Decorating ~ free, thrift shop finds and some luxurious habits.

I love using "found" or foraged things from Nature in our home and cottage decor.

Thrift shop finds also factor in when it comes to things I have added to our bungalow...often they are unusual or somewhat quirky.

I have also been known to pull the car over when I see a free pile on the boulevard.

I am not particularly talented when it comes to interior decorating.

 But I do know what styles I do like and what I feel comfortable adding to our surroundings here in The Humble Bungalow.

Sea shells in a vintage canning jar.

Big barnacle

Chunk of coral

Glass Fish floats

Large Shell

Coral and shells mixed together.

a vintage flag

vintage enamel ware

I love using basic whites...

so versatile 

vases, trays and dishes.

White vintage Ironstone

Potted orchids

Emma Bridgewater tray...I also use her bowls for my morning cafe creme

White beach glass in a Ball sealer jar.

Emma Bridgewater Black Toast Pattern

Fresh flowers in an icy modernist vase.

Simple beach stones inside a bowl to keep the soap dry.

Vintage ironstone soap dish with built in ribbing for drainage.

Lovely soap...a weakness of mine is to buy quality french scented soaps.

Silver accents are peppered throughout the house.

My all time favourite candles...a splurge I know but so worth it.

First Nations baskets.

I love this book

by Tricia Foley 

Her simple style inspires me and I like to pick this book up from time to time and get re-energized about culling and curating what we have in our home.

 Tricia's ideas help inspire me when I am out perusing the thrift shops.

I tend to look closer at the "qualities" or the "bones" of a piece and am able to evaluate whether it is something that could add interest in our home.

Do you have a certain style when it comes to your home decor?

Have you ever hired a professional interior decorator?

What style do you admire?

Hope you have a lovely weekend...

the sun is shining here this morning and the day is going to be hot!

I plan to mix up a batch of lemonade and keep hydrated.

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 ~ 

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 ~

Home keeping...and then some pampering.

Some days it feels like I spend most of my time home keeping.
Cooking, tidying, cleaning, doing laundry, ironing, grocery shopping...

I like the results of a little elbow grease and everything looks so much better.
The Humble Bungalow is actually a nicer place to relax when the mess is less!

I have entire days where I get out and about to walk, play bridge and go out to meet friends for tea! Playing catch up can take its toll but if I put on some music and wear my fitness clothes (with a few pearls) and my trusty French Linen apron I find that I have way more energy to tackle the jobs that need attention.

Today I tended to my orchids...
I watered them, removed the wilted flowers and cut away some of the brown stems then tied up the new shoots to the stakes in the pots.

I wiped down the counter tops and cleaned out the fridge.

Polished the silver and cleaned out a few cupboards and drawers.

Did some laundry and ironing...

love the look of my linen tea towels all pressed and ready for service.

My hands got a little special treatment...

before putting on my cleaning gloves 

I applied a layer of this wonderful hand cream,

  moving about doing chores added extra warmth inside the gloves.

The cream worked its magic and it felt like a Spa Treatment!

With the fridge cleaned out the few bits of leftovers were turned into soup.

~ Leftover Soup ~

Cook and soften in a few tablespoons of oil

 a couple of onions

a diced carrot

2 -3 stalks of celery 

1 cubed pepper (I used a yellow one)

5 sliced mushrooms

cooked about 15 minutes then added

a piece of cooked steak (about 5 ounces) cut into small pieces

tetra pack of stock (beef or vegetable)

leftover broccoli

salt, pepper, thyme (to taste)

Simmer for a few hours so the flavour really blooms

add

a handful of dried noodles

cook until soft and serve or cool and freeze for a later date.

While the soup was simmering I took a wee break and gave myself a facial.

The aesthetician at the Spa mentioned that this was her favourite formula for her clients that have rosacea so I figured it was worth a try...

you mix the mask with a wee bit of water and leave it on 5-10 minutes

(while lying down with eyes closed relaxing and breathing deeply)

 then gently wipe it off with a warm face cloth.

I loved how soft and clean my skin felt after this mask.

I used the Eminence Coconut Age Defying cream after and did not put any make up on for the rest of the day.

except for

~ Mascara and lip gloss ~ 

My home day spent productively actioning domestics and focusing on my skin...

~ life feels better with a wee bit of pampering ~

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Bits and Bobs from The Humble Bungalow

Views from my walking route have been so crisp and clear.

Skies are blue and the breeze warm...

 the ocean seems to dance under the warm sunlight.

Puff ball clouds float upwards...

high above the Showy Pavement Roses.

Sweet blooms line the boulevards causing me to stop and capture the images.

I try not to stop for too long as I am mindful that I need to keep up my pace.

Like it or not, my middle is increasing in size and has become a wee bit wobbly. 

Walking much faster is my current goal.

Swinging my arms, as my physiotherapist suggested, to keep my shoulder limber.

The news on the shoulder is good ~ I am virtually free of pain.

Now I need to get the full range of motion to return.

 It will be "almost" as good as new!

Gertrude Jeykyll is a fragrant rose that is perfect for picking.

She can scent a room in no time flat!

(I think she is very beautiful too)

While I prefer to 

Enjoy the flowers outside in the Humble Bungalow Garden

occasionally I pick a few to bring inside.

"Windowsill Orchids" seem to like our Bungalow.

They blooms for months and then will a little luck they bloom again and again for several years.

They are really good value for the money...much less expensive than a large bouquet that maybe lasts 2 weeks.

I wait until the flowers fall off and the stems are dry before cutting them down to the soil level.

Water once a week and let the water drain through the pots.

Orchids do not like to sit in water for very long or the roots rot.

I keep mine in north and south windows but not in hot direct sunshine.

They prefer a bit of air circulation like they do in the wild...

rather like a tropical rainstorm and then the sun comes out and shines.

The foxgloves are back...

they are a biennial and grow every other year.

We have enough seeds from previous years plants so there are always a handful in flower.

These tall plants are perfect for the back of the border but ours have a different idea...

they bloom wherever they feel like!

I don't try to change their habits and am grateful that they are here at all.

They were about the only plant that was here when we bought The Humble Bungalow over 30 years ago...

Most of the garden was covered in Morning Glory a weed that wraps itself around everything in sight and the runners tunnel underground and if they are not kept in check a mess ensues!

That was one of our first challenges when we moved into our home...

ridding the garden of weeds, brambles and junk.

(sweat equity)

Here is a link to one of my posts in the series The Ugly Truth.

After your read this you will understand a wee bit more about how far we have come.

We have created a Garden that we enjoy 

it has taken us years of hard work

many changes ~ trials and errors

Today it looks a lot different!

Thank you for stopping by my Humble Bungalow Blog!

I'll be back soon with snippets of our weekend away on our Sea Ray.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~