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!
What beautiful tea cups! I was 15 when I saw some “Rose Chintz” tea cups and saucers at a garage sale. They were the unbroken ones, rescued after a shelf collapsed under the vast collection that it held. I have been using those teacups ever since, and I am much past my teenage years. I am sure my teacups would love some companions.
I have tea every morning in front of my little fire place. Tea cups are the only way to go! They make such a satisfying clink!
My favorite thing too!
Love all the pics in this blog. Gives me hope for a beautiful spring and summer here in Ohio later this year. You captured your wonderful breakfast perfectly
Thank you Shirley!
I would love to duplicate your Sunday brunch with my family and those tea cups would be the hit of the party. Your pictures take me back home to the simple time in my life and the feeling of home. I love your posts and at the end of reading them each time I am left wishing for the next one.
Thanks for our friendship!
I so love the photos you post! I get so very inspired. Thanks, too, for your blog. Love to read it.
I love your pictures! My husband and I have been married just short of five years and we’ve never hosted a party, but now I think we must!
The teacups are beautiful, as are the photos on your website. It’s “eye candy”. 🙂
I feel like I just went to grand party.. a beautiful one at that!! Inhales it all in….
From Birmingham, Alabama..Happy Spring!
I always enjoy reading your Willard and have just found my way to your blog. I recently enjoyed watching a segment of DIY Dish that you were on as well. Keep up your wonderful works!
Thanks Debbie!
Your breakfast party looks delightful; the dining room looks so pretty and light. My 1909 house can look like that, but it is going to take a seasonal change-over to lighten the look. I am currently spring cleaning my dining room, which includes ‘stripping’ all of the dried herb bundles that seemed so artfully arranged back in the fall when they were first hung. Now the lavender, lemon verbena and rosemary will be added to my large class potpourri crock, along with some dried ribbons of orange peel that a friend acquired from San Francisco Herb Company….the makings of this year’s language of flowers custom potpourri.
All your spring talk got me all excited about spring even tho we still have piles of snow in our yard. I went and got a few branches of silk spring blossoms and have them in our home now. Ya gotta love em all.
I also put some delicate greenery in a pretty tea pot on the center of our diningroom table.
It just makes me realize that all this snow will be gone soon.
Writing from the mountains of beautiful Colorado
with all boys at my house I need a little pink! LOVE February…and LOVE Susan Branch!!!
E
Oh, to be a guest at your table…. I am sure that if I had these teacups, I would be brave enough to fight any monster vine down in your or my basement! There is something delightful about a beautiful cup – to have a table spread with such beauty, accompanied with the food and friends, has to be heavenly!
Wonderful tea cups. They match my small pitcher. So nice to see the table set with this china.
The coziness, loveliness, and yumminess of such a beautiful time with the people so dear to you brought a tear to my eye. Makes me beyond happy when someone who is blessed with so much truly appreciates every bit of it like you do!
Love those chintz cups and saucers! They’re beautiful. Your table and food looks great.
March 14 is my honey’s and mine’s 25th anniversary. What a fun time we have had. This honey of mine moved us to Calgary, Alberta, Canada just after the birth of our first child, Sackett. Calgary is gorgeous…but everywhere had its own beauty. While there I began collecting tea cups. I have some sweet ones. My favorite is one that looks like it has the 7 dwarfs home. I just love it. Seeing your table makes me wonder what the set might look like that went with that tea cup. Breath-taking I am sure! Happy 25th!
I am a big fan of Johnson Bros. dishes and would love to win these teacups. Either way, I hope everyone enjoys a beautiful day and thanks so much for this wonderful site. <3
Those are so lovely! What a wonderful surprise they would be to receive in the mail!! Happy Anniversary!
Much love,
Laura
Love your BLOG and those gorgeous chintz teacups.
Such pretty teacups. I believe my mother has a teapot that matches those. If not, it’s very close.
Your home and it’s belongings remind me of my grandma. You and Grandma understand the importance of beauty and art in the home. I miss my grandma terribly and I would love to visit you some day!
TGIF Susan! I got such a kick out of your latest blog entry. I have been a fan of yours since…forever…and like you, love to entertain. A couple of years ago, I threw a similar style breakfast for all of the ladies in my family for a mother-daughter “pre-mother’s day” celebration. I held it the weekend prior so that all of the moms could do what “they wanted to do” on their acutal day. I used much tableware items that had belonged to my grandmother & great-grandmother, which made it that much more special. I am just now getting started on organzing for another one this May. But what really struck me about your entry was the story of your trip on the QEII. It brought back such great memories for me regarding my grandfather. You see, he too took a trip 1997 on the QEII. After years of trying to get family to take a cruise with him, to no avail, he up and booked one for himself…at the age of 85! His trip however went from NYC up the East Coast, thru Canada and back. Being from Mass. ourselves, my mom and I took by train from Boston to NYC and saw him off. He was on cloud 9 and so proud! A few days later, the ship docked in Newport, RI for a day, where my family and I met him and spent the day and then it was back to NYC. It was such fun. Ironically, my grandfather had been born exactly one year and 2 days after the sinking of the Titanic, in Halifax, CN, where many of the survivors and deceased had been taken. I have an iconic photo of Gramps standing with the majestic QEII behind him and all I could think of was that this was like a scene out of the movie (though thankfully w/out a sinking). Our family lost Gramps in October of 2010 at the age of 97 1/2, and that trip was by far one of his favorite adventures. So thank you Susan for bringing both the “ladies breakfast” and the QEII memories to me today. I truly needed the smile!
ohhhh I would so love those cups and saucers by the way!
Love those tea cups!
I absolutely adore these!!! They would look so lovely on a shabby chic shelf in my dining room! My mouth is watering from all of the yummy food too. Thank you for sharing 🙂
I love your blog! The Rose Chintz Teacups are delightfully beautiful!
It really was not tedious reading through the details of your magical event. I am always inspired! Everything was blooming beautiful — even more so since Spring seems to be crashing Winter’s party up here in the Idaho Mountains.
Thanks for the Giveaway and the magic you contiually give away!
Karen @ eye-dyllic
I just enjoyed reading your blog. The party sounds and looked like it was very spring like and exciting. Also, your ivy growing up from the basement. Love it.
LOVE these…remind me of my grandmother who loved all flowered things…
Jack is the cutest little kitten! Or, as we youngins on the internet (teh interwebs) say: <3 Jack kitteh.
Jack Kitteh.
Everything is just beautiful. I love, love, love the sideboard. And all the food. And your decorating. And your handwriting. And . . . just everything. I always enjoy “spending time” with your creations!
As always, your blog inspires me. I’m embarassed to say that I’ve spent too many anniversaries in less than celebratory restaurants. I think this year I will adopt your plan and celebrate at home with friends. 🙂
Thank you SO much for this present! I love everything you do, and this is just an extra something to enjoy 🙂
I love the tea cups and saucers. I collect tea cups, too. And I love your blog! You are like a breath of fresh air, like Anne (with an e) of Green Gables. You remind me of her and I have always loved her. If I could trade places with any one living anywhere I would love to live on Martha’s Vineyard. You are so lucky!!
So gorgeous!
I am collecting tea pots and tea cups and books about tea and I have a collection of tea too that I need to drink. We spend almost 3 years in Cambridge England courtesy of the USAF and have gone back a few times
to absorb some more of the wonderful atmosphere and have high tea some-where. Pooh and I have been friends since college and Peter Rabbit was my first beloved book. It is very ragged with no covers, but can’t be parted with. You writings and drawings make the tea atmosphere more real. It is always fun to visit your blog, and read about a Beatrix Potter bedroom or a Pink chintz breakfast table. Thanks for the smiles you bring.
Thank you for sharing your celebration. I love get togethers as well. These cups would be a wonderful and cherised addition to my special times with my best o’ friends. It would be like having you join us for a spot of tea and cake!
Love your artistry!
Kari
Oh I would LOVE to be a guest at one of your parties! How fun! I love the cork idea! It’s so clever! You are such an inspiration and bring me so much joy! 🙂 ♥
Love to read all about your house, parties, recipes, ideas….love it all. Thank you for the opportunity to possibly own two cups and saucers of your lovely Chinz dinnerware…it would be so exciting.
I love the teacups! Enjoy every Bit of the blog!
You have inspired me to do more entertaining! Everything is so warm, cozy and beautiful, in your description and photographs. I want to take up the torch and continue this trend. It’s a good thing.
XOXO
How I would LOVE to be one of your LUCKY friends!! The table settings, food & flowers were all beautiful, but I bet the best thing in the room was the LOVE! you all shared!! Thanks for letting us all be a part of your perfect day!!
Beautiful and very comforting setting. I sat here an imagined myself with friends around your table. It would be so lovely to have the cups and saucers to begin that comforting feeling with a friend and tea.
I don’t know what we would do without you! Your Willards cheer me up so! Hope I win your pretty little cups- I’m teaching my 5 year old son all about tea…he would think these as perfect as I do!
Thank you for making every day happy! All of my Susan Branch products bring a smile to my face each and every time I see them.
I have to admit I find myself looking forward to your emails and blog entries!!! Your artwork is wonderful, and your pictures are inspiring! And …. Love the rose chintz tea cups!!! Have a great day.
Those tea cups are beautiful! I’m sure a cup of tea would taste even better in these cups!
Susan, I’ve loved your artwork for many years and am simply thrilled that you have a blog for all of us to connect with you. Recently, I made valentines with iris folding hearts for all my girlfriends. Had I known about your blog or your address, I would have gladly sent one to you! Thanks for all your wonderful images throughout the years. Keep up the good work, girl!
Thank you for sharing all your neat ideas and your creativity with everyone. I’ve never seen a prettier photo of a pink grapefruit before. The color combination with the plate is fun and makes the grapefruit look more appetizing.
ROSE TEACUPS are my FAVORITE!<3 That is, besides, Susan Branch of course! <3 Seriously, must have these to have tea with my BFF<3
Someone at work saw this feast and poor fellow is dreaming of biscuits and blintz. The photo of the oven open…I think he wept a little! 😉
You need to fix that for him!
Loved seeing your beautiful table. We just had a tea at my church and several people each decorated a table. Beautiful china etc. The heart tea cups would be perfect for that. Keep show us your beautiful things. Blessings, Linda
What a delightful celebration in honor of your Anniversary. Congratulations. Thank You for sharing your day with us in photos. I enjoyed every word and picture 🙂
I so enjoy everything about your blog, from the tales of beautiful Martha’s Vineyard to the always beautiful artwork. I love the cups and saucers – they would fit right in with my little transferware collection!
Love the teacups….would be fun to use them!
Beautiful teacups!
What a beautiful post – every picture looks like a magazine photo shoot! The teacups are just *so* Susan Branch!!!! Love it all!!!! Cindy
Happy Anniversary! You are pure inspiration. Thank you for sharing your sweet story and party with us. I would of loved to have been a guest. Thank you for reminding us to make everyday just a bit pretty and special for us and our loved ones.
Susan the tea cups are beautiful. But it’s who uses them that makes them so special
Would love to have the teacups and saucers. They would go so well with a collection I have from my grandmother. I love everything here…especially the photos of Girl Kitty and Jack! Thank you, Susan 🙂
What beautiful teacups. Your table was so pretty.
The teacups are beautiful! I love the cat additions to the photos. I just had to put down a very sick young male cat and the comment about aerating the chair backs brought back memories of my own little Zachary.
Love the tea cups. They look like home.
What a lovely way to celebrate your anniversary! Thank you so much forYour table wasso inviting taking us along….I truly enjoy all your dinner parties but since breakfast is my favorite meal ofthe day I guess I would say this party is my favorite so far. The table was so inviting…all of the dishes looked delish andthe decor was lovely…just like you Susan!
I keep forgetting to tell you that the making of the movie Anna Karenina is in the works.. I am very excited about that since Tolstoy’s love story is one of my all time favorites.
I also enjoy tea in beautiful cups too and lovethe Rose Chintz pattern….memories
Hugs to you Susan
Hi Sue, Happy Anniversary to you and Joe! Your brunch sounds lovely, I especially like your idea for the centerpiece. Here’s to the next 25 years!
Your celebration looks beautiful! I love cooking a big breakfast-yours looks delicious!!! Happy Anniversary!
Dear Susan,
I LOVE tea and tea parties! Yours was so gorgeous!! It would be such a joy to win those beautiful tea cups and saucers, esp. because they were a part of your wonderful event! Thank you for inspiring us to seek out and enjoy the simple and elegant things in life! God bless!
Lovely post! Love your china and all the sweet touches, as usual.
Thank you!! I love being an FOSB!
Been going through all of my Susan Branch books while recovering from bronchitis. They always cheer me up. Winning those adorable tea cups would certainly cheer me up too!
I would soooooooooo LOVE the set of Rose Chintz tea cups for my twin “sissy” & me….”tea for two”….truly! Our birthday is in April….on Earth Day. It’s our “bEARTHday” & we could celebrate Mother Earth & our awesome sisterhood with our new cups 🙂
Happy Early Birthday my dear “Sister Sue”!
Wow, what a delightful party! So pretty and special. Thanks for being so generous with the drawing! Hugs
Susan I just love the way you do what you do. It fills my heart with such gladness.
You always have such great ideas for entertaining and just down right enjoying life.
You are my hero!
I’ve been receiving your newsletter for many years now and I’m always looking forward to see them in my inbox. It’s always lovely to read and look at all the beautiful image you put inside. In fact, I’ve been saving them in my emails and I have a collection of it!
Thank you, Susan, for contributing in making the world a beautiful place. And thank you for wanting to share such beautiful teacups with us. 🙂
Hugs from Malaysia!
xoxo Cindy in Malaysia!
Your teacups remind me of my English mother. That was a beautiful table setting. You’ve inspired me for Sunday breakfast. Thanks!
What a lovely party! I love the namecard holders.
I would love those teacups to come live at my house. Then when I have tea I would think of you and it would almost be like sharing a cup together. Lovely table Susan!
Happy Anniversary!!!
Such pretty teacups. Very nice luncheon you had there. Looks like Jack sure enjoyed the festivities. He’s such a helper isn’t he?
oh yeah, i could use a little of THAT pink in my life for certain! soo romantic…sigh…and jane austen-y
Oh my word, this just fills my heart with gladness. Your table, whew, so amazing. Those cups, ahhhhhhh, I’d die or those cups. Thanks for your amazing blog, it just makes me so happy.
I love your site and those 2 beautiful
teacups, I see you have the whole set how nice<3
Wow. You really know how to decorate a pretty tablescape. And your kitty is so pretty. I especially like the one where she didn’t want to give up the tablecloth just yet. 😉 ♥ I also love the fact that you celebrated your love with others. So neat and Congratulations!
Love your Rose Chintz dishes. They bring back memories of my mom…she bought these in the 1950s and I love the memories when I read your blog!
Susan, your Breakfast/Anniversary Party looked wonderful and yummy!
Linda
Dear Susan,
I have been a fan of yours for eons, your first cook book I still use! Why not, as it’s chucked full of fabulous recipes. Your creativity in your art, words and photography has always been unique, as you are!!
Your breakfast celebration was a wonderful expression of love, in all ways, congrats. The teacups are beautiful, but at my age I have collected enough. My children & grandchildren & now a new great grandson will have my collections. Give while you live.
Continue success to you,
Dolores (Dee) Romack
46 Irish Lane, Cambridge, NY 12816-Now this is UPSTATE, I can see the Green Mts. of Vermont from my windows..be well
They are SO lovely! I think we all need some spring romance. Thanks for sharing your brunch photos.
I’ll wait for the moderation.thank you
Susan, I love your newsletter…it gets me though the winter till I get to the island again in Spring and August!! This is the first year we spent 4 days there during New Years Eve…so much fun!
Keep up the great work on your Blog and newsletter…so would love to me you one day.
Happy Srping!!
My Great-Grandmother had a set of these dishes and used them every day. I have such good memories of all the food and especially tea having been served on them. After her death they were all lost and every time I see a photo of them I long to have a piece just to remember her by! I own several of your cookbooks, love the nostalgic quality of the art and I have to confess that is why I buy them!
Your breakfast was so lovely and inspiring! And, I hope I win the teacups!
What a wonderful party! I would love to visit Martha’s Vineyard. Those teacups would work perfectly in my sage green dining room!
I live in CT–originally from Buffalo, NY. We have a cement basement–but it is unheated! UGh! I tell DH not to spill anything because I don’t treat stains between November and March! LOL (Our laundry area is in the unheated basement…)
Your Blog is just beautiful. I enjoy all your writing. Hope your spring is great
Your lovely tea made me feel as if I was there!! What an extra-special way to celebrate an extra-special occasion. 🙂 Those teacups are gorgeous….they will make someone very happy…and inspired to do their own tea party celebration!
I enjoy reading Willard’s musings and I enjoy seeing the recipes and artwork in the Nebraska Register! I live the shabby chic look,,,and I have to tell you “most” of my stuff comes from the Goodwill! I find what I like and I always have white paint on hand and I can transform anything…Those cups would be ideal! Maybe a chintz plate thrown in too to hold my scones..:) Thanks!
I just love living vicariously through you and your blog. “When” I win the teacups, I will feel a little closer to living my authentic Susan Branch life! <3
What a wonderful way to share the love! Thank you for all the creative ideas~ I do so enjoy all that you do and your kind and gentile spirit. What an inspiration!
Your Anniversary Brunch spread looks so good! I was drooling just looking at the lovely pictures you’ve shared. Send your pretty teacups to me and I will lovingly display them in my Grandmother’s china cabinet 🙂
Hello Susan! OMGoodness! I have been having withdrawals because my Internet provider has not been working and I could not get on-line, hence, I could not read your blog! It came back on and I am reading like mad to catch up with you and all the doings. I loved your breakfast party – the decorations were so pretty! I love the teacups you are giving away and would love to have them! Love from Gloria in Nevada, TX! We are out in the country, population 671 about an hour NE of Dallas. Here my daffodils are blooming and the flowering Bradford Pears are starting to bloom.
Thank you, I loved every bit of that information!
I think your party is the thing so many of us dream of! How beautiful, how romantic! Your Joe is quite a guy! I love his sense of romance, too. I only wish I had attended, but the pictures and your marvelous descriptions make it pretty real!. What fun!
Kathryn from Seattle