Showing posts with label blues. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blues. Show all posts

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Blues ~ Tea, clothes, books and knitting




~ Tea ~
The Elixir of the Gods

I partake in afternoon tea each day.
It might be served with a silver service or poured over a bag in a humble mug.

Tea is good accompanied with a small snack...
a cookie, an apple, or a few bites of chocolate.


Decaf tea is my go to brew after 4pm and later in the evening, after dinner.


Tea goes well with my knitting :-))

The Miriam pattern sweater (available on Ravelry)
Rowan Felted Tweed yarn.

Italian wool and alpaca blend, so soft.

You may remember that I knit one of these casual cardigans in soft grey and love it!
I chose this turquoise shade as I think it will pair well 
with my classic denim and black wardrobe.


My chunky pearls and the new shirt...


Caught my eye while shopping... versatile soft Tencel shirt
 inexpensive and will fit in well with my minimalist wardrobe.

I don't buy a lot of clothes,
 but when I see something that meets all the criteria that I have for garments I pounce!

Life continues to be busy...
lots of social opportunities and meet ups are on the calendar.
Being a social being I quite like the flurry of activity.

I do enjoy quiet time and spend part of each day here in The Humble Bungalow 
tidying, cooking, doing laundry, knitting and reading.


Am immersed in this story set in Tuscany...
loving the characters and the setting.
It spans several decades and follows the lives of a group of friends
and acquaintances on their adventures.

Apparently it was named number one of the "best books" for 2023. 

I've got quite a few books on my TBR list...
have some Holds at the library and a few on my bookshelf.

Reading continues to be one of the luxuries that I really enjoy since retiring.
I used to be too busy when I worked full time to really get into a novel.
Holidays were the only time that I could devote a chunk of my days to books.

I was such an avid reader as a young girl growing up...
I always had my nose in a book!

I was a regular at the local Carnegie library downtown.

It all started with Nancy Drew mystery books, 
then L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables series.
I graduated to more serious fiction in High School 
reading various authors among them: 
Aldous Huxley, 
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leon Uris, Ayn Rand, Leo Tolstoy
Walt Whitman

I have read and continue to enjoy many genres.
Reading is definitely a passion of mine and I always have a book on the go.

Are you an avid reader?
Who are your favourite writers?
What are you reading now?

It is time for me to close this post and get busy with dinner.

Hope that you are well and enjoying the start to the New Year.

~Be Well and Be Kind ~

Friday, March 13, 2020

Shopping my closet...casual denim for Spring

I have been wearing my go-to cashmere sweaters with jeans but with the sunnier days and Spring flinging our way I've been looking in my closet and thinking about dressing in lighter clothes.


Cailey 22 lightweight denim shirt 
In winter I layer this shirt under my black V neck cashmere sweater.


Gap heavier denim shirt
this works alone or layered over top of a Tee or top.


Gap shirt
Eileen Fisher sleeveless top
Letol French scarf
(was included in a previous delivery of My Stylish French Box)


Gap denim dress
layered over a long sleeve Eileen Fisher top

(I may purchase a pair of white capri tights to pair with these two pieces)


A lovely scarf...
with
cheerful colours
heavier and can also be worn as a shawl.


Works really well with denim and chambray garments.


I am trying not to panic 
after the recent announcement of the world wide Covid-19 pandemic.


Looking at the bright spots in my daily round.


I plan to do some "deeper cleaning" here in The Humble Bungalow.

Bathrooms, surfaces and door knobs will be disinfected.
We have not travelled on a plane or left the country and hope that people who  are ill will stay at home and self isolate.


Nice scented soap


Wash your hands well and avoid touching your face 
to minimize your chance of getting the disease.

Make sure you have 2 weeks of non perishable food on hand 
in case of an emergency.
(just like you would have in your earthquake preparedness kit)

Many people have been panic purchasing toilet paper and hand sanitizers.

According to scientists soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizers.

Of course we don't have access to these when we are in our cars 
so maybe keep a bottle handy when you are between the shops and your home.


Planning to avoid large crowds...

Having had pneumonia 3 times in the past and at 65 years of age
 I may be one of the demographic that needs to exercise more care.

Happy Weekend!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Monday, June 25, 2018

The blues...

I've been quietly collecting more blue items in my wardrobe...
it all started so innocently.




Blue jeans have always been a star performer in my wardrobe...
they are what I consider to be a serious workhorse and they have been in my closet since I was a teenager.

I have three pairs of blue jeans...all by NYDJ.

Slowly, over the past year, I have added these blue items:

a denim shirt - Ralph Lauren
a blue chambray shirt ~ Cailey 22
a pale blue tencel shirt - Lord and Taylor
a navy and white top -Saint James
a thrifted denim jacket - no name tag inside ?
two blue and white striped tops - Cupio and Antibes Blanc
two pairs of blue shoes - Jungla and Ecco

prescription glasses - Face a Face Paris


You can see the blues in the 
centre of my wardrobe.

This is what the circa 1913 era closet looks like
its very small and not at all organized
currently on our list of future projects...
perhaps this fall or winter
it is part of the bedroom remodel that has been on our list for many years.
Our remodel list is getting smaller as the years buzz by...


Busy buzzing bees hard at work in the beautiful blue Agapanthus.


The Ralph Lauren denim shirt


Antibes Blanc linen top


No name denim jacket
white NYDJ jeans


I almost forgot about the blue patterned swimsuit!


The NYDJ boyfriend style jeans
are super comfy and great for the summer weather...
casual style dressing with a pop of red.

The blue and beige linen duvet cover will figure prominenlty in our remodelled bedroom as we plan to install white panelling and use blue accents.
Maybe we will get busy and organize something this Fall.

What have you introduced into your basic wardobe over the past year?
Are you playing it safe with colour or kicking it up a notch?


Blue
Grape hyacinths an image from the archives.

Hope that your week is off to a great start.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~


Friday, March 16, 2018

I've got the blues....


Blue porcelain pottery


Tumbling bunnies


lilting lyrics


Artist and porcelain maker Harumi Ota gave local artist Robert Amos lessons.
 Robert has created a whimsical line of vessels.
This one was a gift from our darling daughter Jennifer.


The two bowls shown here are by Harumi Ota.
I have had them several years.
For those of you reading this post who may be local 
they were purchased from a local gallery in Oak Bay called Eclectic.
 Harumi Ota frequently sells his work at The Moss Street Market on Saturdays.


Here's my new swimsuit...
also blue and white.

Finding a "flattering" suit was quite a challenge.
First off there was a limited selection in my price range
and 
coming to grips with my ample figure "weighed heavily"
I wanted decent support and good coverage...
needing to camouflage the "wobbly bits" as much as possible.

I ended up at a bathing suit specialty shop...
where they have many sizes and styles and expert fitters.

While in the change rooms I overheard many women's conversations 
 ALL of which were lamenting that they were FAT!

They were mostly young women and teenagers...
I was the eldest by far!

We are sensitive and critical of our bodies...
not everyone can be the same size or shape
we all have "problem areas"
no one is perfect.

 I am overweight
I know that I should slim down and get back to my WW goal weight.
 I have a serious conversation with myself about this regularly...
and its not really working.

I eat healthy
I try not to indulge in chocolates or sweets.
I walk every day and swim once a week.

I look around at the pool and there are women of all shapes and sizes.
There are some who would be considered morbidly obese 
in swimsuits much bigger than mine 
participating in the Aqua Fit classes...

How do they feel in their own skin?
Do we all have negative thoughts about our body image?
Is this a healthy way of thinking?


Here's my healthy lunch.

I AM going to try harder, starting right now, 
TODAY!

How about you?

Are you struggling to lose weight?
How do you feel about your body image?

Have you been swimsuit shopping lately?
Are you shocked by the swimsuit prices?
(many that I looked at were over $200)

Its a lovely sunny day and I am heading out for my second walk.

Thank you for reading my humble blog and I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~


Saturday, March 10, 2018

OOTD...Blues from France and Britain

One of my recent outfits
is a mix of makers...
one from France and the other from the UK.

I cannot say enough about the Saint James brand of clothing...
I absolutely LOVE their clothes.


The skirt is a smidgen above my knees
which is fine by me.
 I wear opaque tights and the black Chelsea boots


I like the mix of textures...


I could wear my pearls for a more classic look.


or
wear this twill scarf
which was Mom's 


or 
this Swiss Vetter silk scarf
that I found at the thrift shop.

If I was feeling adventurous 
I'd buy a bright yellow pair of tights and amp up the colour story.


This Saint James top has weight to it...
which makes it warm on its' own 
or 
on colder days it can be worn under my puffy blue down vest.
It marries well with my jeans too.


The skirt is an oldie but a goodie...

I've been trying to play around more with accessories.
They really make getting dressed feel a lot more creative.

Do you mix up what you wear or tend to stick with the same pairing of outfits.


There are blue skies above and it is a gorgeous sunny day out so I wil close for now and wish you all a wonderful weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~



Tuesday, June 13, 2017

OOTD and some things BLUE.

There are more blue garments creeping into my basic black and grey wardrobe.
I seem to be drawn to this colour...
With the grey hair multiplying the blues seem to be a flattering shade.


Stripes and patterned tops.


These will be worn with white UP pants and NYDJ jeans.
I recently discovered UP pants and they are super stretchy and very comfortable.
I found mine in a shop in the Cook Street Village area of Victoria.


OOTD 
Yoga class attire
Mom's cashmere cardigan Jones of NY
white tee Joe Fresh
yoga pants Reflex
shoes Jungla


These are not instruments of torture
they are props for my Yoga practice.

Since joining the Yoga studio I have had far less hip and knee pain.
It is noticeable...and I welcome the relief.

There is an Osteo class several times a week at the studio 
I think it might be my favourite class. 
Having been diagnosed with osteopenia years ago
I know how important it is to be mindful of the risks of breakage.
Building and maintaining bone mass and bone density is a priority.

Walking and weigh bearing exercise can help with bone building...
and now the Yoga moves using the spiky ball and the belt.
Here is an article from Harvard that you might find interesting.

Women with osteo issues are prone to fractures of the ribs and hips 
so by working on igniting the osteoblasts and building bone density we can avoid some of the pitfalls of the condition.


Have you invited some brighter colours into your wardrobe lately?

"For happiness one needs security, but joy can spring like a flower 
even from the cliffs of despair. "

~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh ~

Thank you for stopping by 
The Humble Bungalow Blog today...

Monday, July 13, 2015

OOTD ~ Boots!

Today I wore boots and the weather is sunny and hot...
boots were required footwear as I spent the better part of the day mucking about in the dirt.


I just finished rinsing them off as they were caked with mud.
Did I mention that I am a really messy gardener?
There is no way I can stay clean...dirt smears on my face and arms.
I wear gloves but I somehow still get dirt under my nails...
I clean up fine afterwards when I come inside.
I often wonder what the neighbours who walk by and stop to chat must think.
They must be amused by my state of dress.

I garden in Yoga Capri's and a Tee shirt.
Socks and Boots!

I worked out front of our Humble Bungalow today...
I was focusing on a bed that has had a massive cull of weeds...
well they are not weeds exactly they are just behaving like weeds.
Invasive euphorbia and dog violets.
Both are on my "naughty list."


This bed is a bit of a mixed bag...
once the weeds were removed and a few random pieces of slate there was a lot of bare spaces.

Original plants are:
Japanese Red Maple planted in a pot
Eryngium (Sea Holly)
Lavender
Giant Rudbeckia
Boxwood Hedge on one side
Rose (placed on the boulevard for free)
 Libertia
Anchusa
Lady's Mantle
Ground cover the name escapes me
pot filled with spurge and a hosta


New plants:
Blue Fescue grasses
 Bugbane
 Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) with lime green flowers
a variegated spurge
Blue Salvias 
Russian Sage 
Yellow Rudbeckia
Limelight Hydrangea

All of these are reported to be deer resistant plants.


Eryngium


slightly prickly 


The bees love it!




Black Mondo Grass with a lime green rock plant.


Sum and Substance Hosta Boxwood in urn
Hydrangea and Gertrude Jekyll Rose in background.


Coreopsis 
Lily of the Valley (used as a ground cover)
McCartney Rose (on the left)
Jude the Obscure David Austin Rose (on the right)


Hydrangeas
Nerine Bowdenii


Limelight hydrangea
on pergola Constance Spry David Austin Rose



Area at head of the gravel driveway
Assorted Grasses
Hostas
Hellebore
Variegated Iris
Variegated Sedum
Potted Hens and Chicks
Crocosmia


Mr. HB printed off a garden plan and we have been discussing some of the options to reduce the time spent toiling in the garden in order to leave some time to actually sit and enjoy the space!
On his list is a green house which we plan to have installed so that we can grow tomatoes and a few veggies.
The overhaul of the lawn is probably the biggest job and will make a huge difference.
We plan to grass in most of the north side yard behind the gate in the back and fill in many of the beds and redo the entire back lawn and remove a few other beds.

Anyways those plans are a bit off in the future.
So I must content myself with small improvements that I can do by myself until I can find a strong garden helper.

I must close for now and prepare dinner...
I've worked up quite an appetite with all the digging and planting today.
We are indulging in a seldom served treat...
BBQ Beef Burgers with coleslaw.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog...
I appreciate you stopping by The Humble Bungalow.