Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movies. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

December Snowfall...and some snippets from the past few weeks.


We have snow!
It's pretty to look at but it is very cold.

I've been wearing my cozy cashmere sweaters and thick wool socks.
Bundling up in my puffy down coat 
(think Michelin man style)
hat
scarf
gloves


Fancy popping by to sit on the front porch with a hot cuppa?
The hummingbird feeders are freezing so we are rotating the two feeders 
in the cold snap of winter
the wee local Anna's hummingbirds rely on us to keep them fed.


Snowy scenes here in The Humble Bungalow Garden.


Abraham Darby a David Austin Rose
blooming 
while wearing a snow hat!


A fabulous book...
by author Alka Joshi.
The good news is she has published a sequel
 and is working on a third!


Lady Gaga was amazing in the film!
We saw it in the theatre...a matinee 
safely viewed with only two other people in attendance!

Lady Gaga is wearing the same pearls that I bought from a local shop.
Mary from Skanda sourced them from Hong Kong!



We discovered a new cocktail...

"Jingle Buck"

1 ounce Vodka
3/4 ounce pure cranberry juice
3/4 ounce lime juice
2 ounces ginger ale
ice
garnish with fresh cranberries

CHEERS!


I've felt at a loss for words on the blog lately...
perhaps it is writer's block?

Covid has worn so many of us down.
I want to rise up in positivity and rejoice 
but the new Omicron variant has us all in a tizzy.

Our numbers are surging and the hospitals are slammed.

We get our booster shots next week and for that I am very grateful.

I have been working on
The Doocot Sweater
I knit the body of the sweater and now I am working on the sleeves.
You'd think I would have this finished by now...
I started it before the pandemic hit!

When I attended the knitting club meeting I discovered that I am not alone in procrastinating with my knitting project.
Some of the women have taken up painting and several others bought bikes and have been meeting up to explore the scenic roads and trails.

I have made a conscious decision to focus on and embrace Simple Joys.

I feel happiest in my kitchen 
whether I am cutting veggies for a soup or baking cookies
or planning a menu to serve to my family
the contentment is hugely rewarding and comforting.

Two items that I purchased during Covid that have been most useful 
are linen aprons.

We have not purchased many things in the past two years...
we don't "need" much other than food.

Clothes shopping has been put on the back burner for the time being...
except for that "wee foray" at Eileen Fisher on South Granville in Vancouver!

I found a cute grey top and a sumptuous boiled wool sweater in a tunic length.
I bought the black one (of course!)

The sweater was, what I consider, an "investment piece."
It has been worn multiple times since I bought it!

I wore it Christmas Day with skinny Eileen Fisher pants.
I added a sparkly Sherman rhinestone pin.

Vintage rhinestone Brooches are such a fun way to add sparkle.

Hope that 2022 has some bright spots and highlights...
Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Mother Daughter getaway...new clothes for Spring and summer.

Last weekend our darling daughter accompanied me on a trip to Vancouver.
The focus of the trip was to shop.
And shop we did!

The first day we walked and shopped for 5 hours and the second for 6...a marathon of walking and shopping yielded quite a few bags full.


I love these shoes.
Ferragamo Varina flats...
IF I were to plunk down the cash I would insist on a pair in red.
They are quite pricey at $625 but they are beautifully made and so classic, perhaps iconic.
A gal can dream....


Aritzia is a favourite shop of darling daughter...
we have one here in Victoria
the Robson shop has three storefronts and loads of stock.


We perused the shop both days as it was on the same street as our Hotel.


Milestones restaurant was the perfect casual spot to stop for dinner.
Lots of variety and healthy options for dinner.


OOTD
Calvin Klein ponte knit pants
Style & Co. black top
Clarks boots
Burberry print infinity scarf

(My hair is a mess as we got caught in a torrential downpour!)


H&M navy and white striped top


London Fog navy and white polka dot trench coat.


White NYDJ jeans
Black flats by Pegabo with gold accents on the heels
H&M striped top


We sipped Perrier and munched on popcorn while we watched the award winning movie Brooklyn.
(I highly recommend it)
We also watched the English film Man Up.
(funny and entertaining ~ cute)

There was a gale force windstorm Sunday 
when we left the dock at the ferry terminal the wind was really intense
The crossing across Georgia Strait was lumpy but we made it to the island without incident.
Later that same day there were some ferries that had mishaps...
one bumped into a concrete dock and some sailings were also cancelled.


Are you old enough to remember Lamb Chop and Shari Lewis?
These little lamb chops were for sale in the onboard shop.


Like lamb chop I am embracing a bright paw.
Dior Adventure will do the trick.


Hope that your week is ticking along nicely.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Retail therapy...a welcome tonic to a grey day.

For the past few months I have been consciously avoiding shopping for clothes.
Saving as much money as I can has been my goal.
I'm not too good at being frugal...but I have been quite prudent with my spending.

My daughter and I ventured out on a bleak and grey afternoon to browse the shops...
"browsing" being the operative word!


Lovely daughter bought several things...
a soft dove grey wool coat, a cute black felted Fedora, several tees and some jeans.
She works in an office downtown and likes to dress well...she loves fashion and mixes vintage, and thrifted items with new garments. I love her sense of style...and may I remind you, she is my fashion advisor!


I browsed too but kept reminding myself that I already own a basic core wardrobe at home,
and it meets my "needs."


I'm drawn to the various shades of grey, especially when it comes to clothing...


I like how it fits in with the black palette that I have chosen for my wardrobe.


I tried on this soft tee top in Forever 21...
and at almost 60 you'd think I would not find a thing in a shop with that name!
There were oodles of young women trolling the aisles, coffees in one hand and cellphones in the other.

"Fast Fashion" are two words that come to mind when looking around and scrutinizing the stock...
however
this simple top filled a void and the price was reasonably priced
the garment looked well constructed and the fabric is super soft
as I have only two other long sleeved tees in my closet
one in white and the other a blue grey
this will be a staple
I'll be pairing this with my black Barbour quilted vest for starters and layering it with my cardigans.
I have three scarves that will work with it too...
the grey and banana Pashmina, the new black, grey, and cream felted one and the Hermes white a grey silk square.


Window display at Uptown Mall.


It's looking decidedly festive in the parking lot!


I spied a pure white Hellebore blooming in a planter...
such a cheery display, a harbinger of Spring!


I found this vintage jug on the boulevard free pile...
I'm already imagining it filled with our limelight hydrangeas...
or perhaps a bouquet of roses.


In other news, Mr. HB and I watched this very entertaining film...
a couple return to Paris to celebrate their anniversary.
It's a fast moving film that comments on the highs and lows of a marriage.
Like life, it has both joys and sorrows...

I originally mentioned that it was "non stop fun"...and upon careful consideration I have amended my comment...
which was misleading.
(Thank you Duchesse)

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and the acting is superb.


Speaking of fun...I hope you are having some!

Sunday, January 4, 2015

Posting from "my office"...creating a workable wardrobe for 3 weeks in France using a carry on.

Our arts and crafts bungalow circa 1912, was designed before home offices were even on the radar, so I use our kitchen as my "office."


This is the view from our trestle table where my Mac sits waiting for me...
it's handy too as I spend many hours in our humble kitchen.
It's a pleasant space in which to write as there is a window beside the table and many birds are in the side yard.
I sip my tea, look outside
 and ponder...





It might not look like much right now as the beds are "resting up" for their displays in the spring and summer...
there are two dwarf fruit trees, roses and hydrangeas.


I am a messy cook and so I always wear an apron when I am cooking and when I am cleaning...
Here's the newest one handmade by my friend LA, a thoughtful Xmas gift.
Thanks L!


OOTD...

White long sleeved Tee ~ Ellen Tracy
apron
jeans ~ Talbots
cashmere socks
Timberland boots

While the laundry spins...
I am hard at work trying to figure out my travel wardrobe.
3 weeks travel in France...
2 weeks in Paris with just a small carry on...


I've been writing notes and lists
 then...
editing, editing editing...



Over the holidays I went out with my lovely daughter and we did a bit of a shop.
I found an inexpensive fun new top in a bright shade of coral...
in the same shade as my new Lands' End cashmere cardigan, which is also coming with me to Paris.
If the weather is sunny and warm I will wear this top when I venture south to visit our friends.


Love the lacy details...
now I am looking for some ethnic jewelry to pick up the same shade.

 I have the cardigan...


I have that Jones of NY dress with splashes of coral in the pattern.




I am trying to tie it all together so living out of a carry on for three weeks will be easy.



I am taking layers...
tanks and tees and two pairs of pants.
One is a pair of jeans and the other Eileen Fisher black knit pants.


The tweedy black Banana Republic dress is coming too...


I think I will take this vintage navy leather bag 


 inside this Longchamps expandable bag as my personal item.

I have to work on the accessories that I will bring...


 I have one scarf so far...

It's quitting time in "the office" I've done enough work for one day and I am closing up the laptop...
preparing dinner is next!

Mr. HB and I are ready for the season 5 premiere of Downton Abbey tonight.
Will you be watching?


Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Same Old Same Old...

My energy is a little low, partly due to some recent sleep disruptions,
which I hope is not going to become a pattern,
plus I have been busy shopping and baking.

I was so grateful that my walking partner was free to walk our 10K route this morning.
I needed to get outdoors and really "wake up" and jump start my day.
The weather was chilly but we bundled up in our Lands" End down puffer coats, gloves and scarves and struck up our usual conversation and time passed quickly. We stopped at The Breakwater Cafe for a jolt of java...before walking back home. I was hungry by the time I got home and so I heated up the dinner leftovers and brewed a pot of tea before sitting down to check my email and read up on the blogs that I follow.
It seems that everyone is busy these days,
many are writing that they are too busy to write new posts and others are too busy to keep up with their blog reading...and so it goes...

I totally understand...
there are only so many hours in a day and one must be careful not to overdo it.

Let's give ourselves a gift shall we?

TIME...
TO
RELAX
REST
IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A SENSE OF CALM AND COMPOSURE.

We have the right to say no to things that demand or zap too much of our energy, things that we do not enjoy, and things which put us teetering precariously on the verge or the thin edge of the wedge...
sounds like good advice,
perhaps I'll take it,
will you?

Time to sit quietly at the computer and type what comes...



I like wearing a light spritz of perfume...
my winter scent is Mitsouko by Guerlain.
It is a heavier fragrance that feels like it is made for colder weather.
I am very fond of scented candles in the chilly weather...
I like the glow that they cast inside our Humble Bungalow and the scent is so sensual.


I wore a vintage beaded sweater to my French class this week.
I like to wear it with jeans and a simple tank top...
because it has so much going on I keep accessories to a minimum.
Classes are over until the New Year.
I gave Madame a jar of my homemade marmalade and some chocolate bark.
She oohed and said "Merci beaucoup j'adore confiture et chocolat!"


I found a modernist designed silver ladle at the consignment shop Good Things on Oak Bay Avenue.


It will look beautiful in our vintage punch bowl.
There is a stamp with three crowns on the back...it is an American maker.
Three Crowns Silversmiths from Pennsylvania.


I like the simple lines of this piece...


The Amaryllis has started blooming and more flowers are on the way.


One of the cats has nibbled the flower...

I welcomed the opportunity to sit for a bit and type up a post this afternoon.

It's a luxury not having to push myself when my energy wanes...which it does on occasion.
Recognizing when I am fatigued and accepting it without fighting the urge to press on has taken some time to come to terms with...
It surprises me that I can still discover something new about myself.

~ ~ ~

Clara, a reader, asked for the recipe for the fruit loaves that I made so she that she could make some for Christmas.
This is a super simple loaf to make.

It is lovely to have on hand as it keeps well if you wrap it in cling film and then a tight layer of foil.
I like to cut a few slices to serve with a cup of tea...
you might even like to spread a wee bit of salted butter on it!

~ Humble Bungalow Hostess Tea Loaf ~

All ingredients need to be at room temperature.
Sift into a large bowl:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Melt and cool 2 tablespoons butter

Beat until light 1 egg then add in 1 cup milk and beat again.
Add the melted butter to the mixture.

Beat liquid ingredients into the dry mixture.
Add in 1 cup dried fruit.
 (raisins, currants or crystallized ginger)

I used a combination of dried cranberries, dried cherries and dried blueberries.

Place in a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
Test with toothpick to make sure it is cooked before removing from oven. 
Cool on a rack before removing from pan.

I doubled the recipe and made two loaves.

Hope you like it Clara.


Mr. HB and I recently watched a delightful film.
"The 100 Foot Journey" starring Helen Mirren and it was filmed in France.
I highly recommend it.

I'm feeling sleepy so I am going to close for now...
I am going to read my book and climb under the duvet.

Be Happy and Stay Cozy!