Something new, a milestone birthday...and cheerful pops of colour.

Good news!

 We have daffodils blooming in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

These cheerful yellow flowers elevate our flagging spirits 

as we crave colour on these dreary rainy days.

It may come as a surprise to you but until recently I did not own 

a totally waterproof coat...

I relied on water resistant coats and jackets and always carried an umbrella.

Perhaps a little bit strange

 as we live on the WET coast!

Years ago, 

when the children were young,

I wore a waterproof Gortex coat 

it was bright red and I loved the bright colour on the rainy days.

I discovered a wonderful wee shop on Government Street

and

found a 100% waterproof coat perfect for our rainy days.

A

Simple

Waterproof

 Breathable 

Coat

I plan to wear some of my bright coloured scarves with this coat.

This wee orchid was a gift from dear friends when mom passed away...

Tomorrow March 3rd will be the anniversary of my mom's demise.

(it will also be my 65th birthday)

For these past few years I find my emotions are mixed on March 3rd...

I don't feel like I am 65, although I know that I am no longer a "Spring Chicken"

I am Grateful to be alive.

I am 3/4 the way through this book and am really enjoying it.

Have you read it?

Did you read her previous book The Post Mistress?

Yellow Hellebore

Sunshine filtering through the door in our front hall...

love the warmth and sunlight so much.

Simple Joys.

Hope that your week is off to a great start and that you are finding pops of cheerful colour in your daily round.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Fab Vintage Clothing Find...Fashion over 60

I love shopping for vintage items...and many times I come home empty handed but on a good day I will find at least one treasure.

Yesterday I stopped in at a local church Thrift Store...
called The Friendly Octopus.

Who came up with that name?

I started in the housewares area and didn't see anything that was exciting so I headed over the the clothing section. It was busy! Lots of people were perusing the racks and I had to exercise patience as I moved carefully and methodically through the crowded room.

 Jacket by Daniel Hechter

(those spots you see are on the mirror not the jacket)

Zips at the sleeve

there are some wear marks and a few scuffs on the jacket

but I think they give it a bit of an edgy vibe.

I am not sure if it is leather or possibly pleather 

(no tags)

 it's super soft and not too heavy.

I'm planning on wearing it with my new jeans and a vintage Beatles tee shirt

with my chelsea boots.

65 

but not too old to have fun with fashion.

Do you shop for vintage clothes and collectibles?

What was your best find?

To leave a comment:

(and I do like reading your thoughts)

Please use a google search engine like Chrome

 Safari no longer works.

Hope your week is ticking along nicely.

It's been a sunny week so far...

 I purchased some beautiful tulips for our main floor bathroom.

Spring is definitely on the way!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Springtime ~ Flowers and a fresh natural facial exfoliator...

Spring is almost upon us

  the weather has been blissfully sunny and mild.

Bright yellow tulips are adding some radiant colour 

in The Humble Bungalow Bathroom.

The Frilly and Frothy petals are so pretty.

Two bunches for under $10

a cheerful purchase from the market.

Looking deeply inside for a close up shot.

I'm test driving a new facial product... 

it is getting rave reviews from the ladies who have tried it.

Wyld

Konjac facial cleansing sponge.

100% natural

Infused with French Pink clay.

PH Balanced

Fragrance and chemical Free.

Cleans and exfoliates 

buffing away flaky skin 

leaving a freshly cleaned dewy complexion.

Just add water to the sponge to soften and use gentle circular movements 

with or without cleanser

taking care in the T zone area and any flaky patches.

Rinse sponge in warm water and hang to dry.

Can be used on normal, dry or sensitive skin.

(do not use on sunburned skin)

Purchased at Thorn and Thistle Flower Merchants.

I am not receiving any monitary benefit or bonus from this post.

The sponge is hard until you immerse it in warm water.

It comes with a string to hang it to dry in between each use.

Exfoliating the winter and freshening up for Spring!

Have you found any fabulous new skin care products?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Spring Fling ~ a gossamer floral scarf and The Humble Bungalow Garden

It is officially Springtime in Victoria!

Ah...a long awaited breath of fresh air...
and there are beautiful flowers in our midst.

I went to the Avenue to run some errands today and I spied this gorgeous gossamer soft floral scarf and knew immediately that it was just the thing I needed to inject a wee bit of Spring into my wardrobe.

When I wear this scarf 

I will feel the energy that Spring Flowers can impart...

The sunny shades of yellow and orange cannot help but cheer us...

Such delicate and intricate details in this Hellebore

I do love Hellebores in the Humble Bungalow Garden 

 (there is always room for more)

Over the past weekend my husband dug up and reworked 

an area near our asparagus bed.

The ideas for the design were mine but he made it happen.

He dug up our rhubarb and garlic bed and lay exposed aggregate pavers.

We went to the garden center and chose some new pots and found three healthy hellebores to plant inside them.

We have ordered a few Mondo Grass plants...

Now we need to buy a few smaller black pots in which to plant them.

Here is the view from above...

rains are forecast for the next few days so the new plants will get plenty of water.

I was laid up in bed for a few days with Vertigo and have a middle ear infection.

The doctor prescribed antibiotics and I am currently staying away from the pool.

(I think that the germs must have come from the Recreation Center.)

The cats have been marvelous and keeping me company.

I've sipped many many cups of tea

and 

dined on healthy salads and soups.

The Woman in Cabin 10 was a true page turner...

I read it in one day.

I can highly recommend it...

hope that you like it too.

Thank you for all your comments on the previous post...

I enjoyed reading them and there were quite a few good ideas.

Take care and Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Yoga and Grief...

I am not at all surprised, at my age,
that there are still many things that I can learn...
or perhaps relearn
what I had thought I already knew.

In the quiet moments of reflection
sitting still

open
to absorb

adopt
new and healthy habits.

I do not hesitate or tarry
the desire to act is strong.
The rewards great...

Yoga has re-entered my life...
it has been a wonderful tool to help work through the grief.

Several women from the over 50 Yoga class have recently lost their Mothers.
I over heard them mention that have been also dealing with estate duties and grieving...it is easy to strike up conversation and compare notes and share tips.

Physical flexibility is slowly returning
stamina
stalled by recent events
is coming back.

Sleep has been deeper and more restorative.

Yoga practice
"with intention"
spills over and permeates the daily round.

The benefits are well worth the time spent at the studio.

Feeling more energy with fewer aches and pains has been a welcome change.
One that has pleasantly surprised me.

Looking at life with positivity and Joy...

fewer tears
renewed faith
comfort...

Letting go...

Maintaining peace and perspective in times of turmoil...
staying calm when all around you
life is noisy and speeding by at a rapid frenzy.

Breathing deeply and being totally aware 

living in the moment.

Being mindful of how stress can rob the body of its resilience.

You are at risk of getting sick in body, mind and spirit.

The regular practice of Yoga  

has re-energized and restored a sense of balance

in life

refreshed my lagging spirit.

Yoga

is helping me through this journey of grieving.

While grief is not predictable

when it does show up 

I am better equipped to ride the emotional waves

and 

allowing myself to feel the moments 

deeply

then move on...

The Humble Bungalow Blog

has been taking a back seat to real life.

Writing and publishing posts has been sporadic...

not much excitement to report

while life here has been routine...

some may even say dull

but that is exactly what I crave and need right now.

I hope you'll stay tuned...

 Spring is unfolding its beautiful wings

our humble bungalow garden is awakening

flowers are blooming

scents are wafting in the yard

birds are singing and building nests

the sun is shining

we sit and wait

for something to capture our attention 

something worthy of sharing.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

XO

Flowers, family, and food...some simple joys from this past week.

Parrot tulips are so beautiful...

their frills and variegated shades make them one of my favourite Spring Flowers.

They frequently flop as they open up and I regularly trim their stems and pop them into shorter vases.

This bouquet was an unbelievable price...

2 bunches at $2.99 each

I could not resist.

I took my Due Fratelli vintage leather bag out for lunch this week...

on the menu

Curried Vegetarian Wrap with chutney and a side of salad.

Its a treat having someone else prepare lunch and sitting in a vibrant cafe 

listening to the chatter of the diners reminds me of Spring when I was in Paris!

The trees are looking like frothy pink spun sugar cones...

Do you remember those cotton candy cones at the fairgrounds?

I loved watching how the vendors made it look like they were making magic 

it would be sweet and sticky and coat our teeth

somehow it didn't feel like a fair unless we had a cone of our own.

Took our grandchildren, Isla and Henry to the Garden Centre this week.

We bought some Spring flowers and planted them in pots.

One for each of them to tend.

I am hoping that they will love watching things grow and perhaps one day enjoy gardening.

My grandmother was an avid gardener and she showed me how to plant and propagate seeds...got me interested in weeding the beds and sharing in the harvest.

We would sit a shuck peas on her back porch in the sunshine...

such wonderful memories.

Isla is serious about watering her pink flowers.

Henry loves orange and he chose white and blue blooms as the accent plants.

A big yellow digger arrived on the scene...

this is the lot beside our Humble Bungalow!

Two homes are going to be built on this site.

I hope to have Henry over for a visit while this machinery is working so he can watch the action.

In other news we worked in the garden.

A new birdbath was purchased and installed.

Grampa's English peas were planted into pots and trellises were erected.

(popular with the grandchildren)

We dined on a tasty BBQ chicken with deli salads from the market

as the "cook" was knackered from all the exercise and fresh air!

With the leftover chicken 

I am making wraps tonight.

 ~ Corn salsa ~

Roast 1 cup corn and 1 diced red pepper in a bit of olive oil and a tablespoon of brown sugar.

bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

add 1 chopped green onion

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 tsp cumin 

1 tsp chili powder

2 tablespoons lime juice

Cook 1 large onion in oil until transparent on medium high heat.

Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.

Cook on low for 15 minutes.

On a warmed flour tortilla

serve with chicken 

(heated if you so desire) 

top with BBQ sauce

add the onions

 salsa

shredded lettuce or arugula

Dinner is ready!

Hope you had a great weekend!