People often ask me what inspired me to move all the way across country, from California where I grew up, to New England ~ to an Island, off the coast of Massachusetts, so very far away from home, where they had this thing called winter. MUSICA? Well, the short answer is the break-up of my marriage in California and the strong urge to escape the pain of it. But the deeper answer is . . .
Not just autumn, but all of it . . . everything New England seemed to offer (from all the books I’d read), deep traditions, romance and inspiration that comes with nature, the authenticity of the old houses that had seen so much~ it all seemed to represent a solid foundation where I hoped I could build a solid new life.
And no, 35 years later, I’m still not used to it. I don’t think I ever will be.
I still see the change of seasons as a miracle. Four-times-a-year for extra celebration, totally organic, not man-made, God provided, and real as real could be. So I thought I’d give you my “Best of Autumn,” just in cases you aren’t yet in the mood 🎃 ~ hopefully when this post is done, you will be, because what I want to do is help you . . .
Is that color possible in nature? No. Not possible. Probably the camera had a piece of red cellophane over it!!! Wrong. But that’s actually what I used to think when I was a child and would see photos of New England in the fall. It just couldn’t be real.
Now that I know better, you would think I would get used to it, but apparently that’s never going to happen. Looks like magic to me.
I’ve walked down a dirt road through the woods to the water almost every day of the last 35 years. The first five I did alone, then I met Joe, and we’ve done it together ever since, in all seasons. I told you, I love tradition. The over-and-over leaves an ownership imprint, and someday far into the future, Joe and I will haunt this place for eternity. When I wear this loosely woven sweater, I can tuck in stems of the wild things I find growing along the side of the road. 🍂Then of course Joe feels the need to hide in the bushes all the rest of the way home!
Is this not romantic? Sooo romantic, little cottage by the sea, we walk by it every day. Simple and surrounded by color . . . in the foreground is bittersweet, it grows wild and free, it makes a celebration where there might not normally be one. You see? Not my idea. It’s nature! We gather it to decorate our front door. 🍁
In the fall you can feel the icy breath of winter in the wind that blows leaves through the air. Black crows fly low across the road, cawing the whole way. Someday I will catch one with my camera!
My traditions hold inside the house too. My little rusty birds, garlands, wreaths, leaves, owls, birds, festoons, out of the boxes they come!
Then of course, there’s the dance of the tea towels . . .
I can tell you about the fall breezes, but here you can see it . . . and we can smell it too ~ and not only the fragrance of the sea ~ but as it flits around the Island it gathers perfume from everything 
that grows wild: goldenrod, clematis, wild apples and pine, blueberries, sandy beach plums, asters and bayberry. 🌻 As I wrote in Martha’s Vineyard Isle of Dreams, “the salty breeze slips in and out of seashells, climbs tree trunks, dives into squirrel holes, slides along old porch rails, stumbles through the bittersweet, skips along picket fences, scoots beneath falling leaves, whistles past ancient graveyards, flits over and under dragonfly wings, and steals all the wishes off the dandelion puffs, flinging them in every direction, wishes for all.” It’s the pure romance of the seasons. 🍂
And my little bo-bo waits for me to come in.
Our very best tradition. Cat-loving people that we are. True blessings are all around us.💞
I brought in the last Just Joey rose of the season ~ in the little blue bottle Joe found while digging the hole to plant our Dogwood tree. And you can see our best tradition peeking out from the corner of the screen door.
The garden isn’t finished yet. I plant things that bloom late so we keep ourselves stocked in garden flowers for as long as possible, till the first freeze.
To some, marigolds are common, but they are the BEST when it comes to fall color right from the garden. Long-lasting flowers that know their job and do it well.
Lighting candles, part of the tradition of the season, for the shorter days and colder nights, wind beating our shutters against the house. And P.S.: LAST NIGHT!!! PBS was golden! The new season of The Durrells started (you would love it), and after was Poldark, and advertised was the new season of Victoria starting in January! So much to look forward to! Right now, while I’m writing you, I’m listening to the BBC production called Byron (as in Lord). I just spoke into my remote, and there it was!
Lounge lizard.
More wind, crunch leaves, sweet smelling sheets . . .
This is a sandy driveway where the leaves have been driven over so many times they are imprinted. I thought it would make gorgeous fabric.
And we’ve been cooking too . . . this recipe cooks at 250 degrees for 7 hours! Makes the house smell heavenly. It’s Spicy Short Ribs, I made it for you last Christmas in another post . . . just click HERE and scroll to the bottom for the recipe. It’s so good!
And here’s the Marmalade tea bread! (Recipe is HERE, just scroll to bottom of this old post.)
All for my favorite thing, setting the table, with my purple Windsor Ware . . . and, here’s a little tip: flowered dishes look best with striped, plaid or plain-colored napkins.
Some things are a must at this time of year . . . homemade pie crust is one of them. I have to say, if you haven’t had a real homemade pie crust in a while, you don’t know what you are missing. Fill it with pumpkin . . . homemade is best! There is nothing like cooking and nurturing to make you feel 100% better about the world.
Am I right, or am I right?
I love this photo. It was on a door of a tea room we visited years back and I just love it ~ it screams halloween! 🕷 Or maybe I scream halloween. But definitely, someone is screaming! 😱
And this foggy day showed all the dripping little webs that normally you don’t even know are there. In our woods they’re on the ground, between every leaf and twig. . . sparkling in the mist and dew. 🕸
And now, about pumpkins . . .
We found these pumpkins at a craft show. They are easy to make, but you have to grow them and mark them while they are young ~ it’s so easy, you can put your family name on them, read HERE for a How To. . . it’s pure magic for children! 🎃 There are so many interesting pumpkins available these days. Below, the warty ones are called Knuckleheads . . . there are Cinderella and Lakota too, beautiful and fun to grow, remember for next spring! Put it on your calendar so you don’t forget!
I’m a star pumpkin girl myself, but Joe always does a few faces . . .
Don’t forget to put cinnamon and nutmeg on the inside of the top of your pumpkins for wonderful smells when lit.
And of course him. Casper. Our ghost. SUCH a tradition. This house would not be a house without our ghost. How many years have we had him now? Maybe twenty!
We have a street coming toward the house, with a stop sign out front, and for twenty years Casper has been in our upstairs window saying HELLO to everyone who goes by. I’ve never seen another one like him, but I think it might be possible to make one (not by me, but I think Joe could do it, or maybe you can! Or perhaps you have a Joe of your own who might like a project that will last forever) …. would you like some photos of his innards? I can do that!
You can get an idea of his frame by seeing the light through the cloth ~ its like a wire dress form. The cloth is cotton, starched to the nth degree, and lightly covered in the finest glitter. There are two tiny lightbulbs attached inside to the frame, top and bottom, and one inside the pumpkin all on one cord that we plug into the wall.
Here he is from the front, holding a pumpkin . . . which is also framed in wire ~ its fabric is felt.
There are two round frames, one on the bottom (which you can see in the photo above) which is what Casper sits on, the other is visible in that first picture ~ from the back ~ up toward the top of the head. And all the vertical wires are hooked to them.
The little arms are separate, and here’s how they are hooked to the main frame.
There are two lightbulbs fitted into the two round frames.
There’s a tear in the ghost fabric to hook the frames together, to hook the pumpkin to the ghost, and for the light for the pumpkin to go through. The pumpkin hides the tear.
And voila!
You can see him up top center window.
There have been a lot of Autumns at this house. Tradition, authenticity, romance, endurance, security, dreams, and somehow, despite everything, a symbol for the continuity of life, the manifestation of my childhood faith in forever. Cue the Musica . . . 🎵 I would love to see how it looked inside on the day this photo was taken, what they were doing in the kitchen, go to the barn and see the horses … go for a ride in the carriage down to Main Street . . .
Gathered from the woods, from the farmstand and from Michael’s Crafts.
We are ready! Bring. It. On. We get a jillion kids at halloween. We have a responsibility to give back some of the magic we’ve been given.
Our other house decoration is our big BOO in the window!
Lovely wonderful bittersweet. Another miracle from nature.
Last year we were in England for the fall . . . I’m standing in the 13th century churchyard looking at the moon across from where our dear friend Rachel lives. Whoooo . . .
Here we are at Carrie’s darling house in Oxford! Lots of you know her from Twitter . . . go say Hi! Aren’t blue and orange perfect together?
And here we were, apple tasting with our friend Siobhan in the glorious English Countryside . . .
Perfectly wonderfully charming . . . an apple on every fence post . . .
Last October 19 we were busy setting the table and decorating the dining room in a house in Bath where we were staying (with Ray’s friends and family) to help celebrate Rachel’s birthday! Yes, balloons and hats and bunting, streamers and candles!
While we were doing that, she was waiting in the kitchen ~ no peeking! Drinking wine and overseeing the cooking of the birthday dinner. 
Here’s Ray’s cake, with all of our rings on board, ready for her to make a wish and blow out the candles. It was a wonderful time and a luv-lee memory. And now, here we are, one year later! We can surprise her again, Girlfriends 🎉 . . . click HERE and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎁 … or, HERE . . . or, if you live in the UK, go HERE, and get a sample of the amazing Sugar Moon Brownies she makes, packs and sends in the mail! Her birthday is on Thursday and I’m not going to say a THING . . . 🤐 shhhhhhh.💞
In the meantime, I go to my studio every day . . . making new things, painting for the 2019 calendar with my little three haired brush . . .
And this week, I’ve been choosing thread colors for my new
Coming soon . . . Have I told you? Yes, we found someone wonderful in the USA to make them for us . . . coming to our web store soon.
This is the newest . . . just finished and needs ironing, but I think it’s going to be darling! This is cross-stitch, but some of the kits will be printed too . . . Nothing like needlework to take your mind off the cares of the day and leave it to wander and dream in an aimless, do-something kind of way. Hand sewing and old movies go together like ice cream and cake. I speak from lots of happy experience. I tell you more very soon.
Jack’s been helping us plan our next trip to the UK! Maybe not helping, perhaps blocking.
Also, for you who’ve been asking ~ two of our “Sold Out” cups came back in! The manufacturer let us know they had some “leftover” decals ~ and asked if we wanted them to make a few more . . . we said we’d take them all . . .
So, there were two . . . the 16 oz. Martha’s Vineyard . . .
And the 11 oz. Autumn cup ….
We didn’t get many, but I hope this will fix it so that everyone who wanted one, gets one!
One more of my favorite fall traditions: I just bought the most delicious new flannel jammies. I love thick cottony flannel for our wintery nights . . . the best ones I’ve found are at Garnet Hill . . . . when I find something good, I need to tell my Girlfriends! 💋
So off I go to write a new WILLARD . . . in case you don’t know, WILLARD is my Newsletter, you can sign up and every so often it will just appear in your mailbox . . . lots of interesting things to tell you about . . . it should be going out sometime next week. Until then my dear, darling Girlfriends, remember to choose love.
Thank you Susan! Love your blog and Willard! Would love to win!!!
I am loving your blogs, Willard and just received your Christmas book. Please enter me.
Who packs their brand new autumn mug to go on vacation? Me! I must use it every day to jumpstart my joy wherever I am.
Please enter me. Love all the new things.
Love looking at all your art work and photos. Enter me!
Please do enter me! Love everything you do!
Please do enter me! Love it all!
Enter me please.
Enter me! XOXO
Please enter me! Thank you so much for brightening my days with your wonderful stories. It’s so cold and windy outside today with a dusting of snow and your stories take me away to a warm place, for at less a little while.
Hope I”m the lucky one!
NOW Autumn can happen, since Willard arrived today. And “he” can send those darling new dishes to me, if he chooses!
Poppies and the day of remembrance! Beautiful. Please enter me for the dishes. I love your blog posts!
Please enter me! (Really I am entering for my sister, Florence I Stewart. She has followed you and given all of us your books over the years. She would truly love it!)
Thank you!
Beautiful china! So breathtaking!
Many years ago I sat in your kitchen with my sister Bonita and our mom ❤️ It was lovely. We have so many wonderful memories that day. I think of you often when I see all your books in my kitchen on the buffet. I especially think of you in the fall because I remember you saying how much you love fall leaves. I enjoy Willard…. Sometimes I feel like I’m back in your kitchen and smile.. Thank you ❤️
Brenda
thank you for the beautiful art!! Love to read about your life! Enter me in the contest, please!
Just finished reading the latest Willard – I love your books, blog and Willards – I always feel like I’m reading a long letter from a dear friend! Please keep writing and designing such lovely things!
Autumn is my favorite season too! Please enter me too! I have all your cookbooks, etc. And have given so many as gifts that I’ve lost track.
I need to win this for my mom. She and my father lost their home in the Northern California Cascade fire. When she has a home of her own again, I want it full of happy, warm stuff.
Thinking of you and yours Bethany. Those fires were so awful, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Hugs to your parents. xoxo
I am in and praying to win, love you lady and all you do !
So enjoy your blog and always look forward to Willard. Thank you for sharing your corner of the world with the rest of us.
Hi Susan, always look forward to your books, blog, tweets and Willard. The accompanying music is always a treat to listen to. Please enter me in the draw.
Love all the way from British Columbia. Chris.
Thank you for your blogs and all your writings, you remind me that there are still lovely, kind, sweet people out there! (And creative!)
I so enjoyed reading your fall issue of Willard. With the warmer temperatures we’ve been experiencing this fall in Massachusetts, it’s been difficult to get into the autumn mood! After reading your fall issue, however, I’m ready! Also, please enter me in your contest for the lovely dishes.
Thank you!
I love it when I see “Willard” in my in box. It’s like a friend dropping by.
I don’t know if I can be entered for your prize draw as I live in England but here’s hoping. 😻
Would love to win these awesome dishes!
Love you, Susan!!
Enter me
Thank you for bringing cheer to my day via your newsletter. I love the dishes, enter me.
I am loving your newsletter! Please enter me 💓
Hi Susan, you are awesome! Thanks for bringing joy to us all.
Gail
Enter me please !
I love your new plates and mugs! Please enter me!
Living the country life on our farm in Western New York. Love the change of seasons as you do, it never gets old.
Love the new china! Please enter me.
Finally!!! Looking all over to post – please enter me! LOL!
O, I love, love, love your new plates and darling dishes! How I long to own every single piece of your hand painted wares! My own sweet little kitchen just cries out for a touch of SueB! A tea bag…camomile, of course, awaits a-steeping in one of your darling mugs! Can you hear my heart crying out, “pick me, pick me”!!!
Fingers crossed on this beautiful Autumn evening. Please enter me.
Susan, I love your Willards they always have a calming affect on me.
oh yes please do put me in your lucky draw.. your post is delightful, especially the bit about remembrance and our poppy da here in the UK. We always buy poppies, our entire town does, and on remembrance sunday i wear my grandads war medals with pride to remember him by when we go to church. Its a nice tradition i started when my kids were tiny to keep in mind those who served our country. Betty, uk
Received my Autumn cup this week and love, love, love it. Would love to win the set of teapot plates and heart dishes.
Happy Autumn!
Please enter me! I have followed you for years. I love your story, couldn’t get enough of The Fairy Tale Girl .
You make my day when I get your blog!! Please enter me for the gift package.
Blessings of Fall!
The winter cup looks warm and comforting.
love your blog, art, life! please enter me!
Love this Blog. You make my heart sing!
Oh, how I have come to adore your blogs and Willard but oh, the latest blog and Willard made me feel homesick for England where I lived, taught elem. school on Amer. AF base and traveled for two years. Now a son, his British wife and 2 grandchildren, 9 & 2, live permanently in in England. We moved from NE Ohio to WNC and still do all the Autumn getting ready for winter that you described. What a gift and blessing you are to the world. Thank you for all that you contribute to SO many girl friends.
How lucky you can go visit your son! xoxo
My Willard arrived today and just finished reading. Loved all the autumn treasures you described. Have loved the extended summer weather we have been having in CT, but ready for a little fall at last. All the new plates and cups and all are so beautiful and since I’m going through a bit of a rough patch, little cancer and chemo, if I was lucky enough to be the name I could gift all my wonderful friends, family and neighbors who have been so incredibly supportive. This too shall pass, but your blogs and Willard have brightened my days.
Blessings on you Debbie . . . I’m so happy you’re surrounded with support … scary times, but your good attitude will get you through. And you’re so right, this too shall pass. Sending love. xoxo
The Remembrance blog post and the Willard newsletter both were wonderful. Love the new items! everything is wonderful!
Mary
Pretty please enter me in your drawing for the lovely china pieces!
Love your words, your art work, your spirit. Please enter me in this contest, fingers crossed!
I love reading Willard.
I would love to win your beautiful dishes. Just love Jack’s mustache. Have a wonderful fall.
Your new items are lovely,
A wish for something new & cheery,
so please, please ‘enter me.
=>/<=
Your writing and your artwork and your positive thoughts are all food for the soul! Give Jack a pet for me! Loving Willard and autumn. . . Happy Fall!
Fun and oh, so lovely! Enter me, pretty please!!
Enter me! Please!
Thanks for the reminder of Nov 11. An important day in our history.
🍁🍂🍁 Happy Autumn Susan! 🍁🍂🍁 xoxo
🍁🍂🍁 Happy Autumn Susan! 🍂🍁🍂 xo🎃
You spread joy; thank you!
I love your newsletter. Your stickers are my favorite.
Hi from Québec, Canada! I just love to receive your newsletter, I listen to your “musica” and enjoy reading. I saw one of your recipe in a tourist newspaper a few years ago while visiting your region and I kept it mostly because it was so nicely presented and that’s how I came to register to your newsletter 🙂 I also tried your recipe and liked it a lot! Since then, you bring me a lot of peaceful moments and I love your art! Thank you for sharing images of your heavenly home through all seasons and festivities!
If your contest extend to Canada would you pleeeeeease enter me?
Have a wonderful autumn:)
Julie
It does, and I will . . . Love to you Julie and Hello to luv-lee Québec!
I am so happy to know that and thank you so much for taking time to answer my question! You made my day 🙂
Susan, you absolutely inspire me! I’d love to be entered.
Generous giveaway Susan! ❤️ the winner will be one happy girlfriend! Hope it’s me!😊
Please enter me.
Please enter me in the drawing for the beautiful dishes, Love them!!!
Pure enjoyment! Please enter me! Thank you! I look forward to newsletter and blog!
Please enter me! I want to inspire my girlfriends with your creative spirit.
Pick me! Pick me!
My heart feels at home qhen I read you. Thank you for making this world more beautiful ❤
What fun to “see” autumn and New England through your eyes, Susan. I love your newsletters and blog! Always such fun.
Enjoy Halloween! That Casper is adorable! Would love to try and fashion something like him.
I was wondering why you named your newsletter, Willard? I’m just curious, as it was my father’s middle name. Also, please enter me in your contest.
Thank you!
It’s named for my Grandfather . . . you can read the story HERE ~ just scroll down until you see his picture.
Thanks, Susan!! Love you for all the joy you bring our way–so selflessly sharing your world and enriching ours. May God richly bless you!
I have loved your artwork and writing for a very long time…and the dishes are beautiful!
Enter me, please! 🙂 Thank you. <3
I love, love, love your pictures and journaling about them. You bring it to life! Today in Columbus, Ohio we had the perfect Autumn day….sunny, brisk, leaves are beautiful but there was a definite nip in the air. I’m loving it! I always get ambitious and more creative in the Fall. i love the pics of the linens, quilts, sheets blowing on the clothes line. My mom always hung things on a clothesline when I was growing up. I did too before we moved to a development that has a civic association that doesn’t allow clotheslines. I miss the smell of those sheets. Some kids will never experience that wonderful outdoor fresh scent when the put their head on a pillow at night. Thank you!
I love this time of year, enter me please.
Please enter me in the contest.
Thanks Susan for your uplifting Blog and Willard!! I love autumn too !! We get a tiny taste of it here in northern CA but certainly not like the east!! I love your artwork and the visits to England💕
So many things have touched my soul in the Willard tonight. Thankful for the cooler weather and the zest for life that the wind brings with her! Thankful for you Susan!!
Happy Fall! Just read the Autumn Willard, was stressed, now I’m not! Please enter me in the drawing too!
You are beautiful♥ I have all your cook books and love stories, I met you at QVC in 2002 and you signed all my cookbooks. I was first in line and you looked so earthy with your canvas shoes and long linen dress. You remind me of me in your sayings and quotes and it is a pleasure to be your friend and share your love of art and cooking and romance. I have your pendant Girlfriends in the red car I wear it all the time. I have your flags and have given many of your cookbooks as gifts. Thank You for all the happy thoughts you give to me and everyone who read your books Willard and we did go to Marthas Vinyards to the black dog because of reading about you and Joe and also the book store and that is where I bought the Autumn book but since then your love stories are sweet. Thank You for making many girls and women fell good about themselves Love Betty Ann Batzel Pick me I would love it♥
Nice to hear from you Betty Ann!! Hope you win!
I love you blog. It brightens my day. Please enter me. Thanks!
Love reading your blog! Fall is my favorite time of year!!🎃🌻🍁🍂
Thank you for sharing with us what Fall is like on MV. I’ve lived in SoCal my entire life and dream about blustery days and colored leaves…or at least wearing a sweater! Your newsletters are full of such joy and contentment for each season of life!
You would love this early morning, still dark outside . . . chill wind blowing the curtains … closing the windows as I walk through the house ~ two sweaters and a shawl! Yum!
Hi Susan,
I love reading your blogs, your books, and Willards. It is nice to read about your travels, too. My daughter and her family are visiting the UK right now. They are having a grand time. But I get to see a lot more when you travel, with all the photos and details that you include.
How lovely! Good luck to everyone. I hope this autumn is enjoyed by all.
Your blog is gorgeous! It’s a ray of sunshine and love. I’d like to be entered in the fabulous give away please.
I love your Jack 😺 Please enter me in your drawing… pretty please, with whipped cream on top? And some pumpkin spice?
Love love love this❤️Please enter me too!
Thank you- happy fall!!
Kim
PRETTY PLEASE?🙏🏻
OH THANK YOU, dearest Susan 🎃
I so love to receive the news that your Willard is coming. It takes me into your world, a cozy, old-fashioned, delightful world where troubles are not present and the clock is not ticking madly. I enjoy that time so much.
Thank you for this! I needed to read this as this difficult week ends. It was like getting a hug!
🍂🎃🍂 More hugs!
I needed this in my inbox. Having just spent a few of the roughest weeks of my life and feeling very downhearted this gave me a small glimmer of pleasure. Thank you.
Blessings on you Elizabeth. xo
I’d love to win your beautiful dishes!
Thank you so much for your generous offer , hopefully I will win one of the drawings. Love you to pieces Susan! Still have the little container I won in
Dundee, Il. when I was lucky enough to meet you and sign a calendar for me.
I am so happy for
I am happy for Fall and Winter, I love the coziness of the season. I can’t wait to get my Santa cup.
I go back to the wondeful memories i have of reading my mothers magazines..and looking at the recipes in macalls..looking at gardens in the house and gardens..thinkinng it must be easy when you are an adult and have lots of guidance— these are very soothing reminders to not spend all my time on my job, and cozy up my space. Love the heart dishes…i will have to dream of them
Outside noisy, inside quiet, and the secrets are in the quiet. xoxo