Hi Girlfriends!  How are you?  I’m fine, still working on our new book, I’m on a roll and so excited about it.  I know I keep saying, ‘SO close,’ and we are, but not quite done. I’m painting page 243 right now; I have up to page 247 laid out and ready to be written in pen and painted, and three more pages to finish writing after that.  Which means the book part of A Fine Romance will be done.  After that, only a few more things: the Index, Table of Contents, Copyright Page, Title page, and the flaps and spine for the cover — the end papers are done.  It sounds like a lot, but compared to where I was when I started, it’s a drop in the bucket! Book writing is funny. You do page one and you think you will never be done; you just plod along.  And one day,if you don’t give up, and that’s a big IF, it’s done! And it seems so strange!  You get to go out and learn how to live real life again!  You also get to do spring cleaning, Which is something I can’t wait to do this year.  I have done nothing to this house all winter, it needs me! It needs my little vases of flowers, and perhaps some new spring sheets, perhaps they will be pink!

I love my dust bunny, especially the pink bow in her hair. ♥ I never get to show her enough!  She has the perfect attitude for spring cleaning, you can tell by her smile.  The reason she’s so happy is because that while she cleans, she listens to this MUSICA and knows all the words to this song. It’s perfect for washing dishes on a spring day with the windows open.  (I know, it’s still too cold for most of us, but I have a case of) 

And a brand new issue of my favorite magazine on the face of the earth showed up in the nick of time.

Here’s an inside page . . . Photographs of photographs usually aren’t that great (not mine anyway) but the general gist, the takeaway that I got was . . .

We should be paying attention to PINK. This issue was so festive and cheerful, it took my fever down a full two degrees so I thought I would give you some of my own brand of pink!

Can you almost smell them? So Pink! It’s my own “Branch-Like Living Magazine.”  Free on your local internet news stand now.♥

What magazine worth its salt wouldn’t have a recipe in it?  So let’s drink to Pink!

Pazzazzy start to the day, keeps us in the . . . OK, I promise not to do that. ♥

Anyone having a birthday this week?  This is for you …♥

Love Pink embroidered vintage dishtowels.  They are so cheerful!

 One of my favorite things, this little child’s cup.  Doesn’t say a thing on the bottom, but it called my name from a shelf in an antique store a long time ago. 

 Last spring, Angelique tulips in my garden. From the Gardening section of our magazine.

And every so often I feel the urge to Paint in Pink too.

As I’m sure you’ve already noticed!

Coconut Cake! I tinted the frosting PINK to make it a Circus Cake with animal cookies and gumdrops.

 Joe and I went to the Gift Show a couple of years ago and because I love Pink, I had to have a photo of this. 

Pink roses in my picket-fence garden, I forget the name of this rose, but I’m pretty sure it’s one of these!

I use seashells to decorate in the Summer . . . I have them everywhere, in the bathroom, on the porch, on the adirondak table out back . . . 

I found this cheery little pillow case with all the tiny French knots at a yard sale!

We used to have this wall-hanging in the Vintage section of our webstore, but I think it belongs to one of you girlfriends now.  I kept a picture because it is so adorable!

 Some of you might know that for a few years I worked for a company designing pajamas.  That was fun!

My garden seems to know the words to the song too, it certainly looks happy!  You should see it now.  Everything full of promise, but that’s all, just a wing and a prayer, waiting for spring!

Homemade applesauce in Johnson Brothers Rose Chintz

A little selection of rose and pink depression glass at a summer dinner-party bar.

 Here we are again, back at the Gift Show in New York, looking at pink ballerina sheets!

 I’m sure this was originally part of a pitcher and washbowl set, but something must have happened to the bowl, because the pitcher was all I found.  Maybe that’s why it was so inexpensive.  I use these pitchers to serve water and ice tea at summer parties (or whenever I need a giant vase).

First sign of spring — quilt-flapping under the maple tree.

A “before” picture of the arbor — Joe rebuilt it and painted it last summer, with climbing Pink New Dawn roses, so romantic.♥ Especially with fireflies and candlelight.

And to carry the theme through, this was my orangie-rosey-pink breakfast this morning!

I guess that’s all for now girls.  Joe just got back from the hardware store and said, “It’s 52 degrees outside! Let’s go for a walk out to the water!”  And I am saying, “YES!”  I hope you all have a wonderful day! ♥ Next time we get together, I’m going to take you to California!  For some fun in the sun!

  And I promise I’ll update the blog more often as soon as I turn the book in. Thank you for being patient — I love reading your comments! ♥ I’m taking a few days off from the book to design next year’s calendars!  So that’s what I’ll be doing when we get home from our walk. I have so many ideas! Can’t wait to start doing it. Everything needs to be turned in and done by April 1, so you can see it won’t be long now! And then I’ll be doing the Happy Dance right out to the garden! Love you!  xoxo