OOTD....French class

Madame, our French instructor, is a Parisian.
She grew up in the 6th arrondissement of Paris and her father lives in the home where she grew up...
she is planning to go back and visit for several months later this Spring and Summer.

Madame dresses in a style that is very chic. I like to study how she puts things together.
Her accessories are minimal ~ earrings, a watch or perhaps a scarf.
She has a keen eye for fabrics and shapes that flatter and fit...
ballet flats and a pair of leather loafers alternate depending on whether she is wearing a dress or black pants.
Yes indeed black pants...Madame wears lots of black.

Madame smiles a lot...she laughs and winks at her students which are a mixture of middle aged women and men.
She is a gifted teacher and although I am "struggling" to learn the language she is very encouraging and supportive.

I don't fuss too much about what I wear to French class but for fun I thought I'd show you what I wore last week..

Hermes scarf and a cardigan over top a simple black tank top.

Easy Peasy Scarf tie...

I don't like fussing.

Socks with dots...

no one would see these as they were worn inside my Clarks short black leather booties.

I wore Tulip by Fresh Sugar on my lips...

and my diamond studs.

My walking buddy gave me two books to read...

not sure which one I'll start next.

I've never read Elizabeth George but it comes highly recommended.

I read Rachel Joyce's previous novel and found it to be a delightfully entertaining light read...

this might be one to take on the plane.

It's been a drizzly couple of days but then the sun came out and shone down upon us late in the day.

Which made my heart soar...

 then as if I was not happy enough walking along in the peace and quiet

an eagle flew overhead and I could hear the rush of its wings....

Fly like an Eagle.

I am still weighing in over my goal weight but I am determined to keep walking and tracking my points.

Never give up.

Hope things are looking bright in your neck of the woods...

Hostess

XO

Checking in to say....

My week is shaping up to be another busy one...
we are in the midst of planning a catered celebration this weekend.
I'm not giving too much away, it's not a surprise...
it's a milestone birthday.

Walks with friends, French lessons, a Grammy play date, the regularly scheduled weekly Mother/ daughters get together, domestics, grocery shopping and that's just the start.

The trees are bursting forth with buds...

my energy has been ebbing on the low side so I have been trying to go to bed earlier.

My sleep patterns are changing and sleep is interrupted several times through the night.

It frustrates me no end because I used to be able to sleep most of the night.

Most of my friends have mentioned that this too is their "new normal."

The bright and shocking colours of Spring

fresh air and sunshine coupled with a good strong cup of coffee are helping me stay awake and alert.

I've been toying with the idea of making some art cards from my photographs.

I've purchased some cards and envelopes and ordered some prints...

just need to carve out some time to glue the photos onto the card stock

then muster up the courage to take them to a few of the card shops and see if they are at all interested...

if not, I will have some for my personal use.

French "homework" reading Paris Vogue!

Ines de la Fressange is the focus of this issue...

J'adore Ines.

I must close for now as I am off to meet a friend and French class follows.

Photographs from my walks have featured prominently in this post and I hope that they have elevated your spirits.
Enjoy your week!

Dreaming of Paris...

There was a marathon wash day this week in The Humble Bungalow...
You may wonder why, when there are so many other things that I would rather be doing,
baking, shopping, walking, visiting with Mother...

Pepper had a furball...

she threw up on our pure WHITE king size bed coverlet. I had to wash it twice AND resort to using bleach to get out the stains so it was a long morning of washing and it took ages for the coverlet to dry...

It looks like new...

Two hours of washing
and the drying was another hour and a half...

Pepper made good use of her time relaxing.

I am so grateful for our Heavy Duty LG machines.
They can handle jumbo loads like this coverlet and the queen size duvet...
before we owned these workhorses I was at the mercy of the dry cleaners...
their price for this service was rather expensive, not to mention that they took 4 days to get the job done.

So while the machines worked hard I decided to use the time to go onto the internet and explore Paris, France...
I found a bunch of blogs which I thought I would share with you...

David Lebovitz

Unlock Paris

Prete Moi Paris

Paris By Mouth

The Hip Paris Blog

La Cuisine Paris

Paris Perfect

Becoming Madame


If you are planning a trip do you like to research the area in advance of your trip?
or do you like to "fly by the seat of your pants?"

I like the forums at Trip Advisor and read the comments about restaurants, sightseeing tours, museums, and shops.

Mr. HB and I went to San Francisco many years ago and I had done extensive research online and read up on what we should see and do...we had wonderful accommodations and a fabulous 10 days so I feel it is worth doing a bit of advance planning....careful not "over schedule" the trip though as to allow for spontaneity and surprises.

I registered for a cooking class with the La Cuisine Market Tours, which sounds like fun,
shopping the Maubert Market and then prepping and cooking in their Paris kitchen.

Sounds like I'll be sitting in outdoor cafes "people watching" while I get my bearings and wandering the streets window shopping for the first few days...

I hope you will explore some of these Parisian sites...and if you have any that you would like to recommend I'd gladly welcome your comments.

Wardobe oxygen ~ Orange you glad you tuned in?

Let's just get one thing straight...I love black, grey and white.
I have considered that there may be some "merit" to inviting a wee bit of colour into my closet.

A bright bold and vibrant shade...
Orange Crush,
my current fave
that may have been influenced by Hermes boxes

or perhaps my need for Vitamin C.

Fasten your seat belts...

Cashmere cardigan

from Lands' End

Ribbed sleeve detail

pockets

a longer length which is cozy with skinny jeans.

Getting "friendly" with the fridge!

The cardigan might be just what I need to grab on a cold rainy day.

I can think of pairings with my classic Lanvin scarf...

or with some beautiful roses!

or a lily

I will be wearing this cashmere cardigan to French class...

I forgot that this Coach scarf had orange in the pattern

it was a lovely Xmas gift from my son and his wife many years ago.

 If you could only see how chic my French instructor is you'd understand why I am studying not only the language but her Parisian style.

She wears simple understated clothing...

tosses a scarf on in a way that one might think she just "threw it on"

wears a minimum of jewelry...

(a wedding band and beautiful pearl or hoop earrings)

she wears flats...and not just the iconic ballerinas...loafers too

her trench coat looks vintage as does her Max Mara wool coat...

she is not reed thin, she has womanly curves

she's a brunette in the style of much younger Catherine Deneuve.

I am most impressed by her haircut...

it reminds me of Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina when she returns from Paris...

it looks like she didn't do a thing other than wash it

but I am sure that cannot be true.

She exudes Parisian Chic...

I am learning a lot in French Class...

much more than I signed up for!

She tells me that our trips to Paris will overlap for a few days and that we should meet up for coffee!

A bientot.

Don't forget about the Humble Bungalow giveaway...

details are in the previous post.

Bonne Chance!

A rabbit hole...and a 5 year blog anniversay giveaway.

On a grey day while walking I almost fell into a "rabbit hole" that appeared on the path right in front of me.
Looking around I noticed the grey gloom, the cold and heavy mist hanging like curtains almost hiding the trees.

On a day like this we could use some sunshine and light,
a bright punch of colour would be a great mood lifter...

Mushrooms 

Leaves

Autumn Trees on a sunny day so much lovelier and distinctly more beautiful.

Colour is Mother Nature's best accessory...

which got me thinking

about some of my choices 

which at the time seemed sensible and prudent 

but now feel "boring and plain."

A prime example here is "the clutch."

I own several clutches and most are black except

 for this vintage gun metal grey bag...

This one is hands down the most useful due to it's size but it could be in a brighter shade...

Hmmm....

Looks like there's a bit of a copy cat thing happening here with the ridges in bedding and the bag.

Vintage Nordstrom

Paired with the Lisa Campione skirt

Chanel inspired tweed jacket Jeremy Spenser

I'd opt for one of the black bags with this jacket.

It works with the black Velvet Jones of NY fancy pants.

not so much with the wrap top by Laura Petites...

I'd use one of the black bags with this top.

Sherman brooch

Aurora Borealis Sherman brooch

Boucher pin

unknown maker

I like to think of it as my St.Tropez brooch

Gumball Freshwater Pearls...

anniversary gift from my husband several years ago

Vintage coin necklace

Salt Spring Island silversmith artisan designed silver bangle

Venus flytrap necklace J Crew

I'm going to keep my eyes open for a classic clutch in a brighter shade.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile you'll know how much I love drinking tea.

I find teatime a wonderful opportunity to sit in peace and quiet. 

I count my blessings

and reflect on all that is good in my life.

If I am having a gloomy day I always reach for a cheerful bone china cup and saucer.

Sipping tea out of a pretty cup is so soothing to the soul.

 I try lots of different teas...

I have developed a fondness for Lapsang Souchong Tea.

It is a smokey tea and quite different from others that I have tried and I highly recommend it.

Abraham Darby Rose

You might also know that I am a passionate rose grower and I love David Austin roses.

Climbing Iceberg with Lady's Mantle on the table and in the background atop the cabinet Abraham Darby.

It's been quite a journey...

since I started blogging back in November of 2009.

I've learned a lot about myself in these 5 years.

I lost 30 pounds through Weight Watchers

took up walking for fitness

discovered my personal style

 honed my wardrobe 

I retired

I decided to follow my dream and plan a trip to Paris

I've started taking French lessons

and am trying to figure out how to pack for 3 weeks in France in a carry on!

I hope you come back frequently and read my humble blog

In celebration of the blog's 5 year anniversary I have decided to give a gift to one of my readers.

Please leave a comment telling me what you like best about my blog.

A Bone China mug with roses, of course, and a tea towel.

All the entries will go into a bowl and I'll draw one name.

The giveaway closes on November 29th, 2014 at midnight PST.

If you are the winner you'll need to email me at bungalowhostess@gmail.com with your mailing address.

Good luck!