MUSICA!❤️ Well, first off, I promised you a photo of the wool coat I bought in England ~ the one I wrote about a couple of blogs ago … And I finally managed to remember to do it. And, btw, while out and about on the Internet, I happened upon a website in the English Lake District that sells them (just in cases you want one too! The label says, “handmade.”). It’s a wonderful store Joe and I visited when we were there called Stewardson’s of Hawkshead .
Welcome over from the new Willard if that’s where you’ve come from (he’s just starting to go out today ~ takes 3 days for him to get to every email box, so if you’re signed up, he 
should be there soon!), and if not, welcome anyway! As lots of you know, Joe and I are on the train right now, in our “room with a view,” actually in the beautiful Berkshires as I write, heading down the tracks for Chicago, then on to LA ~ and right now, out our window, is the most gorgeous sunset between the leafless tress and across snow fields! It’s kind of a miracle, to be on a moving train and writing you at the same time! I’ve been sending photos and videos of our views over to Twitter … hope you’ve been able to see them (you can click on the link and take a look if you like, you don’t have to join Twitter in order to see the pictures).
Yesterday, before we left (which was just this morning), I needed to do some ironing for the trip. I’m sure many of us remember our mothers starching clothes before they ironed them ~ rolling them up while damp, putting them in plastic bags and keeping them in the fridge until they were ready to iron. Seems so old-fashioned to us now! My mom did it, there were always bundles of ironing in our fridge, she ironed all my little sister’s puffed-sleeved dresses with starch, and taught me to do it too. And my dad’s shirts ~ we were all very crisp around our house. And it wasn’t spray starch, it was the real thing. Liquid starch, the kind she used, is hard to find, at least where we live . . . our supermarket doesn’t sell it anymore, I had to go to Amazon to get it. Mostly, these days, it’s used for crafts, but I have this linen jacket I was bringing along that is no good without good old-fashioned starch, spray starch just doesn’t do it. In fact, I have a lot of things I use real starch on. There’s actually a really good reason to do it! I’ll show you! (Jack, as you can see, was there for the whole thing! But he was more interested in . . .
. . . what was going on outside our kitchen window, than what was going on inside . . .)
So, just in case it’s been a long time, or maybe never, since you starched something, and just in cases you’d like to try it . . . here’s how. It’s really easy. First off, you can read on the bottle how much starch to mix with how much water to make the fabric as stiff as you’d like it to be.
I wanted my jacket to be slightly stiffer than medium, so I mixed 4 c. water with 2 c. starch in a very large bowl. My summer potato salad bowl if you want to know.
I swirled it around with my hand to mix it . . .
Then I put my clean linen jacket into the liquid and got it soaking wet.
I took it out and rung it out as best I could … then I noticed all that left over starch and thought, what else do I have? Then I remembered I’d just washed a dresser scarf from the bathroom and thought, perfect timing!
I like dresser scarves to be really quite stiff, so I added a bit more starch.
And in it went.
Then they both went out to the pantry to partly dry on the clothes rack. Soaking wet is not good for ironing, you want them damp. So while that was happening . . .
I wrapped birthday presents for my mom, we’re heading to California to celebrate her 87th birthday (on the 27th)! 🎁 She loves it when I wrap her things in my own paper, so I ordered some from Spoonflower, (the people I do the fabric for … they make all the fabric patterns into wrapping paper too!) which I’d never done before, I was interested to see the quality. And was happy because it’s the thick stuff! Very nice.🎈My mom will love it!
And then, for a couple of good reasons, I made a cake ~ An Orange Marmalade Cake, because Jack’s other Mother was coming from California to stay with him while we’re away . . . and we were making dinner for her . . . and also, because every time Lowely makes something delicious, she always brings me half.
And I wanted to do the same for her before we went away.
Which I did. She only lives two doors down, so I walked it over, and got a goodbye hug. The next time I’m doing a blog and NOT on the train, I’ll give you the recipe! It was delicious!
So then it was time to iron. And what is the first thing I have to do? I have to get Jack’s hair off the ironing board, unless I want to iron it into my clothes. The ironing board doubles as his perch at the pantry window to watch the world go by. So I got out my packing tape, laid a big long strip down, and moved it along until all his little hairs were stuck to it!
And now, I’m ironing. And it’s coming out beautifully.
Voila! When you starch something, it stays fresh looking so much longer. You can wear it and re-wear it and it doesn’t look wilted.
And that, in a nutshell, is why I love starched things. They last forever.
Here’s my dresser scarf, back on the table in the bathroom. Note shadow under table.
Old linens are one of my passions, loves, downfalls. The beautiful cloth, the delicate embroidery and the cotton lace ~ irresistable! Smoothing an old damask tablecloth onto my dining table is one of the simple joys of life. Lighting a candle on that table, where it almost reflects in the sheen of the cloth, is another.
Here is an example of starch and what it does. I haven’t ironed these in over 6 months. No one really uses them, because a terry hand towel is right there, so they are really more decorative than anything, but they look as nice today as they did when I hung them up 5 years 6 months ago.😜
These are the bathroom curtains in that same room, made from an old lace tablecloth, the last of the ones I brought from California when I moved into my first little house on the island. Starched and perky, I won’t have to do it again for a long time. You could never do this with spray starch. Not even with the one that says, “Heavy.”
And here are a few more linen things, just so you get the picture, which I’m sure you do by now! I should be a door-to-door liquid starch salesperson!
One more tip, and that is, you may have starched something a while back, like this linen jacket. But maybe it was crushed in the closet and got kind of wrinkled again. No problem…
As long as it’s clean, you don’t have to rewash and starch, you just spray on a little water, and iron, and it all that good starchiness comes right back.
And there they are, ready to go into plastic bags and into the hanging bag … yes, they will need a touch up when we get there, but it won’t be much! So there you go, adventures in ironing from the Heart of the Home! Pure
Okay, enough about ironing, how about some maple syrup? I LOVED your comments in the last post, like I always do, thank you so much.💞 And yes, we did stuff poor Vanna into our duffel bag, she’s here, fluffed out, head to toe in pink cashmere with a leopard faux fur collar (she knows how to be comfy), complaining because she broke a nail and there’s “no manicurist on board.” It’s okay, we’ll fly her outta here when we get to Chicago. Her and her “little pink zipper bag”👛 which we have had to find for her about six times now. She’s a princess. Not fit for train travel. We knew we would need her for the drawing for our Vermont Valentine Giveaway . . . and so, with no further adieu … Vanna? Come here darling… (oh, the look on her face😱) ~ here we go . . . the WINNER of this delicious Vermont syrup (I know because we got a bottle of this too!) is . . . . PAMELA TASKER!!!!! Congratulations Pamela! You will love this! Be sure to heat it up before you pour it on everything! Look for an email from me in your box . . . I’ll need your mailing address so I can send it to you.
And now, so it doesn’t have to end . . . there’s more . . .
Hello. Remember I showed you these cups I was designing a while back? That’s the one I designed on the left, my glued and pasted paper cup without a bottom. And on the right, that’s the sample they sent! Pretty darn wonderful if I do say so myself! So I did more!
This one is called
and it has Ms. Lambikins on it, amongst other recognizable doodads from my flora and fauna art repertoire. Plenty to read early in the morning when the brain requires quiet time.
And this one is called
for us, the normal ones.💞
Last but not least, we have “Little Things,” because 
All three are being made right now, of fine bone china, in the potteries, in England. Yes, real, bonafide English cups. ❤️ Each holds a truly magnificent 16 oz (if filled to the very top). I’m so excited. You who have hung out around this blog for a while, know how much I have wanted to do this. Finally, the time has come. They will likely be here in May, in time 
for Mother’s Day, if all goes as planned. And if you leave your name in the comment section of this blog,😁 you will be entered in a drawing to win one of these. There will be 3 winners, and the moment they come in, those winners will be the very first on our mailing list! And yes, just in cases you don’t win, they are available now for preorder. Which means, if we haven’t ordered enough, we should know fairly soon, and can get more into the works right away. After a decent amount of time, each of the designs are going to be retired, and replaced by new ones (I have so many fun ideas!) And the only place on earth where they will be available, at least for the foreseeable future, will be here in our web store. I hope you like them.💖
The last time I was in California, Joe and I were driving across country … I picked these two roses, one from my Grandma’s garden, and one from my moms. They sat on the dashboard of the Fine Romance Van the entire way. And when I got home, I took this photo of them. As beautiful as they were when they were first cut. In two days I will be in my mother’s arms. 💞 The dearest person, who was in labor with me for so long (72 hours) that a tiny piece of her soul broke off, and went into me. And that is the way it has always been and will always be. I feel so lucky. Thank you all for being here. Have a wonderful day! WILLARD’S on the way! I’ll be back soon!
Love the mugs! Are you making any stops in the Chicago area? I will have to check! Keeping fingers crossed…
Love, love love the mugs. I ordered all 3 of them They are so very hygge.
Best thing you could say! xoxo
Susan, Love the new Willard.Had to revisit the Starching Blog. Thank you for the instructions I had forgotten how my Mom used to do that. I have things to starch for spring and summer.
Who doesn’t need a fresh cup every now and then (probably not so much need as want and appreciate!) You should be arriving in CA soon! Enjoy your mamma’s loving arms!
I’m here, and basically, that’s where I spent yesterday! Wonderful!
Love your blog and your new mugs. Have a grand and glorious trip on the train & give your mother birthday hugs for all of us whose mothers are watching us from above. Thanks for magic, inspiration and sharing!
Thanks to you I took the train to California starting in Boston Feb. 8th. In Chicago I changed trains to a bedroom on the Zephyr. Floods and mudslides later we arrived 12 hours late in the middle of the night, but I’ll do it again someday. What fun! What an adventure! Thank you for the inspiration. Love the cups and everything you do.
I always say about train travel, “It’s so human” ~ because things do happen sometimes, to us too . . . but that’s all a part of the experience. So glad it didn’t sour you on the train, because it’s not always that way!
You are like a likable version of Martha Stewart with all your homemaking skills, crafty ideas and approachable nature. Not to diss Martha, but I think if I ran into you in the grocery store, you’d treatment like your BFF. Love you for being this way – thanks!
LOL, well thank you Amy! xoxoxo
I’m going to have to stop writing comments on my not-so-smart phone as it keeps autocorrecting…two major mistakes in my two small comments makes me feel like a dummy. Will use my computer next time! Good Grief Charley Brown…
…oops, forgot to add that you’re cooking and baking skills are wonderful too.
Thank you for the continuous cheer and encouragement to look for the beauty that surrounds all of us everyday. Your writing is always a joy!
I need a mug to enjoy this early spring we are having!!! Xoxo
Your beautiful mugs are fabulous……but unfortunatley they cost more than we retired folks can afford. Hoping to win one!!
Importing, these days, is very expensive. Making things in small batches, doesn’t make them any less expensive. I’m so sorry, we did try our best. Save quarters . . . I’ve done that, and sooner or later, they do add up. xoxo
I just finished reading the fairy tale girl which was so sad to me but since I know you had a wonderful life after it I/LL GET OVER IT. I love reading all about Martha;s vineyard and your life with Joe, I noticed you wrote this blog on my 44th wedding annivesay. Love the mugs. I look forward to the next one.
You will cheer up when you get to the next one in the trilogy (after a little while!) . . . in Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams, things get better … Happy Anniversary!
It’s time to retire my trusty mug and replace it one of these beauties — so feminine, fresh, fun!
What lovely mugs! My mugs are some of my most prized-possessions, and I cannot wait to add one of yours to the stack! Your beautiful work always brightens up my day!
Susan,
Love the mugs and your blog which always takes me to a happy place. I read your trilogy this winter, discovering it serendipitously at my local library. I loved it and it brought joy to my winter. Enjoy your trip and your visit with mom. You are an inspiration!
Oh dear, so many comments! Maybe Vanna will pick me! Thank you for the the chance Susan.
Thanks for sharing. Funny how we do things the way our mom’s did. Orange marmalade cake looks good. Your cups and wallpaper are beautiful, as is your art.
I was so surprised to see Windemere in your Newsletter. I live in Central FL and I found out through Facebook that my second cousin who lives in MA and I both visited Windemere FL on Friday. Then the next day, my friend on Cape Cod posted a picture on Facebook of a Windemere Book Shop. Now, on Sunday, as I’m reading your Newsletter, I see Windemere under a lovely rabbit illustration. Must be a sign!
Love all the mugs but especially love the love Mug 🙂 Been following your Rom with a view trip on twitter and have now added a cross country train trip to my lists of things to do. Happy Birthday to your mom. Mary
Oh Susan, I absolutely love the mugs and I would love to own one, but I’m afraid they are way out of my price range! I’m sure the English bone china is beautiful, but not something I can afford (much like the Emma Bridgewater mugs which I dream of owning some day). So sad 🙁 Maybe I’ll get lucky and win one!
Gail Osgood
Your Orange Marmalade Cake looked SO delicious‼️ I would L❤️VE to win one of those OH SO DARLING mugs‼️ Me-me-me VANNA‼️😉
I love the sweet china cup! I hope you pick me to win one.
Greetings from Southern California. Hope you have a wonderful stay while in CA.
Everything is very green so I am sure you will enjoy nature. Plus, celebrating your mother’s birthday is a really special event. Have fun.
Your mugs are lovely and I would love to be the owner of one.
Charlotte
Your mugs are ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!! They are just “Me!” Thank you so much for creating them!
Love love your new mugs….and it is always fun to read the Willard, too! Thanks for sharing…
I love hearing about the starch I will be doing it to my old linens soon thanks! Have a wonderful trip. Those little mugs are so cute!
Wow. I left for my daughter’s three days ago, b4 the new blog and now there are over 1,000 responses! Give your Mom an extra big hug from all of us for being such a special mom to help produce a very special daughter. The mugs are so fun and “Susanish”. Can’t wait to get some.
My oh my! Beautiful cups to share with my sisters! Having tea with them will even be more fun!
As they say in Ireland – c’mon over for a cuppa tae (cup of tea).
I just love the mugs! Thanks for the starch lesson, I’ve never used it but will now!
I would love to win my own Susan Branch mug to drink my morning coffee while nibbling on a piece of the marmalade loaf you showed us today. My breakfast table overlooks Colville Bay here in Prince Edward Island and I can watch the seagulls working the shore – heaven!
Enjoy your train trip!
Janet
My entire life (all 47 years) I have always been a fall and winter gal. So much so that whenever the sun started poking around, I would get angry and resentful. And then when circumstances presented themselves in which I was “forced” to live in Australia (land of the eternal sun) for five years, I thought to myself, “Why couldn’t it be Nova Scotia ? Or Newfoundland ? Or Greenland ?” But I am starting to see the beauty and utility in Spring, and why others sing its praises. Who knows, maybe by the time I am 80, I’ll be open to the idea of summer. Which is a long-winded way of saying, ” I hope I win that darn mug !”
I’m writing today from our lovely vacation rental in Cambria, looking out over Moonstone Beach. We live in El Cajon, just east of San Diego, but once or twice a year we get to Cambria and spend a week stuffing ourselves on Main St. Grill burgers & fries, Linn’s pie and Red Moose cookies. We take loooong walks with the doggie, so I hope I end up about even, calorie-wise. As lovely as all this is, I’m bummed, because I will be missing your appearance in SLO by just two weeks! My trip was planned long before I saw that you’d be there, and I’m sure your trip was arranged many moons before that. Dang it. Maybe some day you’ll make it to SD and do Warwick Books in La Jolla or something…
The new mugs are GORGEOUS! Crossing my fingers I am lucky 🍀 .
Hi Donna,
We love Cambria too and always eat at the Sow’s Ear. It’s delicious and darling. We were there a few weeks ago during the downpours. Still fun.
Susan, I so enjoy your BLOG! The mugs are so beautiful and nothing beats a cup of tea in bone china! Have a great trip to CA!
Thank you for all you do to brighten the world. My daughter gave me Isle of Dreams for Christmas. I have been trying to read it slowly, so glad you found the spot where you have prospered. Keep up the beautiful work.
The tutorial on starching clothes is so interesting. I was playing bunko with some women who were commenting on how you had to put the clothes in the fridge. So many fascinating things that “we” never or rarely do anymore.
I love thinking about 53 degree walking days! Our high today was 37, and it was spitting some odd popcorn snow at me whilst I was out running errands! SPRING cannot come too soon! Meanwhile, we can look and long for those darling mugs, oh, bone china made in England, awesome, Susan! Yes, I would love to win one! I hope your travels are joyous and full of fun, on your way to your sweet mom’s! Suzette
Love the adorable new cups! They look lovely! Safe travels Susan!❤
I can’t wait to starch my dresser scarves! You’ve opened a whole new world!
Dear Susan,
I also love riding the train, in particular, the Texas Eagle from Austin, Tx to Chicago. Our daughter lives in northern Illinois so it is an hour’s drive to Chicago. I try to explain to friends why I prefer the train, and one of the things I tell them is that I feel more connected to the land…even the crumbling warehouses and people’s backyards (which are wonderful at any season). My favorite part is approaching St. Louis at dawn and riding just above the Mississippi River…it is a lovely sight, and I try to have my coffee along with the view. I am also a hopeless anglophile and envy your trips to GB…we now have a British Air direct flight from Austin to London so maybe some day…I always enjoy your blog and the Willard letter…take care and share laughter. Regards, Charlotte Hutcheson
I love your new mugs! I’ve been a fan of your books and art for years. Have fun on your trip to California!
Love you linen jackets and instructions on starch. Wonderful way to keep linen fresh. Train trip across the U.S. sounds wonderful. Happy Birthday to your mother, so glad you can be with her for her birthday. On Feb. 9th we celebrated my mother’s 93rd birthday. They truly were part of the Greatest Generation. Also like you my Dad served in the military and he is my heavenly angel.
Welcoming you to California soon! Lots of rainy weather, but I am sure it will clear up for YOU!! Safe travels!!
I just HAD to write once more…
Thank you for your Willard. It was fun. Good luck with the movie meeting! Who will play you?? I liked your comments about Guardian Angels. I don’t often admit it, and here I am posting about it, but I have 2 that have helped me in many times of stress, danger, worry, good times, and are just with me. I have seen them in dreams and once when I was very ill. Would love to chat more about these special friends. I am most thankful for them and their care every day.
Love you, Susan. Enjoy California.
You can just feel them there.💞 xoxo
Thank you Susan for the spring and breath of fresh air you bring with each post! Soooo love all your books, thoughts, recipes, drawings…you have so many soul sisters!!!! Winning one of your special cups would be the “icing on the cake” so to speak..especially since it is the first year of my sixth decade!!! Thank you for the gift you are!
I love the mugs! I can’t wait for my pre-order!
Your new mugs are so perfect! I have a mug collection and change them out for holidays and seasons. These new designs would never get boxed…they are year ’round for sure!
Love your new coat, had a dress a thousand years ago that it reminds me of, the colours (tee hee) and the squares.
The mugs are delightful, as are all of the wonders you send to us.
Happy Birthday to your mom, how nice that you will be there to share it with her.
Love the mugs!
Love the mugs!
Dear Susan, thank you for Willard! I have an earache today but Willard cheered me up so very much. Love the mugs! Maybe a Vanna might choose me. That you be wonderful.
barbara
Lady Grey tea will taste divine in Susan Branch mug!
Enjoy every moment with your family and friends, I know you will! Love the mugs!
Have a wonderful trip! Love the mugs!
Your mugs are so cute! I’ve collected mugs for forty years and as a retired teacher, I received many as gifts. I even have mugs which have the names of the schools I taught at. Every cup of tea or coffee, is a trip down memory lane and bring quiet joy and soft smiles. Just like your books.
When I was a kid, we starched everything, it seemed. But the fresh smell and the lovely finish on items was not to be beat. I think I’ll order some starch to do the old vintage linens that I have! You brought back lovely memories and I’m glad we have someone like yourself to remind us of lovely homekeeping and how to do it. Thank you!
Oh to have a place to hang sheets out! I just love the mugs. I’ll order one for my sister ( her husband is dyong from lung cancer – very soon) if I don’t win one
Blessings and prayers for your family, Jean. xoxo
The cups are amazing!
Been in love with your watercolors since I visited Martha’s Vineyard on my honeymoon…back in 1997!
new to your blog but not to your books, I have every one of ’em and rereading 2 of them! always so uplifting and Fun and totally relateable being also a boomer and all! love your writing love your art love your life!
just got the first Willard, new to me as well….so enjoying your books, like a deep breath that I’ve held a long time. Thank you and safe journeys!
Love drinking out of bone China cups – would be doubley great in one designed by Susan Branch!
I’m fortunate to have some of grandmother’s linens and enjoy them
so much. I love your cups and hope to win one. Going to Britian & Ireland & Scotland this summer & hope to see some of the same sights you seen while there. Thanks for your inspiration.
Love your beautiful mugs! Give your mom a happy birthday hug from all your girlfriends and enjoy your visit! I like the idea of getting a mug in memory of my sweet mom….then I can have an excuse to buy one!! 🙂
Very excited about your mugs….particularly the “in love with nature” mug. Will preorder, as my expectations of winning are low….but who knows, I guess it could happen! Have a wonderful trip to California….thanks for sharing your travel adventures with us all!
It feels like I found an old forgotten friend here. Where have I been? Cups are adorable..
I love to iron? It’s my secret! It’s my private thinking time. It’s a list art for sure! Have a wonderful trip. I love love the mugs!
Just love all you do to enhance our lives and lift us out of doldrums to see the beauty of life – thank you!
PS, love the new mugs!
A train ride! Wow! How enchanting! Have a lovely time with your Mother! Be so grateful you still have her.
The mugs are pure Susan Branch!
The starch lesson put me back at our farm house when I was a little girl, watching my Mother iron beautifully with, of course, starch! Lovely memories!
Thank you for the words and beautiful art!
Ginny
Love your new mugs and can’t wait to see what other ideas you create. Love reading about your adventures and your way of reminding us of the blessings around us each day. Enjoy your visit with your mom and friends.
I love Susan Branch cookbooks and everything else SB! My first introduction was from the ladies of General Telephone of California who knew your parents had visited your home and talked about you drawing at the table as a little girl! I was a young wife of a man who worked for a supplier for Gen Tel. So with their recommendation I began my love for your cookbooks! The GT ladies taught me so much about the corporate world we found ourselves in! Now I’m trying to figure out where to order the Autumn book!
So interesting to hear that! My dad worked for General Telephone for most of his life. As for Autumn, you can go to my web store to pre-order the new printing coming at the end of March.
I love the cups!…and your style!…and that you starch your linen clothes and take them when you travel! All this current minimalism craze I read about in bloggy-land is well and good, but I love that you don’t pack lightly! 😄
Reading your posts is a wonderful break! I hope you have a wonderful trip, your mugs are beautiful!
Love those linen jackets of yours and I love the nostalgia over starch! I will order some, because I just ordered some linen trousers and am looking for another linen jacket, which I could make(former Home Ec. major or domestic engineer) if I could see to thread the machine. The needle’s eye is much smaller than it used to be. Wonder if anyone else has noticed that! LOL! The bone chinaware you designed is too beautiful to be called a mug. Just saying! Love all three patterns. Wishing your Mother a most Happy Birthday and you and Joe a safe journey with loads of fun.
Per your Willard, I searched Netflix for “Aplace to call home” and “the constant nymp” and found neither. Can’t imagine why one subscriber can access them and one cannot. ????
Constant Nymph is finally available through Amazon . . . and I made a mistake saying A Place to Call Home is on Netflix. It’s not, it’s on Acorn! So sorry Julie!
We got our first three seasons of A Place To Call Home through Netflix, but season four is not there yet…BOO HOO and WHY NOT! It is definitely worth hunting it down.
Aha, I just figured it out. On Netflix you can RENT A Place to CAll Home. I had been looking for it as part of my monthly subscription. Mystery solved.
I made a mistake, it’s actually on Acorn!!! Sorry Girls!
Ah, Amazon. Okay. You did originally say A Place to call home was on Acorn. I thought maybe it was added to Netflix as well and can see that FayE in CA (below) gets it on Netflix. That is so strange.
Nonetheless, Susan, thanks for clarifying. I don’t get Acorn but found all 4 seasons at the library, yay!
See now, FayE in CA says she got
You inspire me to try the liquid starch idea. Your linens look beautiful and I bet in real life they are even prettier. I love the fresh, tight look of liquid starch items. Thank you for sharing this “how to”.
I will definitely be buying your new mugs. Just too colorful and beautiful. Keep up all those ideas you come up with.
Susan, I to have love of old linens, and doilies. Some came from antique shops, some from dear friends from the past, the newer ones I have made or embroidered myself, but I love the beauty in all. ( My husband went to an old antique shop and bought me a new ,old doily for valentines. It has charisma.)
Your mugs will make a great addition to the cozy comfort of home, thank you.
Thank you for all the loveliness you share. We love you!
The mugs are lovely, I think I should order a ‘love’ mug for my daughter for Mother’s Day since I am the mama!
Ironing is truly a lost “art”. My 21 year old son asked me to iron his shirt so I told him I would as long as he would watch me so that I could teach him. He reluctantly ironed his other shirt with me watching. My hope is that he will remember.
Love the mugs!
Love all the mugs!
My grandmother used to starch and iron *everything*, even underwear and sheets! I hardly break out my iron at all – I’m sure she’d be appalled. 😉 You’ve inspired me to get out and use the “pretties” she gave me – they won’t do any good sitting in boxes, and life is too short to not enjoy them!
Love the new mugs!
I love liquid starch as much as I love you!
Love, love, love your blogs and mugs !!!!! So glad they are coming from England – I love the Yorkshire countryside as my girlfriend lives there. So enjoyed ‘travelling ‘ with you through your pictures around England !!!! Looking forward to more adventures with you.
I love the bird song! Your mugs are most excellent and would love one! Starch? What’s that? LOL! I think I had better gets some because I love my vintage linens, but yes, they get a little tired looking. Have a fun trip! You are so blessed to have your mom still around!❤️
Hello lovely friend! What a treat to get your blog posts and Willard in the same month. So much to catch up on! February is one of my favorite months, because we have Valentines’s Day and all the love and hearts it brings, for us to share. It’s also my birthday and anniversary, too, on the same day (yesterday). We eloped 24 years ago to Door County in WI, and it was just as romantic as you can imagine! As if that wasn’t too much happiness to bear, we are THAT much closer to SPRING! SO excited about your very own gorgeous mugs – can’t wait to see them for real! Godspeed and traveling mercies on your trip to see your sweet mom for her birthday. I know how very proud of you she must be and how excited she’ll be to see you and Joe. Let me know if you forgot to pack anything and I’ll bring it to the trainstation in Chicago for you – only a slight hop and a skip! Thank you for being the wonderful person you are, dear Susan, and thank you for sharing so much with all of us. Hope you know how much we cherish you! Xoxo
Love your mugs they are so cute
safe travels! love you!
Dear Susan,
I think you’re still on the train, right? What a wonderful way to travel! In 1984 I train-traveled in Europe. Once, I spent a night in a sleeper from Rome to Austria–a magical ride, going to bed in rainy, autumnal but still beautiful Rome and waking to the toy train stations of the snowy mountains of Austria. In 1988, before my son was born, I took an overnight trip from Boston to Washington, DC for business. I loved the cozy, personal time in my own little den, and then coming out into the middle of Washington–and no airport hassles! Then in 2009 my daughter and I took an overnight train from Moscow to St. Petersburg to meet her Russian birth family; another glorious life-time experience, velvet-padded seats, bottles of mineral water on lace cloths and flowers on the table between our seats, and huge square soft pillows and duvets when the beds were made up. Felt like Dr. Zhivago! Some day, I’ll train travel again. I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing trip out, a lovely birthday with your Mum, good visits with all your friends (and movie discussions, no-less! How exciting!). In the meantime, I have gone ahead and pre-ordered one of your absolutely beautiful mugs–I ordered the Love Mug. I’m not the luckiest winner of things, would be shocked and tickled pink if my name is drawn (I have just the dear friend I’d give my winning mug to). I’m so glad the mugs are going to happen. Hope to buy more! My email carrier lost your most recent blog, but I was able to find it though the Willard which did make it through. Loved both posts. I’ll keep reading, and will even try to figure out how to work twitter so I can keep up with you there. Thank you so much for your words and art and your heart. I’ve needed them as I wait for my son to come home from a 3-month post to Afghanistan. I hope he’ll be back in May, the best Mother’s Day gift I could ever ask. If you spare a prayer for traveling mercies and a safe, sound return, please add the name Alex. My prayers for a safe and wonderful journey go to you and Joe. Best, Rosemary
Happy to “spare a prayer,” a big one, for your son, Alex, a hero for his country. xoxo Thank you Rosemary, for sharing your stories!
Spring has sprung!
You are indeed fortunate to be able to celebrate with your Mom on her birthday. Wishing her health and happiness on her special day.
Love all of your things. Got my first book in the late 80’s. Now, I bought my daughter your 30th anniversary edition of Heart of the Home!! Thanks for all of the joy you have given me!
Susan, I’m bummed! In the current Willard you mentioned A Place to Call Home is waiting for us on Netflix. I did a search and nothing. Did you mean it’s coming? Thanks
Ooops, it’s not on Netflix! Yikes! It’s on Acorn! I’m sorry!
Love your forsythia illustration in your latest Willard! I must get my silk forsythia wreath out now and put it on my door! Spring is on its way!
Happy traveling, Susan & Joe! I ❤️ your new mugs! Perfect for my morning cup😊. Congratulations on a dream come true!
I have never tried starching anything, but I think I am won over! I will have to try it.
Also, your mugs are so charming. I especially like the small things one:)
Your mugs are simply enchanting, just like your blog! Thank you for sharing your beautiful talents, you brighten my world and lift my spirits.
Hugs,
Mercedes C.
Mugs!! I often wondered why your beautiful and lovely artwork wasn’t available on china ware. Yay!!
Love the mugs, pre-ordered “Little Things”, would love to have them all!! Thank you for sharing your MANY gifts.
Dearest Susan, your cups are thrilling!! I am excited and have pre-ordered already😘 Jack is adorable – finding him in your photos is great fun. Oh my, you brought back wonderful memories of starching clothes – damp bundles everywhere, and the unforgettable fragrance. Thank you! Wishing you & Joe happy travels, and a grand birthday celebration with your mom 💕🎂🍭