I’m obsessed with Instagram – it’s my favorite online home! Here’s a recap from the last week, and for those of you who aren’t on Instagram, come and join me!
Saturday, November 19
We usually decorate for the holidays the weekend after Thanksgiving but this year we decided we could use a little more joy earlier. And so. The boxes are out. The music is on. The tree is going up and the hot cider is in the stove. Bring on the holiday cheer.
Meanwhile, you know who is getting her snuggles in with the fireplace.
Strung glass beads with dangling ornaments hanging from the dining room chandelier for the win!
Getting there.
The holiday season keeps getting more magical with each year of parenthood. He just turned six and I’m I want him to remember these days. They are precious and full. Today, I asked him what rules he would like to make should he be president, and he very quickly said, “No sugar for the whole world, and many hours of play for everyone.” Okay, then! Keep playing, True!
Sunday, November 20
Woke up this morning to the house decorated for the holidays. So worth it to get it out early this year. I LOVE putting ornaments on candle sticks (via something my mom does) and this years mantle is full of them.
I often say that I am not my failures and I’m also not my successes. I am simply a woman doing the very best I can while trying to do good in the world, and learning along the way. We all are, no?
Monday, November 21
These two. I can’t even.
Tuesday, November 22
I’ve been a part of some intense personal and collective soul work this last week. It has not been easy. In fact, I made some real + messy + hurtful mistakes in the midst of it all. And it has been at least uncomfortable, and at worst devastating to own these pieces of my humanity. And yet I also know that this is where the potent learning comes in – in the devastation and burning and clearing of all that is not in service to our collective and personal healing. From that comes a new growth, new ways of being in the world, new ways of compassionate living. What I am learning is that with any kind of awakening, we must show up and listen. Listening is hard. Especially when done right.
Thank you for your friendship in this space. Thank you for allowing me to show up in all my realness which right now is pretty darn humbled, a little shaky, but solid in my integrity to keep listening and learning.
Big love
Kelly Rae
Wednesday, November 23
This little squeeze muffin is coming home to us in a few weeks. And of course I am soaking up all the feels. We are starting to play with names!
Thursday, November 24
From our family to you and yours, so much gratitude.
Saturday, November 26
I cannot even. She slept like this next to me for what seemed like forever. My arm went to sleep but I didn’t have the heart to move it and wake her.
Monday, November 28
I remember this perm like it was yesterday. I was ten and obsessed with Jennifer Grey’s character in Dirty Dancing. I very carefully scrunched my hair just so as to make it look like hers. I am certain that I paired denim shirts with this pink bear sweater. Oh my. I had also just gotten my ears pierced and started shaving my legs. Part of me cracks up at this photo and the other part of me is sad that my ten yr old self was already VERY aware of image and the messages that girls receive about beauty. This version of me is precious and I am holding her close now and teaching her how to unlearn it all. Here’s to taking ourselves back, and showing up in our OWN authentic beautiful ways.
Introducing Mr. Louie Chewy Butter Bottoms. We get to bring him home in a few weeks but until then, we are loving him up from afar! Lulu & Louie forever!
Tuesday, November 29
May it be a lovely ordinary Tuesday for all of us. That’s what I’m craving right now. Plain and simple and beautiful.
The light in the studio today is off the hook. Filming an episode of Kelly Rae Unscripted and I’m so grateful for this space.
Saturday, December 3
We’re 100% decorated over here. Feels festive and GOOD. I am somehow way ahead with my friend gifts this year (never happens!) which means I’ll be mailing out Holiday Kindness and Cheer earlier than ever. We are going for low stress and therefor not sending out family Christmas cards this year and that is okay! We will try again next year. ‘Tia the season to let ourselves off the hook and not over extend ourselves, yes?
Sunday, December 4
Oh Lulu, I hear you sister.
Monday, December 5
For those of you who don’t know Nichole, please meet Nichole! She is my Community Care Manager, which means she takes good loving care of YOU! She is overwhelmed right now with hundreds and hundreds of emails from our sale last week that broke our site. Please know that she is answering each of your emails with much kindness and is typing and writing her heart out. If you are waiting for a response, it’s coming. I have a giant amount of gratitude for her, especially at times like these when biz is off the hook.
Making memories over here. My hearts bursts daily.
For those of you who don’t know my mom, meet Carol. She is the one who carefully and lovingly prints, mats, and ships ALL of our print orders and she does it all from her home. Like Nichole, she is overwhelmed by the response to our sale we had last week. She has hundreds and hundreds of prints to ship out and hopes to have them all out by early next week. She is making her way through the orders in her office that looks like a tornado landed in it and she’s doing it all with a positive attitude. My dad and myself are helping as much as we can as well. When the large pallet of shipping supplies arrived at her home the other day, the delivery man said, “I have a mom” and took everything off the pallet and delivered it all into her home. How sweet is that? Also, since moving to Portland a few years ago, my mom’s style is off the creative charts. She wears her joy with platinum hair, a birdie tattoo, doc marten boots, and lots of giving to others. Super grateful for my team, but especially my mom for hanging with me when biz goes nuts. We are intentionally a small team over here my friends as we so SEE and appreciate your patience. Xxo
Tuesday, December 6
Current view of Lulu on the Kelly Rae couch (no longer in production).
This might be my all time favorite book about motherhood so far. Have you read it? It’s a MUST my friends! Unlike any other book I’ve read about motherhood, this book speaks into the ideas of drawing on our inherent energetic force to create potent bonds with our children and create family harmony. Tami’s other book, Wild Feminine, changed my life and set me onto an enormous healing journey after my traumatic birth experience six years ago. This book is proving to also blow my mind and speak my language when it comes to healing the wounds we women often carry and even the ones that don’t belong to us. Love. (Posts are never sponsored. I just love sharing about things that inspire my personal journey). Xxo
Thursday, December 8
It’s snowing in Portland (a rare thing) and someone is into it!
Saturday, December 10
It’s a total winter icy wonderland in Portland the last couple of days. We’ve been snuggled up inside by the fire and enjoying the quiet of the city. Good times.
Sir Louie is a major snuggler. Here he is with his Great Grandmother. How adorbs are they? We bring him home in a couple of weeks, and I can only hope Lulu will snuggle him so well. We are getting increasingly excited to give him a life of much love and adventure. So glad he’s so well loved up before we bring him home.
Sunday, December 11
Had a super rough night with sinus congestion. Taking it slllooowwww today. Currently enjoying my favorite English Breakfast tea with you know who by my side.
Loving how cray cray we appear in this image. This was taken yesterday at the Tuba Christmas concert downtown. It was wet and cold and we loved it.
Monday, December 12
Trying something a little different. Experimentation always wins.
Me: What’d you guys talk about?
True: Oh, not much. Mainly we talked about bath fizz balls. I really want those for Christmas.
Wednesday, December 14
Today was the first time it snowed at True’s outdoor urban forest/farm school. He loved it! There is a yurt on the grounds (with a wood burning stove for heat) where the kids have their main lesson but otherwise they are outside on the land/farm for all other lessons and learnings. This is the path to/from the campus. Gorgeous, no? His daily school uniform consists of layers of woolens, rain proof gear, mittens, hats, bogs, and an enthusiastic attitude to be outside, rain or snow or sunshine. I love how much he loves it and all that he is learning.
Kelly Rae!
*Congrats on your new addition*. We got a puppy at the end of October (Frida, after Frida Kahlo). 3 days ago, her brother (Keillor) became available and we picked him up immediately!
How could we not?
This was the best decision we made for all involved. At 14 weeks, the two of them snuggle, watch out for one another and are just pure LOVE in our lives <3 .
I call my husband and myself "Crazy Kids" for doing this…
Isn't life wonderful and isn't it a blessing to be able to do this for these beautiful beings?
Love to all of you!
victoria
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