I have a good little, very short, Christmas Story for you! (In a minute!) But first, sweet old MUSICA! I’m looking around and it seems like these days, finding and living a fairy tale of your own making gets put on the back-burner way too much. It’s hard! We hurt for the discombooberation of the world. But it’s Christmas time. Magic time, when we remember ANYTHING is possible. The perfect time of year to renew our vows! 
💝 Giving ourselves and our beloveds that happiness at home, reminding ourselves of the faith and beauty that lives in us all, and doing all we can to lift the spirts of those around us. Reminding myself how that is done . . . all the little things, delicious food and kitchen smells from childhood, anything that sparkles, cozy blankies, socks, old movies, flannel jammies toasty-warm from the dryer, singing, extra hugs, walks in nature, quiet mornings and cups of tea. Long night’s rest . . . under the Long Night’s Moon . . .
But first, speaking of Long Night’s Moon, which we 
JUST had, and signifies, yes, the end of these short dark days!👏👏👏 On the Solstice, coming SOON, December 21st, we’re having a dinner party to celebrate the sun setting on the shortest day of the year! GOODBYE! Every day after that will get a little LONGER!! More light! What a wonderful Christmas gift!💝 And so, we segue to my traditional stocking-stuffer to help you remember to dance to the light of the moon in 2026!🎶🎵🎶
It’s 
my full-moon Bookmark, Bellisma Lunisima 💞 (“a hole in the sky, a supernatural nightlight” … 🎵 Jason Mraz), with the dates and the great Native American names for each of the full moons next year. Just click on the link, print it out, have it laminated at a UPS Store (or not), and voila!
I also have a special personal gift for one lucky person🎁 . . . we’re having a drawing! Just leave a comment at the bottom and you’ll automatically be entered into a giveaway that includes all the goodies you see below: There’s a set of two holiday notepads, a box of brass-plated Angel Chimes with candles, a signed copy of my little Home For Christmas book, two designs of my Christmas Cards, and two sets of the cards I love to use for thank you cards… because they have recipes on them!♥️ There’s a Santa dishtowel, a “Home Cooking” tea-pot plate for cookies (or to hang on your wall), and some darling Santa stickers for your cards and gifts! From me to you with LOVE!💝
I’m going to announce the winning name next week! So you get this before Christmas! It’s a lot, but we have so many good things in stock right now, I couldn’t just choose one!! In ADDITION, four more of you, my girlfriends, will receive a copy of my Home For Christmas read-aloud book, and of course, I will sign it however you like! So you can keep it, OR you can give it to a friend! 💝
And one more surprise, just ONE lucky person . . .
will receive one of the very last of our wonderful SANTA CUPS!!! For a merry merry Christmas with love from me to you!♥️
Don’t forget to leave a comment! (At the bottom of this post, you’ll see a line of tiny words and right toward the end you’ll see “Comments” … they hide it for some reason!❌⭕️)
Also, another wonderful thing . . . I am SO honored to have been recently interviewed for the new Beatrix Potter Society Blog . . . where they ask artists how they 
were inspired by the art and life of Beatrix Potter … such a good question for me.💞 I loved answering it. Hope you enjoy it too, just click the link above . . . I’m always especially happy bringing people together, to perhaps help new people to get to know Beatrix better! If you haven’t joined the Society yet, you would love it. I follow them on Instagram too. Good influences, people who have done wonderful things in their lifetimes, need to be kept alive ~ and there are a LOT of good people giving their time to keep that happening ~ the legacy of Beatrix Potter is one of them!!♥️ There is so much more to learn about Beatrix, and everything is so much more accessible these days!💝
As you know, I’ve collected lots of books about Beatrix, and read them all, and am always looking, when out and about, in used bookstores or flea markets to find my out-of-print or hard-to-find favorites to share with you in my web store!
This year’s crop includes the charming Peter Rabbit Natural Foods Cookbook Illustrated by Beatrix Potter!
I have to show you my copy, a gift, inscribed to me by a very young Girlfriend, Anna Baker.
Adorable, and a pure keeper! And the perfect example of young magic-making in a new generation ~ and I have to say, Good job MOM!💝 Beatrix AND cooking.💞 A win-win for a lifetime of giving, and receiving.
Here’s the cover . . . we have just a few of these in our web store, including the one that this one replaced! Another sweet Christmas gift.♥️
And this! Have you seen this?
It was a complete surprise when I found this large scrapbook filled with copies of Beatrix Potter’s original letters, photos, and journal entries;
showing her watercolors, her family, her books, her story, her paint box, written in her handwriting, if she had made a scrapbook, this is exactly what it would have, should have, looked like!💗 Someone did a WONDERFUL job with this.
I particularly loved how real it felt with all the three-dimensional items, her first Christmas card designs that open, a basket that you can lift the lid, an envelope containing that famous illustrated letter, for you to open, touch, unfold, and read, even a small photo book with pages to turn ~ all set in the English Countryside. It must have cost a fortune to publish this book. I would LOVE to know who DOES things like this these days!!! It’s really so beautiful.
And the secret part, the coup de grace . . . the most amazing thing, on the inside back of the cover is a hidden door that opens, easy to miss and a complete surprise. Waiting inside is a copy of her first book! So in case you find this book in a store, look closely, before you buy it, be sure to see if the little book is still there. (All my copies in our web store DO have the little books, just in cases!) It is HERE!
We also have a few copies of this totally charming old book . . .
. . . the first, most wonderful biography I read about Beatrix, that led me to so much more, when I discovered she was truly
I’ve shown you this book before ~ it has several of Beatrix’s line drawings in it, printed from the illustrated letter she wrote for the child of a friend . . .
I turned the page to this and I heard my book say, “It’s okay, you can paint in me” . . . which of course I did . . . Like a little coloring book! How fun to paint that little blue jacket!!!
All three of these books are in our web store!💝 If you love them, be your own Santa, and put one under the tree for YOU. We also have some of her wonderful figurines . . . AND our jigsaw puzzle! Back in stock just for this Christmas!
This is my stack of her little bunny books, waiting to be packed up to be brought to their new home in California, where they have been very happy on my “Heroes” shelf, where they sit imparting inspirational DNA while I do my 2027 calendars and update my Christmas Book with new art and recipes!♥️
So here is my little Christmas Fairy Tale . . .
As you know last year we moved across the country into a very old 1970s double-wide. It isn’t nearly as large as our old house, but we’d been wanting to downsize, and it was perfect for that! It had an open plan with lots of windows, and oddly, one entire WALL of mirrors, which 
normally I might not have liked, but it brought in a TON of light from the wall of windows on the other side of the room, which in turn brought in the garden, so it didn’t take long before I learned to love it a lot. Below, you can see the mirrored wall, it’s in the dining room part of the open room . . . you can see me there, reflected, and across the room behind me, you can see two lamps and tall windows in the living area, but it’s dark outside, so they are black. Sort of get it? Part of the kitchen is also reflected in the mirror. There’s a doorway to the hall on the right.↘️
I have to admit, making magic in a very old, untouched and un-updated double-wide is more of a challenge than making magic in a 150-year-old Captain’s House (on Martha’s Vineyard, which put us way ahead on the scale of magic from the get-go). Things like plaster walls, thick decorative trim around heavy wooden doors with antique brass knobs and fittings, with a shelf over the front door for pumpkins in the fall. . . these things do 
not exist in a double-wide. If you want them, you have to figure out how to get them! But if ever a challenge is worth it, this is the one. Being that this double-wide lives in the middle of an English garden that we accidentally planted here in 2004 with no expectation of ever living here ourselves! So it’s a double-wide in tree, hedge, bird-bath, hummingbird, and blue-sky heaven. So on we go, building our world, just like we did the first time. But isn’t making a home just the most wonderful thing? Most creative job in the world!👏👏💗 Never forget:
After a lifetime of dreaming, I know this to be true.♥️
So here is another shot of that mirrored wall … because really, if you don’t know it’s there, it can get a little invisible, and what I’m about to show you can be confusing! Call this the “Before” shot.
Of course we were spoiled, our old house came with an old fireplace, all full of ancient whispers, which we loved to decorate at Christmas . . .
. . . we NEEDED a fireplace back there, for our cold and snowy New England winters. But we realized, that due to the mild weather in California, 
we didn’t need or even want a fireplace ~ it would require space! What I actually REALLY wanted, was a mantle! This came to light last Christmas, when I looked around and said, “I have no mantle to decorate! What we need is a FAKE fireplace ~ and we could put it on that mirrored wall in our “dining room! It would reflect candlelight!🕯️ It would be so cozy!” And I gently mentioned it to my darling husband, saying simply, I need a fake fireplace on yonder mirrored wall kind sir, and him replying, something to the effect of, “your wish is my command.” Anyway that’s how I remember it.💞
And so it was. He found a mantle, he found some appropriate pieces to go with it, he made other appropriate pieces, we looked at pictures of other mantles and surrounds, we looked at our old one…
Joe began cutting, glueing, and drilling . . . I never knew his drill has a flashlight in it! How handy! And just like Michelangelo cutting his masterpieces from the marble, just like THAT, our mantle started taking shape.♥️
We just guessed what height to make it ~ the side boards for the surround, are leaning against the mirror to give us some idea of what it would be like… I really loved the fireplace I saw in one of the rooms of Jane Austen’s house in Chawton in the UK . . . narrow, tallish, simple, plain. All it needs is boughs of holly!
This is it, it’s in a tiny room.
But maybe ours would have more substantial mantle, with a sort of back splash like the one on the Vineyard. But tall and narrow… Joe put it on the floor so we could see what it looked like. I laid the sides a wee bit crooked, he straightened them and started putting it together. Pretty soon he leaned the sides against the mirror and balanced the mantle on top. I decorated it, lit the candles, went mad with delight, then undecorated it so he could he take it down. He added an apron, put it back up, balanced it again, I decorated it again, went mad, he took it down, added a tiny shelf at bottom of the apron … etc, three times . . . until we had it all! He glued and screwed it together, and stapled a piece of black velvet on the back. And once again, I decorated it!
And voila! here it is! It’s screwed to the wall ~ now permanent, staying forever ~ here Joe is doing the 
last bits, adding a hook for the other stocking, wearing appropriate head gear. “This is ridiculous,” I exclaimed, laughing out loud every time I looked at it.
I continued laughing while taking a thousand photos, so adorable. I could barely believe the transformation!
I had a mantle! I couldn’t wait to show it to you!!
It takes up no space, is 56″ tall to the top of the back splash; the mantle is 48″ wide and 9″ deep ~ and it changed everything. It even created a sort of natural space on the left where we could tuck in a tree. I’d already purchased a small one because I thought it might have to go on the table (it’s up on a plant stand now), but next year, it’s clear there’s space to have a full-height (but skinny) Christmas tree in the corner!! This fireplace is rocking my world! I love it so much.💫💫💫
Voila, the “after” picture! And now I have this little corner I can decorate for the seasons ~ there’s a place for pumpkins, candles, bunnies and chicks for Easter, for photos, flowers, books, banners, a lamp, or even a birthday cake! We get to have dinner parties in front of the fireplace!♥️ See that little card on the apron of the fireplace? Joe added a tiny narrow shelf (like we had on Martha’s Vineyard). I can PUT things there! And I now have a place where, if I want, I could have fireside chats on Instagram! Or read a story! That is why I would have to call this a Fairy Tale. Because like my mother told me, you can have anything you want, as long as you make it yourself can get your husband to make it for you! Proof positive:
PS, an addendum. After Joe finished his brilliant masterpiece, I went looking on line to see if perhaps others had had this same idea, a fireplace with no fire… a faux fireplace to add extra coziness and charm to a small room. In case my Girlfriends were thinking how fun this would be but have no Joe, I wondered if maybe it would be possible to BUY one that didn’t cost an arm and a leg. Because you know, if you dream it you can make it so! I was surprised, shocked maybe, there are so many choices! Little ones, big ones, simple and fancy, whatever your heart desires!♥️ Mas MUSICA? Oui!
Look at this one, clean, elegant, free-standing, and only $150, voila! If I only knew! Ha! well, there you go! I’m so used to asking Joe, I forget that there are other ways to go about this! I love his best of course!♥️ This mantle is even a half-inch deeper than mine… there are photos of it in a living room scene when you go to their site. . . but if this isn’t your cup of tea, there of tons of other ones to choose from ~ some of them are electric and even include the fire!🔥 This world!💝
Speaking of this enchanted world, this wonderful magical outrageously beautiful world that we, the human race, positively do not deserve but are unendingly grateful for, I thought you would like to see what a California Christmas looks like!
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Yup, no snow. And I do miss that thrilling first snow of the season! But the only white you see here are the drifts of sweet alyssum that springs up everywhere in the cool weather.
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The breeze you’re hearing comes down our valley from the Pacific ocean, alyssum fragrance floats in the air, the sun comes out almost every day, shining golden light and long shadows on my daily walk, and the silk trees flower in pink! A total blessing for light deprived person, I put my face up to drink in the sunshine.
But we absolutely DO have winter, it’s freezing at night (40s!!!), sweater weather, for sure ~ even fingerless gloves sometimes ~ and flannel jammies of course, it’s even cold enough for me to put my grandma’s nap blanket on the bed! Extremely cozy! It just probably won’t snow.🤭
Instead, check this out!
It’s a jasmine vine that found this chair on our front deck and is making a home there! I know I’m going to be sorry I let it go! It’ll probably take hours to get it all out! But it’s actually so pretty, and . . . think . . .
. . . what it’s going to feel like to sit in this chair loaded with light pink jasmine, and just rock and smell the flowers!🌸🌸🌸 So, for a possible future moment’s pure delight, here I am waiting for it to bloom, as each day the vine gets more deeply entrenched. I’ll let you know how it goes!
Jack is sending you all his kitty LOVE!😻 So, off we go, onward and upward.Company coming today! Going to Farmer’s Market tomorrow. Need some local honey🍯, and definitely want to see what the farmers are doing for Christmas!🪴 Merry, Merry darling people. Get out into nature if you can, take lots of deep breaths, and stay hydrated!♥️
Don’t forget to leave a comment for the drawing! You can sit in front of your fireplace and read everyone a story of Christmas long ago! “Home for Christmas!”
Susan, each sharing you make is a breath of fresh air, dreamland, creativity and magic. Your simplistic observations make possibilities come to life. Your new mantle is perfectly fitting for your new space, and it’s just the touch needed to add a sense of personalization that says “home.”
Wishing you, Joe and Jack a meaningful, Merry Christmas as you discover the sameness of this special time of year wherever your roots are planted.
Considering the many possibilities in 2026!
Thank you for another year of beauty in words & pictures.
Merry Christmas 🎄♥️
Your “Willard” is always such a joy to read! I’m in Montana, so it is lovely to see your video of wild alyssum blooming in the winter. Our bees love it and I can almost “smell” your picture! Every December, I pull out my treasured copy of your Christmas from the Heart of the Home, which I discovered at a local bookshop many years ago. It’s like visiting an old friend. Thank you for sharing stories of your life and travels with all of us! You are an inspiration and a treasure.
Merry, merry Christmas to all your family!!!
Merry Christmas! I’m enjoying a beautiful snow.
Merry Christmas, Susan & Joe, Such inspiring, creative people!!! I love your blog, love your fireplace mantel, love love love your Full Moon bookmarks for stocking stuffers, thank you!!! I love your new home and how you’ve made it your own, full of memories and treasures that bring you JOY! Much needed in this crazy, stressful time with the world as it is. Many thanks for bring JOY and Happiness to me. XOXO Judi
Thank you for bringing joy to all of us–your letters are always so delightful. Merry Christmas to you!
Your mantel is beautiful. Joe did a wonderful job. I was born and raised in Florida but my childhood home had a fireplace and mantel and so has every home I’ve lived in since. It’s the cozy focal point of a home. Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year to you and Joe,
Thought I had posted yesterday, but anyway….Your Willard brings joy whenever it arrives. Love the fireplace, your Joe is very clever. Does Jack enjoy sitting in front of the “fire”.?
Congrats on the Potter interview.
Susan
You probably DID post yesterday … but the problem is so did about a thousand other people!😂 I am reading and loving the comments and “moderating” (weeding out spam that sneaks in) and I’m slow, but I’m getting there, and love to hear from you!❌⭕️
Lovely post as always! All the best of the season.
I love your idea for a fireplace mantle! We live in a little California ranch that I love, but it doesn’t have (or really need) a fireplace – it’s one major flaw! Suddenly, I’m looking around and trying to decide where we can put one.
I always enjoy reading your posts!
😂😂😂 The finishing touch!
Thanks to you and Joe, I think I will do some decorating today and hope that the Christmas spirit shows up! Your words are always uplifting. Wishing you, Joe,Jack, and the barn kitties a blessed Christmas 🌲
Merry Christmas to both of you and Jack too! Thank you for your beautiful stories!
It’s all so very lovely and I am encouraged to grow older by your enthusiasm, Susan! Despite a big move and so much change, you are Happy!
Loved the fireplace mantel! You really needed that . . . so good to hear from you! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! You two have a special talent for making a house a home and I love the new mantel! One can never have too many ledges and nooks for holding treasured memories and new creative goodies. Best of health to you and yours for the remaining days of 2025 and on to the New Year!
I would like to be entered in the giveaway please thank you Merry Christmas!
I appreciate the full moon bookmark! Also, love your artwork in general. I’m a big fan of your wall calendar, which I purchase every year! Merry Christmas!7
Loved seeing Jack in this Willard. That Joe, what a guy! You two were so meant for each other.
I love your improvised fireplace! In our retirement home we bought there is no space for even that but we do have an electric fireplace in the grandchildren’s space in the basement and I found the cutest little electric stove for our living room with heat when we want it and flames flickering in the window if we just want that effect,,,so cozy.
Perfect!♥️
I so needed this today Susan! This is my first Christmas without my Mom…you always bring comfort and reminders of the moments we have to treasure. Thank you for your beautiful simplicity of homemaking, and the joy it all so easily brings. Sending you warm wishes from Massachusetts! Merry Christmas!
Thank you for always bringing the magic, no matter where or when you are writing! That Joe is truly a keeper too, always at the ready to build a dream or two. And now you have a cozy fireplace mantle to feature your lovely seasonal treasures all year round. Beatrix Potter is smiling down on you right now!
Wishing you, Joe, and the adorable Jack a very sweet, merry and joyful Christmas and wonderful New Year.
What a lovely post! I look forward to my Willards. Thank you and Merry Christmas, Susan.
Dearest Susan,
Your Willard’s are just so interesting, caring, picturesque, and full of JOY!!!
Sharing your life with all of us is deeply appreciated.
Love the fireplace and hope that you and Joe and Jack have a wonderful Holiday Season.
Merry Christmas dear Susan.
Your Willard brought me feelings of comfort & joy!
Lisa (Ivory from Vromans)
LISA! I am so happy Vromans Lives!!! My Grandma shopped there all the time, so I am your anchor baby forever.💞 And for every other reason too. So nice to hear from you!❌⭕️❌⭕️
Dear Susan and Joe,
Merry Christmas to you adorable creative couple. Have a joyful new year with your home back East filled with new life. Susan, you need to paint SOLD and frame it for the Man Made Joe Style Mantel.
Shoot a rubber band for Jack for me,
Julie
Hope you and Joe have a very Happy and Merry Christmas. Please tell Joe he did a great job
on the fireplace it looks great like it was alway there.
Merry Christmas to you and Joe,
Your blog posts always come at the perfect time. The weight of the world can be a bit much and with a cup of tea in hand, I sit and soak in your beautiful art and words which bring me joy. As I read and slowly scrolled to your stack of Beatrice Potter books, I smiled. I have the same stack, and two of them are particularly special, the one “Tale of Mr. Tod.” We named our son Tod and spelled it the same way. As a child he loved that book so much as it had his name and the same spelling.
Thank you for bringing joy to my day. I hope you and Joe have a beautiful Christmas and may the New Year bring you many blessings. I have already put my bookmark on the bulletin board in front of my desk, and my 2026 desk blotter calendar is ready to go too.
Hats off to Joe, your new little fireplace is absolutely perfect. I understand why you love it so much.
Warm holiday wishes,
Terri
Merry Christmas, Susan! Love me some mantel!!
Merriest Christmas !! One can have joy no matter where one lives whether in the snow or sunshine and can celebrate the joy of the season no matter where we live – I grew up in Eastern New Mexico with little snow and moved to Michigan with a great deal of snow ! I love the holidays – special times ! And your narrow mantel is a great gift to you and such a neat addition to your home!! Bravo! For the design!! The very best solution!! 🎄🎄🎄
Focusing on family and friends is the best way to spend the holidays. Making our own world a place of peace and calm. Love your fireplace,
I’m always smiling when I read Willard because of your energetic love of things wonderful and beautiful that you share with your friends. Thank you for giving me the lift I needed to love what I make in my home and how important it is to share that love. Merry Christmas!!
Dianne
I loved sharing your full moon bookmark with a dear friend every year. She passed away this year, and it is a sweet memory seeing the bookmark again and thinking of her. Thank you! And thank you for the Christmas decorating inspiration. Christmas blessings to you and your family.
I save your posts for a cozy cup of tea!
Joe did a great job on the mantle. It is absolutely gorgeous. Love all the decorations you’ve put out. I enjoyed this month’s Willard very much. Your website is a feast for my visual senses. So creative and stimulating. Merry Christmas to you and Joe. May you receive many unexpected blessings!
You find ways in every Williard that makes me thrilled to be a part of this wonderful group of ladies! I am so happy when I see your name in my email lists. We have had our fill of snow here in Illinois but your Williards brighten my world. Thank You!
You two created a very fine mantle!!!! And I love the California December wildflowers. Your garden and place in the sun look like a piece of heaven!!!
Have a happy, holy, and peaceful Christmas and New Year!!
Joy and Peace,
Denise in Corpus Christi
Love reading your posts! My mom had a mantle made in her house so she could decotoo!❤️
Gosh, I just cannot get into the Christmas spirit this year.
It was always my favorite holiday too.
It can be a very hard time of year, especially when you know others are suffering. It almost seems sacrilegious to be celebrating while others are unable. The only thing I know that helps is cheering up others . . . because we all feel it now. I won’t tell you how to do that, it’s not my place, and you are probably already doing it! But just know, there are people who need you. 💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞
And I was anxiously awaiting your December post!! Love it!!!
Denise in Corpus Christi
It’s such fun reading your Willard’s. When you moved back to AG, I moved back east from Nipomo. To my childhood home in the Carolinas after 60 years. Lots of good little things like you are experiencing.
I just want to throw in that I am READING EVERY ONE OF THESE, and have to say, once more, YOU GIRLS ARE JUST THE BEST!!!♥️♥️♥️❌⭕️ And Phyllis, I’ll just say, welcome home!!!♥️
I have been feeling sad,stressed and very un Christmasy and then I opened your email and was transported by your wonderful ,cheerful and inspirational Willard of the month. I Loved that you are loving books , Having Joe make a fireplace, and bring inspiration back to an old Disney artist that these thing still Matter!
Thank you so much Susan and Joe . Merry Christmas and Happy NewYear! You mean more than you know to many! OX
Merry Christmas Marilyn, lucky Disney artist!!! XOXO
I tried to submit my message and got a duplicate message although I don’t belivce it was sent … will try again:
Dear Susan, oh how I would love any and all of those lovely things you are offering to lucky winners. I already feel like a winner, though. Your WILLARD came just when I needed such company. I’m feeling blue as this is the first Christmas I am navigating without my husband who passed in September. After years of being his sole caregiver, it’s such an abrupt end to what I was so used to. Well meaning people tell me to move on but I don’t know there is “moving on” as it seems like I’m just walking very carefully over fragile ground that is grief that I feel could collapse and swallow me. Yet this has also been a year of great joy as well as great sorrow. I am a GRANDMA! I have a precious almost 10 month old grandson I am absolutely smitten with. My little grandson gives the most heart melting smiles — and also the cold hard death stares like your kitty boy Jack! For reals! Please tell Jack he has a little human dopplehanger in Florida! Thank you for rescuing me today with your most recent delightful Willard. I’m going to read it again and again. It’s truly better than chicken soup. Merry Christmas and thank you again! PS I loved your appreciation of your mirrored wall and your fireplace. My first home in Las Vegas was built in 1973 and had some wonderful features that too many people have “updated”, sadly. One was a conversation pit that was just the coolest thing. The other was two very well placed mirrored walls. One in the dining room and one on the wall of the landing of the stair landing turn. It made the otherwise pretty blah stairway beautiful with a crystal sconce. There were always smudge marks where people would not realize it was a mirror and crash into it. (smile) I love how you appreciate original things in your (double wide) home — the avocado sink — oh my how wonderful no one “updated” it!
OH Sue, I am sorry… how difficult it must be.😢 I do love your avocado-green-sink memories! Yes, I have even learned to love THAT! But I can’t find anything avocado green anymore, so since our broken gas stove is that color, we may be having to do a change over to something else …. but not today, and not tomorrow, so we have time to think about it. Congratulations on your grandson! 10 months is such a wonderful age! So full of exploration! Wishing you every good thing. Proceed at your own speed … you do need some time and deserve to take it. And while doing that, put a few fun things on your calendar so you have something to look forward to! Blessings on you and yours.❌⭕️
you are the best!!
this really made me smile!
common decency and community of like minded souls is a salve to the soul!!
Merry Christmas from Maine!
You helped me through a very difficult time in my life! I could open your books and enjoy memories of another time! Thank you!
A new Williard full of love and stories from the heart shared – Christmas came early! Three cheers for Joe whose talents and skills make your hearts desire a reality. What an awesome mantle with the extra shelf! My husband of 47 years, Duane, has made many of my dreams and hearts desire come true with his talents and skills (Blackberry Cottage – my getaway in our yard and Morning Glory Cottage our home). What a blessing to be so loved. Merry Christmas! Willow and Olive (tuxedo cats), Ace (gray tabby and bother to Willow and Olive) and Lefse (Norwegian Forest cat) say happy holidays to Jack
Thank you, Susan, for another posting just brimming with good cheer. You are a blessing.
Merry Christmas Susan, I love your mirrored wall with your new mantle! Looking forward to all your inspirations for the new year!
When I worry about the state of our world, it helps to think about you and Joe taking care of each other. We’re cold and covered in snow here in Wisconsin, but it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. We have a small fake fireplace with a mantle in our goofy-shaped “family room.” It tickles me to decorate it and sit in it’s warmth and light. I’m easily fooled, lol. Wishing all the best to you and all the Branch Friends❤
😂👏👏👏👏💝
Merry Christmas Susan and Joe!
I love seeing how you’ve transformed and decorated your new home~the mantle is genius!
And that garden chair! I might be tempted too to let it grow ~ the chair becoming a framework for a topiary!
Merry Christmas to you & yours! ♥️🎄♥️
Merry Christmas to you & yours! ♥️🎄♥️
I just wanted to say have a lovely Christmas. You bring so much joy to the world and we all need that right now. My kitty would like to wish Jack a Meowy Christmas! And a Happy New Year to everyone.
Merry Christmas Susan and Joe,
Thank you for making our world a little bit brighter and hopeful with your blog!
Wishing you both the best Christmas ever and Happy New Year ❤️
PS Looking forward to your DIANE KEATON Event next year!
ME TOO!!! It will be sooooo fun!🤣
As I was walking down Higuera Street in downtown SLO, I saw a familiar face. Could it be, yes it was, Susan Branch’s best friend forever, Diana! I had seen her once at a Susan Branch event in Morro Bay. She was as warm, friendly and beautiful as Susan had described her. So happy they live in the same county now. It was such a fun encounter! That afternoon a new Willard arrived. Red letter day for sure!
She TOLD me!!🤣 Look at this crazy world!! How can THAT happen! So fun Carolyn! Good for you for saying hello! 👏👏👏♥️
Simply beautiful
What an honor for you to be asked those delightful questions from the Beatrix Potter blog. They certainly chose the right person when they chose you! I’ve learned so much about Beatrix from you and greatly enjoyed reading about the visit you made to her home and garden. She was a remarkable person, not only for her books and drawings, but also for her love of the land and preserving so many properties by leaving them to the National Trust. What a treasure!
Please tell Joe that he did a wonderful job making the mantle. You’re going to have so much fun with that in every season!
Love your fireplace! I’ve seen some people take old fireplace mantles and turn them into book shelves. Have a wonderful holiday season!
Merry Christmas to you, Joe and sweet Jack. I truly enjoyed your Christmas post. Joe did a fantastic job on the mantel that looks like a real fireplace. It broke up the wall of mirrors perfectly. I’m glad you didn’t just “buy” a mantelpiece, Joe kind of recreated the one you loved on Martha’s Vineyard and it looks perfect. You are going to have so many happy times decorating it for the seasons. I was able to find Beatrix Potter’s Journal on Amazon! They had one and I got it. I have several of her figurines and love her little books. Being English Beatrix is dear to my heart. Congratulations on the article in the Beatrix Potter Blog. You and Beatrice are definitely kindred spirits!! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the drawing. You are so kind. Merry Christmas!
Love the fireplace. And I love your decorations too! Everything is so cheerful and homey!
Just loved seeing your new fireplace, Susan! Coming from a city of 4 seasons, it is amazing to me to see everything so green for your California Christmas. Enjoy and Merry Christmas to you and Joe!
Loved this blog. I too love Beatrix Potter. I was fortunate enough to visit Hill Top while staying in Bowness-on-Windermere. At the movie theater there they were showing Miss Potter. I had seen it at home, but of course went to see it there, too. In a little shop there, I purchased Beatrix Potter’s Journal which I have now gifted to a friend whose dream it is to visit Hill Top (and she will since she is married to an Englishman.) Have as very Merry Christmas and a wonderful & bright New Year full of many more dreams come true!
Hi Susan, I recently moved into a new apartment. Most of my things are in storage, and suddenly, the heat is not working and it’s 30 degrees outside, with an arctic blast expected tomorrow. Maintenance is expected tomorrow to fix the heat. I’m plenty warm, bundled up and under my blankets, reading your perfectly timed Willard! Everything looks so festive and cozy in your home. The mantle is amazing, and your decorating makes it all sparkle! You had the right idea, Christmas in California! These sub-zero, New England, wind chill temps are very over-rated. Do keep us updated on your festivities, and thank you for this wonderful Willard. Wishing you, Joe, & Jack a merry holiday season. Love from, Julie 💖🎄🎅🦌🙂
Oooooo, Julie! I hope the heater man is there while I’m writing this, and fixing you UP!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️
I just want to remind everyone who might want to purchase a calendar to NOT do what I did! I shopped in your little shop on the internet and filled my little basket with all kinds of delightful gifts. I kept thinking my order was taking a looooong time to arrive so I went back to trace my footsteps and realized I never actually bought them.😳 I got distracted by life and when I tried to purchase them on your website, they were sold out!😭 My heart literally felt like a balloon that had just been punctured by a pin. Luckily, Amazon still had calendars so I won’t be fussing at myself daily for a whole year. I appreciate all your hard work and inspiration infused words. If anyone is reading this, a Susan Branch calendar hanging in your kitchen is as precious as breathing, and has not ordered the 2026 version—you really need to hop to it!🥰
Blessings to all!
Merry Christmas to you! It is always so fun to get your new Willard. I love hearing about your California home and all your projects. The fireplace mantle is so perfect.
Dear Susan…..a light in my attic, as my Grammies used to say. Just read your Willard and loved every minute after a long day of sad news. Thanks for this cheerful blog to lift my sagging heart. Best wishes to you and yours this Christmas!
Dear Susan, How I love everything you do! What a talented and lovely person you are, making this world a better place! Love seeing all the improvements you are making to your new digs. I would love to be entered in the drawing for next week.
A very Merry Christmas to you, Joe and Jack!!
I have loved your Willard’s for so many years. I am such a BIG fan, I have told my husband how it would be a dream come true to meet you in person. Your blogs and your books sharing your life with us have been such a JOY to read. Of course, I have treasured all of your books with your beautiful illustrations!
Hello Susan,
Such a delightful newsletter this month.
SO much to be thankful for in this season of Christmas.
Thanks for sharing the fireplace that Joe built, it turned out so well.
Enjoy the festive holiday season, Merry Christmas to you both.
I have loved your Willard’s for so many years. Your blogs and your books sharing your life with us have been such a JOY to read. Of course, I have treasured all of your books with your beautiful illustrations!
I absolutely love your ingenuity. You definitely have the knack for making a house(or double wide) a home! You inspire me to be creative and to look for ways to make my dreams come true on whatever scale I can. Thank you and a Very Merry Christmas to you and Joe!
Merry Christmas Sue and Joe! Thank you for the inspiration!
Love everything Susan Branch… Merry Christmas❤️🎅💚🎄
Susan….thank you for your Holiday Letter! Such a treat to read! Love your holiday decorations and solstice plans! And your give away generosity is so appreciated! Hope to be chosen so I can share with my grandchildren….a perfect way to introduce them to my colorful, fun, and creative artist friend!
Merry Merry,
Claudette
Gray, Maine
I love that you and Joe are enjoying your California home so much and making it exactly how you want it, although I still do miss you being on the Vineyard! Enjoy every minute of the season and thank you for another Willard that is always a gift.
Seems like these sweet missives always arrive at just the right time…today is cold, windy and damp here in Tennessee…a perfect time to read a gentle, lovely story and relax into it…you are an inspiration to help us pay more attention to the beauty in our lives, the homes we’ve created,, and the collected items we cherish….Thank You for slowing things down for a while so we can appreciate the things that really matter, and that we need to have more of…
The fireplace is a perfect addition to your home, and wonderfully decorated! Merry Christmas!!
As I was reading along about Beatrix Potter, I couldn’t believe that I remembered that I had the BP Journal on my bookcase. I was so excited when I bought the book quite a few years ago. Your description about what was on the last page. OMG, I never realized that there was a book hidden. In my copy it was still hidden. What a fantastic surprise for me!! Thank you, Susan for writing about the journal. I shall enjoy reading the journal again sitting under my Christmas decorations🎄. Wishing you and Joe a very Merry Christmas in California. I always love reading all your blogs.🤗🤗
So easy to miss!!🤣 It’s almost invisible and they really don’t advertise that it’s there! LOL, I’m so glad you found it! ❌⭕️❌⭕️
Merry Christmas, Susan and Joe! I’m so happy you’re enjoying being back in our wonderful California, and Joe, I love the mantle you built and Susan your decorations are always an inspiration! Thanks from Santa Barbara! Pam
What an absolutely delightful mantle made by the equally delightful Joe! Thank you for sharing your world with us, dear Susan. Merry Merry to you!
I love hearing about the differences about where you lived and how you live now and the garden, and bringing New England to California , and seeing your home and cat and the downsizing and all your decorating.
Merry Christmas!
The mantle looks great! Very cute and probably makes your home feel more holiday-ish. Love the pictures!
Thank you, Susan. You are a light in this world and we thank you so very much for your wonderful posts. Take good care and know there are a lot of people who are grateful for you…who care about you. Merry Christmas!! 🤗💞🎄
Dear Susan,
I was just thinking it was about time for your Christmas Willard. And, suddenly, there it was! I so look forward to them and find so much inspiration, joy, and hope in them.
When my son was a little one his first dishes were Peter Rabbit and he had a Peter Rabbit snowsuit.
May your Christmas and the coming New Year be filled with many blessings.
Hi Susan!! What a wonderful giveaway. Always nice to catch up. I look forward to the Willards. We are getting a little snow right this minute here in Maryland. Won’t be much though. But enough to be pretty. Have a wonderful holiday!!
Susan, whatever “era” you’re in, you and Joe make your home life beautiful. Thank you for sharing your now California country era, and thanks for the bookmark download 🌺🌴💙🇺🇸
Thank you so much for the reminder to be grateful for what we have and that we really make our OWN magic. Cheers to both of you and I wish you the happiest of holidays!
Jenny
Thank you so much for this much-needed Willard and for the always-loved bookmark
. After much planning and work for the perfect December, life happened and changed everything. We all need that fireplace, don’t we, even if it’s a metaphorical one !
You always inspire and bring hope. I am grateful for that and for you.
Merry Christmas Susan. Joe and Jack! As always I love receiving your Wilbur posts! December in California looks delightful 🌞💮🐇. I am very impressed by the mantle Joe made! Time to hang the stockings 😺🎄❤️! Also, the full moon bookmarks are a tradition here, thank you!!
Lovely 😍 I so enjoy your spirit 🥰
Thank you for your uplifting message, an antidote to an ailing world, to be savored and absorbed. Surprise and joy when Willard pops up in my mail.
Merry Christmas to you! I love how you think of someone like me without a “Joe”!! I love that my hubbie is handy with the checkbook – his favorite “tool”! 😉
I adore the fireplace! Magic lies within us all!
So love your fabulous home in Cali. Love all the of your books, especially about moving your Martha’s Vineyard and was uncertain about your decision to go West again. But, see how you and Joe can make a beautiful home anywhere 💕💕
The mantle adorable. Merry Christmas 🎄🎄🎄🎄
Hello and greetings! Susan, I adore Willard – reading it is a treat. This month especially is sweet because when I was in my early 20’s my BFF and I traveled to Great Britain, riding trains and staying in B&B’s (back then they cost 5 pounds! No joke!) AND we visited Beatrix Potter’s home in the Lake District. Ahhhh, precious memories!
Merry Christmas Susan. Thank you for the wonderful bookmark and inspiring post. Your creativity and inspiration is appreciated. The fireplace looks wonderful.
This is the first thing I read on this cold Nee England December Sunday morning and it just set the tone for what I know will be a wonderful day! Happiest of holidays to you and Joe and the kitties!🎄🎄🎄
The mantle project is amazing, and Joe is a wizard! Enjoy your 40 degree nights as it is 2 degrees here in Ohio! I’d be glad to share our snow with you!!! Merry Christmas from the chilly Midwest!
Merry Christmas to you and Joe! Love the new fireplace! It is perfect.