OOTD domestic style and some good news.

Is there Glamour in the way that you dress to attend to the everyday domestics?

I do not run around in high heeled pink Marabou mules and a kimono over top of a silk chemise...
while that does sound quite luxe it is far from my reality!

OOTD

Domestics Style

The most important piece is my linen apron

Bon Appetit by Now Designs

(it keeps what I am wearing clean)

White Eddie Bauer shirt

Skinny NYDJ

JCREW Venus Flytrap necklace

slippers

I have been washing windows, clearing the clutter and sorting out some junky drawers.

The laundry is swishing away in the LG machines.

Have I ever mentioned that I LOVE doing laundry?

Ironing used to be a chore until I started ironing by the window

gazing out to the garden beyond 

where I can see the birds and admire the green grass and the flowers.

Some people iron in front of the TV but I never turn the TV on in the daytime.

I do like a great BBC or PBS series 

or something like Last Tango in Halifax or Happy Valley on Netflix 

but that is about all I watch.

The gorgeous Easter bouquet has been front and centre.

I kept it away from the cats when I was not at home as a reader kindly mentioned that the lilies were toxic to cats.

The stamens in the flowers stain anything that they come in contact with so do use caution.

I found this out many years ago and sadly my tablecloth was a goner.

Quite by accident I happened upon these vibrant autumnal leaves 

still clinging to a vine in the blazing afternoon sunshine.

Walking has taken me out of my neighbourhood

finding myself sauntering along the streets of Oak Bay 

gazing at the well tended yards 

looking for some real life garden inspiration.

We have a few beds that need some interesting plants and pots.

The tulips are putting on quite a show this Spring.

Mass planting of bulbs really do have an impact.

The deer have not eaten these...

and this patch is a block from our Humble Bungalow 

where the deer have munched ours down to the soil!

We were informed at the Garden Centre that Deer do not like Hellebores.

We popped this one in a pot out front and we will see if that is true.

There is some encouraging news...

actually it is really really GOOD NEWS!

The predicted 4-5 month long wait for that ultrasound was been reduced to a 3 month wait...

then I thought about it and wondered

why not ask to be put on the list for a priority appointment and take a cancellation.

I am retired and have a flexible schedule 

plus we live close to the office where they do the tests...

and wonders never cease

they called me!

By the end of the week I will have my test and next week I meet with the specialist.

So we are in the queue and will see what is next.

In the book front I finally finished reading The Luminaries.

It took me ages as it was 822 pages and very detailed and had a convoluted storyline.

And now for something completely different!

The Love Market from our wee library box across the street looked interesting...

It is written by an English born author, Carol Mason who now resides in BC.

The book jacket suggests it is chick lit...

will give it a whirl.

Thank you for stopping by, now I must get back to work.

There are some dishes to wash and the laundry needs to go into the dryer.

Cheerio,

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Walks, the kindness of neighbours and more....

The weather has been unsettled this Easter weekend...
we have had sunshine
rains
high winds.

Mr. HB and I were out in the garden doing some light weeding and he mowed the lawn.
I picked some flowers.

Grape hyacinths

We visited the nursery and checked out the new plants.

Have you ever seen a Jack in the Pulpit plant?

The flower is SO unusual!

I love the vibrant shade of this rhododendron.

On Saturday the sun was shining and it was warm so we went for a long walk.

Oodles of people had the very same idea and there were lots of people strolling along the seafront.

Smiles and greetings were the order of the day.

Sunshine has that effect on us after the "rainy daze."

Fairfield still sports a few streets lined with their names in blue tiles. 

This pretty little blue flower caught my eye.

I had to stop and take a picture.

We cut through the Park on the way to our destination....

Beacon Hill Park is a large park in Victoria.

It is located not too far from Our Humble Bungalow.

The petting zoo is very popular with families and was crowded on this sunny afternoon.

There are goats, pigs, donkeys, bunnies, ponies, birds, and many other farm animals.

Gobble Gobble

Turkeys wander freely.

Mr. HB treated me to a soft ice cream cone at The Beacon Drive In.

The line up was long but it moved quite quickly...

we walked back home licking our cones before they melted.

Nom Nom they are SO rich and creamy.

The BEST in Victoria!

One of our elderly neighbours down the street has been in the hospital.

Sadly he has no family.

 While he was hospitalized a young couple who live close by

 have gone in and cleaned and painted his home.

Other neighbours have been involved.

We all have been aware that his situation has deteriorated and we have been concerned.

He has some health issues and suffers from dementia 

the young couple have taken him "under their wing" 

How lovely that this couple is helping him out in a time of need.

I applaud their Kindness and Generosity.

We do not know what kind of care he will need in the future 

but he has been assessed and there will be some changes and supports put in place.

He is certainly happy to be back in his own home.

It was more than obvious as 

he was smiling and laughing when we walked by his house on our way home.

I must get my apron on and cook something to take to him.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Snippets from The Humble Bungalow...

This week has flown by...
we were very busy and it feels like a bit of a blur.

Monday started out with a visit from our darling grand daughter Isla.

We decorated an apron for her to wear.

It fits perfectly!

We ate comforting macaroni and cheese and nibbled on some grapes.

We needed to recharge as there were cupcakes baking in the oven.

Isla was definitely up to the job of decorating...

She got so good at it that she used both her hands at the same time!

Yummy 

We read some books and made some fairy wands.

Our daughter, Isla's mom, brother, and baby sister arrived for a late lunch and a visit.

I went to see my RMT 

she provided me some pain relief and more mobility to my "frozen shoulder." 

We are still not totally sure what the final diagnosis might be...
 I am on a wait list for an ultra sound.

There is a backlog, which I am told is 4-5 months!

 I continue to be proactive and positive while I wait.

Mom, my sister and I walked the Esplanade and had a casual dinner at Mom's condo.

Walks have been sporadic due to winds and pouring rain.

This blue door reminded me of the blue doors and shutters that I saw in France.

It has almost been a year since I ventured off to Paris and Auvillar...

I have so many great memories of a fabulous trip.

Good friends came and stayed with us and we had a great visit.

They brought us a gorgeous bouquet of lilies.

I will take another picture when the buds all are in bloom and share it with you on Instagram.

The sun is shining and we are planning a day of pottering in the garden.

The lawn needs to be mowed, the edges trimmed and a few weeds need to be pulled.

After that I hope we can go to the nursery and peruse the new plants.

The weekend is going to be relatively quiet after such a busy week.

We have a few Easter treats to deliver to the grand children 

darling daughter and I are going to a collectibles show

 some easy meals are planned 

 I hope to find some time to read my book and walk with my husband along the seafront.

Best Wishes for a lovely Easter Weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Seeking sunny thoughts...

The terrible news from Belgium has cast a dark shadow on our world...
more lives have been lost in these attacks.

As horrifying as the news is...
I feel powerless and sad.

My sister called me to tell me a friend of hers has passed away today.
She had been battling cancer, the fight was fast and furious, but very brief.
Several types of cancer had spread and metastasized before her initial diagnosis.
She knew it would eventually take her life...
she leaves behind a husband and adult children and many friends from the local garden community.

I visited her garden at Deep Cove on the water...she and her husband had created a special oasis on the edge of the sea.
Her garden was a place of tranquil beauty.

So lovely to wander along the paths, stopping to smell the flowers, or touch an unusual plant, make notes of the interesting foliage planted together so that each plant took centre stage and stood out.
Martha Stewart once sent a crew to take photographs of their home and garden...I don't think they were ever published in the magazine.

An overblown Parrot tulip sits in a vase in Our Humble Bungalow bathroom...

the tulips are very beautiful and remind me of paintings from the Old World Dutch Masters.

Each tulip is different...just as an artist might paint them.

Mother Nature and her handiwork helps ease the spirit.

Droopy tulips 

can you see the leaves have a few cat bites?

Bowing their heads...

I forgot to pierce the stems just under the tip of each bud to help them keep hydrated and stand up straight.

Their colour is so cheerful...

(leaves with the cat bites!)

The culprit is Chester...

he is the cat that we lovingly refer to as "the troublemaker."

Keeping busy helps helps to soothe the soul...

I made a cheesy frittata for dinner and will serve it with a simple green salad.

Easy Peasy Frittata

6 large eggs whisked

1 chopped red pepper

2 green onions sliced thinly

1 cup of leftover veggies cut into small bite sized pieces

( I used squash)

leftover beef, chicken, salmon or crab cut into small pieces

2 cups grated cheese

salt, pepper, parsley and any other spice you like

(I used 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning)

Pour into an ovenproof casserole or quiche pan.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until set.

Serve with a simple green salad tossed with a vinaigrette.

Bon appetit!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Colour me Coral for Spring...

Coral seems to be "the shade" for Spring.
It keeps popping up on my radar...

Coral, coral and more coral!
Shops showcasing the new season Spring fashion collections and at the cosmetics counters.

Fortunately I can wear coral...
if you cannot there are lots of other ways to add a smidgeon of coral.
Think of all the coral accessories you could wear.

Belts, necklaces, bangles, shoes, hand bags, scarves, and nail polish.

My "colours" are those of Cool Winter. 

"Bittersweet" is the shade of coral suggested for my colouring.

My new London Fog Trench coat in navy with white polka dots.

New Lipstick by L'Oreal in the shade called "Everbloom."

The Dior coral polish is lovely.

The shade is Adventure #551.

The formula is easy to apply and my nails shine with a bright pop of colour.

The young receptionist at my RMT's office complimented on how pretty my nails looked,

 as did the middle aged sales clerk at the pharmacy, 

the lovely woman who owns the consignment shop

and 

the cute teenage clerk at the grocery store Peppers in the Cadboro Bay Village!

It seems to appeal to women of all ages.

Our lovely DIL chose this shade for me 

she packaged up a thoughtful gift pack of nail products for my birthday

which I am enjoying immensely!

There is something so uplifting about buying a new shade of lipstick.

My grandmother said she would do without hose, or new clothes in favour of a new red lipstick.

I now understand what she meant when she told me that many years ago.

~ Cheap and cheerful ~

I wore this to the bridge luncheon and fundraiser at my club.

It was an interesting group of players.

80 keen players mostly women gathered together for a tasty lunch and an afternoon of cards.

I looked around the room and noticed that there were many well turned out ladies.

Most had grey hair, were dressed very smartly and wore statement jewelry.

Bold ethnic and artisan earrings and necklaces that were on the larger scale.

Many women opted for silk scarves tied casually around their necks.

OOTD
Calvin Klein ponte knit pants and a black and white tunic top 

new Pegabo flats

white scarf 

arm full of my silver bangles

dangly quartz earrings that my daughter made for my birthday

London Fog trench coat

Hellebore

Hope that your weekend is full of fun and laughter.

Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Mother Daughter getaway...new clothes for Spring and summer.

Last weekend our darling daughter accompanied me on a trip to Vancouver.
The focus of the trip was to shop.
And shop we did!

The first day we walked and shopped for 5 hours and the second for 6...a marathon of walking and shopping yielded quite a few bags full.

I love these shoes.

Ferragamo Varina flats...

IF I were to plunk down the cash I would insist on a pair in red.

They are quite pricey at $625 but they are beautifully made and so classic, perhaps iconic.

A gal can dream....

Aritzia is a favourite shop of darling daughter...

we have one here in Victoria

the Robson shop has three storefronts and loads of stock.

We perused the shop both days as it was on the same street as our Hotel.

Milestones restaurant was the perfect casual spot to stop for dinner.

Lots of variety and healthy options for dinner.

OOTD

Calvin Klein ponte knit pants

Style & Co. black top

Clarks boots

Burberry print infinity scarf

(My hair is a mess as we got caught in a torrential downpour!)

H&M navy and white striped top

London Fog navy and white polka dot trench coat.

White NYDJ jeans

Black flats by Pegabo with gold accents on the heels

H&M striped top

We sipped Perrier and munched on popcorn while we watched the award winning movie Brooklyn.

(I highly recommend it)

We also watched the English film Man Up.

(funny and entertaining ~ cute)

There was a gale force windstorm Sunday 

when we left the dock at the ferry terminal the wind was really intense

The crossing across Georgia Strait was lumpy but we made it to the island without incident.

Later that same day there were some ferries that had mishaps...

one bumped into a concrete dock and some sailings were also cancelled.

Are you old enough to remember Lamb Chop and Shari Lewis?

These little lamb chops were for sale in the onboard shop.

Like lamb chop I am embracing a bright paw.

Dior Adventure will do the trick.

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~