Eight is Great!

Eight years ago this week, I was frantically trying to figure out how to run an online creative business from my bedroom, determined to figure it out on the fly...but attempting to look like I knew what I was doing. It was a huge leap of faith, one that I can honestly say was one of the best decisions of my life. My husband went back to grad school, my babies were too young and too close in age to leave home, and I was determined to provide for our family. And it worked! It was crazy and wild and nuts, but it worked. 

This month, I will be celebrating all month long! I want to thank YOU for the honor it is to still be going strong after all these years! It's this community that has kept me going when things get rough. It's been a journey that I want to celebrate with you, and so here's what you can expect to be seeing this month at Sarah Jane! 

NEW SHOP SITE

We are so close to getting our new online shop up and going. You have seen the new website and blog, which I've been so happy with as there is so much more to see and I've been able to really simplify and focus the online space here. But the shop will have features like larger images, cleaner and more organized and of course, new product! 

SALES IN THE SHOP

Joining our newsletter will keep you informed with how we are running sales this month...and they will be good ones! So watch for an email in your inbox, or follow along on Instagram or Facebook and the blog for updates! 

GIVEAWAYS

We can't do a birthday celebration without giveaways! Follow @sarahjanestudios on Instagram for giveaways this month! 

MEET AND GREET

I'm still working out the details, but later this month, I am hoping to have a local meet and greet where we can meet each other in person, you can get your hands on some product and have a good time! 

NEW PRODUCTS

I'm busting my little brain in the studio to get you some new products in the shop, and I think you will love them! Stay tuned for more information on when that will be ready!

NEW FABRIC LAUNCH

This month I'm heading to Quilt Market to launch my newest line of fabric SOMMER with Michael Miller Fabrics. It's been two years since WEE WANDER, and I'm so excited to be sharing fabric again. Be watching this space for some great pictures and the website for a lookbook I'm putting together. And of course, sign up for the newsletter to be the first to know when it's launched! 

BLOGGING AGAIN! 

You've probably noticed that the blog has gotten a bit sparse here over the past year or so. New baby will do that, and while he's not a new baby anymore, it was a bit harder to get back into it after stepping back for a while. But I have a lot more to share, and I'm excited to be sharing here again! 

Thanks to all of you who've made these past 8 years so magical. I've stretched and grown in ways I never would have imagined. I'm so excited to see what these next years bring! 

Love to you all! 

New Swaddle Fabric coming!

I'm on pins and needles I'm so excited! Michael Miller Fabrics has spent the past few years trying to source JUST the right swaddle fabric to sell by the yard, and they've found it! I'm so thrilled. It's so soft (softer than a lot of commercial swaddle out there!) and the colors are gorgeous. They are launching a new line of swaddle that I've designed at Quilt Market this fall, and so while I can't share it all right now, I'm so excited to say that it's here...it's coming...and it's a game changer! The nightgown in this picture? Swaddle. Sheets? Duvets? Clothing? Quilts? Think of all the possibilities! We all love swaddle blankets, but now we can make so much more. At 58" wide, there are so many options! 

I'll be showing you more in the coming weeks. It's launching in October, and will be shipping to stores in January.  If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer! My kids are so happy that they have new soft blankets to love. We've been sewing up a storm getting ready for market, and I can't wait to show you more! 

Horray for swaddle! 

xo

Sarah

Newest Fabric Collection: SOMMER

It's coming! Behind the scenes I've been getting my latest textile collection all ready to launch at Quilt Market this year with Michael Miller Fabrics, and I'm more than excited. I have so much to share about this collection, and I'll be trickling in more about it in the coming weeks as it gets closer to hitting shelves. I'm debuting next month at Quilt Market, and fabric will be arriving in stores come January. 

Sommer is something I've had in my heart for a long time. I wanted to create a collection that reflected my love of beautiful Scandinavian summers. You'll be seeing flowers, swans, birds and lots of fresh colors. I also wanted to create a collection that was sweet enough for the children, but sophisticated and feminine for the ladies too. You'll be seeing lots more of that later! But for now, I'm welcoming SOMMER! 

Back To School Feast

Last night we had our  back to school feast to get ready for the school year ahead and introduced our theme for the year "...to learn with joy..." (Jacob 4:3) It's always hard to pick out the one that will serve all my kids equally, as they all have different needs. But we've been talking a lot about the joy of learning, and being excited and grateful for our minds and the chance we have to learn and grow and experience new things, even if they are hard or boring at first. We talked about how when we go into learning something new with a joyful attitude versus a frustrated attitude, our brains are actually apt to retain and learn more resiliently and we are more likely to succeed than if we are sulking or indifferent. We talked about how God wants us to have joy and he gave us this whole wide world to learn about and to develop skills to serve others and contribute to the world around us. We talked about how math is hard but when we have a positive attitude about it, it can become really fun! Overall success! 

Every year it seems like our family adopts some kind of motto, mostly informal, and one that gets repeated a lot. But it's usually something for maybe one child, or for a certain situation. (Last year it was "You can't FREAK OUT and FIX A PROBLEM at the same time." (So, just fix the problem, and skip the freak out) Although, that might be a running theme for a while:) These family themes are good to draw back to when the excitement of routines wear off, or when I need to point to something on the wall, rather than say something over and over again:)  It really brings the family together. 

Feel free to download your own if you'd like. I've made it 11x14" but you can scale it down to fit your printer. Or take it to a printing place and print larger or whatever you'd like. 

Happy first days of school everyone! 

xo

Sarah Jane

Stephanie Nielson's Home Tour: Wallpaper

It's not every day that you are in a home that makes you feel completely alive. Stephanie Nielson of Nie Nie Dialogues is a dear friend of mine and lives in my town, and I was so thrilled when she wanted to use my wallpaper to decorate her kids' spaces. 

With 5 kids, she has a girl's room and a boy's room with built in bunks that are just charming. She chose the pink Wander Woods and the green Summer Ride, which are two of my favorites, and fit in perfectly with her paint colors and decor. 

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I have loved the process of creating wallpapers and wall decals for kids. These wallpapers are unique in that they are made of fabric, so they are strong and resilient, and are actually peel and stick for easy application and easy removal. When you are done, you can take it down, and use it in another space! I've gotten about 4-5 uses out of mine as I've moved them around to various spots in my home. And it makes for the perfect touch of detail when you don't want to make a huge commitment in your home or for your kids! 

Stephanie knows how to bring her children's spaces to life, and add so much whimsy. Even though her oldest is edging on her teenage years, there is still so much magic and innocence which I just love. 

Stephanie's home was featured in the TODAY SHOW at TODAY.COM and you can see the rest of the pictures of here home here. Photos by Nicole Hill Gerulot and Styling by Veronica Olsen. 

Thank you Stephanie for sharing your home with us, and inspiring us all with your beautiful home! 

Wallpapers and Wall decals can be found here in my shop. Use the code NIENIE15 to get 15% off all wallpaper and decals this week.

Sarah Jane Interview

I recently had an interview with Kenyon Brook where we talked about my work, style and motherhood in the mix. It's something I love to talk about, because it's such a part of what I believe in as an artist and as a mom. It's important to keep things in perspective while raising children, yet at the same time, they are my inspiration. 

Growing as an artist and developing my style has been such a wonderful journey and I see how my mothering has helped to steer that course. When I started my career almost 8 years ago I wasn't the same person as I am now, and that's a good thing! 

Thanks Kenyon for the interview! 

Desire to Inspire

What an amazing day it was when Aarean of Color Issue came to my home and interviewed me on what it meant to be a creative person, business owner and mother. At the core of what I do, I truly believe in motherhood and childhood, and it's been a journey of faith and fun as I've driven myself to achieve things and become things I never would have become had I not set out on this journey of entrepreneurship. Sometimes it's hard to see, until you really take the time to look back, see your journey from a distance, talk with people who truly inspire you, and take the time to see the inspiring path's of others. 

I am so inspired by the women interviewed in this video: Elle of Solly Baby Wrap, Stephanie Nielson of NieNie Dialoges, Katie Richardson of PUJ and Susan Peterson of Freshly Picked. I can honestly call each of these women friends, colleagues, mentors and fellow adventurers in this journey of Creative Business and Motherhood. I'm honored to have been a part of each one of their journey's, and I know that faith and family driven business brings out amazing results. You will love the chance to hear from each one of them! I'm at the very end, but don't skip...it's all wonderful stuff. 

Thank you so much Aarean (and Paige for beautifully filming!) and for taking the time to share the messages here in order to inspire and support women who have a dream, and wish to give of themselves in some way. 

I hope you enjoy! 

This Girl Art Print Series

I'm so excited to talk about this collaboration with The House That Lars Built, and offer you a new series of art prints! 

If you follow the Brittany's lovely blog, you'll know that you already love her THIS GIRL series, where she curates a collection of interior and fashion photos that would show a well designed woman in her likely living space. 

I've loved the series for years, and a few months ago, felt inspired to watercolor a piece that was a combination of all those photos, featuring a woman really IN the space.  We all love portraits, and we all love interiors, but why not combine both together in original art that says something about daily living in a space that inspires? 

Each month, for the next year, we will be releasing a new art print. Available in sizes 8x10, 11x14 and 16x20. For the featured month, that print will be at a special discounted price. And then to make room for the next month's print, the discounted price will go to the new featured print. 

So without further adieu, say Bonjour to Anouk....the first THIS GIRL print in our series. We thought she looked a bit French, non? 

I am excited to have a series out again, with new prints coming monthly. These prints are so beautiful in person. Hand signed and gorgeously printed on archival watercolor paper. I hope they inspire your spaces at home! 

If you haven't gotten to know Brittany's lovely blog, visit here, and see her amazing series of THIS GIRL that has been going on for 4 years strong. 

And head over to the shop for this month and take a closer peek at ANOUK.