The Urso Majors

July 16, 2018July 16, 2018 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Miki de Goodaboom

Well, I guess it is time to introduce “The Urso Majors”:

Ann La Mar, Yorkshire girl, reporter at Goteddy , cook, writer, and much more…
Truffle McFurry, Teddy from over the moon, traveller and writer and supporter of all Teddy bears around the world
me, Miki de Goodaboom, French artist, mathematician and writer

We three have visited together many places in North Yorkshire during September 2016. The result is a series of illustrated books written by us and illustrated by me..

The first volume is set to be published in ebook form very soon.

We will keep you updated!

01 Ann Truffle and Miki S

My First Advent Calendar

December 1, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

I am so over the moon!

This year my parents have decided that I should have an advent calendar! So my Dad went to the nice big shop downstairs, “Home Sweet Home”, that shop where he had adopted me almost 5 years ago now. And he got me a beautiful calendar, with a fabulous Santa on it and all the 24 doors.

So today I put on my nice Christmas cardigan, it was a gift from my Grand-Ma last year. And then we three sat around the calendar and we opened the first door. It was a very important ceremony, and we took all the time of the world to do it.

Behind the door there was a very cute chocolate snowman. Better than what was behind Auntie Ann’s door: she got a Minion!

There was also the letter H, and a picture of a reindeer in the snow. It is very nice. I don’t know what the letter “H” means… perhaps it means “Happy”? I am certainly very HAPPY! Can’t wait to open the next door tomorrow!

Love you all

Take Care

Truffle xxx

PS: If you are interested in prints of this painting, they are available in many different sizes on paper, metal, canvas, wood, etc. Also on pillows, covers, phone cases, Tote bags, shower curtains, T-shirts, notebooks, towels and many more. Just click on the painting, it will bring you to Miki de Goodaboom’s online shop.

Upside Down Christmas With Paddingtons And Piccadilly

November 30, 2017November 30, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Ann La Mar

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

In my role as roving reporter for Miki I am given all sorts of interesting tasks. I was thrilled to be put on Paddington Patrol.

I was keen to get on with this so while on a shopping trip in Yarm I was over the moon to find Paddington in Waterstones book shop window. I had my phone out in a flash and began taking photos. Looking closely at the scene it was really quite amusing. A big Paddington was surrounded by Paddington books and behind him was a Christmas tree with gingerbread men, candy canes and little Paddington decorations. The thing that caught my eye was this cute little Paddington suspended upside down from the top of the tree clinging on to the branches he really looked as though he had made an early start on the Christmas sherry! I couldn’t wait to get home to send Miki the pictures.

Once home I was thinking of this poor little Paddington and asking myself why I didn’t buy him and rescue him from his precarious position. I mentioned this to Miki and of course she said ‘Why didn’t you’!

First thing the next morning, feeling rather guilty I went back to Waterstones and asked the girl in the shop if I could possibly rescue the poor little Paddington from their window display. She was very amused and proceeded to get him from the tree. He was suspended by his leg with fishing line poor little thing. This little bear had ‘spoken’ to me and we had a connection so he was the only one I wanted. I was delighted to set him free and bring him home.

Next came his name, as the real Paddington bear was named after Paddington station where he was found and Miki and Truffle have Euston bear from Paddington’s family living with them, I decided this family member must also be named after a station. I looked at the underground stations and came up with Piccadilly because he was in a Pickle when I first saw him and ‘dilly’ loosely means delighted and I was certainly delighted to have him. Miki loves his name and thinks it is very funny and so like an ‘upside down’ Paddington.

Prince Gulliver And Princess Lily

November 28, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

In September 2016, Truffle, my partner Kevin and me flew from Alicante (Spain) to Manchester (England). Truffle and me were going on a tour of North Yorkshire with Ann la Mar: a painting trip and a teddy bear trip. We had in mind to adopt some of the bears we would find on our way.

Well, we didn’t need to wait long. On the catalogue of the Easyjet plane, we saw that they had 2 bears for sale, Prince Gulliver and Princess Lily. I didn’t doubt one minute: they had to go back to Spain with us.

I was a bit embarrassed though, not really used to but myself bears in public those days. So I asked Kevin to do it. The stewardess smiled at him, a bit ironically:

“You really want both?”

He could not resist “betraying” me. He said

“Yes! They are for her… she paints them!’

I felt like hiding under the seat! But the woman gave me a wonderful smile and a very nice conversation followed. From that moment, I never needed to be embarrassed again adopting teddy bears in the UK. They all love them, and it does not matter if you are a child or an adult, they understand you! Except if you are a rock star like Kevin, of course, you need to look cooler than that in public!!!

The other day Truffle tweeted the painting of our royal bears to EasyJet, and a person from the company answered at once:

“Please adopt me and take me to Andalusia too! I’m not as lovable or furry as Gulliver or Lilly but I’ll do the dishes…Robbie”

There was then a funny exchange between Robbie and Truffle.

I tell you what: that was enough to make me and Truffle love EasyJet!!!! And we will fly with them as often as we can.

And NO, Robbie hasn’t paid us to make advertising for them! 🙂

PS: If you are interested in prints of that painting, they are available in many different sizes on paper, metal, canvas, wood, etc. Also on pillows, covers, phone cases, Tote bags, shower curtains, T-shirts, notebooks, towels etc. Just click on the painting, it will bring you to my shop online.

Toto Et Lolo

November 25, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

After introducing my Aristobears, Lord Albert/Duchess Alba and Lord Winston/Duchess Laila, here is another couple which we have adopted this year. They came from England, and arrived to us with Ann La Mar, our friend reporter here at GoTeddy,

I regularly go and spend time with my Mom, a wonderful 92 year old lady, who, like me, started loving teddy bears as we adopted our very first bear Truffle McFurry. Every time I go there, I take with me my new children, and introduce them to their grand-mother.

As she saw this couple, she laughed and said

“Toto et Lolo!”

In France we call “Toto et Lolo” a couple which has been together for ages, and can’t be without each other. In modern language, we would say “a fusional couple”.

So, here they are, my Toto et Lolo. For those who are not aware: Toto is the man, Lolo is the woman. And for those who know a bit more about teddy Bears, they are “Russ bears”.

Lord Winston And Duchess Laila

November 23, 2017November 23, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Miki de Goodaboom (Text and Illustration)

After having introduced you to my first couple of Aristobears, “Lord Albert and Duchess Alba”, it is today the tour of my second couple, “Lord Winston and Duchess Laila”. They both come from Wales, which I toured during 10 days on a painting trip in September 2017.

We found Lord Winston in an antique shop in a beautiful town called “Machynlleth”, the day we drove from the North to the South of Wales. He majestuously sat on a red throne, he was simply splendid. I did photographs of him, and then said goodbye. But my partner insisted that I could not leave him there, that I had to adopt him.

“How could I, he is much too big to bring him back home in the plane!”

“I will find a way!”

Well, he found a way. Don’t ask me how he did it, but Lord Winston lives now here with us in Spain. I would love to know about his previous life, with whom and where he lived before he retired in the antique shop. One important thing I do know about him, as a beautiful booklet is attached to him and tells an illustrated story about him. You would not believe it, considering his aristocrat origin, but he was a Go-Kart driver!!! His friends helped him building a new go-kart and he won the race. He said

“It is good to have friends like that!”

As for Duchess Laila, we found her in a Welsh charity shop, but I don’t remember where exactly. She obviously is a ballerina, the cutest ballerina ever! As with my first Aristobear couple, it was love at first glance between her and Lord Winston. I was a bit concerned, because of the age difference, but they both convinced me that love has nothing to do with age. And indeed, they seem so happy together, enjoying also the company of Lord Albert and Duchess Alba! Lord Albert and Lord Winston look so similar somehow, I sometimes wonder if they are brothers…

We Love Paddington Movies

November 16, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki De Goodaboom)

A long time ago I told you about Euston, our little bear from Paddington Bear’s family, who arrived all the way alone from England. We all had many discussions to find the right name for him, he wanted to be called “Paddington” too, but my Mom Miki said we could not do it, because there is only one Paddington.

But now we have it, he is called “Euston”. Because he took the train at Euston Station in London, to come to us in Spain.

We have watched together the first Paddington movie, we love it so much! And now we can’t wait to see the new one, everybody says it is great. My parents said we will look at it for Christmas. What a wonderful Christmas gift for the whole family!

Love you all

Take care

Truffle xxx

We Love Paddington S

I Am A Witch

November 14, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

Hello everybody!

The other day Auntie Ann La Mar went shopping for her Christmas tree in England, and she came back with lots of photos of very beautiful Christmassy stuff. She sent them to us, we were over the moon, it really was as if it was Christmas already!

There were some witches, they looked fabulous. Auntie Ann told us that they were the witches of Pendle. I thought witches are all bad, but one of them looked quite nice. I asked my Mom Miki to paint me as one of his witches, together with the nice witch.

She said:

“I am not sure I am allowed to do so, Truffy… because of the copyright thing…”

She explained to me once what a thing it is, that copyright. I have forgotten. Anyway I asked her 100 of times again, until she said yes!

“Truffy, if they put me in jail, it will your fault!”

Would they put my Mom in jail because she painted that lovely painting of me? Surely not! And if they do, I will go down to the street, with all my brothers and mates, and make a big revolution to free her!

Take care

Truffle xxx

The Witches Of Pendle S

Mr Bean’s Teddy

July 26, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / 1 Comment

By Miki de Goodaboom

I was once a big fan of Mr Bean, one of the rare TV comic figures who did manage to make me laugh. There are not so many!

These days, I did not know Teddy Bears, I had not met my Truffle McFurry yet, and had had none as a child. I certainly did not get it with the Teddy Bear love, and to my deep shame today, I even ignored them. Which is why I did not even know that Mr Bean’s best friend was his Teddy Bear “Teddy”!

Here is what I found about him on the “Mr Bean Wiki”:

“…Teddy (born in August 15) is Mr. Bean‘s teddy bear, generally regarded as Mr Bean’s best friend. The bear is a dark brown, knitted oddity with button eyes and sausage-shaped limbs, invariably ending up broken in half or in various other states of destruction and disfiguration. Although Teddy is inanimate, Mr Bean occasionally pretends it is alive. For example, when Mr Bean hypnotises Teddy, he snaps his fingers and the bear’s head falls backwards as if it has fallen asleep instantly (Bean used his finger to prop Teddy’s head up). Certainly, Bean behaves as if the bear is real, buying it a Christmas present or trying not to wake it in the mornings. The bear is often privy to Mr. Bean’s various schemes and doubles as a good dish cloth or paint brush in an emergency; it has been decapitated (“Mr. Bean in Room 426”) and shrunk in the wash (“Tee Off, Mr. Bean”). In the animated series, he has a girlfriend. It is actually Irma Gobb’s teddy (Lottie), which doesn’t appear in the original series.

Over the years, Teddy has undergone several changes. When it debuted on The Trouble with Mr. Bean, it had a smaller head. Two episodes later, its head reached its current size, but its “eye” wasn’t present until Bean placed gold thumb tacks on its face. The “eyes” have since been replaced with two small white buttons sewn over Teddy’s face, giving it a distinct image…”

Well, I guess I will have to look at Mr Bean again. I do need to see him with teddy. In the meanwhile I have painted them together… based on toys, which were given to me last year…

Mr Bean And Teddy S

Aunties Lola De Goodaboom And Fanny De Bearymoore

July 24, 2017 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Miki de Goodaboom

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom)

As I said it in my previous post about Teddies Lily Lavender and Blessed baby Christine, I fell in love at once with the Boyds bears. I started hunting for them on the net, and found out that there were so many, and so cute! Unfortunately most of them live in the USA, and to get them to Spain, is very expensive. But by birthday was coming these days, and it became a Boyds bear feast!

Here is the first I bought myself. originally called “Auntie Lola Boyds”. I kept the vorname as I found it very well fitting. Also, her being already of advanced age, she could not get used to a new name. But her family name changed, she is a “De Goodaboom”, like all bears coming from my self. She arrived all the way from the USA, flying all alone in a plane!

The second one is Aunt Fanny Freemont-Boyds, renamed “Auntie Fanny De Bearymoore”, as she was a birthday gift from my partner and “Go Teddy” reporter Kev Moore, alias “Kev le Chat”. She came from the UK.

Now they both live on Planet Goodaboom, and spend their time chatting together, probably telling each other stories from home and from their long life… I wished I could understand their language!

Aunties Lola De Goodaboom And Fanny De Bearymoore S