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.

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

Noel and His Christmas Friends

December 8, 2016December 8, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Ann La Mar

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on photographs by Ann La Mar)

As usual every few weeks I meet my friend for tea. This evening was just the same I set off early to avoid the rush hour traffic as it is normally gridlocked at this hour. To my surprise there was little traffic and plenty of parking spaces. I was now fifteen minutes early and my friend was sure to be five minutes late. I decided to go for a walk in the high street and headed towards the town Christmas tree, it was all blue and sparkly and looked lovely against the dark sky. I knew Miki would like it and we are having a sort of virtual Christmas so I took a picture to send her. It has become a favourite pastime of mine to find festive things she would like. The Christmas tree was on the cobbles outside the Oxfam shop. I have discovered that charity shops are a great place to find Teddy bears, although it is a bit sad because they are all there to find new homes.
This evening I was not disappointed, the window had three festive teddy bears displayed all sitting looking out at the Christmas tree. I just had to take pictures of them to send Miki later.
The next morning I was telling MIki about my evening and sent her the pictures. A few minutes later I heard my phone beep, it was miki saying how gorgeous the bears were and a message:

“Ann, is there a chance for me to get this one? But only if it does not mean too much work for you to go back there. I want a Christmas bear, Christmas is so special this year with you sharing everything with me…”

I needed to go to town so I set of on a mission to buy the Christmas bear, hoping he would still be there. If so it was meant to be and Miki would have her bear. As I parked another message arrived…the bear already had a name…

“If I get the bear, I will call him Noel… this is Bernard’s second name… always loved it…”

Now I must get Noel…I didn’t have a plan B if he wasn’t there and Miki would be devastated now he had a name. I got to Oxfam I hardly dare look in the window….what a relief he was sitting waiting for me. I went inside and asked the man if he would take him from the window for me…he was so gentle with him and said:

“ Isn’t he a lovely chap!”

I could tell he was a bear lover so I told him he was going to live in Spain with my friend who is an artist and paints teddy bears. He was genuinely interested and he said:

“Well he is dressed and ready to travel, he will have a lovely time”.

I payed and he gently handed him over. I was and am so happy to get him. I cannot begin to explain my feelings as I know how much Noel means to Miki.
I was now carrying Noel in his fine Christmas outfit in the high street…lots of people smiled at us…I’m sure it cheered them up on such a dreary day. I got him back to the car and took his picture to send to Miki with a message..

“Merry Christmas …get ready to welcome Noel!”

Not long after she replied:

“OH MON DIEU!!!! HE IS GORGEOUS!!! Even more from front! I adore him! And a robin!!! and he is going on a drive with Audrey and Ann!!! I am so happy Ann!!!! SO HAPPY! Can’t take my eyes from him, he symbolises so well that special Christmas for me...”

I had to go and visit my dad so Noel came with me in the car (Audrey).
He looked so cute sitting by my side..I wanted to hug him.
As soon as we were home we went to see all my bears and take some pictures for Miki…I’m sure by now Truffle will have seen pictures of Noel his new family member..
It was decided that he will spend Christmas in the UK with his cousins before travelling to Spain in January. We are all delighted to have him stay with us and we will give him a lovely Christmas. Miki and Truffle will get many pictures. Noel is quite happy with Fluffle and Travis…he will sleep in ‘Miki’s room’.

noel-and-his-christmas-friends-s

Father And Son Santa

November 28, 2016November 28, 2016 / Miki de Goodaboom / Leave a comment

By Truffle McFurry

(Illustration by Miki de Goodaboom, based on a photograph by Ann La Mar)

We are all coming into Christmas craziness here! Ann la Mar has just bough a giant Canadian tree, and she sends us all the time photographs from Christmas in England. This is so kind of her to share it all with us. We haven’t such beautiful Christmas decorations in the shops here in Spain, he does not really feels like Christmas. But in England they are all getting crazy!

Yesterday Ann La Mar wrote to me and told me that story:

“Anyway I think I have gone crazy….I have Christmas fever….I was just coming home in the car and waiting to come onto the roundabout was Father Christmas on a motorbike with loads of presents and flashing lights…I nearly put the car off the road! He followed me all the way to Yarm..I am thinking it is only November should I stop and ask if he is lost…I couldn’t take a photo as I was driving and I hadn’t been drinking wine but even more crazy as I was turning into our road he passed me but now it was 3 father Christmases on motorbikes…I think two must have been security like the queen and presidents have….it was real…I don’t need a shrink….The uk is mad at Christmas…once June and I saw a man in the middle of Northallerton high street in December in nothing but red underpants….he was selling Calvin Klein underwear for the posh store on the high street…“

I could not believe it, but she swears it is true! She said, she could not make it up!

And then she sent us a photograph of Santa and his son… look, even Little Santa loves Teddy Bears the most, among all the toys he could hold in his arms, he is holding a Teddy bear. I am so happy about it!

santa-father-and-son-s