Jaks Jelly Bean

I finally finished up the portrait of Jaks Jelly Bean...I am pretty content with it.

I just have to clean up the scan & then I'll be seeing what Society6 products it looks good on.

That Face

I get such a kick out of Yuuji's face...

He's especially expressive when he's playing outside.

Benefits To Being A Hermit

Oh sorry guys to disappear for almost a week...

my head has been awful, I had a bad fibro flare Tuesday, Wednesday and well life, you know!!!
I am reminded today though at how lucky I am to be a homebody/hermit!

Jonathan says my default is Social Distancing, ha ha!

(Although my friend just dropped off vegan cheese & it was hard not to open the door to hug her)!

I think that's natural, as an artist, a sanctuary mama, a chronic pain sufferer, I love being home.

I am happy here.  If I have Jonathan, the bunnies, my art supplies, books, plants and movies, I am good but I realize alot of people are having a hard time with staying put at home away from people.

Hang in there guys...if we all shelter at home, we'll get through this alot faster!

What are some of your happy things that your concentrating on to help you get through isolation?

Meet Mooshi-Haroo Part 1 of 2

Everyone finally I get to introduce you all to our newest rescue

Mooshi-Haroo

He's been with us since January 6th 2020.

There we were sitting down to eat finally after a day of preparing for a coming snow & ice storm

and I look out the window and I shout to Jonathan "Oh My Gawd, there's a house rabbit out there"

and I go careening out of the house into the cold slushy ground in my socks yelling "Hurry Hurry"

There this black and white spotted rabbit sat eating birdseed!

Right away we knew he was a house rabbit and not a wild bunny and we also knew right away

that he would a) not survive much longer eating seed

(wild rabbits can live on birdseed but not house rabbits.  They are completely different species)

and b) he would not likely survive the coming storm and drop in temperature.

So as a team we kept him localized to the front yard which was super stressful,
my heart was pounding because I knew he needed to be caught
and I knew if he got out of our yard we'd loose him most likely for good.

After about 30 minutes we weren't making any progress, he was afraid & wouldn't let us near him.

But then I realized, every time my honey would walk away a little bit,
Mooshi would go up on his hind legs and watch where he was going like he was interested.

So I suggested he go and open the backyard gate just in case we could force him to that area
of our yard and sure enough when he went to go do that Mooshi actually followed him.

So I shouted "Babe just keep walking, he's following you, he's following..."

and like the Pide Piper, Mooshie followed him into the backyard & we quickly closed the gate.

From there we could take our time building trust, getting close & catching him to bring him inside
and I had time to go inside change my frozen socks & put boots and a coat on ha ha!

We still had to get him into a smaller & smaller section before we could pounce on him

but we finally got him after about another 20 or 30 minutes.

As we do with all of our sudden rescues, he immediately went into quarantine in the bathroom,

away from all of the buns and until he could be checked by a doctor etc.

He was a big guy but super skinny,

I was shocked that I could fit my thumb & index finger around his tummy,
he was obviously starving.

Once inside, he just melted, he just wanted to be held & hugged.

Unfortunately a new rescue was not in our plans & his arrival was not on a great day whatsoever!

because the next day, super bright & early, my husband was scheduled for his first surgery.

I didn't feel myself commit right away to keeping him, but right away of course Jonathan did.

He said "His timing sucks but he needs to stay Mandy, it was meant to be, period".

(yep, that's my most amazing kind hearted guy that I have).

But I felt surprisingly calm about him suddenly being here even though the timing was awful.

I just said...he obviously needs to rest...you need the surgery...I need to be with you...

So no, this is definitely not the way we normally welcome new buns into the family

but we'll make him comfortable, he'll rest, he'll be safe, we'll do our thing & that's just gonna be that.

So whiles at the hospital for over 12 hours that day...
I did feel awful that there was this little animal clearly needing some comfort back at home

but he was also clearly a tough boy and I told myself he'd be fine.  That it would be okay.

(So I won't go into the surgery day and afterwards, it was a nightmare for us)

Mooshie was completely dehydrated.  The first two hours he drank almost two cups of water!

BUT he wouldn't eat anything and he wouldn't pee or poo for 48 hours.

So there I was insanely stressed out with a post-op Jonathan & a new possibly sick rescue.

But on the 3rd day, just when I was getting ready to bring him to the vet.
He started pooing & eating.  His body just needed time to heal and adjust.
After talking to neighbors afterwards, we found out that he had been seen running around the
neighborhood chasing a wild hare (who's probably the one who showed him to eat birdseed!)
for over two whole weeks!!  He's lucky to be alive really.  As house rabbits have no wild skills.
We looked for lost posters for him, we checked the main lost pet website etc etc...nothing.
Then we started to see his naughty habits, he was super insanely hormonal & wanted to chew everything in sight, so it became clear pretty fast that he was most likely an Easter purchase from last year, that was closing in on a year old & his hormones & habits were kicking in & someone kicked him out...into the cold!  Which is sadly what happens to a lot of rabbits bought as Easter presents!

Well he's been with us for about 3 months now.
We waited a month before getting his neutered just in case his family did come looking for him.
But now he's neutered, all healed up, beautiful & at home.
(And in complete love with our Korra-Soleil, we'll see what happens there!)
We are his new family, no matter what he chews, we'll not kick him out...
We love him, he's ours...despite his naughty ways, he's settled in quickly.

I wanted to call him Haroo...Jonathan started calling him Moosh, so Mooshi-Haroo it became.
Welcome to the family young unexpected buddy...
your a handful but your unique and we're so glad you found your way to us XO

Some Spring Colours

Some images take awhile...

but their usually the ones that are worth the wait!

Little Twinkly Things

There's something so calming & lovely about that blue hour of the evening...it's like a magic hour

Especially when your watching your house rabbits running underneath the snowy twinkle lights!

Flynn In Lino

This lino is almost done, Flynn was my model...a test print is next...

Despite Covid-19, I can't wait to start listing them & I hope people love them.

Misa & Her Gas

Misa keeps getting sick, poor little darling.

She's prone to gas bouts...usually from eating hay to fast!

BUT bunnies need hay, so we can't exactly take that away from her.

Last week, I had just finished with a monster 3 day migraine, one of the worst I've ever had,

only to find my girl not wanting to eat, so a stressful 6 hours ensued before she was eating again.

It's just one of those things you have to think about, if your thinking about a rabbit for Easter!

My recommendation is, don't do it, buy a chocolate bunny instead.  But if you insist,

be informed, rabbits are not easy pets by any stretch of the imagination & please adopt don't shop.

Misa here was a shelter bunny and she's my heart hopping around on four paws.

Hope your having a good day today, stay safe, wash your hands like crazy! & share the toilet paper!!

Corona Ready?

This whole Corona virus is insane...a pandemic level virus...everyone is terrified, including me.
I was already feeling super overwhelmed but now to deal with this Covid-19 virus on top of

my honey going through cancer treatments...it's feeling like a very unfunny joke!
His immune system is shot right now because of the immunotherapy, so we're extra stressed now.

The other concern is the rabbits...we have 9 little souls dependent on us through this thing.

We already picked up extra antibiotics, critical care, extra pellets, hay blocks, apple dumplings etc.

But I started stressing about veg for the buns.

Not that they wouldn't be fine with just pellets and hay, they would be BUT I worry
about them having to go without fresh veg & the sudden change of that.
We did get extra things that tend to last longer in the fridge like carrots, fennel, turnip.

And we did get extra veg and fruit to throw into the dehydrator.

Atleast that would be something and they love dehydrated treats so none of it will go to waste.

But it's crazy out there...and it's just starting which is the scarier part!

the pellets we buy were all sold out, luckily the store owner saved bags for us!

The canned good selves are near empty, the pasta and toilet paper aisles are completely empty...

sure the stores will get more, but at some point you'll not want to go out if you can help it &

hoarders will hoard and gashers will gash because the bulk of people basically suck!

I just hope what we've prepared for the buns is going to get us through.

And all of this comes from people eating contaminated meat the experts say!

Most of these epidemic and pandemic events are caused by eating animals...time to go vegan world!

And because people just are to stubborn to stay home and not travel it's spreading like wild fire.

I want to pull my hair out over the stupidity, stubbornness and selfishness of people.
I want to honestly smack people across the face when they tell me they still plan to go ahead & travel.
To them it might just be like getting a normal flu but to someone like my honey, it's a very real danger & threat, so why just not stay put, entertain yourself & kids at home and help us ALL be safer...argh!

Is there anything special that your doing for the animals in your care if you can't get to the store??

She Says NO More Snow

I told Korra-Soleil that she could open her eyes now...

...that the snow was melting & she'd be romping in the grass soon.

Migraine World Summit Whoot Whoot

Guys guys...the 2020 Migraine World Summit has started.
(well the opening talks with guests Witney Cummings & Olympian Amanda Beard are tonight
but the other videos begin next week on the 18th)

I took in all the info last year and it was so awesome...

it's 8 days of talks & info from world leading migraine doctors and specialists.

I tuned in online last year & I was amazed by how supported I felt, because usually I feel very isolated with this chronic neurological disease and this year seems heavy on the stigma of living

with this invisible disease which I think will be really important information to get under our belts.

If I disappear on you this week, it's because

a) my honey is getting really sick from his treatments now

and b) I am busy taking advantage of all the info from the Summit.

I hope any migraine sufferers out there will check it out,

it's a super empowering event for a super debilitating disease.

I did miss quite a bit of the days last year because I was stuck in bed with a migraine BUT

they have all the videos accessible for free online for a few days after they are posted,

so you don't have to rush too much.  I highly recommend not missing the opening talks
which I am currently listening to but not necessarily watching, as I lay on my studio floor with
our sweet Lydia, as I nurse another migraine!

Spring Has Sprung

The snow is melting super fast & all the buns are visibly excited that Spring is here...

& I can't WAIT for long slow days outside with flowers & pencils and all the buns and my hon.

2 Year Old Lydia Loo

Today is our Lydia's birthday.  We're guessing as to the exact date of course but she's 2 years old now.

Lydia is a very extraordinary rabbit.  A rescue we fought to bring home.  A dream come true really.

Elara The Original

Did I ever show you this little painting? It's titled "Elara"

 It will be listed along with some other originals in my shop very soon XO

Pacifica Bombs

Pacifica is a cruelty-free 100% vegan company and one of my all-time favorites.

My sweet sweet man surprised me with these a little while back. (the packaging is gorgeous, holy)

He said, I was having a hard time so I needed a treat and he knew I wouldn't buy them for myself....

Swoon, yes I am swooning...both over the loveliest guy of mine & cause they're the loveliest goodies.

Snow Play

Some snow fun at the end of winter...

I always admire the buns adaptability.

Tiny Hidden Gems

They are just small elements of many of a much larger detailed picture but still...

This little duckling & rabbit are suddenly one of my favorite things I've ever made!

Fuzzy Delights

His royal fuzzy cuteness Barnaby Fizz...

This little guy has a huge personality & is one of my best friends.

Don't forget the bunnies of our micro-sanctuary have their own Instagram stream.

(and pssst....I have someone new for you all to meet later in the week).

Airabella Almost Done

Airabella has started whispering her story to me...

Hop on by my Instagram to see what else I am working on.

Live Laugh Hope

Happy Sunday All...

From our cozy living room to yours...hope your laughing & hoping XO