I've got Paris on my mind...and it is a lovely distraction.

Since hearing the news that I am one of the lucky ladies to accompany Jamie Cat Callan on her Paris Ooh La La Tour this coming May I have let my thoughts stray to all things Parisienne...
By the way, I think there are a couple of spots left on Jamie's Tour if you want to come along, but act fast if you want to join in!

I have been looking online at Paris blogs and websites and many kind readers have emailed me behind the scenes offering their thoughts on what to pack and what brand of carry on they prefer and several of my readers who live in Paris have suggested we meet for a drink while I am there...
more about Paris later in the post.

We recently went to a Scottish Celebration...
my husband's ancestors hail from Scotland...
The Campbell's and the MacDonald's.
Two clans that were constantly warring with each other!

Have you ever attended a Ceilidh?
Do you know what it is?
I had to look at this sign to spell it correctly as it is pronounced "Kay Lee."

An online source describes a Ceilidh ~
"a social event at which there is Scottish or Irish folk music and singing, traditional dancing and storytelling."

It was a fun evening filled with entertainment and a plethora of tartan kilted regimental musicians.

We were happy to be invited as it was a fund raising event for the local band's upcoming tour to Europe.

Isn't this a beautiful pin?

I love the acorn and the oak leaf.

I do love to see a man in a kilt and kitted out smartly to play in the band with those bagpipes and drums...

My Irish background can appreciate those who hail from the Highlands, after all we were practically neighbours! 

I made a Freekeh grain salad last week and it was delicious.

How does one pronounce Freekeh?

I have been saying Freak Ah!

I used the recipe on the back of the box.

Spinach, roasted red peppers, Greek olives, feta cheese, and I added some red onions.

It called for a dressing of lemon juice with a pinch of nutmeg and a bit of cinnamon but it really tasted delicious without it.

It made a large bowl full and I served it to Mother and my sister at our weekly dinner.

The verdict was that it was a keeper.

There was some leftover so it made for easy lunches for me for the next few days.

I made our favourite prawn bisque.

The recipe is in the Whitewater Cooks  cookbook as shrimp bisque but I use prawns for more flavour.

I posted about this shrimp bisque way back in the day...

This recipe has big flavours and is loaded in WW points so make sure that you proceed with caution!

The roses in The Humble Bungalow Garden are laden with rose hips... 

perhaps a sign of a harsh winter to come?

The cushions have been removed from the front porch chairs as the colder wet weather is almost upon us...

the pockets of sunshine continue teasing us into believing that summer is still here.

Stews will be back on the menu as the temperatures dip.

I'm thinking about what I will pack when I go to Paris!

I always love reading posts on packing by un femme d'un certain age.

I've been reading quite a bit...

New Year New Dreams blog author Madame La Bas suggested these mysteries set in Paris.

The stories are well written, engaging, and I am enjoying reading about the different areas of Paris.

So much is happening here in and around The Humble Bungalow.

We are living in busy times.

I really must run and get some things done.

Thank you for visiting!

I am planning a wardrobe post next...so please come back soon.

Antidote to stress ~ I'm going to Paris!

Do you ever have a day that just about sends you over the edge?
How do you react?
Do you melt down and cry?
Do you scream?
Do you get raging mad?

I think...

I just need to go with the flow and remember to be flexible...

there's no point getting my knickers in a twist.

Everyone has those days when there is some unravelling...

when one feels a wee bit droopy from the weight...

you can still put on a pretty face and put yourself out there for all to see....

So here's what happened that gave me a run for my money...

the car broke down on the way to an appointment 

in the middle of a busy street and would not restart despite several tries...a cab was called

(I ran out in the street NY style, waved my hands and yelled cabbie)

Dealing with misinformation, miscommunication, and incompetence with various health care agencies = frustration

"Code Red" in the imaging area of the hospital where we were in a room with other people waiting for an X-ray with not enough seats for all the clients which meant standing room for a few folks
 = noisy alarms, agitated clientele and wondering why the staff were so relaxed and complacent?

Code Red means there is a FIRE!...
the doors were sealed off, the elevators stopped, the alarms were ringing loudly and constantly until the fire was extinguished before we could leave...
why would we not be evacuated?
(I guess we would lose our place in the queue!)

the bundt cake I was baking at 6 am when I could not sleep overflowed it's pan in the oven and made a huge mess

the 3 litre can of olive oil spilled on the counter and ran down the front of the cupboards onto the floor...
can you imagine dealing with an oil slick of that magnitude?

so in the whole scheme of things it's really not that bad
right?

I get that too...

I could sit around and feel sorry for myself but that is not my style...

I get busy...

BTW this Method cleaner is a serious work horse in the kitchen.

I love it for cutting through grease and grime.

Beauty is out there just waiting to pick up your spirits when they flag, you just have to look.

Happy is just one dance away...

there is a special place in my heart for pink

I love the pink roses that we have in our Humble Bungalow Garden.

I love wearing pink when it rains...

When I am feeling low I put on my linen apron and get busy in the kitchen.

I cook for others and it helps me regain perspective, 

gives me something positive to do,

 and before long any negativity has dissolved like butter in a hot pan.

(picture from the archives)

(I think that working in a soup kitchen would be such a rewarding volunteer job.)

sipping coffee while working over a hot stove gives me a much needed boost

You've got to love simmering a large batch of soup to freeze for a rainy day.

All the chopping is great exercise and if you can lose yourself in the process you've won!

You can light a scented candle...

sit and knit for a bit...

put on a pretty shade of lipstick

spritz a bit of your signature scent

indulge a wee bit...

(but be careful!)

read some of your favourite blogs!

go for a walk somewhere scenic...

listen to some music....

read a good book

and guess what?

I received an email today that made my heart soar...

I am going to be on Jamie Cat Callan's Ooh La La Tour in Paris next May.

I am doing a happy dance!

So dear reader I am going to need help figuring out the best carry on case to buy and any packing tips that you care to share...

I feel a little bit like I just won the lottery...

I sincerely hope that your weekend is full to the brim with good stuff and that the nasties stay out of the way...

Thank you for stopping by...

merci beaucoup

Hostess

Ooh La La Paris with Jamie Cat Callan...fingers crossed!

I'm dreaming of Paris...
I've wanted to go to Paris for a long time.
I think it all started when I was a preteen and wore Evening in Paris cologne...those beautiful shaped cobalt blue perfume sets were regular gifts at Christmas and birthdays. Dabbing cologne on my pulse points made me feel very feminine and grown up.
I adore Audrey Hepburn and have watched all of her films many times.
I am particularly fond of her role in Sabrina...
do you remember when Sabrina comes back from Paris after attending cooking school with her new chic coiffure and her haute couture ensemble?
She exudes French Chic Style.

I am surprised that it has taken me so long to actually get motivated to go to Paris as I have wanted to go there for as long as I can remember...

Our two children arrived when I was in my early 20's so I could not just pack up and leave them...
then I was busy with my career.
It is only now that I am retired that I feel ready to make the trip.
It could be my 60th birthday present!

The French classes are starting up again next month after the summer break and I have registered and paid my dues.
I hope to join in the Cafe Pause locally one afternoon a week to converse entirely in French with others interested in practising the art of conversation...how better to prepare for interactions in Paris than to chat over a coffee?

My Paris plans have changed as my travel mate is having second thoughts so I have my name on Jamie Cat Callan's Ooh La La Paris Tour waiting list for next May. 

You may know Jamie through her books...

if you haven't read her books you are in for a treat.

I love her writing style and her Parisian flair.

Her books are the perfect summer read especially of you are dreaming of Paris and French Chic Style.

Jamie graciously entertained 12 lucky women this past May while they saw the highlights of the city and were privileged enough to get "behind the scenes" in several exclusive shops.

By all accounts they had a delightful time...

I now have my hopes pinned on joining Jamie as she leads this tour next year.

I think I'll be re-reading Jamie's books to get me prepped for the tour!

I am saving in earnest for my trip to Paris.

A while back I mentioned that I was trying to figure out how to sell some of my modernist jewelry and I have recently rented a shelf in the local antique mall Vanity Fair on Fort Street.

So far I have successfully sold a beautiful Robert Larin bracelet.

I plan to keep the theme of my shelf in the modernist style...

I have some teak Dansk items, and lots of Swedish and Finnish art glass.

There are bangles and darling daughter is going to put some jewelry in as well.

I hope that this venture will prove to be a viable way to add to my savings...

Summertime is a great time to pick up a good book...
books do not have a season but I find more time to read when we are aboard our boat.
It is a much smaller space than the Humble Bungalow and there is no garden to take care of...
so when I have the boat ship shape it leaves me time to read.

In the spirit of thrift (and saving for Paris!) these books were borrowed from our public library.

I watched a TV series that sounds a lot like this book

I'll be visiting the Riviera (vicariously) when I delve into the pages of this one!

I'll continue to work hard to save for my Paris dream trip.

Are you dreaming and saving for something special?

I will be posting sporadically over the next week as I have a blog break planned so if you don't hear from me do not fret I will be back soon.

Hostess

The book goes to....

I apologize but it's been a busy week and I am behind on my posting.

Thank you for stopping by and reading my blog,
I hope you know how much your feedback and emails mean to me...
it's often your voices that inspire my blog topics.

The selection committee of two...the Mother Daughter team have struggled with our decision.
What makes one feel beautiful is very personal.
Beauty is as one writer said..."in the eye of the beholder."

It would be wonderful if we all found our reflections those of beauty.
Being comfortable in one's skin
accepting ourselves for who we are
and confident enough to be content.
It may seem illusive and yet there are many aspects that radiate love and loveliness.

Now if only we could award all of the participants a book our job would be easy.
Jamie Cat Callan will autograph her new book and send it in the post.

We narrowed it down but we chose two of the commenters...A Well Styled Life and Little Sister.
Please email me at bungalowhostess@gmail.com with your mailing addresses and I will forward them to Jamie Cat Callan as soon as I receive them.

I hope that you both will enjoy Jamie's book.
If you did not win a copy her book is available online and at a local book store soon.

I brewed a pot of tea when I received the Advanced Reading Copy of her book and found myself transported to Paris...
through the voices of the fabulous French Femmes who were profiled and interviewed in
Ooh La La! French Women's Secrets to Feeling Beautiful Everyday.

Look for beauty today...
it might be in the eyes of a child, the smile from a stranger, a weed blooming in the garden.