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 ~

Black and White....

Black and White seems to be the colour theme here right now...

OOTD

Hermes scarf

Saint James striped top

Barbour vest

NYDJ boyfriend jeans

Red shoes !

Josef Siebel ballet flats!

New lipstick in a brighter shade...

inpsired by Kathy KSL on Instagram.

(she is the talented artist from whom we purchased our most recent piece of art)

I love it!

Not always easy taking a selfie...

but you get the idea of the new shade of lip colour.

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely and its nearly the weekend.

Do you have something fun planned?

Thank you for popping by my Humble Bungalow Blog...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Sometimes things go sideways....

The new knitting project went sideways
the finished product was not up to my standards.

Basically the "simple knitted socks" were an EPIC FAIL!

I have learned a LOT of new techniques
polished my knitting skills
but I would never wear them.

So.......
I ripped them out.

We move on...
learn from our mistakes
and I am now embarking on a lovely new project.

A pretty scarf which is a free pattern
 Lacy Baktus by Strikkelise

This project is simple...

lacy and beautiful.

I do not like waste...

Speaking of waste,

 I ruined a pair of jeans by putting them in the dryer at the cottage.

Who would have thought that 20 minutes in a dryer on low 

would shrink a pair of jeans?

I am obviously not in sync with the appliances at the cottage!

Shrank SO MUCH 

that they cling 

painfully to my thighs and calves.

Not comfy at all!

I had to go out and buy another pair...

in Sidney on my way home!

Tribal

made in Canada

 just a tad under $100

I will donate my other jeans...

I have been wearing my father rings...

my Mom gave them to me.

What to do with a mans wedding band and a diamond ring?

I asked our family jeweller Paul de Goutiere to design a pendant

 he hit it out of the ballpark...

He suggested that it should be strung on a simple black silk strand...

it looks more modern and contemporary.

I have been wearing it a lot with my black and grey wardrobe....

no idea that it would come in so handy as an accessory.

I am also trying to focus on healthy eating and drinking lots of water

 avocado's rank right up there on the healthy scale!

Mashed avocado and a cup of tea...

How is you weekend going?

I am off to a fashion show with a friend tomorrow

then serving up a roast beef dinner for the Super Bowl.

What are you up to?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

The Power of Colour....

With so much turmoil in our world one doesn't like to add to the load by being a "cranky" so I gave myself a talking to...

Mother would be the first to point this out
her "voice" a gentle reminder which I have taken to heart...

Thanks Mom.

Attitude of Gratitude.

Jude the Obscure is STILL BLOOMING!

Love the tinges of red on the petals...

they are usually all yellow so this is new and I wonder why?

Is it morphing into its former root stock?

Amazing that there are so many buds and blooms and in December!

Another thing to be grateful for...roses.

Can you see the silver Christmas balls hanging from the pergola?

Mr. HB strung up our Christmas lights and hung the baubles.

In the next image you can see the lights on the back deck strung with the climbing Royal Sunset rose.

Jamie sent me her new book...it is an advanced reading copy.

Her books are such fun to read...she is a lovely person too.

I went on her Ooh La La Paris tour a few years ago.

Jamie has that "joie de vive" and she is an inspiration...

I love her positive energy.

Will be posting on this book after reading the book.

I may decide to post an interview with Jamie on the blog.

I think that would be fun!

The weather has been moody and grey this past week.

Dallas Road looks across Juan de Fuca Strait

where we are able observe lots of interesting cloud patterns.

This view is from The Esplanade where Mom and I walked regularly...

SO

 my resolve for not buying anything new was tested

 when I spied these RED 

Josef Seibel flats at 50% off

BUT

a great way to add some much needed energy and cheer into these gloomy days.

An icy modernist Tapio Wirkkala vase from the second hand shop

smaller than the vintage Wirkkala Tree of Life vase

that I received for Christmas

a gift from Mr. HB at 17

meant for long stemmed red roses...

Mom did not have a vase tall enough to place the dozen long stemmed roses 

that he gave me on Valentines Day

so

 we had to cut them down!!

Can you imagine his shock when he saw them cut in half?

Wise move that he gifted a taller vase which I have kept and cherish and am reminded of that snippet from the past whenever I use it!

 This shorter vase will be perfect for tulips.

Perhaps even some red flowers?

Adding some festive touches to our front porch.

Simple green boughs and red Ilex berries make a cheery display.

Red seems to be the colour of the moment here in The Humble Bungalow.

It has certainly perked me up and been a much needed mood shifter.

Thank you for stopping by...

A dear reader sent me an email asking about the sugar cookies that I baked, 

she wanted the recipe.

Here is my friend Bryce's recipe...

I use butter instead of the margarine 

 I dip the cookies into red or green sugar sprinkles gently flattening them just a wee bit before pacing them on the cookie sheet.

My oven is not as hot so I bake the cookies for about 13-15 minutes

but keep an eye on them as they are not meant to brown.

This recipe doubles well too.

Enjoy!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Sunday flowers...giving up alcohol on the blog today.

Remember these pink foxgloves?

The geraniums are still going strong but many of the garden flowers have faded away...summer is slowly but surely on its way out 

surprisingly the sunshine and warmth have not yet waned.

When we have finished working in the garden we are able to sit on the deck in our comfy chairs and survey all our hard work.

The garden has many plants that love the heat and perform well over the entire summer season...

others fade as soon as their blooms have wilted.

The lady's mantle is looking very straggly and needs to be drastically cut back.

Inside The Humble Bungalow the orchids have taken a beating...

something has crept in...

an unwelcome insect or pest

that has affected several of the older plants...

I had to throw them into the compost.

Fear not, 

I will be on the look out for a sale and find a few replacements.

They do add loads of cheer to the windowsill above the Humble Bungalow farmhouse kitchen sink.

The rose scent hunt for "the one" is still ongoing...

I have eliminated quite a few on the quest to find one or two that I love.

I will report back when I have completed my testing.

Love a pop of colour in the garden...

these chairs are perched on the railing of a porch on Denman Island

placed next to a jumble of blue flowers.

Delphiniums and bees.

Clematis

gardening is a green thumbs' way of painting!

After trying and failing to lose 10 pounds several times

I am back counting my points and have quit drinking all alcohol 

in an effort to get back to my goal weight.

The liver plays a significant role in burning fat so cutting out anything that impedes this progress is worth it.

I've been sipping non-alcoholic wines 

which are 1 or 2 WW points per 8 oz. glass.

After sampling several varieties ~ red, white and bubbly...

I have found a couple that taste great, and I have opted for the 1 point wines.

The plan is to return to weight watchers in September...

in the meantime 

I am back counting my points, making sensible food choices

and walking briskly every day.

Putting my "best foot forward" 

as I did it before

 I CAN do it again.

I have lusted after the red Ferragamo Varina's for many years 

IF I can find a pair this Fall 

providing I get back to my WW goal weight 

that is going to be my reward.

Nothing like a red shoe to make one feel cheerful.

There's a lot to do in the garden so I must hasten away and get busy.

Have you seen The Gardener's Cottage newly designed blog?

Janet has been one of the first bloggers that I discovered and I think she's just delightful and her new blog is wonderful.

Pop over and take a look.

Until next time...

Be well and Be Kind.

XO

Seeing Red...

Red is a "high intensity colour"...
it grabs our attention and arouses the senses.

Wearing red lipstick or red polish always makes a bold statement.

Juicy ripe red tomatoes...tasty right out of the bowl.

One of my favourites...Red Shoes.

Saint James striped top with white pants

I think a pair of red shoes would complete this outfit.

Perhaps you prefer a red frock?

Paris vintage fashions in Didier Ludot  at Le Palais Royale.

Red door in Paris

Street sign Auvillar, France

Red is high up on my radar these days...yes I am seeing lots and lots of RED!

Finished reading a red covered novel...

Stop lights, post boxes,
alarms, telephone boxes,
fire trucks, brake lights,
lipsticks, shoes,
radishes, roses...

Tea tins...

luscious red frothy petals of a David Austin Rose

freshly picked radishes from The Humble Bungalow Garden

A few of my French books...which incidentally, all have red accents on the covers.

We chose red chairs for our new patio area...

now I am on the hunt for a large red pot to fill with red geraniums.

I am dreaming of full bright red accents

everywhere I go...

Are you partial to a certain colour?

Thank you for stopping by My Humble Bungalow Blog today.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~