Books and comfort food...

On a grey day last week I took my book to a local cafe and sat at a table near the window.

I ordered a pot of tea and a hearty bowl of soup.

There were scads of people lunching and chatting yet I felt quite sheltered by the noise in my little corner by the window.

Kate Morton's book "The Lake House" has so many twists and turns that I cannot figure out the mystery that she has so cleverly crafted.

I have been lunching on soup quite a bit as I find it such a comforting meal.

Simple, hot, tasty and nutritious.

I've noticed a lot of dandelions on the boulevards that line the streets nearby...

many lawns are dotted with the yellow flowers that are considered by many as noxious weeds.

We have a gadget for pulling these long rooted weeds out of the lawn.

The taproots can be 8-10 inches and if you don't get the root in its entirety it will grow back with a vengeance!

I received a lovely gift from a local author.

Thank you for the book Lise-Lotte!

Lise-Lotte Loomer

has written a book about 

her GreenHouse

the gift her Mother gave to her while she was in Hospice.

Her Mother was an avid gardener and was happy pottering about in her "glasshouse" in her garden by the sea.

The greenhouse was a gift from her husband many years ago...

Lise -Lotte, friends and family dismantled the glasshouse and moved it carefully 

before reassembling it in her back yard...and by all accounts it was a challenge!

(Lise-Lotte's Mother, like my own Mother, wore Chanel No. 5)

Greenhouse Hygge

The House of My Growing Dreams

Lise-Lotte popped in a packet of Earl Grey Tea 

 several of her beautiful art cards

and so I put the kettle on and brewed some tea while I read her book.

Lise- Lotte has used many beautiful snapshots of her garden and greenhouse

in the book...

Lise-Lotte has written a lovely tribute to her Mother

shared with us her vision for the greenhouse 

how it will play a new role in her garden.

Lise-Lotte uses it for entertaining 

as well as growing and propagating flowers 

and vegetables.

The author is able to pop out and sit in her greenhouse 

all year long

sipping a cup of tea or a glass of wine.

It is a quiet refuge, a place for reflection and contemplation.

Having recently lost my own Mother 

I can understand why Lise-Lotte likes to spend so much time in her Mother's greenhouse.

I feel that she, like me, is looking for moments 

when we can be close to,  remember and honour our Mothers.

If you are in the Victoria area you can find Lise-Lotte's book at:

 Ivy's on Oak Bay Avenue, 

Tanners in Sidney on Beacon Avenue, 

Thorn and Thistle Flower Merchants on Bowker Avenue

Russell Nursery on Wain Road

Southlands Nursery In Vancouver also carry the book.

I received this book as a gift and in no way am I being reimbursed by the author

all opinions are mine.

More lunchtime comfort soup...

this one, a creamy tomato basil bisque

with a side of salad and a baguette slice.

I am looking for some new book titles and know many of you are avid readers.

What are you currently reading or which books are on your wish list?

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

XO

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

Excavating the dirt and the pursuit of peace.

The Humble Bungalow is usually a quiet place.
We are fortunate to live in a quiet area not far from the city centre...
buffered by Beacon Hill Park and the seafront is a couple of blocks away.

Birdsong, wind, and some local traffic sounds are what we usually hear.

Our peace and quiet has been disrupted by the heavy equipment that is on site next door excavating the lot for the construction of two homes.

You can see our bungalow and the close proximity to the digger.

A steady stream of trucks come by to transport the dirt...

It is rather like a truck parade.

The streets are streaked with mud 

it has been raining so there are many muddy puddles.

I have been leaving home seeking peace and solace elsewhere.

Healthy lunch post Yoga today...

kale salad

2 egg omelette

Eaten in peace while the operator was on his lunch break.

Thank goodness for this timely gift.

The Yoga Studio

 where 

I am able to breathe deeply

sit on the mat 

close my eyes

perform restorative poses

follow through the fluid sun salutation movements

which

restore inner peace and help achieve a sense of calm.

For this I am grateful...

There is an abundance of beauty in our neighbourhood.

Despite the rain I am getting out for my walks.

The noise and chaos next door is a great motivator!

Sipping tea

Lapsang Souchong

a smokey liquid that has an intensity that awakens the taste buds.

This large Emma Bridgewater mug in the Black Toast pattern makes me smile.

You can see my Spring and Summer shade of Lipstick 

 L'Oreal Everbloom

Next time I go to the pharmacy I am going to try to find a pink shade.

I'll ask the gals on staff as they are super helpful

  it would be nice to have another colour on hand.

Hellebores are putting on a great display in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

So that's about all the news from The Humble Bungalow...

what's new with you?

I'll be back soon.

XO

Holiday dressing ~ Hostess Style

Today I want to chat about my thoughts on dressing for the holiday season.
Views are strictly my own and I am not professing to be an expert on fashion...

Hostess Style aka Grammy Style,
is an honest, comfortable, and affordable way of dressing.
I have new, vintage, and thrift shop finds in my closet.

Essentially, I dress to camouflage my figure flaws,
drawing focus on the better bits and minimizing the mid section!

My wardrobe is small, curated, and bordering on spartan,
and it leans decidedly toward conservative...
The colours tend to be mostly black and grey.

Black is so versatile that I keep getting drawn back to it time and again.
It looks dressy in daylight and elegant at night. You get a lot of mileage out of black clothes as they go with everything...that's the "practical" coming out in my personality!

Black is rather like a backdrop,
a black canvas perhaps, just waiting for accessories.

The iconic LBD is still as popular today
as it was when it was first introduced many decades ago...

I own several little black dresses and they are so easy and effortless to wear.

I recently purchased a simple black skirt that sits slightly above the knee.
It will get worn quite a bit over the holidays and can be dressed up or dressed down. I already own several pairs of black shoes; flats, kitten heels and pumps as well as Chelsea boots.
This budget friendly addition is a welcome garment for the festive season.

At this time of year I like to add a bit of sparkle...

St. John black knit top with beads...

great with my new skirt or pants.

Can you imagine this top worn with my boyfriend jeans

black leather "moto jacket" and Chelsea boots?

Vintage wool and sequin top from Woodwards,

It's party time!

Sparkly jewels

J Crew necklace and two vintage Sherman brooches.

Festive dressing can involve a few bling-y pieces and at this time of year I like to play at bit more with accessories when dressing up.

I also like to take some extra time with my skin care regime.

A morning spent quietly sipping tea and giving myself a facial 

is my idea of luxury.

Sleep has been hit and miss for me for the past few months 

I go to sleep but wake in the night and I do not fall back asleep easily.

Unfortunately this pattern of waking seems to show up on my face...

it is actually bugging me as I used to be such a great sleeper.

As a result 

I have been focusing more on healthy eating 

making sure that I stay hydrated

taking time to set aside a few minutes to meditate

and focus on my breathing

I also think that I need to get back to practising Yoga in the New Year.

Bone broth with turmeric

Nourish, just as its name suggests, serves healthy nutritious food. 

Many of the options are dairy and gluten free.

Poached eggs on a bed of kale, mushrooms and sweet potatoes 

topped with a cashew cream hollandaise.

Nom Nom!

So how do you like to dress for the holidays?

Are you drawn to bright colours or do you prefer neutrals?

What, if anything, are you planning to add to your wardrobe?

I like to add a splash of scent everyday

and two of my favourites are

Mitsouko by Guerlain and Jour d' Hermes

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

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Weekend snippets and a cookie recipe...

How was your weekend?
Ours was busy and we had the opportunity to go shopping, we enjoyed lunch and brunch out at two of our favourite spots, there was time for my knitting projects, then some baking and Mr. HB mowed the lawn as we heard that snow was in the forecast.

We picked up the newlyweds at the airport.
It feels so good having them back in town
and we look forward to spending Christmas together.

Their honeymoon was spent touring NZ and Australia where Nick grew up.
They had a wonderful time.
Except for the earthquake in Wellington, which sounds like a stressful experience and now that we have more details we can understand better what they went through.

Saturday we wandered through the shops downtown.
I particularly like seeing the shop windows all decked out for the festive season...

This cute little jacket is made for a toddler.

The Tapas Bar in Trounce Alley

where we ate a yummy lunch.

The Beehive Wool shop windows

I purchased more yarn so I could knit up some gifts.

Sunday brunch at 

The Beach House restaurant, 

the seas were calm and the skies were blue.

I love this wee table accent...so simple and festive.

Delicious food and a fabulous view made for a wonderful start to the day.

Avocado on toast with poached eggs and pea shoots.

Speaking of food...

I discovered this delicious cookie recipe on line.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/218878/citrus-shortbread-cookies

The cookies are tasty and you can make the dough one day pop it in the fridge and bake it when you have time.
That works well for those of us who like to pace ourselves
especially important at this time of year!

The Kitchen Aid does most of the work.

I will bake these today.

I am also sending Carol a gift as a token of her kindness.

Carol is giving the cookbook she won in the giveaway to Nadya 

who I hope will read this and send me her address

(bungalowhostess@gmail.com)

The neighbours' cat has settled down for a nap on our front porch in the sunshine.

I must get that oven heated up and bake those cookies so I will close for now...

Hope that you have a wonderful week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~