Rabbit-Rabbit Girlfriends! Good Morning! MUSICA It’s the glory of love!
Everything good here ~ so far it looks like it might not rain today! A minor miracle on this first day of June considering that it rained all May ~ but, so far, so good, it’s dawning with blue skies! 
Time to turn over the new page on our calendars ~ It’s tea! Perfect timing (how did I know?), because today I’m having twelve best friends for a Farewell Tea Party Twine for a girlfriend who’s moving south! I’m hoping that maybe, just maybe, if the sky stays blue, we’ll be able to have it outside under the arbor!
Our party is at four, so I doubt we’ll need the twinkle lights. But every time I look at that little spot, I think of Mr. Bowditch, who I never met, the man you lived here before us, who built the arbor with his own hands back in the 1950s. He doesn’t know it, but he has given us YEARS of pleasure. He and his wife called the arbor the “Teahouse of the Vineyard Moon.” Romantic people that they were.💞
But I’m still waiting to see if the picnic table gets dried out enough! We cleaned up the dining room just in cases. Jack’s been helping me get ready, but we still have a lot to do. I know everyone is waiting for the drawing . . . So I thought I’d say hello and give us one last day to make sure everyone is signed up for our Luv-lee beautiful cup Giveaway.
Be sure to sign up your sister, your daughter and your mom! And you! Do it today ~ just leave a comment below and you’ll be entered ~ because Vanna (our very interesting “random number generator”) is on her way back to the Island so we’ll try to do the drawing tomorrow depending on what kind of shape she’s in. 😜 You know how she is. (If none of this makes sense to you, read down the next post ~ for drawing explanation.) Until then, off I go . . . Let’s see, where’s that recipe . . . Oh yeah . . .
I’ll take lots of pictures today, between setting the table, cutting chives in the garden for the tender little egg salad sandwiches and dipping the perfectly ripe strawberries into melted chocolate. Ahhh, tea parties. How I love thee. Have a wonderful day everyone . . . It’s true, to know you is to love you!
P.S. Just saw this photo, wasn’t Jack the sweetest little kitten? He’s under the bed in the Peter Rabbit room in this photo, on his first day home. All ears and mustache! Intelligence shines out around the eyes, don’t you think? 😘
I went to tea with my favorite aunt last weekend, AND got to introduce her to Love, Actually on the same day. I’ve been saying “just in cases” ever since. I hope you had a nice clear day and dry tables for your tea party.
Cheers!
I’d gladly take 1 of your beautiful cups!
The tea cups are amazing!
Oh, Susan…..💕💕💕 your new mugs xoxoxoxoxxo
I have a small collection of beautiful tea cups. All with dainty flowers on them.
I love your blogs! When I find a new one, I grab a comfy chair and move into your world!
Summer is rabbitly approaching! Thank you for spreading joy and creativity all year.
Your beautiful mugs complement every view!
Looking forward to hosting my own tea party one of these days.
Everything is better with a cup of tea! Especially if it is in a Susan Branch cup!
I would be over the moon, if I won your special tea cup! I enjoy this blog so much. It always brightens my day. That picture of “little” Jack is so cute. I’m thinking I need a kitty in my life again. 🙂
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER MAYBE LUCK WILL BE WITH ME!!!
Tea Time! Because I was born in England (Cambridgeshire) where my Dad was stationed with the U.S. Army, my Mom made sure I learned about “all things English” from tea to the Royal Family (I was supposed to “grow up and marry Prince Charles”). I’m happy to say I married my own Prince Charming, who after 35 years, still makes me afternoon tea. Looking over my shoulder one day while I was reading your blog, he said “nice cups!”, so I think one would be just the thing. Crossing my fingers. (I think he was talking about the mugs…) 🙂
That sounds like so much fun to have a tea party with your friends. I loved all the newsletter. Ruby T.
I love your books (I just finished A Fine Romance, which I loved, and I’m currently reading The Fairytale Girl).! 🙂 Thank you for having this giveaway!
I would love to have your cute cups! I love tea!
Hi Susan, Happy Summer!! I love all the designing you’ve been busy working on. You’re an inspiration to us all. Happy donut day!! A free chocolate frosted donut was my indulgence today – so good! Have you had BlackBerry iced tea? It’s quite good using crushed blackberries, very refreshing on a really hot day, especially. Have a fantastic weekend!!
Hi Susan
Love June-it always brings fun times. gardening, birthdays and watching my family of 7 FOXES, yes 7- Mother, Father and 5 little ones .Enjoy, Fran
I love the story about the arbor and Mr. Bowditch. Nothing better than knowing that hands of love did the labor…..and now it’s being loved!
Having one of your tea cups would make my summer! Already got one would love another one!!
Mary Jane
Dear Susan,
I Love your sense of style about celebrating everything in a fun and pretty way!
Even the name ‘Tea Party’ sounds fun and festive, and can be a good excuse to make everything happy and pretty.
One of my fondest memories of many years ago was on the day before my daughter started kindergarten with ‘mixed feelings’ about it in her heart. As her doubts about it started growing by the minute, I decided to try to help her to feel that it was a positive and happy step in her life, by ‘celebrating’ the new change, by having an impromptu ‘starting-Kindergarten-tomorrow Tea Party’ and inviting all her favorite stuffed animals.
We went shopping together, to buy the prettiest and tastiest-looking little dainty goodies we could find, then spread our prettiest tablecloth on the dinette table, gathered a bouquet from the flowers we had planted together earlier in the season, to fill a pretty vase for the center of the table. Then, we brewed our favorite Earl Gray tea, and used a pretty tea set to finish the preparations for the party.
Then, we put on our ‘Sunday dresses’, and had a wonderful Mother-daughter-stuffed animal Tea Party. By the end of the party, she was feeling that
it must be a pretty nice and special thing that she was going to be ‘off to’ tomorrow morning, explaining to her stuffed animals that they couldn’t go with her, but reassuring them that she would tell them all about it when she returned home ‘after school’ tomorrow.
Thank you for your lovely blog that always brightens my day.
Love,
Brenda
I love that story! You are a steller mom! Not only will your daughter remember that tea party forever, maybe I will too! So sweet!
Brenda, what a lovely story. I thank you for sharing it with all of us.
Debbie in Maine…..just one of the many girlfriends
I met you and Joe last year at the Barnes and Noble book signing at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My husband and I were the last people in a very long line to have a chance to meet you and thank you for your books, and your talk to us. You were the soul of graciousness, even though you must have been just a tad tired by then. Thank you, so much, for your blog. It is truly a highlight in my life, and I feel that you are a “kindred spirit” as Anne of Green Gables would say. Truly. How I would love to be your real life friend, but your book/blog friend is certainly good, too. Bless you.
Oh how lovely it would be to have tea under an arbor!
Thank you for creating these beautiful custom mugs. I always look forward to your blog…my day is brighter for it. Any book signings while I am on Nantucket (after June 7th)? Ever been to the Nantucket Book Festival! Looking forward to being there this year.
Hope your tea had perfect weather. So much fun to gather with friends but bitter/sweet to say goodby.
I hope in the future generations that someone thinks of my husband and I when on our beautiful porch ,like you do your arbor. Because we have loved it every single minute
Dear Susan,
I always look forward to reading your cheery blogs! I am a cat lover too, and photos of Jack make me smile. I sure would love to be the winner of one of your beautiful cups! I would treasure it!
Love the photo of baby Jack. No wonder you added him to your family.
Thanks, Susan, for always bringing a smile to my face with your blogs. I have been enjoying using my nature cup.
Your cups always inspire a smile!
Oooo i wanna cup!!!! So swweet 🤗
Would love to win a tea cup for my mom!
Happy June!! Having a tea party is the perfect way to start summer!💕😊
Your tea party looks lovely and I wish I was on the guest list!❤️
Love the new teacups!
It’s a grand day for a tea party!! Inside or outdoors, the important part is the friendship over tea. Enjoy!!
Thank you Susan for your beautiful blog and your many give-always!
This would be such a lovely blessing if I could receive one of your gorgeous cups to go next to your three books!
A story for you. My kindergarten son told me the other day that “My friend Haven told me that I was too young to have a girlfriend…but I do, it’s Alexandra.” I queried, “How do you know she’s your girlfriend?”. “Well”, he replies, “She says we will kiss when we are 20.” 🙂
That’s how you know alright! 💖
What a wonderful giveaway. 😀 I love to give these cups to my girlfriends. ~ XOXO
I would Love to have one of your Tea cups Susan.
Jack is the cutest kitty ever. (I only have had dogs!!). For one of my teas I cut the small center out of the berries and filled them with chocolate. Less mess if you are in a hurry! Happy June!!
Oh your kitty was just as adorable then as he is now. As I told you in the last Gayle-mail my wonderful cups arrived right on my birthday MAY 20th. How perfect was that. But with all the festivities I did not get them open for a few days. But know Susan my dear Susan. They were even better than I expected. I just adore the shape, and it goes without saying that the artwork is breathtaking. I now so wish I could have afforded to have gotten a dear FREIND of mine one. I started giving her pretty cups for her coffee and tea about a year ago whenever a special holiday comes about or I find one I just know she will be so thrilled with. She treasures them all and says it makes having tea or coffe such a special event. I have always felt the same way. And now I can have a SPECIAL EVENT with you each time I have my tea. Just holding them each time brings me such Joy Susan. And I so look forward to the next ones. As soon as I get my jar filled with enough money I will be pre-ordering those. Enjoy the good weather and hope your cleaning is going along well. But DO NOT part with too much. You must may end up wishing you hadn’t. Hang on to the treasures that fill your heart with memories of the past. Then you can look at them with fondness. Love to you, and thank you once again for the Joy You bring to so many. Especially me!! 💗 Love Gayle Hall
Hi Susan,
The second I clicked onto your post and saw the bunny picture, I recognized it from an older post and new you were going to say rabbit rabbit-I love that! My mom used to say it every month and if she would accidentally say something before her rabbit rabbit, she would say it all day long knowing it wouldn’t count but still said it just in case 😉 and sure enough, I do the same and thought it was a silly thing just between me and my mom until you posted about it way back when which made me feel like it really is a good luck thing for good hearted people. I never knew that anybody else had heard of such ritual. The rain hasn’t stopped in Vermont either with more to come. Great for planting and the grass and trees are as green as can be, but not so good for outside dinners, so I hope it holds out for you. Fingers crossed. Either way, your tea party will be a lovely success and everybody will love your hospitality. I saw your old beautiful RED china out with some added BLUE!!! It works perfectly. Well done. Enjoy your party 😉 Big hugs.
Hey Rhea! Does anyone know the origin of rabbit rabbit on the first of the month? Susan may have posted it, but I don’t recall. Nice about your mom saying it.
Debbie in Maine
Where it says Rabbit-Rabbit at the top of the post, it’s highlighted as a link. Click on it for the origins of the phrase.
Hi Debbie,
I didn’t know the origin of rabbit rabbit on the first of the month, but we sure said it! Did you read Susan’s link? Love it. All I knew was that if my mom said it, I was going to say it. And now Im going to try my hardest to continue the tradition. Have a wonderful day 🙂
such perfect teacups for any party!
Pretty excited about your sweet new mugs; going to be very hard to choose! They will look darling alongside my Emma B. collection. On our 2014 visit to England, we visited the factory, and I carried a Black Toast teapot all the way home to Virginia!
Wow, I speak from experience, that is not easy! 😊
Would LOVE one of your darling cups!!!
👩🏻💻This comment is long overdue! I received your lovely mug and absolutely love it. ❤️ First of all, the shipping was done with such attention to detail and wrapped beautifully. 📦 No breakage here!
Secondly the mug is lovely. Attention Susan Branch blog readers…the photos of these mugs don’t do them justice. They are so much better in person. They are absolutely beautiful. The colors are vibrant and the attention to detail is evident. Dunoon did a wonderful job on the manufacturing and Susan’s illustrations are charming.
So third, buy them today, you won’t be disappointed. My mug sits proudly on my tea mug shelf ready to be used daily, sitting alongside the best of them, Emma Bridgewater, fine bone china tea cups and Cornishware. With the best of them because these are the best!
Thank you Susan! And a special thanks to your staff who really showed great care and attention when shipping these mugs. It showed and I am grateful!🌷🌻🌷
All the best,
Kelly
[email protected]
P.S. No need to pull my name out of that hat Vanna, let someone else have a chance at winning these lovely mugs.👩🏻💻❤️
😍Thank you Kelly!
Love your new cups!!! Pick me, pick me!
You always make a day extra lovely. Yesterday was my daughter Katie’s graduation from High School and the day was as beautiful as can be. Had my best friend Carol visiting from Texas and we had coffee everyday out of your lovely mugs and she is as addicted to your art as I am . She soooooo needs one. Love you Susan…..
Tea in a Susan Branch mug would be enchanting!
I can just imagine how lovely my tea would be drinking from one of your beautiful mugs.
Happy Tea Party! I adore the mugs and would be thrilled to have them to share!
I love the cups I have and would love a couple more❤️
I Hope whoever wins LOVES their cups💗⭐️☕️🌞😊🐶🐰🐝🐢as much as I do!!!💗💗💗💗 My birthday isn’t until July but my wonderful friend that I share my birthday day with could not wait till then to give me my gift and brought it to me last week! They are absolutely beautiful !!!💗🐶🌞🐰🐝☕️🐢😊💗 It’s so wonderful to have a friend that loves Susan Branch as much as I do! 💗💗💗
….. As for it being June and turning over my desk calendar ….. am I the only one who has not. turned my calendar over from April yet??? 😳😳😳💗💗💗💗
Your posts are like a breath of fresh air — thanks for reminding us of the GOOD things in life! Love the rabbit photo and Musica selection for June.
Your teacups are little pieces of tranquility. I can just picture myself sipping lavender Early Grey tea from them and being transported to a place of magic and beauty; to the place your teacups came from. 🙂
Hello Dear Susan,
Hoping you have a luv-lee tea party. Really- how could it not be- with tea and thee? 🙂 Sad to part with a girlfriend though- even if just geographically.
Jack is such a darling! Lots of pictures of him have been showing up in my Pinterest feed lately- which has been so very sweet.
Planning a tea soon, with my dearies too.
Have a fantabulous June!
xoxo
Gabi
Oh, how I do look forward to a new blog ! So, with tea cup in hand, I greet you and thank you for making my day! (P.S. received a+ on my annual physical yesterday. I’m 87 and knew today would be a delight!)
I LOVE how you LOVE
Tea parties
English gardens
Tea cups
And England
I was born in England, my dad was in the Air Force and was transferred back to the US before I could remember any of it, but my older sisters would tell me about Mrs. Jelly and her delightful treats, fish and chips wrapped in newspaper, a Friday night traditional dinner and there are a few pictures, I was not the first born (#6).
I have enjoyed your trips to England and your delightful books, they make such nice gifts.
To think you have added tea cups is just wonderful.
I have been blessed with a granddaughter and look forward to having tea party’s with her.
I just turned the page on my Susan Branch calendar. Ah, what a special part of the month to see new thoughts, new art, and the beauty that feeds my soul. I love your teacups and would be beyond happy if Vanna selected my name. Your tea party sounds like the perfect way to celebrate and begin the summer season. By the way, I am the one that mentioned, in a previous post, my “antique” Danish linen, that belonged to my mother. I told you there were stains from many years ago on it, and I didn’t know if I would be able to get the stains out. Wonder of wonders, I used a bleach pen on the stains. It came out perfect without removing the blue embroidery. I used spray starch on it when ironing. I’ve decided I need to use your method of the liquid starch. I’m thrilled to have this gracing my tables. I am trying it out in different spots in my home. Happy Tea Party!
Oh how I would love to be the lucky one!
Thanks for the new blog. Love the night view of your house and arbor…fairies must hide out there!!!!
Always love to look at you china settings…they are so lovely.
Have a great weekend
Kathie from Limerick
Tea parties are the best to bring friends old & new together!
I’m camping in a cute little park in Iowa. Hooked up the Internet and here is a new post from my friend susan! Yeah! ! We are going to missouri I saw a post a few years ago that you wrote, we thought it looked like a good place to explore -thanks! Please enter me into the drawing.
Thanks, Denise
On your way if you can go to Springfield ILL, the Lincoln Presidential Library is there and it is FABULOUS. We loved it. Even cried in there.
Little Jack… I love him so!!! And the tetea cups!!! Oh my gosh! 😘😍😍😍😍 Love!!!! Susan, you make my days brighter!
Hi susan..would love to win one of your cups…read your blog every day.i met you in cinti ohio last year and was thrilled..cant wait for new book
Hi susan..would love to win one of your cups…read your blog every day.i met you in cinti ohio last year and was thrilled..cant wait for new book.
Just “in cases” you didn’t get to the drawing today……I’m going to send in my note. I love all your new mugs, but my favorite is the the new birdie one. It is so sweet.
Thank you, Susan!
You have a A friend in Pennsylvania,
Phyllis Patton
Love having tea parties with my friends. So good to slow down & appreciate one another along with tasty little treats. Susan, you constantly inspire me to appreciate all the little things…
I just love your cups.
The new teacups are wonderful! Thanks for the chance to win.
Dear Susan, Well, again, my post has gone pssstt. I was one of the first to comment on this new post. A few hours later, I saw it there after dozens had commented, awaiting moderation. Now it is totally gone. I don’t think I said anything objectionable.
I’m pretty sure I answered you, Debbie! Hard to find in all of this! You never say anything objectionable! xoxo
Entering for my daughter Kate.
Entering for my sister Andrea.
How lovely it would be to have one of your cups.
would love a special mug Kathy
Sweet Jack!! Have a wonderful party! Tea parties are the best. ❤️
The new teacups are beautiful! 🌺🌿🌺🌿🌺🌿
Dear Susan, My husband & I are coming north to Upstate New York to our lake home for the summer & fall. Living mostly in Florida I have missed the autumn for 10 years. It will be nice to celebrate two actual seasons again. I will be closer to your culture which I have missed,. That is why I flag and save your blogs longer than any other emails. Thank you Susan!
I’d love to have one of your beautiful cups! It would bring a smile to my face each time I used it!
I hope this is the right place to sign up for the drawing. These cups would be a wonderful addition to my Susan Branch shelf. Blessings to you all.
Signing up for my sister Sherri Lawrence. [email protected]
Signing up for my friend Bekah Wall in Saskatoon, Canada. I will ship to her if you do not ship to Canada and she wins. <3
We will definitely ship to Canada if you win!
Signing up my daughter Kailyn Whitaker who just graduated college. Go girl!
Dear Sue, I must say that I have been enjoying my new tea cups from you very much. When we got home from our trip to your home town, the cups were at the post office with all our mail. Thank you so much, I love drinking my morning tea out of a different one each time. They are so light and beautiful. My tea actually tastes better now. Thanks for all you do for all of us. Take care and have a wonderful summer. From your forever friend in Cannon Falls, Crystal Burns
Happy day! It’s June! Would love to win the tea cup!
Love, love, love your blog! No matter how horrible the news around the world, you always provide a bit of calm and loveliness…
Just love the cups!
Love your new cups! Saving my pennies to purchase one soon! Party on Sweet Susan!
Oh Susan, What a gigantic relief to turn on my computer and read your blog and listen to Jimmy Durante and smile at Jack’s picture. You filled a dark time with twinkle lights, friends, a civilized and lovely tea party and well, I guess all things good! Thank you.
Tea in a beautiful cup would be perfect in this still chilly weather!
Susan, I may be a tad late for a comment, but I hope not!
Thank you for all your lovely words and art.
Just have to say I loved your tweet re smart and Potus being an oxymoron! We should be leading the world on climate change. A sad day for America and the Earth.
It is a rough time for 62% of the American population. But we can take care of our own little spots of earth. And that’s not nothing.😘
Rabbit Rabbit, Girlfriend’s!
I love looking at baby pictures, especially of our fur kids. Soooo cute. Oh VaaaaannnnnnnnA, is it my turn in the barrel yet?
Susan, would love to win a cup! On Wednesday I am leaving Raleigh, North Carolina nonstop to Heathrow. Taking a train for a walking tour through the Cotswalds. Only because I have read “A Fine Romance” three times. A friend told the director of the tour and sadly he has not read it but promises to check it out! Thanks for being you.
Susan, would luv luv to win a darling cup.
That is a magical arbor at night with the twinkle lights! Have a wonderful tea party! I have my favorite tea cups that I always use, but yours are very special…thank you for giving a few away to some of us lucky people!
You always make me smile.
Would love to win a teacup from you! Enjoy all your dear drawings
and stories about your Travels!