For years I’ve kept a “Dinner Party Diary” where I write about special parties ~ for the memories ~ it’s part diary, part scrapbook. And this MUSICA is for you, also for the memories . . . we can only imagine how many kisses there’ve been with this music playing in the background! (Just click on it and come right back, it will play while you read.)
♥ ♥ ♥
I started keeping track of parties in this book in 1993, but not every party I’ve ever given is here . . . it’s a tiny book and probably has only twenty parties. I only do them when I remember, or I’m in the mood, or the party is so good that I have to do it! Our Sunday Breakfast Party went right into the book: I remembered, I was in the mood, and it was good!
♥ ♥ ♥
Our 9th Anniversary is in this book too . . . that one was an afternoon tea party and we hired a piano player to play The Glory of Love, and all the other old songs we love. I always write down the names of guests, the menu, the dishes, and the weather. (And sometimes what we wore, and sometimes poems people say at the table.)
And here we are, getting ready for our 25th Anniversary Party. Starting with putting a clean tablecloth on the dining table; Girl Kitty had grown fond of the old one and wasn’t letting go of it so easily.
And then the flowers . . . it was supposed to be a combination Valentine’s & Anniversary party, but with the gorgeous weather, it turned out to be an impromptu celebration of Spring! We even had the door open! Birds were singing. It was gorgeous.
You can’t celebrate spring around here without daffodils! They are the cheeriest things!
A little pink for the coffee table.
Happy singing bird vases, a heart teapot, a matelassé bedspread for the tablecloth ~ and what breakfast party is complete without chocolate kisses?
Love? Romance? Hearts and flowers? Old music, best dearest friends . . . and delicious food. And everything pretty in pink!
I made the place cards; luckily Joe has a cork fetish and never throws them away, so I thought, what says celebration and happy memories more than a popped champagne cork . . . ? ♥
I tucked the cards into the wires on the back.
We needed a centerpiece. Joe and I took the QEII on what we called “our test run,” to see if we liked it, in 1997 from New York to Bermuda. Sailing on the QEII was something we talked about the first time we met — not necessarily doing it together (it was too soon for that at the time) but something we both wanted individually! So, of course we saved this little bottle of port we found waiting, when we finally did go, in our stateroom, and now it’s part of the glory of, the story of, love. ♥
Almost there, need napkins! Need food!
Jack helps by bouncing off the walls and aerating the chair backs with claw holes. Thank you Jack!
Yes, actual food will be served. I do adore setting the table, but I know that our guests are going to expect food, not just dishes and flowers! Here, Joe’s making crepes the day before, for the Cheese Blintzes we’re serving.
There they are, the blintzes; the lemon, basil, and ricotta-cheese filling is all rolled inside…. we covered the pan and put it in the fridge; the next morning we browned them in the frying pan before serving with delicious jams, applesauce and sour cream. The recipes for all of this will be in my new Breakfast Book!
Did the MUSICA go away? Noooo. Say it ain’t so. Can’t have that. ♥
Is there anything better than plain, old-fashioned, ice-cold, juicy-pink grapefruit on a spring morning? No, and I do what my mom taught me; I cut around each segment for easy eating.
Mmmmm, crisp-edged, crunchy Blueberry Corn Cakes and hot maple syrup! Gotta have it!
Homemade Applesauce made with Granny Smith’s, so fresh and appley! Yummy with Corn Cakes, delicious with pork sausages, perfect with Cheese Blintzes.
My Applesauce is full of apple bits with a little tooth to them, not the smoothed out stuff you get in the market . . . we served it cold. I put some roasted cranberries (left over from the cranberry marmalade I made for the blintzes) in the middle as decoration.
We had bacon, sausage, sliced steak and buttermilk biscuits too . . . the platters warmed on top of the stove. The southern style breakfast at Tara, with Scarlet O’Hara’s family, I read about in Gone with the Wind, was my inspiration for this . . . believe it or not we didn’t touch the decadence they managed to come up with! But we tried!
Margot and Tom weren’t able to make it 🙁 , they’re on their way to New Orleans 🙂 , but before they left, they stopped by with Margot’s gorgeous bouquet of Valentine roses ~ which were still beautiful; she thought we might like to have them at the party.
She was so right! I recut them and put them in a shorter vase and here they are, a little more Valentine love DNA, gracing the granola-yogurt-and fresh-fruit buffet we set up on the sideboard. Thank you Margot! (BTW, that sideboard was here when we bought the house; Mrs Bowditch (a previous owner) told me it was here when she bought the house in 1949; maybe it’s been here since the beginning, 1859, when the house was built and the Smith family moved in! I would like it to talk!)
Man Food.
And there it is in all its glory; we turned on the music and toasted to love and each other with icy tangerine juice and bloody Mary’s; we had tea, coffee, and everything you see on these plates! We talked about local island news while the birds sang outside the 
window; what’s been in our papers, what the ferry boat is up to these days, the weather (of course), how far up the daffodils have come, the blooming snowdrops, our gardens, Facebook, Twitter, movies, spring vacations; and we ate, and ate. I didn’t do a dessert (although I was tempted to make baked stuffed apples in a cream bath!) — but did we actually need anything more? No. We did not. Then everyone kissed good bye and went home; we washed the dishes, read the paper, and took a nap, then we went to the movies and saw the new silent movie called The Artist. And THAT was Sunday, pretty good huh? Love morning parties!
And for your patience for reading through this, not to mention WILLARD, who has spring fever just like me, and is going out to play all day today and tomorrow; you have a reward . . . I have something I’m really excited about . . . a giveaway I think you will love. Ready? OK, it’s these ~
Two Johnson Brothers, Rose Chintz Teacups! Yes! With saucers! “Sing Ho for the Life of a Bear!” My own set actually has twenty cups-and-saucers, many more than I will ever need! So I am giving away two of them! They come with invisible magic as they were right there on Sunday, at the party of love. (But, of course, just like the sideboard, they won’t talk!) All you have to do to be entered is to leave a comment; “Vanna” will draw a name in about three days . . . want to make sure you all get a chance to enter to get a little springtime pink in your life. ♥
HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY GIRLFRIENDS! Sing HO!
Good Morning~
What a beautiful post!
Love the flowers especially~ thank you for letting us girlfriends come to your party!
Blessings~
Lynn
I forgot to add Happy Fat Tuesday!
That breakfast was perfection! Thank you for sharing it with us.
Celeste
Giveaways are so much fun! I always think of the leg lamp in The Christmas story. We seem to treasure anything we win! I adore your teacups!
Jennifer S.
Hahaha, I’ll have to look around here and see if I can find a leg lamp!
Fragile! ha, ha.
i love these tea cups. when my mother-in-law passed away my daughter & her cousin divided a set of these dishes. it would be so wonderful for her to have these tea cups, as we are always looking to complete her set. thanks.
Oh, your anniversary/Valentine’s Day party looks divine!
Jack is funny as ever, isn’t he? Do I need a kitten. Thinking . . .
Good Morning Susan,
Your party table was beautiful! Love the cork place cards.
Thanks for helping me start my day everyday. Your blog is the best.
Your best friend from afar that you have never met,
Tami
Thank you best friend!
Suasan,
Your Breakfast Party was so lovely, as we knew it would be. Loved everything! not too long ago you said you would tell us the story of how you and Joe met. Don’t keep us in suspense too long. Thanks for another wonderful post.
Sheila
I’m putting it in a book, it’s a long/short story!
Thanks Susan. We will anxiously await it.
Suesan and Joe,
How blessed you are to have found each other and be able to share your love with so many people. You do what most people dream of. Enjoy each other and thank you for taking us along for the ride!
Lucy
Happy to have you here, you make it even better!
What a lovely table setting! The bedspread made a delightful table cloth! Thanks for sharing your delightful memory book; what a wonderful idea.
I have some pink depression glass dishes and I cherish them, so this giveaway would really be a wonderful addition; I’d have a tea party for my dearest friends with some tasty pastries.
My mother is gifted with decorating with beautiful things as you are. I do so love visiting my mom because being surrounded with her lovely arrangements in such a cozy setting just frees my spirit to soar. Ever since I discovered your blog, I have an added incentive to add more beauty to home…..with more and more music.
Blessings on you and your uplifting encouragement.
Thanks.
Charlotte aka Smiley Songbird
Tell you mom I said hello!
As a Tea Sommelier I only have to admire your table setting. Full of loooove!
What a fun job you have!
I imagined being there. It was wonderful!
Susan,
Thank you for sharing pictures and details of your beautiful LoVe breakfast celebration. So fun. So inspiring!
How I love your blog.
s.s.
What a joyful afternoon! Thank you for sharing so much of your personal life with us.
Wishing you and Joe many more years of laughter, good health, and Love.
What a beautiful party…thanks for sharing with someone who has a real case
of spring fever (me). And I have always loved Johnson Bros. dishes…I have a
couple sets…my Fruit Sampler for fall and my Friendly
Village for winter…looks like I need to start a set for spring! Thanks so
much for your inspiration!
Absolutely delightful! Thanks for letting us be there – cyberly! Love the teacups!
oh yes please!!! I LOVE china, and your table was absolutely lovely.
What a wonderful morning party 🙂
blessings,
Niki
Oh my goodness. How beautiful. My mouth is watering, everything looked so yummy. I got so excited when I got to the part about another give away!!!! and then to find that they are tea cups with saucers, how wonderful! Thank you, thank you for being so kind to all of us. Our days are sweeter and happier, thanks to you!!!
Look forward each morning reading your blogs. They start my day off with a smile!
Love all the pink for your party. Makes me want to get all my spring things out!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful party and congratulations on your anniversary! Your love story with Joe is a classic and very inspiring!
What a lovely party! Everything was just beautiful. I would love to own these two exquisite tea cups. Thank you for thinking of your worldwide girlfriends and sharing such a wonderful gift from the heart.
The breakfast party sounds wonderful!! The cups are absolutely lovely. Can’t wait for Willard!
Your table was just beautiful and the food looked awesome! I was shopping with my daughters at thrift stores this weekend looking for bud vases for an upcoming wedding and we saw a set of your Rose Chintz dishes. I thought they were like yours so I took a mental picture and now I know that they were! It goes to show how much what you share stays with us and travels with us too. (We were in Texas, where the one daughter lives, traveling from Kansas.) Again, you have started my day with joy!
Everything looks so lovely! And my mouth is watering!
Susan and Joe,
Your table setting looks lovely and I’m just sure that your guests had a lovely time:) Wish I could have made it…lol.
Cindy
We missed you, but happy to see you now!
So beautiful and delicious looking. Between the flowers and all that yummy food your house must have smelled so wonderful!
Sounds like a perfect day!
It is just perfectly gorgeous! And how special for your 25th Anniversary. Congratulations! I would love to be the owner of your teacups….just wish they could talk!
Thank you for ‘inviting’ us to your special breakfast – it looked scrumptious – not only the menu, but the table setting – a FEAST for the eyes!
Seeing your beautiful teacups and saucers for give away reminds me of countless mornings of sitting with my mom, now gone, drinking tea together. When my 2 year old granddaughter is a little older, we will begin the tea parties!
Wishing you a sunny day!
:o) Jane in CA
The beat goes on . . . ♥
Happy Tuesday Susan!
The tea cups are beautiful … I am a tea cup collector myself and my china hutch could use a couple more (!) … my favorites are my Royal Albert’s Old Country Rose (gift from my daughter) and my Royal Albert’s 1900 Regency Blue (gift to myself) … both direct from the UK.
What a thrill 🙂 to see that you use your own stickers in your dinner party diary. 🙂
Oh, suggestion, I used to be a PG Tips fan (Hi Lowly!) although my friend Julie, from the UK, brought me a gift one year of Harrod’s English Breakfast No. 14 — I’ve never looked back — spoiled rotten ta-da and my total indulgence is to order straight from Harrod’s online and they ship to the US now! 🙂 I order about 4 times per year which makes the 25 pounds shipping bear-able (in keeping with the Pooh theme!) and I order several packages of the EB#14 as well as Earl Grey and Afternoon teas. Girlfriends, I’m not wealthy, it’s just where I choose to spoil myself … 🙂
Anywho, I L❤VE the Table Setting — simply gorgeous. But don’t you worry about food/tea stains on the bedspread/tablecloth? I know I’d be a nervous wreck. :O
Love the Cork Place Cards! That idea is definitely a keeper!
Merci Beaucoup for you … xoxo Priscilla
Popped the bedspread in the washer right after the party, clean as a whistle! Something about white cotton, it seems a little hard to stain, you can always bleach it. I like your tea priorities. I keep trying to get Lowely over to my lavender Earl Grey, but he is an unmovable force. I discovered best girlfriend giving-love method is, “honor thy tea choice” 🙂
Oops, sorry Lowely … I got in a hurry typing … and misspelled.
Yes, Susan, you are right, the tea choice is definitely an individual choice … although my husband seems open to pretty much anything I put in front of him. Speaking of Lavender Earl Grey, if you like honey in your tea (my hubby does), I found a wonderful honey at Harrod’s Online … Ambroso Organic Honey with Lavender Blossom … it comes in a lovely purple glass jar … and my hubby gets that in his tea when I’m being especially thoughtful. 🙂
Love tasting honey’s!
The best part about making the cork place cards is emptying the bottles ;)!
LOL!
I really like the wine cork place card holders.
Looking forward to your new Breakfast Book!
hi susan…i was thinking about you and joe sunday morning…knowing that the party was underway and thinking that it’s wonderful to have such good friends to share this happy moment…a life’s greatest gift…anyway.. the table looked perfect and the food delicious. ..and i am sure the jack approved!! We have seen The Artist too and really liked it…had to kinda switch gears and get into my silent movie mode instead of my constant information via every cyber-gadget mode..but we enjoyed it very much…love your party diary too..great idea…you are just THE BEST!!! happy spring-like tuesday!!..love, cindy
awesome way to celebrate your anniversary!
and here’s to many, many more…with miss
kitty & mr jack too!!!
m ^..^
Lovely, lovely cups and saucers. Very similar to a dinnerware pattern that I’ve had for years! Your party sounded just so sweet! Happy Anniversary and many more!
A breakfast book?! I’m ecstatic!!! Any clues about when it will be “out” ??
asap! September or October if I get myself in gear!
Good Morning Girlfriends!
Susan, your table turned out to be so very beautiful! You can see all the love ♥ that went into every single detail, and the food, YUM! Your “special parties” journal is such a fun idea. I’ve kept an entertaining folder on my computer with a word document for each of the dinner parties we’ve had since 2006. Certainly not as creative, but so much fun to go back and look at. Thank you for another wonderful blog filled with so much love. Bring on springtime… I’m so looking forward to putting out all my Easter decorations. Wishing you all a wonderful day too!
The table and the food are beautiful. I would love to be invited to one of your parties. The teacups are beautiful also, thanks for a chance to own them.
Happy Anniversary to you and Joe! Thanks for letting us share your table. So beautiful. I always leave your blog with a smile 🙂
Congratulations on your silver wedding anniversary! What a lovely day you must have had…a lovely table, scrumptious food, and dear friends – what better way to celebrate 25 years together! I would love to use those romantic cups and saucers at my own table 🙂
Monica
Wowza! Suddenly my little pot of fat-free organic greek yogurt doesn’t look like much. Beautiful, both the setting and the food. I’ll bet the company was pretty nice as well.
OOOH!! Sing HO Susan! I loved reading this blog ( as I love all of them) but I’m having the family over for brunch this Sunday to celebrate my daughter Lucy’s 16th birthday and you have inspired me……again!
Have fun Gloria, sing HO!
A beautiful celebration of LOVE. I enjoyed every wonderful detail. Your dining room looks so pretty in pink and the food has my mouth watering… even though I just finished eating breakfast :).
Speaking of your dining room, I was recently looking through a file where I keep pictures I’ve torn from magazines and came across an article about YOU. It showed pictures of your dining room with a gorgeous green and white wallpaper. It looked just like a breath of spring to me. It looks like you might have different wallpaper now, which is also beautiful.
Happy 25th anniversary to you and Joe.
Beautiful teacups and so sweet of you to offer yet another giveaway.
Yes, we’ve been through some wallpaper in that dining room in our years in this house! Thanks Kim!
I love breakfast. It is my favorite meal of the day. I think your breakfast cookbook will be a must have. Happy Anniversary and thank you for celebrating with this lovely chintz give-a-way!
Wowsers! You definitely know how to put on a spread. Everything from the table setting to the food looked just wonderful. I think I smelled your bacon from way down here in Florida! LOL!
Thank you for sharing with us!
Have a super duper lovely day.
Kim
Gorgeous table. I have used one of my handmade quilts as a tablecloth for girlfriends. Yes, it might get a spill but the special time with special friends are a treasure far more valuable than even a handmade quilt. One friend turned over her glass of tea one time. I popped it right in the washing machine and not a hint of tea remained. She felt so bad but I wouldn’t have cared if it did. Just adds to the history and charm of that quilt. And those cheese blintzs look mouth watering!
Good morning, Susan! Today’s post is truly “eye-candy”, so very lovely and cheerful! A perfect combination of anniversary, Valentine’s and the beginning of spring celebration. Those cups would grace anyone’s table–although my favorite flowers are sweet peas, my middle name is Rose! Have a great day.
Sweet peas are my favorite too, they’re my birth flower!
You are so creative and your well-spring is always overflowing. I always think “Oh this is the best post” and then you post another that is over the top. Thank you for being so kind and loving to all your friends and your girlfriends too! Your table was absolutely gorgeous with the pink chintz dishes and the food, so plentiful! I love that you journal your parties, what a treat it must be to read about former parties. I love those teacups and have to end this comment as I am going to read this post again. And again, and again! Love you Susan Branch!
XOXO!
Oh, it looks like “OUR” party was a huge success!!! Between the LOVELY table and the SCRUMPTIOUS food/drink, how could it go wrong.. but the only REAL necessity is the good friends part and everything else seems to fall into place. And to think I could “GO HOME” with a pair of cups and saucers!! HEAVEN!! Oh, aren’t Sunday naps the best! I had one with the fire going that the hubs makes for me…. He is the best… we will be married 38 years (we were infants! 🙂 in September!!!! How does that happen?? I don’t know where the time goes, but I know that the love and appreciations grows with each passing year! Thanks for the beautiful party! God Bless you both and many years to come!
Thank you Diana!
OH!!! Daffodils! My favorites! I haven’t found any around here yet. Lucky girl!!! Thanks so much for sharing. Your tablescape was breathtaking, as usual! The dishes, the flowers, the description. I just adore everything….and I sure would adore winning those cups and saucers Susan! And the food – yummers. I could almost taste it. And guess what…I just figured out for the first time today how to keep the music on while reading your post. Before it never worked. Like they say – you learn something new everyday. Well, I know I will have to go back and soak that whole blog in again! Do you have Paczkis on the island? (Jelly filled donuts for Fat Tuesday) Bet you could make your own. If I didn’t have grandkids today – I might have run out to get a couple for me and Mr. Man! Thanks again for sharing. I’ll think about that beautiful party all day long. And I can’t wait for my Willard to arrive. Have a great day.
I bet we do have them, but I’m going donut-free for a few days! Because right now every day is Fat Tuesday around here! In more ways than one.
hahahaahaa
What a beautiful party this was! Such a lovely setting! Thank you for sharing this magic and love with us! And many more happy years to the two of you!
Hi Susan
A friend of mine introduced me to your blog. When you think of it there are so few “kindred sprits”. She is one and so are you. I enjoy your blog and all the work you put into it. Spring is just around the corner and I can’t wait to share it with you. Love the tea cups. Jean
You’ll find lots of kindred spirits here Jean! Nice to hear from you!
Happy Anniversary, Susan! Here’s to love in all its glory.
I collect that dinnerware – it was the pattern my grandmother used and I am very fond of it. So I would love to win the cups and saucers! Have a wonderful day.
xo
Claudia
Ahhhh, what a beautiful blog to start the day! I am hungry now! LOL! Thanks for all the beauty and inspiration. Are you going to do something for Mardi Gras today or St. Paddy’s Day? Love the way you decorate! Smiles!
Susan, thank you for sharing your very charming Anniversary/Valentine’s Day party…I also wish an item could talk about its history…I have a wicker trunk that my Grandma packed her belongings in and made the big move to America 88 years ago…<3
That would really be a good one! I hear they are starting to put tiny little — I don’t know what they are, but like teeny tape recorders, on things . . . so you can leave a message on things!!!
What a beautiful party. Sunday for my guests I made your, Mrs. McGurglers heavenly waffles, and Monday I made chocolate heart shaped pancakes (not your recipe but inspired by a picture in a recent post of yours!) My guests loved them! I am a blue & white girl through my bones ~ and my china but… after seeing all of those gorgeous table settings you do I think it is time to get some pink in my life, don’t you? Thanks again for another huge dose of inspiration! xo
It’s very cheery, you would probably like it!
I love the party book idea. What great memories.
I enjoy the blogs. They are like letters from a good friend! Thought of my Mom when I read how you do your grapefruit. I, too, was taught how to cut them for easy eating and still do mine that way! I always enjoy ideas for food and decorations for entertaining. Thanks! Suzanne
Happy Fat Tuesday to you…..I love breakfast partys! What a great way to start off a day.Thank you for sharing your wonderful morning with us.
It’s suppose to be 75* here in Pismo today. We really have not had a winter at all this year.
I would love to drink my morning tea from one of your cups count me in!
jkpipes
Say hello to the central coast for me!!
How beautiful! I’ve never thought to give a breakfast. Going to have to try it for sure! I’m glad your anniversary was so lovely! Congrats to you and Joe and Many MOOOORRREEEE!
What a beautiful blog post! Happy Anniversary!! Just returned from a trip to my sister’s in New Hampshire where I co-hosted my niece’s wedding shower and I must say your influence was ALL through our brunch. My sister’s hostessing ability is right up there with yours and when I saw your post this morning it was like she had taken lessons from you (which I guess since we own most all your books and follow your blog we have). OH, and my homemade gift for my niece was one of your “Homemade Recipe” binders partly filled in with copies of recipes from the bride’s Great-Great Grandmothers on up through her Aunts/Mother who were at the shower. It turned out GREAT – thanks to you 🙂
You are so sweet, thank you — Your gift to your niece — how priceless! Must have been wonderful!
Wanted to share pictures of the recipe book with you… but wasn’t sure how I could send you pictures (and love).
You can always put them on my Facebook Page — Friends of Susan Branch . . . I look at every day!
Hee, hee – so excited to share! Will go try right now 🙂
What a wonderful Party of friends, food and love! Thank-You for all the pictures. Everything looks wonderful, from the food to the table. YUM! I love the idea of a party journal. How I wish I had done that to capture a little bit of the magic of our past celebrations. I always put things like that off, because I want the finished product to be p-e-r-f-e-c-t… sigh. I should, Just Do It! The pink grapefruits look sooo refreshing! Yes! My grandfather, like your mom, said to always cut around each section. 🙂 I now live in that very house and have saved many of the kitchen utensils, but I could never find the grapefruit knife. I’ve searched in stores too with no “finds”. I am wondering if they even make them anymore…
Sunday we took a ride to IKEA and found…. The tall cupcake tins with liners!!! I even bought one for by BFF so she can have special tea parties with her 3 year old granddaughter. There were also heart shaped ice cube molds too. Maybe she will freeze ice cream in them for a special surprise. I also found (at another store) a pink grapefruit candle which smells just like… the real deal!
Susan… thank you for sharing your brunch with us. We all feel as though we were there too. And also for offering those dear pink cups and saucers. The party will continue in a new location!
I’m kind of a good example of how it doesn’t really have to be perfect. All about the love! Thank you Georgie!
(think Louis Armstrong here a moment please) . . . and I think to myself . . . what a wonderful blog!
Everything, just everything, in this blog sings to my heart! Thank you Susan Branch for raising my spirits on a damp and dreary day!
Happy to see you Deborah!
Thank you, Susan . . I love coming here, a little home from home, a corner of bliss in a mad, mad world!
Cool hand applied to forehead xoxo
LOOKS LIKE YOU HAD A WONDERFUL PARTY !!!! SO MUCH DELICIOUS FOOD AND A BEAUTIFUL TABLE SETTING. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR NEW BOOK THIS FALL 😉 LOVE THE TEA CUPS !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Susan, What a beautiful, romantic, warmly-inviting post. I actually have sweet tears of happiness in my eyes. Thank you for sharing your blessings of friendship with us, I appreciate it so very much. Thanks for the blessing of your remarkably generous spirit with another giveaway. The tea cups and saucers are absolutely precious. How special would every cuppa be in those delicate cups??? Oh, so very special, i say!
You are a hostess extraordinaire with a very wonderful partner in kitchen greatness!!! I’m sure every tummy was stuffed to the tippy top on Sunday! Lucky everyone!
Hope your day is splendid! Sending you bouquets of love and hugs, Jeanette
XOXO Jeanette, thank you!
Such a beautiful table – all that pink!! And the flowers!!! And your centerpieces!!!! AND the food!!!!I’d love to have a chance to win the Rose Chintz Teacups!!!!!
Thank you so much for sharing a beautiful party of love with us! I’m collecting these rose chintz dishes too! How perfect it would be to win these two from your heart of the home to mine…(wish, wish, wish). One question; Does Joe ever get tired of so much pink?!!
We don’t always do pink! But he’s pretty good about it, looks very cute in his pink shirt!
As the snow/rain mixture is falling here in Fort Wayne, I am enjoying reading all about your celebration of love and Spring! I know you read these words a gazillion times a day but – Thank you, thank you, thank you for your sweet invitations, given over and over and over again, to be a part of your life! What a gift to have a friend-I’ve-never-met to share all the happinesses of life with! If you could peek into my life, you would know how this-friend-you’ve-never-met has a life filled with wonderful and enriching and nurturing and beautiful moments because of you! If I win the tea cups, I will give one to my precious friend, Lori!
Betsy
Thank you back Betsy, it’s so much more fun when you are here to share it!
My husband eats so well since I discovered your blog! He has now gotten into the habit of asking me, “Is this a Susan Branch recipe?”. Can’t wait to make this breakfast, maybe for our very own 6th Anniversary Party. Though I am not sure if I can wait until November to try it out! Maybe a “5 years and 3 months Anniversary Party”! Why not!
Love it!
Hi~
We have a ” Month~ A~Versary” the 7th of every month~ our wedding day date!
So much beauty in all that you share with us, thank you.
Your party turned out beautifully! Your table was just lovely with the white quilt, pink flowered dishes and springtime bouquets. It is so wonderful to serve special food that guests may not have enjoyed before. Makes the occasion memorable and festive and makes everyone feel cherished. You have such a loving spirit and it shows in everything you do. Xoxoxo
Ps…it is snowing like crazy here!!!!
wow! snowing!
Lovely, lovely post and congratulations to you ….thanks for sharing.
What a lovely party! I wondered how you enticed the men folk to a tea party… with wonderful man food. It all looks scrumptious. Your tablescape was beautiful as well. Those tea cups are charming – the perfect starting point for inspiration for a tea party.
What a sweet generous heart you have….. your blogs are such a wonderful gift. Thanks for sharing! Happy Anniversary to You and Your Sweetie!
Oh what a beautiful celebration! Everything looks so inviting and I’m sure no one had to eat for days. The teacups might be the most special giveaway ever though they have all been so heartfelt. Ah yes, memories, if you get a chance go to youtube and listen to Pam Peterson Memory Spoof. Hilarious and just about what page I’m on some days. Happy Anniversary!
Hi Susan….What a lovely morning celebration you all shared on Sunday! Everything looked beautiful and cozy. I’m inspired to try some of those delicious dishes AND new decorating ideas! And these spring temps (I’m also in Massachusetts) have me anxious to get my gardening gloves on and head outside! Thanks for sharing with us all!
Ruthanne
Good morning, Susan~
What a beautiful day you had! And you’re so smart to record the memories! The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to preserve some of my life. It’s those precious little details that are the first to get lost and it is exactly those details that make our lives so wonderful!
Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day and George and I often have our adult kids over for Sunday breakfast before church. I really enjoy setting the table to make it special for my family. You share such good ideas with us! You have truly inspired me to plan a breakfast for friends in the very near future….maybe a celebration of Spring.
Thank you for being such a caring, sharing friend with all of us….just wish I could return the blessing to you! Have a wonderful day!
xoxo Debbie
You do when you say hello and tell me about your own ways of doing things!
Beautiful table – absolutely delicious looking food! Looking forward to Willard! Thanks for sharing your special day with us! Love the cups/saucers….. 🙂
Just lovely – your attention to detail is always delightful and beautiful… whenever I read about you and Joe, I feel and believe in the “oneness of love” that lives “out loud” in your wonderful home.
First-born son is coming home for a visit this weekend and I was considering cooking healthy for him (that is what Colorado is all about), but what is coming home to Mom’s if it isn’t about home cooking, and he knows how much love goes into cooking for them. My daughter will also be here and her comment when discussing menu, “Mom, he can always jog it off.” So true, and honestly we do not eat Southern much anymore except when they come home.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to win the teacups and sharing your party with all of us. I love your weekend posts – always so joyful and uplifting. Judy C
I feel like I was there with you celebrating your love and life together! What a lovely day filled with lovely graceful things and of course yummy looking food! Thank you so much for all the beautiful photos and wonderful ideas! I really love the party journal idea too, can’t wait to start on one too!
xoxoxo
What a lovely way to spend a day. Good food and a nap. Although Im sure a lot of planning went into it nobody needed to know, just turn up and enjoy. Isnt that what we all strive for . Well done. Marie
“Miss Susan”, Sooooo nice to start my day with a “visit” with you on your blog. What an amazing party!!!! You gave me so many fun ideas. Please put me on the list for the tea cup drawing. Hugs. Elaine P.S. Thank you also for the lovely music.
You are so welcome!
How sweet of you! We could all dream of actually being at your party…that would be special! Enjoy your day! I am busy sewing and blogging about it! heehee! ♥♥♥
Susan, lovely, lovely, lovely, just like always. the table was beautiful, the food looked so yummy, but it was the happiness and the love that jumped off the page, and into my heart. Susan
What a glorious pink party! I feel like I was a fly on the wall and had a great time with you all. Your parties inspire so many to use their beautiful heirlooms and pretty dishes. I know people who have been married 25 years and still have their china place settings still in their original boxes. How sad. Thanks for sharing your ‘special times’ with us Girlfriends!
Yes, it’s the exact same as not having it at all! Use it, that’s my motto. Even if it breaks!
Nothing beats, great food, good friends and lots of fun! Except family!
What a delightful way to continue your anniversary celebration…you and Joe really know how to celebrate love! I appreciate the inspiration that you give to all of us to celebrate love and life…really, you just make me feel like dancing. Will look forward to your Breakfast book. Thank you, Susan Branch!
My pleasure Paula!
Thank you for the serenity of your blog! Family in for the weekend with guests they brought along. Everyone leaving Sunday, including us for a 3 hours drive to Ft Worth for Jim’s dr’s appointment Monday and then back home again, to a leaking water heater! Yikes! So I get to work and settle in with you. I am calmer now……Thank you. Love the party pictures, although the food is making me hungry, must get to the work. Looking forward to reading Willard tonight when I get home.
Everything was absolutely lovely! Thank you for sharing – I almost feel like I was there with you all. Happy Anniversary with many, many more yet to enjoy.
I made your orange, chocolate tea biscuits yesterday and boy were they yummy! I thought they would be appropriate to eat while I watched the last episode of Downton Abbey and drank yummy cranberry orange tea. It was a perfect combination.
It’s 6:30ish AM here in CA and you have set the tone for my day. I know it’s going to be fantastic. Thank you!
Hope it’s beautiful!
Your table was so lovely! I’m thinking that would make a beautiful table for Easter. It really gave me “spring fever”. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Your Annniversary/Valentine Brunch looked fantastic. I have been thinking of doing a brunch for all of my BFFs and I think you have just given me the menu I have been seeking. I have been collecting anything with roses and just purchased yesterday a large platter with roses in the middle so I can start my table decorations with that. Thank you for sharing the beauty of your day!
BTW: Loved all the flowers also-I need some flowers for my office. -Donna H.
Happy Anniversary!
Happy Valentines!
Happy Spring!
p.s. – love the tablecloth. 🙂
I’m a hungry hippo after reading about that delicious breakfast. My banana just isn’t gonna measure up.
Happy Anniversary!
The party sounds wonderful and I love the idea of keeping a diary of the events! My 60th birthday is in two weeks and I want to keep track of every day by taking a picture and recording what I’m thinking about and doing. I do keep a diary but want to make this year’s one much more complete. So the diary of parties and get togethers would be another fun project.
And the teacups are beautiful!!!!!
love, love, love your site. always brings a smile to even a very stressful day. cant thank my Aunt Carol enough for telling me about you. what a wonderful way to celebrate your anniversary. good friends and good food….the best part of our lives…..
Happy Anniversary!!! Thanks for showing us that the most beautiful things in life are the simple things–a cup, a flower,a sleepy kitten,a breath of fresh air-sharing food with our family and friends–thanks for taking us into yur house and showing to us “how each one of us can make our life beautiful too”–I can’t wait for the Breakfast book–I have all your books and I love them–Nina
OOhh!! Vanna! Pick me, PICK ME!! (so looking forward to your new breakfast book! Is it available as a pre-sale on Amazon yet?)
Not there yet!
Thank you for sharing. It is so fun to pop in here and find a new post with beautiful pictures and Jack and Girl Kitty! My husband never fails to ask what Jack was up to today. ha, ha. You have such a gift for sharing your joy with all of us. It so lifts my day. And those tea cups are just gorgeous! I think maybe you should keep them and have a huge pink tea party in the garden this summer.
Thanks for sharing your pretty party!
Here’s to Fat Tuesday – virtual paczki for all :-)mlive.com/entertainment/detroit/index.ssf/2012/02/paczki_day_2012_hamtramck_bake.html
Virtual is good!
Your table was wonderful. My Aunt Kit had the same dishes and I always think of her when they show up in one of your pictures. Your friends are so fortunate to have you and Joe in their lives; and I am certain you feel the same way. Enjoy the week ahead. I know I am fortunate to have you in my life!
Happy Anniversary, Susan and Joe ! Was the picture in the heart frame taken on your wedding day ? 🙂 Love your table setting (have always loved that pattern of dishes !) and all your little touches. I keep a “Tea Party Diary” w/description and pictures of all the little “tea parties” I have for my two little Granddaughters ….. hope they will look at it one day and think back and remember all the “little tea parties” at Grandma’s house. 🙂 Take care, Helen
They will, I’m sure!
Susan,
You have such lovely ideas. The table looked beautiful, the cats were adorable, the food was delicious (I could smell the applesauce). What a great way to celebrate. Thanks again for making us a part of your life.
Have a fabulous day!
Beautiful breakfast for a beautiful couple! Happy 25th! We celebrated ours last June, but we also celebrate “monthiversaries”–today is our 308th. (Something silly we started as newlyweds and just never stopped.)
Happy 308th!
What a great party! I could almost taste the blintzes and steak. My husband Paul and I will celebrate our 25th in Oct. Can’t believe how the years have flown by. Thanks for sharing your celebration with us. Kathy
OMG! what a lovely party! Thanks so much for sharing all the yummy details with us. I sure am hungry now just looking at all that food. Gotta go eat! hehe!