Decorating ~ free, thrift shop finds and some luxurious habits.

I love using "found" or foraged things from Nature in our home and cottage decor.

Thrift shop finds also factor in when it comes to things I have added to our bungalow...often they are unusual or somewhat quirky.

I have also been known to pull the car over when I see a free pile on the boulevard.

I am not particularly talented when it comes to interior decorating.

 But I do know what styles I do like and what I feel comfortable adding to our surroundings here in The Humble Bungalow.

Sea shells in a vintage canning jar.

Big barnacle

Chunk of coral

Glass Fish floats

Large Shell

Coral and shells mixed together.

a vintage flag

vintage enamel ware

I love using basic whites...

so versatile 

vases, trays and dishes.

White vintage Ironstone

Potted orchids

Emma Bridgewater tray...I also use her bowls for my morning cafe creme

White beach glass in a Ball sealer jar.

Emma Bridgewater Black Toast Pattern

Fresh flowers in an icy modernist vase.

Simple beach stones inside a bowl to keep the soap dry.

Vintage ironstone soap dish with built in ribbing for drainage.

Lovely soap...a weakness of mine is to buy quality french scented soaps.

Silver accents are peppered throughout the house.

My all time favourite candles...a splurge I know but so worth it.

First Nations baskets.

I love this book

by Tricia Foley 

Her simple style inspires me and I like to pick this book up from time to time and get re-energized about culling and curating what we have in our home.

 Tricia's ideas help inspire me when I am out perusing the thrift shops.

I tend to look closer at the "qualities" or the "bones" of a piece and am able to evaluate whether it is something that could add interest in our home.

Do you have a certain style when it comes to your home decor?

Have you ever hired a professional interior decorator?

What style do you admire?

Hope you have a lovely weekend...

the sun is shining here this morning and the day is going to be hot!

I plan to mix up a batch of lemonade and keep hydrated.

Bits and Bobs today on the Blog...

A small bronze Eiffel Tower sits on the shelf above our Shaw farmhouse sink.

I look up when I wash and scrub dishes and pots and I ponder my trip to Paris

and the south of France

it feels like yesterday in so many ways...

I recently received a lovely diamond eternity band from my husband and I do not want it to get caked with soap so I took it off while doing dishes and popped it atop the bronze Eiffel Tower.

(thank you darling!)

We keep our humble bungalow decor in the arts and crafts style...

not very many "modern accents" dip their toes in our heritage listed home.

That might surprise many of you but we try to be purists.

Cookbooks take up an entire shelf in our kitchen.

I will put Ina Gartens' newest cookbook Cooking for Jeffrey

on my Christmas Wish List.

The kitchen table is a quarter sawn oak mission arts and crafts trestle table

distressed by over 100 years of wear.

This is

where I sit and blog...

a Diptyque candle

adds to the ambiance.

(Mr. HB is watching the hockey game)

I enjoy cooking and feel very content in the kitchen.

I made a delicious Caesar Salad tonight...

if you want a seriously garlicky dressing this is the one for you!

I have several Caesar salad recipes and have shared them over the years.

If you want to see any of the recipes on my blog just scroll down on the right of my sidebar until you find the labels and click on the title recipes...

Caesar Salad Dressing

Place all the following ingredients in a blender

1 egg

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

 1/4 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

blend

then with the machine running add slowly

 in a continuous stream

3/4 cup good quality olive oil

arrange washed and dried romaine lettuce on a tray 

(or in a deep bowl)

sprinkle 

bacon or anchovies over top

add

croutons 

(if desired)

I like to plan dinner early in the day so that I can walk to the market and buy what I need.

Pacing myself is much easier now in retirement than when I was working.

Its one of the best perks of retirement.

Time to accomplish things at a slower pace.

I write what we eat for dinner in my day timer so that I can easily see what I have made and I try to rotate the menu so that we get a variety.

Browsing in my cookbooks 

helps to inspire me to be creative and try something new and different.

Increasing my repertoire is always an adventure and not every new recipe is a winner... but I never give up on trying to find new and tasty dishes.

Mr. HB is planning to try a new recipe this weekend.

He seems to be enthused about cooking after his successful Saturday fare last weekend.

I feel so fortunate that he is getting his "chef hat" on.

Finnish mid century "FINEL" mushroom bowl

one of the few "interlopers" in our humble bungalow.

Have you got some fun planned for your weekend ?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Getting My Happy On...

Have you heard the news?
The Royals are coming to visit Victoria.

Yes indeed, they will be staying at Government House just a quick 15 minute walk from our Humble Bungalow...
It is exciting and I hope that we might catch a glimpse of the young family...
Justin Trudeau will be in town too...the city is all a flutter.

OOTD...
Hermes scarf
Betty Barclay striped top
White NYDJ
Black Sam Edelman ballet flats

Leather moto jacket

vintage Italian leather bag

red lipstick Maybelline #547

(purchased at Monoprix Paris in the 6th eme)

I met up with a long time friend for lunch and we sat outside on the patio at the Inn overlooking beautiful Brentwood Bay.

Being a bit of a rebel I broke the rule about wearing white after Labour Day...
Coincidentally my friend B, who recently returned from Paris, was wearing white pants and a striped top as well!
We had lots of catching up and our Paris trip highlights were shared.

This week I treated myself to a relaxing facial at The Silk Road Spa

its been quite awhile since my last Spa visit and I really enjoyed the pampering.

 I wandered around China Town exploring the wee shops

the sunshine and hot tea were just what I craved...

Hooray It is apple harvest time!

 we have been enjoying a few of our crisp and crunchy apples...

Liberty and Chehalis are both relatively young dwarf trees in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

I unwrapped a Diptyque candle,

our Fall and Winter favourite fragrance

ready to light and enjoy on these cooler evenings.

A good book, a candle...

life's little luxuries.

I wonder if we are in for a cold winter as the rose hips are huge and plentiful...

does anyone make rose hip jelly anymore?

Black and white make up the bulk of my wardrobe...

I never seem to tire of the combination.

Grey also plays a role in my small closet.

I must be off and get some things done around here...

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

If I get close enough to see the Royals I will snap a few pictures and share them with you.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Seeking peace and perspective...in the Humble Bungalow Garden.

The late night news coverage of the violence in Nice, France was hard to watch.

is unsettling...
difficult to process....

I was worried for the safety of our friends who live in the South of France
so I sent off a couple of emails before retiring to bed.

When I woke up I went to the computer and read the emails from our friends confirming they are safe...

Sunshine shining through the freshly cleaned windows was a welcome gift.
The birds were chirping and the garden beckoned...

Coreopsis

I took my coffee outside and wandered in The Humble Bungalow Garden...
I am going to take you along too.

Limelight Hydrangea

Fisherman's Wand

Limelight Hydrangea blooms are quite large.

Calla Lily

The flowers and birdsong are calming...

I understand that

world events are beyond my control.

All I can do is control my own reactions to these events.

My current novel...

sitting quietly reading with a cuppa on the porch.

This lovely Hollyhock is blooming in a garden nearby...

The delicate crepe papery petals reminds me of our Romneya Coulteri.

Romneya Coulteri

I find solace when I am immersed in domestic routines 

like polishing silver,  

weeding the garden 

or 

cooking in the kitchen.

 ~ Stuffed Peppers ~

Two recipes popped up at the top of my google search for stuffed peppers

I added some other ingredients that I had on hand.

Halve the peppers and remove the seeds.

Cooked rice

add

sun dried tomatoes, corn, olives, basil, onions, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic 

Mix to blend in a bowl.

Stuff the peppers

top with tomato sauce and grated cheese.

Chill until time to bake.

Cover loosely with foil

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

Enjoy

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. 

Without them humanity cannot survive."

~ Dalai Lama ~

Chester looking rather relaxed on the front table in the entry hall.

He uses the wicker chair behind him as his scratching post.

He is a naughty boy, but is so cute that he gets away with it!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~