Posting from "my office"...creating a workable wardrobe for 3 weeks in France using a carry on.

Our arts and crafts bungalow circa 1912, was designed before home offices were even on the radar, so I use our kitchen as my "office."

This is the view from our trestle table where my Mac sits waiting for me...

it's handy too as I spend many hours in our humble kitchen.

It's a pleasant space in which to write as there is a window beside the table and many birds are in the side yard.

I sip my tea, look outside

 and ponder...

It might not look like much right now as the beds are "resting up" for their displays in the spring and summer...

there are two dwarf fruit trees, roses and hydrangeas.

I am a messy cook and so I always wear an apron when I am cooking and when I am cleaning...

Here's the newest one handmade by my friend LA, a thoughtful Xmas gift.

Thanks L!

OOTD...

White long sleeved Tee ~ Ellen Tracy

apron

jeans ~ Talbots

cashmere socks

Timberland boots

While the laundry spins...

I am hard at work trying to figure out my travel wardrobe.

3 weeks travel in France...

2 weeks in Paris with just a small carry on...

I've been writing notes and lists

 then...

editing, editing editing...

Over the holidays I went out with my lovely daughter and we did a bit of a shop.

I found an inexpensive fun new top in a bright shade of coral...

in the same shade as my new Lands' End cashmere cardigan, which is also coming with me to Paris.

If the weather is sunny and warm I will wear this top when I venture south to visit our friends.

Love the lacy details...

now I am looking for some ethnic jewelry to pick up the same shade.

 I have the cardigan...

I have that Jones of NY dress with splashes of coral in the pattern.

I am trying to tie it all together so living out of a carry on for three weeks will be easy.

I am taking layers...

tanks and tees and two pairs of pants.

One is a pair of jeans and the other Eileen Fisher black knit pants.

The tweedy black Banana Republic dress is coming too...

I think I will take this vintage navy leather bag 

 inside this Longchamps expandable bag as my personal item.

I have to work on the accessories that I will bring...

 I have one scarf so far...

It's quitting time in "the office" I've done enough work for one day and I am closing up the laptop...

preparing dinner is next!

Mr. HB and I are ready for the season 5 premiere of Downton Abbey tonight.

Will you be watching?

Same Old Same Old...

My energy is a little low, partly due to some recent sleep disruptions,
which I hope is not going to become a pattern,
plus I have been busy shopping and baking.

I was so grateful that my walking partner was free to walk our 10K route this morning.
I needed to get outdoors and really "wake up" and jump start my day.
The weather was chilly but we bundled up in our Lands" End down puffer coats, gloves and scarves and struck up our usual conversation and time passed quickly. We stopped at The Breakwater Cafe for a jolt of java...before walking back home. I was hungry by the time I got home and so I heated up the dinner leftovers and brewed a pot of tea before sitting down to check my email and read up on the blogs that I follow.
It seems that everyone is busy these days,
many are writing that they are too busy to write new posts and others are too busy to keep up with their blog reading...and so it goes...

I totally understand...
there are only so many hours in a day and one must be careful not to overdo it.

Let's give ourselves a gift shall we?

TIME...
TO
RELAX
REST
IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A SENSE OF CALM AND COMPOSURE.

We have the right to say no to things that demand or zap too much of our energy, things that we do not enjoy, and things which put us teetering precariously on the verge or the thin edge of the wedge...
sounds like good advice,
perhaps I'll take it,
will you?

Time to sit quietly at the computer and type what comes...

I like wearing a light spritz of perfume...

my winter scent is Mitsouko by Guerlain.

It is a heavier fragrance that feels like it is made for colder weather.

I am very fond of scented candles in the chilly weather...

I like the glow that they cast inside our Humble Bungalow and the scent is so sensual.

I wore a vintage beaded sweater to my French class this week.

I like to wear it with jeans and a simple tank top...

because it has so much going on I keep accessories to a minimum.

Classes are over until the New Year.

I gave Madame a jar of my homemade marmalade and some chocolate bark.

She oohed and said "Merci beaucoup j'adore confiture et chocolat!"

I found a modernist designed silver ladle at the consignment shop Good Things on Oak Bay Avenue.

It will look beautiful in our vintage punch bowl.

There is a stamp with three crowns on the back...it is an American maker.

Three Crowns Silversmiths from Pennsylvania.

I like the simple lines of this piece...

The Amaryllis has started blooming and more flowers are on the way.

One of the cats has nibbled the flower...

I welcomed the opportunity to sit for a bit and type up a post this afternoon.

It's a luxury not having to push myself when my energy wanes...which it does on occasion.

Recognizing when I am fatigued and accepting it without fighting the urge to press on has taken some time to come to terms with...

It surprises me that I can still discover something new about myself.

~ ~ ~

Clara, a reader, asked for the recipe for the fruit loaves that I made so she that she could make some for Christmas.

This is a super simple loaf to make.

It is lovely to have on hand as it keeps well if you wrap it in cling film and then a tight layer of foil.

I like to cut a few slices to serve with a cup of tea...

you might even like to spread a wee bit of salted butter on it!

~ Humble Bungalow Hostess Tea Loaf ~

All ingredients need to be at room temperature.

Sift into a large bowl:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Melt and cool 2 tablespoons butter

Beat until light 1 egg then add in 1 cup milk and beat again.

Add the melted butter to the mixture.

Beat liquid ingredients into the dry mixture.

Add in 1 cup dried fruit.

 (raisins, currants or crystallized ginger)

I used a combination of dried cranberries, dried cherries and dried blueberries.

Place in a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Test with toothpick to make sure it is cooked before removing from oven. 

Cool on a rack before removing from pan.

I doubled the recipe and made two loaves.

Hope you like it Clara.

Mr. HB and I recently watched a delightful film.

"The 100 Foot Journey" starring Helen Mirren and it was filmed in France.

I highly recommend it.

I'm feeling sleepy so I am going to close for now...

I am going to read my book and climb under the duvet.

Be Happy and Stay Cozy!

Out with the old and in with the new...OOTD

I culled a few garments last week from our teeny tiny closet...
they were Tees that had pilled and were looking faded.
I hang most of my clothes to dry so pilling is not usually a problem but those Tees were quite cheap and I think they were worn so often and were layered with vests and sweaters perhaps that is why they were badly abraded.

I did not replace them as I have two long sleeved Tees still in the closet.
Instead I opted for one new top...and a scarf.

Lands' End tunic top in a black and white stripe.

I wore this to the Winter Harp Concert with black leggings and Mee Too ballet flats.

Lands' End did a great job matching the stripes when sewing this top.

I snapped this picture from the car when driving home from the concert...

(I was in the passenger seat)

the legislative buildings in Victoria are lit up for Christmas.

This patterned scarf folded in half ~ black, grey and creamy beige shades.

The fabric has a felted texture and was purchased from the Oak Bay Avenue Pharmasave.

It has no tag to say what the fabric content is or who or where it was made...

As it mixes and matches with almost everything in my closet it is going to get a LOT of wear...

it may even come with me to Paris.

I spy with my little eye something that is silver...

I found a carry on that meets the strict requirements of Air France...

an early Xmas gift to myself 

purchased at 60% off regular price AND I used my senior's discount!

It's good that it expands,

just in case I buy some things in Paris and need to check it on the flight home!

Mimi Thorisson author of the blog Manger has a cookbook out and it is full of fabulous French Country recipes.

This would make a great gift for the foodie on your Christmas list.

I have been drooling over her seasonal menus and cannot stop staring at the beautiful, sensual and sumptuous photographs in this book...

 artfully captured by her talented husband Oddur.

I whipped up a couple of loaves of fruit bread

read most of  "The House I Loved"...

I caught up on some much needed sleep...

Darling grand daughter Isla has been ill and my mind has not been able to completely turn off worrying about her.

She is on the mend thanks to antibiotics and I am looking forward to my "Grammy Day" this coming week.

I hope that Henry doesn't come down with the bug.

I was surprised when I recently got a thank you from Hermes in the mail.

I must admit that I am very impressed...

"Good Manners are Always in Fashion."

Must close for now 

as I need to get dinner organized.

Thank you for your comments and book suggestions...

until next time...

Be Well.

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!

OOTD getting my happy on.

The gloomy sky looms above
sipping coffee without cream...
seem to have contributed and clouded my usual cheery morning.

I am sitting at the table, in front of the laptop, still wearing my bath robe...
thinking about today...
my attitude...
how it can make or break the moments
that together link up
to set the tone
as the morning
slowly unfolds...

Agreed, my appearance is rather sloth like, and one that I would be most assuredly be ticketed
by the Fashion Police should they venture this far off the beaten track!

Cheers!

Here's a cocktail sitting on the counter.

Well it is not really a cocktail, it's a trap...

for fruit flies that have descended on the Humble Bungalow Kitchen.

Recipe for fruit fly cocktail

take one tall glass

(preferably encrusted with bees made in France!)

banana peel and lemon lime Gatorade

plastic film

elastic band

poke a few holes in the top and wait...

Reason for the fruit flies...

we recycle all our food scraps

as per the municipality's recycling program.

Standard issue recycling bucket lined with biodegradable liners.

(Hostess approved green top)

What light through yonder window breaks...

Christmas cactus.

White orchids blooming in the living room on the mantle.

a pretty lime tinged center...

Le Creuset pots and pans live here...all lime green.

A wok, two fry pans, a dutch oven and this sweet pot.

I love how pretty they are to look at when I cook with them.

I've decided that I need an infusion of colour today...

My first Hermes scarf purchased while on holiday in San Fransisco.

A reader mentioned recently I should wear more of the lime green shade.

I know it is a serious pop of colour 

but sometimes one just craves the energy one gets when standing out like a peacock.

BTW Lands' End sent me an email this morning...

"trending now the long sweater"

well I am well on my way and who knew it was a trend?

Cheap and cheerful Mossimo long knit cotton sweater drastically discounted from Target.

Hermes scarf

skinny jeans and ballet flats.

I'm off to get dressed now and get on with my day.

Hope you've got your HAPPY on today!

Cheers