Family, food, flowers, and a funeral...

It is a busy busy week here in The Humble Bungalow...
lots happening and I took a few moments to put this post together.

We have a guest staying with us this week, the focus has been on food, flowers and a funeral...an elderly relative's life will be celebrated.

I apologize that I have not had time to respond to all your comments and my blog reading has taken a back seat to my real life.

Oh and while all this is going on we have the painters here tarting up this old bungalow.

Peony seen on my walk in our neighbourhood.

Fuchsia blooms on Oak Bay Avenue glimpsed while running errands.

Beautiful Blue Hydrangea flowers 

in a yard on a street near Our Humble Bungalow.

We took our daughter and her fiancee out to dinner at our favourite Italian bistro Zambri's last week and gave them their wedding gifts.

Caesar Salad

Tenderloin and polenta with a gorgonzola sauce.

Gifts for the soon to be newlyweds!

This novel has captured my attention,  it was on the shelf in the wee library across the street.

I have been able to sneak in a few chapters and find this book hard to put down...

We took a ride out to the boat on the weekend and I sat and sipped sparking water and knit a few rows...

My knitting is slow going since I had my frozen shoulder.

I am able to knit for short periods each day and with any luck the poncho will be finished by the time Fall arrives!

~ Peek a Boo ~

Our grandson Henry came over for a few hours of fun and play.

Grammy was happy!

Today

Birthday dinner preparations are underway 

and the guests will arrive later.

All the food is organized and the Lemon Charlotte cake is in the fridge.

I need to set the table and put together a few things but they will not take too long...

This bee was busy working in the Poppy when I looked closely...

and it is time for me to get back to work.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Roses, flowers, books and an OOTD

Jude the Obscure is a stalwart David Austin Rose and is my favourite in
The Humble Bungalow Garden...

You may be bored to tears of seeing snapshots of this rose but I cannot help but share a few more...if you are tired of seeing it you must click away now!

Paired with Lady's Mantle the peachy shade looks gorgeous.

The rose petals are scalloped and the blooms are plump.

The fragrance tends to be on the citrus side and is very heady...

I like them in the main bathroom as the room is small and the rose scent lingers.

The IPhone lens was dirty when I captured this image and it almost looks like a special effect...

Bright Yellow Begonia seen on one of my walks.

Another "special effects" image of one of our David Austin roses.

If you look closely you can see the dewdrops on the petals.

I finished this book and I enjoyed it...a perfect summer read.

I have been sipping homemade lemonade.

It is so easy to make...

In a glass pitcher

 squeeze a couple of fresh lemons ~ approximately 1/2 cup of juice

add a wee bit of sugar  ~ maybe 1/4 cup

and top up with water ~ 2- 3 cups

stir well until the sugar is dissolved.

Add ice to the glass

and

Pop in a lemon wedge.

Enjoy!

I admire Hollyhocks from afar...in other peoples gardens...

I have tried several times to grow them in our garden but they do not like our clay soil.

They are such a classic cottage garden favourite.

These were blooming by the edge of the Esplanade at Willows Beach in Oak Bay.

I was tempted to grab some of the seed pods and try planting them in our garden but I did not want to "steal" them!

Love this deep shade and the ruffly petals...so pretty.

OOTD

(please try to ignore the chicken neck!)

I wore a Betty Barclay striped top with my Hermes scarf...

black "Yoga Style" capris pants

with cross trainer runners.

I find my feet are happiest when I wear supportive athletic shoes...

(I just wish they looked a bit more stylish.)

I met a friend H who also writes a blog (Pondside) for a walk and a coffee...

we ambled through the streets in Oak Bay

we found ourselves at The Demitasse where they sell plants 

(as well as food and beverages)

A fabulous small nursery, probably my favourite.

 They sell many unusual varieties of flowers, trees and plants.

We both purchased a variegated non spreading buff coloured Alstromeria

It was so nice to sit and catch up and chat with H.

She is a knitter like myself

 we are thinking that we may start up a small knitting group.

When I got home twin fawns were running up the street and I took a video 

which I posted on my Instagram page 

oh my they are so adorable...

But where was their mom?

I have a busy agenda for the next few days so I will be away from my blog but you can follow me on Instagram...link on the blog sidebar.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Talking about Lipstick...

After reading Janet's blog about her cleaning up her laundry room by choosing ecological green cleaning products I got to thinking about the products that I use in our bungalow and especially those that I use on my body.

I have edited the cosmetics that I use.

Disposing of those items past their suggested best by dates and I have been researching healthier options.

Jane Iredale is a mineral based cosmetic company that is sold locally in spas.

 Jane's variety of products are available for young and mature skin types. 

 I have been using her mascara and foundation for about 2 years.

 Until recently the lipsticks I used were usually purchased from the local drug store.

I chose the lipsticks based on their moisture delivering properties and the shades that suited my complexion.

The proximity of lipstick on my lips, 

when drinking and eating

made me reconsider my brand of lip products 

and the ingredients used to make them.

I decided that it was high time that I should be more mindful and opt for a safer, healthier choice.

Jane Iredale Mineral Make Up has quite a good reputation.

Many women use and enjoy her products and share reviews online.

Jennifer Connolly from A Well Styled Life has written about Jane's products.

"Just Kissed Lip Plumper "

I am wearing the shade Tokyo which is a great everyday colour.

Mint and ginger are the ingredients that plump up the lips.

Super moisturizing with ingredients Shea butter, sunflower oil and aloe vera.

Pretty packaging

Purchased at a local Spa

$31.50

 More expensive than many drugstore brands

 but not as much as a designer brand.

I also read that Burt's Bees has a new 100% natural lipstick which has been getting lots of press.

Purchased at the pharmacy for $9.99

it is available in 14 shades.

This shade is called "Brimming Berry"

The Burt's Bees website offers this information...

"Features naturally moisturizing ingredients such as Beeswax, Moringa Oil, Raspberry Seed Oil, and Vitamin E"

At this price one could have several tubes.

I like both of these lipsticks...

both feel great on and are loaded with moisture and feel natural.

So here you have a higher priced and a lower priced option...

it's up to you to choose!

I decided to get my salt and pepper hair 

cropped into a short cut on my last appointment.

It is an easy care summer style and one that requires a bit of mousse and can be air dried which is perfect for our holidays aboard our Sea Ray.

Keeping and maintaining things as simple as possible is my goal...

the time saved means more time for leisure pursuits!

I thought you might enjoy seeing our

Rich red David Austin Rose William Shakespeare

I have been busy dead heading this rose and brought a few inside Our Humble Bungalow to add a lovely fragrance to our main bathroom.

Hope you have a great week.

Honey Bee you won the scarf giveaway so please email me with your mailing address and I will pop it in the post!

~Be Well and Be Kind ~ 

We have a winner!

Thank you for stopping by and reading The Humble Bungalow Blog...
the sun is shining on this sunny Sunday.

Happy Father's Day to my husband and son...
and Dad I am remembering you with love and affection today.
XO

The summer daisies are putting on quite the show in my neighbours' garden.

I like to admire them from afar as their scent is not to my liking but I love the simplicity of the flowers, they are just so pretty and cheerful!

I can visualize them in a Bon Maman jam jar 

atop a gingham checked table cloth.

Many of you left comments on the blog about "what makes you feel chic"
Leaving your name and a comment
meant that you could be entered to win the scarf.

I used a simple blue and white bowl...

wrote all the names on pieces of paper.

Chester thought he would "help" me.

The entires are underneath him so I waited until he woke up!

 Then I mixed up the entries and randomly picked a name.

Congratulations Honey Bee !

Please email me bungalowhostess@gmail.com

with your mailing address and I will pop the scarf in the post this week.

Thank you all for your comments on what makes you feel chic.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

My favourite Poppy the Romneya Coulteri...

The Romneya Coulteri poppy is a show stopper.
Its flower reminds me of a Georgia O'Keefe painting.

Crepe like pure white petals with a yellow centre 

which is why some people refer to this as the fried egg plant.

It grows in poor soil and loves a gravel bed...which is where we have planted it in our Humble Bungalow Garden...they do not transplant well, if at all...
I have heard of no one who was able to grow one by digging up a stem or a root division...they are just plain finicky.

Years ago when Royal Roads hosted the annual Garden and Flower Show I ordered one of these "hard to grow" seedlings from The Duncan Specialty Nursery which unfortunately is no longer in business.

It took 3 years to get my plant as they had trouble meeting the demands for this plant. I have seen a few of these plants for sale at The Demitasse in Oak Bay but I think they get snapped up pretty quickly...
so if you are interested you may have to pre-order one from your local nursery or garden centre and be patient and wait.

It has been happily blooming every summer and it asks very little in the way of TLC or ongoing maintenance.

I have never tried to cut one of these delicate flowers for indoors

as I feel that they would wilt almost immediately.

 Beautiful flowers continue to inspire me to be a better gardener,

to experiment with new and different varieties of plants

to rearrange the beds once in awhile 

to keep The Humble Bungalow Garden interesting and exciting.

Gardening is a very rich and rewarding hobby...

one gets fresh air, exercise, and there is an element of creativity involved.

Reading garden books in the off season allows me to plan and dream of the changes that I might consider making in the garden...

as any consummate gardener knows

a garden is NEVER finished!

I like to think of gardening as "painting with flowers and plants."

Do you enjoy pottering about in the garden?

Do you have a favourite flower?

Don't forget to enter the scarf giveaway if you have not yet done so...see the previous post and Good Luck!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Thirty Chic Days by Fiona Ferris and a Hostess Giveaway...

Do you love to wear scarves?
I do...but I opt for lighter weight ones in silk or linen for summer.
They are perfect on a cloudy or rainy day when I step out of the house to run some errands or go for my walk. Scarves so effortlessly add a little splash of colour and dress up the casual outfits that I wear at home or about in our neighbourhood.

I recently picked up a pretty raw silk scarf imported from India at The Bungalow card and gift shop on Estevan Avenue in Oak Bay.

It is a versatile long lightweight raw silk scarf with a fringe at the ends.

Soothing Sea colours for summer

you could tie this around the brim of your sun hat 

or wrap it around your shoulders...

it looks great with denim too.

I finished reading blogger and author Fiona Ferris' new book 

Thirty Chic Days Practical Inspiration For a Beautiful Life.

It is a lovely book chock full of great ideas and simple ways to add luxury to your every day round.

She has written a great guide book for women of all ages...

I picked up a few new tips and you might too.

Thank you again Fiona for sending me your book!

To enter the giveaway please leave me a comment and tell me what makes you feel chic.

The giveaway will close on midnight PST Saturday June 18th.

I will announce the winner on Sunday June 19th.

~ Good Luck ~

Hope that you have a fabulous week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Early Saturday morning...reflecting on the events of the week.

I awoke very early this morning and could not get back to sleep...so I got up.

Weekend mornings I usually stay in bed longer and have a slow start to my day.
The coffee creme tasted so delicious that I savoured a second bowl before sitting down and opening up my lap top.

Have you heard of this award winning olive oil from the Marlborough area of New Zealand?
Lusatori is owned by our daughter's fiancee's family.
When they visited we were given a bottle and it is truly amazing!

I made a quick aioli that Dani BP mentioned in a recent comment on my blog.

I have a great easy sauce that my friend Pat gave me last week too, a fake aioli: 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice, tsp of yogurt and tsp of mayo with fresh herbs thrown in and lots of pepper and a bit of salt, perfect on cold roast chicken and asparagus. Perfect this time of year.

Thank you Dani as it was delicious!

I served it with freshly picked asparagus grown in The Humble Bungalow garden and a store bought roasted chicken and deli salads.

We have been enjoying the Sunshine and Yellow flowers.

Darling daughter wore her citrine and diamond ring when we went out for lunch.

We ate outside in the "secret garden"behind Sally Bun on Fort Street.

They offer healthy food and make fabulous salads.

I am not a huge fan of gnomes but this one was tucked away into the foliage in such a way that it did not scare me!

a bird house in a tree that was inhabited

The canopy of trees makes this spot an intimate place for a quiet respite.

Our hydrangeas are starting to bloom.

The poppies are finished and I am gathering the seed pods to dry until next Spring when I will scatter them about the beds for more plants.

A pale yellow rose whose name remains unknown. 

Something has been munching on the leaves and there appears to be a bit of blackspot on this plant.

Bubble blowing in the garden with our grandson Henry.

Sidewalk Chalk Fun

Henry will be 3 this August.

Isla will be 6 this week...

I marvel at the speed with which time flies.

~ My week was full to the brim ~

several long walks with a friend

some beach time

a wee bit of gardening

the usual domestics

lunches out

time to read my book

play time with our grandson

I played bridge at the club and had fabulous cards

met some new bridge players

celebrated Mother's 89th birthday by taking her out for dinner

and now the weekend is here and we have more fun things planned.

It is time for me to wrap this up and get going with my day.

Hope you have a fantastic fun filled weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~