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 ~

Humble Bungalow Home and Garden...

It has been a frenzy of activity here these past few days...as we have had a crew of painters here scraping and prepping the exterior of our Humble Bungalow in preparation for paint.
The cats have been running around to the windows and watching the men on their ladders...the noisy sanders have been loud and I was on deck to provide refreshments (cookies) as a self proclaimed Hostess I do have a reputation to live up to!

Oops someone left a cedar shingle on the patio!

Today all is quiet and I can hear myself think...the dish washer is going through its cycles but I can still hear the birdsong outside my window and it is music to my ears!

This pretty purple plant is in a neighbours garden and the bees just love it.

When I walked by I could hear the buzzing and watched as perhaps 50 bees gathered pollen.

Further down the block these beautiful artichokes are growing right beside the sidewalk.

I'm tempted to ask for a sample...

Artichokes have such interesting and intricate details.

Our Humble Bungalow Garden is a riot of colour and the roses are in full bloom.

Our roses are really putting on a spectacular show.

They love the warm weather and the sunshine.

This pink rose is the climber Madame Gregoire Staechelin.

Joesph's Coat of Many Colours

The blooms are bright orange when they first open and then they get tinges of yellow on the edges of the petals as they fully open up.

Iceberg is a reliable and hardy climbing rose which rewards us with many pure white flowers.

The cats do not usually nap in the same place but we caught them in the act and I had to take a picture because I think they looked quite cozy. They are sleeping on top of our vintage English Pram!

You still have a day to bid on the Hermes scarf and Pyrrha necklace if you are interested...

all the details are in the previous post.

Well that's about it for now...

I must get out for my walk as it is a beautiful sunny morning.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Hermes Scarf and Pyrrha Necklace ~ A Silent Auction fund raiser for Fort McMurray victims...

In my previous post I mentioned that my daughter Jennifer and I were going to be putting together a fundraiser to help the people from the town of Fort McMurray...we are ready and the auction is live!

Darling daughter has put together the silent auction post on her Instagram feed @thing _finder
and she is ready to accept bids by private message on these two lovely items. I donated the silk Hermes scarf which is made in Paris and she added the Pyrrha necklace which is made in Vancouver BC.

Fort McMurray is a town in Alberta where a wildfire has been burning for days. 88,000 people have fled, many with just the clothes on their backs and are currently living in camps or have joined family and friends elsewhere. Many homes burnt to the ground as well as buildings in the city.

After watching the news I have not been able to get the images out of my mind...so many people have been affected by the fire and the scale of the destruction is huge. I had just made a donation to The Red Cross and now I felt that I needed to do more to help.

Thank you...

                                ~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Scarf tying tutorial...

I love the versatility of scarves.
They add so much colour to a simple outfit...
they can be worn with jeans and a tee shirt or an elegant basic black dress.

You can buy a designer scarf or opt for a vintage scarf.

They come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

One that I keep coming back to is the square scarf.

Hermes scarves are luxurious and their patterns are so beautiful.

 Their reputation and quality of workmanship is hard to beat.

In the previous post I showed you my newest thrift shop find...a bright preppy pink and green Echo silk square scarf...
I wore it several different ways and several readers asked how for a tutorial.

The best source that I have found is from The Mai Tai blog.
I have learned a lot from watching her videos and she has a lovely blog!

The Mai Tai Collection tutorial

I hope you have a great week and I will be back with some posts on our recent trip to Vancouver.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Flowers and a colourful Stew for a rainy day...

Yellow daffodils are bursting forth in The Humble Bungalow Garden.
The deer do not eat them so they bloom in the front yard unlike the poor tulips that have are being munched to the ground!

Daffodils look cheerful even after the rain...

there is something about yellow.

I love yellow slickers, boots and brollies.

Such a great tonic for the grey days of prolonged precipitation.

Yellow shouts "Happy."

Mauve-y blue flower with white stamens...so pretty.

I snapped this photo when we were at the nursery picking up our new bare root roses.

We ordered three white David Austen roses...

"Claire Austen" is reliable and fragrant.

A hardy rose.

They will be located in the back bed at the foot of the sun deck.

I am having the gardeners plant them and plant the bed with a formal boxwood hedge.

I have hired a company to come and help with our weeding and the heavy work.

 There is a lot of weeding and digging to do in our garden as we have not really had a harsh winter which keeps weeds and plants in a dormant state.

The mild weather means that the weeds have multiplied!

The physiotherapist in very impressed with my progress and he says he likes my "attitude."

He says that a positive approach is the best kind of medicine.

I am always a bit sore after he manipulates my shoulder 

so I need to keep reminding myself that no pain is no gain.

These sweet little pansies are so cute...

My walk earlier this week was in the down town area.

These are the lamp standards that line our city streets.

I wandered through the shops but did not find anything to buy.

Browsing the fashionable shops inspires me to be more creative with my clothes.

I love to sit at a cafe look out the window and watch the women walk by 

and see what they are wearing.

A very classy looking lady wearing an amazing wool coat walked by...

Her coat was very boxy and looked like it might have been vintage.

Circa 1950's style.

Her hair was cut in a long bob

she wore bright red lipstick on and carried a small lady like handbag on her wrist.

She was walking quite fast in black suede kitten heels.

I wondered about her...

I imagined that she might be a lawyer or a doctor.

The cut and style of her clothes was elegant and impeccable. 

~ ~ ~

I saw a Hermes scarf in the case at WIN on Pandora Street.

A charity shop!

I tried it on but the colours were not flattering so I left it...

someone is going to be a very happy shopper.

Fountain at The Bay Centre...

Chilly temperatures and grey gloomy skies...

beg for a warming meal.

I felt that we needed an injection of "Happy" so I chose a colourful Stew for dinner.

"Little Stew" 

is a staple here in The Humble Bungalow.

It is easy and you can use almost any vegetables that you have on hand.

Use a heavy dutch oven or enamel Le Crueset with a lid.

Saute 1 or 2 large onions chopped until soft.

Brown some meat...ground beef, chicken or turkey.

Add a tin of beef bouillon.

I use about a tablespoon of thyme, a wee bit of salt and pepper.

Add assorted veggies and simmer for several hours.

Serve with bread.

You can see how it looks after it has been simmering...

the flavours mingle and the liquid reduces.

Boy~oh~Boy

the Humble Bungalow kitchen smells wonderful!

What has your week been like?

I am celebrating my birthday this week and have been wined and dined and will be back to tell you more.

Be Well and Be Kind

Simple Joys...

Thank goodness for a quiet weekend to relax and enjoy the simple things...

Hot ancient grains and oats by Rogers and a fresh kiwi for breakfast.

Warming from the inside out on a cold morning.

Pure goodness and a healthy choice...

a simple joy to start the day.

Sipping some tasty tea and listening to the birdsong outside...

Silk Road makes some of my favourite blends

 they are located downtown in Victoria's Heritage Chinatown.

They have a lovely little spa and make wonderful skin care and bath products.

They also have an online shop for those of you who live further away...

The freedom to stay in my PJ's until 11:00 in the morning.

it felt truly decadent and luxurious...

JOY!

speaking of a little luxury I pulled out all my Hermes scarves 

and opened all the orange boxes and had a peek.

It has been awhile since I have worn them as our weather calls for wool and cashmere scarves and mufflers.

that wee pink scarf is the one that I bought in Paris

really my only significant souvenir other than my memories

this black and white Hermes scarf is the one I wear most often

I wore a Symplii black dress and black tights with my booties to the celebration of life on Friday

skipped perfume but layered on some classic pearls

lots of familiar faces were at the service

nearly a full house

it was a fine tribute

the food was perfect and I got some experience as a server carrying trays

it is not as easy as it looks!

There were a dozen or so friends and family members serving and we all were rookies together so it was fine.

"Security in numbers!"

There are so many interesting and eye catching things popping up on my waking and driving routes these days...

This tree is on my drive home from bridge and Mah Jong.

It is really quite unusual and reminds me of a dancing woman...

( my imagination runs away with me sometimes!)

snowdrops are up

sweet scented buds

emerging 

spreading pink scented wafts into the air

Hope that you are enjoying your weekend and are avoiding all those nasty colds and flu's that are about...

my throat is feeling a bit scratchy so I am pacing myself.

"I think it's important to find the little things in everyday life that make you happy."

Paula Cole

Activities ~ Senior Style ~ OOTD

Life is busy... and I'm finding it a bit of a challenge to sit down and blog.
Instagram is quick and easy and I am falling under it's spell.
Time is ticking along quickly...my days are full.
It could be the dental work, Mah Jongg, Bridge lessons and games, the walking, domestics, gardening and lunches out with friends. I am really enjoying meeting new people and exercising my brain cells!
I've joined Goward House, a seniors centre ( 50 years +) that is housed in a heritage home with several acres of woodland walking trails. A wide variety of classes and courses are offered and special interest clubs meet on site.
There is a small tea room set in a lovely room with vast windows overlooking the gardens...
soup, sandwiches, tea, coffee and sweets are reasonably priced, and the tea room is open to the public.
There are wide expansive decks that have tables and chairs which are used in the warmer weather...
weddings are frequently held here in the summer. It's a quiet and peaceful location for a celebration.

I think it is just lovely, such a relaxed atmosphere, antique and comfy furniture, beautiful artwork hangs on the walls, fresh flowers in vases, it feels like you are in the home of a good friend.

We purchased a beauty berry bush last weekend and planted several dozen purple allium bulbs around it's base...we plan to add a bunch of black mondo grass in the same bed.

Purple and Black sound like a interesting pairing.

I spied this super hero on my walk in our neighbourhood.

I wondered if it was making a statement and if so what was the message?

It's probably some one's idea of "garden art."

Moss covered rocks seen on Moss Street!

Creepy spiders are lurking in the trees....

Ghosts

Yikes!

Halloween decorations are more popular than they have been in the past.

We live in an area with good schools that offer French Immersion and so there are a lot of families with young children.

I'm reading this book right now and it's an easy and entertaining story.

If you liked The 100 year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared,

 I think you'll enjoy this one too.

I've used up all my old lotions and potions and have switched up my skincare regime.

Andalou Naturals 1000 Roses for Sensitive skin.

An organic and cruelty free line.

I love the rose scent of all the products.

It's scent lingers long after you put it on...

(some people would not like to smell like a rose)

I'm new to eye gel and find this product has helped plump up and fills in the fine lines.

The exfoliator is gentle and does it's job without causing irritation or redness.

The oil is great for cuticles, hair and after shaving.

The Heavenly Night Time Moisturizer is so rich and soothing...I use it for daytime as my skin is super dry.

I'm going to invest in their serum for winter as my skin usually gets drier and needs more moisture.

I draped this Hermes scarf around my neck...

for the afternoon of Bridge.

Blue top  ~ Style My Way

Black denim jeans  ~ g21

Black loafers  ~ Coach

Sitting playing Mah Jongg or Bridge there are lulls in the game where you notice what the other players are wearing...

rings, necklaces, bracelets and scarves.

"Any opportunity to adorn oneself is human, and accessories are an easy way to do it."

~ Marc Jacobs ~