The Humble Bungalow arts and crafts interior...a requested post.

It's taken me a long time to get around to doing a post of the various papers and wall treatments in our arts and crafts bungalow. I humbly apologize, and hope that the reader, whose name escapes me at this moment, has not disappeared because she got too tired of waiting and stopped reading my blog!

Stencils in the dining room.

I made drapes for the Humble Bungalow dining room using this fabric by Sanderson.

There is a lot of dark wood featured in our tiny bungalow...

it's old growth Douglas Fir.

We use this china cabinet to hold our crystal glasses.

Bradbury and Bradbury period arts and crafts paper in the living room.

Repeated in the wee hall with the border

between the den, the bathroom, our bedroom and the dining room.

In the entry hall space that opens up to the living and dining rooms.

We opted for the border in the den.

The kitchen has the same border treatment as the den because they open up to each other.

There are wood cabinets in the kitchen in the same style that mimic the built ins in the dining and living rooms.

The living room of The Humble Bungalow.

Hope you've enjoyed this wee tour...

I needed to sit for a bit, and writing this post helped me rest up after a busy day of gardening.

I think I'll brew a pot of Mariage Freres tea that I purchased in Paris and sit on the couch and watch an episode of the Real Housewives of Melbourne.

My future Son In Law showed us how to record them and this show has become my latest "guilty pleasure!"

Lime Time...

Love love love the colour green!
I adore the taste of limes...
have a "green thumb" and am often "green with envy."

I gravitate toward greens of all shades...

I love to use limes in a gin and tonic cocktail...
(My WW friendly G and T's are made using mostly Perrier with just a splash of tonic)
the wedge of lime is squeezed into the cocktail and then popped into the glass.

Avocado's are a WW high point but healthy splurge...avocado on toast or eaten straight from the skin with a splash of worchestershire sauce and a sprinkling of Sea salt...yum.

Green salads, green beans, green apples, green peas, green smoothie drinks...
so many healthy foods are green.

Our Humble Bungalow front porch is where we often sit after a hard day of working.

I found most of our vintage wicker porch furniture free on the boulevards...

after dragging the chairs and tables home I painted them black.

It's a cozy place to sit and chat.

It's located close to the street so it gives us an opportunity to greet the neighbours 

as they stroll by on the sidewalk.

We have a few dull planters that are going to be transformed by a coat of black paint...

I am not sure why I like black pots in the garden, but I do.

I'm not sure why I love green either but I do...

Does anyone know why we have colour favourites?

Ah but I digress...

 I need to get myself off to the paint store...

and I'm sitting here writing a blog post when I could be painting!

(my excuse is that it's really hot outside ~ I am keeping cool inside)

Do you "feel the heat?"

I do.

 I hydrate with sparkling water all day long so it is rather frustrating...

I garden in the mornings or later in the afternoon when the sun is not so intense.

I cannot remember if I mentioned that Mr. HB has been busy redoing our front porch and stairs.

They were in dire need of restoration.

When I went off to France my darling husband ripped them out and began a long and tedious project.

He improved the look as well as the stability and function of the stairs.

He rebuilt the area in front of the door by ripping out and replacing all the wood. 

Then he extended the treads of the stairs so they were deeper and reconfigured the detail of the sides by using the beveled siding as seen on the original house.

The beveled wood wraps around as you can see and it all needed to be level...

it was a big job but he is finished all the hard work and is ready to prime and paint.

I like the improved functionality and think it looks much better.

We need to decide on the style of the wood railings before the job is complete.

Railings would not have been part of the original design.

 With Mother popping by, 

(and we are aging ourselves!) 

we need to have something sturdy to hang onto.

Hermes scarf

Which I wear with this lime cardigan that I bought last summer from Target.

Cheap and cheerful.

  (I am still lamenting the loss of Target stores in Canada.)

I'm excited to report the wee lizard that we saw awhile ago in our Humble Bungalow Garden has been sighted several more times!

The Limelight hydrangeas are getting ready to flower so there will be lime bouquets in abundance.

That's all to report for now...

what's new with you?

Anything exciting happening in your neck of the woods?

Seeing the light....and a wee bit of sparkle.

Light in Our Humble Bungalow is low...

The design of arts and crafts bungalows have extended overhanging eaves which do minimize the natural light...that's why we have so many electric lamps and light fixtures.

The walls are papered with organic toned period arts and crafts wallpaper which compliment the 100 year old + Douglas fir  beams and wood wall treatments.

Here is a weekend morning image of our dining room...
it is a challenge to get enough light to read a book or knit.

I finished the blanket that I have been working on for grand baby number 3

(I have folded it in half to take the picture.)

It's the classic block pattern that I have used for all the baby blankets and this time I used a thick cotton yarn in an off white shade.

I usually sit in our living room to read in a Morris chair situated right under a large lamp and this book held me spell bound for several days...
It is a thriller in the style of Alfred Hitchcock and I can see this book easily being made into a film.
The characters are very dysfunctional and quirky...the story held my interest and it is worth reading.

The foyer of the Garnier Opera House in Paris was dimly lit...

it would have been originally illuminated with lamps and candles before electricity.

Can you imagine doing fine needlework, knitting or sewing by candle light or an oil lamp?

It would be hard on the eyes.

I purchased this cheerful towel in France.

I spend so much time in my kitchen that I thought it would be a wonderful reminder of my trip.

I've hung it on my stove.

The sponge is from La Cuisine where author and Ooh La La Paris tour leader  Jamie Cat Callan and I took our cooking class together.

I spied this wee key chain at the local Pharmacy on Oak Bay Avenue.

Which instantly reminded me of the Ooh La La Tour!

I forgot to mention in a previous post that I bought two linen Tees at the Monoprix in Paris.

This one is white with a wee bit of sparkle and the other is in a grey nubby linen.

Both are super comfy and very cool for summer.

The Monoprix has cute fashions...

they are basics and available at affordable price points.

Monoprix is like the American Target store...

(wish we still had Target here.)

I treated myself to a couple of new Hermes scents...

this one I have been wearing daily since I got home from France.

I've also indulged in a hot coffee with foamed milk each morning...

(sometimes two!)

I use espresso in my French Press and foam the milk in the Starbucks electric machine.

I like it much better than cream and an added bonus is that it is WW point friendly.

I miss those cute French glass jars that they store and sell yogurt in, in Paris and France.

A little bit of France has back home with me...

in my head and in my heart.

Memories are the best souvenirs.

Like that first kiss 

I think I'll always remember Paris!

It's a sunny day today and it's Mother's 88th birthday so we are taking her out to celebrate.

It's a surprise and my sister and I are in cahoots about where we are going!

Hope she likes what we have planned.

Cheerio

XO

Paris ~ The Palais Garnier

Opulent and ornate are the two words that spring to mind when I think of the Palais Garnier,
the Beaux Arts architecturally designed building in Paris. Formerly The Paris Opera House which is now home to the Paris Ballet Company.

When we were there on tour we were treated to a little rehearsal...

I would love to be in the audience for a full performance.

Can you imagine the beautiful and luxurious gowns that women would have worn to the Opera?

I can visualize arriving by carriage with a lady's maid at my side...

a modern day Cinderella!

So many marble stairs to navigate with a commodious gown and delicate footwear...

one would definitely want to be accompanied by a smart well heeled gentleman.

The intricate designs are utterly breath taking.

from

the radiant lighting 

the colourful fresco's

the scale of the space

the marble carved pillars

the inlaid mosaic flooring...

it's amazing.

We'd convene here for a glass of bubbly during the intermission!

Looking up at the gold and crystal... 

could be a dizzying distraction from the performance.

I'd want opera glasses!

It would be convenient to have one's own box to sit in...

Paris Opera House is a beautiful place to visit...

read more about it here.

I've settled back into my daily round.

The pedestrian life that I lead now has a touch of Parisian glamour.

I've got a bundle of photos and a heart full of delightful memories that are with me as I weave my way through the rooms of our humble home and slowly and mindfully meander along the streets of our charming neighbourhood by the sea.

It's not Paris,

 but there's a wee bit of Paris that has come back with me to my home here in Victoria.

I'll cherish this trip for years to come.

Je t'aime Paris.

Paris Ooh La La Tour details ~ Paris OOTD.

The Ooh La La Tour was filled to the brim with fun and excitement and did not disappoint.
We were in good hands with author Jamie Cat Callan and Art historian Elyse Rivin guiding us along the way...they had arranged everything in advance and all our metro, bus and museum passes were ready when we checked into our hotel.
We walked, explored, shopped, and dined and covered a lot of territory from the Luxembourg Gardens to Versailles.

The Luxembourg Gardens on a rainy day walk...

We enjoyed the museums and found the food in the cafeterias particularly tasty.
The Musee D'Orsay, with their wonderful collection of Impressionist art was my favourite and there was a Bonnard exhibit on display which was an unexpected bonus.

One evening before sunset we took a bateau cruise on the Seine River and took photos of the Eiffel Tower as it lit up.

Some special features of the tour included a wine tasting, a visit to The Fragonard museum, The Cluny museum, chocolate tasting at Chez Richart, Opera Garnier Tour, a visit to Madame Cadolle Lingerie (Madame's grandmother invented the bra!), Palais Royale, Kate Kemp-Griffin told us all about the sensual art of lingerie at the Bon Marche and told us what to look for when buying a well fitting bra, we brunched with the chic and savvy (adorable) Alois Guinut in The Marais
who shared her secrets for Dressing like a Parisian...

So much was packed into our week and it was an amazing experience...
With a group of like minded passionate and energetic women who all came together to thoroughly savour their time in Paris it was a recipe for success.
(we laughed, we cried and we bonded)

The Cluny Museum 

(formerly a Roman Bath)

inside hang the famous tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn.

(no photos of the delicate tapestries were permitted)

I fell in love with the architecture and the ornamentation.

just look at the door details...

Can you imagine how many hours or years it would take to create these buildings?

(and they are still standing today!)

A scene from Woody Allen's movie, Midnight in Paris was filmed here at The Polidor.

I wore the same few clothes over and over during my 3 weeks away 

I relied heavily on accessories to make them look different.

I hand washed my tops and lingerie in shampoo and hung them to dry in my bathroom.

Most of them dried overnight.

The black cowl necked sweater by Wooden Ships transitioned easily from casual to dressy when I paired it with my black pants or my black skirt.

We dined at Les Editeurs one evening for dinner and this book somehow managed to pop off the shelf behind where we were seated and fell into my hands...

(Jamie Cat Callan snapped this photo)

The view from the restaurant...

love the mauve blossoms on the Jacaranda tree.

A wonderful shot of our group as we depart...

au revoir.

I've got a few more Paris posts in the works and there's more ahead from the beautiful and enchanting Village of Auvillar

and my adventures in the South of France.