January ~ Chit Chat Catch Up & Thrifted Wardrobe Basics

 

~ Rose ~

Pope John Paul ll

Blooming in the Humble Bungalow mid January!

There are about a dozen buds ~ the weather is incredibly wet, but temps are mild.

If we get a freeze many many plants will be hit hard and not all will survive...

Fingers crossed that we don't lose many like we did a few years ago.

In my ongoing attempt to avoid carbs...
 I made meatballs in sauce and served them with a green salad.

They were delicious and I didn't miss the pasta.

I've been watching a variety of videos on You Tube about French Fashion...

Turns out that Blazers are a "Thing" and I haven't owned one for decades!

Well, I must confess that the power of persuasion is VERY real

 So I started my search...

In second hand and thrift stores...tried on many different types.

Plaids, tweeds, denim, boiled wool, canvas, knits...

None worked until I went to the Turnabout Luxury Resale store...

I had just finished a Yoga class across the street

spent time chatting and catching up with a former colleague 

and thought I would Pop In.

The blazer is black, was marked down, I tried it on, and that was it...

Reading a lovely book set in Cornwall...

Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase.

Eve wrote The Wilding Sisters which I also have in my TBR pile.

I'm enjoying the story and loving the large manor house and gardens...

can totally visualize the scenery and the dilapidation of the old house.

The author has a way with words, 

so vivid that it makes the reader feel they are right there!

One of the recent rainy afternoons I felt like baking...

I perused some old cookbooks and came across the recipe for Lazy Daisy Cake.

Have you ever made it?

All the ingredients were available in my pantry cupboard and fridge so away we go...

back to the 1970's

It was yummy

(cake = carbs)

I gained 9 ounces over a few days and a couple of pieces...

well in all honesty

it could have been the fact that I haven't walked much due to the rain.

I am trying to walk at the mall out of the weather and the floors are even...

so not many hazards except shopping!!!

Wooly Cozy Green sweater...

thrifted in Sidney

Accessorized with my thrifted vintage brooch.

Found it on Salt Spring Island last year.

Sparkles in the sunshine.

Butler Brand aka Fifth Avenue Collection

~ Bird of Paradise ~

(1988-1992)

The wool sweater is great with my black puffer vest...

wore the wool beret that I found in a James Bay thrift shop.

Surprising how cozy and warm a turtleneck is...have not had one in many years.

Treated myself to Murchie's Mint Tea!

So flavourful...this is how mint tea should taste.

Closing in on the 20 pound mark though which is very encouraging...

but it seems that I may have hit a plateau.

Hubby is working in the lower level of the bungalow...

he's building shelves and cleaning up and finishing his workspace.

There will be a new pantry/storage area for my extra household supplies.

The big bulky packages of toilet paper, paper towels, big sacks of flour

cases of tinned goods which I try to purchase 

when there is a good price at the supermarket.

All will be painted white and there will be some new wood flooring to finish it off.

I'll try to post a picture when it is all finished.

The surgery date is in late February which is not far off!

Any birthday celebrations ( March 3rd) will have to be put on the back burner

as they will only be a couple of days after my procedure.

I've been buying a few things for my post surgery recovery...

2 piece soft and roomy cozy grey top and pants outfit from the Gap

2 sports bras with front zips as it might be awkward to do up my regular bras.

(twisting is to be avoided)

Dressing will be uber casual especially the first week or so...

might just wear my nightie for a few days.

No one will see me except Mr. HB and he's not The Fashion Police!

(I suppose I could wear my pearls as they elevate any outfit)

How is your New Year shaping up?

What's new?

Have you any travel plans?

Started a new course, fitness class, read any great books?

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

New Year ~ Self care and Comfort

 

~ Comfort and Joy ~

We need and crave comfort in these troubled times...

Joy may seem impossible.

Despair might creep in if we give it a wide berth.

I'm not suggesting that you bury your head in the sand...

just seek a balance.

~ It is not selfish to practise self care ~

Creating and embracing JOY in our daily round is important for our well being.

Soothing slow and mindful habits can and need to be cultivated.

With that in mind I am

starting off the New Year with some comforting rituals...

little things that make a difference in my days.

lighting candles

taking tea 

reading inspirational books

wearing soft fabrics that feel like a warm hug

trying out a new shade of lipstick

browsing in a used bookshop 

exploring the neighbourhood ~ slowly walking around

discovering a different park or new garden

visiting an art gallery

shopping for groceries in a different store

tidying up a messy cupboard or drawer

making a new recipe

baking some yummy cookies

(the opportunities are vast!)

I created a cozy corner in my "hobby" room.

Re-reading Simple Abundance and Romancing The Ordinary

by

Sarah Ban Breathnach

Mornings are started with a few pages of each of these lovely books...

they definitely help set a thoughtful and positive tone to my day.

There have been some "new" things too...

besides purging stuff and donating to the charity shops I've browsed a few...

I discovered these Geoc leather boots at a local WIN thrift shop...

What a great pair of boots!

Happy to have found them as they were on my list for at least 2 years.

New palette of matte powder eye shadows...

Marcelle, a Canadian company, make some lovely products.

My former Marcelle palette was a mess...

several of the powders had been all used up

so there was not much point trying to eke out any product.

It was time to buy a replacement :-))

KUR nail veil...

Using these nail enhancers for over 2 years have improved my nails.

My cuticles are in much better shape and my nails are much stronger.

Have you tried the KUR line of nail illuminators?

It's raining cats and dogs here this morning...

will be a day to be indoors

perfect for making a big batch of soup or baking something yummy.

Carbs call to me on these rainy days...

I've been very good at avoiding them as they tend to be my dieting downfall.

The scale is hovering in and around the 15 pounds lost mark...

I'll need to up my activity level or lower my intake.

Slow progress, but it's reduced my hip pain substantially, so I feel very grateful.

How are you starting 2026?

Making any resolutions?

Travel Plans?

Hope you are feeling ready to embrace positive change.

 Perhaps making self care one of your comforting rituals.

~ Take Care ~

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Saturday Snippets ~ December 27th...

Thank you for all your Christmas Greetings :-))

Last post I fell behind responding as

I've been busy with the festive celebrations...

not enough hours in the day to do everything so some things fell by the wayside.

We've never been restrained when it comes to white fairy lights!!

They illuminate our dark bungalow and add warmth and ambiance.

Sabayons, a new store in our downtown opened up just before Christmas.

It is a special place with imported stock mostly from Europe.

It is the second store run by the owners of the Market Garden on Catherine Street.

Which is our "go to" for interesting and different food items.

Displays are exquisite...

The store is full of gorgeous things...who doesn't LOVE a picnic hamper?

Creative paper mache flowers were dotted around the shop.

Choose your own shade of paper and have some creative fun...

Soaps were plentiful and we opted not to buy any this trip.

 Next time...LOOK OUT !

I sniffed all the varieties and can say that I am smitten with their fragrances...

they'll make great gifts and I may need to test out a bunch to decide on the best one.

Eye Candy...

 The attention to detail reminds me of Paris Shops and window displays.

I am already excited to go back.

They are working on the second floor of the store.

This was the floor above the escalator...

the area where we glimpsed

the pianist playing the grand piano!

We purchased:

Raspberry Vinegar

Hot Pepper Jam

Honey Mustard

French Sable Cookies

Scented Candle

We've been using our new crib board and playing 2 games most days...

Hubby wins!

(I enjoy the game so I win too)

Boxing Day table set for our darling daughter and her husband.

On the menu...

Prime Rib of Beef Roast

Yorkshire Pudding

Maple Glazed Carrots

Brussell Sprouts

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

Pavlova

topped with Bonne Maman Lemon Curd

Kiwi and Blueberries

and

Coconut Whipped Cream

I left the coconut whip off the dessert and had everyone top their own slice.

(I tend to go overboard with the whip)

You can see the two aerosol cans in the background.

(Lazy way of serving whipped cream, I know)

Mrs. Claus bought herself a cozy jacket...

I tried on the hooded version with plaid lining but the colour was not that flattering.

Quilted in navy blue...a shocking departure from the usual BLACK!

I need to branch out a bit more...take a risk.

Hope that you enjoyed your festivities and are ready to ring in the New Year.

In other news...

I got my surgery date and await further instructions and appointments.

Hopefully the procedure will go ahead as planned and that the results will be good.

The recovery sounds fairly quick but there are lots of rules, do's and don'ts.

Exercises and physio appointments.

By all accounts, if things go well, 3 months is the "back to normal" goal.

I'll close for now as we have to get ready for tomorrow when we host a games night and dinner here with our son, his girlfriend and the 3 grands.

All The Best To You!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Seasons Greetings !

 

~ Seasons Greetings ~

My Christmas Card to you...

Sending you warm wishes

peaceful thoughts

and

hope that you enjoy a wonderful festive season.

Take some time out to relax and breathe...

count your blessings.

Help someone less fortunate

surprise a busy clerk or a hard worker with a kind comment 

perhaps volunteer to do a shift or donate to the local food bank.

There are so many things that we can do...

and if you find yourself in need I hope that you will be helped.

The reindeer votives are lit and are gathered together in the bowl...

I always think this Tapio Wirkkala Ultima Thule piece

looks like a frozen pond.

The quarter sawn oak arts and crafts shelf unit holds

 our collection of matte green art pottery.

The wee wood tree on top was made by our clever grandson Henry!

Mom's festive silver baubles have found a place to shine.

Fresh mandarin oranges...and my journal.

Writing in a journal is a newish habit after many years of toying with the idea.

It's been helpful to track my weight and write down my thoughts...

The scale has been used more than usual ~ keeping my eyes on the end goal.

I feel much more disciplined and am very happy that I am seeing results.

Losing 14 pounds (as of today) meant my jeans needed to be replaced...

Fortunately I was able to quickly find 2 pairs of jeans...

one is a dark wash wide leg style by Spanx

the other is a straight leg medium wash...(see above)

Shopping is pretty much done, gifts are wrapped, and we're feeling relaxed.

I've been baking fruit loafs, shortbread and mince tarts...

(allowing myself the occasional treat)

The tins are full and gift packages will be given away to family and friends.

We will be celebrating Christmas quietly with our immediate family.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Hope that you have a wonderful Holiday.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

December 6th...Fairy Lights, a Christmas Tree and Fruitcake

 

Are you in Christmas baking mode yet?

I'm not making a ton of sweet things but have a few basic recipes on the go...

I make shortbread and mince tarts.

This year I decided to make a simple fruit loaf and searched on line to find a recipe that was quick, easy and could be made as a single loaf.

I found one on the Lord Byron website...

Holiday Fruitcake 

I brewed up a small pot of strong tea and added all the fruit to steep.

The rest of the ingredients are mixed in and then popped into a prepared loaf pan.

Bake about 55-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly...

I highly recommend this fruitcake!

My candles had melted onto the candle holders

which I cleaned in super hot water in the sink using a soft scrubby.

 Plus I needed to replace the wee ones with new candles.

I love the scent of beeswax as they burn...

and they are a "clean" burning candle.

Honey Candles are a BC company.

Easy to find in the shops and even our grocery store stocks them.

Frequently they go on sale so that's a good time to stock up...

they make great gifts too!

So I have a wee confession...

I absolutely HAD TO BUY new jeans.

My old MNG pair were hanging off me and the butt area was SO BAGGY...

it was terrible...

(I've lost over 12 pounds)

I was on The Avenue mailing Christmas cards...

wearing said baggy jeans under my long puffer vest...

Feeling SHABBY.

Well fitting clothes really DO matter.

I happened to go into Nicholas Randall to look for some gifts.

Spied a pair of jeans made by SPANX :-))

Did you know that SPANX made jeans?

( I didn't!)

They have a smooth waist, back pockets, and wide legs.

Tried them on and Bingo they fit...

smooth around the hips and derriere

wider legs for a bit of fun.

They were not cheap

 but I didn't give that a second thought...

I have one other pair.of jeans...

(they too are baggy)

Will see if I can salvage them by having them altered...

as they were new in the summer.

If not I will consign them...

The fairy lights are glowing...

orchids are in bloom.

Things are looking Festive.

The house is feeling warmer with the lights and the Christmas tree.

I'd say they are positive mood shifters during these cooler grey days of December.

Bought some new walking shoes by Remonte 

(by Rieker)

which will replace my New Balance shoes from 2019.

These are very comfy and have great support.

(on sale for half price)

Darling Daughter found me a pair of Tod's driving Mocs at the thrift shop !!

These are suede so will be dry weather shoes...

Tod's Gommino Penny Bar Driving Shoes  

(NEW price well beyond my budget)

So when Jennifer asked if I would be interested I said SURE!

She's got a great eye for bargains and quality.

My OOTD is uber casual...

LuLuLemon Black Yoga pants

Gap Faded Denim shirt

Cashmere socks

Slippers

I'm

dusting and vacuuming

knitting and reading

and

making soothing chicken vegetable soup.

You can see the melted wax on these candle holders here...

my current murder mystery book

by Caroline Graham

Chief Inspector Barnaby of Midsomer Murder Fame.

Love a good murder mystery book...

If you celebrate the Festive Season...

Are you getting ready for Christmas?

Do you send cards?

Have you started decorating?

Shopping?

Making Gifts?

What recipes are you planning to make?

We will have a fairly quiet time here in The Humble Bungalow this year...

I'm not planning much entertaining as my hips are not great.

I have good days and bad days.

I am still coming to terms with this...

I do accomplish stuff but need to take breaks in between tasks.

It is all completely new and I am figuring out as I go...

Any how...

Hope that you are doing well and enjoying the start to the festive season.

Merry Christmas

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~