Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Adding a wee bit of polish to my days...

The New Year is here and with it comes the opportunity to make some changes.
What changes might those be?
For starters,
getting back on the Weight Watchers Point Program with continued walks is my top priority.
Over the holidays too many sweets and treats have been savoured and despite the walks I am up a few pounds...it is not the end of the world but I do not want to let it get out of control.
I feel better when my clothes have a little bit of "breathing room!"

But I digress...
this post was titled adding a bit of polish.


 My hands and nails have never been given much thought...
I am a no nonsense kind of gal...and have thought of my hands as tools in the domestic arena.

As a result of neglect and my haphazard way of wearing gloves when I wash dishes and clean house
I have had to invest heavily in hand creams and slather them on throughout the day.
(L'Occitane Shea Butter... and I buy the small size to keep in my handbag and the car)

I have been inspired to make a wee change...
at least for now
while the New Year is fresh and new.
(will see how long it lasts!)

For now I am enjoying taking extra care of my hands and my nails.
My gloves are handy right beside the sink
as a reminder to put them on when I am immersed in domestics, which I am on a daily basis.


Purple Playtex Living Gloves
endorsed by This Hostess.


Workhorses in The Humble Bungalow


Base coat, polish and a top coat are applied so that they last longer and resist chipping.
This OPI shade is called Chocolate Moose...
I love how they choose creative names for their polish.
 I think this is a neutral versatile colour.


Looking for some pretty pink shades in the OPI,  Essie or Butter lines to add to my collection.


Perhaps something soft...and light, maybe in a blush pink.


or a deeper fuchsia like this Camellia.

Blues and greens and blacks are popular 
I am not sure that they are suitable for my 60 year old hands...
 though they are fine on my toes in the summer months.


Speaking of trying new things...
Cheryl, my friend from France, taught me how to make duck confit.
We browned the duck legs in a hot Le Creuset pan and then heated them in the oven.
We de-glazed the pan with a bit of Sancerre and added about a half cup of marmalade and let it simmer and reduced it until it was thick.

The wee potatoes were roasted in a bit of the duck fat in a hot oven until they were golden and softened.
The green beans were steamed until they were almost tender...
(I like a bit of resistance when I bite into a green bean)

~ Dessert ~
tasty lemon tarts from the bakery.

You can see why I am up a few pounds as we enjoyed many rich meals 
while our house guests were here in The Humble Bungalow.
So it is salad daze and healthy eating for the foreseeable future.

If you are looking for some inspiration and a fresh way of starting your New Year


Chat soon
until next time...
~ Be Kind and Take Care ~

23 comments:

Susan B said...

That's really a pretty polish color! I'm also getting "back to business" on WW.

Shortbread and Ginger said...

Those flower photos are stunning!
Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

Anonymous said...

Love the purple gloves
Hilary

Jill said...

OPI and Essie both make great shades in the colors you are thinking of. My favorite OPI right now is 'Mimosas for Mr. & Mrs.', a great pale neutral. You might also like the classic 'Ballet Slippers' from Essie, the palest of pinks. Re black polish, I love it when my mother (in her late 60s) wears black nail polish. I think it makes her look edgy and with it, especially with her black leather jacket! I hope you will try a wild shade from Tom Ford like 'Bitter Bitch' or 'Black Cherry.' They are expensive ($35 a bottle, ouch), but quality polishes! xx

LPC said...

I'm not sure I'm ever going to manage polished fingernails, but I do love your purple gloves:).

marmielu said...

I like that OPI polish color. As I started out my adult life working as a dental assistant, I just never got in the regular habit of painting my nails. I'm also not so good at the do-it-at home manicures. Every now and then at the urging of one of my daughters, I have tried wilder shades on my fingernails, but it doesn't feel like me. My daughters look great with it, though.
Good luch with the new routines. I have some of my own for this year, too.
Mary Lou

Unknown said...

I have resolved to give polish a try this year as well. I love the look of a nice manicure (and yours is lovely), but it seems that when I try it I just end up being startled whenever I catch sight of the little blobs of color at the end of my fingers.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I am impressed with your Mother's energetic and young approach to style!
I did not know that Tom Ford made nail polish...I wonder if it is available here in Victoria. We have a Sephora so I will look...thank you for the suggestions Jill.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

The gloves are great...they last much longer than the cheaper yellow ones that I used to buy...a blog reader who resides part time in the states bought them for me and I picked them up at her home on Salt Spring Island. It was so kind of her to do this for me...I gave her a small gift as a token of my appreciation.
I know what you mean about polished nails but they look so nice when I am playing Mah Jongg and bridge!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Our daughters can still teach us a few tricks...I relied on my daughter a lot for advice on fashion when she lived at home. I miss her expertise. Wild shades might be easier to wear once we get used to the idea of having colour on our nails.
I am getting better at the application of the polish...not perfect though!
Good luck with your new routines...happy new year!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Oh I am glad to hear you say that! I feel a bit like that too but am enjoying the experience and it is something very affordable and new to me so why not change things up a bit? I will draw the line at dying my hair blue or bright orange though!

materfamilias said...

I'm with Lisa -- the chances of my fingernails ever holding a manicure are slim, but I like the look of those gloves!

BeachGypsy said...

That is almost exactly the color i have on my nails right now!

Lorrie said...

Your hands and polished nails look lovely. I'm afraid my hands don't get the attention they need and deserve. Those purple gloves look fun to wear, and would protect well.

Susan said...

Ah, my "Christmas Kilos", I must start the New Year, by getting rid of a few of them!
I'm like you where my hands are concerned, tend to forget about them, but, after seeing how beautiful your nails look, I must try harder.
The meal looks and sounds delicious, and lemon tart, my favourite flavour!
Susan.x

Veronica Roth said...

I know what you mean about nails! I tend not to do polish except for a night out here and there, but mainly because my hands are always in some sort of paint solvent (turpentine usually) while I paint and the whole palaver of a manicure is just not worth it! So while the reality is that I also have to heavily moisturise to keep my hand looking relatively healthy, gloves are not a great option. :(
I'm also into the lose a few pounds stage now after Christmas. But will shortly return to Van and then have to get over jet-lag...etc etc. It might be March before I get my post Christmas act together...lol. Good luck and much success Hostess. I'll be rooting for you.

Karen said...

My nails are terrible I did try and paint them recently for a while. The polish chips so easily even with base and top coats I lose interest quickly. The OPI colours I bought were Worth a Pretty Penny which is similar to the colour you chose. I recently bought Koala Beary a lovely pink shade. One thing I've always done is wear gloves for all my chores. Been keeping up my walking when I can although we are again about to have some extremely hot weather again so that will slow me down. My sister in laws nails are always beautifully manicured and she's 80 does them her self.

Anonymous said...

Do you have a Dollarama in Victoria? They have the most wonderful domestic gloves that have CUFFS so your sleeves don't get splashed. They have them in your favorite green, as well a pink and mauve. Some say "Domestic Diva". They last a few months depending on use, but at the price, who cares?
LmC

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

We do have a Dollarama here in Victoria. I will make the pilgrimage and see what they have in the store. I like perusing the shelves as there are some fun things available there. Great idea LmC

Jennifer said...

I'm inspired to pull my rubber gloves out from under the sink. I agree with you about the blues and greens. Only for my toes! I'm getting serious about my food intake too!

ming said...

I have been wearing rubber gloves for years. Once you get used to them you will find it hard to put your hands in water without them! I even have trouble bathing my grandson!!! Outside - I can't garden without gloves. Like everything - it's a habit. After a month you will be reaching for your gloves without thinking about it.

the gardener's cottage said...

thanks for the mention leslie. i just adore your kitchen sink...well your whole house tbqh. xo

Jen Lawrence said...

That meal sounds terrific. I always chip my nail polish. I love it but it never lasts me more than a day! I should try those gloves.