Kelly Smith Photography

I always get so excited when I can bring you a new shop owner and today is no exception. Kelly Smith takes amazing photographs and, simply put, I just had to have her here!

Kelly Smith Photos on Etsy is filled with images of nature and landscapes that will take your breath away. Kelly took some time out to answer a few questions, so take a read and visit her shop. I'm sure you'll find something there to make you go "ahhhh".

Who are you, where are you from and what makes that place unique?
My name is Kelly and I'm a Chicago transplant currently living in Portland, Oregon. I grew up in a small town in the far suburbs of Chicago called McHenry - small town, good people and a great place to grow up. It's close to the city but far enough away to not be all hustle and bustle. Portland, OR where I am now is like another world. It has the feel of my hometown but much larger and the nature is absolutely breathtaking. There are places here that just don't seem real.

What was the first item you ever made for your shop?

"Out of Reality" the first item for the shop

 Most of my photos have been taken over the last year, but this is the one that made me want to pursue it more and put my shop together.

How long have you been independently selling your items?
I started my photography shop in August 2011 just as a test to see if others thought my photos were good enough. I still have a lot to learn but hope to continue to improve my craft this year.

If you were on a desert isle, and you could only have one book or cd with you (besides your creative tools) which book or cd would that be?
I'm going to have to go with book cause batteries eventually die. I'd bring Little Women

Where is the most interesting place you have traveled, what made it so interesting?
My husband and I took a road trip in the fall of 2010 that was the best experience I've had. We flew to Seattle, WA and drove all the way down the coast back to Los Angeles (where we were currently living). We saw so much nature and beauty that it was the best 10 days we ever spent. It was the inspiration for my wanting to dive into photography more (and many of my photos are from that trip). 6 months later we were moving to Portland so we could be engulfed in this natural beauty every day and now we love it here!

If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?
I would quit my day job tomorrow and focus on my creative endeavors. I currently split myself between work and 3 Etsy shops, it's hard to keep up and succeed!

Go visit Kelly online at her Etsy shop and use coupon code YOBLOG20 to save 20% on your order!

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Katya Spring Shrug Pattern Release

Finally!! The Katya Shrug pattern is complete and ready to be distributed! To celebrate I'm going to give a copy away to 1 in 10 entries so be sure to spread the word. What do you have to do? Find the image on Pinterest here then follow the directions! Don't have a Pinterest account. . . if you leave me a comment with your email address here, I'll enter you into the contest and send you a Pinterest invitation!

That's it! Quick, fun and easy. . . spread the word, the more people that pin the more chances to win. Contest closes Sunday night and winners will be announced on Monday, February 27, 2012 by 9:30 am.

The pattern is available on Etsy, Kindle, Nook, Ravelry

Workout Wednesday - Loving Yourself

I know I said I'd be talking about snacking today, however, sometimes the plan changes because the needs change. I'll talk about snacking in about two weeks. Today I want to talk about loving yourself, after all you're not working out and developing good health habits for anyone but yourself right?

re-created Nike ad

Yesterday while briefly browsing Pinterest . . . ok, not briefly, but anyway, I came across this photo. I was so intrigued, I clicked through to see where it came from. As I dug a little deeper I found out that this ad is not the original one done by Nike, but a recreation. The words were from Nike, but the photo was not, so I dug deeper and found the actual ad, which was run in 2005.

Why would I go through all that trouble? Because I can relate. Thankful that I've grown up in a milieu where the size of my butt has always been a big +. However, I have been in company where people were very self-conscious about it. Seeing this ad was refreshing. As I work out, I'm finding that many of my clothes are beginning to fit differently. A bit more snug around my butt and thighs. I'm ok with that and have adjusted my "hip target" accordingly. I'm not trying to be the skinny mini I was in college, but a rounder, healthier me. So I've embraced what's changing for the positive and continue to work on the areas I know can be better.

Nike actual 2005 ad found Here

The actual ad, to me, was even more compelling and beautiful. The website where I found this ad the first time was in an angry voice that Nike would "manipulate" us with ads that really speak to us so we could buy their products. . . I think it's great that curves are being celebrated. I'm not going out to buy Nike, but I must admit, just as I'm excited about Dove and may pick up their products before some others, I may pick up Nike before some others because their advertising talks to me.


Dove Real Women Ad Found Here

Say what you will. . . where I found all these ads were crying sexism and corporate blah blah blah . . . but it's about time we all took a look at our bodies and loved them for all the shapes and sizes they come in. I believe in being healthy, and your healthy may not look like my healthy, but as long as we're loving our bodies and feeling our best, what else is there?

Last week, for the first time since I've had my daughter (April 2011) I went to purchase a dress and felt it "lay" in a way that made me feel great! My journey continues even as I push myself and the workouts get harder. I have a goal. It's up to me to love my body at every stage.

What do you think of these ads or what they say? You can click through the ad captions to find the original posts. . . If you disagree with me, all the better...

If you're just joining the conversation, you can find all other Workout Wednesday posts Here

Next Week: Progress Update

Yarn Obsession Spring Katya Shrug!

This really cute Spring Shrug Pattern that I call Katya (named after my niece) will be coming to the Etsy Shop this week! The pattern is an intermediate level pattern that is perfect for creating gifts or to make something for yourself to get you through for the Spring.

There will be a huge release coupled with a contest very soon! Stay tuned. . . until then, take a look at the project and let me know what you think in the comments.