A 'Spring' Update!

 Hello everyone! I hope you are all safe and well!

I am aware that for some it is still summer where you live, but it's beginning to feel very much like Spring here, and the feeling is most welcome! We do officially have one more month of winter to endure in Bluebell Oaks, but as Bob Blackberry says, 'The trees and flowers don't bother about the labels of months and specified times; they'll bloom when they know the time is right!' 

Which is why I wanted to share a few photos of the Cottontail family making the most of the clear blue skies and warm afternoon, even if it is a little early to declare Spring. I felt I was well overdue an update from Bluebell Oaks!  

It has been such a long time since Primrose wore her straw hat! But with the sun was so warm this afternoon, her mother, Sorrel, insisted she wear it. 

The most exciting thing happening outside in the garden is all the growth and blooms of flowers. The bluebells have awoken from the depths of the ground!

There is a wonderful aroma filling Primrose and Parsley's noses; so sweet, the sort of fragrance you want to sniff all day. It's coming from these beautiful Daphne flowers.

And these pansies have bravely poked up their lovely faces too!

Basil and Sorrel are enjoying some quiet time down the meadow. 

"Here you are love, a wildflower for my own flower."

"A daisy! My favourite! Thank you!" 

When Basil first fell in love with Sorrel back when they were scarcely little more than teenagers, he was so poor he could never afford to buy her the bouquets of fancy flowers and roses that others bought for their sweethearts, so he resorted in despair to giving her bunches of daisies that he picked near the roadsides. Thankfully, Sorrel always said that she loved his wildflowers more than any store-bought roses. All the same, Basil vowed to himself that, someday, if he were lucky enough to marry Sorrel, he would somehow give her the most beautiful and exotic flowers one could imagine. And here they are, fifteen years on, as the proud owners of the Village Florist and flower farm. 

But wildflowers still have a special place in Sorrel's heart, even amongst all her roses, tulips, orchids and petunias that she tends everyday. 

It's just as well his parents are distracted, because Chive is enjoying some much anticipated exploring. Some of which, may be a little dangerous.

"The king of the castle!"

Be careful up there Chive!

Poor Parsley is still stuck at the bottom!

They've also discovered a very interesting hole! 

"This could be our secret hideaway, Parsley!" Chive said. "No one would find us when we come here to play!"

Parsley is not so sure. He learnt about insects this week at nursery, and he thinks those white threads in the dark hole look suspiciously like spider web! I fear he may be right!

I hope you all have a wonderful week! I appreciate every one of you that reads my blog and I love hearing from you in the comments! : )

A New Home for the Buckleys-Part Two

At last, after 10 months of renovations and moving, the Buckley family are nicely settled in their new home! Today they would like to give you a tour! (if you want to read part one of the story, you can find it here)
                                                             

It was Mrs Buckley who first came up with the name for the new house. When she suggested it to me, I was slightly hesitant, because it's quite a mouthful. But I think the name is fitting; it matches the pretty blue colour of the roof and ties in also with how the house was forgotten about for years.
So welcome to Forget-Me-Not Cottage!

"Hello there!" Heath was just having a game of soccer with the children but he will be happy to show you inside!

The Buckleys have cleaned up the old abandoned house alot since they bought it, and now it feels much more homely. "Please come in."

The first room you enter upon arrival is the living room. Meadow and Heath did the wallpapering themselves to save cost.

Here in the corner is a painting that Meadow bought when she was at the Summer Market a few months ago. She thought she would splash out a little because it would look perfect in their living room, and she wanted to help support the artist-a young rabbit she had never met before, by the name of Briar Wildwood.

Now that she is in her new home, Meadow finally has the kitchen she always wanted. It is so large and spacious compared to the one in their old house!

Originally, I was unsure about using this wallpaper in the kitchen. The rest of the house was already decorated in floral paper, and I didn't want to go too florally. But I actually really love this wallpaper; I think it blends so well with the house's colours and creamy paint.

Today Meadow is going to make a pavlova as a special treat for dessert. It is simple and inexpensive recipe, consisting of mainly egg whites and caster sugar, and whipped cream to serve, but it feeds her large family.

Here we have a downstairs view:

Straight upstairs, we find the bunk beds that the children, Maria and Freddy, share.
Their beds aren't usually this tidy, but their mother made them make them in preparation for the visit.
"People will be looking at our house," she told them, "I don't want them to think we live like wild animals!"

Across from the children's bunks is where Meadow and Heath sleep.

Meadow loves sleeping right by the balcony. She has always dreamed of living in a house with a balcony, and it was one of the features that attracted her to this house.

But of course, the main thing she loved was the nursery. In their old home, the babies were having to use the attic as a nursery. But now, they have a whole room to themselves.

Meadow decided the nursery walls were abit plain so she decided to try her hand at painting the pictures that were already carved on the walls to make them stand out more.

She is grateful for the nursery more than ever right now. That's because there has been an unexpected new addition to the family since they moved in. There she is, lying in her crib by her big sister Rose. She was supposed to be having her afternoon nap, but young Lavender Fern Buckley is proving to be a very uncooperative sleeper.

All Meadow's other five children were quite well-behaved and peaceful babies, but Lavender is something else entirely. Every since she was born, she's had that naughty glint in her eye that makes Meadow wonder what her youngest will be like in a few years. Something tells her she is going to be a handful-she already is!

Somehow though, she uses her cuteness to make up for all the long nights and stubborn behaviour she exhibits.
"Coo," she said innocently as her photo was taken.

At least having the nursery is a bit of a relief to Meadow. The babies can play happily by themselves for hours.

Oscar loves the blocks. He is going to build the biggest tower!

On the other side of the room is the shelf where Meadow likes to store all the baby things. Blankets, milk powder, toys, bottles-somehow the nursery never seems to be tidy!

Sometimes she likes to go out on the balcony to have some fresh air and enjoy the views of their somewhat still slightly overgrown garden.

"Mummy!"
Oscar loves his little balcony too.

An upstairs view:

Another benefit of Forget-Me-Not Cottage is its big garden. The children spend lots of time playing out there. Mr Buckley took the opportunity to start their own vegetable garden and he is loving teaching his children about growing, tending, and harvesting plants.
Heath kept a small garden as a boy but when he married Meadow and became a father other things took over in his life and he had little time to spare for hobbies. Just last week, though, they harvested their first pumpkin and Meadow made a delicious pumpkin pie following her friend Velvette Honeyfur's recipe, and the radishes look as though they are about ready. Heath believes it is never too late to rekindle green thumbs.
He thinks next Spring they will expand the veggie garden and perhaps he will even plant a few fruit trees too. He is sure Bob Blackberry will be able to offer him some advice.

Everyone smile!

Thanks for reading! 

Happy Easter from Bluebell Oaks!

Hello friends!
I hope you are all keeping safe and well! Here in New Zealand we are all in lockdown and thankfully the virus hasn't hit us too severely yet. Even though this can be a strange time, I think it can be a great oppurtunity, for myself at least, to just slow down in life and be still for once. I'm usually stressed or fretting about something, whether assignments, tests, or just general busy routine life, but this has been a chance for me to have some peace, even amongst everything going on right now.

For now, have a wonderful Easter! Have fun and eat some yummy chocolates!
Love and best wishes from all the villagers of Bluebell Oaks!

A Glimpse into the Life of Briar Wildwood

Wow! It has been a loong time since I last posted! Too long, I'm afraid. To be honest these last few months I was feeling very uncreative and unmotivated in regard to Sylvanians. I did, however still make a couple of second-hand purchases off TradeMe; some Thistlethorn mice, which I have always wanted, and a Wildwood rabbit.
So without further ado, I would like to introduce you to Briar Wildwood.  : )

One of the meanings of 'briar' is wild rose. Alongside the fact that her last name is 'Wildwood', no one in Bluebell Oaks or the surrounding area could perhaps have a more fitting name than Briar Wildwood herself!

Let me tell you why...

Briar has always had a strong desire to be outside. As a little girl she had trouble sitting still inside a classroom, despite being a fairly bright student. At high school, her art class soon became her main outlet for her headstrong and creative nature.
As she approached her last school days, everyone had different ideas about what path she would choose. Her art teacher, naturally, wanted her to apply for the some of the best art colleges in Sylvania. Her biology teacher thought she might go on to study zoology or botany. Her parents were expecting her to go off to university or possibly become a horticulturist.
She shocked them all by choosing not one of their ideas. Instead, she moved out and became an artist straight out of school. She told her upset art teacher that she couldn't stand another three years of sitting in a college clasroom.

She lives in a rundown old caravan in the woods, where the river hums gently nearby and there is nothing but her and the trees and the flowers and the birds, and the crickets that sing her softly to sleep every night.

Her parents were more than a little distraught. But her father had always said: 'Briar will be as free as a rose,' and he was right. She always was a little more untameable than her other siblings.

Briar can spend hours just sitting at her easel in the woods, working up a storm. She spends almost everyday off somewhere in the woods around her caravan with her paints. It's just as well she never seems to get lost, because if she did, no one would be able to track her down.

When Briar first bought her caravan, it was so rundown and that's what made it so cheap. It still isn't top notch, but Briar decorated it herself with her own design and flair. She likes the slightly rustic feel of it.

The walls were too plain so Briar felt the need to decorate them herself. It felt much more homely and brighter when she had added some of her own possesions and artistic talent.

Her bed is the window seat, which doubles as the couch. It's surprisingly comfortable despite being abit lumpy.

Briar gets asked often if she feels lonely out in the woods all by herself. And the truth is, although she does miss her family, she doesn't feel lonely.

Ever since she could hold a pencil, her favourite thing to draw has been a rose. Now, at 20, she has rather mastered it, but she never tires of drawing her good old friend, the rose.

Her old school books are covered in drawings, sketches and doodles of plants and flowers, alongside masses of pencil drawn roses.

She also decorated the bathroom herself, going with a blue theme.

Every morning she likes to sponge her face with cold water to wake herself up.

Briar keeps the place clean and tidy, especially her little kitchen.

Her baking skills aren't too bad, although she doesn't mind eating burnt toast or stale bread from time to time.

Most of her food, she collects from the woods. Briar finds something so refreshing in living off the bounty of the land, almost like it is one more step towards total freedom.

There is something inside her that seems to come alive when she is out in the woods painting.

She never runs out of inspiration and beautiful places to set up her easel.

Why is it that she has always felt more at home with the wind in her fur, roaming the land, than at home or in the village shopping with the other girls? Nature never seems to present her with any of the kind of worries she used to face.

Sometimes in the evenings after dinner, Briar does a little bit more painting, just outside the caravan before it gets too dark to see.
When the daylight has faded she brushes her teeth and goes to bed. She likes to sleep with her windows open so the crickets outside can sing her their lullaby more clearly. Often the gentle symphony is accompanied by the note of an owl.

Every now and then when painting is finished for the day, Briar will spend the afternoon just walking in the woods. As a little girl she used to love exploring the forest near their house, and her heart still pounds for adventure.

Sometimes, when the wild mushrooms are in full bloom or the berries are ripe, she takes her basket and collects what she can of the food nature provides for her.

This autumn the berries are particularly huge.
There will be blackberry pie tonight for sure, and probably for the days to come as well!

Sometimes, when Briar is sitting on the riverbank in the late afternoon sun, dangling her feet in the cool water, she thinks about what her life might be like now if she had taken another path when she left school. If she had bowed to the expectations of her teachers and parents, her life would be very different.
It took awhile for her art to supply her with enough of an income, but in the last few months it has started to take off. In fact, the demand for her paintings in the village is really blossoming.
Looking back, she is beyond glad that she allowed her headstrong nature to get the better of her back in those final months of school, when she made the decision, against all other voices in her life, to pursue her dream.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck around these last three and a half months waiting for me to post something! Working on this project of Briar's caravan was really fun and just what I needed to get back into Sylvanians. I'm not too proud of my irregular blogging and am planning to start posting again much more frequently!
I just want to say that I really appreciate everyone who looks at my blog and comments on it! You are all so lovely!

Have a great week!