August Newsletter

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Thanks Everyone...have a superb evening.

XO A Peppermint Tea Sipping Bijou On A Rainy Evening XO

Today

It's the end of what has been a very stressful month...

Long story short:

there was a lump in my boob which lead to doctors visits and was followed by mammograms and tests

and call backs for more crappy mammograms, than ultrasounds and a biopsy

than the torturous waiting for results...

But I am just back from my doctors with happy news

that though I might have to have the lump removed

it's still nothing to worry about because it's not cancerous tissue...

Well I am just ready to start a fresh month...

Where hopefully Ella Lunas leg will be doing abit better...

where I'll dive into some yoga...

where I'll be able to breathe deeply..

and where I'll have long days all cozy like with my honey and bunnies...

...and long days with my work...

(These coloured pencils heads are for some mixed media piece I am working on lately)

Life can be scary can't it...

but boy oh boy these worries & blips along the way can put things into perspective quite rapidly!

And for that, I am feeling very grateful.

So although I do have  a sore head to tend to today (it started up with last nights downpour) 

Today's agenda is a simple one:  

First, a leisurely cup of coffee with a chapter of a book...

Than it's outside we go for an afternoon with bunnies & coloured pencils...

It'll be a great day...

and I am breathing...ahhhh....

Wishing you all a stress-free and lovely lovely day.

XO Mandy XO

p.s. My August newsletter goes out later today...if you would like to receive it just sign up here.

The Visitor

So you may be wondering why our Jinster is looking awfully grumpy & annoyed here...

 

Well, ha ha...it's because 'The Visitor' decided on an unannounced & unwelcome visit again this year...

 

This groundhog seems to be quite the docile sweetheart...

quite large actually, about the size of Roo...

He seems fearful of the rabbits but the bunnies just look at him with a look that sort of says
'Umm, What the hell are you doing in my yard...'
I think actually Jaks was saying something alittle more rude here, ha ha...

 

 

Of course we try to get him out of the bunny areas as quickly as possible...

but he does have the habit of just popping in announced.

(hence my thorough yard inspection every day before bunnies go out!).

 

Have a wonderful day.

 

XO Mandy

Beautiful and Generous Gifts

I can't let another day go by without showing you all some amazingly beautiful & generous gifts

I recieved in the mail over the past couple of months...

My lovely blogland pal & fellow rabbit lover Annette Tait, from Edinburgh

sent me this beautiful rabbit softie called "Elegance"

I won her in one of Annette's generous blog giveaway & now she sits on our bed looking lovely...

 It was before I had won the draw for Elegance, that we had decided to do a trade...

I was so excited to get these 2 ornaments.

I am wild about them & they now hang from my sewing table lamp...

Not only did she send me these goodies but also so many greetings cards & even a rabbit wall decal.

I was just blown away by these amazing gifts from Annette.

Check out her blog here and her Etsy shop right here.

Than came another package.

This time from my speacil pal Shell...

Shell & I met through our blogs & were kindred spirits from the start.

To celebrate The Year of The Rabbit & in honour of some of her fav bunny peeps...

She sent the sweetest pillow ever, one of her creations & designs...

She didn't just send one....but TWO...

They now grace our little bedroom breakfast area & they make my heart smile everytime I pass them.

Check our Michelle May's blog here and her lovely shop right here.

Than....

I won another giveaway

this time from Donna Swan of Lavender Rabbit Studio...

The giveaway was this sweet & pretty necklace set...

I just love it & wear it often...

But not only did she send the necklace but she sent the bunnies some goodies too.

I've never had anyone, let alone a person I've never met before, send my babies treats, wow...

It touched my heart so so much.

Check out Donna's blog here and her shop right here.

All of these beauties mean so much & are now among my favourite things in our cozy little house.

They are even more beautiful and loved when I think of the kind & generous & unique woman who sent them my way....thanks lovely lovely ladies.

XO Bijou XO

The Piebird Goats

Remember I told you guys that I had some goat photos to show you all...
Well here they are....aren't they beauties...these are the Piebird Goats...
We get to visit and converse with them whenever we go to a Piebird concert
(Which we actually did again just this past Friday, a post will follow on that soon).

I've ALWAYS wanted goats of my own (and a donkey!)
Maybe someday...if we move out to the country for my rabbit sanctuary dream...
We'll see...the country has been calling to us lately, that's for sure.
In the meantime I'll bask in the funny sweetness of the Piebird goats....ahhhhh.

XO A Bijou whose off to a mid-afternoon matinee XO 

New Prints Now Available

Visit my Etsy Shop to purchase any or all of these new prints.

(Or visit just to have an eye-ful of colourful, positive, thoughtful, unique & inspirational work.)

Outside with Babies

So when most people are waking up, driving to work and spending their days

perhaps in an office type of setting with fellow co-workers...

I have a completely different schedule and routine...

I wake up and feed the 4 hungry mess makers right away and
soon after it's time to hop down into the yards to make sure all is safe for all to come out,

Then there's usually a stampede of little rabbity feet

4 little precious bunnies who are anxious to get out to munch grass, dig, dig, dig & sleep...

I drag my coloured pencils and such outside and spend the days outside with 4 rabbits... 

We know not to take this lovely routine for granted, we grab everyday outside that we can...

Some of you may be asking 'where are Jinny & Jaky'...well it's no secret that they strongly dislike Ella Luna and Roo and vice versa...so to keep everyone happy and nip & stress-free we have the two couples in separate parts of the yard....our yard has the priority of being 'bunny-friendly' zones, ha ha. 

Roo Boo gave us quite the scare last week though, whew!

He suddenly was holding his head severely to the right and

jerking it back spasmodically and refusing to eat his most favourite treats!

He was rushed to the doctors...

We were warned that it could be the beginning symptoms of a neuroglical disease (panic enters here!)...

but the symptoms disappeared 4 hours later as quickly as the started, soooo we're hoping really hard that it was just some kind of random ear/neck cramp...Poor Roo...but he's all good now.

It really kind of jarred me, not just because something was obviously wrong with my big boy

but I think that I've been soooo focused on Ella Luna for the last 2 years of dealing with that nasty nasty abscess and now the aftermath of surgeries leaving her legs weak...that I somehow forgot that things will and can go wrong with my other babes too...

I truly think a big part of me is in constant panic/worry mode!

Anyhoo...today, we'll all good...and we are all outside so we're extra good, ha ha.

Have a wonderful day everyone...even if your stuck indoors!

XO Mandy and her 4 grass munching buns XO

Leda

So back to some artwork, as promised...

I admit to not being super busy in the studio these last few weeks,

but than a gals gotta enjoy some summer holidays with her honey-pie too...

I thought you may all like to see my beautiful goddess

"Leda"

She is a woman in tune & in complete alignment with nature...it is she and she is it...



Here is how she came about...

I am still trying to figure out what kind of frames to put on them.  I am thinking ornate gold ones.

Prints of them will be available by the end of this week I believe.

Well, I spent a couple hours at the dentist this morning.

A couple hours at the movies with my mom in the afternoon.

Next on the agenda is quite abit of paperwork in the studio (yuck!)

But part of that paperwork is because I was the lucky recipient of an

Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Assistance Grant,

which is so wonderful & helps me out alot to cover costs from my last solo exhibition, so YAAAYYY.

Than, hopefully I am looking at a good couple hours with my prismas...

Hope your week is off to a good start.

XO Mandy