Jeans...OOTD

If we are talking about our favourite clothes
and we are today
I have a confession...

My all time favourite OOTD to wear is a white Tee or shirt and pair of great fitting jeans.
They can be worn with diamonds, gold or pearls...
a Hermes silk scarf, a pashmina, a thrifted woolen wrap,
they can be worn with heels, ballet flats, boots or flip flops...
a Chanel tweed, a leather Moto jacket or a soft well worn hoodie.

If I only could choose one outfit for the rest of my days.....
jeans would figure prominently in the equation.

It might sound silly coming from a grown woman who is just a few weeks away from 60
I am here to confess that  "I DO LOVE JEANS!"

I've worn jeans for decades and think I always will...
they are on my "desert island list"
after sunscreen, moisturizer, mascara and lip balm.

My tatty 2 year old g21 skinny jeans have worn out their welcome,
but it's not surprising with so many wearings and washings....
so they have been donated to the charity shop.
At $10, the cost per wearing must be less than 5 cents by now.

I've seen and heard of NYDJ jeans but have never actually tried a pair on until recently...
they are available in Petite which is wonderful because I really hate shortening jeans.
I didn't go looking for them, they rather fell off the hanger as I was perusing the racks at The Hudson's Bay store.
A woman of a certain age mentioned that she had several pairs of NYDJ and thought they made the best of a "woman's assets" Hmmm...
I thought I'd give them a try...

I'm not sure if I should be raving publicly about these jeans

(they may fall into that shadowy category referred to as "Mom jeans!")

Are the Fashion Police on duty?

I do like how they fit...

(I am a Mother and a Grand Mother)

A great fitting pair of jeans can take you most places...

not the red carpet, a funeral or a wedding

not in my crowd

BUT

they are on my "desert island list." 

I have worn jeans since I was a teenager

plan to wear them forever

they have no expiration date...

and are so versatile in how you can style them.

I have put together a few jean OOTD options.

Vintage beaded wool sweater ~ Pelican Cove

jeans ~ NYDJ

gumball pearls which IMO

compliment and elevate a simple Tee and jeans

Tank top ~ Lands' End

beaded cardigan ~ Spanner

pearls

jeans ~ NYDJ

tank top ~ Lands' End

cashmere cardigan ~ Lands' End

jeans ~ NYDJ

remember to have fun and be creative with accessories

think of yourself as a painter and take risks

put you own personal stamp on things

Why Not?

black top ~ Jeanne Beker

jeans ~ NYDJ

shoes ~ Amalfi

I love these shoes...they make me feel so happy when I wear them.

Tweed jacket ~ Jeremy Spenser

jeans ~ NYDJ

shoes ~ Stuart Weitzman

love the bows on the toes...

this vintage baroque pearl pin is a perfect pairing with the jacket

(thank you darling daughter I adore this gift and wear it often)

I'm feeling the Paris vibe with this OOTD

striped top ~ Gap

jeans ~ NYDJ

ballet flats ~ Lands' End

sterling stack of bangles...

Tiffany and Co.

mingle with artisan designed silver bracelets

I've had fun putting these together and I have oodles more options in my closet...

Do you wear jeans?

What brand of jeans are your favourite?

BTW 

if you like to watch British dramas...

Mr. HB and I have just finished watching Last Tango in Halifax 

 and now are binge watching Happy Valley on Netflix...

Sally Wainright writes entertaining and engaging TV.

Downton Abbey is not the only show in town.

Take care

XO

A rhapsody in blue...OOTD

Blue and white are a complimentary pairing, indeed they are a happy marriage.
Antique Chinese and English porcelain come to mind as does the iconic classic Blue Willow patterns which were mass produced by so many companies over the years.

This beautiful planter was a gift from the son of Mrs. Plant,

she was a former owner and resident of The Humble Bungalow

this wee antique bowl is so thin you can almost see throught it...

I know nothing about it except to say that it called out to me when I was perusing the tables at an antue and collectible show.

I've collected these Ball Sealers for the past few years...

it's the soft shade of blue that attracts me to these jars.

Trees were painted cobalt blue in this downtown plaza...

I captured this image on a Seattle trip a few years ago.

The Chihuly Gardens in Seattle...

right below The Space Needle!

It's a wonderful place to visit and view many of Chihuly's glass masterpieces.

A gorgeous blue necklace at the jewelers in the lobby of The Empress Hotel.

Harumi Ota porcelain.

Harumi lives in Victoria and sells his work at The Eclectic Gallery and at The Moss Street Market.

Downtown Victoria sidewalk display

Looking out over the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington State is in the distance.

Wee heart shaped art glass paperweight....

Grape and wood hyacinths, a spring time bouquet in a matte white jug, a gift from my bestie.

Hydrangeas

White vintage compotes.

Blue hydrangeas

playing with paint...

Macarons at Bon Macaron on Broad Street in Victoria.

My favourite outfit of all time is a simple one...

Blue Jeans and a White top.

OOTD

accessorized simply with pearls and an armful of sterling bangles

Do you have a favourite outfit?

One that you feel totally at ease wearing and can see yourself taking it to a desert island with you?

Wendy McLeod MacKnight's recent post inspired me to write this one today...

go over and say Hi and please tell her that I sent you!

A Rhapsody in Blue....

Thank you for stopping by.... 

Black Day in July

Do you remember Gordon Lightfoot's song Black Day in July?
You can listen to it here...

It's a black day in July in The Humble Bungalow when it comes to clothing.

New Yoga capri length pants from Costco.

New Lands' End trail shoes for marathon walks.

Slip of a dress for summer time heat...

a Gilmour of Vancouver Bamboo creation.

It's a soft way to breeze through a busy day of errands, lunching with the ladies and it's taking me to a funeral.

I'll wear a light sweater over top and wear my Born sandals.

Polartec jacket by Lands' End...

warmth without weight.

Great for a chilly evening on the boat or a walk in inclement weather.

I've been doing a bit of shopping lately at the thrift shops...

I found a new to me "almost new" pair of Gap jeans.

Great straight leg style in a short ankle length.

Love the $5.00 price tag too.

Life is not all black here...

there is some sparkle and highlights.

Darling daughter and I had a wonderful day this week getting together for lunch and some thrift shop adventures.

We enjoyed a delicious Thai chicken noodle salad at Bubby Roses in the Cook Street Village which is always a busy place to go...such good value, with healthy choices and two size servings available.

We opted for the small salad and it was ample.

Hand hammered vintage silver is very near and dear to my heart.

I think it must be my crow like tendencies as I am drawn to shiny things...

diamonds and crystals and icy sparkles.

"Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world."

~ Mary Shelley ~

OOTD a domestic post that rambles on willy nilly...

Many days are spent in The Humble Bungalow flitting about actioning simple domestics.
Now that I am retired I am quite content wearing comfy clothes and padding about barefoot!
The bar has been set very low as there are only the cats to impress...

Skinny jeans, a simple tee top in white are my "in house uniform."

The linen apron is a necessity as I am a messy messy cook.

Love this one by Now Designs.

The flooring in the kicthen is fir and has been patched and repaired and is cool underfoot.

I have an antique rug on the floor by the farmhouse sink as I spend hours doing the washing up.

I love gazing out the window above the sink...

it makes for a lovely opportunity to contemplate all that is good in life.

Trying out new recipes is great fun.

I do so love to cook for company and Mr. HB.

If I lived alone I think I'd dine on salads and eggs exclusively.

I used the Lemon Souffle recipe from the Best of Bridge.

It requires lots of whisking and stirring and that pairs perfectly with a CBC talk show on the radio to keep me company.

I used the trifle crystal bowl as the yellow lemony concoction is so pretty.

I'll be serving this with some chocolate brownies and fresh raspberries for dessert.

We have a small dinner party planned...

Time to wander about and pick some flowers for the house.

Jude the Obscure, my favourite David Austin rose is putting on a good show and there are many blooms to pick.

I love the chartreuse of the Lady's Mantle with the soft peachy yellow roses.

I usually have fresh flowers in the bathroom.

The cats can be quite pesky when it comes to deconstructing the bouquets.

 but they usually avoid those installed in the powder room.

Thank goodness for small mercies.

I picked some fern fronds to pop in this antique claret jug.

No one I know seems to drink claret anymore...

sherry, port and wine seem to be more in favour.

If you look closely at our Humble Bungalow you'll notice that with age comes many imperfections.

 Some parts of our home are looking very tired...scratches, dents, and blemishes and I often cringe when I see them but must accept that they are honest reflections of a 100+ year old home.

If I were to gaze at a 100+ old woman would I focus on her lines and wrinkles or would I see the sparkle in her eyes and the determination and sturdiness with which she carries herself despite the passage of time?

I've been toying with the idea of painting these chairs black.

I love black set against greenery and garden plantings.

These chairs are very worn and have quite a few years left in them so I think a coat of paint might be exactly what they need to see them through the next decade should they survive that long.

What colour would you choose to paint them?

Chester is up to his usual tricks...

a box or a bag left unattended quickly becomes a place to hide!

French classes are finished for the summer and I am reconsidering whether I'll be taking them again in the Fall.

I have discovered that there are classes in conversational French specifically for the traveller in Oak Bay.

I might investigate those and see if they are more to my liking as I have found the other classes a bit daunting.

Wore my pearls the other day with my Chanel "wanna be" jacket when I took Mother out last week.

I do dress up to go out and especially when I take Mother out...

I love this vintage pin with a genuine baroque pearl in the center.

It was a gift from my daughter and it seems to go well with this tweedy fabric.

Whenever I wear it I think of her...

Abkhazi Gardens and a vibrant orange azalea,

 an image from the archives...

Abraham Darby has me thinking orange thoughts...

Hermes signature shade for their boxes.

Alas it's been too warm to wear my Hermes scarves...

or any scarf for that matter.

It's been too hot for Pepper too and she has a fur coat!

It's certainly gin and tonic weather....

a cool refreshing summer drink will find it's way into my hands later this evening.

 after all the domestic chores have been completed...it's thirsty work.

Hostess