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 ~

Royalty amongst other things...

The young royal family Kate, William, George and Charlotte are here in Victoria for the week and they are staying at Government House.
Government House is on Rockland Avenue just a few blocks north of The Humble Bungalow.
Government House has a tea room where Mother and I go to in the summertime and where we sit on the patio to have lunch and share a pot of tea.
I love to walk through the rose gardens and smell the beautiful roses...
the gardens are tended by an army of volunteers and it looks splendid.

The gates are closed for security this week while the Royals are in residence...
our SIL is busy working on the tour providing audio tech support.

I did not take the following picture but wanted to share it with you...
it is a wee bit fuzzy and I think it must have been taken with a zoom lens.

Kate looked radiant in her Royal Blue dress and exquisite hat.

She wore sapphire (I have been advised that they are actually tanzanite) and diamond earrings with her lovely sapphire engagement ring.

On her dress she pinned a diamond studded Maple Leaf borrowed 

from HRH Queen Elizabeth.

It was a gift from Canada to honour Queen Elizabeth (another error on my part, they were given to the Queen Mother) on one of her visits to Canada.

I apologize for these errors as I took the information from the local news reporter who obviously had not done her homework...

we have amended the info thanks to reader and royal watcher Patricia!

Helicopters are in the sky in our neighbourhood

hovering above the motorcade.  

Security is serious business and there are strict protocols in place.

One of our orchids is flowering and the rest are dormant...

We have settled into a slower pace 

as Fall nudges its way into The Humble Bungalow...

the garden will be put to bed in the next few weeks and then I plan to pull out my knitting.

I made a lettuce soup.

Have you ever heard of lettuce soup?

I had a tub of lettuce that was almost wilted and knew that we would never eat it all by its best before date so I looked online and found a recipe.

So quick and easy and really low in Weight Watcher points!

Cook a diced onion in a wee bit of oil until soft.

Add 6 cups of veggie stock and 1 cup of diced potato

simmer for about 20 minutes until potato is cooked.

Add 6-8 cups of mixed salad greens and cook a few more minutes.

Season with salt, pepper, and 1 or 2 tbsps. of a good curry powder (to taste)

Use the immersion blender and process until no lumps remain.

Serve hot topped with a dollop of yogurt if you desire.

I wore my collection of bangles out to lunch last week.

Darling daughter, Savvy son and Mr. HB met for a family lunch.

Talk about one for the memory books...we cannot remember the last time we went out just the four of us!

Mr. HB and I enjoyed a recent date night.

We went out for dinner and a movie...

we saw the new Bridget Jones film and I laughed out loud so much that I had tears rolling down my face.

It is a light comedy and a "feel good" film.

Darling daughter and I went to Aritzia and perused their new stock.

I love their lines of clothing as they are very classic, simple and are suitable for the young and the old.

I purchased a simple off white Wilfred top that is very soft and cozy.

It has a low V neck which is perfect for featuring pearls or a scarf.

I will layer this when the weather gets cooler under my black leather vest or a sweater or jacket.

Darling daughter purchased a fabulous pair of jeans by Citizens of Humanity.

She referred to them as"mom jeans" and we laughed because I was wearing my NYDJ.

(Not Your Daughters' Jeans)

Coincidentally we both had our leather "moto" jackets on with our jeans and tops.

This is the second time in a few weeks where I have found myself dressed in the same style outfit as my companion when out and about!

Today and I have a few chores on my list which will keep me busy

and I am trying to decide what to cook for dinner tonight.

When the weather gets cooler I like to make a cozy meal of roasted veggies and possibly cook a roast of beef.

I need to go for my walk and I may just pop into the grocery store on my way home and see what inspires me...

Keep cozy people.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Rewards...spa pedicure, a purchase and a patio meal.

How is your week going?

Are you having a good one?

Mine is ticking along nicely...

lots of walks

a good book on the go

the sun has been shining

BUT wouldn't you know it...

the scale is stuck at 141

Pink McCartney roses

and my latest OPI painted toes...

"A Rose at Dawn, Broke by Noon"

Spring and summer pedicures are a must for me during sandal season.

They are a wonderful experience and I feel very pampered when I have one.

~ Pure luxury ~

  

This shade of pink is so pretty and fresh.

 I am tempted to buy a bottle and do my fingernails too.

While staying within my WW daily point count I try to find some non food rewards that help me stay on track.

Little things (rewards) that keep me on the straight and narrow.

Meeting up with my daughter for a day of fun.

I bought this wee engraved silver jug at the thrift shop 

when darling daughter and I went to Sidney earlier in the week.

It is tarnished but I plan to keep it in this state as I like how it looks.

Most of my silver gets regular polishing but this little antique jug just looks so pretty with this patina.

We opted to have lunch at The Brentwood Bay Pub on the sun filled patio.

Kale, quinoa and chicken salad with orange segments 

with orange juice dressing.

Beautiful presentation

tasty

satisfying

 it kept me fuelled until dinnertime.

We purchased an arts and crafts quarter sawn oak table to sit between two of our chairs in The Humble Bungalow living room.

We never seem to have enough space for our guests to put their drinks.

"Someone" is giving it a once over...

Chester looks like he approves!

Anyone on Blogger having issues with their posts being delayed getting to the blog feed?

I have not figured out what is happening to my blog and it has been going on for over a month.

I hit publish it in the morning but it does not appear on the feed until late afternoon.

I am tech challenged and wondering if I need to hire someone to help me sort out the glitches.

Also the blogger spell check is not working either...

If anyone knows what i need to do I would appreciate you letting me know.

Thank you!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Week #2...and it is slow going.

Dining out this week and counting WW points has been a bit of a challenge.
I am not expecting the scale to budge at all, I just hope it will not go up!

Bistro lunches, a pub dinner, a garden party and a BBQ...
and wine!
( to burn off the points from one glass of wine I need to walk briskly for 5km!)

The view from The Oak Bay Beach Hotel where we celebrated Mr. HB's birthday.

The sun was setting in the west and this eastern exposure turned a soft pink shade.

The hot tubs were obviously "too hot" to use in this weather.

We drove home via the scenic route and stopped at King George Terrace lookout to take a picture of the golden sunset.

My walking route 

warm and bathed in sunlight about 8:30 in the morning.

The heat was increasing as I walked and I am so glad that I opted to do the 5km early rather than later...

Quite a few walkers and joggers were out and about...

the sea was calm and the air still.

This is part of the route that the Tour de Victoria cyclists peddled their bikes along...

I don't own a bike but have been looking longingly in the window of the Fairfield Bicycle Shop

The Pashley bikes from the UK are on display in their window

British Racing Green and Fire Engine Red

what would I choose?

And it absolutely MUST have a wicker basket!

The Humble Bungalow Garden is chock full of blooms.
A riot of of roses and loads of mop head limelight hydrangeas...

We are having a heat wave and the intense heat affects my energy level.

Despite drinking lots of lemonade and iced tea I feel rather sluggish.

We are not used to high temperatures and there has been very little in the way of cooling ocean breezes... 

We have kept the blinds closed and opened most of the windows a crack... 

(so that the cats do not escape)

I am totally absorbed with this new novel.

Sitting in a Morris Chair in The Humble Bungalow living room keeping cool

is not a bad way to spend a hot afternoon.

A dip in a pool would be nice...

but I will make due with a refreshing shower.

How was your weekend?

Have you got a good book that you can recommend?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Books, Bedding, and Bouquets...

Summer reading...
I love having a stack of books ready and waiting for summer holidays.

Reading has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember...
The summer of 1960 we moved to Oak Bay and the first friend I met was Diane.

Her family lived up the block from us and we hit it off right from the start...
they resided in a charming heritage home tucked away, it was actually hidden from the street, surrounded by a lovely large garden.

We spent many lazy sunny afternoons playing in her garden that first summer.

I learned how to read at Monterey School using the Dick and Jane readers and became interested in other books. The Anne of Green Gables series, Trixie Beldon, The Famous Five series, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Box Car Children were among my favourites...

After playing outdoors all morning,
we would retire to read in her cozy bedroom nestled under the eaves.

We started reading novels voraciously...attending a library club one summer at the Public Library. Our mother's permitted us to take the bus downtown...Victoria was a small town and much safer in those days. We read so many books that summer and collected a stamp for each book we read...the program was called "Circus McGircus."

In our preteen years, we started listening to music and developed crushes on the Beatles. We owned a TV and her family did not, so she came to our house to watch The Beatles on Ed Sullivan...a lot of screaming ensued, and my parents were not amused!

We would peruse the Beatle fan magazines that her English aunt would send in the post...I had a huge crush on Paul McCartney, and if my memory serves, I think she liked John Lennon.
We even wrote fan mail to Paul and John at The Beatles Fan Club!

As we grew older our taste in reading changed and Diane and I went our different ways...she now lives back east and I stayed in town,
we are now "FaceBook friends."

The love of reading was fostered early in our lives and continues to be strong.
Fostering the love of reading is important and one needs to start early....
reading regularly to babies and children is the best way I know of to get them into the habit...and there are so many great kids books available!

Lands' End had a 50 % off sale on one item on the 4th of July.

I jumped at the chance and ordered some linen bedding 

linen sheets have been on my list for several years.

Bunny is test driving them...

These are the flax colour and soon I plan to buy a linen duvet cover.

Love love love this bouquet!

 Thorn and Thistle put this beautiful bouquet together for our darling daughter's elopement photo shoot.

OOTD

NYDJ skinny jeans

London Fog polka dot trench coat

Sperry espadrilles

I arranged to meet a friend for lunch this week.

We met at a popular Victoria institution...

Pagliacci's on Broad Street.

You need to be there early or wait in line until a table is available.

They are well known for their pasta and focaccia bread.

After lunch we perused Russell Books

then parted ways 

as I was totally immersed in searching the shelves for more books!

The newlyweds will be home soon...

looking forward to seeing all the pictures taken by Kim Kaylyn Photography.

What books are you reading this summer?

Any titles worth sharing?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Busy Bees...flowers and food from The Humble Bungalow garden.

Hip Hip Hooray!
Sunflower season is upon us and bunches and bunches of these gorgeous flowers are waiting to be scooped up from the Farm Stands and Flower shops.

Such a cheery yellow flower...

so simple and when massed together they make a bold bouquet.

The bees are attracted to these beautiful big blooms.

Look at all the pollen that this worker bee has on its wings and body!

Another bee gathering pollen...looks like the pollen is dropping off the wings

I managed to capture another worker bee in flight...

with so many bees on the sunflowers you could hear them buzzing.

Bees seem to be plentiful here in The Humble Bungalow Garden and for that I am grateful as we have been enjoying the first taste of our tomato crop.

The greenhouse is proving to be quite valuable...

we had our first cucumber last weekend and the flavour was so sweet.

Heirloom tomato "Salad" variety served on top of butter lettuce leaves.

Sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper with a light drizzle of dressing...

yummy!

I was busy running errands and it was noon before I knew it

so I took myself out for a quick bite 

a curried vegetable wrap and a side of salad

sitting at an outdoor table in the sunshine 

with the sounds of the birds and the scent of the sea...

 a lovely summer holiday moment

and I did not need to travel far...

Hope you are having a fabulous week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Early Saturday morning...reflecting on the events of the week.

I awoke very early this morning and could not get back to sleep...so I got up.

Weekend mornings I usually stay in bed longer and have a slow start to my day.
The coffee creme tasted so delicious that I savoured a second bowl before sitting down and opening up my lap top.

Have you heard of this award winning olive oil from the Marlborough area of New Zealand?
Lusatori is owned by our daughter's fiancee's family.
When they visited we were given a bottle and it is truly amazing!

I made a quick aioli that Dani BP mentioned in a recent comment on my blog.

I have a great easy sauce that my friend Pat gave me last week too, a fake aioli: 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup lemon juice, tsp of yogurt and tsp of mayo with fresh herbs thrown in and lots of pepper and a bit of salt, perfect on cold roast chicken and asparagus. Perfect this time of year.

Thank you Dani as it was delicious!

I served it with freshly picked asparagus grown in The Humble Bungalow garden and a store bought roasted chicken and deli salads.

We have been enjoying the Sunshine and Yellow flowers.

Darling daughter wore her citrine and diamond ring when we went out for lunch.

We ate outside in the "secret garden"behind Sally Bun on Fort Street.

They offer healthy food and make fabulous salads.

I am not a huge fan of gnomes but this one was tucked away into the foliage in such a way that it did not scare me!

a bird house in a tree that was inhabited

The canopy of trees makes this spot an intimate place for a quiet respite.

Our hydrangeas are starting to bloom.

The poppies are finished and I am gathering the seed pods to dry until next Spring when I will scatter them about the beds for more plants.

A pale yellow rose whose name remains unknown. 

Something has been munching on the leaves and there appears to be a bit of blackspot on this plant.

Bubble blowing in the garden with our grandson Henry.

Sidewalk Chalk Fun

Henry will be 3 this August.

Isla will be 6 this week...

I marvel at the speed with which time flies.

~ My week was full to the brim ~

several long walks with a friend

some beach time

a wee bit of gardening

the usual domestics

lunches out

time to read my book

play time with our grandson

I played bridge at the club and had fabulous cards

met some new bridge players

celebrated Mother's 89th birthday by taking her out for dinner

and now the weekend is here and we have more fun things planned.

It is time for me to wrap this up and get going with my day.

Hope you have a fantastic fun filled weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~