Q & A WITH / KELLI MURRAY
Q : Do you have a favorite item from your latest collection ? We are getting ready to release our SS16 collection in a couple weeks . My personal favorite from this line is our ice cream jumpsuit .
Q : How old are your kids and what is your favorite thing to do with them ? My daughter Rylee is 4 and my son Cru is 17 months . We live just a few minutes from the beach , so if we want to get out of the house , that ' s usually where we end up . My husband Sam loves to surf and the kids love playing in the sand . Q : What was the last thing you bought for them ? I bought them a hula hoop and some silly putty from the dollar store . ;)
Q : How would you describe your style if we were to visit your home ? Modern meets vintage . Clean , minimal , and neutral .
Q : What does a typical day look like for you ? Mornings always start early around 6:30am when my son jolts me out of bed and we watch a cartoon together before his sister wakes up . I make everyone a quick breakfast and rush out the door to get Rylee to school in time . I work from home , so a few days out of the week I have a nanny come to the house and those days I consider my full " work days ". It ' s either art , or emails or line planning or whatever is up next on the work agenda . The rest of the week I ' m just mom and I try to make the most of my time with the kids . We love to go to the beach and the park , work on craft projects or visit grandma . Most nights my husband gets home at around 6:30pm and we all do dinner together before winding the kids down and putting them to bed . I usually sneak in another hour or two of work really late at night before hitting the pillow and doing it all over again the next day :) Life is crazy and busy , but I wouldn ' t have it any other way .
Q : Where do you find inspiration for your many projects ? I honestly find inspiration everywhere . I thrive on creativity so if I am not working , I am usually doing some sort of craft or art project with my kids . I ' m inspired by nature and travel , by my children and other creative people I know or who I ' ve discovered online . Q : Do you have any tips on how you find balance with your personal and work life ? Balance is something I am always working on . The tough part about owning your own business , especially a creative one , is that the wheels never stop turning and there is always , always something more to do . I ' ve had to really discipline myself with my time and create boundaries . I have to be intentional about the time I spend with my husband , my kids and my friends ... otherwise my workaholic tendencies could easily take over . The fortunate thing is that I LOVE what I do . So sometimes , work doesn ' t feel like work , which sometimes blurs the line . I just try my best to keep perspective in everything and to give my personal life the attention it deserves when it calls for it .
Q : Do you have any upcoming projects that you can share with us ? I recently collaborated with a women ' s line called dRA , on a capsule collection , set to release in May . Our Rylee & Cru Spring line is releasing March 20th and I am currently designing Spring17 and am super excited about the ways in which we are expanding the line ! I also have a signature greeting card collection coming out with Hallmark this Fall ! So many fun things ahead !