I went to high school with Rachel.  Although 2 years younger throughout school, I admired several things about Rachel.  To start, she’s always been motivated and has a huge heart.   She’s got that cute surfer look, only it isn’t a look she buys at the mall, she really has some amazing skills on a board.  I always assumed she went to school on the east coast so she could up her surfing skills on some real waves.

Not only is Rachel all these things, but she’s also an artist.  She is gifted with anything you can grab, whether it be aerosol, a paintbrush, or her doodling on a notepad with a pen.  If we lived in the stone age she would have been the one that came up with the idea of drawing on the cave walls with charcoal!

In my senior year of high school Rachel and I had a design class together and I quickly became  jealous of her mind. The way she can see something ugly and have the sight and skill to make it into something amazing.  Or not see anything at all and make something beautiful – that is a true gift (plus she and I were setters on our high school volleyball team, so I had someone to goof off with!)

Currently, Rachel is living in North Carolina and has a website here.   Occasionally it will happen that I visit her site and see her posting on things that I have been considering or doing in my own town.  I always feel reassured when I see other people having the same idea’s and thoughts on ways to change a house or yard.  The biggest difference though is that I know if  Rachel could she would change the world with her idea’s.  She is that person that would go across the world to help when a disaster strikes.  I’m pretty sure she could survive out of a backpack and not have any problems.   If we could live multiple lives I see Rachel leading up the Peace Corps.  If  we had another go-around at life I would love to do something similar.  To escape corporate America and actually help people.  To teach people fundamentals for physical and spiritual health.  Then to grow with things they can teach me as well.  What a wonderful life that could be…  I’d be happy if I could survive without a car. What a financial, time-consuming, and environmental change that could make!

Here’s a little preview of Rachel’s website…

That’s right, a recent post was about owning chickens!  That should make it obvious to you why I enjoy her website so much. A girl after my own heart.  Fresh eggs and a cruelty-free home for some clucking little friends?!?  Yes please!  Stephen laughed when I mentioned the idea a while back, so now I know Rachel has my back (and probably plenty of great tips).

My favorite piece is a canvas she did a while back:  I almost bought the green for my sister, and the blue for myself.  Sadly I couldn’t get them at the time.  I can see the blue in my office hanging by my desk, they would be great office buddies.

So if you guys would like to be inspired by her work click here, and you can learn more about Rachel too.   She commissions artwork, so if you are wanting something done you can check out her work and ask if she can do something for you.  I have always liked this piece here of a cowboy.  I ‘m pretty sure if I ever have a little boy one day I will want him to be a cowboy.  Sure westerns were hollywoods false and exaggerated interpretation of life in the pre-vehicle days, but a girl can dream…

There you have it, an artist in the twenty-first century that is well worth checking out!  Oh, and did I mention that she and her boyfriend have a goat?   Love!