Saturday Snippets...

 

~ Autumnal Accents on The Porch ~

The garden centres are a riot of orange...pumpkins galore!

Foraged a few fir cones in the cemetery.

Decorating for the season is mostly from Nature.

Using "real" organic items...they are often free and eventually biodegrade.

Boy do I love going to Homesense.

 Leisurely browsing but don't usually buy a lot of the seasonal items.

I tend to purchase towels, linens, bedding and pillows.

Candles and lotions.

Soaps are my weakness...

fragrant, handmade sold at the Farmer's Market.

These Nude Bar soaps are made on Pender Island and come in a variety of scents...

this one is French Lavender.

~ Pure Bliss ~

This sunset was spectacular...

went for a walk after dinner last week and WOW.

Made pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Followed the recipe on the can of the pumpkin puree.

Our son hosted this year...

I made veggie side dishes and he made Yorkshire Pudding and Roast Beef.

Created a bean salad one afternoon when I realized we had used up all the lettuce.

I sauteed green beans and then plunged them into icy water.

Chopped mushrooms and walnuts.

Made a simple oil and vinegar vinaigrette with some Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste.

Mixed all the ingredients and added some grated Parmesan Cheese.

Made a frittata to go with the salad and it was a very easy dinner

and there were leftovers for lunch the following day.

Have been doing a deep dive into de-cluttering.

Took 2 boxes of stuff to the consignment shop.

I thought maybe I could use the money to buy something we needed...

will see if the items sell first :-))

I've got my eye on a small kitchen island at IKEA.

It would give me extra counter space and storage which seem to be at a premium.

De-cluttering usually involves some rearranging...

like moving this ironstone tray from the coffee table to the kitchen trestle table.

Is this the habit that some call FAFFING?

If so...I FAFFED away an afternoon...

needed to sit for awhile sip a cup of tea and gather up my energy to make dinner!

Who knew FAFFING was so exhausting?

Did I share the thrifted LBD with you?

This darling knit dress skims the body and is heavy enough for Fall and Winter wear.

Have some thrifted black leather boots and a black lacy cardigan...

Black Tights 

A La Mode Consignment 

RED SOCKS

(for the thrifted Sandro black leather loafers)

Socks found at

Oak Bay Pharmasave

You know the weather has cooled off a bit when you put on a wool sweater.

I've got all my warmer clothes out of storage...

the cool cottons and linens are back in the off season closet.

We've had some glorious sunny days but mornings and evenings are cool.

Frost is frequently on the car at dawn.

Our heat pump has been coming on during the night...

Robes and slippers are necessary again.

Seasons definitely dictate what we wear on any given day.

I've been unsubscribing to many companies emails 

as the ads have been far too frequent.

(some are daily)

There seems to be a Push to Purchase 

but seriously 

over consuming seems wasteful.

We don't need to be constantly inundated with ads...

I find it stressful.

How do you react when you see multiple emails and ads in your inbox?

 BUY THIS ~ BUY THAT

JOIN THIS  ~ JOIN THAT

No Thank you!

TRY TO

~ Keep Calm and Carry On ~

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Until next time...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Quiet Home Days ~ Fluffing and Faffing

 

I've got a big mug of Tea...

the candle is lit

and

I am writing a post.

In the past few weeks I have been focused on health.

I've had a cold of sorts...

it started when we returned from our cruise

with a cough and sore throat.

I've had the darn thing for 3 weeks and it is frustrating me.

I've been taking care of myself...

getting lots of rest

drinking fluids

and 

generally staying home.

I don't really feel bad I just sound stuffed up.

The cough is sporadic...

could it be allergies?

~ Willows Beach ~

 I go out for my walks but I am not in close quarters with people.

This is a great little book...

it is full of good ideas for smaller spaces.

After reading it cover to cover I had a good tidy up.

I took some things that were collecting dust, 

washed them, put some into cupboards and others in different spots.

Nothing like a good home decor book to get me motivated to clean.

 I get carried away and everything looks chaotic before it looks better.

We purchased a new rug for the TV room...to replace the worn out shaggy one.

I was totally embarrassed by the shape of the old one.

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG???

I used up several bottles of cleaners and had to launder ALL my cloths.

I use the Thieves brand cleaner...from Young Living.

Delivered concentrated in a bottle and all you do is add water.

I really like the scent of it.

In the kitchen I swapped out the vintage MCCoy pot 

(utensil holder)

 For a smaller pot 

and 

I donated all the plastic utensils.

Replace a few with silver plated options

 a few beech spoons from France

 via the local shop Surroundings in the Cook Street Village.

I have been meaning to do this for several years...again

WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG????

Tested out Joanna Gaines' After School Banana Bread.

Comforting treat with Tea.

Cleaned and polished my Coach Bags...

they almost look brand new :-))

Dug out the tarnished Sterling Bangles 

from their hide - out in the Blue Velvet Case.

A bit of silver polish was needed and they were glistening like new.

Have been wearing them everyday since...

I don't own a lot of jewellery but what I have all fits in a small drawer.

I seem to go in cycles of what I wear...

I rarely Mix Metals.

GOLD

or

SILVER

or

 PEARLS

I've been wearing a lot of my silk scarves...

they keep my neck warm now that the weather is cooler.

Am knitting this scarf ~ a gift for a friend...

Pattern is on Ravelry

~ Easy Goes It ~

Well that about does it...enough chit chat.

Hope you are well.

I've been neglecting the blog...

I caught up on all the comments earlier today.

Sorry for the delay.

Better Late Than Never.

It's time for me to go for my walk...

My mug of tea is empty 

the clock has just chimed the hour

I can hear the cat snoring on the sofa!

Time flies...

 I'll close this wee post.

Until Next Time

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Food and Fashion ~ Forgotten Post Cruise Post !!

 

~ Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal ~

We opted to stay one night in Vancouver when our cruise was over...

we haven't been to Vancouver for many years.

We chose not to rush back home...

The city is busy and vibrant...

with lots of people walking around downtown

many of them (like us) are tourists.

We think of Vancouver as the "big city."

Lots of shops that Victoria doesn't have...so it's rather fun to browse.

I visited my favourite shop...

Eileen Fisher on South Granville.

When my husband and I were working we used to go to Vancouver regularly...

for weekend getaways.

We'd go to wonderful restaurants and I would usually buy a few things at this location.

I haven't set foot inside EF since before Covid...

so it was a total JOY to actually be inside.

There is something so wonderful 

seeing the clothes in person..feel the fabrics and try on the garments.

The staff are incredibly helpful and very personable.

I tried on (and purchased) this olive green striped top.

Olive Green jacket...also purchased.

On sale at 50% off :-))

I was delighted to see a familiar sign on Robson Street.

BTW their coffee is fabulous!

The last time I was in a Paul Cafe and Bakery was in Paris in 2019.

I don't usually have a treat but the buttery and flaky croissant was too hard to resist!

Later after a walk and a shop

Hubby and I sat out on a patio and had a drink in the sunshine.

We were still technically "on holiday" 

so a glass of beer in the mid-afternoon did not feel amiss.

 

My husband LOVES ramen...

this restaurant was very busy!

We could see it across the street from our hotel.

Obviously quite popular with a long line up,

always a good sign.

We jumped at the chance when there was no line and had a late lunch.

I opted for the "original" small bowl of ramen with mild spice.

Hubby likes his ramen HOTTER so he had the extra spicy version.

SO GOOD!

After a quiet night and a good sleep we packed up the car and headed out.

We drove out to Tsawwassen Mills Mega Mall

located a short distance from The B.C. Ferry Terminal.

Lunch at Milestones was a high protein chicken dish.

(Very tasty)

I'm thinking that my red vintage Coach bag will be a fun pop of colour with the Olive green jacket and striped top.

I might even buy some red socks to wear with the thrifted Sandro loafers.

I'll take my cue from a stuffed Olive :-))

Olives often have red pimentos inside them...

I've been busy decluttering the medicine drawer...

getting rid of outdated over-the-counter medications.

Organizing the contents.

Updating our emergency/Earthquake kit.

Sorting out a few drawers and relocating all my handbags...

they were spilling out of the bedside cupboard.

I have a few (4) vintage Coach bags...

a couple of no name leather bags and a Longchamps Tote.

The black leather Cole Haan backpack is in my bedroom bedside cupboard

 as I swap out my regular handbag for the hands free option 

when we go to Pender and when I go for longer walks.

I need to devote a day to polish all my Coach bags.

They get scuffed with use and they respond very well to Saddle Soap.

I massage the cream into the leather and then let that soak in 

before buffing them with a soft cloth.

Something to add to my rainy day To-Do-List.

The rainy days will be here soon...

those days where I like to stay indoors and cocoon...

make homemade soup, knit and read.

Polish the silver, do some decluttering. 

I have recently discovered Homeworthy England and I love watching the episodes.

What are you up to?

I've got a lot of fresh home grown tomatoes and apples to use. 

I am making applesauce and roasting tomatoes...

I'm going to sign off for now...

until next time.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Alaska Cruise ~ some snapshots and snippets

 

My hair was doing its own thing most of the cruise.

I didn't bring my flat iron and the breezes on the decks 

made any effort to tame my hair go sideways!

I packed very lightly...

glad I packed with versatile layering pieces.

The puffy vest was great as it kept me warm at the Glacier and on shore excursions.

Koningsdam

Holland America Cruise Ship

Very well appointed, cozy room with a verandah.

 Great staff, fun entertainment and overall exceptional service and food.

Beautiful scenery

~ Juneau ~

On the only rainy day

we went to the State museum which was fabulous.

Lots of First Nations Art and Artifacts

and local history displays.

We HAD TO stop at Tracy's Crab Shack.

It did not disappoint.

Sweet and Fresh Crab 10 out of 10

I wore my sleeveless black dress several nights...

the lacy cardigan was a good choice as it kept my arms warm.

Creme Brulee

Lindt Chocolate Mousse atop a wee cake...

YUM

Food in the dining room and onboard in other areas was really delicious.

(I gained 4 pounds on the cruise)

I blame it on dessert...we rarely eat dessert at home.

One of my favourite spots...

overlooking the pool.

~ Skagway Alaska ~

Heritage buildings and a rich gold mining history.

On board "wildlife"

Our favourite night time entertainment was Billboard.

Two incredibly talented young fellows playing two pianos.

Crayton and George were a fun duo...

they engaged the audience and we totally enjoyed their evening sets.

(5 nights we attended)

They played a wide range of hit songs from the 60's to the 90's.

One shelf had books to exchange in the Onboard Library.

Am reading this now...

can't wait to figure out how it ends.

~ Glacier Bay ~

Johns Hopkins Glacier

Stunning Scenery

Floating ice

lots of birds

and

harbour seals.

The weather after the rainy day in Juneau was amazing!

Sunshine, blue skies and so warm.

I purchased a new scent in Vancouver before we boarded the ship.

Have never had any Jo Malone fragrances before and I quite like this light cologne.

Salmon Croquette and greens

Cheese Board

~ Ketchikan ~

We went to The Great Lumberjack Show.

Had another crab feed at Ketchikan Crab and Go.

So tasty...

I didn't buy anything except a deck of cards and a ball cap.

Never had a ball cap before and I always wanted one.

Well we had a GREAT WEEK.

It flew by so fast and we enjoyed the cruise SO MUCH.

I highly recommend Holland America if you plan to go on a cruise.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Until next time...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~