Shopping local and thinking ahead...

I was at the local deli stocking up on Mr. HB's marmalade when...
perusing the shelves which were heavily laden with food and wares for the upcoming festive season...
and I paused for a moment and realized that it's only a few weeks away.

I used to make homemade marmalade 

from a Martha Stewart recipe which calls for a cup of scotch in the ingredients!

I would make a batch every season...

until we just happened upon this one in the deli

Busha Browne's 

from Jamaica

now the Bungalow Gold standard.

I spied some pretty serving dishes...
and I have only platters in white so I was thinking that these would come in handy
for antipasto, dips, tapenaude, olives...you name it!

The wee spoon came with them.

a wee depression in each side 

to accommodate the spoon when at rest

I bought two.

I have started some Christmas shopping.

I purchased the Christmas cards

and several small gifts.

I like to patronize the small specialty shops as we are a small town.

 Keeping the money local helps our economy and benefits our community.

I'd love to go to a Williams Sonoma or a Pottery Barn

but that requires travel and at this time of year I prefer to stay close to home.

We do not have many on our gift list 

so stress is kept to a minimum

and I prefer it that way.

Soon I'll be baking a few fruit cakes 

a batch or two of scottish shortbread 

and my Mother's rum ball recipe.

But like the shops I am getting too far ahead...

I am a big kid at heart!

Have you started thinking about your plans for the festive season?

OOTD and flowers!

The wind was wild and the temperature cold...
under my down puffer coat I wore some warm Hue tights
(not fish nets today warmer thicker ones in charcoal.)

My walk was a blustery one and I test drove the new hood that's attached to my coat...
it kept me cozy.

A tunic top, which on my short frame is a dress length,
pearls and my "wanna be" cowboy boots.

I layered on a cashmere Burberry scarf...

to keep my neck warm.

this fringed scarf 

which has been a loyal servant for the past 3 years

has some tan pink and cream with a soft smattering of blue

I'd love one in black and white!

This image makes it hard to discern what is boot and what are tights

maybe when we get the basement reno done 

I'll install a full length mirror in the laundry room 

or inside a closet on the back of a door 

and I'll be better at snapping shots!

zippered pockets

which I'll keep zipped up for a flat line

Short arms mean longer sleeves!

I pushed these up a bit and they looked better.

Very special visitors brought me an unexpected and cheery bouquet.

I was told that they were picked out by none other than the lovely Miss Isla!

Isn't she clever?

We had a fun visit 

with tea for her mom and me

and toys and snacks

for Isla.

Snug inside listening to the howling wind outside and the furnace chugging along at full tilt.

There's supposed to be snow by the end of the week....

BRRR!

I am behind in my emails and blog reading so I am off to see what I have missed...

BTW the Fashion Police were on duty on my last post.

I hope that if that particular Lt. B.S.A. is still on duty that he or she pay me another visit...

if there is a blog attached to The 5th  Precinct I'd love a link to it!

Keep Warm!

“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things... I play with leaves. 

I skip down the street and run against the wind.”

 Leo F. Buscaglia 

I wore some fish net stockings...a term more commonly used circa 1967

Fish nets, window panes, mesh nets...
we wore them in the mid 60's and boy did we think we were the bee's knees.
(do bees even have knees? they are so full of pollen one does wonder)
Well they're BACK...
but are they meant only for the young?

I think quite possibly I am too old to get away with wearing them nowadays
but age has rarely factored into my decisions before...perhaps I am on the cusp of tarty.

I'd rather be slightly tarty than totally frumpy.

I've chosen my old leather boots from several seasons ago to pair with these...
not so much mesh is visible...

My skirt is just a tinge below the knee.

Black ponte knit

forgiving when stretching and bending

and the knit keeps it's shape so there are no pouchy baggy bits like those knits of olde.

(do you remember crimpolene?)

Where are the fashion police and what would they say?

I am taking a stand on my right to wear fish nets.

A splash of colour

not so rebellious 

just because.

my favourite colour is

green

What are you wearing that might be pushing the fashion envelope?

Do you yearn to be younger and express it in your fashion choices?

What would you definitely not be caught dead in?

(fish nets perhaps?)

Luxe Votives...and a new pillow

Life is ticking along here in The Humble Bungalow, nothing too outstanding just a regular rhythm.

I don't know about your taste when it comes to fragrant votives but mine run along the lines of healthy waxes and lead free wicks. Once those two things are satisfactory then I'll choose a wonderful scent.

The latest votive to make an entrance here is made by the Upper Canada Company. They are well known in these parts for their soaps and lotions.
Buying Canadian products is good for the economy=guilt free spending!

The Wild Mint Lime combination is not too sweet or too floral

it has a nice blend of citrus and I love it in my kitchen.

It looks good with the newest linen pillow

look at that crewel embroidery

I am pretty sure that the embroidery was done by a machine 

because the pillow was not that expensive.

My love affair with beeswax continues and will never wane.

The greens are spot on for colour.

Researching Votives online 

was an eye opener

 what a wide range of varieties, scents and costs!

Jo Malone, Archipelago, Votivo, and Diptyque 

are a few that I perused

 I had a wee shock when I saw some of the prices.

This Canadian candle was $20 and has a burning estimate of 65 hours.

When it's finished I'll pop the container in the freezer for a bit and it makes it easy to remove the last of the wax

then I'll repurpose the glass for another use...

at the moment I am thinking Q-Tips in the bathroom!

Do you buy luxe candles ?

What are your favourite brands and fragrances?

Pepper takes the stage...

By request Pepper will be making an appearance.
She has been pretty lazy sleeping on soft duvet covered beds both upstairs and downstairs in the guest bedroom.

I coaxed her to wake up with some cat treats and got the camera out and snapped her picture.
For every picture that you see here there were about 10 more of each pose and most were blurred as she doesn't hold a pose for long.

Here she is perched up on the granite counter by the stove

looking rather nonchalant.

Pepper is royalty here in The Humble Bungalow.

Do you think she has any idea of her power?

I wonder what she's thinking...

"here she goes again with that crazy camera"...

This look is not for the camera

it was the birds outside that caught her attention!

When she was first here in our home she refused to have her claws clipped.

Snarling, biting, wriggling out of the towel, scratching and hissing at us.

I worried that we'd lose an eye!

We ended up taking her to the vet so that the technician and the vet together could do the job.

I took her for many monthly visits before deciding to train her to allow me to do the job.

I gave her a treat then cut the claws on one paw,

another treat and another paw,

same again twice more and we're finished.

Pepper does love her food

and she loves to chase her catnip mice.

She chirrups when she's happy and it's the sweetest sound ever!

She does not like water unless it is fresh from the tap...

"She who must be obeyed."

Pepper often sleeps on top of the duvet of our bed with us asleep underneath.

Part Bengal, part Egyptian Mau, part Alley cat she does not like to be left alone.

She follows me around the house when I clean or water the plants.

If I am sitting at the computer, more often than not, she is snuggled up right beside me keeping me warm.

Pepper is cheeky and sneaky and does rule the roost.

(can you tell?)

She has taken to jumping way up to the top of the cabinets

 snoozing and surveying what goes on below.

What a spoiled Puss!

I have toyed with the idea of getting another cat to keep her company...

but I have a sneaky feeling that she might not like sharing us with another feline.

It's been a cold and stormy day

 there's a sweet geranium blooming on the windowsill

cheering up the grey gloom that lies beyond the pane.

If the sun is not shining 

I find my own way to add cheer to the day

and that usual means having some fresh flowers close by.

What makes your life a little sunnier?

Dinner is cooking in the oven, 

Pepper's asleep, 

The Vancouver Canucks are on the TV and Mr. HB is happy.

What's not to love?

Sending you roses with thanks and walking the path of my youth...

Thank you all for your comments on my last post.
I am overwhelmed by the out pouring of kindness.
I am humbled and grateful...
so I am sending these roses to all of you.

I drove to go for my walk, it sounds crazy but it's true.
I drove a few miles over to the neighbourhood where I grew up and walked a familiar route.

It's very picturesque although it was a very grey day. It was not windy or cold just calm and dullish.
Just perfect for walking and there were not that many people out and about so I had the place mostly to myself.

someone had left this little floral arrangement on the ledge

a little too much signage

or is it just me?

I spent many sunny summer days sunbathing on this beach when I was a teen.

We would bring our transistor radios

baby oil, snacks and towels and spend the afternoons 

lazying about in our bikinis.

There was a canteen that sold french fries, hot dogs, ice cream, candy and pop.

If I had some money left that I had not spent on buying new clothes

I would usually spend it here.

Walking here stirs up many memories from long ago.

This is a sight that you don't see much anymore

what with cell phones being part of our everyday life.

There used to be phone booths on many corners 

now there are only a handful of pay phones left.

I wonder if this one even works.

When I was a teenager I used to use pay phones to call my friends 

as my parents would limit my talk time to 3 minutes

we had this kitschy egg timer with a chicken on it that sat beside the telephone

and often I would turn it back over to allow more sand to flow through and hope that my parents had not noticed that I was talking longer than it took to cook an egg!

If my sister saw me she'd scream "I'm telling" and that would be the end of that!

When I get on the phone with my BFF we can still easily talk for an hour 

and we might have seen each other yesterday.

And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

Confucius

Sharing and airing of thoughts and an emailer who doesn't really like my blog.

Blogging is a great source of enjoyment for me. It is a hobby and something that has given me the opportunity to work on my writing and photography skills. My spelling has improved and my vocabulary is steadily increasing.

Blog topics are all over the map and from day to day I never really know what is going to get written and published until I sit at the computer and let the creative juices flow.

There are certain things that I do not write about because they are too personal. A girl doesn't like to tell all her secrets, after all an aura of mystery must be maintained to a certain degree.

My family rarely appear here on the Humble Bungalow Blog.

I prefer to keep some things private.

I share so much here and often wonder if I say too much.

My life is not one of glamour and non stop parties.

I am rather a simple woman with a few interests and a small circle of fabulous long time friends.

We get together for coffee, lunches and dinners both out and at home.

I'd be very lonely if I didn't have friends.

They are a treat and a treasure.

There are many happy hours to pursue hobbies, 

go for walks, 

read 

and plenty of healthy distractions 

from the domestic duties which are ongoing here in the Bungalow.

I like regularity and rhythm 

I am a creature of habit.

I love things here to be organized and tidy.

I could never be happy living in a chaotic mess.

It would be too stressful for me.

I only have one junk drawer and it is neat and tidy!

I like predictability

and 

do not like to be "rushed."

I like to keep moving and have purpose.

I do not over think things.

My expectations are low

and I am overjoyed when something wonderful occurs.

I am easily satisfied.

Travel is not high on my priority list

as I delight in exploring what is very near to my own back yard.

I am on a first name basis with most of the shop keepers whose businesses I patronize on a regular basis.

I do like to chat and exchange pleasantries with them.

I feel that this relationship goes beyond the usual exchange of goods and money.

I dislike rudeness in any form.

I seldom use a curse word as I believe there are many wonderful adverbs and adjectives that can be found to describe any situation.

I can keep a secret and am very trustworthy.

I do not like gossip and find it in extremely bad taste when someone tries to get me to say something negative or unflattering about someone.

I stay true and positive.

Road rage is not on my radar.

I try to be a Zen driver.

I narrowly missed getting hit this week by a driver who ran through a stop sign.

I blew my horn out of shock and disbelief 

and to try to alert the person in the vehicle that they had made a serious mistake.

My car stopped within 6 inches of their speeding car and I thought for sure we would collide.

It really is a miracle that my reactions were so fast and my brakes were so efficient.

Normally I do not use my horn.

In this case I think it was justified.

It's sound even startled me.

I am a list maker

groceries

things that need to be done

birthdays

menu planning

chores

goals

I am sure that I can come up with some more tidbits of information 

 but that's about it for now.

“If you must speak ill of another, do not speak it, write it in the sand near the water's edge''”

 Napoleon Hill 

I get a fair number of emails...

most of which are friendly. 

Many want to share with me their own bungalow images and I feel a wonderful cross border connection

with other owners who are passionately restoring their homes.

Some want to know where they can buy some of the clothes that I have bought and I am more than happy to guide them in that direction.

Others just want to say how much they enjoy reading about the simple life that we live here in our humble home.

I have had some emails from a blog commenter who did not want to go public and leave a comment.

But chose to write in depth about all that was wrong on the blog

from the layout to the content...

The emailer critiqued The Humble Bungalow Blog 

in a very blunt way with a rather harsh tone which bordered on rude.

Blogging does open one up as a target for malcontents.

Perhaps this person is unhappy with her life

or is suffering from an illness 

maybe venting makes her feel better.

I hope that I have helped some one feel better,

as it is my aim to have an open door policy

welcoming all to The Humble Bungalow.

Next time I hope that she will go public and share her words with all of us in this community

and please do not mince words

I'd like everyone to share and comment on my blog.

Bulking up and the battle of the bulge...

I have weighed in and the numbers are going down...
ever so slowly but the good news is that 6 pounds have been shed.

I am feeling much better wearing pants. I now have what I can only all breathing room!
The doughy muffin top is looking much firmer and that dreaded back fat is disappearing.

So why would I want to dress like the Goodyear Blimp?

I'll tell you why...

I do not do cold, chilly, or freezing at all well. I love to be warm and cozy. Perhaps that explains my love for all things cashmere and why I am usually wearing some kind of scarf around my neck.

I needed to buy a coat as my car and seat heaters used to keep me warm!

Walking has it's benefits but it does expose one to the elements of nature, and she can be quite cool and frosty.

I bought this coat online from Land's End. It has some great features like the fleece lined pockets, a two way zipper, faux fur on the hood and down fill throughout. If you live in a climate such as we have here in the Pacific Northwest you might consider buying one of these...as an advocate of warmth and comfort while facing those inevitable dips in the Celsius this one get's my seal of approval and it comes in a variety of colours.

You can see it here.
I have linked to the Canadian site so if you are not in Canada go to Land's End.com.

My feet get cold too so I purchased some chill chasing sox and tights...

Alfred Sung

tunic top / dress

in a butterscotch shade

quite the departure from my usual palette

cheap as chips

washable

warm

will be worn with tights

and boots.

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:  it is the time for home.  

~ Edith Sitwell

Sarah over at My Yellow House warmed my heart with her recent post.

Go over and visit

she has such a way with words.

as you gather round the hearth

snug and safe

enjoy the warmth and be grateful

for what you have.

Remembrance Day is this Friday 

I hope that you will pause and give thanks,

many people gave their lives in hope that we could live our lives without fear 

in freedom.