be realistic

i found this saying on twitter this week

+ my soul stirred +

have since dedicated time for miracle planning

***

speaking of miracles,
the next day i walked into the miracle of life barn
at the minnesota state fair + met/pet this dear heart named "taffy"
who was just one day old (melt)

want to join me + plan a miracle too?
wondering what will come next for each of us...
xox
*
(print at top is etsy added with love http://rachelawes.com)

ole's starlight club + so much possibility

when i was in elementary school, my dad owned a bar called

"ole's starlight club" (ole was his dad's name).
he died a few years ago + i received his blue club shirt
+ decided to transform it + sent these drawings, along with his shirt,
 to this sweet birdie blue in australia to work her magic!

+ here's what she did!

woo hoo!

facebook

limited edition site

...

on another ((love)) note,

 i'd love to share with you

the story of when much changed for me

a few years ago... as an example for all of us ~ of how

the impossible simply ~ isn't...as kelly rae beautifully puts it

click here to see: kelly rae roberts' blog 

heartsun

in response to not feeling well,
my dear six year old brilliant friend, meseret,
made me a drawing of myself in a jacuzzi, complete with a heartsun.
i'm so grateful for the good + plenty that springs
from friendship...which includes each + every one of you.
xox
...
+ congratulations to both jennifer + terri for winning free spots
for 21 secrets LIVE (see the previous post)!
i decided to expand this giveaway from one to two winners
+ just wish i could give it to everyone who entered!
there is, however, an early bird discount for registering now, dear ones!

GIVEAWAY: 90 LIVE minutes of playing together

come create + chat LIVE next year

for 90 minutes with connie + i (+ the same with 20 others)!

the pre-sale begins today!

click here for more information:
21 secrets LIVE
AND i'm offering a giveaway for one free spot!
just leave your name + email in the comments here
+ i will randomly draw a name sunday.

peace n love xox
*
+ i'd LOVE to see you at this week's book signing!
see info here: barnes + noble, maplewood, mn 

leave no one behind

etsy added w/love http://rachelawes.com

*

+ please join me today

on the online breaking free talk show from 1-2pm EST (12-1 MN time)

talking about living into our fullness + full color...

+ it's available ALSO to watch afterward

at this link: breaking free

*

also...i'd love your company in august!

book signings at barnes + noble are coming up ~

thursday august 8 from 7-9 pm in edina, mn

edina/galleria barnes + noble
+ saturday august 17 from 1-3 pm in maplewood, mn
maplewood barnes + noble 

listening to you

this lovely artist is

junelle jacobsen

i am Yes and Amen, Junelle Jacobsen ~ an avid photojournalist, prolific sketcher, a wild art teacher and mentor,  mum of boy-men, a nun-in-disguise, and lover of the sheep.  

i am a passionate advocate for playful curiosity and living life through daily adventures ~ i want to see, to experience, to understand and then share the goodness that abounds in this life.  it doesn’t matter if it is sketching, smearing gesso, shooting photographs, biking or hiking, writing prose, or sharing a laugh...whatever helps to see the world anew everyday -- that is my daily work, my call in life.

a huge part of that is learning to live life with open & unclenched hands, follow the divine path wherever it takes me, and remembering to have a bag packed for what’s coming next.  i choose to live life with a “Yes” on my lips, a welcoming heart for new friends, and that *adventure* word scribbled at the top of every day’s list. 

blog

my current summer class open house

the blessed barnyard

little shop on the corner

me.junelle@gmail.com

+ this lovely artist is
monika welch

i am a mixed media artist, tutor and i own a gallery here in NZ called hot ginger. i like painting woman figures, who are sometimes, strong, playful, haunting, mysterious, .....but all with stories. i like writing stories, writing songs and painting stories...which are always open to interpretation. i love to teach and share the creative LOVE. creating is its on therapy and i feel it is my life's pleasure to teach people to create....and give them permission to play!

facebook
website

if you would like your art/photography referencing listening here, please email me with 1-2 attachments, your links + short bio to rachelawes@gmail.com 

more on dreams...

etsy added with love xox

http://rachelawes.com 

the basket of me

etsy added w/love xox

http://rachelawes.com 

love + realsies

i had the "color run" on my calendar to do for months

(scheduled yesterday) + i had thought this run would be 

the topic of today's post.

instead, a fever rose up + said "stay home".

this reminded me of being 8 + my whole fam got sick 

+ we couldn't see the new pippi longstocking movie as planned!

the only thing left for me was to feel my sadness
+ then notice what may appear next...

sweetly, this dear artist, signe, was able to take my place
+
i moved, full circle, + ordered a pippi longstocking book + dvd!

...

another next will be a barnes + noble book signing

in roseville, minnesota, july 20 at 2pm

link: book signing 

all with love + realsies to the beats in our hearts

xox

cushion the abyss

inspired by marilyn, host of the breaking free talk show,

when she spoke of the importance of 

getting a cup of tea, call a friend, take a walk, cushion the abyss,

to get through times of blah + difficulty.

(our conversation still viewable here: breaking free show)

...

shared with great love for this place of tender

+ for the tending

xox
(+ congratulations to lura, winner of the somerset life mag giveaway from last week!)

listening to you

this lovely artist is:

vanessa brantley newton

vanessa brantley newton grew up in a musical family who loved to sing. she
is a self-taught illustrator, doll maker, and crafter who studied fashion
illustration at FIT and children's book illustration at the school of visual
arts in new york. she loves all things old and retro and it finds its way
into her illustrations and artwork. her voice for writing is as simple and sweet as the voice she sings with. she is the author and illustrator of 'Let Freedom Sing' and 'Don't Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table' and has
illustrated numerous children's books including 'One Love' & 'Every Little Thing,' words by Bob & Cedella Marley, and 'Tallulah' written by Tori Spelling. vanessa currently makes her nest in charlotte, NC with her husband of 20 years, their daughter, and a very rambunctious cat named stripes.

blog

+ 

this lovely artist is:
flora bowley

flora bowley is an internationally celebrated painter, teacher, author, and inspirationalist.  her vibrant paintings can be found in numerous galleries, in public spaces, on album covers and on a variety of unique licensed products found around the world.  flora combines eighteen years of professional painting experience with her background as a yoga instructor, massage therapist and lifelong joy seeker to infuse her teaching and painting style with a deep connection to body, mind, and spirit.  flora’s intuitive and transformational approach to painting (and living) and has inspired thousands of people to “let go, be bold and unfold” as they step fearlessly into their creative process. flora’s book,Brave Intuitive Painting, was published by quarry books in may, 2012, and has already sold over 17,000 copies.  flora spends her time painting, teaching workshops around the world, running online courses, exploring mossy forests, and living among a vibrant community of artists in portland, or.  

to see flora’s art and find out more about her book, online courses and workshops, please visit 

website

if you would like your art/photography referencing listening here, please email me with 1-2 attachments, your links + short bio to rachelawes@gmail.com

somerset life! july 2013 magazine + GIVEAWAY

somerset life! july 2013 

delighted + grateful to have this spread
in somerset lifes' beautiful magazine.
i share a story here
about how my life is found in my art
+ my art found in my life...
a thin line between the two.
all with love xox
..
also a GIVEAWAY of one magazine...
simply leave a comment here if you'd like to enter,
along w/your email address,
+ i will randomly draw a name by next monday.
(i'll enter your name twice for those making a purchase
from my shop this week http://rachelawes.com)

places to meet

i would love to meet you 

in person!

here are some possible places

xox

white bear lake, mn

...

+/or online

for a skype interview

on living a fulfilling life

here: http://www.perchedtofly.com/2013/06/rachel-awes/

...

+/or you can still watch this,

aired live june 24, 8pm eastern standard time

on the breaking free internet talk show
+ available to watch afterward as well

here: the breaking free show

i found this sweet art in the sundance store 

in my trip last week to colorado

(thank you to this unknown artist!)

~ with love to you all ~

a breath between posts

a breath between posts (for a week or two)

to take in mountains/sun/moon

xox

easel work

i have walked through my moms' t-shirts,

drying in her kitchen entryway

to begin painting flowers on her cabinets

+ cleared off the clutter that was above + below.

(next, i will bring blues into those blooms)

~

walking into each others lives, through all that it is,

is not always easy work, but it is the work of this easel,

+ of my very life.

xox

listening to you

 this lovely artist is

magaly perez

i'm an artist who loves to smudge her fingers in paint and make beautiful works of art on paper. and love to share all this beauty to the world. painting is intimate for me, the solitude of space, my paper, my acrylics and brushes. a connection where thoughts and feelings are making beautiful music together . sometimes they spill loudly across the page other times is like listening to blues lavishly rattling the motions in my soul. my heart, my mind are at a flow. the rhythm feels right and once i'm feeling the groove everything i need in that given moment is in place. and i know the story--the image has begun and i'm having fun.

shop

blog

if you would like your art/photography referencing listening here, please email me with 1-2 attachments, your links + short bio to rachelawes@gmail.com

barnes & noble!

"all i did was listen" is now in minnesota barnes + noble stores!

(mall of america, calhoun, downtown mpls, maplewood, highland, har mar, + galleria)

for those of you not in minnesota, hopefully these will eventually travel your way as well

+ for now, avail in my shop at http://rachelawes.com or through amazon w/love.

loose

(etsy added with love xox)

http://rachelawes.com

summer tee tunes

summer breeze, makes me feel fine

blowing through the jasmine in my mind

( ~ seals and crofts ~ )

(pardon the backward mirror read!)

new tees (+ more) avail in tshirt section here with love!

xox

my makings are coming alive

carissa puts on this girl
+ brings her to life
blog + shop

jennifer bakes this book
+ blesses her into fuller being
blog + shop

+ meseret inspired the drawing on this tee
+ shows me the way i must go.

(you can click on any pic to make bigger)
thank you, each + all, for making my makings complete
with your very lives.
 xox
all + more available here