Rosemarie arrives...fun ensues...and then a few tidbits.

 

Meet Rosemarie!

She lives in Vancouver and we are friends.

On any given week we will email several times and catch up with what we are doing.

Rosemarie is active, has a vibrant personality, is gregarious,

an adventurous traveller, kind and giving.

We have met up in Victoria several times for lunch and teas.

 Both of us love gardens, gardening and enjoy visiting gardens.

I invited Rosemarie to tour our Humble Bungalow Garden.

Then I asked if she wanted to peek inside our home.

We drove around the waterfront and stopped in at The Oak Bay Native Plant Garden.

The garden is tended by volunteers and is an oasis of calm and beauty.

Trilliums blooming...

Several different trilliums were dotted about in the lush space.

Checker Lily a Frittilaria 

The sound of water had us looking for the source

a  brook or a creek was nearby

such a lovely spot to sit and enjoy the natural beauty.

We met up with a couple who were visiting from Oakville Ontario.

Alix Scott and her husband...

Alix knows Ellen...

a woman who went to Oak Bay High School with me...

who I recently met up with at our 50th reunion.

(Hi Alix ~ Hi Ellen)

Apparently they both follow and read my blog!

Rosemarie and I continued on our scenic waterfront drive...

we stopped again at The Esplanade at Willows Beach.

Rosemarie collects cans and bottles and takes them to the depot

 exchanges

 them for cash 

which she sends to her cousin who has an animal shelter up island.

The shelter is called Misfit Meadow Sanctuary in Ladysmith.

You can read all about them on Facebook.

If you want to donate to them I am sure that Rosemarie would be THRILLED!

Tell them you read about it on my blog!!!

Let's see if we can help all those animals like Rosemarie does :-))

She tells me she usually sends about $100 a month.

The shelter needs the money for food to feed the rescued animals.

I bought a chicken on sale and wanted to find a new recipe...

I searched on line and found this one.

The site is Simply Delicious by Alida Ryder

Mr. HB and I love East Indian cuisine so this one caught my eye.

I had all the spices on hand and I got busy mixing up the rub and I marinated the roaster a few hours before cooking.

The results were delicious!

Jeanne on Instagram mentioned this book to me a few months ago.

It has been on my radar ever since,

so when I spied it at the thrift shop I knew I would buy it!

I read it in 2 days...loved it!

Thank you Jeanne 2707

Vintage Mustard Yellow Beret matches the yellow chrysanthemums.

I was washing dishes and gazing out at the gorgeous sea views...

when this combo caught my eye 

~ Cheap and cheerful ~

Weather Report

yesterday was super windy with rain.

This morning we awoke to glorious sunshine!

What a Gift!

Speaking of gifts...

I received this new book for my birthday from my BFF.

I am going to pop the kettle on and brew a pot of tea and start the book.

Thank you Suzanne.

XO

Hope your week is off to a great start...

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

November vibes...

The autumnal light is fading slightly this month...

I've noticed more rainy days, breezy winds and fog.

Wearing layers to chase the chill...

a camisole underneath my cashmere sweater with warm wool socks and scarves.

The down puffer coat has made several appearances and I purchased a wool beret for my walks.

Made by The Canadian Hat Company.

I had my hairdresser chop off about 3 inches of my Covid Coiffure!

It feels so much healthier and the lightness has freed up some of the curls.

What a difference! 

A little pampering goes a LONG way to make one feel better.

There are a few geraniums still blooming on the front porch.

I crave a pop of colour in the Fall and Winter.

Calicarpia aka Beauty Berry

So delicate...

A fall flowering bush brightens up a corner of the Humble Bungalow Garden.

This weekend Mr. HB and I ventured out to the garden centre...

We were looking for a wreath for the front door.

We didn't find a wreath but we did find some Noble Fir boughs and Ilex red berries

A little festive cheer at the foot of the stairs.

A cheerful pop of colour!

I popped the cuttings in the tool box on the front porch table.

(waste not want not!)

We also purchased an Olive tree...

this purchase was inspired by our friend Julie who used some olive leaves to decorate her dining table when she hosted us for dinner.

Julie is a fabulous cook and she has a flair for home decor...

her home is an oasis of calm and she has recently redone it with soft greys and French style furnishings.

A feast for the eyes...

We brought some wine from The Pender Island Sea Star Winery.

Dungeness Crab Cake with Remoulade sauce...

succulent and so flavourful.

Goat cheese deep fried atop cherry tomatoes with pine nuts 

then drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

Salmon served with rice, asparagus and carrots

and a delicious

Beurre butter sauce

Dessert was from the Italian bakery...

fig and apple tarts.

Dinner was incredible...one for the memory book.

Thank you Julie!

We've got a busy couple of weeks planned with all kinds of events.

Looking forward to reclaiming our social life and activities in a safe way.

My knitting group is going to reconvene...

we are going out for dinner with our darling daughter and her husband.

Heading to the Art Gallery for an exhibit, meeting friends for a Happy Hour, coffee with the gals and a tea planned for next month at Butchart Gardens.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

 

Thinking of Paris and I've bought a new hat...OOTD

The past few days our  weather has been stormy and grey.
Torrential rains, gale forced winds and while I sit inside in the comfort of The Humble Bungalow looking out the rain splattered panes....I've been pondering.
Remembering

Thinking about my Spring trip to Paris last year...
it feels like such a long time ago.
I have oodles of pictures to look at and the memories can be called up at will.
There is a teeny tiny feeling of sadness, not unlike that of melancholy...
I am so grateful to have travelled there and would be fooling myself if I said I did not want to go back...but I am a realist and I must acknowledge that this was the trip of a lifetime.
It was a wee bit selfish to steal away so soon after retiring and spend all that money.
I have a modest pension, yet I turned 60 and it was a gift to mark this milestone.
Mr. HB has no desire to go to France so I went on my own...met up with friends and joined an all woman tour and had the most fun ever!!
The Ooh La La Tour is led by author Jamie Cat Callan and Mimi Bleu.
Paris in Springtime is not yet full...spaces await should you be interested...
please email Jamie if you are keen to go and please tell her I sent you!
You will have a wonderful time!

My wee Eiffel Tower is a reminder of my trip and I keep it to remind me of the magic that was Paris.

This wool hat made by The Canadian Hat Company nearly fell off the mannequin...

and into my hands.

I was browsing a local shop on Oak Bay Avenue when I bumped into a mannequin and the hat that was perched on top fell down and I caught it.

I would have never noticed it as it was above my line of sight.

Being height challenged I not always look UP!

I tried it on and it covered my ears and felt so warm and cozy...

and it did not look too bad on.

I am not really a gifted savvy hat shopper, that honour goes to my friend Cheryl.

She is the best hat shopper I know.

She wears her many hats with such flair that I am almost green with envy.

The sales clerk mentioned that with my hair longer than the base of the hat

and the side fringe swept lower in front that this was actually a flattering style for me.

(I did not dislike the look in the mirror.)

The price was reasonable and I have not bought anything for ages.

I wore it to Goward House for bridge and had half a dozen compliments within 15 minutes.

It works so all I need is a bit more confidence when it comes to choosing hats.

I am wearing my hat it with

 a white long sleeved tee top  ~ Style and Co.

dark denim skinny jeans ~ Banana Republic

Black shawl sweater ~ Zara

vintage bag ~ Valentina

I've been thinking of buying a new handbag...

I love the look and feel of leather bags

but it is hard to justify the expense.

So I polished up this old stalwart vintage bag and it will serve me for the time being.

Decent leather bags are difficult to source at our local second hand and charity shops.

I am not much of an Internet shopper but if I was there are so many choices online.

I am an "old school shopper" 

I like to touch and feel, try things on and see if they are exactly what I need.

It goes with all my blacks and greys...

has interesting details

nice textures 

comfort

warmth

and

functional

made in Canada

what's not to love?

Hope that you have a lovely weekend!

Hats...yes or no?

How do you feel about hats?
Are you confident that you have chosen the best style and shape for your head?

Hats are not my favourite accessory.
I need the protection from the harsh rays of the sun and the cold winter weather so I reluctantly wear them.
Straw hats make up the bulk of my hat collection and I regularly wear them on the boat and in the garden.

Chester playing with the strap on my Sloggers hat which I wear when riding in Mr. HB's convertble.

(it is made with recycled paper and polyester)

I'd love to feel more confident wearing hats.

Perhaps my awkward feelings are similar to those that some women have about wearing and tying scarves.
I have had many conversations with women who say that they love the look of scarves on other people but they get all muddled when trying to tie them and end up taking them off in frustration...
that about sums up my hat attitude.

I bought this vintage felt fedora a few years ago thinking that I would wear it.

I put it on, look in the mirror, laugh and take it off again.

This photo is a few years old, the hat still resides in my closet.

I think Adrienne looks fabulous in hats...she writes the fabulous blog Rich Life on a Budget.

This is my winter cold weather hat...

I wear it to keep my head warm.

(it looks much better on Isla than it does on me)

My gardening hat...

Mother and I ventured into the newly renovated Hospice Thrift shop on Cook Street and I spied a new hat.

I put it on and Mother said "that is lovely on you."

"You MUST buy it or I'll buy it for you."

The ladies in the shop agreed it was a great hat on me.

Hmm...was it?

well you can see it here for yourselves.

It is made of linen by the Lillie Cohoe Company which makes hats in Nelson BC.

 The hat is sitting on top of my bureau, 

I have looked at it everyday since purchasing it

I have tried it on several times

it has not been worn outside of the house.

I do love the hat but I wonder if and when I will wear it.

I'm wondering how you feel about hats...

maybe it's just me.

Where do you stand on hats?