affirmations, soulful ways to start believing in yourself more. I am convinced that by practicing this for 100 days it will become a lovely new habit. One I can be blessed by and hopefully help others do the same thing.

So please find me on facebook and instagram. I will be posting each day one new thought. At the end of our 100 Days of YOU I am going to have a give away from me to you. I will have a day at the end where I ask you to tell me your story and how this worked for you.

I am going to have more videos, photos of my life and share more of my world. I hope you join me. I know this is going to be a really wonderful new practice. Loving and believing in ourselves more.


https://www.facebook.com/kelli.maykrenz

https://www.instagram.com/kellimaykrenz/

www.kellimaykrenz.com

02 April 2016

"Trust what your life is showing you. Lean in to who you are becoming. Stay loyal to that and watch your life flow forward like milk and honey." ~Rachel Awes, The Great Green Okayness

This Book This Friend This Moment in life = We all NEED THIS BOOK! 

Yes, it really is about living well. Love More.

The time is NOW. 

This. Goosebumps of truth. 

Beautiful Rachel Awes. Beautiful spirit and soul. Pure Love. Pure Goodness. 

"Trust what your life is showing you. Lean in to who you are becoming. Stay loyal to that and watch your life flow forward like milk and honey." Rachel Awes, The Great Green Okayness.

This book is life changing. This is the book you will high light and read then read again. You will want it on your bedside table. You will want to travel with it. You will lean on it like a new best friend.

Trust that you will become a better YOU! Love more. Love yourself and gift yourself this fine book.

Rachel is knowing of now, mindfully giving and pure grace. I am grateful to be her friend. I love her.
You will too.

The Great Green Okayness is here = http://www.rachelawes.com/

25 March 2016

knowing life is precious. i love you mom.


vintage Virgin Mary card flea market find. graphics by me.



I have not posted in over a month. I realize how very busy my life, studio, creating is. Lately, the past six months or so I have had a huge cloud hanging on me. I know the feeling too well, it is sadness and knowing I do no have the ability to fix it. Life seems to be the most challenging for me when I realize I cannot fix something with kindness and grace.

My mom is very sick. She has been very sick. I try to keep my personal issues separate from my social media world. I am noticing that I can no longer do this, as they are running together in my head day and night.

My mom has a bunch of health issues that are not good. We are now facing the unknown of tremors and loss of some normal things we all take for granted. In two weeks we will go to the University of Iowa and have some tests done that will confirm what we are dealing with.

I am an only child as many of you know. I have moved back to the midwest to be one hour from my mom and dad, as my mom's health has been really bad for the past three years. I am here now. I am ready to be everything and anything I can be for my parents. I am super grateful that my hubby and I are nearby. Lucky.

I have met and faced many challenges in my life. Many so huge I feared not getting to the other side.
I am needing help of prayers and maybe even friends who can hold my hand at times.

My prayers are for the doctors to find what is causing this latest health issue for my mom and to give us all the strength to help her and find that we can help her with medicines.

Time is so precious. I know it everyday when I wake up. Love to all who read my random thoughts.
Thanks for caring. You mean the world to me. I love you Mom.

04 February 2016

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