You are probably saying, hey wait, Easter is over! What's wrong with her? Yes it is, and today is the day I'm actually going to change everything on the shelf of my stove ... a little late, but I kind of don't want to; it seems much too short -- and I wanted to at least show it to you before it goes away! We were at my Mom's in California at Easter; we had fun, but I didn't get to "play" with my spring stuff; setting this up was the first thing I did when I got home. Did it before we unpacked. Needed it for the sunshine. Makes me happy every time I make tea. It includes a couple of my birthday presents; from Rachel, the darling Love creamer; and Judy and Kellee (at the studio) made me presents; the fuzzy felted chick in the creamer was from Judy and you can scroll down to see the adorable cat that Kellee made for me.

We had a wonderful trip to California ... now we are back on the island, ready to celebrate our second Spring this season! We've already gone to the nursery and brought home a new Dogwood tree (took a photo of the delivery for the HOME PAGE). I'm very happy about this and go out and stare at it every day. This week has been cold and wet -- never getting much above 50. So with every inkling of spring, we say, 'bring. it. on.' The grass has never been greener; it's the happiest grass in the world.

I have my work cut out for me, but I do a little bit every day. Got the lettuce in. There are sweet pea seeds in the ground. A good start. Smells very wonderful out there, but I do look like something the cat dragged in by the time I get done. It's mud world. The wisteria is just beginning to bloom now.

When we got home, we were still in the afterglow of the Royal Wedding (which we got up at 3 am to watch while in a hotel room in Kansas); so you can imagine --- but probably not quite --- the total thrill it was when we went to the PO and came home with a package from my British girlfriend Siobahn --- and inside was this gold-hand-embroidered-on-linen heart! Hello? I had to share it with you...it's one of only 1500 made. I love embroidery, but I never saw any like that before -- except maybe in a museum. I need some gold thread!

We did a bit of fun antiquing on our trip home, very hard to pass by huge billboards on freeways saying "20,000 square feet, 5 hundred dealers"... here's a photo of some of our treasures. The little Shawnee elephant creamer is a birthday present...I'm having a party for my girlfriend Lowely tonight, and she's getting that. She's an elephant collector, so I hope she likes it. That's what I love about antique stores, things are so special and one-of-a-kind -- I don't have to worry too much that someone will give her the same thing! This morning I made her a COCONUT LAYER CAKE. In one of the antique stores I found 3 graduated-in-size square, funny, old-fashioned cake pans, so I made a sort of mini wedding cake with them. You can see it in all it's "glory" on the HOME PAGE of my website. I also did a little video of it...click here and go to YOUTUBE. I made it with that red and white $13.00 mixmaster you see in the photo of the antiques. Oh yeah....

We are SO close to having the Blog done. Hasn't it taken forever? It would help if we all held still, but we seem to have spring wanderlust; Judy just had a wonderfully successful antique show in California; Kellee is off to Hawaii for a much-deserved vacation, and I just got home and am unpacking. We can't do anything without each other! But anyway, I just turned in the I LOVE ENGLAND section for the Blog (you have been sooooo patient; I think you deserve a preview-- Click on the I love England! -- just for you, darling Willard Girls); Kellee's getting it ready before she goes. We're almost there. You'll know it's a "real" blog when you see that you can read each others COMMENTS and talk to each other -- It'll look a little bit different, but not too much. I've cleared up my studio and now I get to go back to work on my PANCAKES book! I'm longing for the first quiet morning, the first dip of the brush into the paint, the first stroke of color on paper ....

Who don't like it?

We've gotten lots of mail -- people asking about the William and Kate mug. First off, we're sorry -- it was sold out of our studio in about ten seconds -- I hate it when we don't have enough of something and then can't get anymore! -- we should have known -- we thought we'd be able to reorder at least once -- we are trying to see if they have any left, but it's doubtful. If you didn't get one, here's a photo of mine (selfishly, she says), the new King of the China Cabinet.

Emma is like that, they waste no time discontinuing things, some are available less than six months and then, poof! Gone forever. By the time we find out you like them, they're gone and we can't get anymore! I like it in one way, it makes them more special; but I have missed so many. I have two girlfriends who collect Emma too; their collections look so different from mine! We go to each other's houses and lust after the ones they have that we don't! Lately Emma's been celebrating spring! What I like about them is that they fit in so well with my antique dishes.

Girl Kitty missed me! I could actually tell. Normally she is completely blase about me, 'oh who cares, you love me, we all know it' is what it feels like. But not this time. Every time I walk into a room she throws herself down and rolls over for belly petting; if I sit down to read (Oh! My book is good ... it's An American Wife .. have you read it? I'm about half way through...) -- she is on my lap. While I garden she is sniffing the cat mint or rolling in the dirt on the driveway, or watching with interest the chicadees at the birdfeeders; not letting me out of her sight. I hope she stays like that forever. Kellee knew I was missing her when we were in California and gave me this darling felt kitty she made to match my Girl.

Oh my goodness, Joe's just back from the post office and look what he brought me! He dropped it on my desk, and walked out saying over his shoulder, 'the water's almost boiling....' He knows me so well! So if you need me, you know where I'll be! Sending big love and good wishes -- and as sung in Camelot, "It's May, it's May, the Lusty Month of May!" Enjoy! xoxo