Make room for some white space! That’s what I always say! Morning MUSICA! I have a little story I wanted to share with you: Back before most of us even met, way back when, just after my first book 
(Heart of the Home) came out, I had the most interesting thing happen. Most of it, actually, wasn’t good, even though it definitely started out good, and ended up okay, I think, overall I could have done without it. Out of the blue I was contacted on the phone by the New York ad agency that represented Pepperidge Farm ~ they said really nice things about my new book, and asked me if I would like to design an ad for Pepperidge Farm using my handwriting and watercolors. I was very flattered, as you can imagine. Leaping and jumping occurred, calling of parents happened. I traveled to New York to meet with the agency, and gave my new book to the all the Pepperidge Farm executives at the meeting (to take home to their wives), and said I’d love to. But something happened, I never quite understood what, but it all short-circuited, and even though it never made any sense to me, for some unknown reason I stopped hearing from them. Disappointing and kind of embarrassing, but for all I knew, this was normal in big-ad-New-York-world. I put everything I’d done for them in a shopping bag and pushed it under my desk. A year later, when I saw my own handwriting and my favorite wooden spoon (among other things) watercolored in a New York Times Magazine double-page ad for Pepperidge Farm,
and then People Magazine too, my heart fell. My own personal spoon. Really, the nerve of some people’s children. Apparently what happened is that they sent my book to another artist in New Jersey and paid her to copy my work and do the ads. And because I was just beginning my career and very naive, and I thought this was so wrong on all levels since this book felt like my baby, I found a lawyer 
and took them to court. Talk about David and Goliath. As you might guess, I didn’t fare all that well, mostly because, unbeknownst to me until the very end, there was a limit of $10,000 that could be awarded and that’s only if you WIN the case, which I did, thank goodness! It took two years for it to get to court, but by the time we were finished I’d easily spent that $10,000 on the legal retainer, postage, Mary Tyler Moore city clothes for court, travel and the hotel room in New York where I had to go for a whole week for the “trial.” It could have been way worse I found out later, they could have made me pay the lawyer the $250,000 bill it took to do this, but instead, thank goodness, they made the other side pay it. (Moral of the story, unless you are a lawyer try to stay out of court.) For a few days, I thought I’d have to pay the lawyers myself, tears came out of my eyes horizontally when I first heard about it, but luckily when the ad agency appealed, the judge made the lawyers settle and let me go. Whew! Anyway, one fascinating thing came out of it, my “style” was defined by an expert (and, as it turned out in the end, it was protected by the law 😊). The ad agency brought in all kinds of evidence, that I didn’t own “my style,” I didn’t own hearts, they said, I didn’t own handwriting or wooden spoons (I said, “Even with the little lines?”); they darkened the 
court room and showed an old black and white movie of the venerable foreverness of Pepperidge Farm, they would have brought in Margaret Rudkin in a coonskin cap and calico apron if they could have, to try and show that perhaps it was me that had copied them! But one person they did bring was an art expert from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Very impressive to me since I’d never had an art lesson and at the time, didn’t know I had a “style.” She was supposed to analyze my art (on the stand) and tell the jury if it had special properties that should be protected. She showed everyone the wide white borders and a few pages with almost nothing on them. And SHE said, the expert said, pointing and holding up my book, that I was, and I quote, “A master of the white space.” HA! A master! Of the white space! I almost fell out of my chair. So there. And I have lived off that bit of information for the last 30 years.
And there’s really no doubt it was true ~ I probably never would have seen it on my own, but it’s so obvious, what shows off splotches of glorious color better than white space?
Even in the bubbles . . .
Even in my first painting, I’ve always liked the paper as much as what I put on it and left a lot of it blank.
A little white space, especially in the pages of a book, gives the eye a rest . . . just like quiet listening during a conversation, gives gravitas and meaning to the words . . .
This is one of the pages the art expert held up to the jury to make her point. Who knew? But I’ll tell you, it means a LOT when someone from a museum says something like that to you.💝 After all she was under oath. Made it all worthwhile. 😜
When I look back at what has inspired me, what I’ve surrounded myself with, such as these embroidered tea towels, it all makes sense, I see how good those little stitches look against the white.
I particularly enjoyed designing a line of white quilting fabrics . . . What is an old quilt without white? I don’t know!
White gives flavor to everything . . .
. . . and more white . . .
. . . in every shape . . . that blue would be nothing without the white! Subconsciously, it was probably quilts that turned me into a “master of the white space.” Perhaps “mistress” would be better. Inspiration comes from everywhere!
White makes the perfect background . . .
It has such freshness . . .
and perks up and softens any room . . .
White lightens hearts, smooths away troubles and makes black and white kitties the perfect decorating accent.
And something else about white, it makes a room like a movie set. Change the pillows to black floral needlepoint, put in a brown and red quilt, and you’re ready for winter. Add a Christmas tree or a basket of spring flowers to the room, glass candlesticks and a bowl of oranges in the spring, brass and wood candlesticks in the winter, and you get a complete change with very little work. Not that this is the only way to go, some think white is hard to keep clean . . . but,
Maybe that’s why so many New England houses are painted white, because the seasons change, and there is never any color clash since white goes with everything, looks fabulous with snow, beautiful with colorful falling leaves, excellent with forsythia. This is our backyard yesterday morning. Spring has sprung! Tomorrow is May! Rabbit-rabbit!
And palest pink, almost white flowers, look luv-lee against the green . . .
Mix and match old vintage white yard furniture does too!
Everything shows up better with a white frame . . .
This was the table for a wedding shower I did for one of my girlfriends. Nowadays white space has a much broader meaning for me, it’s a kind of emptiness and space, whether it’s in decorating, or in open places left free for dreaming. Quiet mornings are perfect for white space. Reading a good book is white space with a story. A massage is black-out white space.
Like bubble baths and birdsong. It’s downtime. The nonthinking thing. Ommmmm. Know what I mean? Like 1864, when there were only ticking-clock noises, the sound of the turning of a page, the flicker of a candle, the scratch of a pen, the purring of a cat, the soft snoring of a dog, the rustle of fabric. These are my favorite sounds and always hardest to hear. The chick-chick-chick of the lawn sprinkler going round and round on a warm summer day. But it doesn’t just happen, not in this wild world of ours, like everything else, if you want it, you have to make it yourself.
Take note: even Downton Abbey knew the power of white . . . that table just would not be the same in green.
Perhaps not quite the same in grandeur, but pretty good considering the serious and bewildering lack of a downstairs staff!
So that’s what I’ve been doing to my own little home sweet home … since we got back 
from California, I’m my own downstairs staff, putting my house back together, smoothing things out, making space. I’ve been writing books, designing cups and calendars, and traveling so much, my home, my first love, got out of hand with clutter. Spring cleaning was number one on my list of things to do when we got home, I want my house back! I have a long way to go, but here I begin, by clearing everything off the kitchen table (a feat in and of itself) and oiling the wood top, so there’s more contrast between the cute white legs and the wood floor, and the wood table and the white wainscoting.
I oiled both the table and the wood counter top ~ because we have our furnace on all winter, the color gets dried right out of the wood . . .
You can see how it works here on the handles of my pans ~ I can’t believe they got this bad, they practically have splinters! A little mineral oil makes such a difference! You just brush it on your wood boards, spoons, whatever you have, and leave it to sink in to bring back the mellow colors of the natural wood.
Here you can see the table when the oil is about halfway soaked in. Takes a few days.
This is me ⬇️
While I was working in the kitchen, I would step out into the salty cold spring air, to take Joe a cup of tea while he was de-thatching and reseeding the lawn (and give him brilliant advice, lucky man) and gaze at the tulips and daffodils blooming . . . note how good they look with a white picket fence!
And we put a new roof on the house, because the rain was coming into my sewing room!
And birds were landing and frolicking in the birdbath . . .
And I put bright spring flowers in my little vases . . .
I washed all the dishes in my open cupboards in several dishwasher loads . . .
But anything hand-painted, or gold edged I washed by hand . . .
And dried . . .
And put away on my shiny clean shelves above my luv-lee oiled counter . . . the dishes and glassware sparkly and colorful against the white space . . .
ready for garden tea parties.
And then there was a joint April birthday party for myself and two of my best girlfriends! Which was wonderful of course! But, what I wanted to mention, as you can see by my outfit, I seem to have a new thing about the color blue.
I’m normally such a pink person, and now, all of a sudden, this yearning for blue. Kind of like 
all the years I couldn’t stand blue cheese dressing, and suddenly now I can’t get enough of it! I’m so happy new things keep happening! And I’ve learned, the only way to it is through it, so, hello blue, here I come! I kept thinking about changing the look of my newly clean and spacified kitchen . . . so finally, I went on line thinking, “rugs” ~ and sent away for some rag-rug samples . . . Something cool and fresh for the long hot summer . . . something, to be specific, blue.
I asked Jack, “Choose the one you like best.” And so, being the brilliant cat that he is, he did. I got out some dishtowels to see how they would look, and my new imaginary world began …
I thought, I wonder how Jack’s choice will look with fall colors?
Okay I said, how will it look with my new cups . . .
Within two weeks, and for about $300, I went to the Dash and Albert website and got three new rugs (there’s another of those lighter, windowpane rugs just out of sight on this side of the kitchen table) . . . I took all the little magnets and pictures off my fridge, and gave myself more white space and took a big deep breath of the clean emptiness. If anyone dares so much as set a newspaper down in here, I will have a fit. I’m warning me!
I shopped my house for other blue things . . . I changed the red-checked kitchen-table lampshade to one from the guest room that had bluebirds on it . . . the red checks will come back in the fall, when the seasons change again and all hearts turn to “cozy” . . .
I put away the red and pink potholders and pulled out the yellow and blue crocheted vintage potholders for the top of my stove . . .
And hunted through the dishtowel pile for some blue and yellow ones that showed up very nicely on the oven-door handles for which they were made . . .
I thought my little blue-flowered cup would be darling on top of my stove . . . with the miniature white chair as background.
Away goes the red-heart teapot, and out comes the blue one . . .
I lined up some of my favorite blue mugs . . .
And remembered the paper mockup of the blue-bird cup and thought I’d try it here . . . and decided this is a must-do mug, and so the real thing, lovely bone china from England will be coming into our web store hopefully by August! Oh the power! To be able to design a cup to match my kitchen! What a world!
And here it is, peaceful, calm, and plain, don’t you think? Almost Amish. Possibly Swedish. Definitely hyggeish. And the perfect backdrop to a summer filled with flowers, watch that vase on the kitchen table! I’m thinking perhaps next I need some new chair pads . . . perhaps in white . . . ?
I get to turn my calendar to May tomorrow, I peeked ahead and I was so happy to see it’s blue! Perfect timing!
My Beatrix Potter People have lived through years of my decorating transitions (transgressions!), but they are as they are forever, color matters not at all when it comes to them.
Blue schmoo. I love you just the way you are. 😘
Other than that . . . I’ve been getting the garden ready . . . the strawberries are doing really well, and there’s a fresh new layer of compost over everything. Spring rains are working their magic . . .
And I’ve been designing new dishes, interesting casual little things for serving and displaying . . . I love this little teapot plate! It’s whiteness is the perfect background for art, and for lemon cake or cookies too! I’ll do three different designs, this one and two with center art, so that they could either be used on the table or hung on the kitchen wall. I’ve been designing cat dishes too, and some other things . . . but not to put the cart before the horse and get us too excited, first we have to make sure this is all do-able before it is written in stone.
These, on the other hand . . .
are written
in stone . . .
. . . and ready to ship from England on May 4th!!! I’m so excited. Did I tell you how strong 
fine bone china is? An English gentleman named Jon, from the manufacturer in England, came to visit us today (I gave him tea in my new Love cup in my plain but gorgeous new kitchen) and he almost gave me a heart attack with a little surprise demonstration of slamming the cup on the table edge! It didn’t break, neither the cup, nor the table! He was very proud. And now, so am I. Quality is so rare. And another thing, bone china is so dense it holds the heat really well. I already knew this ~ I could 
tell from drinking from them, but he confirmed it. I gave away two of the only samples I had to my birthday girlfriends, so I am waiting just as hard for them as the rest of you! Soon girlfriends, soon. And, btw, they are almost all gone! Which is good/bad, but I think everyone who wanted one has it by now, I hope so. Those designs will be retired. 
They are all yours. And I’m in the studio again, designing three maybe four more cups, including my bluebird, and this Santa Claus ~ all new designs, for fall, and tea, and the holiday season ~ Jon brought me some other sizes to choose from too. I love hearing your ideas, about what art you’d like to see on a cup, I wish we could afford to do all we’d like to do because there are SO many wonderful ways to go! One day at a time! 
So, this is where I’ll be on the Thursday before Mother’s Day! The perfect thing to do to celebrate my favorite holiday, raise money for children in need . . . If you’re in the neighborhood, put on your Easter bonnet, and please bring your mom, your sister, or your best friend and join us for this luv-lee Tea Party, mom-celebration, and book talk and signing in Massachusetts . . . for tickets and more information go HERE . . .
One more thing, speaking of white, have you all seen The White Queen? There are ten episodes, followed by eight more of the White Princess. Wonderful! Joe and I just started the White Princess, but the Queen was great! Look for it . . . it’s on Starz now, we get it by talking into our remote. Which makes me wonder, was talking into a remote really necessary? Anyway, that’s how we get it.
Last but not least, something else wonderful and new: you know how they call different generations by different names? How they slot us by age into our little Baby Boomer, Gen-X, Millennial, or Centennial boxes? Well, I just heard about a new one this morning ~ a 
group they are calling “Perennials.” Just the name made me want to join! And this label has nothing to do with date of birth, it’s for all ages, people from every generation are welcome. It’s for anyone who manages to weather the winter storms and survive, for those who stay current with the world, with technology (accepting talking remotes with grace), are passionate, creative and compassionate truth seekers . . . who keep curious about the world and stay involved. Those are the Perennials. So us. Ever-blooming. No more generation segregation! Don’t you love it!? I hope this spreads like wildfire.
And I decided to try something new . . . just to see if I like it. I’ve been meaning to for quite a while . . . Instagram! So I finally did it about a week ago, I’ve been over there introducing myself, and it’s been really fun meeting new people. If you want to see, here’s a link to my page . . . I don’t have it all figured out, but apparently it’s something that can only be done from your phone.
Sun’s coming up, the bottom of the sky is palest pink going up to lavender, then periwinkle blue, a gorgeous beginning to the day, trees black against the dawning light. Yesterday we took the first storm windows off, so this morning my studio is filled with bird song. And me? I just had a bowl of the biggest juiciest red ripe strawberries. And now I’m off to clean out the sideboard in the dining room! Bye Girlfriends, 💞 have a wonderful day! 
Love the idea of changing dishes, linens and colors for the seasons. Pink and Blue are always my favorite color choices as well But you really inspired me with little vases and making things so much lighter in summer and back to my cozy, favorite time~ Fall and Winter.
Spring is always a lovely, renewing season, but I lost my Mom early April, so it’s been a bit different for me this year. Yes, 2017 has not started off well with the trauma of politics, the endless bickering between one another when we should realize we all should want the same thing ~ Peace, Tolerance, and above all Kindness.
When things seem bleak, I channel my Susan Branch happy gene, and realize, no matter what happens, it’s going to be okay, and nothing will every steal my joy.
Thank you for always giving us a little nudge reminding us what’s important, and that it’s the little things in life we should cherish. (Happy 24th!!!)
You’re right, it will be okay Barbara, and time will soften the blow, but I know how awful it feels, and send you blessings, and love, and a big hug. xoxo
I love this post! You could have been speaking my thoughts in what you wrote. As I read I kept saying, “yes, yes, yes”, in my head. I have used white and off white as my background for almost everything for years. It’s such a peaceful, serene feeling for me, and I haven’t tired of it yet. Doubt I ever will. And blue! My other favorite! Beautiful post, Susan!
Yes, I don’t get tired of it either! Thank you Kathy!
You made me love pink but at heart I have been a blue person since forever. Dash and Albert rugs are the best. I have one of the indoor outdoor styles (blue in it of course) under my kitchen table. We have several grands that for some magical reason their food ends up on the rug. It’s lightweight to move so I take it outside on a sunny day and hose it down. It dries really quickly. I am not on social media. I’m a “lets sit down over tea and talk” type person. I so enjoy your blog posts and it’s one of the few I read. Please let us know out here in blog land as soon as the bluebird mug can be pre-ordered. I see where my Christmas shopping will be done this year! Also, thank you for thinking of the different size options. I live in a small bungalow and storage is an issue. I have to stack my mugs so a standard size mug is perfect for my space. Have a great time spring cleaning. I love clearing out. xoxoxoxo
I’ll make a small one this time. . . I love different shapes too! xoxo
This post must be potentially a part of the cozy book I’m anticipating ❤️😘? Delicious writing and photography, Susan! White space ❤️. What a story about the stealing/copying! God protected your happy style for you, yours, and all of us. Yay❤️
He did. No question about it. He said, you are too ridiculous to be let out alone. So He kept by my side, thank goodness.
Oh my, Susan, I’m up in arms against Pepperidge Farms now and all those corporate Goliaths who feel/know they can stomp on the little people. It happened to my daughter years ago with a script, and I think it’s a common occurrence. Why wouldn’t P.F. simply choose YOU to do YOUR work? Disgraceful!
But the white space you described and the soothing spring-time blue put me to rights again so I can go to church in a more peaceful mood! Beautiful post! So much to look at, think about, and enjoy! Thank you and happy May to you and to all of the GFs! ❤️💐
I think it was the ad agency, but really, it doesn’t matter at this point, it was bad no matter what. I definitely would have done it for a lot less than 2 years and $10,000! 😜 Just stealing it was a ding-bat way to think! Happy May Patty!
I, too just joined Instagram a few weeks ago. I had to call a girlfriend to find out what I was supposed to do on it! She laughed! You gotta love technology! I just found yours and joined the almost 4,000!
Yes, I still have a girlfriend coming over to give me a little lesson. Things I don’t know yet! Happy to know you’re there!
Where to begin! I am SO glad you won the lawsuit because coming at the beginning of your career you must have felt the rug had been pulled out from under you while holding your favorite dishes! While it doesn’t sound like you made any money from winning it, hearing the art expert’s “master of the white space” has probably kept you on the path that HAS led to your financial success. I have always loved your art work and now I understand why. I like my music the same way–a full orchestra is not pleasing to my ear nor is a page filled with art and no white space. I prefer one or two instruments at a time, and illustrations that stand out because they focus my attention on what’s important.
I LOVE your blue bird cup! And your new color scheme. I change my dining room curtains from the red on white for Autumn and Winter to blue on white in the Spring and Summer. My kitchen is cobalt blue and warm red accents–with lots of white. It’s not good to get in a rut because it eventually gets to deep you can no longer see out of it.
That little comment about ruts is genius Cathy!
Thank you…if you don’t count the typo! 😬 Should have said *so deep*.
Happy Sunday, Susan.Thank you for this super springtime blog and much appreciated inspiration ~ I’ll be re-reading it several times today as I sweep and clean and shine my own home-sweet-home. It is scrumptious to come here and visit your home and see the results of your hours of whirling-dervishness that you mentioned in a tweet…or maybe on Instagram. And btw, so happy to see you there! Well, the birds in my trees have been singing their morning songs for a while now, and its time for me to get whirling, too. All the windows get opened first, as today is going to be warm (80 is forecast! and summer still months away! Yikes!!!) and I want as much cool morning air to blow in as possible. Thank you again, for all the love I never fail to find here, dear Sue. Hugs to you and Joe and Jack (of the impeccable taste) and Happy May Day tomorrow 🌷💕
Thank you back Christie, your warmth is always a blessing here on this Blog. xoxoxo
Thank you, Susan. You made my day. Hope yours goes splendidly, as well!
Oh boy! Love the birdsong! But, garsh did I get mad with that fiasco by Pepperidge Farm folks! And they paid people for being mean & copying you! Proud of you for standing up for yourself! Whew! On to the beauty of your blog….you do inspire me! Time to take down my cranberry red drapes & put up my yellow, floral bouquets! Spring cleaning is very rewarding, like cleaning my glasses to see a bright new day! Your blue look is charming, as was your red! Love your beautiful new cups! My “Gratitude” book is here, love it, and it has lots of white space! Pretty outside here today, and the wind has blown on by, what a relief! Have a blessed Sunday you all! Hugs!
That’s so true, just like cleaning your glasses! LOL! xoxo
Oh my. That was like a giant gust of April wind, stirring up all my feelings of things I have to do and things I want to do. Springtime always puts me in a frenzy this way. (October does this too) Your blog post is propelling us right into May! I love it. These are my favorite kind of posts, the ones where you show us what you’re up to with decorating. I have never seen anyone do it better than you. I adore your style. Do you know what kind of wood your kitchen table top is made of? I need a new table and I like the color of it. Is it butcher block?
Joe probably knows, but he is knee deep in the mud outside, it does seem a little like butcher block. It came with a little finish on it, but we sanded it off so we could oil it instead. I understand your “frenzy” . . . I feel it myself!
Oh, how you inspire me Susan. So many ideas, my head is spinning. Thank you for all you share with us.
My pleasure, thank you for being here Patty!
Good day. Still in bed reading with my daughter, my bestie 10 year old girlfriend.
We are fluffing our nest, too. Everything so bright. We love white flowers and Jasmine that appears to flow in the night and scent the evening air. Can’t wait to receive the first round of mugs. Love the teapot dish. Love to you, Joe, Jack, and the heart of the home. Genie bow beanie.
Mmmmm. Jasmine. LOL, Genie bow beanie bonana fana fo feannie . . .
Lovely post! I am a quilter and have fallen in love with the mostly white and red quilt photographed on your sofa. Is it an antique? I would love to draft a pattern and remake the quilt for myself. I guess I am asking permission to do so unless you advise otherwise. Can’t wait to see your bluebird cup too!
It’s definitely an antique and although I’m probably not the one to give the permission, I do so, wholeheartedly with a You Go Girl hooked to it! xoxo
thank you for this….waking up to birds and lovely Seattle drizzle….balancing our barrage of surreal world news…..thank you for this….and thank you for continuing to “blog”….for those of us who unplug a lot, and are not signed up for Instagram or twitter, etc., thank you for your blog….yesterday one of “The London Four” (4 of us who went to London together this month), and I shared our photo’s and laughed and remembered….the lovely people we met, being out in the world….thank you for always reminding us that we are all citizens here in the world, trying our best, sharing joys and confusions….sign me up for a future mug with the bluebird and the blue border – I will watch for it to be available….enjoy spring, keep speaking your heart and mind, keep creating and sharing all the beauty and joy….I appreciate you…
Travel is such a great way to see the bigger picture! And now there you are, all enjoying the memories, who could ask for more? The trip that keeps on giving! xoxo
I adore all the blue! It’s my favorite color and I’ve not been successful getting my guy away from his browns and reds.
I think white chair pads will complete your kitchen look. Please post a picture when you decide.
Have a wonderful week!
Oh I will. You too Joan!
Lovely and inspiring post, as usual. Fightin’ mad to learn about the Pepperidge Farm fiasco back in the day, but glad it had a tolerable outcome for you. Still…grrrrr.
My favorite color ensemble for the at least the last three decades of living has been white/blue/yellow (mostly white with a sprig of blue and a dash of yellow) — there’s just something so uplifting and refreshing and clean about it.
Your kitchen looks beautiful and inviting. I’m a big fan of “Simplify or Die!” Well done, Susan. Enjoy!
Thank you Marigold! xoxo
Many years ago I cut a picture from a magazine of your first geranium painting. It’s in a white frame on top of one of my bookcases. Always loved it.
Oh, that is such an honor Mary, thank you. xoxo
Well, what a rotten, nasty, dirty trick Pepperidge Farm pulled !! I think you were absolutely right to sue them over it, and hopefully they understood what an awful thing they did. I actually haven’t bought their products for years, and I certainly won’t ever again … although the Bad Guys that were there 30 years ago have all probably retired by now.
Nice to see the photo of Girl Kitty … I miss her! And I like Jack’s choice of blue and white rug for your kitchen. Your blog has inspired me to get busy and change out the “same old” in my house.
I love all that you do Susan! Thanks for your inspiration and wisdom. I hope your coldindanose is all better!!
Barb
The “bad guys” were really that ad agency. I’m truly not sure what Pepperidge Farm knew about it . . . I bet the agency didn’t want them to know what they’d done ~ or at least, not involve them. I really have no idea, but it was a long time ago, and I now can count it as “good experience.” I miss Girl too, and there is no reason why we can’t enjoy her in her photos. She was such a pretty girl. My cold is way better. I had a three hour nap today!!!! Can’t quite get over the deliciousness of that! But I feel much better. Not so drippy anymore. Itching to get outside in the garden!
Love the look of your kitchen – blue is my favorite color. You truly are a master of white and we are all so lucky to be able to enjoy your wonderful talent. I too am getting my house in order after a busy couple of months. This week everything will be washed – bed linens, curtains, rugs and every drawer is cleaned and organized – I actually do “spring cleaning” the first week on January, May and September and it makes it so much easier to keep this house clean and orderly the rest of the year. Cannot wait to get my cups and looking forward to what you have for us in the future.
Happy cleaning and have a great week. Hello to your Joe .
Clean and orderly, two of my most favorite words! Thank you Julie!
Mom always liked having white rooms, so if she had a whim to change the bedding, pillows or curtains she could. Thanking you for bring mom back to me with this post.
My pleasure, it’s that time of year for MOM! xoxo
Love your new blue kitchen! Thanks for inspiring me to declutter. You never fail to make me happy and uplift my spirits. Any time I need a boost I always go to you. Your books are great. I have recently started collecting vintage crochet potholders. How do you wash yours to get the stains out? I’ve been a little afraid of ruining them. Once again thank you for all you do for us girls!
I soak them in a bowl with warm-hot water and a little soap and a few drops of bleach. Then I dry them on the line. Thank you Arnette! Lovely to have you here!
Thank you! I’ll give it a go.
Oh, Susan, I know it’s been years since Pepperidge Farms tried to steal (harsh word, but that’s exactly what they did!) your art, and maybe now the CEO and company heads are lovely folks, but that whole incident was horrible! It makes me angry. So glad you took ’em to court and won. That must have been a scary process, but you did the right thing.
I love those “white spaces”, too. Hubby says most of the rooms in our home are painted various shades of white, and he’s right. My kitchen is mostly cream and blue, and I love it.
My canisters are the old Pfaltzgraff pottery in the Yorktowne pattern, when it was still made in the USA, and I pretty much planned the kitchen around it.
So many exciting projects you have going on! Am so looking forward to the arrival of my mugs, and seeing what other designs you have in mind…I’m pulling for a set of the four seasons!
And, I know what you mean about blue cheese dressing. There was a time when I couldn’t stand it, and now it’s a favorite. I guess our taste buds have matured, along with us!☺️
Hugs❤️
It wasn’t scary until it was over and I finally understood what COULD have happened. I just got lucky! I’m planning to do the four seasons, but one at a time. We’ll have fall coming next, then I’ll do winter, and spring, and summer! Not mature, by the way, Perennial, always alert to new things! 😃
I’ve been a Baby Boomer long enough…. I’m happy to be a Perennial! Tickled pink that you’re doing all four seasons for your mugs❤️Hooray!!
As always, your post is a feast for the eyes and heart! I remember the days when I searched high and low for anything Susan Branch, and now here you are, a constant source of happy inspiration! Morning coffee and afternoon tea are going to be even more comforting from your darling mugs, and a Christmas treat, and maybe more dishes!! Woohoo! Oh yes, perennials – I love that! And white space! Every photo of your living room makes me swoon, as did the young king in the White Queen.😊 Thank you for giving us wonderful things to look forward to, while at the same time reminding us to savor the moment.❤️❤️❤️
He was pretty darn adorable! Not sure I could keep loving someone I saw smother an old man, but hey, those were the days my friend! Thank you Rosanne, always nice to hear from you!
My kitchen is blue and white, too. Mostly white, actually, with navy blue accents, like the rugs and curtains, and little splashes of yellow for fun. My dishes are blue and white, too, Liberty Blue with scenes from the American Revolution. I love the simplicity of the blue and white and find it to be a very restful color scheme.I also own a lot of pink dishes, some inherited, and I try to use those in other rooms or even outside with the wicker porch furniture. They just don’t match the blue!
Boo to Pepperidge Farm about your artwork! I’m especially disappointed in them because I have long admired the illustrations in “The Margaret Rudkin Pepperidge Farm Cookbook” by Erik Blegvad and I would have thought that they would have treated you with more respect. (Erik Blegvad also illustrated another of my all-time favorite cookbooks, “Mud Pies and Other Recipes” by Marjorie Winslow.)
I will have to look him up . . . It really wasn’t so much PF, more the ad agency that was the culprit. xoxo
Glad to hear it it wasn’t really PF because I don’t want there to be any bad feelings when I’m eating my Mint Milanos!
Right! I totally understand!
Hi Sue,
Loved the post. I now have to go get some pretty yellow towels and bring down my pretty yellow quilt. Kitty will love a new place to leave her soft \kitty fur. She is very good at that. Glad you are home. makes me nervous when you go away.
Nancy Jo
Hahaha, well you’ll be happy to hear I’m going nowhere for a nice long time now!
Happy Sunday, Susan, Joe and Jack. You don’t sound nasal in the least. That cold would not dare hang around so much beauty.
While reading the Perreridge Farms horror story, I felt my heart racing. How dare they!!! I’m glad I no longer buy that brand, so it will be easy to boycott them. Grrrr to them!!! Cudos to the the Met art expert.
I’m tempted to write, write, write, but my last 2 posts disappeared from the Seeds issue. Yes, she said in a small voice, they were a bit wordy.
The crux of both was that you introduced me to the lovely Carrie in Oxford. Tom has had a few very scary heart set backs from his valve replacement. My not so old (71) chassis is putting on a show of causing trouble. Anyway, we together decided to Damn the torpedoes….Full speed ahead….for May, 2018, in England. We had to cancel the trip that should have begun Tomorrow. We’re all booked in for 6 nights with Carrie and Stuart in May!!!
As for White Space, it is perfect! I can still hear my professors talking about “negative” space and how vital it is in composition. You knew it all along. Also, I have to oil or bees’ wax our old wooden furniture every year in Maine. Mineral oil!! I use it on the blades of my carbon steel knives after every wash. Keeps the rust away. Those old knives are priceless!! They may not hold the edge as well as the modern stainless, but, oh how sharp!!!. And I have the scars to prove it!!!
Anyway, Miss Sue, thank you for once again for inspiration and comfort.
Debbie in Tampa….for just about 10 more days!!!
Maybe your last two posts are still there Debbie . . . I’m working my way through them. This cold kind of sidelined me for a few days! Glad I don’t sound nasal! Six nights with Carrie and Stuart in Oxford, who could ask for anything more!
..why , oh why does this say that I wrote this comment ?!?
We have a problem, we’re trying to figure out why it’s happening, and not for all, just for some. Gremlins! Bah! Humbug!
..well, of course…gremlins !!!…that explains that !!..lol…very nice, new post, regardless…sincerely…lol..
..well, I replied again and the gremlin just swallowed it right up…oh dear… I love those new mugs and teapot plate by the way…and for that matter, the whole new post !!!
(my comments lately seem to get lost in the cyber space – is there a way to repair? I press “send comment” then whoosh there it goes and then the last sender of a comment to you, pops into my “name” and “email” line….) mystery?
thanks – who can I contact to check this without bothering you?
Regina
regicar@comcast.net
sorry, Nancy Jo….my email on this blog is playing games with my “sends”…..hopefully Susan can see my above comment and lead me to the right direction for a repair….thanks for your patience!
Regina
Working on it! Thank you!
Something weird happening is what I’m hearing ~ not just from you Regina. I’m moderating right now . . . let me know if things get better … I see the problem, I copied and pasted your comment and sent it to my computer guy. Hopefully he will be able to fix it!
thank you, Susan….
Two places in London that “scream” Susan Branch must visit!
Alice’s Antiques in NottingHill
Pollock’s Toy Museum
Both are filled with color, history, quirky cozy things….I would love to send you some photos – can I do that with your office email address?
enjoy and thanks for fixing the computer gremlin 🙂
Yes, you can Regina . . . love to see them! Send to feedback@162.240.10.175/~susanbs3/susanbranch/.
do let me know if you receive the photo’s on your email …. gremlins were at work again on my computer…..oh dear 🙂
I found your email, but no photos . . . gremlins!!! I’m almost glad to hear I’m not the only one!
Oh, Susan, I know that heartache of having someone “borrow” your work all too well, but unlike you I just had to let it go and it has discouraged me no end.
White space is so important ~ as important as the image itself because it defines the image. Anyway, what would our world be without white space? Jack would be just any old black cat; blue and white china would be, well, just blue; a White Russian would just be vodka and coffee liqueur {not all bad} on ice ~ lol ~ and where would Peter Rabbit be without his little white cottontail?
Oh, my heart skipped a beat or two when you said Jon banged the cup on the table! 😮 I’m sad to hear they are nearly all gone {not sad for everyone who has one, of course} and really wish they were available in Britain. What a pity a box didn’t get left behind and find it’s way onto an online vendor here?
I’ll be a Perennial too!
~~~Waving from Across the Pond~~~ Deb in wild, windy, wet, wuthering, wonderful, WINTRY, west Wales xoxo
I didn’t know enough to let it go! 🤣 And maybe I was lucky I didn’t, because they would have set a very bad national precedent that perhaps I may not have been able to overcome in the future. It’s hard to know. Most things are a blip. Loved your take on white space! What would Jack be without it!!! That’s a thought and a half! I have really worked to get Jon to help me find a way to sell them in the UK, and maybe over time it will happen. It’s ridiculous to send them back and forth! Maybe next time I come on the ship I’ll bring some with me! You already are a Perennial! xoxo
I have been feeling the itch to not only spring clean (for my poor house sorely needs it) but also to get outside in the garden and begin nesting for our new arrival coming in June. Of course, by this point I’m in the uncomfortable stage of pregnancy so I am relying on my husband to help with the larger items on my to do list, but perhaps I will hang up a few pictures and switch up the kitchen towels for a small change.
It doesn’t take much, one flower in a jar cheers the heck out of everything. Now is your moment, point to a space, look at your husband, and say, oh I would love to see pink tulips right here honey. He will melt. Because you are his baby mama. xoxo Blessings on you and yours, Ashley.💞 A June baby! How wonderful!
He’s already planted 6 bare root roses for me 💕💕 Who needs cut flowers when you can grow them yourself 😉
A doll, you married a doll! 👏
Dear Susan, I love everything you do and your wonderful, whimsical, white space style. I have been a fan of yours for years. Your books are among my favorites to give and receive. I already have my tickets for my daughter and I to see you in Kingston. I am so excited to meet you in person! Yay! Happy weekend!
Yay! I’m so glad you’re coming . . . It’s going to be a wonderful day! And for a good cause! See you there!
Here I am…On my porch in California, and spring cleaning going on in the background… A little laundry, some purging, some carpet cleaning…
(All of this really tells you, I take a break from time to time and really enjoy the birds for a while….they are splashing about in the fountain. How can I afford to miss them!?)
It’s always a blessing to hear from you, and I am of like mind when it comes to the blue and yellow scheme. Most of my kitchen translates to those colors in the summer, as does the front hall bathroom, tiles in blue and white. The rugs you chose are a perfect balance of white and blue, and the chair pads in white would be lovely!
Your writings are an inspiration, and, that being said, I’d better get back to my Spring cleaning. Thanks so much for the post! HERE’s from one perennial to another! Love that we can come together on that…
PS I love the bird mug AND the Santa one! I have that image on a tea towel from your store! It is a favorite at that time of year, and Christmas mugs are a big hit here on Christmas morning… And through the season! Hooray for us, that we can add it to our collection!
Love this, encourages me to continue with my spring cleaning! We just remodeled our kitchen it was dark and dated and is now all white with red accents. Such a change and lots and lots of white space! Can’t wait to get my 3 cups!
Hi Susan
Thank you for the post today. I was feeling a little down today but after reading your post I was energized. Love,love the bluebird cup. I have a set of Marjolein Bastin bird cups. I would love to add yours to it. Would it be possible to make two sizes? I love your new cups but they are too large for me. I have your 2015 Princess Charlotte cup and use it every day for tea. (Perennial) Jean
Yes, I’m going to design a smaller one this time! And more big ones too!
Lovely post as always ;). Can’t wait for the cmas cups. Keep dreaming!!!
Perennial!
I’m SO disappointed with those Pepperidge Farm people! I finally found and purchased my own copy of Margaret Rudkin’s Pepperidge Farm Cookbook (pub. 1963 – complete with its own slipcase) a few years ago, after loving my Aunt’s copy since I was a young girl. (I love cookbooks where the recipes come with stories – hmmm… who else writes cookbooks like that…?!) But, I guess she can’t be responsible for those twits in the boardroom! Belated congratulations on standing up for your art — and winning! It must be some consolation to know that it cost them so much more (your legal fees AND their own!) having cheated you than if they had done the right thing and hired you in the first place! And, I know from personal experience that it really isn’t the financial reward of winning your case, but the principle and the personal vindication. Good for you!
No, it really wasn’t them, it was the ad agency using Margaret Rudkin to try and get at me . . . whatever, it was a hundred years ago. And the white space is the part that I remember now! 💝 A bit of a gift really.
PS — I wonder if there is a way to create a computer font of your very special handwriting, and in that way copywrite it?
My handwriting, as used in my copyrighted books, is protected. That’s one of the good outcomes from this lawsuit. My case went into the law books and the “look and feel” of everything I do was protected.
I love the cups, so pretty, but was wondering if the bone china contains lead? There is so much lead in pottery and other kitchen items and even in some glass.
No, it’s all food save, and microwave and dishwasher safe too! I checked!
Good morning, sweet Susan!
I just love the word ‘Perennials.’ It describes us perfectly! 🙂 Just watch us bloom every day. You have truly mastered the art of white space. It brings a sense a calm and allows the artwork and colors to shine. White always feels both fresh and new, and timeless at the same time!
Your new rag rugs are simply lovely. I have a very similar blue one that I bought years ago in an Amish community. It adds such coziness to our guest room. I’m looking forward to visiting the same Amish community this Autumn and can’t wait to admire all of the beautiful handiwork there.
I’m so delighted that you are sharing on Instagram, Susan! 🙂 It’s such a happy place, just filled with so much beauty and inspiration!
Wishing you happy days in the garden!
Love,
Dawn (in Illinois)
♡♡
Isn’t Perennials perfect? I heard it and loved it immediately! Happy Days, Dawn!🌸
Shame on Pepperidge Farm!! I will remember them when I am grocery shopping. Love the Christmas mugs! Happy Spring. Lynn Mc.
I probably need to go back and un-blame Pepperidge Farm … they were the face of it, but it was really the ad agency that did the deed. I never knew if PF was even aware of it!
Each morning I check your blog and when you’ve written a new entry I feel like I’ve been given a gift to start the day with!
I’m in the midst of spring cleaning, too. I have a question about starching. You said that you hang your items to dry, once they are starched, indoors. Can they be hung in the sun or will that cause a reaction of some sort? Two of my dresser scarves are very old and I would hate for them to turn a strange color because of the sun.
I’m glad your court case turned out all right, mostly. Pepperidge Farm products will never look the same, such bullies!
I’m off to hang sheets outside to dry! Enjoy your spring weather.
I would feel fine hanging them in the sun. They will dry out, but that’s okay, all you do is sprinkle them with water, roll them up, put them in a plastic bag, and wait about an hour before you iron them, or save them in the bag in the fridge until you have time. You are going to love how they turn out! Night and day!
Thank you! I’ll do it today.
I LOVE the kitchen cleanup and all the blue and white! Feels like spring in the heart of the home! Love the post!!
Oh Susan – I think my mind was subconsciously looking for some ‘white space’ when I decided to see if you had posted a new blog – and wasn’t I surprised that you had! I love how you are able to center my mind and give me such good things to think about instead of all the ‘stuff’ we have going on today!
Loved your ‘lead in’ story about being the ‘master (or mistress ?) of white space’ – though I was rather perturbed at mean old corporate people trying to take advantage of YOU!
I especially loved the sort of ‘travelogue’ we got of your spring cleaning/white space kitchen ………I absolutely LOVE your kitchen now — not that I didn’t like it before! I am finding myself very drawn to painted furniture with wooden tops – and I’m thinking the TV stand we are contemplating purchasing will be a cream painted bottom and wooden top. You are such an inspiration!
Fun to think about isn’t it? Home sweet home! xoxo
What a relaxing, charming blog. I love the idea of white space. So calming. We are heading into winter so lucky you.
Perfect for watching the White Queen if you can get it there!
your blog is like time travel to a simpler, more peaceful time, and i really love it! I can’t wait to get my hands on a Santa mug when they’re available! Thanks, Susan, for all of your lovely words and pictures.
Your white and blue colors are so refreshing — like going over to the screen door and feeling the breeze of Spring fill the house! What a great way to get Spring cleaning done — at the same time being creative, changing things out, and feeling the joy of homemaking. 🙂
To add to your blue and white kitchen I have your The Summer Book sitting on
A easel in my blue and white kitchen. Love it! Great post today!
What an inspiring and inspired post! Love it! The ideas and thoughts that you share are so darn interesting – and the photos! Love the white space, your blue and white, and how the little Potter people fit in with it all. Wishing you a beautiful May, one of the most lovely of months, I think.
Mary
Your post took me back in time to when my grandmother and her friends would change window treatments, rugs and slipcovers for spring/summer and then again for fall/winter. Furniture was rearranged, windows sparkled, floors were polished, and the world felt reborn. I have to wait until summer vacation begins (yes, I am a teacher/librarian) to take care of most of my house “magic”, but my heart is already in it. I must remember to reread this post – just in case I get “lost” in my garden. Love your posts and creative ventures! Thank you, Susan, for sharing so much of your life with us.
I change things every season, at least a little bit . . . the shelf on top of my stove for sure! Part of the celebration!
I would love a pill box with a lid. I have one that’s bone china from England and it’s 1″ tall and 1 1/2″ across. I put special jewelry in it every night that I wear every day. It has purple violets and I have redecorated my bedroom and need something with more green.
I was thinking of designing a small heart-shaped dish for that purpose . . . would that work? Not sure I can get it with a lid though.
Enjoyed this post so much! It was a lovely way t spend part of the last day in April.
Im sooo excited about the dishes!!!!! I always knew you can’t go wrong with white…you explained this perfectly. Loving the instagram! I feel closer to you all now. Haha
Twitter and Instagram and this blog are like going to parties in different neighborhoods with all my favorite people at each one!
How funny! On April 5th, just a few weeks ago, I picked up a copy of
Margaret Rudkin’s Pepperidge Farm 450 page cookbook at a bargain book
counter. ($5.00) I saw over 35 colored drawings that made me think of you immediately. I even looked to see if there were any credits given.You definitely came to mind as your style of art surfaced on the w h i t e b o r d e r s of so many pages. I saw rolling pins, wooden spoons, tea pots and bowls with blue squiggly lines, a cute blue grater so detailed with each little hole of the grater clearly outlined in black ink. I am just wondering if these drawing were also copied from your art. I will never look at this cookbook the same, knowing all you had to go through with this company. grrrrrrrrr.
The only PF cookbook I’ve ever seen was in that courtroom and published long before my time. It really wasn’t them though, it was the ad agency that did the dirty deed . . . I almost don’t know why Pepperidge Farm was dragged into it … but there’s a lot I didn’t understand about that whole thing! It was so long ago, I probably needed a lesson in paying attention and speaking up!
Wow! And here I thought you were resting up after your grand cross country trip! You’ve gotten more done in a few weeks than I’ve done all year. Can I have some of your genes? If not, I will settle for that cute teapot plate. Now if I can just find someone to make your (Rachel’s) lemon cookies to put on it! There definitely won’t be any Pepperidge Farm cookies on it, or in this house again! How could they?!?! Crooks and corporations, one and the same. I’m off to ponder all that you accomplish…happy Spring!
I hate to make it all Pepperidge Farm’s fault, but sadly, they were the face of it . . . it was really the ad agency that was to blame, the biggest ad agency in the world at the time, so yes, I agree!
Your bluebird cup and some fall designs sound lovely! I usually just make a 6 ounce cup of tea or coffee, so I was wondering about the possibility of perhaps a smaller size cup as well….? Will look forward to seeing the new designs you come up with! Happy Spring!
Yes, I’m designing a smaller cup to add to the collection!
Yay, another vote on the smaller cup design!
Great post today! Love blue and white.I have your Summer Book sitting on a easel in my
Kitchen. I love the blue and white cover.
Just beautiful Susan! And so inspiring as well. Two of my favourite colours are black and white. Where would all the other colours be without them? I love all colour: turquoise/blues, corals, reds and all shades of purple but they all need the contrast of black and white to really “Pop”!
I’d like to tell you about something I’ve done that you inspired. I always loved your letter tiles from vintage games but have never found any, so I made my own! Wood blocks from the craft store painted black, antiqued, and letters drawn on with a white pen. I’ve quite a few now and can spell out just about anything. My dining room table and hutch have “Blossom by blossom…the spring begins” for our current season. Such fun!
I have my eye on that Christmas cup with your Joe’s face as Santa. So cute!
As always, Susan, thank you for all that you do, and please keep up the good work!
Hugs to all,
Laurie
=:3
What a lovely post for a beautiful morning.Love all the blue and white in your kitchen and will not buy Pepperidge Farm now that I heard your story. Look forward to your new line of dishes even if it means that I will have to part with some oldies to make room!xo
That’s why God invented yard sales! Out with the old, in with the new. And your old? Someone else’s new!
Soothing, not much else say. I’m so glad you feel better after your Springtime cold…the worst. My posts have not been appearing, so I’m keeping all the other things I’d like to tell you for another time.
Much love to you and Joe,
Debbie in Tampa
I’ve just not felt like “moderating” but I’m better now Debbie. Sorry!
I think that I will rethink when I buy Pepperidge Farm products. I’m so glad that you took them to court. I love your books, blog, designs, etc. keep up the wonderful job of putting smiles on your girlfriends faces ❤️
You can continue buying Pepperidge Farm things, but really watch out for those ads you see on TV! 🤥 xoxo Thank you Claudia!
Just beautiful Susan! And so inspiring as well. Two of my favourite colours are black and white. Where would all the other colours be without them? I love all colour: turquoise/blues, corals, reds and all shades of purple but they all need the contrast of black and white to really “Pop”!
I’d like to tell you about something I’ve done that you inspired. I always loved your letter tiles from vintage games but have never found any, so I made my own! Wood blocks from the craft store painted black, antiqued, and letters drawn on with a white pen. I’ve quite a few now and can spell out just about anything. My dining room table and hutch have “Blossom by blossom…the spring begins” for our current season. Such fun!
I have my eye on that Christmas cup with your Joe’s face as Santa. So cute!
As always, Susan, thank you for all that you do, and please keep up the good work!
Hugs to all,
Laurie
=:3
Good for you, Laurie! Where there’s a will there’s a way! Love that you made them yourself! Very Perennial of you!
So glad you won your case so long ago. I don’t understand management that make decisions to use the skills of someone creative and talented and not pay for it. Interesting story.
Your style to me has always been warm and loving and inspiring us to enjoy and appreciate the old quality. with so little cursive being taught now your handwriting in your art is all the more precious.
Thanks for all you share. Loved your books forever:>)
About the same time Hallmark called me, interested in having me design greeting cards for them. But the catch was that whatever I painted they would own. They would pay me for what I did for the card, but if they wanted to, later they could use my art for t-shirts and stationery and mugs and candle sticks and whatever they wanted, because the art would belong to them. So I had to say no. Have you ever seen the movie Tucker, a Man and His Dreams? Really good. Little guy, Big Corp. xoxo Thank you Judy.
So wonderful to see you in my Inbox, Susan! And what post you have for us all – crammed to the gunnels with goodness: white spaces everywhere, flowers, blue stuff…lurve the blue stuff!
Have my blue and white china in my kitchen, a little in the bedroom…have changed some of my linen and tea towels with the season too – ah such simple things that give such bliss and so beautiful, so countrified and goes so well with white!
Just lurve the designs for your cups! They’re gorjus! I wonder, can we get them here in the 🇬🇧 UK…so that they don’t get sent to the USA then back to us….???
Love it all,
Form Karen xxxxx
A Perennial of Cambridgeshire!
UK 🇬🇧
I’m trying to see what I can do about having them available in the UK. Right now, no, but I’m being the squeaky wheel and never giving up on asking, so we’ll see. Nice to hear from you Karen!
I don’t understand this, Susan, the last person to write above, Laurie, her details are showing up here in my name and address box and the Mail I have just written and sent to you has disappeared!
Karen
Cambridgeshire UK
I know, we are trying to find out why. Sorry! Thank you for letting me know . . . I’m sending your comment to my computer wizard person and fingers are crossed. Sorry, Karen!
Blue and white is my absolute favorite. My entire house is filled with it!
You would think that people who make bread would recognize a “Master of White Space.” I’m sorry they didn’t.
Guess this girlfriend won’t be buying anymore Pepperidge Farms!! How dare they treat you so horribly. I’m so sorry. Your home looks so lovely and well cared for! I need to do some more spring cleaning and fluffing. Have a wonderful week dear Susan. Just last night I was hoping for a post from you and there you are 🙂
Love,
Donna Wilson xoxo
That was so long ago, and to be fair, I probably should have been more clear that it was the ad agency that did all that, not so much Pepperidge Farm. I really never knew WHAT they knew, but I did know what the ad agency knew! xoxo
You definitely OWN white space. Thanks for sharing a great story. And thank goodness you won! After all these years, you still have the reward of having had justice prevail, plus the acknowledgement of your mastery. You have followed instinct all the way with your art, and see? your instincts are awesome.
I love the white background/space in your home. Sigh, I just can’t quite pull it off, either for practical purposes (living with a bicycle mechanic and two kitties) nor would it quite cut it in my home. But it is perfect in your New England classic, and so refreshing and healing. I was tickled to see a couple of antique cream pitchers in the photo with the blue flowers. I have a partial tea set in almost that exact pattern (I checked) that came down to me from my Great Aunty Jen and Anna. I have a wonderful old photo of the two of them having tea with it, with two First Nation (as they are called in Canada) ladies from their church, somewhere in Ontario, Canada, in the 1870’s. I never met either of these aunties — they died before I was born, but I love having that connection, with the thread between my hands holding the teapot in 2017, and theirs, nearly 150 years ago.
BTW I can’t seem to find a way to check out to buy the teacups on your website. I get to ‘wishlist’ but can’t find a button to checkout. Or, when I go to checkout, it says my wishlist is empty. ?????
Hugs as always from your fan in Oregon
Write Sheri@162.240.10.175/~susanbs3/susanbranch/ and she’ll help you . . . maybe get on the phone with her if necessary. Love your story of the tea set . . . and yes, every house has it’s own needs, sometimes you have to listen to what it wants, and even decorate because of it and not you!
oh, my goodness!! yes. to re-configure things, with what you already have…to go “shopping” in your own home…to see dramatic effect with just plain things….and, a bit of elbow grease….ahhhhh….MAGIC, for true!! blessings on you, dear Susan! and, thanks as well. one thing I MUST say…or, I would feel really amiss about it…the potholders I see on pots on / near to your stove…..yikes! eeeek!….if my hubby (a former firefighter) saw that…he would be at your delightful kitchen in a flash. he ALWAYS preaches and cautions to me to keeeeep things AWAY from any heat-source!!!!! things happen. accidents happen. soooooo, PLEASE think about keeping stuff AWAY from any heat source. we were visiting our son’s home recently, and I tried to turn on his gas-stove….”all-by-myself”…which, due to fact I have NEVER had one.. and, am TERRIFIED….I would usually ask for help with lighting it….yes, really….and, the darn thing BLEW out @ me like gangbusters. had I been closer, poof!!!!!! wow. sooo, I am ever so aware of calamity waiting to occur! hmm. NO FUN am I, yeah?? but….I couldn’t not say this, because, if Anything happened to youuuuuu……WHAT WOULD WE ALL DO?????????????? anyway. loving you is very easy to do. first 100 days has me reeling. EVERY day…..more angst. aaaaargh!!!!!! HOW could this be happening????????????? oh, dear. well, off to do SOMETHING lovely to my kitchen. of course, i’m in the den @ the moment….I COULD start right here???? ah, no. kitchen WAY more fun….THAT is where the food is. hehe. oh, got a pot of lime basil to make my kitchen garden happy….mmmm….a sprig of that makes ice water a celebration. mmmm. just pinch off, “muddle” it and add ice & water……ooooooh. a treat. I also love Genovese (regular) basil, with orange (or, lemon) slices and water. wow. thank you….once more…..for being you!!!!!!!! all love. and, happy may day tomorrow!!!!! wheeee. if I were there….i’d for sure bring a may-basket to your lovely porch. xoxo
WOW, that is a stove that would scare me to pieces! Mine is quite benign, but I will heed your brilliant thoughtful reminder to be careful! We all need that from time to time. Happy Basiling my dear! xoxo
oh, I am happy to see your lovely response to my comment! the same funny thing happened to me when I first submitted, or posted it. another person’s name, etc, came into my little box!! and, then, my comment seemed to disappear. glad that it’s a “common” problem and not just something I did. well, not glad…..you know what I mean. I do hope it will be fixed soon. oxox ah, yes….the basil. mmmmm. wow. same thing, with a different name, just happened. dear computer-wizard: PLEASE FIX THIS.
Your name is showing up. It’s so hard for me to explain this to him. I’m copying comments and sending them to him. He SAID, that yesterday afternoon, he “fixed” something. So I’m not sure if that’s true or not!
OOOh I’m feeling guilty as I so much need to clean out the winter cobwebs and toss a lot of “stuff.” Maybe tomorrow. Loved your blog.
Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can put off until day after tomorrow instead. (Mark Twain said that brilliant thing!)
Dear Susan,
I was thinking of you & Beatrix today while in the garden. The web site shows the cowslip in full bloom at Hill Top just as it is in my garden.
I love how you are transforming your kitchen! I have a blue kitchen too! I’d love you to design small plates & teacups with violets…lot’s of white space too,please! 🙂
Thank you for always spreading sunshine.
Hugs,
Charl (Cape Cod)
Violets, how sweet that would be!
Oh, I love a day that starts with birdsong and a wonderful, long post from you! I used to be in advertising – so I KNOW those ad people KNEW about white space, KNEW what they were doing was wrong, and THOUGHT they knew that you couldn’t do anything about it. Good for you for sticking with it. I know it was hardly worth it in a monetary way, but oh, what a good thing it did for you, for your art and for us! Always stick up, stand up, for yourself and those who can’t do it for themselves… you’ll never go wrong. Love strong women, and LOVED finding out today that I am already a Perennial! Thank you, Susan, for all you do for us – by just being you!
Well, they were sort of right, I couldn’t do much about it, but I was at least idealistic enough to think I could try! And I too am glad that I did it! Deep scary breath when I think of how it could have turned out! Eeek! Isn’t this Perennial club the Best!?
Shame on Pepperidge Farms!!!! Love Girl Kitty on the white coverlet. Love the fork in your place setting….what pattern is it? Cannot wait for my Love mug to arrive and want a Santa mug asap!!! Happy Spring (and cleaning)….same going on here!!!
My silver is almost all mix and match, so I really don’t know the names of the patterns! Happy spring cleaning Nancy!
Hi, Susan….what a wonderful posting today!! OMG…that was a terrible thing that happened so many years ago….glad all went well for you. Oh…I love white too! It’s so refreshing…..it tends to make things sparkle! Thanks for a wonderful day and take care…. Sunny in Calif…… Loretta
Wow. I really appreciate you sharing this story. This is how I see why the ruling went in your favor. I feel that ideas are everywhere. But putting together those ideas in a “certain way” makes it your own idea. Using a spoon, using handwritten lettering and hearts together on one page makes it a unique idea. No matter if the art work was re-created in some fashion, to me, it was the idea to even combine those elements into an advertisement that has value. The executives met with you and you discussed an idea. And for that idea, you should have been compensated. They could have said, we are going with another artist, but are using your idea. And that would have been different. Ideas have value and a combination of certain words and elements are ideas, no matter how basic.
Yes, plus when they ask for your own personal private handwriting to be on something and then they hire someone to specifically copy it, that’s bad. 🤥 I don’t think there was ever much doubt, with all the evidence and so on, but laws were passed before that time that said that someone like me could not really “hurt” a large corporate ad agency such as themselves. Because $10,000 meant nothing to them, although the legal fees had to hurt. It just looked to me like the corporations, the lawyers and the judge were all on one team, and me and the jury were on the other!
Dearest Susan, you ARE the master of white spaces…the Queen herself! I never realized it specifically before, but it is totally true! 😄 My favorite color is blue, so I love it that you are beautifully switching it up in your home. The kitchen is so pretty…and I loved Jack’s choice of pattern…lol. White bone china mugs are very beautiful too….and I cannot wait to receive my set of 3! You cannot be making any profit off of them at this price point! Very reasonable….thank you! I have a few ideas for new mugs…or plates…or whatever….I am soooo excited you will be creating more for us! Here are my thoughts: 4 seasons….each mug or item is a different season….Spring, summer, etc. A “Girlfriend’s Forever” mug would be special for all of us girlfriends…..” A Fine Romance” with you and Joe on it! And ….”cozy things” …. which could be anything you paint! It is all very thrilling to look forward to. I loved reading about how you are spring cleaning too. And the picture of the house with the new roof going on, and all the supplies all over the place made me laugh. Happy Spring! Xoxox
Good ideas! Thank you Diane!
Oh my! How do you know exactly when to come by? Besides being in the midst of on and on terrific rainn windstorms, my emotions seem to be doing the same thing – and (whisper) even here in the woods, our little town is having the strangest, meanest little fusses – and I feel like our President has set a precedent that it’s all right to be mean. – very upsetting.
Happy note: I just had to switch my 40 years of blue -calico dishes, French shutter etc. blue by buying a red/white porch rug – because there was not a blue to be found BUT I love it ! So instead of blue with touches of red, yellow – I will switch at least on my porch.
Also, I am a Perennial!! Thank you for the invitation to join! (ie. I had to repair my internet to find you today after last night’s storm.
PS. Tho I can’t afford it I will probably HAVE to HAVE a bluebird mug!
Perennial Girlfriend. xoxoxo
Lovely post and love the tip about refresh your wood table and counter. I am towards the end of kitchen remodel and am going farmhouse style with white cabinets, v-groove boards for backsplash, trim and ceiling, new wood floors and wood counter tops, with sunshiney yellow on 2 walls. It is quite a change from the black cabinets and dark brown flooring that was in here. I am a petrified to have so much white, but like you love to display and change things seasonally. Thanks for all your inspiration as usual. Happy May Day!
Wood counter tops!!!! Yay! So quiet and wonderful. You’ll love the white, everything shows up against it, and you can change things very easily. Plus the yellow walls! Gorgeous!
Hmhhph! Pepperidge Farm! I’ll definitely think about you every time I wheel by their stuff in the grocery store…you have been a busy bee, Susan…we’re still waiting for spring in northern Michigan~my lilacs have a few bitty green leaves, I saw my first daffodils blooming yesterday and it is 38* as I write this…brrr! The ice has left Little Traverse Bay and the snow has melted so that is something😉 I can’t wait to see your dishes~I have a lovely bowl of yours and would like some other pieces. I’m off to look at rugs on the website you shared…xoxo
It really wasn’t them, it was the ad agency. I was never sure what Pepperidge Farm actually knew about their shenanigans, I’m sure the agency wanted to keep that account and didn’t talk about it to them very much! Yes! Our lilacs are showing blooms, just barely now! You’re a ways behind us, still so much beauty to come!
Oh Susan, what a lovely post. Who would’ve thunk there would be so much to look at in so much white space??? You get all my creative, house-cleaning, decorating, hygge-ing juices flowing! I strapped on all of my gardening clothes this morning and had all good intentions of working outside and then the clouds decided to open up on me. Kneeling on the cold ground with the cold wicking up into my knees I decided, “nope, this ain’t for me!” I skedaddled inside, put on a fresh pot of coffee and started making the inside of my house sparkle just like you! (I didn’t know you were sparkling until I sat down just know to google how to make Italian oven roasted potatoes and saw your new post!) Oh my do you see how I digress?? I’m all over the place…overcome with pathological enthusiasm!
I figure my house will be nice and clean and then when the sun shines, I won’t feel guilty about going out to play.
I love all the blue. I works for you!
I feel so bad for you that you went through all of that with Pepperidge Farms! Makes me Mad and full of consternation. Oh how I wish we could be more trusting and less suspicious of the world at large. The mere fact that they courted you and that they left you hanging was intent right there and should have proved that they were being sneaky/tricky. Oh well. It all worked out for the best and now we have lovely cups and books and dishes and wonderfulness that we can get to enjoy in spite of their icky-ness.
Have a wonderful rest of today and thanks once again for being you. <3
Such a lovely,always original, space! It reminds me I should just be myself with the decorating and forgo trying to adjust to a new fad. You give me courage,Susan. Love all your books,especially,Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams. It was so enlivening to read while creating my own space after an ultimately freeing divorce. Thank you. I’m an avid re-decorator. It’s a relaxing to “re feather” my nest. Happy Spring, Jane
Nesting is one of our most wonderful gifts, what’s more important than home. 💞 Thank you for your sweet comments Jane. xoxo
I will gladly be a perennial, I love that. Absolutely adore your kitchen, wish I still had my O’Keiff and Merritt stove, with the griddle. Everything looks so fresh. And the part I liked the best was that you had your own calendar hanging up. I was so enjoying your white space images and happy to see you use your own calendar. I can’t live without mine! What a great post with such a happy ending.
Why do you think I do it every year? Have to have a calendar to match my kitchen! 😃 Kidding, but I am kind of addicted to them!
Thank you for your lovely post on white (my quilting teacher always preferred “white on white” fabric, instead of simply “white,” she said it made the quilt “pop”!) and blue (my favorite!). It is fun to switch some things around for the new season!
We just came back from our own visit to the English countryside (with a side trip to Hay-on-Wye, the town of books, in Wales). On my first purchase, I looked at my lovely English money, and who was staring up at me? Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle! They have an anniversary series of Beatrix Potter characters on the 50-pence pieces. So in addition to our travels, we were also on a treasure hunt for Potter pences, and came home with Tiggy, Peter Rabbit, and Squirrel Nutkin (along with porcelain Tiggy, and Jemima Puddle Duck with her foxy gentleman). My husband totally got into the spirit, and we ended up at Hill Top Farm on Easter Sunday, in the pouring rain, but loving it. What an enchanted journey! Thank you for inspiring many of our days.
Enchanted! The same thing happened to Joe, he fell right into the spirit and never looked back! Hill Top Farm on a rainy Easter Sunday, who could ask for anything more. Lovely description Terrie, thank you!
You light up my life and my day when you post another part of your blog. I think we are “Bosom Buddies”, “Sole Mates” or just plain “cut from the same cloth”! We are the same age, look similar, and I love to paint, decorate, create, write, read, and love Beatrice Potter anything. I would love to meet you in person someday. I adore your house and pray for a stove just like yours. I live in Maine, so not that far away. I have just about everything blue and white too, and lately have been doing a change up in my house to more yellows, and greens, even though they are not necessarily spring colors. Anyway, I love your story about Pepperidge Farms and happy you won against the giant. Hurray for the little guy. Although, my dear chum, you are way more than they will ever be!! Keep being yourself, because yourself is who you were meant to be, and we all love you just the way you are, with lots of white space in between!
Mostly between the ears, but thank you Beckie, that was very sweet! xoxo Hello to Maine!
Blue and yellow and white….my all-time favorite color combination! And about the mugs, I have to wait until June (very tight budget for one more month) so when the ones in factory are gone will the first three be retired?
Yes, they are going away, I’m sorry to say … we did a preorder mainly so we would know how many to get . . . we ordered quite a few extra, but are surprised to see them go so quickly. The manufacturer does require us to order a large minimum number, which is one reason it’s so hard to do a reprint! That’s okay, I promise the next ones will be as cute or cuter than the first ones! Budgets matter!
thanks Susan! we’ll see what may be available in one month! I would love to collect them all, and I’ve got faith somehow somewhere I will have the first three. Can’t wait to see what your imagination has for us!
One of the funnest things I’ve done!
So happy your Pepperidge Farm ordeal turned out so well. Love this post about white space and changing things up. Moving, downsizing…and as I remove things to give to loved ones ( My great-niece just bought an older farm house way out in the country and was THRILLED to get my 40 year collection of Pfaltzgraff Yorketowne – and I am thrilled with my new WHITE dishes and airy cabinets!) and know what you meant about the white space. As I pack or give away items I love the clean, fresh look of less. Airy. Clean. But still with my favorite things. Glad to have you come over to the blue side….LOVE it. Will not be giving up my collection of Blue Willow…some pieces are good, some are supermarket give aways, some from a dear aunt who would always buy a piece at a yard sale because she knew I liked it. Change is good…it’s the only thing that is constant, so we better embrace it. Enjoy your newly “blue-ified” space and the wonderful month to come. And…have been saying “rabbit rabbit” since I read about it in a wish book YEARS ago….love that you have spread the word. Thank you for your blog and for being YOU. Rabbit Rabbit 🙂
Thank you Ann, I detect much perennial-ness in your comment! xoxoxo
Happy May Susan! Even though I live in Southern California , I still honor each season by decorating with different colors and displaying one of your books. February is the small heart book which I covered in white lace and a pink bow( to cover a stain). Spring is the Girlfriends Forever book, also pinkish. And Summer is always blue to match your summer cookbook! I think I will put it out early this year! You’ve got me in the blue mood! Yes your cushions would look great in blue! With a big bowl of fresh blueberries on the table! Yum!
I like the way your mind works!
I love that quilt too! Have no idea how to make it, but it’s just beautiful.
Trying again to leave a love note (first one got tooken away by some mischievous garden fairies).
What a lovely and inspiring post, Susan. Fightin’ mad (it’s the Irish in me) about your troubles with Pepperidge Farm way back when, but glad it had a tolerable outcome for you.
White with a bit of blue, a sprig of green, and a drop of yellow has been my go-to color scheme for the last couple of decades of living. White is just so clean and refreshing and hopeful.
And I’m loving your “new” kitchen. Simplicity is beauty, in my book. Well done!
Thank you Marigold! Love love love your name!
I shop my house too and move things from room to room. It feels like I have something new. Sometimes I put some things away to get out a few months the later so they seem fresh and new. I love reading your blog and seeing your new creations.
Wow! What a great post. I imagine your experience with Pepperidge Farms stood you in good stead with all your future business negoiations. You couldn’t have known they would take advantage of you. It was very brave of you to sue them. My friend gave me a gift certificate for my birthday so I could choose one of your mugs. But I’ve been dithering and now, oh my, two more to choose from. I love the verse on the Christmas mug as my mom used to say that often. And, of course, Santa Joe is very charming. But, oh, the bluebird… I love the blue accents you have added to your kitchen. Hugs, Elaine
Funny that you should write about white space today, dear Susan, when I have just been thinking about continuing my spring cleaning and clearing of clutter. After my folks died and my husband and I were clearing their home of 63 years (uff da) I found a small note in Mom’s lovely script that reads, “Do not allow your stuff to own you — you own your stuff”. Thanks, Mom — and thanks to you, Susan for the wonderful post — I am definitely a perennial and proud to be one who keeps coming back year after year — this gives me a whole new positive perspective!
Bless you and Joe as you enjoy the spring!
Your mom was so right! It can take you over!
GOSH!!! I love your blog… What a blessing you are to me.. You teach me to stop and look around me at God’s MANY blessings that you miss if you don’t stop and listen.
Thank you!!
Nan
Thank you for saying that, it’s such a gift to notice! xoxo
The PF cookbook I found with art that looked just like yours was from 1963.
Nobody could ever draw a blue cheese grater like that but you. I understand
that PF is not the demon but rather the ad agency however I’m wondering how your art style or a good copy of it got into that 1963 cookbook by Margaret Rudkin that’s all. I know it is all water under the bridge…but still…. makes me wonder if that wasn’t your blue cheese grater 🙂
Well, I was about 16 in 1963, and hadn’t painted a thing yet, and barely knew how to use a cheese grater, so they must had their own good cheese-grater artist back then!
Thank you for taking the time to clear that up for me.
Now I can sleep and PF is off the hook but not that ad
agency. You came out the big winner after all was said
and done. 🙂
LOL, we do love our sleep! I tell you, it kept me up some nights all those years ago, but I’m so over it now! Fun to share it, the ups and downs of the business part of what I do. I wish I could just do art all day!
I love the white, it is clean and fresh and looks gorgeous with any color added to it. Like you, I recently oiled the wood in my kitchen and wow, what a difference. Happy belated birthday! I too have an April birthday and have spent the month celebrating with girlfriends.
The blue you have added to your home is beautiful, everything looks ready for summer, the garden is coming a long and you have time now to just sit outside and enjoy the labors of your work.
Love seeing you on Instagram, scrolling through photos is just the best.
Happy Spring and Summer,
Terri
Same to you Terri! xoxo
Oh, biggest sigh! Your quilts had my heart beating a little faster — I collect the vintage ones and the ones with the white or pale backgrounds seem to have designs that just are so well set off. When I was editing a magazine I would cut tons of copy to make the white space do its thing better — so I know what you mean and I agree with the art expert and all in this post as well. (And by the way, the thing with the ad really is unforgiveable. One thing if you’d signed a contract to allow that. Quite another to do what they did. To me that crosses all ethical boundaries.
I digress. It’s lovely to see your home all ready for spring. I’ve been doing the same and it’s a good feeling. The art room is next. Not so fun, I think but I know I’ll feel far lighter when it is done!
Oh, and my vote for the chair cushions is a pale blue — maybe solid, maybe not. To pick up those terrific rugs (thanks for the link!) and maybe stay a little cleaner. I admire your guts with a white sofa and a mostly-black cat! And love that fabulous Santa mug. It’s just darling and I have a feeling that more than one of those will end up in my Christmas shopping basket this season!
My studio is next too, and I’m dreading it. Really, to make it work, half of what’s in there needs to go. But where to put it. These are the questions! It will be heaven when it’s all done!
I just adore you Susan Branch, your blog posts make me happy. I love the color blue also and just love all that you changed. That tea/coffee cup with the feet is hysterical. Have the best day ever Susan
deezie
xoxo Love that one too Deezie, thank you!
Hi Susan! Great post, as always. Are you able to share the specific kind of oil you used for your table. I have a table that looks very similar to yours. I was thinking I need to sand the old/original finish off, and then would like to oil mine. I’m very excited about further bone china items coming from your line of works, or pretty much anything coming. Any current news re: movie/television? Interesting story re: Pepperidge Farms; how sneaky of them, and glad you caught it and won, though it sounds like it was a hassle. I’m looking forward to the mugs arriving and then deciding which of the three to give my mom for Mother’s Day. Are you familiar with Glassybaby votives? They’re local here and people go nuts for them, and they’ve raised tons and tons of money for cancer. Check them out on-line sometime. They’re beautiful and addictive, and add to one’s sense of “hygge.” I’m glad to see you’re staying with Twitter!
It’s just very inexpensive Mineral Oil, no other kind, because Mineral Oil is food safe and does not go rancid. You can get it at the drug store. No news on the movie/television . . . Last I knew we were looking at getting back together on it in June. I went and looked at glassybabies. Gorgeous colors! Bet a room with all different colors would be very festive at Christmas!
Well, I know it wasn’t them, but they were there, and they did hire the ad agency and I have to think they had some say in the actions, so as a result I can no longer have Pepperidge Farm cookies in the house. I should be making cookies anyway! As always, your message is a refreshment. Love the white theme. When making a choice for flower color, I nearly always end up with white. It makes such a statement — white azaleas in the spring really pop and announce the season change.
Thank you for all you do!
Sharon in Houston (I’m still mad that I didn’t make it to Austin to see you!)
LOL, I love my girlfriends! xoxoxo I’ll come back someday Sharon!
I agree with you that it was the ad agency. Would you care to share the name of that agency? I’m just curious as I used to be in the biz. That agency knew better and they took advantage of you. Shame on them. Still, I’d love to know which agency.
Ogilvy Mather. Huge. At least it was back then. xoxo