This week, in honor of motherhood, I’m linking up with Lil’light of Mine to offer a giveaway and free gift to all you mothers!

I absolutely love being a mom. One of the reasons I love it so much, is because my mother LOVES being a mom. It’s her life’s work. The older I get, the more I realize how unique she is, in that she’s never treated motherhood like a secondary career, or the person she becomes when her work is done. She’s a mother 24/7 and will drop anything to listen or be with her children. She loves, loves, loves, her kids, and really spends her days working and worrying and caring for them. Today actually marks a big milestone for her, in that her baby is going on a church mission for 18 months, which is a really big event for a parent (and child) because they will leave home, and only communicate through email once a week their entire service.  Today is the day that her last child isn’t really a child any more. And I can only imagine how that feels.

Kids grow up. But Mothers stay Mothers. Just think about that for a moment.

Today I want to celebrate Mothers in just a small way, by first noticing what I’ve learned about my mom, and letting you comment with one thing that you’ll go to your grave with that you’ve learned from yours.

I could write a mini series on all that my Mom has taught me, but I won’t get all deep and mushy here. But one thing I’ve learned from her this year, is that she is the kind that makes little people feel important. She’s extremely happy when she is with little children, and she often is seen rolling on the floor and laughing hysterically with toddlers…completely at their level. But she is also gifted in bouying up the grownups that “feel” little, and maybe don’t have the social status that goes along with being recognized or valued. That is her gift. She notices the unnoticed, the small and the little..which are often the biggest people of all. She has the greater perspective that sees beyond and into what “is” and is one of those very “real” people. No fluff…just pure and real.

So, this week, I want to celebrate this amazing role of motherhood. The hardest thing I’ve ever done, and yet the best. Giving your all into this job takes a lot of heart, guts and courage.

I wanted to give something to you Mothers that would be special and meaningful to say thank you for the care you put into your work every day. I know, because 90% of you are moms! And I get to interact with so many of you, and it’s seriously such a treat! I am so lucky that I didn’t choose to work in a field with gruff, grumpy men. Truly! ha:)

ENJOY FREE SHIPPING on all orders May 2-5th

(code: JUST4MOMS)

and

WIN A $75 credit to anything at Sarah Jane! 

TO ENTER GIVEAWAY:

Answer this question: What is one gift you’ve carried down from your mom into your own mothering or lifestyle?

RULES:

1) 1 entry per person

2) Giveaway ends Friday May 5th at Midnight Eastern Standard Time

3) Tell another mother about the discount this week, and spread the love!

Enjoy the FREE SHIPPING here and here

hats off to you all!

xo

sarah

 Comments closed!

 And the Winner is #69 Kim!

Ok. So I promised that I was going to include an illustration in every post. But my blog has been down, and my hands have been tied up in web-stuff.

But I had to share this one last image from our trip to HANA. The tide pools below the house are covered in black lava rock formations, and then broken up bits of coral from ages of wear. My parents and Kenneth and I spent an hour searching and wading through pools looking for the best letters to make the phrase. A task that simple seemed like play…spend an hour looking for the letter “E?” That’s when I started to realize that I really do have a lot going on in my life, and slowing down is a very theraputic, wonderful thing.

Right now, I’ve been in the middle of some more website battles..and so I’m really, really sorry if you’ve emailed me, visited the blog or site and gotten error pages, or broken links.  We’re still working on some issues! And they’ve made me go a little crazy…cause it’s like having a house with no drivway or address…but things are getting there, and if you had trouble this week so far…I’m so sorry. Today I’m shifting my mind back to that trip where I truly felt nothing else but being mindful of the present moment, and that is a good way to go into this Thanksgiving holiday.
But I’ll be back with some exciting BLACK FRIDAY sale notices, so you can be ready for shopping after Turkey day.

I hope you all have WONDERFUL thanksgiving plans! We do. We have family in town, and a new baby nephew who I can’t get enough of. I just love this holiday. So much.

God bless, and have a wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

(But don’t forget to come back and find out about weekend sales…they’ll be all done by monday!!)

Love to you all,

sarah

Warning: Deep thoughts by Sarah Jane…nothing too funny or catchy today. Just thinking outloud:

So, if you know me well, you’ll know I’m a thinker. I’d like to consider myself a thinker and a doer, but I come from a family of great minds. I think about my place in this universe, and why I do what I do.  From mothering to house hold chores, I am the kind of person who thinks about the purpose behind most of what I do! To me, everything fits together in a perfect eternal dance. Boring? Maybe. But it’s how I tick.

Which is why I’m sharing this Picture Book Proclamation that has been circling the WWW. It’s been food for thought. This idea of originality, creativity and innovation on the platform of business: i.e. the platform that shares your art with the world.

While I’m not stirring up the same argument they are, which I think is a good one, I’ve been reading this over, and thinking a lot of innovation and creation in business in general. Originally,  I created a business from the need to earn a pay check. But after a while (a very SHORT while) that motive didn’t last. It’s too hard. It’s too stressful. You have to do it because you are fulfilled by creating something original and beautiful. At least for me.

I’ve been asking the question “Why does  the world need more art? Why do we need more stories? Isn’t there enough already? I mean, we could have capped it at Monet and Victor Hugo, right?”

I haven’t been asking this in regards to me personally, cause I know I have art I HAVE to share. And I know creatives will always need to express their own story. But why do we share it? Is it for the artist’s need to express? Or do we create for a better world? And why does the world need your piece of it?

It’s an interesting thought. And while I’m talking about the WHO we create for and WHY, it leads me to the topic of BUSINESS and the space that is available for work. This economy is hard. It’s tough. And while we need to create in order to express ourselves, ultimately someone needs to buy it.  And sometimes, that can conflict with the values for the WHY we create. If it’s for making a better world, how do we do that with limited space available to us?

I personally believe there is space for everyone, and I have often said in conferences I’ve spoken at that “There are enough walls in the world for everyone’s art.” But while that is true, it’s an interesting concept to consider: Why DO you create? Really? Why are you motivated to share your art and creativity with the world? When you know that answer, and REALLY know it, possibilities are endless.

And in regards to that inner answer you come to, this proclamation, while geared at children’s books, reaffirms the idea that while jobs are limited, and often tell us what we need to create to get the job done, it’s ultimately the job of the creator to know what it is they were meant to create. When those two things go hand in hand, it’s a very powerful and beautiful thing.  The job of the artist is a tricky one. Often we are compelled to create based on how we see the world, and not everyone sees things that same way. And when you are trying to earn a living, producing something that just a few people resonate with can make it hard to put food on the table. Yet, to create something that doesn’t resonate with you, often leads to mediocrity.

I’m not producing answers today…I only post the questions. It’s good to ask those questions, and revisit them from time to time. I have a lot of answers…my own personal answers…and I am sure you have your own as well.  In a world of overstimulated outward awareness every where you go (you can’t get on the internet without seeing someone else’s creative idea at every turn) it’s so important to know why YOU create. And while the topic of staying original and innovative is with the picture book industry, I think we could safely say it’s a topic that could be had with any creative industry today: Making what you think people want to see and what ultimately “sells” vs. making what you are motivated to share, all in the midst of a challenging economy.

I personally believe that when you know the reason why you are motivated to create in the first place, there is no paradox.

Sorry for the long post today. The truth is, I’m supposed to be packing for a long trip, and quite frankly, I hate packing. And so I guess you could now safely say I’m a thinker and procrastinator!

The end.

I’m bending over backwards to get my website up and running by next week. I am so thrilled to finally have a space that is a lot more cohesive, simple, and well…just a good place to come and visit! But wow…it’s been more work than I was prepared for!

I’ve been photographing up a storm, and I wanted to post this picture today. I think this might be my favorite print in my shop. It often sits quietly, not as noticed as a lot of others. But this one has always been telling of this season. Changing seasons, quiet sounds, yet magical and whimsical. It  makes me thoughtful, maybe because I’m watching more…watching for that next leaf to change…looking for which tree on the mountain will be red next.  This piece is in my studio for that reason…it always makes me smile.

I’ve been pensive and thoughtful as I’ve stayed up these past several nights revamping my website after starting this curious journey 4 years ago this month. I will never forget the sleepless nights I spent with prints all over my floor trying to learn how to use a fine art printer. I was so driven to earn an income from my artwork instead of selling health products MLM like I had started doing…that it all seemed so worth it. I was nervous, excited, scared and a lot of naive! But full of hope. I just hoped that someone would buy a few prints, and help me stay home with my two babies.

We all have that hope. Hope that by trying something new, things will improve. That from hard work, faith, smarts and (a lot of!) drive, answers will come and problems will resolve. I don’t believe in waiting around for other people to solve your problems…and looking back, I see how tenatious I was to start an entire business out of those hopes! But it’s what was (and still is!) in my gut and my soul, and I’ve just marveled at all the knowledge gained, relationships made, growth and faith I’ve built.

Forgive me for the nostalgia today! I really can get nostalgic and sappy. But this weather, my businesses 4th birthday and me having to dig through 4 years of all my art has kept me rather pensive. As a creative spirit, it’s natural for me to always be digging up, learning and observing from everything around me…and so I guess that’s why I’m popping in today! Change is good, and reminds me that you can make what ever you want out of your life! I’ve really had to ask myself some big questions lately: like why do I want what I want, and do what I do? These are the kinds of questions that help me remember that every path is different, every person unique. And sometimes looking back at it all just makes me feel really, well…grateful! So grateful. I’m thoughful and humble today. And i guess I just wanted to tell you all that: We are all unique and have our own path to carve out of the rock. And if we stop and listen often enough, the way to go is always clear.

And so, thanks for listening! You are all wonderful and I’m blessed to have a place to share this creative journey!

Have a wonderful weekend folks!

xo

sarah

Hello!

Well, where did this week go? I’ve been crouching in front of a computer this week madly uploading, designing, and finishing up a website for Sarah Jane Studios. It’s really wonderful to finally have a “space” for everything…all in one place. But wow….there are details that I had no idea about. Kinda like building a house.

“You mean I have 26 choices of light switch covers?”

Kinda like that. I just want white light switch covers. Just plain white.

Also kinda like when I went to get lunch boxes at Target for my kids the week before school. We’ve never done lunch at school before. I was loftily thinking there would be a few pails, some girl and some boy. Maybe I’d get lucky and find Shinzi Katoh at Target. I get hopeful like that.

But then I walked down to the school section and found an ENTIRE ISLE of all these soft, insulated, hard, colorful, strapped, velcroed, snapped, zippered, vertical, horizontal, super-hero, princess, gender neutral, animal shaped, mountain hiker, posh, cheap, comes with a thermos, comes without a thermos, looks-like-Mom-chose-this, looks-like-my kid-chose-this  choices and I was frozen in the the middle of the isle. Paper bag lunches were looking pretty good at this point.

Keeping it simple can sometimes be hard. Cause there is a lot of “fluff” you have to wade through to get there. That’s where I’ve been all week. Trying to keep thing clean and simple.

When some of the pears were picked this week and laid on the table, it was like a breath of fresh air. Picking your own pears off the tree. That’s simple. I hope this site does just that. Keeps things happy, inspiring and simply simple.

I’m not there yet. The blog is still messy, and well….my site isn’t live yet.

But I promise it will be wonderful. Kinda like a really great weekend.

Happy Weekend!!!

xo

sarah

Hi you guys. I just came back from an awesome vacation. Well, STAY-cation. No work. No deadlines to worry about. No phone calls. Just home on a cold, cozy weekend with just the 5 of us. It was perfect.

We played, read, cooked, ate, roasted marshmallows, danced, sang, snuggled in blankets, and just enjoyed “being.” We didn’t even get in the car once. It was awesome.

Then I got on Pinterest, looking for ideas on how to “someday” finish the kitchen, and I got to thinking about all these “perfect” spaces that we are so used to seeing on blogs and all over the web.

Golly, sometimes I wish we could just see some jam on the floor in those designer room interiors! I mean, that would for sure give me a better inclination to see if that floor color would really “work” in my house.

And while I was getting ready to tidy up this weekend (singing along to the Weepies, and not really caring if I got to the bedrooms…this was a stay-cation after all!) I realized that this is home. I hate having a messy house. I really do. But I also know that I am REALLY going to miss it in 15+ years. Really miss it.

Toys on every floor in the house  means there are little people in my life who make me so ridiculously happy.

Crumbs on the floor means Kenneth made 2 loaves of fresh 5 grain bread, in which 1 was entirely devoured in 10 minutes. And what ever didn’t make into little mouths, ended up on the floor. With jam, of course.

My shoes all over the house means I have girls who really like really to play Mommy. Lint on the floor means I have a really lousy IKEA rug that sheds. There really isn’t anything too happy about that one, except that, well, we have rug.

Clothes that end up everywhere means I have really creative children who would rather  1) be naked or 2) be an impersonation of something besides themselves. Every. Single. Day.

Chalkboards  in most rooms mean I have chalk dust on my floors constantly. But I also get pretty pictures (and menus) all the time. Oh, and notice the french invitation to Addie’s Cafe. Completely illegible and spelled wrong, but she reads it in a very french accent and it makes me giggle.

Corn that never got picked (I don’t know if we just forgot, or never knew when the right time to pick it) means we have awesome fall decorations for our kitchen table now.

An overgrown side yard means there are magical pathways for exploring.

An un-weeded garden means that we spend most of our time picking and watering and preparing fresh veggies, rather than weeding.

And messy hair means I get great pictures out of my baby.

See? It’s not so bad. I’m starting a revolution.

**And speaking of messy, I’m in the process of redoing my blog and building a website…so expect some changes, which I’ll address very soon!**

Last night (late!) while I was working, I caught wind that Steve Jobs died. While we all knew that he resigned from Apple, had been struggling with cancer for years, I felt the universe quiet down for a moment. I didn’t even know him. Never seen him in person…I don’t even think I’ve seen him in video. But I’ve read of his life, read his words, and seen his work (and listened to it!) And while it was late, I had to sketch out in my journal this quote that I’ve come to love so much.

The world is a different place because people like Steve worked hard, fought, tried NOT to fit in and make ideas happen. He came to earth with a mission. I love this that he said:

‘We’re here to put a dent in the universe’ ~ Steve Jobs

After my car accident this year (did I mention I had two? The other was a snow related accident where  my car slid down a steep hill out of control and stopped feet before a big drop off.) Ya. It’s been quite the year. I’ve wondered so much about those two close to death experiences, and while there are SO many ways I realize I have changed because of it, I really resonated with these words from Steve Jobs. Ever since those incidences, time is even more valuable. Fear is stupid. Or, if it’s there, it reminds me that I am mortal and that I am in constant search for divine help. I am reminded that I came here with incredible potential to do good. And every minute that is sucked into mindless surfing on the internet (which happens!) or even time spent worrying or wondering about the future rather than just doing something about it, I get angry that there are so many distractions all around us to keep us from “making that dent in the universe.”

And believe me, you don’t make a dent from wishing for, hoping for, or following someone else’s dent. It’s yours to make. And when you remember that your life is a ticking clock with a buzzer that someday really will go off, it can easily, at least for me, keep me moving and making and shaking.

Steve Jobs. Mover and Shaker. Curious and Determined. Visionary and Realist.

You brought us the ipod. But more than that, you set a course and revealed a path we often lose sight of.

You will be missed.

The other night, I looked out my window, and all the light around the house was orange. Sunsets. They make me so happy. But this was post-sunset. Dusk. My favorite.

When we were house hunting, we had our usual specifications we were looking for. Room count, square footage, schools, etc. But on the top of my list was light. Windows and sky. And trees. It’s like food for my soul. Finding a house where you could see the sky in any room of the house was as important as getting a house with a dishwasher. It took us a long time to find a house!

But we did. And today I was reminded just how much I love what happens in the “up” space of the world.

When my husband and I were dating, he mentioned to me that he had done an experiment where he spent a day walking around and always looked UP. Never looked down at his feet while he was walking, but always looked up. We must have been in college at the time, and so we were walking around a lot. But try it. When you are walking down your hallway even. Look up. It does something to your mood. And it doesn’t even have to be at a gorgeous sky. Although that helps. Looking upwards has always helped me from getting too serious about stuff. It really works!

September gets me excited. There’s magic in the air, and I love the fall season coming. But it also has me looking at to-do lists a lot more than I have been over the summer. Ahhh….summer. I’ve found it important to look up.

Well, except for when I am around little people. And then I look down. A lot. But when I look down, I see this:

And that has me feeling pretty up too.

Happy weekend!

{And thanks for all the “BE….” love! I hope to have them in the shop at the end of September as well as a bunch of other new fun things! I’ll post more soon…stay tuned!}

Oh I just hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July…well, I guess if you are in the United States, that is. Isn’t it amazing, the WWW? Sometimes I just have to marvel that this whole planet is connected and that we’re all friends from the short distance of our computer screens. Amazing, really. I still can’t get over it. Kinda like when you look at an airplane flying, and you find yourself thinking, “How does that work again?” But anyhow, it’s just marvelous. Ok. I am going off on tangents…but really. Very cool.

Ok, so where was I? We did have a great 4th of July. According to my kids, the best yet. Here in Utah, it’s spread out over like 4 days. I love it. It started out with sneaking on top of our roof while the kids were asleep, and watching an amazing firework show (some of the best in the country, really.) Well, it might have helped that I was sitting next to a very cute boy in the dark, mountain air on top of our roof at 10pm with a warm summer breeze blowing…all while promising me that I wasn’t a dork for being terrified to climb back down again. Have I mentioned that I’m terrified of ladders? OK. I’m digressing again. But the weekend was full of family time: gardening, melting popsicles, sidewalk chalk, horseback riding, sparklers, family reunions, swim suits, cooking, swimming and paper hats. I love this time of year!

I’ve also had some time to just listen and step back a bit. I’ll be honest. Really honest. When I had the (crazy) idea to start selling art prints out of our teensy-weensy apartment 3+ years ago, I really hoped it would grow and flourish and develop…but I could really only see one step ahead. I just wanted to do well with that first step. Well, that first step turned into a second, and into a third, and faster than I knew it, we were in a house with a basement dedicated to this little business that all the sudden isn’t so little any more. Sometimes I look back and think, “How and when did that happen?” and other times, I know just how. It was inch by inch, row-by-row (Do you know that song? It’s been in my head all week, and I just love that it’s stuck there. Forgive the Muppets link.). But at the same time, I’ve had some time to wonder this month. I’ve wondered about motherhood. I’ve wondered about motherhood and business. I’ve wondered about motherhood and business and creativity and how that all bundles together and has figured itself out over time. I have moments where this is just a really fun ride and I can’t get enough, and then I have moments where I wish there was a self help book called “How to be a designer and illustrator and mother of 3 with your own at-home business full of creative making which you blog about in the few spare moments when you should be meeting deadlines and still get clean underwear in your kid’s dresser drawers before it’s too late.” That might be a really long title for a self help book. But I’d read it. Although, I have a feeling that if I read it, it would be reading my own thoughts…something in the voice of: Take each day at a time. Answers come while you are busy keeping your priorities. Listen to your kids. Work really hard. Love what you do. Create from your gut. Dream big. And do the laundry on time. But have a spare pack of underwear tucked away just in case.

{DOWNLOAD HERE}

I’ve been thinking a lot about this phrase this week. It’s been on my mind and slowly changing me from the inside out. Sarah Jane Studios, in some ways, kinda happened by accident. It was happy accident, or an “on purpose” accident. And lately I’ve been asking myself the questions that have these kinds of answers. “Live your life on Purpose.”

Just the mantra I needed.

Hope you like it too, cause you can download it here. It’s a good thought. And it’s sticking.

Happy July everyone! It’s one of my favorite months…for a certain birthday kind-of reason:) Cake any one?

xo

sarah j.

Memorial Day.

When I was a child, it was just another day off. One day closer to summer vacation.

But since, it’s turned into a wonderfully sacred day of remembering those in my life who aren’t with me any more, and who have lived remarkable lives…the kind I want to be known for living. Every year,  we arrive at the cemetery early…as the sun is rising in the east behind the mountains. Every year I look forward to the quiet, the green grass, the sun streaming across the flower covered lawns. I get to be silent, remember and look back.  But somehow, each year on this morning, I find myself looking forward; renewing myself to living the life I was born to live. Being more of the person that those who have since gone on have inspired me to be.

Today I’m thinking about renewal. Mornings. Isn’t is interesting? Mourning= Morning. There are a lot of people I miss, but each one has inspired me to take a little courage and live more fully.

And I’m thankful.