Friday, February 26, 2016

Getting my Happy On!

Spring has Sprung!


The pretty pink flowers are bursting forth from the trees that line the boulevards and streets of our city.
Their sweet subtle fragrance wafts as one saunters along 
slowly savouring the scent.

This is just another example of "getting my happy on."
I look everyday for something that makes me happy.
I rarely have to look too far...
on dark days I have to invent my own happy.
Those are days when I brew a pot of imported tea in a special cup and saucer
or soak in a tub of scented bath salts.
There are many many ways to make the most of a "not so great" day.


Change is afoot...


I got my hair cropped
it has got to be wash and wear until I can hold a blow dryer again.
There is good news!

                                                            The RMT is a miracle worker!
She worked on my upper back and shoulder for an hour this week.
There was tenderness while she was giving me my treatment and a few hours after but when I woke up the next morning I could move my arm more and I felt less pain.
Hallelujah!


I made an easy dinner that was so tasty I thought you might like to try it...
busy days beg for simple suppers

I boiled up turnips, spuds and carrots until they were soft.
Then mashed them up set aside to keep warm.
In a cast iron fry pan I sauteed onions until they were soft.
Added a bit of butter and popped in some super skinny pork chops.
Cooked until no longer pink and popped in a few tablespoons of Bonne Maman Apricot Jam.
Reduce the heat and let the flavours mingle before serving.

Hope you like the recipe.


I bought a Tribal Turquoise necklace from an Etsy shop.
I had been looking on Pinterest and pinning gorgeous examples and found a smaller scale one which I thought would look pretty peeking out from the collar of my new to me crisp white shirt.
It was sold to me unpolished and I am thinking that it will stay that way.
I also have a soft faded Gap light wash denim jacket which it would pair well with my white jeans for summer.



I prefer authentic jewelry over most costume pieces.
I have a few items that are cheap and cheerful.
One cannot always justify the expense of fine gems.
There are day to day living expenses...
and one does need to be mindful of the budget!

I do love vintage and hand crafted pieces that are interesting, unusual and make a statement.

So that is about all that is new here in The Humble Bungalow.
Thank you for popping by for a wee visit and a catch up.
Have a Fabulous Weekend!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

32 comments:

Susan said...

I absolutely love the necklace--and yes, do NOT polish it. It is vintage and wants to keep its well earned patina. Glad to hear that the massage helped your shoulder.

Anonymous said...

You look fantastic! I prefer natural stones and materials in jewelry also. Semi-precious stones always speak to me more than gems for some reason. Maybe it's the organic rawness of them?

I hope I'm not out of line saying this but you have a nice décolletage. The necklace shows it off. You look great!

Sydney Shop Girl said...

I love your new hair and am glad your shoulder is on the mend.

SSG xxx

Julie said...

Thanks for sharing all the beautiful flowers through several posts. I'm just catching up with my reading after being away.

Great and easy haircut.

Madame LĂ -bas said...

I really love natural stones! Especially if they are not too "styled." I wouldn't polish your necklace at all. It's perfect. It's only February and it seems like April from the photos.
We are lucky! I'm glad that your shoulder is mending. Happy week-end!

KSL said...

I LOVE the necklace - would you mind sharing the Etsy shop where you purchased it?
Your hair looks great too - I go back and forth about cutting mine again or growing it out. Your's looks so fresh that I want to make an appointment for a cut today.

Pondside said...

This is certainly a happy post, Leslie! A little colour, a little bling, a little something yummy and some pretty flowers.....I'd say your weekend is off to a good start.

Leslie K said...

I've been following your blog for several months now and feel it's past time to tell you how much I enjoy it. What compelled me to finally comment, though, is your great haircut. You look fantastic! Love the necklace too.

Jeannine said...

Absolutely love your haircut! Love the necklace as well.

La Vie Quotidienne said...

Your hair looks adorable...very flattering. And the necklace is very pretty.

I love using apricot marmalade with either pork or chicken. I do it much the same way as you but before adding the marmalade I deglaze with white wine. You are right it is tasty and quick to do!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

My daughter agrees with you about maintaining the patina.
Great minds think alike!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you and no you are not out of line...

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you and no you are not out of line...

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you SSG...it is encouraging that massage can make a difference.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I hope you had a lovely holiday...where did you go?

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Madame...have you seen any Mexican jewelry in Oxaca to tempt you?
I have been looking online and there are some amazing artists who work in Mexican silver.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

The vendor has a shop In Vintage Heaven, she is in Pa.
Oh I hope you love the freedom of a cropped cut....you can totally wear it short.
Please post a picture after you have it done!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

It is indeed! There are so many things to be grateful for right now.
Your post ran along the same lines...we must meet up sometime soon!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Welcome Leslie K...we share the same first name!
Happy to hear that you are reading and following along on the blog...look forward to reading more of your comments in the future.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

My husband loves it too! I should have cropped it months ago...it is so easy with the new products that Bumble and Bumble make for curly hair!

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I will try that trick with chicken next...and the wine is a great idea too!

Julie said...

We had ten days in Arizona and area. It's our annual winter break to somewhere in the SW US area. Usually wherever the best flight price takes us. The sunshine is therapeutic and spotting a little desert flower makes my day.

Anonymous said...

Love the hair cut, and love the necklace! It's stunning and looks so pretty with your white blouse. I think,the patina just sets those stones off!
The meal looks delicious. Thank you for sharing,

Andrea

Karen said...

I really love the necklace. The colour is perfect with a white shirt. I have a beautiful turquoise necklace given to me by a friend who bought it in Morocco. Sadly I've hardly worn it as I've been looking to make the perfect white shirt to wear it with . The perfect white fabric is hard to find.
Love your hair cut my hair is the opposite straight.
Really glad that you have found some relief for your shoulder fingers crossed .
The chicken dish looks delicious.

Marilyn said...

Looking great, Leslie. Love the hair and the necklace. Hope the shoulder heals quickly.

Lorrie said...

Your happiness is evident in your words and photo! I'm so glad you are finding relief for your frozen shoulder. The pork chops look delicious, and the necklace is beautiful.

marmielu said...

Glad you've had some improvement on the shoulder! Yay! Your hair looks nice, and that new necklace looks very smart with that white blouse. Enjoy all the Spring newness!
Mary Lou

Anonymous said...

I'm just here for the flowers and scenery... I have had a peek at your Intstagram and have been drooling over your photos. The gardeny, flowery, scenery photos are so clear and gorgeous. Flowers that I would walk straight past... are just beautiful. Thanks. Carol S

babette said...

Love your new necklace! You look beautiful. I've been inspired by your makeup too and have purchased Ruby Woo (bluish red) and Dangerous (orangey red) tube lipsticks from Mac. Excited to try something new. Appreciate your sharing the recipe. I'll be trying soon and will let you know how it turns out for me. Take care, best wishes across the miles. We had a breezy Winnie the Pooh sort of day here, yet forecast is for snow later in the week. What is it, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb...fingers crossed

KSL said...

Mine has been short for over a year. I'm in that deciding to let it grow out stage or now, but seeing yours - making an appointment for a cut. My husband likes it short too!

Jen Lawrence said...

Glad the RMT is working wonders. You have a terrific outlook!

No Sacrifice said...

I'm happy to hear your RMT is helping. Massage therapy was a lifesaver for my frozen shoulder recovery.