A Hop through Bunnyville

Well hellooooooooo and Hoppy New Year! I must say that I am really happy that 2019 is here. Last year was emotionally rough on me, but like everything, one lives and one learns. I'm headed into this year with fresh eyes and a little bit of sass to boot! LOL!!! ;)

David finished painting my studio! We moved into Bayfield Cottage in April of 2017. Slowly, we have been painting each room and the outside of the cottage too! My studio has had spackle all over for months, but now is fresh and clean and.... I looooooove it! What a wonderful Christmas present he gave me!

So here's a little hop around. As you head up the stairs, Blackie Bunny is there to greet you. He is the keeper of the gate. I pet his head on the way up as a ritual to get the creative energy flowing.

This is how the room looked before we painted. The green grey walls were waaay to dark for my liking. I don't like dark walls, especially in a studio. I need as much light as I can get.

Here's how it looks after a fresh coat of Sherwin Williams, Aged White. I know all the grey colors are in style now, but I'm not one to follow what everyone else is doing. Plus.... grey makes me depressed. I can't stand it. It makes me feel like I'm living in a rain cloud or worse yet, in the middle of a hurricane! LOL! Anyway, I love warm whites and this was the perfect color for my Calm, Clean, Serene aesthetic. I also purchased this kitchen island from a local family. It's custom made, super heavy and solid wood. I use this island to put kits together and package orders. I also sit on the stool and draw here.

This is what the island looked like when I got it. It was a distressed ivory color, which was nice, but I wanted to paint it black to anchor the room.

Sabrina is such a good girl and doesn't jump on any counter tops or furniture she not supposed to be on. She knows what places she is allowed to hang out. She loves this little hidey spot in the basket in the island.

The light coming into this room is absolutely wonderful. I'm going to make something to go in the frames.

As you look around Bunnyville, you will notice that I don't have a lot of "stuff" everywhere. To be honest, I can't function in clutter. I'm claustrophobic and if too much stuff is around, I can't work or be creative. My eye needs to rest on clean surfaces. Also, I practice the art of "Lagom," which means "not too little, not too much." I'm not a minimalist and I'm not a hoarder. I'm simply somewhere in the middle and choose to surround myself with things that have meaning. My supplies are tidy, organized and placed behind closed doors and cabinets.

So that being said, while I have a lot of artwork and gifts from friends, I decided to keep things simple here in Bunnyville, giving me good work surfaces to design and package orders. Here are some things I chose to display.

This hat box was painted for me by my friend Becky Wheeler in 1998. It says, "The Raspberry Rabbits Tea Room." When she gave me this piece, I said, "Oh wow... if I ever have a business, I'm going to call it The Raspberry Rabbits." Now you know where I got the name. ;)

I have always loved and admired the work of folk artist, Jo James of Cart Before the Horse. Years ago, I commissioned her to make this piece for me.

Esmeralda is my muse. She was painted for me by my incredibly talented friend, Jules Woolford. I have a lot of Jules' artwork in my cottage. She is one of my most favorite artists, not to mention a dear friend.

Buddha Bunny was given to me by my friend, Judy Currie. He always brings peace and positive energy to Bunnyville. I rub his belly for luck. ;)

This felted bunny was made by folk artist, Susan Pilotto.  My friend, Margaret Bouwmeester, gave it to me as a gift. Stitched on the pincushion in French, it says, "The Raspberry Rabbit." LOVE!

This tree of life is a new piece of art that I purchased this year. It is handmade by an artisan in Haiti. It is cut from an old oil barrel.

Ortega the bunny is an original piece of folk art I found in Savannah, GA. It's signed by the artist, Joe Ortega. The paper cut is a gift from my friend Lydia. I had it professionally framed by my friends, Mary Ann and Mary Kay. There is also a little wooden box from my friend, Sallieann Harrison.

Here's a close up of the little box,  I just love it.

Another treasured paper cut from Lydia, Charlie the rabbit sitting on my box of dreams, an antique pincushion and a real ivy plant. I prefer real plants or dried flowers over plastic "fish tank" looking greenery.

David bought this lamp for me many years ago for our anniversary. The plant is also real. It's baby tears. The pincushion was made for me by my dear friend Donna Liljegren. The coaster is my rabbit logo and was needle punched for me by fellow designer and friend, Missie Carpenter.

Time spent in Bunnyville is always time well spent. I purchased this clock from Pottery Barn Teen many years ago. It broke this summer and I found a company to fix it. It took a month to get it back, but it was worth it. I didn't want to throw it in the landfill. People throw too much away anymore.

Eventually, I will have all the carpet taken out and replaced with wood floors. Yes, carpet is another thing I can't stand. Dirty, dusty and the space between the carpet and baseboard gets so icky and is a pain to clean! Yep... I'm a clean freak. ;)

Thank you for visiting with me and for taking a hop through Bunnyville! I'll see ya back here next week.

Light, love and friends,
Michelle, the Bunnies and Sabrina kitty too