Today we’d like to introduce you to Shalene Roberts.
Shalene, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
More than 20 years ago, I graduated from TCU and immediately went to work in magazine publishing for a small, women’s ministry publication. Not long after my tenure there, I landed a job as an editor at Fort Worth, Texas magazine, where I was also eventually tapped for the role as editor of the company’s home and garden magazines. I served in this role for several years and was the founding editor for the launch of Innovative Home magazine.
When my husband and I decided to start a family, I resigned from that full-time position and moved into a freelance role. As a freelancer I worked with a variety of publications, including Pasadena Monthly and Modern Luxury Dallas, as well as a variety of other home design publications. During this time I fell in love with architecture and interior design, especially timeless, bespoke interiors that exude a sense of casual elegance and calm.
Eventually my husband and I had five children, and we made the decision to part-time homeschool them. This has been the biggest blessing to our family, since it has given us the gift of time with our children and an active, engaging experience with their academics. This commitment has forced me to be intentional in my professional and creative pursuits, since I must carefully balance my work time.
Shortly after the birth of our fifth child, I fell in love with the beauty and the history of vintage Turkish rugs and decided to start a little shop selling a few rugs. I found a supplier in Turkey and purchased a handful of rugs that I personally curated for their colors, patterns, size and lovely gradations of patina. Those rugs sold out within a matter of days, and thus Lily & Loom Vintage Rugs was born. Today I sell a small, hand-curated collection of vintage rugs that come directly from Turkey through my online shop (https://www.shoplilyloom.com), These rugs are personally selected from my supplier in Turkey who is a third or fourth-generation vintage rug purveyor in Istanbul. Each rug is selected for its history, its condition, and its aesthetic qualities. They rugs are cleaned in Turkey and shipped directly to me in Fort Worth. Lily & Loom rugs have been seen on HGTV’s “One of a Kind” and Magnolia Network’s “Fixer Upper: Welcome Home.” Follow along on Insta to receive news of new rug drops (https://www.instagram.com/lilyandloomrugs/).
Additionally, as I worked out what my editorial/writing career might look like with young children underfoot and school days at home, I began a motherhood blog. One post specifically resonated with readers and garnered 600,000 views. I have since expanded that post into a book that will be launching with Whitaker House Publishers in the Spring of 2026. We are currently in the beginning phases of cover design and marketing plans, so it is definitely an exciting time! The book explores the set-apart, intentional role of motherhood since the beginning of creation and encourages women to stand firm on Biblical truth in the face of changing cultural tides. I truly believe this will be an anthem call for mothers everywhere, and I cannot wait to get it into women’s hands! The book will be available through most all bookselling channels.
Consistent with the theme of the book, I regularly post encouraging content for women of faith and mothers specifically on my blog (https://shaleneroberts.com/blog/). Likewise, my motherhood and faith content can also be seen on Her View From Home, Motherly, Today Parents and more. If you’re a woman of faith or a mom, I would absolutely love to connect with you! Find me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shalenerobertsblog/) or at ShaleneRoberts.com. You can also sign up for my newsletter to get a weekly e mail of all the good stuff and be the first to hear of book launch details.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Trying to run a small business, manage a busy household, and part-time homeschool our five children (1 boy, 4 girls) who range in age from first grade through 11th grade has certainly been challenging. My husband owns a national business as well, so he travels frequently, which adds another challenge, but the Lord sustains me and provides me with a sense of order and energy that only He can provide. The volume of work at Lily & Loom ebbs and flows. And because it’s just me operating the business, it has been challenging to manage marketing, sales and fulfillment. But it has stretched me and grown me in ways I could have never fathomed. And I am so blessed to work with some of the most amazing purveyors in Turkey who have truly become friends! Even if the business closed tomorrow, I would be forever grateful for those relationships.
In May 2026, our first born (and only son) will graduate high school. And in that same season, I will launch my book with Whitaker House. Realizing that I’m launching a child and a book on the eternal perspective on motherhood at the same time is bittersweet. But it’s a story only the Lord could write.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My journey certainly hasn’t been typical. I could have never foreseen the fact that I’d be running a small business, writing a book, and managing a busy family of 7 all at the same time. All five of my children are exceptionally busy with sports and other extracurricular activities (we’ve had evenings where we’ve had five different games or practices all in one night), so finding the time to get away and put fingers to keyboard has been been difficult. But I also think it’s this unique combination of commitments and challenges that has made my editorial voice such a unique and needed one.
I understand the pressures of life and motherhood in our current, frantic culture, and I empathize with the exhaustion and the frustration that many mothers feel because I’m living it myself. The opportunity to speak into that space and encourage fellow women with the understanding and insight that the Lord has given me has been such a gift. As a writer, I never want to take that for granted. For some reason, the Lord has given me a voice, a platform, and a message. And I just pray that I steward that well.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think I’m naturally a risk taker. I’ve always viewed risks as opportunities, rather than potential hurdles or hindrances. And I’ve always operated with the underlying assumption that the worst anyone can say is no, but they might say yes. So I go for it. I start the business. I write the book proposal. I try new things, and I take risks fulling understanding that there’s a chance it may fail, but there’s also a chance it may succeed. And that’s a chance I’m willing to take.
A few years ago, I approached a very well-known, prominent designer about a potential collaboration with Lily & Loom. It was a pie-in-the-sky moment, and I was pretty sure she would decline. But she ended up saying yes, and it was such a surprising, successful collaboration that I’m extremely thankful for. That would have never happened if I hadn’t been willing to take the risk.
Pricing:
- Lily & Loom Vintage Rugs range from about $700 – $4,000
- Pricing has not been set for my book yet, but it will be standard book pricing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shaleneroberts.com and https://www.shoplilyloom.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shalenerobertsblog/ and https://www.instagram.com/lilyandloomrugs/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShaleneRobertsBlog and https://www.facebook.com/LilyAndLoomRugs/
Image Credits
All photos copyright Shalene Roberts.
