New Beginnings

It's been a while since I've written anything on my blog. I thought I'd take a break from the computer for a while to try and get myself organized. I'm still setting up my studio, such a huge job and I'm not done yet! Oy! 

We're down to 3 weeks now, before my husband retires and it's getting very exciting. Finally, we'll be able to work on the house and garden full time. I've also been making a new website and blog. Hard! Between submitting my YA novel, knitting bunnies and creating some greeting card illustrations it'll probably take me all summer before my website and blog are finished. I've decided not to fret about it, but take my time. After all, they say it's the journey not the destination that counts. 

David I were having coffee on the deck this morning when a robin started making a big racket from our dogwood tree.

You can see the dogwood there, off in the distance.

 Here's bit of a close-up. Kind of a cloudy day and as you can see, my pictures aren't the greatest. When I looked down over the railing I realized what all the fuss was about. 

Hidden amongst the wisteria blooms was the most precious little nest I've ever seen. I hope I haven't scared mama away. I think we shouldn't use the back porch til the babies are hatched, but David says we can't live our lives around a robin. Boo. We can't?  I hope she returns, I'd love to be part of that genesis; good excuse to get my grandsons over here to see it. 

Too cute.

View from the ground. The nest is right near the red arrow and in line with my table. 

 Another section of the yard, looks pretty even when it's a mess. I've neglected my poor garden for about three years, now. The first year I was writing my YA novel. The second, I broke my foot. And third, last year, I was in school trying to learn how to start my little business. Now that's finally over, I'm sure the garden will be beautiful again in no time. A perfect place for David and I to start the next chapter of our lives together. Here's to new beginnings, simple pleasures and lovely weekends. This I wish for you.  

"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them."
— A.A. Milne

Soul Searching

 My son Ben and his sweet fiance Jenna, gave me this beautiful Calla lily for mother's day. Such a sparkling addition for my garden. 

I was doing a little soul searching today while I wandered through my sanctuary and feeling a tad disappointed in myself. Disappointed because I was backing out of the craft show I was supposed to do on June 4th. and I'm not sure how I felt about it. Though once the decision had been made, to say I was relieved is an understatement. So I guess that says something. 

I was fighting with myself over whether my backing out was really legitimate or just me retreating again? Not pushing myself. Even while I was saying yes, 

2 wks earlier, I worried about the time frame for producing my product. I know Kelly Rae Roberts said she did her first craft fair with hardly anything. All I can say to that is, she's young and brave. 

It was flattering in the beginning that somebody wanted me to be part of something so grand and I really expected to make a big splash with it; finally, what I'd hoped for. But when time flashed by quick as a lightening bolt, I knew there was no way I was going to be ready. Plus, I was starting to completely stress out and my life was not so fun anymore. So much for bursting my boundaries.

Afraid to back out and afraid to go on. I had to decide if the pressure I was going through was worth it. It wasn’t. Ultimately, I’m the only one who can feel my pain. If I'm not ready, I'm not ready. No sense beating myself up over it, I say, trying to bolster my courage and feeling yellow as new leaves.

 

 I came to my conclusion while photographing this enchanting Jack and the Beanstalk cloud, that following my heart was the only answer. That, and forgiving myself which is major, if I'm ever going to plow through this gigantic roadblock I've sat behind my whole life. 

So I settled on being okay with me, to move at my own pace and try again in the fall. I called and cancelled. Candice was so kind and understanding and didn't hold anything against me. Whew, what a relief! We talked about the fall and Christmas. I'm going to take the summer to regroup and create as much as I possibly can now that I have such a wonderful place to work. So, onward and upward as my dear mother always says. There are illustrations to paint and bunnies to knit. 

Here's to a positive summer with dainty pink daisies and many little Jinxie's to keep me happy.

Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. 

--Pooh's Little Instruction Book, inspired by A.A. Milne.

Happy Mother's Day, Mum!

Summer Babies

May is here already and I'm dying to dig in my garden, if it would ever stop raining, that is.

The clouds can hide the sun but they can't hide the gorgeous flowers that lined the walkway of my grocery store today. 

Pansies are my favourite flower.

These next four photos were taken in my garden last Spring. I can hardly wait for those sunny days again.

My Rhodos are just beginning to poke their pretty little noses out. Soon the butterflies will be back.

When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and Think of Things, you find sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.
-- Pooh's Little Instruction Book, inspired by A. A. Milne

The Bunny's Are Coming! The Bunny's Are Coming!

There's places to go, people to see and plenty of excitement at the new Rare Rabbits Designs studio. 

 It's been a long time in the making and now the big day is here! The bunnies and I are finally all moved in to our new studio (well, almost all) and little 6,1/2 inch tall Bella Bunny's on her way to Rare Rabbits Designs, Etsy Shop. 

With her lovely hand embroidered flower hare-band

and favourite tiny toy Miss Mousey, 

she can hardly wait to be the first to sit in Rare Rabbits Designs shop window. 

 Come for a visit, bunnies love company.

Dog Walking Time

The nice thing about working for yourself is the flexibility and most days I stop what I'm doing to take puppy for a romp. We have a beautiful provincial park near our house where my husband and I like to walk. 

It's such a peaceful setting and right across the street was this monster of a machine that I have no idea what it is but I just loved it. I never noticed it before because I'm always so busy trying to find something pretty to photograph. 

The rust and hard structure of it made me look for more of that kind of beauty which I found on the locking gate posts in the park. 

 I tried sticking to my hunt of structured objects but in the woods every thing turns organic sooner or later. I found these mossy rails. Even though it is a fence and a structure, I see I can't help falling back into my old pattern of soft and pretty. It reminds me of a line in a story I wrote on a camping trip we took. 

The woods are soft and fragrant with the cleverness of cougars, keeping me rooted and sharp in its timber.  

Ever since I took an online blogging course, I've been practicing my photography methods. Here I've tried to duplicate the blurry backgrounds I so adore in the professional photos I see. I can do it occasionally at best. I think if I had a better camera, one that enables super close, closeups I'd be happy. I want to get so close as to capture a dew drop.   

I wish I knew what I was doing when I do manage to catch it. Usually I end up with the opposite of what I want, a blurry foreground and clear background. 

Sometimes it works,

like it did with my forget-me-nots.

Mostly it doesn't. Oh well, back to the drawing board and my studio. Bunnies await. 

Playing in the Yard

The first really warm spring day we've had here and I just couldn't stay indoors and work even though I have so much to do, it's supposed to rain tomorrow so I'll get back at it then. I usually take one day a week off anyway, I'd rather it was a rainy day than a sunny one. I had big plans for today and finishing my dear, Great Aunt Grace's bunnies was one of them. She's 92 years old and lives in New Brunswick. I was so pleased to get her order, Rabbit Hood and Maid Marian. 

And something else very exciting happened the other day. Clare thinks every day is exciting, such a lovely doggy smile!

I was asked to be part of a women's expo show on June 4th. I have no idea how to prepare for it though, which kind of worries me. Like how my table is supposed to look. 

I thought about it a lot while I was wandering through my yard. How much change do I bring? Do I incorporate tax into the final price and round it off so there aren't a bunch of nickels and dimes flying around? What if my mind goes blank while I'm counting out their change? Where do I buy the bags to put customer merchandise in?

Of course I'll need a pretty table cloth, and what about a sign that says Rare Rabbits Designs? 

What if I don't have enough stuff? I'll take orders if it comes to that, but I sure don't want to look unprofessional. Standing there like an idiot with 1 bunny comes to mind.  

I'll need to get a lot of greeting cards printed and book marks made between now and then. I could probably finish about 100 tasseled book marks, 2-3 an evening should do it. And somewhere in there I need to draw another design so I have at least 2 styles of bookmarks to present. The little bunnies I'm working on were intended to be the first 2 listings for my new Etsy shop. I don't know, now. Though I don't see how I can wait another 6 weeks before I list anything in my shop. Oh well, I'll figure it out Monday. Then there's my YA novel, Tale of the Black Mamba. This was the month I was going to start submitting again, Amazon just delivered my writer's market book. 

I think I'll just take it minute by minute. Tonight I'll make a schedule and stick to it. I often work best under pressure, or so my mother says. I suppose the worst that could happen is I never do it again. But I so want to succeed and be part of that world with all those creative people. 

I kind of thought having my own business was going to be slow and easy. You know, get in my studio and just create. It's much harder than I that. Oh, for the simple life of a caterpillar... 

or a magnolia blossom.