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 ~

Black and White....

Black and White seems to be the colour theme here right now...

OOTD

Hermes scarf

Saint James striped top

Barbour vest

NYDJ boyfriend jeans

Red shoes !

Josef Siebel ballet flats!

New lipstick in a brighter shade...

inpsired by Kathy KSL on Instagram.

(she is the talented artist from whom we purchased our most recent piece of art)

I love it!

Not always easy taking a selfie...

but you get the idea of the new shade of lip colour.

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely and its nearly the weekend.

Do you have something fun planned?

Thank you for popping by my Humble Bungalow Blog...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Fresh from Seattle...

My previous post generated an amazing number of comments and responses.
Thank You!

I had no idea that it would create such a flurry of emails and comments.

Thank you for taking the time to write and for sharing your thoughts...
Just knowing that google was responsible for the sudden drop in followers makes me feel better.

I write the blog as a hobby, not as a job and post only when I feel the desire.

Readers are important...I'd be kidding you if I said it didn't matter.
It is not for the "approval" as one commenter mentioned...
there is comfort knowing that there is an audience of readers out there.

So without further adieu...

Mr. HB and I have been away on a little jaunt to Seattle and we returned last night to our cozy Bungalow, which was well taken care of by our house sitter...who also took great care of our cats.

View from the BC Ferry crossing the Strait of Georgia.

The Clarks are super comfy and we walked a lot!

The new leather cross body bag by Maggie turned out to be a winner.

Not too big and the area at the front has a pocket for my IPhone which is handy for taking pictures!

My carry on bag had plenty of room as I packed light.

I wore my Barbour jacket

NYDJ skinny version

took various Eileen Fisher tops

a dressy pair of ponte knit pants 

my new coral top and sweater.

a warm grey knit pullover

Burberry cashmere scarf

walking shoes by Clarks Artisan 

It was chilly walking around downtown in Seattle and there were rain showers.

I got a chill and so I kept sipping hot beverages.

Turns out the chill was a warning of a cold coming on.

It is the first cold that I have had in over a year!

Pike Place Market is always on our list of spots to visit when we go to Seattle.

The flowers are really beautiful and so reasonably priced...

Love white bouquets with simple greenery.

We had lunch at a French cafe...

the menu was much like those I visited in Paris.

Ham, baguettes and cornichons.

Olives, salads, oysters, terrines, sausages.

We enjoyed a steaming hot bowl of French onion soup.

When we visit Seattle we always stay at The Mayflower Park Hotel.

It is comfortable, the location is close to shopping and situated close to many fabulous restaurants.

Valet parking, an award winning bar ~ Oliver's 

a restaurant  ~ Andaluca 

wonderful ambiance 

comfy beds

lovely decor

prompt room service

fresh flowers

The staff are efficient, polite and friendly.

Old world charm built in 1927...the same year that my Mother was born!

I'll be keeping close to home until I shake this cold.

Will work on a few more snippets from our trip and post them when I get time.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog!

A little bit British...a Hodge Podge post.

The Humble Bungalow has a bit of a British theme going on....

The British are coming...the British are coming...

In the early days of Victoria 

in the era when I grew up

we had a rather English flavour or "flair" if you like..

our historic association to "the crown"

Victoria was known as

"little bit of Old England"

particularly in Oak Bay...

(where I lived and went to school)

it was often referred to as the community behind "The Tweed Curtain."

Think Tweeds, Burberry, Barbour jackets, wellingtons, brollies, twin sets and pearls.

Old money

MG's, Bentley's, and Austins.

Stiff upper lips

Atco mowers, spades, shovels, gardening trugs.

Horticultural Flower Shows

Babies in smocked cotton sets and hand knitted sweaters.

Victoria has long been known as "The City of Gardens"

we have a thriving gardening community and there are many many garden groups and clubs.

Gardeners are a very dedicated lot and work very hard.

Walking around the city you can see their handy work everywhere.

Last week I stopped to take photos of these gorgeous dahlias in a garden on Hollywood Crescent.

My 5K route winds around the waterfront towards Gonzales Beach and then snakes back towards Dallas Road.

I find photo opportunities at every turn....

even weeds can be pretty.

You can't beat Mother Nature for her amazing pops of colour.

The light on the water changes constantly...

The muted colours here remind me of an artist's work...

Toni Onley.

This bench beckons...

if I had a coffee in hand I'd probably sit for a spell and observe the ocean.

There are often sightings of otters, seals and occasionally whales.

I am in awe of Kate Atkinson's writing...

I like her mysteries involving Jackson Brodie.

Mt favourite character is still

Louise Penny's Armand Gamache.

Life has taken on a quiet rhythm since retiring...

I'm still thrilled with this Red Kettle.

A good book, a cup of hot tea and a comfy chair in the afternoon.

long scenic walks

playing with the grand children

cooking

cleaning

gardening

weekly Mah Jongg class

and bridge games.

Mr. HB got his new English Halls greenhouse!

Next Spring there will be tomatoes, basil, cucumbers and possibly melons hanging out in here.

He surprised me with a gift this past weekend...

he came home and said "close your eyes" 

when I opened them he presented me with this beautiful British Racing Green Haws watering can...

it's quite posh.

My favourite Black Toast Patterned Emma Bridgewater Bowl...

came out of the dishwasher with a chip on the rim.

I don't usually use chipped crockery but I cannot bear to throw it away.

because it's Fall and the nights are getting darker and the temperatures are dipping...

I've been lighting candles...

I'm off to exercise my democratic right and heading off to the Polling Station.

If you are in Canada don't forget to get out and cast your ballot.

It's our duty to VOTE!

Thanks for stopping by...

hope you have a fabulous week!