Now that I am retired I am quite content wearing comfy clothes and padding about barefoot!
The bar has been set very low as there are only the cats to impress...
Skinny jeans, a simple tee top in white are my "in house uniform."
The linen apron is a necessity as I am a messy messy cook.
Love this one by Now Designs.
The flooring in the kicthen is fir and has been patched and repaired and is cool underfoot.
I have an antique rug on the floor by the farmhouse sink as I spend hours doing the washing up.
I love gazing out the window above the sink...
it makes for a lovely opportunity to contemplate all that is good in life.
Trying out new recipes is great fun.
I do so love to cook for company and Mr. HB.
If I lived alone I think I'd dine on salads and eggs exclusively.
I used the Lemon Souffle recipe from the Best of Bridge.
It requires lots of whisking and stirring and that pairs perfectly with a CBC talk show on the radio to keep me company.
I used the trifle crystal bowl as the yellow lemony concoction is so pretty.
I'll be serving this with some chocolate brownies and fresh raspberries for dessert.
We have a small dinner party planned...
Time to wander about and pick some flowers for the house.
Jude the Obscure, my favourite David Austin rose is putting on a good show and there are many blooms to pick.
I love the chartreuse of the Lady's Mantle with the soft peachy yellow roses.
I usually have fresh flowers in the bathroom.
The cats can be quite pesky when it comes to deconstructing the bouquets.
but they usually avoid those installed in the powder room.
Thank goodness for small mercies.
I picked some fern fronds to pop in this antique claret jug.
No one I know seems to drink claret anymore...
sherry, port and wine seem to be more in favour.
If you look closely at our Humble Bungalow you'll notice that with age comes many imperfections.
Some parts of our home are looking very tired...scratches, dents, and blemishes and I often cringe when I see them but must accept that they are honest reflections of a 100+ year old home.
If I were to gaze at a 100+ old woman would I focus on her lines and wrinkles or would I see the sparkle in her eyes and the determination and sturdiness with which she carries herself despite the passage of time?
I've been toying with the idea of painting these chairs black.
I love black set against greenery and garden plantings.
These chairs are very worn and have quite a few years left in them so I think a coat of paint might be exactly what they need to see them through the next decade should they survive that long.
What colour would you choose to paint them?
Chester is up to his usual tricks...
a box or a bag left unattended quickly becomes a place to hide!
French classes are finished for the summer and I am reconsidering whether I'll be taking them again in the Fall.
I have discovered that there are classes in conversational French specifically for the traveller in Oak Bay.
I might investigate those and see if they are more to my liking as I have found the other classes a bit daunting.
Wore my pearls the other day with my Chanel "wanna be" jacket when I took Mother out last week.
I do dress up to go out and especially when I take Mother out...
I love this vintage pin with a genuine baroque pearl in the center.
It was a gift from my daughter and it seems to go well with this tweedy fabric.
Whenever I wear it I think of her...
Abkhazi Gardens and a vibrant orange azalea,
an image from the archives...
Abraham Darby has me thinking orange thoughts...
Hermes signature shade for their boxes.
Alas it's been too warm to wear my Hermes scarves...
or any scarf for that matter.
It's been too hot for Pepper too and she has a fur coat!
It's certainly gin and tonic weather....
a cool refreshing summer drink will find it's way into my hands later this evening.
after all the domestic chores have been completed...it's thirsty work.
Hostess
35 comments:
That rose - Jude the Obscure - so beautiful!
I like your this and that posts - a little domestic trivia from someone else's house make me look at my own with new eyes. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!
Your David Austin roses are certainly showstoppers...just gorgeous! We had some friends over for dinner last night. It was a simple menu: grilled salmon, boiled baby potatoes and an arugula salad, with fresh cherries for dessert. But it was such a pleasure to sit outside on a warm evening conversing and laughing with friends we hadn't seen in a long time. Our small kitchen is in dire need of some refurbishing. It's daunting, but I think we're getting ready to start planning it.
The kitties are so cute in this hot weather! I love seeing your beautiful roses. What a lovely brooch, too!
My bare feet salute yours! Isn't summer wonderful? And I think I'd paint those chairs a soft, pale, blue:).
Tomorrow is pedicure day. Hurray! I would choose to paint the chairs a shade of slate. I enjoy putting on a tweedy jacket to go out for lunch. It seems that Maman and I are going out to eat a lot. If you are wanting conversational French, why don't you ask a French speaking teacher acquaintance to meet in a café for weekly practise? I am meeting an acquaintance and it is really fun and she is gaining confidence in her spoken French. Your cats always look so playful!
What a wonderful post, I love all of these lovely bits and pieces and wonderful photos.
Speaking of french, I have enjoyed and benefited from Coffee Break French, it is a podcast through Radio Lingua. I download them to my IPod and usually listen to them when I walk. You might want to give it a try, it is free through I Tunes. I think you would enjoy it.
Beautiful photos, beautiful post.
SSG xxx
Absolutely stunning David Austin Roses . . . and they are not alone. Your other flowers, greens, ferns are so lovely . . .
I like your casual day dress and out with mother look too.
I enjoyed this post, very much!
I think the chairs will look awesome black - a great choice. I have a couple of home outfits too, as I live alone a pair of comfy pants, sheepskin slippers and a merino hoodie do me well for the winter, and I feel a bit more dressed up when I go out and put my nice clothes on.
Julie Q
I think those chairs painted black would look sharp and add even more interest to your pretty garden.
I always love to read the bits and pieces of fellow bloggers' lives. We all have so much in common. The chairs would be striking painted black, but would they become too warm to sit in? Bare feet are the rule around here these days, too. I hear we are in for some warmer weather. Those cool drinks will be very welcome.
I think the chairs would be lovely in a Monet blue. Black is pretty but could get hot to sit on.
My home outfit is yoga pants and t. Comfy.
Love your taking Mum out outfit, that is very much Chanel and the flowers are just so happy making.
Thank you Pondside...I often wonder if the mix of activities is just too abstract tangental but you have encouraged me...
Yum your dinner sounds pefect!
Barefoot salute...I love it :-))
I have had French teachers suggest we go out for French only conversation coffees...
it is a great idea. Pedicures are so wonderful, please show us your pretty toes.
Thank you Sheila...is your cat sleeping more in the heat?
I will explore that podcast...thank you.
Ooh sheepskin slippers would be fabulous for winter!
We are painting the lattice under the deck black so if the chairs were in black it would tie it all in...
Congratualtions Great grandma! I have started following your blog...
Like your new faux fur vest and that sultana cake looks perfect for an afternoon tea.
That might be a good point...as we have a deck with comfy furniture we find that we sit up on the porch more than the patio. I'm still trying to decide on their fate!
Greetings Leslie, Love your roses, but I have never seen orange azalea! Spectacular - I must have some. Re the chairs, I echo the vote for soft blue. (true story - coming back from weekend in the "woods" for lack of better word, we passed a lovely old farmhouse with corn field. Where the rows met at the corner were parked a duo of old chairs just like yours, facing the cornfield! If you watch them, they will grow???) Jen in NY
Merci So wonderful to have a snippet of summer during our Kiwi winter
I would paint those chairs that wonderful Cretan Greek blue/green
or should I have written green/blue? Now what should my winter at home uniform be? I'll have to work on that as I feel a bit slummocky in my constant theme of black pants coloured merino and suede walkers - any suggestions appreciated
I think I would paint them lavender! Although black would be lovely.
I would go for a dark charcoal grey/slate colour. They will still fit in with the deck but be a bit softer than a jet black with the greenery. We did ours that colour for the wedding and they really set off the lavenders and apricot/peachy roses as well as the burgundy coloured roses. I did some pottering in the garden yesterday - potted up some violas and pansies, trimmed a few stalky bushes. Amazingly - I still have an odd rose here and there so will delay the yearly pruning until very late this year. I’m no fan of winter so look longingly at your garden in the warm and looking forward to G & T weather down under. Tonkath
Loved walking with you as you shared your thoughts and beautiful pictures. Love the ferns, the roses, the cat's front legs stretched out and all stripe-y. In the summer I like to wear a tank top and a flowy, comfy sundress at home. Bare feet definitely!
I think the chairs would be great in a black, goes so well with your architecture. I have a very similar dessert that I think I'll be making for a small BBQ party this weekend, so refreshing. Love love your orange azaleas.
I vote for a dark green (like old style park benches with wrought iron armrests). Remember those? :-) Emily
I have to say that I would paint them a flame orange (red orange) so they would be cheerful. However, you might look into deck refreshing stains and see if that would work on the wood instead.
How wonderful that you enjoy cooking! I like the way you have put those gorgeous jardinieres to work. I love the weathered look of your garden chairs and would probably just seal them. It's such a pretty place to sit! I admire your personal style. I'm afraid that I have gotten too used to being very casual. I put jewelry on, and then take it off again before heading out the door!
I applaud your striving to attain some degree of "conversational" French. It is now touted that it is much easier to learn a foreign language when we are very young, which pretty much explains my inability to catch on and remember French at my age. Nonetheless, I'm not letting my inability to speak more than just a few French words prevent my return to Paris this fall. Hopefully I won't find myself lost in translation. :-) Pleased to return to reading your blog once again. Being a retired person also, from this blog post it seems we have a lot in common.
I an a newcomer to your blog and truly enjoy it. If those chairs in the garden were mine (!) I would paint them French Blue. Thank you for this lovely blog
Reta Kenter - Columbia, Maryland
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