OOTD ~ Not a Birthday Suit!

March 3rd came and went in a flash...
the birthday celebrations started a few days before and are continuing well into the weekend.

~ Tea and nail polish two routines that I now view as rituals. ~

At 61 years of age I have lived long enough to know what I "need" to be happy.

often it is "not doing" 

but resting 

or

 taking "time out" for scenic walks that makes the biggest difference.

Shutting out the "should"  messages and exploring the "could" messages is also incredibly powerful. Freeing up time for personal hobbies and enriching activities makes me feel so much contentment.

Embracing the attitude of gratitude made the most significant change in my life.

It sounds like a little thing because it is relatively easy

and 

 it alters the perception of everything in such a positive way.

I have learned a lot about life during these past decades

my body is not as young or toned as it used to be

there are aches and pains

there is wisdom

inside

outside there are the signs of aging

"laugh lines" sound so much better than "wrinkles"

this arts and crafts oak table shows signs of wear and it is circa 1912

much older than I am 

we are not refinishing it or giving it a "face lift"

this table has a history

it's imperfections are indicative of it's age

I like to think that is true about women as we age...

many stories

history

our faces reflecting life, love, and laughter over time.

My Mother, sister and I walked along the Esplanade at Willows Beach before dining at the Snug in the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

The light was quite luminous after the rain.

Friends joined us for a casual delicious sushi dinner at The Oak Bay Marina.

Three tasty truffles were shared 6 ways!

Mr. HB gave me a silver bangle to add to my collection.

This one is carved by a First Nations artisan, Alex Helin.

He was the youngest carver to work on the totem for The Commonwealth Games.

The carving on the bangle is in the hummingbird pattern which represents healing, joy and love.

Flowers arrived from dear friends who live in Vancouver and the south of France.

My favourite bouquets consist of white  and green flowers with a smattering of greenery.

OOTD

NYDJ skinny jeans

 Chaus printed tunic top

~ The good news is that I can rise my right arm high enough to take this picture ~

(physiotherapy, exercises and massage are paying off)

View from the change room...

I'm looking for new black ponte knit pants.

My current pair are 2 years old and I wear them twice a week at least so they are on their way out.

I tried on 3 pairs but they were not made of thick and sturdy fabric.

I want them to hold their shape and wear well.

The birthday celebrations will continue into the weekend.

What plans have you got for the weekend?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD dinner out with the family

This past weekend we took our family our for dinner to celebrate our son's 35th birthday.
The grand children were on their best behaviour and the food was delicious...it was nice to go out.

I wore my grey pearls and vintage Nine West embellished cardigan over a black tank top and velvet pants.

The sweater was a recent purchase from VV Boutique, a large thrift shop in Victoria.

Velvet pants and my ancient Amalfi patent leather shoes.

My idea of one notch up from casual.

Comfy to wear with the children yet dressy enough to go out for dinner.

My meal was tasty and rich.

 I savoured the garlic whipped mound of mashed potatoes!

Sometimes one just MUST splurge.

The next week will involve some healthy lunches.

A simple wrap spread with a couple of tablespoons of hummus and loaded with fresh veggies.

I love this kind of lunch...

the softness of the wrap and the crispy crunch of the veggies

and the bonus is that the hummus is full of protein.

One of the benefits of blogging are the comments and the emails received behind the scenes.

Thank you for your kind words of support and taking time to relate your personal stories.

There is a large community of women out there 

who care for each other 

and 

are not afraid of sharing.

I am grateful and humbled.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Simple Joys...

Thank goodness for a quiet weekend to relax and enjoy the simple things...

Hot ancient grains and oats by Rogers and a fresh kiwi for breakfast.

Warming from the inside out on a cold morning.

Pure goodness and a healthy choice...

a simple joy to start the day.

Sipping some tasty tea and listening to the birdsong outside...

Silk Road makes some of my favourite blends

 they are located downtown in Victoria's Heritage Chinatown.

They have a lovely little spa and make wonderful skin care and bath products.

They also have an online shop for those of you who live further away...

The freedom to stay in my PJ's until 11:00 in the morning.

it felt truly decadent and luxurious...

JOY!

speaking of a little luxury I pulled out all my Hermes scarves 

and opened all the orange boxes and had a peek.

It has been awhile since I have worn them as our weather calls for wool and cashmere scarves and mufflers.

that wee pink scarf is the one that I bought in Paris

really my only significant souvenir other than my memories

this black and white Hermes scarf is the one I wear most often

I wore a Symplii black dress and black tights with my booties to the celebration of life on Friday

skipped perfume but layered on some classic pearls

lots of familiar faces were at the service

nearly a full house

it was a fine tribute

the food was perfect and I got some experience as a server carrying trays

it is not as easy as it looks!

There were a dozen or so friends and family members serving and we all were rookies together so it was fine.

"Security in numbers!"

There are so many interesting and eye catching things popping up on my waking and driving routes these days...

This tree is on my drive home from bridge and Mah Jong.

It is really quite unusual and reminds me of a dancing woman...

( my imagination runs away with me sometimes!)

snowdrops are up

sweet scented buds

emerging 

spreading pink scented wafts into the air

Hope that you are enjoying your weekend and are avoiding all those nasty colds and flu's that are about...

my throat is feeling a bit scratchy so I am pacing myself.

"I think it's important to find the little things in everyday life that make you happy."

Paula Cole

Christmas count down....

Christmas in 5 days...
time to wrap presents, write out and plan the menus, shop for the groceries, and deliver gifts.
There have been parties and open houses all great excuses to get dressed up and be social.

Today I took some time to savour a cafe au lait...

and catch up on my blog reading.

Lisa at a mid life of privilege wrote a thought provoking post yesterday 

you might like to pop over and read it .

The grand children and I made a sleigh for "Santa"...

the porcupine on top of the sleigh is Santa.

(I point this out just in case you did not recognize him)

These two weary workers are "the elves"

I suspect that there are a lot of weary folks out and about these days.

It is difficult juggling work, family with the added responsibility of  Christmas

preparations.

Even Santa has his helpers.

These wee felted animals were a small gift to the grandchildren on our "play date" last week.

I popped over and had an afternoon of fun and games while our lovely DIL ran some errands and did some shopping.

The wee ones are so excited!

I can remember back to my childhood when my sister and I would lie under the Xmas tree with the Sears and Eaton's catalogues and dream about what Santa Claus might bring.

We were oblivious to the extra work that Mother was going through to make sure that Christmas would be memorable.

Every year she sewed us matching dresses...one for her and then one for each of us.

Velvet was the fabric of choice 

 ours had lace trim at the neck and sleeves and sometimes on the hem.

Bright colours were her passion and I recall dresses in fuchsia, teal, cobalt blue and red.

The cookie tins were filled with her traditional cookies, bars and squares.

Heavy fruitcakes with almond paste were baked and regularly doused with sherry...

kept in our cool sunroom until guests arrived for various parties.

Mother never seemed to be stressed or tired...

as kids we were oblivious on what was required to "make Christmas happen"...

We were rather distracted 

dreaming about our Christmas morning stockings 

filled with an orange in the toe

 a Cadbury Flake Bar 

a few small toys.

Such great memories...

Our Christmas will look slightly different this year

as we will be celebrating over two days instead of just the one with the family.

Our children are carving out some new traditions of their own 

making memories for their wee ones and partners.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Festive season snippets..all is calm, all is bright.

The festive season is in full swing...
socials, lunches, parties, shopping, baking, gift giving, concerts, Christmas Carols, decorations, egg nog lattes and gingerbread houses are just a few of the highlights that I savour and enjoy.
It is a busy time of year.

Maintaining balance and calm we like taking a drive in the country and having a healthy lunch in a waterfront bistro.

These beautiful swans look pretty content nibbling in the farmer's field.

You can see the pumpkins in the back ground and the raindrops on the window of Mr. HB's car.

Caesar salad with kale and romaine lettuce.

Served at Haro's waterfront bistro in the Sidney Pier Hotel.

I spy with my little eye a wee kitten in an Advent calendar...

in one of the shops along Oak Bay Avenue.

Felted animals...

I have a serious crush on these charming wee cute and cuddly creatures!

Christmas Tree in the lobby of the Laurel Point Hotel where we took in the annual decorated gingerbread house display.

The baking and decorating of the gingerbread displays is quite impressive.

I remember trying to make one years ago and it listed so far to the right that it fell apart!

Neighbours are decorating...

the streets looks quite bright and festive.

Oops 

a gold bauble blew down in the gale force winds...

I stopped on my walk to capture the image not realizing that I would be visible in the reflection.

I'll be posting sporadically over the next weeks as there are so many wonderful and engaging activities to enjoy.

Right now I have my nose firmly planted in Louise Penny's latest novel 

the Inspector Gamache mystery series..."The Nature of the Beast" is brilliant!

If you have never read Louise's books start with the first in the series and work your way up.

She uses the same characters and they develop over time.

Thank you for stopping by...

OOTD what I wore to a party.

Tis the season to be sparkly...fa la la la la la la la la.

OOTD

Vintage Woodwards sequin top

Black Nygaard velvet pants

Stuart Weitzman patent shoes with gross grain bows

Hand sewn sequins = Holiday sparkle.

Ready to go...

I had my hair cut and few layers put back to free up the natural curl.

I opted for bright Red lips for the evening...

Hand hammered sterling earrings...vintage.

Standing by the fridge so that Mr. HB could take a picture for me to text to lovely daughter.

My arms are so short that a selfie would not have worked.

The food was catered by Julie.

The Tapas were delicious and  totally amazing.

She kept them coming hot out of the oven...I don't know how she does it!

The tasty skinny bread sticks were a big hit.

Tapenaude, stuffed dates and fig spread, assorted cheeses, nuts, crackers, a frittata type tarte.

Smoked salmon, beef tenderloin, crispy cubes of pork belly.

Lox, cream cheese and caviar...I enjoyed several of these tasty morsels.

Love how the caviar "pops" a salty sensation when you bite into it.

Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto and grilled.

My favourite were the Lamb "Popsicles."

Fresh off the BBQ and drizzled with curry sauce.

Vikram Vij has a recipe for these in his cookbook.

later on in the evening...

With a fun group of people

good food

great conversations

a present exchange 

bubbly

wine

Single Malt Scotch

we had all the ingredients for a Party.

They all came together to make for an enjoyable evening.

Thanks again to Julie!