Ah, PNW.... you give us a day like today and all is forgiven ♥️ . . #pnw #december #sunshine #vitamind #tulips #daffodils #betterlatethannever #carhartt #islandlife #whidbeyisland

A cheery hello and how are you from the heART studio to all the new and lovely faces around here❤️ I am Rachel and this is my swirly whirly, creative, paint schmeared, gardeny, homemade, outdoorsy, all things bright and sunshiny, most likely thifted, delight-fully imperfect little world you've stumbled in to..... It is not without hard things and loud children and over cooked vegetables and tears... We have those too ... But those are not the things I choose to shine my flashlight on. I sell journals and inspiration. I teach kids how to use their creative super powers and adults on how to remember them. I share about life on an island and raising humans and chickens. I wear my joy daily and a lot of polka dots and mustard yellow. I journal my stories and paint my feelings and photograph the things I want to remember for always.... I've lived 9 or more lives as a horse trainer, a bartender, a barn manager, a riding instructor, a barista, a caregiver for the elderly, a nanny for newborns and most recently, helped build a school.... Everyone is living their story... My job now is to help them tell it.... How to pull out the best parts of their day and wake up the parts of them that have been napping... maybe since childhood. To get on the ground and help them find those rose colored glasses... and maybe some crayons. To show them the parts of their days that are beautiful and encourage them to snap a picture and paste it on a page. However you found yourself here and for whatever reason you stay, I am so happy you do. Tell me where you're from and what inspires you and what you are making for dinner...❤️ . . #heartjournaling #heartjournal #heartstudio #introductions #welcome #instagramintro

If you're stuffing a heART journal in a child's stocking this year or putting one under a tree... why not pair it with a kids heART journaling online class!? Monday December 27th 1:00-2:30 PST $18 The kids will join me in my heART studio via Zoom, where we will be exploring what it means to heart journal, sharing tips and tricks and inspiration, and creating all together using photos, art, nature and trinkets found around their homes.... Perhaps we snip from torn gift wrap, or paste in a card sent from Grandma... Maybe we sketch a gingerbread house or write down our favorite recipe for sugar cookies. Follow the link in my profile to order your journal and/or sign your kiddo up and share with your friends! I can't wait!!!❤️ . . . #heartjournaling #heartjournals #artjournalingforkids #artjournaling #creativejournaling #creativejournalingforkids #creativejournal #handmadejournal #onlineclass #stockingstuffer #kidsgiftidea #makeart #becreative

Raising humans is nutso hard... and beautifully simple. You look at them and you watch them become real life people... I don't know why that still boggles my mind. You watch them transform from something that needs you for everything.... To "mom, I can do this myself." You watch them navigate what the day and the world throws at them.... what they like and don't... emotions and hard things.... awesome things and also just things.... And while they are doing this... Yes, while you are watching.... They hold up a mirror. Every day you get to see the most beautiful parts of yourself all reflected back to you... And also the shadows. Turns out you still have learning and growing and navigating to do too... So you learn and grow together. Everything feels like it's going so fast now. I still want to reach my hands out to help them zip up their jackets or hand them their lunch. I want to give them a life roadmap of things to avoid like cheap cologne and Nickelback... and must see attractions like Yosemite and falling in love. And it takes everything in my power to shove my hands back in my pockets... To trust that they will figure out the way to zip a zipper and live a life. Birthing your children is a rebirth of yourself... So... happy birthday to the three of us... I can't wait to see who we become❤️ . . #happybirthday #twins #motherhood #thegiftofmotherhood #mothering #rebirth