March ~ ing onward into Spring.

 

This Andalou cream has been my "go to" night cream for the past few months...

a little goes a long way. You may be able to see that the jar is still half full.

Can you see the grey pearl stud beside the diamond stud that I wear most days?

My husband gave me a pair for my birthday the year Mom passed away. 

I haven't worn these pearls as often since Covid hit

(need to wear masks)

I almost lost an earring taking my mask off.

I already had a pearl fiasco losing that strand at the beach...

must take more care not to lose things!!

My new FUN skirt from a thrift shop.

Knife pleats in a black grey print.

I will dress this up with a black rayon sweater and a camisole.

Dress it down very casual with a tee and my denim jacket.

I am already thinking of fun things to pair it with...

it is made by Zara, the only thing I own from the company.

Finally got a copy from the library...it had been on the Holds for a LONG time.

I read it in two days...another stunning mystery from Louise Penny.

Birthday flowers and vase from a friend.

I have such lovely friends...

so thoughtful 

the range of unexpected gifts was amazing.

Soaps, tea, a beautiful hand knit dishcloth, books, an apron, 

flowers, and some sourdough starter!

Thank you for ALL those kind email messages and birthday greetings 

from the Blog and Instagram... feeling very grateful.

My first attempt at a sourdough boule.

Was delicious with the homemade chicken soup!

Dinner out at Zambri's

Dessert

Brunch and dinner out with the family rounded out the weeklong celebrations.

They spoiled me too :-))

Thank you ALL 

Murchies teas and a gift card at a favourite restaurant.

Vintage silk hand rolled scarf and a Wedgewood clam shaped white porcelain plate.

We zipped off to the garden centre to buy two flats of these cheerful tete a tete's.

On sale half price.

We planted them out in front of the deer fence 

to fill in the gaps from the ones we planted last year.

Such a pretty pop of colour and they bloom earlier than our daffodils.

The Oscars are on TV tonight...are you going to watch them?

I like to see the fashions...and the jewels.

Making a pot roast, potatoes, carrots and a lemon torte for dessert.

Comfort Food for a cold rainy Sunday.

Hope that you are keeping healthy and staying sane with all the crazy stuff that is happening in our world.

Vintage Bread tray

might come in handy?

Crocuses blooming out front in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

October 31st ~ Snippets and tidbits

Spider webs adorn the Humble Bungalow Garden.

They are woven throughout and one needs to be mindful when walking :-((

Our zinc planter has some new plants...

the geraniums had faded and were getting leggy 

so I zipped off to the garden centre and grabbed these foliage plants.

Black Mondo Grass and Dusty Miller.

~ Jude the Obscure ~

These may quite possibly be the last roses of the season that we bring inside.

The garden is settling into a long winter slumber...

I have candles at the ready...

they add fragrance and much needed warmth and a cozy ambiance.

I have looked at many many shops for boots...

thought that I was destined to have wet feet

until 

I spied these serious rain boots at Mouats on Salt Spring Island.

~ Tretorn ~

I bought some thick socks to wear with them and they are so comfy!

I have been wearing them this past weekend on Pender.

The thrifted (repaired) backpack made its first voyage on the ferry to the cottage!

This is an excellent book...

it centres around an interesting character and flashes back to the Japanese internment.

Set in BC and Ontario

written by a very talented author.

I read her book Deafening years ago and enjoyed it,

 so when I saw this title and read the jacket cover I knew I needed to read it.

I also went to the bookstore and found several books!

I am amassing another small book stack 

after "almost" catching up on all my reading :-))

There was an atmospheric river weather warning for the weekend...

I was prepared for a power outage but I think we must have been spared.

The views from the cottage this morning.

The activities here this week are centred around relaxation, 

punctuated with scenic walks, reading and knitting.

When we arrived on Friday I popped into the Thrift Shop.

It is only open on Fridays now...

I bought this wee sugar bowl (missing the lid) for $1

I decided to pick some rosemary and add it to our tablescape.

Blue and White are a classic pairing and seem to mingle nicely with the cottage decor.

We walked along the Home Farm Trail and saw the Halloween Display...

lots of scary scenes

goblins, ghouls, ghosts, skeletons, witches...

will put together a wee post for my Instagram.

Have a safe and Fun Halloween.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Beautiful Blooms ~ The Humble Bungalow ~ Butchart Gardens and a Seafood Chowder

These lovely blooms are Lewisia Cotyledon

we grow them in pots and pop them in the perennial border

where there may be a gap in the plantings.

They are available in a variety of colours and are very sturdy plants.

Alliums are wonderful

 they are tall and narrow and can be planted in between other plants 

they offer an interesting pop of colour.

The bees LOVE these blooms.

Madame Gregoire Staechelin

a climbing rose 

in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Our roses are behind this year due to the cooler unseasonable weather.

May usually is a riot of roses on the garden.

Alas, we will need to be patient,

and

 wait for warm sunshine to encourage the blooms.

Last week a friend and I walked at Butchart Gardens.

The azaleas are out in a full flush of flower

this apricot shade was so fragrant!

The Himalayan Blue Poppies are exquisite.

I have grown these from seed but they are very difficult to keep year after year.

These are blooming in the Japanese section of the gardens.

Their petals look so delicate and thin

like crepe paper.

This yellow azalea was fragrant and sweet

their bright colours look quite stunning

a much needed pop of colour on a cloudy day.

It's a cloudy day here this morning and it feels cool.

I've made a fish chowder for our lunch today.

Fish Chowder

Saute: 1 diced onion, two chopped carrots and 2 stalks of diced celery

cook until soft.

Add to the pot 1 piece of whitefish chopped into bite sized pieces

I also added some clam juice (1/2 cup)

two chopped up crab cakes that I had in the freezer.

I simmered the ingredients until they were cooked through 

added 1/2 cup of cream

salt and pepper to taste and a tsp of dill 

Serve with cracker, toast, or a soft bun.

Enjoy!

Hope that your week is off to a great start.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Colour My World...

Double daffodils blooming at the side of the road.

New Hanni variety of Auricula Primulas

added to my collection on the porch of The Humble Bungalow.

I love the sweet flowers.

Spring Flowers elevate my mood and provide a welcome pop of colour.

Money Plant 

blooming in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Once the flowers fade...

 the plant sets seed pods which turn to thin opaque silver discs.

These can be dried and used as a floral accent inside the home.

They also look pretty as a filler in a bouquet.

My new linen apron from Rough Linen...

I chose a bright shade of mustard yellow 

as I wear them most of the time when I am cooking or cleaning.

They offer protection from a variety of sources...

splattering tomato sauces simmering being the most dangerous to my clothes!

Love this print

it reminds me of a William Morris pattern.

The tee top is pure linen and made by the Rachel Ashwell company.

Have you read her books on home decor called Shabby Chic?

I used to watch her TV series and really enjoyed her relaxed approach to home decor.

Many of her ideas were reminiscent of wabi sabi.

I heartily embrace wabi sabi 

as our heritage home has many signs of wear and in some areas is quite distressed.

It is freeing to let go of perfection too!

Emerging from the winter are these intricate flowers which soon will be leaves.

I am not sure what type of tree this is, do you know its name?

Glorious Magnolia

Some thrift shop finds...

crazed ironstone oval dish

painted wee vessel

woven small basket which will be perfect for fresh grown cherry tomatoes

~ DIY ~

Scraped the loose paint off of the outdoor furniture 

that I bought from Kay's Korner in the Cook Street Village.

I then spray painted the vintage iron chairs and table set black.

I love black accents in the garden...

lattice, obelisks, pots, plants, furniture.

Two coats of spray paint were needed to cover the set.

It was sunny, so the paint dried quite fast and I was done in one afternoon.

There is a sense of satisfaction when one completes a project.

Wow

This book by Elizabeth Jane Howard is delightful.

The first in a series of 5 books called The Cazalet Chronicles. 

It is set in the UK and follows a family of privilege throughout several decades.

I've ordered the set as these are re-readable and my husband might enjoy them.

I suppose I should draw this to a close and get some stuff done around the house!

Writing posts can be like falling down a rabbit hole...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

November vibes...

The autumnal light is fading slightly this month...

I've noticed more rainy days, breezy winds and fog.

Wearing layers to chase the chill...

a camisole underneath my cashmere sweater with warm wool socks and scarves.

The down puffer coat has made several appearances and I purchased a wool beret for my walks.

Made by The Canadian Hat Company.

I had my hairdresser chop off about 3 inches of my Covid Coiffure!

It feels so much healthier and the lightness has freed up some of the curls.

What a difference! 

A little pampering goes a LONG way to make one feel better.

There are a few geraniums still blooming on the front porch.

I crave a pop of colour in the Fall and Winter.

Calicarpia aka Beauty Berry

So delicate...

A fall flowering bush brightens up a corner of the Humble Bungalow Garden.

This weekend Mr. HB and I ventured out to the garden centre...

We were looking for a wreath for the front door.

We didn't find a wreath but we did find some Noble Fir boughs and Ilex red berries

A little festive cheer at the foot of the stairs.

A cheerful pop of colour!

I popped the cuttings in the tool box on the front porch table.

(waste not want not!)

We also purchased an Olive tree...

this purchase was inspired by our friend Julie who used some olive leaves to decorate her dining table when she hosted us for dinner.

Julie is a fabulous cook and she has a flair for home decor...

her home is an oasis of calm and she has recently redone it with soft greys and French style furnishings.

A feast for the eyes...

We brought some wine from The Pender Island Sea Star Winery.

Dungeness Crab Cake with Remoulade sauce...

succulent and so flavourful.

Goat cheese deep fried atop cherry tomatoes with pine nuts 

then drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

Salmon served with rice, asparagus and carrots

and a delicious

Beurre butter sauce

Dessert was from the Italian bakery...

fig and apple tarts.

Dinner was incredible...one for the memory book.

Thank you Julie!

We've got a busy couple of weeks planned with all kinds of events.

Looking forward to reclaiming our social life and activities in a safe way.

My knitting group is going to reconvene...

we are going out for dinner with our darling daughter and her husband.

Heading to the Art Gallery for an exhibit, meeting friends for a Happy Hour, coffee with the gals and a tea planned for next month at Butchart Gardens.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~