Tulip mania...and some "happy" habits.

The local markets are overflowing with buckets and buckets of colourful Tulips.
Priced so low, that they practically hop into my shopping basket...

Even after Tulips have fully blown open they are quite lovely.

One can buys masses of these or settle for a bunch as I have done here.

It depends on your budget, how big your vases may be and how many bouquets you want to display in your home.

Flowers in the home have always been a prominent accent in our home decor.

Personally I feel it essential that one has something of natural beauty in the home

 it helps keep ones spirits up...

it can be a single stem

some woody branches

a fern frond

plants or orchids

a bowl of lemons

pine cones

seashells

stones

These natural adornments are particularly helpful for our long rainy winter season.

The season here where sunshine is rationed and the gloom can be oppressing...

for some it is debilitating and depressing.

I look for "guaranteed mood lifters"

 like flowers that add elegance and ambiance.

Scented Candles are another one of my essentials for the home.

They do not need to be the posh Diptyque or Cire Trudon brands

many scented candles are affordable and readily available.

I find that it is the "little things" make our everyday life richer.

Tea

flowers

linen tea towels

triple milled soaps

quality chocolate

perfume

soft cashmere sweaters and wraps

cozy socks

plush robes

a hot cup of coffee

a great fitting pair of jeans

lingerie

framed family photos

pretty china cups and saucers

emollient hand lotion

bath salts

fluffy white towels

pearls

Those are a few of my favourite things...

I also like to keep our home tidy

free of clutter

pleasing to the eye.

I am also a big fan of lists. 

Which help to motivate me and keep me up to date on things that need to get done.

I love using "rolling ball" ink pens 

better still, but more expensive, a beautiful fountain pen.

Writing feels effortless using these inky writing implements.

Great for cards, grocery lists and letters.

I keep stocked in our writing desk a variety of pretty cards and stamps.

I buy them in bulk when they are on sale.

I look for the most attractive stamps from the post office.

Lately they have had floral stamps which are simply lovely.

Why opt for boring when one can have beautiful for the same price?

Friends gave us an arts and crafts copper letter opener one year for Christmas. 

I use it for every bill and letter that we receive...

it slices envelopes open swiftly and evenly

a bit of affordable luxury that I enjoy.

Surrounding oneself with little affordable luxuries

things that make one feel good

are well worth the time and effort it takes.

Getting in tune to what "small things" that you can cultivate...

things that may add to your daily round. 

Those that augment and beautify your environment 

it is an exercise worth the time...

listen to your heart

make notes.

You'll soon discover which things make your heart soar 

household habits that make you smile...

perhaps they will change the way you feel about a chore...

like ironing.

Buying some lavender linen spray

use a pretty floral ironing board pad.

It is so much more satisfying

drinking sparkling water out of a vintage etched goblet.

Imagine how pretty it would be

storing your cosmetics or perfumes on a silver tray.

What do you like?

Do you have any tips for cultivating beauty in your home?

Wishing you a wonderful, rich and bountiful weekend.

Hostess

XO

Ups and downs in The Humble Bungalow

Downstairs 

in The Humble Bungalow

in the laundry room is

where I spend a lot of my time.

Washing

hanging clothes to air dry

 heavy duty things go into the dryer

folding and ironing

all jobs that I do almost every day.

I run UP and DOWN the stairs many times in a day.

The bathroom downstairs is compact

 it has a shower, toilet and sink.

It is very handy when we work outside in the garden and need to come inside

even more convenient 

when we have house guests.

Did I mention that I run up and down the stairs many times a day?

It feels like I get a lot of exercise actioning the domestic chores but not enough to keep the pesky pounds at bay.

My new fitness regime with kettle bells is also done downstairs

in the laundry room as there is ample room to move about.

The space is bright and the cats like to sit and watch me go through my paces!

Today

I am wearing casual clothes.

OOTD

NYDJ boyfriend style jeans

Town Shoes quilted black leather flats

a simple short Joe Fresh charcoal grey T shirt

Upstairs and downstairs we have shelves for our fluffy white towels.

I am partial to white towels.

Are you?

Storage in The Humble Bungalow is abysmal 

it is minimal as our arts and crafts era home has very little space.

Our closet is tiny and so naturally my wardrobe is small.

That is actually a positive rather than a negative.

I do not like having too much stuff.

I like to see all my clothing choices which makes getting dressed so much easier.

BTW while we are on the topic of clothes...

you responses to the last post were interesting and informative.

I appreciate the time and energy that you put into your comments.

Upstairs 

the kitchen is the hub of our Humble Bungalow.

Besides doing the laundry I cook a lot.

I love to create healthy meals and enjoy experimenting with new recipes.

Simple Omelette

2 farm fresh eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons of milk

salt pepper

Melt a knob of butter in a flat crepe or omelette pan 

when bubbles form pour in the eggs.

Add toppings

herbs or arugula as I have used here.

When the edges are setting up 

run a spatula around the edges and gently coax one end

fold gently over

rolling as you go 

until you have a picture perfect omelette.

One of the "UPS" in this post is that I ate a sensible lunch.

Omelette served with a salad

a low Weight Watcher point count lunch.

A tasty pear sliced thinly and savoured with a cup of tea.

"Guilt free" eating and yet it is filling.

(protein is key to keep me feeling satisfied)

On the DOWNside...

Walking has been hit and miss with the recent inclement weather but we are expecting a warming trend so I will be lacing up my sneakers and pounding the pavement with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Have you started with a 2017 health and wellness journey ?

Are you writing in your journal?

Are you feeling more energetic and enthusiastic?

Words can be so important when motivating and engaging in change.

The Nike slogan "Just Do It" comes to mind.

Another "DOWNfall"...

There was a small cello bag of chocolate bark coated in candy cane sprinkles 

a gift from Christmas 

hiding in the drawer that I "discovered" last Sunday while watching Victoria 

on PBS Masterpiece Theatre.

Dear reader, I am weak, I am human.

 I ate it.

The UPside of this is that there is no chocolate left in The Humble Bungalow!

So it is your turn...

have you been disciplined with your fitness and food regime?

Have you been tempted by treats ?

OR

were you clever and cleaned out your pantry of those naughty things

and

restocked it with only healthy foods?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

The Humble Bungalow kitchen...and cats.

So before we get too far into this post let me just say that our current kitchen is not the original 1913 arts and crafts design or layout.
The kitchen had been muddled many times,
years before we even set eyes on it and it was a disaster.

Mr HB took time thinking about the improvements and figuring out a workable design...with 3 doors in the space and a set of stairs it was tricky...

The room off to the left is our TV room where we have two love seats.

The stove and island are in front of the stairs that lead 

 to the laundry room, hobby room, Mr. HB's work area and guest room.

Shaw French country sink and pantry cupboard on the right.

Glass fronted cupboards for crockery...

and an open workspace are essential.

Above the sink ~ windowsill orchids...

White ironstone

  an assortment 

Sophie Conran Portmeirion, 

Emma Bridgewater 

and 

vintage china.

McCoy basket weave pot with my favourite wooden spoons and spatulas.

Two of these pots sit behind the stove with utensils at the ready.

I like using wooden spoons and they develop a patina over time.

The radio is on when I am in the kitchen...

I tune into the CBC most of the time.

The Kitchen Aid...

I keep it handy on top of the counter as I find it so useful.

Many of my other seldom used appliances are hidden out of the way.

My day starts with a cafe creme every morning.

A luxury that I acquired while visiting Paris and SW France.

 This De Longhi espresso machine is small and efficient.

The sink "work station" 

domestic life needs some organization.

Many hours every day are spent in the kitchen by choice as I love to cook.

So naturally it plays a prominent role in our home.

Working in a space that is pleasing to the eye...

with tools and equipment that help it function efficiently 

and a few extras make my job here easier.

A drawer full of tea towels and napkins...

There is not a lot of storage on our small bungalow so I try not to buy too many gadgets.

Keeping things to a minimum is simple and it saves money too.

My feline "companions" are here most of the time keeping me company.

Chester lying on the table...

Pepper drinking from the tap...

I apologize for any inconvenience but in light of the recent flurry of spam and unpleasant comments

 I have opted to moderate all blog comments.

 ~ Be Well and Be Kind ~ 

Greenery and good manners....

With the festive season just around the corner we are focusing on greening up our Humble Bungalow...

A simple wreath hangs upon the door.

I love to use natural accents when it comes to decorating for the holidays.

Scented green swags with fir boughs and pine cones that one can gather outdoors feels much more genuine than buying the plastic ones sold in stores.

Our arts and crafts bungalow lends itself to organic and natural elements.

From the wood walls and beams

to the granite fireplace

we live in an unassuming space

one that does not lend itself easily to shiny silver baubles and tinsel.

We all have our own personal tastes and I appreciate that we may disagree on certain topics...

 in our disagreements we need to be mindful of our manners

carefully monitoring how we conduct ourselves

there is no excuse for rudeness or bad behaviour.

The lobby of the Oak Bay Beach Hotel is looking dressed up for the holidays.

Mother loved seeing all the decorations on our lunch date this past week.

I dressed up for the luncheon.

I wore my black top with a grey boiled wool skirt, some textured tights and my Chelsea style boots.

Mother schooled us on manners from the time we were toddlers.

She insisted that we pay attention to our choice of words, our tone of voice and how we behaved, especially important when it came to our elders and when we were out in public.

We were expected to say please and thank you 

to listen politely

 to send thank you cards in the mail.

We were also sent to Charm School...

 I doubt that many youngsters are sent to charm or etiquette classes these days.

We teach children by modelling good behaviour and by comporting ourselves in a manner that is beyond reproach.

I wore a vintage Sherman rhinestone brooch the other day when I played bridge.

It was a grey rainy day and I craved a wee bit of sparkle.

The ladies that convene to play cards take care in their choice of clothes and wear pretty jewellery.

Dressing up has its rewards...it does elevate the spirit.

“I have always believed that fashion was not only to make women more beautiful, but also to reassure them, give them confidence.” 

~  Yves Saint Laurent ~

“Fashion is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life.” 

~  Bill Cunningham ~

Stir frying oodles of veggies has become a bit of a habit

which helps keep my WW points within my daily allowance.

The scales are not reflecting my efforts as quickly as I would like but I am keeping my eye on the goals that I have set.

The WW cookbook giveaway contest from the previous post closes November 30th

 Good Luck.

I wish you a weekend filled with JOY and good things.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Bits and Bobs today on the Blog...

A small bronze Eiffel Tower sits on the shelf above our Shaw farmhouse sink.

I look up when I wash and scrub dishes and pots and I ponder my trip to Paris

and the south of France

it feels like yesterday in so many ways...

I recently received a lovely diamond eternity band from my husband and I do not want it to get caked with soap so I took it off while doing dishes and popped it atop the bronze Eiffel Tower.

(thank you darling!)

We keep our humble bungalow decor in the arts and crafts style...

not very many "modern accents" dip their toes in our heritage listed home.

That might surprise many of you but we try to be purists.

Cookbooks take up an entire shelf in our kitchen.

I will put Ina Gartens' newest cookbook Cooking for Jeffrey

on my Christmas Wish List.

The kitchen table is a quarter sawn oak mission arts and crafts trestle table

distressed by over 100 years of wear.

This is

where I sit and blog...

a Diptyque candle

adds to the ambiance.

(Mr. HB is watching the hockey game)

I enjoy cooking and feel very content in the kitchen.

I made a delicious Caesar Salad tonight...

if you want a seriously garlicky dressing this is the one for you!

I have several Caesar salad recipes and have shared them over the years.

If you want to see any of the recipes on my blog just scroll down on the right of my sidebar until you find the labels and click on the title recipes...

Caesar Salad Dressing

Place all the following ingredients in a blender

1 egg

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

 1/4 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

blend

then with the machine running add slowly

 in a continuous stream

3/4 cup good quality olive oil

arrange washed and dried romaine lettuce on a tray 

(or in a deep bowl)

sprinkle 

bacon or anchovies over top

add

croutons 

(if desired)

I like to plan dinner early in the day so that I can walk to the market and buy what I need.

Pacing myself is much easier now in retirement than when I was working.

Its one of the best perks of retirement.

Time to accomplish things at a slower pace.

I write what we eat for dinner in my day timer so that I can easily see what I have made and I try to rotate the menu so that we get a variety.

Browsing in my cookbooks 

helps to inspire me to be creative and try something new and different.

Increasing my repertoire is always an adventure and not every new recipe is a winner... but I never give up on trying to find new and tasty dishes.

Mr. HB is planning to try a new recipe this weekend.

He seems to be enthused about cooking after his successful Saturday fare last weekend.

I feel so fortunate that he is getting his "chef hat" on.

Finnish mid century "FINEL" mushroom bowl

one of the few "interlopers" in our humble bungalow.

Have you got some fun planned for your weekend ?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD

Bridge is one of my favourite card games.
It helps keep me on my toes.

I love that it challenges my brain by utilizing those "grey cells."
Scientists keep reminding us to use it or lose it...

Our club hosted a fund raising bridge luncheon last weekend and I got a wee bit dressed up for the event. It puts the fun into fundraising.

Many of the ladies who attend are much older and they take such care to dress in smart outfits, beautiful pearl necklaces, silk scarves and pretty rings.

On a regular weekday bridge game I wear..."casual clothes."
Like this black top and dark denim skinny NYDJ rolled up at the cuff
with short boots.

JCrew tassel necklace with a simple black top adds a little bit of oomph.

Clark boots  NYDJ

For the luncheon and the afternoon I wore...

Amalfi shoes with Nygaard velvet dress pants.

Burberry print scarf

Wilfred top

We had a fun afternoon and raised money for the club.

~ Win Win ~

Our darling grand daughter Isla came over on the weekend.

We had fun "playing school" made some banana bread and walked to the park.

She jumped in the leaves, swung on the swings, slid down the slide, climbed on the monkey bars and rode on the merry go round.

We collected some of the leaves...

Isla picked this "special leaf" for me...

I placed some of the leaves under the white pumpkins on the table 

on the front porch of our Humble Bungalow.

As I sit here tying on my lap top  I am wearing a new ring...

Darling daughter who is gifted at finding gems and jewels found an eternity ring in my size and we met up for coffee so that I could try it on...

It fits and was such a great price that I could not resist...

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

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Seasonal snippets...

I love how one of our neighbours has decorated the path leading up to her home.

Did you notice the half eaten apple on the left and the glove at the right?

Which leaves me with the thought that perhaps perfection is over rated...

Chestnuts are falling from the trees in our neighbourhood.

Inside this prickly pod there was a small delicate edible chestnut.

These are harvested by many locals who roast them and eat them hot with a sprinkling of salt.

These chestnuts also known as conkers are not edible.

They have a rich "chestnut" colour and a woody appearance.

Mother collects these to bring inside as she says that they keep spiders away.

A few doors down the street these raspberries are growing.

They hang out over the sidewalk and are very tempting...

A few blocks away this tall Hollyhock blooms.

The leaves are turning into their annual autumnal colours.

The sun is setting earlier

 the shadows in the afternoon seem to wane

nights are cooler

I have started wearing socks.

Cauliflowers were on special at the market for an unbelievable price.

 So naturally I bought one and made curried cauliflower soup.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

Saute a large diced onion in a wee bit of oil and cook until soft.

Add a large chopped cauliflower and 6-8 cups of vegetable broth

2 tbsp. of curry powder (or to taste) and simmer until cauliflower is soft.

Use the immersion blender and process until no lumps remain.

The bonus is that this soup is Weight watcher friendly!

I took myself out for a wee bite of brunch after strolling in Oak Bay.

 I finished this book.

Really enjoyed reading Vita Sackville-West

The Edwardians was the first of hers that I read and it was quite a few years ago.

Now I need to get my hands on a book about her lovely home and garden...

Sissinghurst.

The young royal family are leaving today...

It has been a busy time for William and Kate making appearances while touring BC.

 Prince George, Princess Charlotte and their nannies have been out and about.

They have been seen enjoying our local parks.

 The Beacon Hill Petting Zoo has oodles of goats 

George reportedly loved seeing them.

There was a children's tea party on the lawns of Government House

local military families were invited to join in for some fun.

Balloons, bubbles, bunnies and ponies were on site for the celebration.

What a fabulous opportunity to get to meet the family.

Anemone's are still out in full force as are our roses.

It has been a stellar summer for the Humble Bungalow Garden...

but I can see the hydrangeas are fading and many plants are droopy.

The leaves are gathering on the lawn and spider webs are woven in every corner

and hanging onto most of the plants.

Where have the spiders been hiding all summer and why do they suddenly come out at this time of year?

I must close for now and get some things done around The Humble Bungalow.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~