A Bedroom and a British Bunny!

I apologize for not posting for a spell, I have been deep in the mountains of many cardboard boxes, winter clothes, and extra blankets.

Last Saturday night I returned from Rhode Island to two wonderful surprises! The first, was an actual bedroom! Since moving to Washington almost two years ago, our bedroom has been 30% bedroom and 70% storage room. It was piled floor to ceiling with boxes full of books, old VHS tapes, video gaming systems, notes, sketchpads, etc. A great deal of the boxes belonged to Ryan, who has saved them as he moved from Rhode Island to Chicago to Seattle. Every few months I have wished aloud that we could finally organize them and have a proper bedroom vs how shall I put it..."A hobo fort".

While I was in Rhode Island staying in a cozy bedroom at Aunt Joanie's, I said again to Ryan how wonderful it would be if we had an actual bedroom where we could really relax. Inspired by my offhand comment, he stayed up until 5am that night sorting through boxes, closets, and drawers to make it happen! (What a swell guy!) I was so delighted when I walked in I nearly cried. We have been finishing the project together. I hope to have some "after" pictures to share soon.

My second surprise was the arrival of Uncle Brendan Rabbit from Isobel Morrell's shop Coldham Cuddlies!

Isn't he wonderful?

Having seen my illustrations, it should come as no surprise that I go nuts for adorable woodland creatures in snappy clothes. And this rabbit is something special. Isobel Morrell hails from Warminster, England, where she creates fanciful creatures by hand. Her blog is an entertaining read for any illustrators who secretly long to be toy makers (ahem)--and other folks will enjoy it too! Ryan and I fell in love with her shop a few weeks ago, and 'Uncle Brendan' has just confirmed this love. He's beautifully stitched, sturdy and soft all in one hug! His clothes are delightful. I love the fabrics and colors she chose for him. Besides rabbits, Isobel also makes coyotes, bears of many types, foxes, and puppets! She also provides a service mending elderly stuffed animals who need some repairing after years of play. (Am I the only person who tears up at the thought of elderly stuffed animals getting a second chance? I blame the Velveteen Rabbit).

Isobel is great to deal with too, we have been enjoying a regular correspondence since my purchase. She is friendly, swift to deliver, and focused on the details! While I shop Etsy pretty regularly, it's rare I do a write up on my purchases. When I read blogs, I always feel like plugs between sellers are pretty transparent and I want to reserve my praises for the truly rare and amazing creations. Some folks feature sellers week to week, and I never want to get into that. I don't want my blog to be a commercial, I want it to be like a shared cup of coffee between friends, you know? Working from home, talking to you lovely folks often is my own break to chat over coffee in the afternoon. And Uncle Brendan is something I would definitely pull out of my purse to show you--YES HE WOULD BE IN MY PURSE, HOW ELSE WILL WE GO ON ADVENTURES?--Really, how can I resist bragging a little about this sweet fluffy fellow? I mean, just look at him!

He's made fast friends with Kitty Cucumber and Henry Badger.
(YES I AM 29 YEARS OLD, DEAL WITH IT).

Fuzzy AND noble.

AND HE HAS A TAIL! 

Since discovering Coldham Cuddlies, I have steered my sister and a few friends Isobel's way. Gracie particularly has fallen in love with Coldham Cuddlies' foxes, and has been besieging her boyfriend, myself, and all who know her to get Daddy Ferdinand Fox for her this Christmas.

So, the next time you've got a child--or a grown up child--to shop for, take a peek at what Coldham Cuddlies is offering! Whew, I'll stop now, before I get good at that!

And now I return to our new bedroom, where I have, like, 1000 tee shirts to decide the fate of! Or maybe I will just write about Halloween instead. Yes, I think I will do that. Stay tuned....