OOTD ~ What I wore and will soon will be wearing.

I tied one of Mother's scarves on to perk up this plain V neck top.

The scarf is a large lightweight square by Fraas.

The top is Wilfred from Aritzia.

Boyfriend jeans by NYDJ

Sad I know but no great lighting downstairs where the full length mirror is located.

I do plan to buy a free standing mirror if I ever find one that is not too expensive.

You can see my sterling bangles collection on display atop of the cabinet.

Darling daughter and I went shopping for her birthday gift and we were successful in finding her some super cute Citizen's of Humanity jeans at Aritzia.

After she shopped we cruised through the Bay looking at various items...

shoes, tops and tees and she found me something that has been on my "bucket list" for quite some time...

The classic tweed jacket that I can dress up or dress down.

Perfect colour too to go with my small curated wardrobe!

Ferragamo flats that darling daughter gave me for my birthday this year!

I am so happy with these shoes and they are so comfortable to wear!

Bangles

The jacket was on sale and deeply discounted...

it felt so wonderful to find something long wished for at a bargain price.

I had money left to go out for lunch the next day.

Hearty mushroom soup and a small slice of a baguette served with a simple salad.

I found this quote on Pinterest and feel it so very inspiring and appropriate for those who are dealing with dark days.

I received a lovely email from a reader recently 

she is feeling low

so I would like to dedicate these words to her.

Life is full to the brim right now in The Humble Bungalow and this Easter Weekend we have oodles of plans...

I am carving out some "me time" with my favourite magazine

before the arrival of the house guests and the family brunch.

Hope your weekend has some fun packed into it...

thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

XO

Food, friends and flowers...

Glorious pink rose blooming in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Pretty pink shade and an intoxicating fragrance...

It has been a lovely weekend with friends and family.

We enjoyed having our dear friends from France visit 

we spent hours chatting and catching up....

There was an abundance of food and the wine flowed.

Beef Daube with a baguette followed by a green salad and rhubarb crisp for dinner the night that they arrived.

Tapas following a cruise up the Gorge waterway on the Harbour ferry on Saturday

then dinner out at a French Bistro.

We met our children and grand children for brunch on Sunday

so our friends could reacquaint themselves with Isla and Henry and meet Mira.

After brunch we drove out to the Marina and took our Sea Ray out for a scenic cruise off the Sidney waterfront.

I have a fridge full of food and will not need to cook for a couple of days!

You can see how much food played a major role in our weekend!

I refuse to step on the scale today.

I do not want a shock.

We enjoyed a cocktails on the deck of The Humble Bungalow

The weather cooperated, the sun shone and there was only a hint of a breeze...

We hosted a casual dinner party and invited a long time friend of our house guests.

The menu was simple and tasty.

veggies skewers with goat cheese in balsamic creme

grilled lamb chops 

salad

a dollop of lemon and dollop of mango sorbet 

served with a square a locally made chocolate for dessert.

A reader asked me to post some of my meals and this one is easy quick and tasty.

My plate has a healthy portion of vegetables

1/2 cup rice

small pork chop in a mustard marmalade glaze.

Brown chops in oil and butter.

Cook until no longer pink and remove from pan, cover with foil.

 De-glaze pan with orange juice

stir in grainy mustard

marmalade

add thyme and Worchestershire sauce and blend.

Add chops back into mixture and cook a few more minutes.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Domestic jobs await...

and they will not get done if I keep typing!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Family, food, flowers, and a funeral...

It is a busy busy week here in The Humble Bungalow...
lots happening and I took a few moments to put this post together.

We have a guest staying with us this week, the focus has been on food, flowers and a funeral...an elderly relative's life will be celebrated.

I apologize that I have not had time to respond to all your comments and my blog reading has taken a back seat to my real life.

Oh and while all this is going on we have the painters here tarting up this old bungalow.

Peony seen on my walk in our neighbourhood.

Fuchsia blooms on Oak Bay Avenue glimpsed while running errands.

Beautiful Blue Hydrangea flowers 

in a yard on a street near Our Humble Bungalow.

We took our daughter and her fiancee out to dinner at our favourite Italian bistro Zambri's last week and gave them their wedding gifts.

Caesar Salad

Tenderloin and polenta with a gorgonzola sauce.

Gifts for the soon to be newlyweds!

This novel has captured my attention,  it was on the shelf in the wee library across the street.

I have been able to sneak in a few chapters and find this book hard to put down...

We took a ride out to the boat on the weekend and I sat and sipped sparking water and knit a few rows...

My knitting is slow going since I had my frozen shoulder.

I am able to knit for short periods each day and with any luck the poncho will be finished by the time Fall arrives!

~ Peek a Boo ~

Our grandson Henry came over for a few hours of fun and play.

Grammy was happy!

Today

Birthday dinner preparations are underway 

and the guests will arrive later.

All the food is organized and the Lemon Charlotte cake is in the fridge.

I need to set the table and put together a few things but they will not take too long...

This bee was busy working in the Poppy when I looked closely...

and it is time for me to get back to work.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Adding a wee bit of polish to my days...

The New Year is here and with it comes the opportunity to make some changes.
What changes might those be?
For starters,
getting back on the Weight Watchers Point Program with continued walks is my top priority.
Over the holidays too many sweets and treats have been savoured and despite the walks I am up a few pounds...it is not the end of the world but I do not want to let it get out of control.
I feel better when my clothes have a little bit of "breathing room!"

But I digress...
this post was titled adding a bit of polish.

 My hands and nails have never been given much thought...
I am a no nonsense kind of gal...and have thought of my hands as tools in the domestic arena.

As a result of neglect and my haphazard way of wearing gloves when I wash dishes and clean house
I have had to invest heavily in hand creams and slather them on throughout the day.
(L'Occitane Shea Butter... and I buy the small size to keep in my handbag and the car)

I have been inspired to make a wee change...
at least for now
while the New Year is fresh and new.
(will see how long it lasts!)

For now I am enjoying taking extra care of my hands and my nails.
My gloves are handy right beside the sink
as a reminder to put them on when I am immersed in domestics, which I am on a daily basis.

Purple Playtex Living Gloves

endorsed by This Hostess.

Workhorses in The Humble Bungalow

Base coat, polish and a top coat are applied so that they last longer and resist chipping.

This OPI shade is called Chocolate Moose...

I love how they choose creative names for their polish.

 I think this is a neutral versatile colour.

Looking for some pretty pink shades in the OPI,  Essie or Butter lines to add to my collection.

Perhaps something soft...and light, maybe in a blush pink.

or a deeper fuchsia like this Camellia.

Blues and greens and blacks are popular 

I am not sure that they are suitable for my 60 year old hands...

 though they are fine on my toes in the summer months.

Speaking of trying new things...

Cheryl, my friend from France, taught me how to make duck confit.

We browned the duck legs in a hot Le Creuset pan and then heated them in the oven.

We de-glazed the pan with a bit of Sancerre and added about a half cup of marmalade and let it simmer and reduced it until it was thick.

The wee potatoes were roasted in a bit of the duck fat in a hot oven until they were golden and softened.

The green beans were steamed until they were almost tender...

(I like a bit of resistance when I bite into a green bean)

~ Dessert ~

tasty lemon tarts from the bakery.

You can see why I am up a few pounds as we enjoyed many rich meals 

while our house guests were here in The Humble Bungalow.

So it is salad daze and healthy eating for the foreseeable future.

If you are looking for some inspiration and a fresh way of starting your New Year

Janet at The Gardener's Cottage has a week of healthy menus posted on her blog.

Chat soon

until next time...

~ Be Kind and Take Care ~

Seeing Red ~ could this be the fortune cookie prediction?

Red has been popping up on my radar lately...

It's been a star performer in the Humble Bungalow Garden for years...

I plant red geraniums every Spring and place them in a zinc container on the front porch.

They are planted in black pottery planters in the back yard and on the sun deck.

My fortune cookie suggested something new is on the horizon.

While I don't put a lot of stock into fortune messages I did consider what it might mean...

I perused Home Sense and this shiny red Chantal kettle caught my eye.

Could the fortune be "Project Red?"

I like the pop of red.

It goes with the Le Coq towel I purchased in the south of France.

We don't have many red things here in the bungalow.

Except

The guest room's red theme is because I fell in love with this Toile de Jouy bed linen.

It was quite expensive at the time but I didn't care...I was still working and earning good money.

Hence the red pop of colour with the pillow and red hand knitted shawl on the wicker table.

I'm not a "decorator" so I am cautious with home decor items...

I subscribe to restraint over clutter.

Bedside table in the guest room.

Clock, Kleenex, a book and two antique vessels ready for fresh flowers and chocolates.

I place several bottles of Perrier on the table as well.

I want our guests to feel comfortable and welcome.

There's an extra wool throw on the luggage stand at the foot of the bed.

Look at the adorable feet on the Herend piece!

The crude staple repair on this antique bowl persuaded me to buy it.

Pink Roses or peonies are pretty pairing with this cute vase.

Oops this turned out a wee bit blurry...it's hand painted 

made by Herend,  a Hungarian Company.

"The Art of Being a Woman

a simple guide to everyday love and laughter."

by Veronique Vienne

Original watercolour painting found at a community fund raiser on Thetis Island several years ago...

I wonder what that new "fortune predicted project" might be.

 ~ I am waiting ~

I must close for now as

my sister and I are going to take Mother out for a walk and a browse in the shops.

Perhaps there's a pair of red shoes in my future!

“Book your life choices in advance the same way you would book flights, car rentals, hotels, and excursions. Figure out early on in your career whether you intend to be financially independent or marry a rich man, join the ranks of the professional elite or be the stay-at- home type, postpone having children or find part-time employment. Then fasten your seat belt and sit tight as you watch your trajectory veer off course.” 

~ Veronique Vienne ~

The Art of Being a Woman: A Simple Guide to Everyday Love and Laughter

Hope your week is off to a great start.