Hearts...Valentines and a confession.

 ~ HEART ~

inside a horse barn near the village of Auvillar France

~ HEARTS ~ 

I've been on the hunt for a new make up bag for several months.

The cloth pouch with a zipper I was using for the past few years was not easy to use.

All the contents were jumbled together

 Plus I always seemed to need the item in the very bottom of the pouch!

I found this at Walmart

I was buying another item in the store and just happened upon it.

Can you see the HEARTS?

The top compartment has a place for brushes and pencils.

Top left, is a zippered are where I have some sharp scissors and tweezers. 

In the bottom on the right hand side ~

Andalou CC cream, Burt's Bees cream blush, Marcelle eye make up, 

mascara underneath and a magnifying mirror.

Much better for storage and travel.

I think I paid under $15 for the bag...well worth it.

~ HEART ~

Cracker 

Cafe Des Beaux Arts

Quai Malaquais

Paris France

Found a HEART shaped rock on the beach at Browning.

I was hunting for sea glass and this caught my eye.

While this doesn't really qualify as a HEART item, it lifts my HEART.

I use a basic everyday lotion from the drugstore,

 then decant it into a glass jar with a pump for ease of use.

Looking at a plastic bottle with a bunch of text all over it looks rather unsightly.

I prefer a simple sleek container that I can leave out on display.

I use lotion after my bath or shower and it helps to keep my skin soft and supple.

This shea butter lotion is a drugstore brand and has a light scent of orchid.

It is very reasonably priced and works well

the ingredients are recognizable and it is free of any nasty chemical additives.

I received pearls from my husband on a Valentines Day about 25 years ago.

Last summer I fell at the beach and sprained my wrist very badly.

 When I got home I noticed that my beloved pearl necklace was missing.

I was devastated...

as I was in terrible pain I had to dash off to the pharmacy

 to buy some Voltaren, Aleve and a wrist brace.

For the next few days I kept returning to the same beach to hunt for the pearls.

(perhaps they returned to the ocean with the tide)

I decided to replace the pearls and thought perhaps my husband would not notice.

I went to the jeweler who sold him the pearls way back in the day 

purchased this Akoya strand 

almost the same as the original strand...

(except for the price)

I have been wearing them almost daily, for the past few months.

Well dear reader, 

guess what?

He found out that they were not the original pearls, 

so I had to confess...

I don't expect that we will exchange Valentine's Day gifts this year...

but perhaps we will dine out close to Valentines and celebrate.

What do you have planned for your Valentine?

Something special from the HEART.

~ Happy Valentine's Day ~

Take care and thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Joy...

What is JOY?

In a google search the first definition that popped up was 
"a feeling of great pleasure and happiness."

Joy is finding a heart shaped rock on the beach.

Personally, I find Joy in many things...

maybe its easier because I am content with life's little pleasures.

Things that are mostly free...

"Attitude of gratitude" 

is my mantra.

Joy is sunshine and scenery.

Maybe it's a smile from a stranger that was unexpected.

A random kind gesture 

a surprise letter or card in the mail

when your grandchildren tell you they love you

if you are stuck in traffic and another driver lets you merge

finding a handful of sea glass on the beach

a beautiful moonlit evening

fresh salty sea air

a rose blooming in winter

there are so many places to look for JOY

it might be a pop of colour on a gloomy day

a phone call from a friend you haven't heard from in ages

a rainbow after the storm

It might even be a whimsical indulgence that makes you smile...

this festive wee tree lights up in many colours

while it might border on "tacky" I knew I had to have it.

It brings me Joy.

Sometimes you just need to take a chance...

Joy in the sunset

Joy is found in giving...

like these Lions international volunteers

who bring Mr. and Mrs. Claus to the Gulf Islands.

There was Joy on the faces of the children and parents in the crowd.

There were elves...

a choir

and pirates wielding balloon swords 

with a few local pirates ready for a battle.

These dedicated volunteers give 800 gifts to children on the various islands.

Each child leaves with a bag of treats and gifts.

Bringing JOY to these children and their families

 Hope Bay on Pender Island...

a generous gift 

that will be remembered for years to come.

“There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.” 

~ Khalil Gibran ~

“Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.” 

~ Ben Carson ~

Wishing you Peace, Joy and Contentment.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

I heart summer holidays...

Isla was given the opportunity to choose three marbles when we went to the Antique Store on Pender Island.

This large blue one, another in green and a smaller blue one which she gave to her brother Henry.

Milada Huk from Renaissance Studios on Pender Island designs and makes jewellery using Swarovsky crystals.

This necklace caught Isla's eye...

it is called Fairy Garden.

Grammy was delighted when she saw how Isla swooned when she spied this piece so we bought it!

Grampa found this stone heart on Hamilton Beach near Port Browning.

Isla took it home.

Beach treasures!

In dire need of a pedicure after a week at the cottage.

Days filled with swimming, hop scotch, beach combing, games, boating,

and other fun activities.

I posted this picture on my Instagram page...

"when your breakfast matches the book cover" 

it makes for an easy photo opportunity!

A parting gift from the family...

Two thrift shop finds from the Nu-To -You shop.

Tennesmed desigend Swedish pewter pendant 

Danish bird pin.

This Summer the weather has been fabulous...

sunny and warm

actually 

HOT!

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

We are on holidays so my blog posts may be sporadic!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Valentines Hearts...

Good morning from The Humble Bungalow.
It is Valentine's Day today so I am sharing a few hearts with you today...
and a message of love.

Chocolate hearts 

Paris

"All you need is love.
But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."

~  Charles M. Schulz ~

"The most important thing in the world is family and love."

~ John Wooden ~

"Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses." 

~Ann Landers ~

I am sniffling today with a head cold so I plan on drinking loads of fluids.

Happy Valentines Day to my husband...

"in sickness and in health"

I remember our pledge on that wedding day back in 1974.

We've come a long way since that day and I love you more now than I did back then.

Happy Valentines Day

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other."

~ Audrey Hepburn ~

I'll be taking a few days off while I am sick

will be back soon.

~ 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 ~

Mid~week greetings....Hearts and Hands.

Have you ever observed cats at play?
Ours love it when we have a cardboard box in the house.
It's exponentially better when it's open on the floor!

Chester is inside the box and Pepper is about to jump on top of him.

They have been in and out of this box all day.

The box will stay out for awhile to allow them to enjoy themselves.

We purchased a small carpet cleaner...

it's good for pet stains and we plan to use it on our boat carpet.

It's a small machine but it seems to do a good job.

It removed a few spots on the rugs in no time flat.

I am not easily impressed ~ but this tool is a great one.

Never having owned a carpet cleaner before now I can appreciate why people buy them.

Henry's little hands are so adorable.

Soft ~ kissable.

What a sweet boy he is...

Isla gave me some glitter hearts...she loves to share.

Little girls love sparkles...

(big girls too!)

My hands are over 60 years old and have seen a lot of use.

(they need constant attention)

Hand lotion is essential.

Shea Butter seems to do a great job and is not greasy.

I am a fan of L'Occitane hand lotions.

I've heard that coconut oil is wonderful.

Have you tried it?

Hands are always busy doing things...

I do not think they are ever idle.

Except when we sleep...

They might rest a bit when they hold a cup of tea.

 Gardening, baking, cooking, cleaning, washing dishes, making beds, ironing, knitting, turning pages in books and magazines, hugging grand children, colouring, stacking blocks, painting.

Ah yes painting...

I continue to be in a dry spell.

I read Louise Penny's novel The Long Way Home and loved it!

I read it in two sittings.

The story focuses on a painter and Louise has many wise and insightful observations about what artists need to paint.

A Muse is important...

(mine are roses)

They also must feel intense emotion...one that spurs them on to create.

She refers to it as "a lump in the throat."

This lumps precedes most creative endeavours...

If you love a mystery and have not read Louise Penny's books you are in for a treat!

Start with her first and work your way up to her latest...

The Nature of the Beast 

which was released a couple of weeks ago.

I woke up the other morning to a cool and grey day.

It felt like rain.

 My apron beckoned...

Made some retro cheese scones.

 With cooler Fall weather in the offing I am looking forward to getting back into making soups.

I think these scones would pair really well with a hearty tomato soup.

Retro Cheese Scones

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. butter

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2/3 c. milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1Tbsp. sugar

Combine all the dry ingredients.

Cut in the butter.

Add wet ingredients and stir until all flour is moistened.

Knead on floured board.

Pat into a 9 inch circle, cut into wedges.

Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 450 for about 15 minutes.

(Check after 12 minutes to make sure they do not brown up too much)

Yummy Soups.

They're like a warm hug.

A soup pot simmering on the stove makes me feel all cozy and warm.

They are a great offering for friends and family.

Nutritious and delicious...there's a tasty recipe out there for everyone.

Do you have a favourite soup recipe?

I made a killer pasta dish last night and will share it with you soon.

Stay tuned...