Beautiful pops of colour on my radar...

 

~ Camas ~

My husband and I ventured out to Playfair Park 

to have a peek at the gorgeous Native Plants that are in full bloom.

Fawn lilies, Shooting Stars and Camas

absolutely stunning!

A meadow of blue Camas under the canopy of The Garry Oaks.

My ankle injury is slowly improving...

I think it is what Google says is a grade 2 sprain.

Torn ligaments on the outer side of the ankle.

Estimated Recovery Time 

3-6 weeks

Wearing the compression brace which really helps and not going for long walks.

Having said that...I am slowly increasing the number of steps that I do in a day.

Yesterday it was almost 6,000.

Met with friends for Tea at the Union Club.

We spent a few blissful hours sipping bubbly, tea and treats.

Such a beautiful spot, views over the Inner Harbour...

great food and superb service.

In other news... I have been replacing lipsticks...

nothing like a fresh pop of colour to lift the spirit.

~ Rouge de Germain ~

Red is my go to colour for lipstick...

when I was in Paris the first time in 2015 I stayed in the Saint Germain area.

The chic Parisian women walking in the neighbourhood all wore red lipstick.

Not wasting any time, despite being jet lagged, I high tailed it to

the nearest Monoprix!

There I discovered a fabulous selection of red lipsticks...

 so dear reader I bought one!

Paris holds a very special place in my heart.

I went back again in 2019 and who knows...perhaps I will return :-))

My make-up bag was falling apart so I purchased a new one...

instead of a vinyl one, like my old bag, I chose fabric which I much prefer.

While at the Pharmasave in Oak Bay I bought 2 new lipsticks.

I am test driving a pink shade...

Softsilver Rose

These Revlon lippies are very creamy and go on easily and last!

They were also on sale, which was rather fortunate timing.

I finished knitting The Easy Goes It scarf...

worn here with my old red lipstick...

will be much better with the new rose pink shade.

New fragrance...Honey Tobacco

locally made here in Victoria.

I am enjoying this new scent very much...

body wash, cologne and other honey tobacco are available on their website.

I took a bag of clothes to the Salvation Army and then had a quick browse.

Oh my goodness...I couldn't believe my luck!

I have a Burberry scarf that my husband gave me, maybe 15 years ago. that I love.

It is the traditional beige and wine plaid colourway...

it goes with my quilted Burberry jacket.

The new to me scarf will pair well with my black coats!

New silk skirt from House Of Savoy on Oak Bay Avenue.

Made by San Tropez

This will be a fun skirt for summertime.

Love the texture...

I am thinking of outfits based on the skirt...

 a simple white top, my distressed vintage jean jacket and white sneakers

Dressy black tank top, white shawl and my white bow toed Bueno sandals.

Oh and my BIG pearls!

I love a versatile garment!

Do you like thrift shopping?

Consignment?

What is new with you?

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wardrobe ~ Classic and Funky

Last weekend I accompanied our son and the grandchildren on a getaway.

We stayed at The Ocean Promenade Hotel in White Rock across from the beach.

Our suite was large with panoramic views

and

 had a kitchen which was handy for our morning coffee and breakfasts.

There were train tracks along the seafront and the trains passed by several times to the delight of our youngest granddaughter...

We took the kids to the Splash Water Park in Tsawwassen.

It was fun filled hours of water play, slipping and sliding, screams and splashes.

I hung out with our youngest who was too short to go on the really scary slides.

We had fun in the pools and she ran up and down to the junior slides...

I cannot believe how MUCH energy these kiddos had!

By the time almost 3 hours in the pool had passed I was knackered...

we went off to Milestones for dinner and then headed back to White Rock to get in our PJ's and get cozy.

I was in bed asleep by 10:00!

We did some back to school shopping at Tsawwassen Mills Mall.

On Sunday, we drove to the shopping mecca on South Granville. 

At Indigo, the girls perused The American Girl Doll collections...

Grammy shopped at Eileen Fisher...

(pure bliss)

I haven't been since Covid.

What a treat!

I found a LBD for Fall and winter.

LBD

Nice weight jersey, pockets, zipper detail.

Zip can be adjusted to your taste...

I added the classic Hermes scarf.

I could wear the big pearl necklace for a bigger WOW impact.

I also have a white top with 3/4 sleeves which will be great underneath.

The black lined walking coat was on sale but my size wasn't in stock at the shop 

so the clerk found one in a Toronto Eileen Fisher Store.

The service at this location is unbeatable!

I recently found a funky Tee...

at Marshalls in Hillside Mall.

Karl Lagerfeld

I wore this with some Eileen Fisher jeans.

I have red ballet flats and a fabulous red lipstick from Milan...

when I am feeling a wee bit daring I will wear them together!

William Shakespeare Rose 

a David Austin stalwart in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

In other news...

Blogger no longer sends alerts to readers 

when a new post is published...

I will mention new posts on my Instagram page.

Please bookmark the link to my blog and check back every week.

I usually write a post each week.

It is frustrating that the service from Blogger is disappearing...

I suppose there is no monetary incentive for them to maintain the service.

Blogging may be going the way of the dodo bird!

Instagram You Tube and Tik Tok definitely are the current faves.

Thank you for popping by...

I appreciate your comments and newsy emails.

Please stay in touch.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Red Lipstick ~ a bright pop of colour

I have been meaning to post this new lipstick for awhile 

I just haven't gotten around to it until today.

I went in search of a new lipstick and asked the helpful clerk in the cosmetics department at the local Pharmasave.

The gals are so good with colour...

they save me oodles of time and I don't waste money on lipsticks that don't work with my complexion.

Italian Lipstick by Miss Pupa

made in Milano.

A lovely shade of red that is very emollient.

Definitely a pop of colour.

The red shade makes me feel happy.

(it goes with my red ballet flats!)

which is a WIN WIN

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~ 

Self care...rituals and comfort during the Pandemic.

 

Taking time for self care is not "selfish."

It is important for our mental well being.

My hands work hard

and

with all the hand washing and hand sanitizing my hands take a beating!

I recently discovered Derma E Rosehip and Almond Hand and Cuticle Cream.

The cream absorbs well into the skin and is not overly greasy.

It really helps my cuticles which have become quite dry.

Nothing ruins the look of a manicure like ragged or torn cuticles.

Pacifica

Crimson Kimono

Cruelty Free Formula

Long lasing polish.

Brew a pot of tea...

Enjoy

a relaxing soak in warm water mixed with a few spoonfuls of bath salts.

File nails with an emery board, push back cuticles and they are ready for polish.

Manicure done...

Pop on my red ballet flats and I feel a lightness of spirit.

Energized and hopeful...

I don't know about you but I find I NEED (crave) more TLC these days.

The pandemic has changed the way I look at my days.

My attitude often needs a gentle nudge...

Routines and Rituals are key players for me.

Each morning after my shower I put on my make up.

Dab on Perfume

Dressing in jeans and a Tee

 simple comfy basics

I add an accessory like my pearls, or a colourful scarf

to elevate my spirit.

I seem to have more time to "fill."

Do you feel that way too?

Frustrated that 

I am unable to resume the activities that I enjoyed before Covid.

Bridge games and weekly lessons, Mah Jong, French class, and Yoga.

Many of my friends are playing bridge online.

While others are doing Yoga and language lessons with ZOOM.

I've been keeping pretty busy here at home and in the garden.

Cooking most meals in The Humble Bungalow Kitchen since mid March.

Seeing our grandchildren always makes me feel happy.

We took them out for lunch at Fisherman"s Wharf.

We were able to eat at a picnic table outside which felt very "safe"

A totally wonderful tonic and a fun filled "outing."

Reading with a pot of tea in the afternoon has become a daily ritual.

Beware!

This book is quite provacative and deals with many sensitive subjects.

It doesn't take much effort to arrange afternoon tea on a tray.

It tastes so much better in a china cup.

I would like to open up a dialogue about self care and hear from you.

Are you finding time to elevate your daily routines?

How are you beautifying your day?

Do you practise self care?

I'm going to pop the kettle on now and brew a pot of hot tea...

I'll come back soon and read any comments that you have shared.

Thank you for taking the time to read my Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD ~ I met up with the fashion savvy blogger Jennifer, who writes A Well Styled Life

OOTD 

Jeans ~ Eileen Fisher

Top ~ Saint James

Ballet Flats ~ Josef Seibel

A messy updo

diamond studs and necklace

pearl earrings

a fresh manicure

Kimono Crimson by Pacifica

Meet

Jennifer Connolly

We had tea and a chat at Murchies.

She is on vacation and was in Victoria for a few days.

You probably already know

Jennifer who writes the blog A Well Styled Life.

We have known each other since 2007.

 This is the first time that we have met in person.

Jennifer is a gracious and fashion savvy woman with a winning smile.

We had a lovely time sipping our tea and chatting.

It felt fabulous to finally meet her in person.

Her series "Dressing room Diaries" is one of my favourites on her blog.

I told her how she has influenced me over the years.

For example...

 I recently purchased a new crisp white shirt 

after reading her post on classic white shirts!

Meeting Jennifer was truly wonderful.

I hope to meet up with her again...

Making connections with other like minded women 

unites, empowers and inspires us.

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Seeing Red...recipes and pops of colour

I've been struggling to come up with cheerful and inspiring posts while we are isolating and cocooning at home.
Perhaps I have hit a bit of a writer's block so instead of obsessing about why I went to the archives and found some bright red images to share.

We start off with the recipe that I made recently...
My husband absolutely loves pasta!

To start 

I roast cut up tomatoes in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until soft.

Several cloves of diced garlic on top of the tomatoes and a bit of olive oil with fresh ground pepper.

This step makes the flavour richer and more intense.

Lidia Bastianich's meatball recipe is the best one that I have tried.

I use an ice cream scoop to make the balls more uniform.

I add the tomatoes that I have previously roasted 

as well as the other sauce ingredients

It serves 6 so we have it for two dinners with a tossed salad.

My husband usually takes the leftovers for his lunches...

as I said he adores pasta so he never tires of this dish.

We are enjoying our meals here in The Humble Bungalow.

(maybe a bit too much now that we are unable to go out for meals)

Dinnertime has become somewhat sacred...

Comfort food is being served regularly here during the pandemic.

This is the vintage ice cream scoop that I use for the meatballs...

I use it for cookies and muffins too.

I've been using leftover vegetables in my weekly soups.

Waste Not, Want Not.

Luscious juicy red tomatoes 

so pretty to look at...

Flying high up in the sky.

Full blown tulips

Heirloom tomatoes and a brioche loaf

slice the tomatoes and the bread

add butter and a sprinkling of salt

the perfect fresh sandwich

awaits

Tomatoes with fresh Mint 

drizzled with a balsamic cream reduction

makes for a tasty salad.

Pearls and stripes 

why not get dressed up?

Even if there is nowhere special to go...

Hope that you have enjoyed seeing some of these bright pops of colour.

A distraction from reality 

is what I am craving these days filled with so much uncertainty.

People are stressed and struggling to keep positive.

We are safe, the sun is shining, the garden is full of flowers.

There is food in the fridge and the pantry has the basic staples.

We have toilet paper!

Books to read and a knitting project on the needles.

Our world has changed but we are doing what we are told by staying home and staying safe and here in BC the curve is showing signs of flattening.

We are grateful for all the medical staff and essential services

 that allow us to remain safely cocooned at home.

We are all in this together in unity.

Please leave a comment of how you are feeling and what you are doing...

(use a google search engine as Safari no longer works)

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog

Stay Safe

until next time....

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~