Happy Easter

Just hop hop hopping in to wish you all a very wonderful & cozy

 

Happy Easter

I kindly ask for your help to spread that word that Easter is for chocolate bunnies...

NOT time for a passing whimsy to buy real ones as Easter gifts!

Unless your ready for the big commitment of caring for

a real bunny for it's whole precious lifespan & all that that entails...

and if you are serious about it, PLEASE adopt from shelters or rescues, don't buy!)

 

 

We hope you all get some rest & eat lovely kind food

& just to let you know, I'll be back very soon.

 

XO Mandy & Jonathan

and our own Easter Bun Babies,

Teela, Jinny, Jaks, Flynn, Yuuji & Frenwyck

(all amazingly wonderful & beautiful rescue adoptees)

The Si-Fu's Garden

I was going to wait to show you this latest picture of mine,

But I can't wait...

it's so bright and colourful and happy

and it's just delighting the heck outta my own eyes, ha ha

so I am hoping that it'll delights you as well.

 

It is called

"The Si-Fu's Garden"

 

 

It is 100% coloured pencil on watercolour paper.

The original is only 8 x 10" (Prints will be listed in my shop shortly).

I've been working on really thin and smooth paper lately because it's just easier on my wrist,

but this one I sketched out on watercolour paper because it was planned as a watercolour

but at the last minute it told me that it wanted to be a coloured pencil...

I am glad I listened to my gut because I forgot how lovely it is to work with

prismacolours on such thick, textured paper.

 

It was a complete joy to work on this week

Now onto the yet one!

Bunny Diversion - Teela Sneaks A Snack

We have another Bunny Diversion for you...yayyy.

This one is a Bunny Diversion SHORT...not even a minute long.

 

The star???

Teela

Teela Sneaking a snack to be exact, ha ha.

  

 

She can never quite wait for the grocery bags to be unpacked...

here she is sneaking some Bok Choy.

We didn't add any music to this one, just so you can hear the sweet crunch & munch going on.

 

Hope you Enjoy this Bunny Sweetness

 and Wishing you an excellent day

XO Mandy & Jonathan

p.s.  We are so excited that the wonderful Rabbit House Society retweeted
our link to this video, yayyy!

Where's Waldo?

Where's Waldo?....

umm, I mean Where's Yuuji?? Can you spot my little cutie???

 

 

Ha ha, this is the view from my upstairs studio desk today...

as I listen to podcasts and work on something super colourful, can't wait to show you!

New Prints

Just hopping in to let you know that these lovely images of mine

are now available as 8 x 10 prints in my shop.

 

 

They are perfect to slide into your favorite 8 x 10"frame & to cheer up any space of your life

with their spring-time colours and joyous and inspirational vibes.



Today

Well, I went 10 whole days with no headaches & no migraines...it felt so amazing.
Then the last two days I've had to slow it right down again for a bad migraine has set in again.
I am always so disappointed when a new bout of pain starts
because I know just how far behind it'll make me & how much it'll slow me down
& I never know how long it'll last, sometimes it's 2 weeks straight, sigh!

But there is a key to living well and happily as a chronic migraine sufferer.
What in the world could it be are you wondering???

Well it's  Gratitude for everything good,
a heart ready to bask in the days small lovelies
& a keen eye to spot simple beauty.

So that's what I am doing today, appreciating and enjoying the day
despite the pounding and persistent pain hounding the right side & entire back of my head.

So, I am enjoying some quiet time curled up with a favorite soft blanket and my favorite magazines.
  

 

I am listening to my energetic Jaks rip apart his box like a little mad man, ha ha.

 

 

I am sitting down at my beloved new desk in my upstairs studio

(that I share with Jaks and Jin)

to colour whenever the pounding feels not quite so sharp...

sometimes I can work for 5 minutes, sometimes for 10, sometimes for 30 minutes at a time.

 

 

I am stretching out on the floor and keeping a napping Jinny company.

She doesn't mind, as long as I don't pet her too much, ha ha.

 

 

I am enjoying warm cups of sweet almond milk...topped with cinnamon, yum.

 

And lots of other loveliness is still to come for as I write this post, it's only noon.

So see...
despite a raging storm in my head that would have most people buckle and scream!
I am up and about & making the most of this day.
(with just a short lay-down with heat every couple of hours to soothe my body)

I am realizing more and more that it's all about attitude...it really is.

I am enjoying my day despite the negative...
and it's indeed feeling
very sweet & beautifully cozy.
Ahhh.

Drop in with a comment & tell me how YOUR day is going?
Are you facing a negative?? & how are you choosing to deal with it???



Featured on Animal Ethical

I was asked some time ago to submit an article about myself & my work to

"Animal Ethical"

a new site where Etsy artists & sellers who are against the sale of any animal
parts/bits on Etsy, can have their shops featured.

It's a new site and the creator of it is, Bettina (a.k.a Mrs Masha of The Hare Apparent),
she is a fellow rabbit lover & rabbit rescuer living in the United Kingdom countryside.

I was tardy with my submission of info due to all the stuff going on with Roo, etc...
so I wasn't sure if I was featured or not...turns out I was, yay.

I've not been featured anywhere for awhile, so it was a nice surprise,

let alone for something important such as this.

 

 

Click Right Here

to visit the 80+ Etsy Animal Ethical team and our shops.

And don't forget, you animals lovers out there, visit my shop for oodles of beautiful animal art

www.BijousWhimsy.Etsy.com

 

I am honestly getting fed-up with Etsy & their allowing of animals heads, faces, furs, taxidermy, etc

to be sold, these ARE NOT Handmade items & should NOT be allowed for sale on Etsy.

 

Hence my current working away on setting up a new primary shop

which will be linked to my own cruelty-free, Joyful & Kind sites.

I can't wait to have it up and running, though I think it'll be a bit longer yet!



Best Laid Plans

Well I've been thinking about refreshing my blog,

but truth is, for the most part, I still really like the way it's looking & the way it's laid out.

I don't want to touch the header right now either, even though it's been there for 5 years, it's still 'me'.

But I did think of doing some new blog buttons to streamline my sidebar...

and I got this far...

 

 

But than I had to stop myself & be brutally honest & admit that they just don't work.

Ugh, Ugh Ugh!

When I placed them on my blog's sidebar, they were too cluttered & the font didn't read well at all.

I hate wasting time like this...

but this happens way more often then one might think!

Oh well, hopefully I can find another place to use them.

Back to the drawing board I go!!!



New Bunny Diversion - Harlem Bun-Shake

So my honey bunny whipped up another awesome Bunny Diversion video.
 

This one was inspired by the current YouTube 'Harlem Shake' rage...

but this is the Harlem Bun-Shake, ha ha.  



 

It features Jaks, Jinny, Teela, Flynn, Yuuji, Frenwyck & Roo & Ella too.

 

Have a look-see...I am sure it'll make you smile & laugh & probably dance abit too...

But I am biased of course cause I already see my babies as Internet sensations, ha ha.

 

Enjoy!

I am Going To Make You Hungry I Bet!

We make some delicious yumminess for our tummies around here...

Just check out some of our latest concoctions.

Homemade Minestrone soup with asparagus and toast...YUM.

Tofurky and lettuce croissant sandwiches....YUM.



Tempeh bacon with scrambled eggs...YUM.

A chocolate twist with a cinnamon latte...okay so we didn't make the twist but it was still YUM.

Rice with tomatoes garlic and black olives and sautéed tofu...YUM.

Homemade macaroni salad with 'Chicken' nuggets...YUM.



Avocado mushed on toast with orange slices and tea...YUM.

Pecans and zucchini on the side of Tomato soup...YUM.

Tomato salsa and cheese on country bread...YUM.

Breaded tofu with fried oyster mushrooms...YUM.

Cappuccino with crème fraiche and strawberries...YUM.



Lentil stew on a bed of baby spinach with 'chicken' and 'ham' slices...YUM.

Sautéed mushrooms with 'chicken' and a Cesar salad with homemade dressing...YUM.





Whoever says Vegetarians can't enjoy food are clueless!!!

 

I just like taking photos of some of our meals...hope you don't mind me sharing them today.
Do you have a favorite vegetarian meal???

She Dreams Such Beautiful Dreams

It was a wonderfully cozy day with no headache (wohoo), pouring rain, napping bunnies,

green tea & movies playing whiles I finished up this lovely lady...

 

"She Dreams Such Beautiful Dreams"

 

It is a mixed media made with paper, paint, coloured pencils & ink.

 

 

 

(Prints will be available in my Etsy shop, I'll let you know when they are listed).

 

I've had a few people now tell me that they wish they could live inside my head for one day...

I think my imagery comes more from my heart & soul then from my head,

but I always take that comment as a compliment...

So here you have it...

another piece of me, in paint swishes & pencil lines & as always in joyful colour.

 

Hope you like it.

This Week

It's felt like abit of a rough week...

I think mostly because every day I was plagued with either a headache or migraine, ugh ugh ugh.

It's the weather mostly...so up and down in temperatures & so much cloud & gloom.

I've had more pain than not these last 2 months, ugh!!!

Trust me, if your pain-free and don't get headaches or migraines, be thankful!

 

But there's been some lovely lovely days this week too with lots of bunny snuggling going on

and artwork being made in small snippets of time when my throbbing head would allow!

A surprise visit from my sweet 10 year old niece...who has deemed Teela her favorite new bunny.

 

Flynn is doing well but his ISC syndrome is still acting up which is abit of work for us

and hard on the poor little guy because he LOVES food but right now he just can't eat the usual.

He was on medicine twice daily for 2 weeks & he may have to go back on for another round

but he doesn't seem to notice that anything is wrong so that's key I suppose.

 

Can you believe that this week marked my 5th year of blogging...wow.

I ve composed over 800 blog posts.

We have over 150 followers & over 50 thousands page views!

I took some time to scroll back through my whole blog this week &

I really feel like I've found a great routine & balance of what I am sharing in regards

to rabbit goodness, artwork & studio happenings & snippets of a sweet life.

I think I'll keep doing what I am doing & just keep hoping that my followers grow and grow

& that my blog continues to inspire & spread joy (& harness opportunities too!).  Yay.

 

Well we'll see you all next week, as always I have new stuff to share with you of course.

I hope you'll join me and don't forget that your comments feed my blog, so keep them coming.



Joanne

I love days like today...

where it's the perfect blend of art making & bunny snuggles

& all the other good stuff in between. Ah.

 

I finished off these little sweetie today.

 

Her name is "Joanne"

It is coloured pencil on a painted wooden canvas.

 

 

I don't dedicate my work to people very often but this one is

dedicated to a very special woman whom we lost this last week...

Jonathan's Aunt Joanne.

She was a lovely auntie to me, she was a 2nd mom to Jonathan. She was so many wonderful things.

She will be greatly and sorely missed, she was such an awesome woman.

 

It's late but I am off to my coloured pencils again for just a wee bit longer before bed.

Nightie Night & Dream Sweetly.



Happy Birthday

Today is my dad's 62nd Birthday.

Every year we spend his birthday with him.

We've never missed a year, except when we we're in school in Toronto & just couldn't make it home.

Spending time with my dad on his birthday means alot to me,

he deserves a great celebration every year & we're always more then happy to help him celebrate.

This years celebration was spent with lasagna and cannelloni and fresh baked bread.

It was a comfy and lovely evening with laughs & smiles over maple flavoured ice wine and

and cherry wine and than coffee and delicious pumpkin cream birthday cake...

it was a cozy evening with episodes of 'Storage Wars'

(cable tv is a 'treat' for Jon & I when we go over to my parents because we won't have it at home).

Any day spent with my dad is special cause I love him so....and I want him to go another 62 years.