Friday, May 28, 2010

sand dollars

someone brought me back a sand dollar from a beach. i set it on my desk & it set itself on my heart. i share these riches here with each of you.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

& the name picked out of a hat is...


congratulations & a print will be sent your way! love to all.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

rain on my skin & a giveaway to yours

this piece was inspired by natasha bedingfield's song "unwritten" & i did it for my birthday. the truest glowy gifts are really all your hearts beating nearby all the time & i take THAT in & thank you.
i thought it would be fun to offer a gift today. here's how you can enter to win:

*one entry: go to http://www.rachelawes.etsy.com/ & take note of your favorite print & come back here with a comment of what it is. if you win, you win your fav print.
*additional entries: if you buy something from my etsy shop this week, leave three extra comments here.
*another entry: if you become a follower of my blog or become a facebook fan of all i did was listen (all on the right hand side of my blog) this week, those are each comments/entries.
*another entry: post about the giveaway on your blog.

entries will be gathered until 1 pm thursday may 27. i'll write all your names on paper, with love, & have one of my sons pick the winner out of a hat. be sure to let me know how to reach you. thank you for playing with me! xo

Monday, May 17, 2010

from my terrain to yours, with love.

i'm adoring these warm & blooming days now in minnesota! i was on a walk & saw a woman bent over & tending her garden & was both moved by the loving arch of her body as well as her beautiful blooms. (etsy added with love)

Friday, May 14, 2010

dear beauty

i just wanted to share some of the dear beauty i've been hearing in the creative world! i've done a little gift shopping recently & wanted to share with you a sampler of what's been in my heart-cart (& now in heart-hand!).


i found this sweet softie (paris) at www.etsy.com/shop/rabbitrabbitsofties!

this fun book can be found at http://www.amazon.com/ to inspire some fun illustration attire!

the print above is from ms. gorgeous aimee from artsyville & you can find her at
i've also bought sweet stickers from www.etsy.com/shop/juliettecrane
& a juicy journal from www.etsy.com/shop/paintedfishstudio.
as these are gifts, i'm not showing any more pictures (although i've already probably shown more than i ought to!). :)
what are some of your favorite shops for gifts (to others or self)?
much love to all that is brimming out of all your beautiful hearts & hands. xo








Tuesday, May 11, 2010

all aboard!

for some reason, pretty ferris wheels kept going through my imagination for a while & how life-giving it can be to engage with such a ride. i know it can be both beautiful & scary for some people. if you can bear the risk, anyone care to take a ride with me? xo

Friday, May 7, 2010

an invitation

these words are a combination of two different writings from "open the door" by joyce rupp & "eat, pray, love" by elizabeth gilbert. i have tucked them into my day planner & they occasionally find their way to the top of that little paper pile or inch their way off to the side of the pile & whisper "remember us? remember you? keep going...deeper, further, more true, more you." i share this same encouragement with you now, with colors & petals & love.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

amazing love

after a fun family card game of five crowns, we laughed about who broke whose heart, or created black holes in hearts with winning/losing, or displaced a heart from one spot to another, & so on. following such a pondering, the conversation picked back up at bedtime. somehow this led our sons to recalling that worms have five hearts. NOW THEY HAD ME. i raced out of the room to put it in ink. it was they who had a lullaby for me that night. & sweet dreams to all of you too. xo
p.s. i just learned that the lovely hearted lisa just posted an interview of me on her beautiful new blog "strength to be me"& here's the link:

Saturday, May 1, 2010