It's beginning to feel sort of like Christmas ..

... except for the heat and humidity! 

And I'm perpetually dressed in winter clothes. Note to my wardrobe people ... summer clothes would be enormously appreciated!

I've been at Giddy and Grace helping with the festive styling. Just adding some of my touches to the general splendor. And getting slightly hypnotised by all the red. 

 Festive felty friends!

 I'm sure you won't see me? I'm camouflaged.

 

Is that a partridge on my head? I'd prefer he found a pear tree to nest in. 

Love from Ruby. x

Mt Buller in a blizzard ...

I recently ventured up to Mr Buller in Victoria to fill my lungs with alpine air and feel the scrunch of snow beneath my red shoes. I believe it's a very pretty place but I couldn’t see much further than my nose due to the blizzardsome conditions. After a few hundred rounds of the toboggan run I headed indoors to warm up with a hot chocolate and lunch. I was rather tempted to eat this snowman’s carrot nose but thought he’d feel rather unhappy about both being cold and having no nose. 

Ruby visits Las Vegas!

I’ve been to Las Vegas! It's not the easiest place for an aware hare to keep herself calm. I'm used to starlight and all that neon made my ears start to flicker. It was however a very exciting adventure.

We went on a flight with the marvelous Maverick Helicopters, right into the Grand Canyon and had a picnic. I stayed high up on the table to avoid having to share my lunch or one of my limbs with any hungry snakes. I was absolutely terrified having not been in a helicopter before but our pilot and new friend Heiko was very competent and reassuring, which steadied my shaking knees.

We flew over Celine’s house and I waved. I may have seen her singing in the garden but it could have been a statue or mirage as we were a long way up and the heat was doing strange things to my eyes.

Love Ruby x

 

PS .. Hi to my new friends in Nevada - Sophia and Oliver!

If I were a biscuit ...

If I were a biscuit this is just how I’d be!  Sweet and buttery and filled with strawberry jam!

I had my moment of being a biscuit in March when Kate and I travelled to Sydney to deliver all the book illustrations to our lovely publisher.  I felt instantly at home when I saw this plate of sweeties that my new friend Mel had created for me.  It was a little bit strange eating myself but as soon as I tasted the strawberry jam the sweet deliciousness carried me away from that rather odd thought. 

Thanks Mel! 

Love Ruby x

 

A new book is born!

 

I know I’ve been a little out of touch socially. Well I admit a lot out of touch! Thank you to my friends who reminded me it’s been a year since my last post. (It's actually 11 months.) Consistency and dreaminess are a bit like oil and water and no matter how much I shake myself I can’t seem to possess both for more than a few seconds at a time. 

So here is my news - you might want to hold on to something - Kate and I have FINISHED our first picture book!!! It’s a book all about me. I feel slightly exposed being in the spotlight but I figure if I’m going to be in any light I’ll be happiest in one with spots. 

Looking back to last summer when the swishing and swirling of paintbrushes was the music of the studio, we had a book to finish and with that came as many moods as colours on Kate's palette.  Many, many, many hours, just Kate and I working around the clock. Some days went clockwise - these days Kate drew my legs and arms the right way. Then there were anticlockwise days - where my ears or hands looked like they belonged on a poodle. A cool compress calmed many moments as the mercury rose.  Throughout all we thought about our dear little readers with book in hand and kept painting. 

Here’s a photo I snapped as Kate was working one of the book’s illustrations. You will love the dress she paints for me. 

We especially love our new publishing family at Harper Collins. (Look out for tomorrow’s post to see what they did to welcome me!) My book - ‘Ruby Red Shoes’ will be out on November the 1st and I've already spoken with Santa to make sure he has plenty of stock in the NP. 

See you tomorrow,

Love Ruby x