Prints Charming...

Prints and patterns do not factor into my core wardrobe in a very big way...
stripes yes,
but prints are rare.

Hermes scarves are where the prints come into play.

Did you know that Hermes recommend that you refrain from wearing their silk scarves in the rain?
These Hermes scarves are just a few from my collection of scarves...
I love scarves for their ability to add colour and flair to the plain and simple garments that I own.

Seeing as how we are talking about charming prints I'd like to show you my most recent purchase...
fasten your seatbelts...they are kind of wild!

I found a pair of what I can only describe as "party pants" with soft orange roses on a black background.
You might be laughing...as they are rather a departure from my usual restrained and conservative clothes.
They have an elastic band at the waist and at the bottom of the pants they are gathered in, rather like harem pants!
They are made of a very light polyester and will roll easily in the carry on and the big bonus is that they will not crease...I bought them at Target at their closing out sale for $15.00.

I plan to take these to Paris and will wear them as PJ bottoms when I am in the city of light and when I travel south I will have the option of wearing them as pants.

I've planned to get a spa pedicure before I leave and will opt for an orange or coral polish.

 Lands' End coral cashmere cardigan and simple pearls...

A basic black tank top and the cardigan will make great partners.

The colours are such a tonic right now...our weather has been so gloomy and wet.

I took this picture a year or so ago...

Heart shaped puddle.

Summer Humble Bungalow rose...Jacob's Coat.

Chihuly Gardens in Seattle Washington

love the punch of orange!

I've been busy in the kitchen making pots of soups. 

I love having a big pot of something hot and nutritious simmering on the stove.

Dinner is easy when it's a hearty soup and then there are leftovers for lunches 

and you can pop some in the freezer for future use.

They are wonderful to share...

I have taken some to the home of a friend who is going through a tough time.

Soups are comforting...

like a warm hug.

I enjoy the simple act of chopping the vegetables.

The repetition feels very therapeutic....

rather meditative and a perfect rainy day activity.

Rainy walks are much nicer when one has a cheerful umbrella.

I love this shade of green.

Beware! Death Cap mushrooms.

 Patterns on the grey concrete stairs that go down to the beach...

When I get home there will be a soup simmering on the stove

Lemon Chicken with Orzo.

Humble Bungalow greetings to you all from the very wet west coast...

Hope that you have a lovely weekend!

Keep it Simple...Watching my Weight.

I like to keep things simple...
Staying fit should not be complicated or costly...I know if it is I won't do it!
If it is simple and convenient I know that if I keep at it, success will surely follow.

I didn't always feel this way...I thought I could keep fit without much effort...
I was lazy and I admit it was short sighted of me not to put much effort into exercise.

I now choose to walk...it's that simple.

walking...is free
it keeps my bones strong
it burns calories and helps to keep my weight in check
when I walk with a friend...we chat and stop for tea before returning home
when I walk alone I look at the scenery and listen to the sounds of nature
I often stop to take a picture of something that I think beautiful
greeting other walkers along the route imparts a sense of belonging...a community of walkers
many are the same faces that pass
and some are new
most are smiling
even when the winds blow and the raindrops fall

I am so much happier when I walk.

Walking as not something that I did regularly when I worked...
and I now know I could have avoided so much anxiety and stress if I had adopted a regular walking regime...
the weight gain every year which sent my self esteem plummeting
And then there was the sky rocketing blood pressure and prescription medication that I was on for a year...
tick tock it's time to get serious!

My physician read me the riot act and said I needed to lose at least 10% of my body weight or I would be jeopardizing my health...so I joined Weight Watchers.

I purchased a pair of good walking shoes, a pair of black Lands' End performance pants and a bright coloured hooded jacket.

I started slow and revved up my pace, starting with a 20 minute jaunt and then a brisk 60 minutes.

I've written this post in hopes to inspire

and to remind myself that I need to remain committed to fitness.

I have slacked off a bit and the scale has reflected the recent slip...

I'm feeling rather sheepish, guilty is a better word...

and it will become very evident when I weigh in at WW this week.

I know that I need to get back on track

 I'm going to make walking a renewed focus in my daily routine.

I'll capture some of the beauty 

that I see along the way and share it with you here on the blog.

Renewed focus...directed energy...a commitment to health.

I think we are worth it don't you?

What do you do to stay fit and healthy?

Yesterday...

Some days are better than others,
All we can do is put our best face forward and hope for the best...
yesterday was one of "those days."

Our four year old cat, Pepper is ill...
I spent a few hours at the hospital with her
and I left her there overnight for observation.
She has had X-Rays, tests and blood work...
it appears that something is amiss and so we wait...

If pets could talk and tell us what is wrong we'd be so much better able to diagnose their problem and start the correct treatment.
I wonder if she ate something that she should not have ingested...

She was throwing up...
I know it's gross and I won't mention it again,
except to say that our white coverlet on the bed has been laundered.
(I'm so grateful we own a heavy duty washing machine)

I left dinner in the oven for  MR. HB...
he coaxed Pepper into the kennel cab for me as I hastily wrote out the directions to the hospital from a google map...
I was stressed, scribbling the street names
I'm not proud of it but there was some screaming involved...

I got lost on the way to the hospital...
on a rainy dark night, country roads and unfamiliar territory...
our old Volvo wagon does not have a GPS.

I pulled over to the side of the road and "googled" maps, 

I got a message saying "Do you want to install the Google Map APP now?

NOOOOOO....

I want to get to the vet NOW...

I had to stop at a gas station and call the hospital for directions...
turns out I was two blocks short of their location.

Can you feel my tension
you shouldn't...
I'm just venting.

I had my first ever Kuerig coffee...which btw was delicious.

The "reception" at the hospital was warm and welcoming

the patient and caring staff took care of me as well as Pepper.

Let's take a break/diversion shall we?

Yes the red shoes walked with me to French Class...

they were accompanied by my favourite French made Union Jack tote.

Perhaps it is a weird "statement"

 to carry that tote to class 

but both the textbooks

the French English dictionary

  homework and papers

pencils and pens

and

a bottle of Perrier

fit 

perfectly.

C'est la vie.

I passed by a popular flower stall

brimming with colour...

a market with fresh produce...

I wore classic pearls and diamonds...

with my natural tinsel "highlights"

I'll be 60 in a few weeks so I think I have "earned the right to embrace the grey"

(have you noticed how many women "of a certain age" are blogging about going grey ?)

 Joni Mitchell and Joan Didion have been hired as representatives as the "new faces" for fashion houses.

Boomers, are quite possibly, becoming the IT generation!

I spied these gorgeous Hunter Boots in a shop window

and if I had not been running late for class

I would have rushed in 

and tried them on...

I did just buy some cute and comfy Harvest Tomato Lands' End Bianca ballet flats...

and it was not raining...

 look was hanging out in the same shop window as the Hunter Boots.

Last weekend I left this vest in "the Red Store"

(aka Target)

after conferring with my personal fashion advisor

who has never steered me wrong...

(thanks darling...it does add bulk and I am way too short to carry it off!)

so before I close...

Pepper's picture on her file at the vet clinic...

belly up!

I took it when she helped me "fold the laundry" Mr. HB's Socks!

Pepper was an adorable kitten ...

your little buddy Chester is waiting for you Pepper...

he was asleep when I took this...

Pepper snoozing onboard our Sea Ray last summer....

I'm going to phone the hospital soon and see what kind of night she had...

in the meantime...

I feel a wee bit better having written this all down and sharing it.

Who knows if anyone is out there reading these words?

there might just be an audience of empty chairs...

Seeing red...

The past weekend is a bit of a blur...

We went out on Friday night to The Oak Bay Beach Hotel pub for a quick bite and stayed up late watching the TV so we slept in on Saturday morning and had a lazy start to the day.
I went to browse the local Target store...aka "the RED STORE" as Isla calls it...
sadly they are closing all the Canadian stores and I am so very disappointed.
I have shopped there more than any other retailer since they opened. I purchased all kinds of things from...toys, bedding, clothes for the grandchildren, kitchen tools, linens, pillows, candles, home decor items to cards and books.

Sunday we had the grandchildren over for a visit and served up some comforting tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches with ketchup...
Henry and Isla both love to chase the cats around our bungalow and they laugh and squeal with delight...
the cats are not used to this pace and got wise to the game and made a hasty retreat downstairs and stayed there until they left.
Grammy and Grampa had a super fun time!

I made a pot roast for dinner...

It's the easiest recipe ever...

I served it with parsnips, carrots, peas and "gravy" made from the cooking stock thickened with a bit of cornstarch mixed with water.

It was just the two of us for dinner but we lit the candles and sat at the dining room table...

not quite Downton Abbey but civilized nevertheless!

OOTD

Lands' End tunic in black and white stripes

Nygaard ponte knit pants

Mee Too black ballet flats

I have wanted to find red shoes to add some pizazz to my small shoe collection

so when I ordered the Thermacore capris from Lands' End I ordered some red ballet flats.

Harvest Tomato is the name of the shade of the Bianca flats...

They look nice with our kitchen rug...

In the style of the iconic Repetto's from France...

and as a bonus they are currently on sale so they are "budget friendly."

I'm wearing them to French class 

OOTD

 g21 denim skinny jeans

Dex grey bulky knit sweater 

 Burberry scarf.

I'm feeling more energetic and incredibly optimistic today

and Hooray for the sunshine!

Hope your week is off to a great start!

The best laid plans...

Sometimes even with the best laid plans...things beyond our control can necessitate change, which fortunately can be fixed for a price...
After the Paris tour I am going to visit friends in the Midi Pyrenees and have purchased my train ticket but it turns out that I cannot return to Paris on that same train as they are performing annual maintenance on the tracks so the two days that I would have opted to travel I am unable to go by train...so I have called my travel agent to see what she can do to get me on a flight back to Paris or change my flight home.
Fingers crossed she can make it work.

"Planning a trip" just like in life, one needs to be flexible, patient, and not expect that "everything" will go according to plan!

Thank you all for the constructive advice and feedback on my Paris wardrobe...
"3 weeks in a carry on" the first list of things I thought that I would take with me.
I have amended my list already!
I've ordered some light capri length underthings from Lands' End from their thermaskin line and I am pretty sure that...unless the weather forecast drastically changes, the sandals are staying home and my Barbour vest is coming with me!

I've decided to take a long sleeved black dress wrap style instead of the sleeveless Banana Republic dress and may or may not take the print dress...I think my basic look will be black pants or jeans with a tee or a tank and a cashmere sweater, vest and scarf, short boots and trench coat.
I think I'll pack a beret as well as my "texting gloves" and umbrella.

I bought some packing cubes and will use a few of them.

The local pharmacy has been a great source for small sizes of Avene face cleanser, moisturizer, serum, masks and the La Roche Posay 60 spf sunscreen

I've also found wee bottles of Tylenol, hand sanitizer and toiletries.

Zip Loc bags will be used for the liquids and I'll pop in a couple of extra

 just in case my laundry does not dry in time.

I've got several lists in my file with a few more things to find.

 A light Fossil black leather cross body bag was purchased at the consignment shop.

 I will put that inside my Longchamp bag.

I've been so immersed online checking out things to see and do, reading blogs and checking out Pinterest that time has flown by...

 It was way past my lunchtime by the time hunger pangs started so I whipped up an easy egg burrito and brewed a pot of Lapsang Souchon tea.

It tasted delicious.

I was satisfied with the taste and the way it looked.

 (within my daily WW point count)

Tea Time...one of the joys of my afternoon routine.

which is great because the Country Living UK awaits

and Louise Penny's The Beautiful Mystery is on the table too.

Now which one shall I read?

Thoughts and comments are welcome...

you are helping me SO MUCH!