Bringing France Home...My Stylish French Box

It has been 2 years since I travelled to Paris and the SW of France...
my love for the French countryside and the sights and sounds are still very vivid.

For the time being, I incorporate as many French habits and French products into my daily routines.

French Soaps, candles, hand lotion, recipes, and books set in France and Paris keep the memories alive and I feel content.

Do you follow Sharon Santoni's blog My French Country Home?

Sharon is a busy lady...
besides keeping a lovely home and garden she has written a lovely book My Stylish French Girlfriends and another book will be available in August...
My French Country Home.
I love her first book and have preordered her second...

BUT this is not all that Sharon does...
she has created the sumptuous My Stylish French Box...

I splurged and subscribed...these French themed boxes arrive every few months and are filled with wonderful French gifts. Each box is wrapped in ribbon and the contents are carefully curated and packed with care.

The May box has a rose theme...

I unwrapped these items and took a photo...

a vintage spool with new blush pink velvet ribbon and a pair of scissors

soap

hand lotion and balm

a rose diffuser

slate tiles to use as labels for roses or cheeses 

(or whatever you desire)

a hand made linen tote with a rose print on the front

perfect for shopping

I particularly like the hand "gelee" and I am keeping it handy beside the kitchen sink.

I look forward to trying the balm.

It's so nice to have a box delivered from France that is full of surprises.

 I love how these special delivery boxes transport me back to the French country.

I remember those poppy filled fields near Auvillar

and the roses that clung to the stone buildings.

One day I hope to visit the lush lavender fields of Provence...

but until then I'll dream 

and look forward to another one of Sharon's gift boxes.

BTW all opinions are mine...

I have received no benefits from this post other than to be happy with the contents of the box that I fully paid for!

Most of the readers here are polite and some are rather discourteous and rude...

So there you have it...

I must be

disgraceful

with no ethics

alas

this humble hostess is honest.

I am not ashamed...

The Humble Bungalow Garden is filled 

with the scent of lilacs and muguet des bois.

Our garden roses have started blooming...

and if you did not already know, roses are my favourite flower.

Hope that you are having a great week.

XO

More OOTD...shopping and polish

I have been living in Yoga wear lately as I am going to Yoga 3-4 days a week. It seems silly for me to change clothes when I get home just to action domestic chores, read and prepare dinner. Besides, my Yoga pants are comfy and the tops I wear are Tees topped with a grey cashmere sweater...one that Mother owned...
and the cats do not complain!

My mid section has expanded and I am finding the zippers on my pants do not lay flat anymore and that bugs me so I purchased a pair of Ralph Lauren pull on jeans that are a slimming and flat at the waist...very comfy.
I hope to whittle down my midsection a bit given time...
but I am taking "baby steps"
giving myself permission to lose slowly to avoid added stress.

The top seen below is navy and white stripes with a white under layer showing through...it fits loose but not baggy so it should be cool in the summer.
I can wear this with my white NYDJ jeans too.

This bright and cheerful Columbia raincoat apparently "breathes" 

Do you see how the colour caught my eye?

(its not black!)

This happened innocently 

while I was looking for new deck shoes to wear on the boat. 

The jacket was marked down almost by half and it fits and flatters so I bought it. 

It will be great for walks and with the boating season almost upon us I could not resist.

I own several pieces of Columbia gear for walking and cruising.

I appreciate the quality of these garments.

Whats not to like about active wear with a bit of style?

Here are the deck shoes...also by Columbia.

Not on sale but oh so comfy and I needed them...

somehow last season my deck shoes were lost

I rarely lose things and when I do it drives me a wee bit crazy trying to figure out what happened...

it is a mystery and one that I cannot waste any more time thinking 

obsessing about!

Lisa at a mid life of privilege showed us her freshly painted toes today.

and I got to thinking that I should have a pedicure.

Most of the women at the Yoga studio have their toes painted and I usually indulge in a pedicure from May to September during sandal season.

It is too late to get an appointment at the Spa this afternoon but not to late to try my hand at an at home pedicure. 

The main reason that I get pedicures is because I am not that flexible and my eyesight is dodgy...

well I surprised myself 

Yoga must be helping me with flexibility as I did not find it at all difficult bending over and applying the polish.

I am quite pleased with the results

 not as professional as I would get from the Spa but they are OK.

So Lisa, I must thank you for sharing your toes...

I used Formula X "Thrilling" 

The next time I am in the "downward dog" position I'll enjoy looking at my toes!

It is a long weekend here in BC and we have the Victoria Day parade this Sunday.

I'll be taking a few days off and will catch up with you all next week.
Hope you have a great weekend.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

XO

French themed goodies starting with My Stylish French Box...

Paris and the quaint villages of southern France have a powerful hold on me...
I have so many fabulous memories from my trip.

When life gets rocky I try to be proactive and balance the stress with some self care "tools" that I have practised over the years...
one of which is to reflect on better days,
focusing on the sweet snippets and highlights from happier days.

My travel photos instantly transport me back to those idyllic weeks in France.
Blogs also help to keep me connected...

Sharon Santoni's lovely blog French Country Home  has been one of my favourites for many years. When Sharon announced that she was writing a book I ordered mine before it had been printed...
Recently I learned that she was offering a box of carefully curated French items and I ordered my subscription as soon as I heard that she would deliver to Canada.

My Stylish French Box arrived this week and it was the highlight of my day.
The packaging is exquisite and each item is carefully wrapped...

I carefully and slowly unwrapped each item...and kept saying to my husband how excited I felt...

everything is so beautiful.

satin ribbon bow

tissue

hand printed tags

I love the extra touches that Sharon has put into the presentation of the box.

Fragonard soaps

(I went to the Fragonard museum when I was in Paris.)

a lovely hand made porcelain cup

which Mr. HB suggested that I could use for my morning espresso

Cire Trudon candle

There were other delightful treasures...

a journal, book, pencils, antique glasses and a small soap

These treats could not have come at a better time.

 I have been very busy

 helping Mother navigate her journey with terminal cancer.

Her diagnosis was recent and came as a shock to us all.

Mom had breast cancer 10 years ago in the same area where this lung cancer has presented itself and it has spread to her lymph system and she has pain.

I have cancelled all my commitments for the time being as I want to spend my time with her...

My sister and I received a bit of respite this weekend for the overnights which is a blessing as listening for her call and waking her for her pain meds every 4 hours does not make for a restful night.

Its such an emotional experience 

my heart goes out to those of you who have traveled this path before...

I have a whole new respect for caregivers

I will try and post again in a few days as I do love writing this blog.

Hellebore in a hand picked garden grown bouquet that my BFF brought to Mom.

Friends and Family have been super supportive 

I am so grateful...

THANK YOU ALL!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Labour Day Long Weekend...

We have been out on our boat for the past few days enjoying a relaxing time with friends and family.

Port Browning on Pender Island

Many boats drop the hook and anchor in the bay.

We tie up at the marina as we do not have a generator on board.

There is a lovely beach just over this rocky outcropping.

Beach combing while walking along the shoreline is an activity that I quite enjoy.

I heard that Ellie passed away...

so sad 

she fought long and hard battling ALS.

I hope that she is at rest and that her family will be supported and surrounded with friends and family to help them cope with their grief.

I read her blog and bought her book and hope that she will now be at peace.

I thought about writing a tribute to her here on the blog but after reading 

The Vintage Contessa 

Stephen Andrew Jones 

 Heather from Lost in Arles 

 I felt that they said it best.

I thought of Ellie on my beach walk.

Clam shells were scattered along the stretch of beach...

A driftwood shelter

Rock with a heart on it...

Heart shaped rocks...

might be a strange thing to collect but I do!

Mr. HB found the last two heart rocks.

Queen Anne's Lace and Chicory line the paths...

such a pretty combination Mother Nature has painted for us to enjoy.

I have been savouring every word of Louise Penny's newest mystery novel.

She is a brilliant writer and I absolutely LOVE her books.

I have several chapters left to finish and so I will close for now...

Hope that you have had a lovely weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Home Keeping in The Humble Bungalow

Home keeping is very much a top priority here in The Humble Bungalow.
Keeping house is an ongoing job...no one else notices unless you neglect to keep things neat and tidy!

I have been emailing with a reader and we have been chatting about home keeping and exchanging tips on how we stay motivated and on top of the jobs required to keep the dirt and grime at bay.

I thought that this topic might be of interest to other readers so I quickly cobbled together this post...I hope you'll enjoy it.

Home keeping encompasses many aspects in the domestic arena...
laundry, ironing, dusting, vacuuming and tidying up keeping the clutter under control and out from under foot.

We have the luxury of having hired help every week.
In the two hours dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning of the bathrooms is accomplished.
This helps to keep our home looking spic and span and I take care of the rest.

When I see a mess it creates unwanted stress so I have a daily routine that takes very little time...
I make the bed right after I get up...
fluff the pillows and shake and smooth the duvet.

After showering and having my morning cafe creme
I will empty the dishwasher, put on a load of laundry and do some ironing.

I wander from room to room to look for anything that needs to be put away...
a pair of shoes by the front door, a sweater that hangs on the back of a chair, a magazine or mail that needs to be filed or recycled.

I will opt for one or two chores of a bigger nature if I have the energy...
polishing some silver, cleaning out a few drawers, mending, washing windows, wiping out the fridge, filing receipts etc.

I try to do all the cleaning jobs in the mornings and leave time in the afternoon to meet up with friends, go for a walk, run errands, or grocery shop.

Our kitchen is small and I prefer to see the counters 

not a jumble of appliances cluttering up the space.

Countertops and the sink and stove are wiped clean several times a day.

I keep a bottle of Method cleaner and a microfibre cloth tucked away in the cupboard by the sink.

(I am a messy cook!)

Dish soap, hand soap, lotion and scrubbers are kept on a tray beside the sink.

Dishes are white and I have mixed antique ironstone with new pieces.

Having glass cupboard doors makes one feel the need to keep the dishes tidy.

We keep a basket by the stairs where we put our recycling and take it down to the bins once or twice a day if it is full.

Storage is an issue in a small home so we try not to accumulate too much stuff.

Our main bathroom has a built in medicine chest but no other storage so we improvised by adding an arts and crafts wood shelf to store the towels.

The bathroom sink needs wiping daily 

which I do after putting on my make up and brushing my teeth.

The laundry room...

I spend a lot of time down stairs 

 it is so nice to have a clean and bright place to do my work. 

I have a small ironing board that fits on top of this counter for small things like linen napkins and dish towels.

The big ironing board is stored in a closet and I use it for shirts and sheets.

The handy drying rack is used a lot for delicate things like lingerie.

I also hang my tees and tops and yoga pants and find that they last longer when not subjected to the heat of the dryer.

I recommend that you read Fiona Ferris's book Thirty Chic Days 

for more hints and tips on home keeping and cultivating a rich and joyful life.

Isn't this a gorgeous flower?

It was swarming with bees and I had to step into the bed and stand on the dirt to capture this image...

I am going to take a blogging break.

I don't plan to be off line too long but I need some time to consider some new topics as I feel like my post are becoming a bit redundant.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Roses, flowers, books and an OOTD

Jude the Obscure is a stalwart David Austin Rose and is my favourite in
The Humble Bungalow Garden...

You may be bored to tears of seeing snapshots of this rose but I cannot help but share a few more...if you are tired of seeing it you must click away now!

Paired with Lady's Mantle the peachy shade looks gorgeous.

The rose petals are scalloped and the blooms are plump.

The fragrance tends to be on the citrus side and is very heady...

I like them in the main bathroom as the room is small and the rose scent lingers.

The IPhone lens was dirty when I captured this image and it almost looks like a special effect...

Bright Yellow Begonia seen on one of my walks.

Another "special effects" image of one of our David Austin roses.

If you look closely you can see the dewdrops on the petals.

I finished this book and I enjoyed it...a perfect summer read.

I have been sipping homemade lemonade.

It is so easy to make...

In a glass pitcher

 squeeze a couple of fresh lemons ~ approximately 1/2 cup of juice

add a wee bit of sugar  ~ maybe 1/4 cup

and top up with water ~ 2- 3 cups

stir well until the sugar is dissolved.

Add ice to the glass

and

Pop in a lemon wedge.

Enjoy!

I admire Hollyhocks from afar...in other peoples gardens...

I have tried several times to grow them in our garden but they do not like our clay soil.

They are such a classic cottage garden favourite.

These were blooming by the edge of the Esplanade at Willows Beach in Oak Bay.

I was tempted to grab some of the seed pods and try planting them in our garden but I did not want to "steal" them!

Love this deep shade and the ruffly petals...so pretty.

OOTD

(please try to ignore the chicken neck!)

I wore a Betty Barclay striped top with my Hermes scarf...

black "Yoga Style" capris pants

with cross trainer runners.

I find my feet are happiest when I wear supportive athletic shoes...

(I just wish they looked a bit more stylish.)

I met a friend H who also writes a blog (Pondside) for a walk and a coffee...

we ambled through the streets in Oak Bay

we found ourselves at The Demitasse where they sell plants 

(as well as food and beverages)

A fabulous small nursery, probably my favourite.

 They sell many unusual varieties of flowers, trees and plants.

We both purchased a variegated non spreading buff coloured Alstromeria

It was so nice to sit and catch up and chat with H.

She is a knitter like myself

 we are thinking that we may start up a small knitting group.

When I got home twin fawns were running up the street and I took a video 

which I posted on my Instagram page 

oh my they are so adorable...

But where was their mom?

I have a busy agenda for the next few days so I will be away from my blog but you can follow me on Instagram...link on the blog sidebar.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~