Black and White....

Black and White seems to be the colour theme here right now...

OOTD

Hermes scarf

Saint James striped top

Barbour vest

NYDJ boyfriend jeans

Red shoes !

Josef Siebel ballet flats!

New lipstick in a brighter shade...

inpsired by Kathy KSL on Instagram.

(she is the talented artist from whom we purchased our most recent piece of art)

I love it!

Not always easy taking a selfie...

but you get the idea of the new shade of lip colour.

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely and its nearly the weekend.

Do you have something fun planned?

Thank you for popping by my Humble Bungalow Blog...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

A Passion for Gardening...a peek inside our back garden.

Gardening is a passion of mine...

I've been pottering about in the dirt 

planting and growing things 

since I was a little girl.

Now that I am in my 60's I find my muscles get tired after several hours.

I used to be able to garden for hours on end...

Ah! 

Those were the "giddy days" 

when my escape from the stresses of work 

was simple

 get into my gardening clothes and totally lose myself in the garden.

Last year we hired a gardener to do the lions share of the work

 I am still very involved just not so much hands on...

I do so love the creative process...

finding pots, plants and placing them in the garden.

Hand watering allows me to evaluate what looks good, 

what may need some TLC 

what changes that I might consider making...

Flowers over grasses

as the blooms elevate the ordinary...

variegated foliage 

lime green

whites

mixed with

black plants

are my preferred shades

On Pender I noticed many bright and cheerful flowers in bloom.

Pretty purple blooms absolutely POP when juxtaposed with the grey of the rocks.

A few more pieces of beach glass to add to the jar 

from a beach near Port Washington.

I found a lovely urn at Renaissance Studio Antiques on Pender Island.

It was a beast to move...

it took two people to wrangle it into my Volvo

and another two people to unload it once I returned home!

Popped a hosta plant into the urn...

behind the urn are planted several mop head hydrangeas in a creamy shade.

They get quite tall and bloom for most of the summer then dry into a tan shade

which look very sculptural and add interest in the Fall months.

At the opposite end of the patio are a mix of hostas and black mondo grasses.

We purchased tomato plants for the greenhouse

and 

a rather wonderful rusty coloured metal orb.

Claire Austin David Austin white roses with a boxwood edging.

Raised Asparagus bed

roses and hydrangeas in the middle

pots with Hellebores and Black Mondo Grass on the exposed aggregate pavers.

Hosta in the urn!

Variegated Iris, Hostas, Black Mondo grass and bluebells

beneath the fragrant pink 

Montana Ruebens clematis

Some new plants...

which I will pop into pots early this week when the rain stops.

These two characters Chester and Pepper follow me around the house 

like a couple of dogs.

They are great company too...

Chester wants to come out and help in the garden...

There will be lots more to see once the weather warms up and the plants start blooming.

The Humble Bungalow Garden is at its peak in May and June. 

Hope you enjoyed this wee garden tour.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Shopping with a nod to Mom...

The damp cold rainy weather has kept me indoors more than usual...

I have gone for shorter walks and took a page out of Mother's book!
Going shopping when inclement weather prevails...
Mom was a super shopper...she could have taught lessons on how to shop!
Mother absolutely loved fashion and clothing , she found such joy wearing and accessorizing her beautiful clothes. She was well turned out until the last couple of weeks before she passed away...and then she only wore her PJ's and bathrobe.

Mom had 4 full closets when she died... many classics and some quite trendy pieces...unfortunately we were not the same size...
I have kept her grey cashmere waterfall sweater and a black wool wrap...
they are so cozy and remind me of her when I wear them.

I've brewed up numerous pots of tea

layered on the extra warm cashmere and wool sweaters and shawls.

(thanks to mom I have two of her coziest)

My hands feel the chill so its nice to warm them with a cup of something hot.

Something soothing and tasty with zero calories!

I am mindful of my WW points and the slimming is slower than last time.

My Chelsea boots are away at the cobbler getting some new heels

so I have been wearing my favourite red shoes...

the pop of red makes me feel happy.

A few red things in the Humble Bungalow kitchen...

"Walking in the shops" has been productive...

(of course mom knew this!)

AND

I found a new coat.

I'd gone into Aritzia to look at their Wilfred Free tops 

as they make a nice basic which fits and has a great shape...

with a silhouette that skims and in a knit fabric that can be casual or dressy

a U hem detail which looks good un-tucked.

I already have one in black.

They were out of my size so I ordered one in a neutral soft light grey shade that I will layer with my white jeans and pants.

While I was in the shop I noticed the Babaton line of lightweight coats...

in a light soft fabric, with almost a Tencel feel.

They were far too long on me and I did not want to pay extra to take one to the seamstress to have it drastically shortened.

I found a similar coat at The Bay by Vero Moda

a deconstructed trench coat in a very light and soft fabric.

It was marked down and I got it for a great price.

Have you noticed how many straw and wicker bags are showing up in the magazines this Spring?

I've got a straw tote bag but it is too large for everyday use...

it's more of a market tote 

one that I use when going to the farmers market or to the beach.

Never fear...

Etsy has oodles of vintage straw and wicker bags...

I spent about an hour looking online and then this one popped up 

I could not resist!

The bag is by Ann Taylor

look at that pop of red!

It will work with my denim skirt and jeans

my red ballet flats

 it has just that little extra oomph which I think will perk up my basics quite nicely.

I am eager to see this and hope that the delivery is speedy.

I found this distressed looking Tee at The Bay this week too...

it looks like nothing (well maybe like a dish rag) on the hanger

 it is much better on!

I will wear this with my white jeans

 layered with my denim shirt

underneath a long white and grey linen top

Maybe even pair it with my black ponte knit pants.

Its going to get a LOT of wear.

Last evening we met up with darling daughter and her husband 

to see their new place.

I found a vintage mint orange Catherine Holm kettle and an icy modernist piece of art glass as their housewarming gifts which were well received!

We took them out to dinner after at our favourite local eatery...Zambri's.

I ordered this succulent fish feature and I had a "Julia Child moment!"

Do you remember the movie Julie and Julia?

It is the scene where Julia is in Paris 

dining in a small cafe 

and tastes 

for the first time 

fish cooked in beurre blanc...

Oh my this dish was a little slice of heaven on earth.

I must try to make it at home.

I have kept this vintage avocado green Catherine Holm bowl in our kitchen cupboard for quite some time and I casually mentioned it to darling daughter and it seems that she would use it so it is off to a good home soon...

Before I close 

I want to share some of our very tall snowdrops...

Drenched with precipitation...

things are definitely greening up in the Humble Bungalow Garden!

Hope you are having a fabulous week...

and hey its already Friday!

I've got to get in some groceries and stock up on some cleaning supplies.

Maybe I will do some research on the beurre blanc recipe too.

Whats on your agenda for the weekend?

Have you been shopping for some Spring things?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Tuesday snippets.. from my wicker chair on the front porch.

Come and sit for a bit on The Humble Bungalow front porch and relax...

I washed the front porch yesterday and took some things away.

There is a tendency to put too many things on the porch creating chaos

making relaxation next to impossible!

The magnolia is in bloom

out of these fuzzy pods 

pure white flowers emerge

They are so elegant...

Coco Chanel loved her camellias

well I love Magnolias!

We have several magnolias growing in the back garden 

 they are a different varieties.

One of the items that I moved was this old tool box

and when I spied these cheery daffodils at the garden centre later in the day I knew exactly where I would place them!

A pop of yellow...

I'd forgotten how much my skin loves this pot of Divine cream by L'Occitane.

So much moisture is delivered by using a small amount.

I've ordered the full size jar and have a bonus Divine Youth oil coming with it...

 a 2 day Easter special 

 as they say "timing is everything"

 so with a click of the button it was done.

 I know that "Youth Oil" is not going to turn back time 

but if it helps my skin glow and look hydrated I am content.

Dinner last night was a one pan classic...

prime rib roast with veggies roasted right beside it.

No gravy but big flavours.

I am reading this book right now which is really very entertaining...

these Mitford Sisters are truly iconic women.

Looking back in history when England was at war

 it describes how these six sisters played various roles in society

each unique with their contributions

one more famous than the others.

The fascinating Deborah, 

The Duchess of Devonshire,

whose book I read a few years ago.

Thank you for stopping by...

I must sign off for now and get cracking on my walk.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~