Travel wardrobe and simplifying the closet.

Its that time of year for me...
The time when I look at my clothes closet
and wonder how I can simplify my wardrobe.
What can I purge? What should I keep?

I don't need many clothes for my casual retirement lifestyle.

Looking tidy, age appropriate, but not frumpy, are my priorities when it comes to putting an outfit together.

With a couple of trips on the horizon I am looking at pieces that will pack well and be versatile.

My wardrobe is basically black and grey so everything can mix and match...which makes for many more possible outfits with fewer items.

The one thing that I would like to find is a trench style coat, single breasted in a charcoal or black...one that I can add a layer underneath for warmth should the temperatures dip. I have not found one that I like yet...so many are double breasted and they do not work for me at all...far too wide on my short frame.

I plan to hop across the pond to Vancouver to see if Nordstrom's or other shops may have something that will work for me.

In the meantime, I did find a new basic that will travel well...

Bryn Walker swing coat

I like the weight of the fabric and it skims and flatters my curves.

Are you familiar with the brand Bryn Walker?

The pockets are handy!

I like to roll up the sleeves.

I've got some Eileen Fisher basic black pants and one of her black tank tops.

I will add a layer over top...

perhaps my denim tencel shirt worn as a jacket

or this jacket by Bryn Walker.

The other option is a cashmere cardigan or a vest.

I am already thinking of a minimal travel wardrobe

for 3 weeks taking only a carry on.

We travel this fall 

 fly to Rome

then we will go to

 Tuscany 

attend a week long cooking vacation 

(with daily excursions)

rent a car 

drive to Provence

stay in a villa near Aix en Provence

explore the surrounding villages

drive to Auvillar to visit our friends for a few days

hop on the TGV to Paris 

where we will spend a couple of days before flying home.

I am already madly "pinning ideas" from Pinterest 

that focus on travel and packing.

The planning is so much fun!

I'd forgotten...

it's been several years since my trip to Paris and the South of France

What are your "go to" travel items?

Do you travel with a carry on or do you check your bag?

What would you pack for 3 weeks in a carry on?

I welcome your thoughts and ideas...

Take care and thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Paris books...garden delights.

Memories of my trip last Spring to Paris have been flittering about in my mind...
by cultivating a few French habits this helps keep the feelings fresh and alive.

French Market Basket from Madison and Muse in the Cadboro Bay Village

Some things that help me recall my trip and french focus:

my morning ritual of a cafe creme served in a wide bowl...
the application of perfume
wearing pretty lingerie
nibbling a decadent croissant from time to time
walking in my neighbourhood and beyond
taking myself out for coffee and sitting outside watching the people walk by
reading about Paris in books and on blogs
perusing the produce and eating local fresh food that is "in season"
popping into a french charcuterie for lunch basics
harvesting our fresh home grown vegetables...our asparagus crop is amazing!
making a simple French vinaigrette
browsing in my French cookbooks

shopping in a French inspired store
I treated myself to a new French Market basket
a new linen apron
and a scarf!

a wee french inspired lunch

savoured at the table

with a large glass of sparkling Perrier

(if I was in France it probably would have been a glass of vin rose)

Heavy linen apron with large pockets...

great for cooking, cleaning and wearing in the garden.

(also from Madison and Muse)

I was on a roll and so why not buy a new linen scarf too?

Soft grey from Madison and Muse.

If you live in Victoria or come for a visit do yourself a favour and pop into the shop.

Margo, the owner, is very knowledgeable, has lived in France and her stock is sumptuous.

If I have a windfall I am heading straight to her shop to buy linen sheets...

happy shopping!

My Paris reading list has been getting larger 

especially after going to the library and Ivy's books on The Avenue

I have a few more on my book shelf waiting...

Our garden has a dedicated asparagus bed which is providing us with fresh picked asparagus.

We usually have this as an appetizer before our main course.

I pop it in a shallow pan with boiling water 

 let it sit in there bubbling for 5 minutes

drain and serve 

with a dollop of mayonnaise and a bit of salt and pepper.

Voila!

Strange things are happening to the rhubarb plants.

flowers are emerging

We have harvested several pickings 

 stewed the stalks to enjoy with a dollop of fresh yogurt.

oh and there is another strange thing growing in the garden...

looks like The Jack in The Pulpit plant.

I do not remember planting this!

Could it have come into the garden as a hitch hiker with another plant?

My goodness I am keeping my eye on this one.

Life is never dull when one has a garden to potter about in...nature is full of surprises!

Hope your weekend is full to the brim with lovely things.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Mother Daughter getaway...new clothes for Spring and summer.

Last weekend our darling daughter accompanied me on a trip to Vancouver.
The focus of the trip was to shop.
And shop we did!

The first day we walked and shopped for 5 hours and the second for 6...a marathon of walking and shopping yielded quite a few bags full.

I love these shoes.

Ferragamo Varina flats...

IF I were to plunk down the cash I would insist on a pair in red.

They are quite pricey at $625 but they are beautifully made and so classic, perhaps iconic.

A gal can dream....

Aritzia is a favourite shop of darling daughter...

we have one here in Victoria

the Robson shop has three storefronts and loads of stock.

We perused the shop both days as it was on the same street as our Hotel.

Milestones restaurant was the perfect casual spot to stop for dinner.

Lots of variety and healthy options for dinner.

OOTD

Calvin Klein ponte knit pants

Style & Co. black top

Clarks boots

Burberry print infinity scarf

(My hair is a mess as we got caught in a torrential downpour!)

H&M navy and white striped top

London Fog navy and white polka dot trench coat.

White NYDJ jeans

Black flats by Pegabo with gold accents on the heels

H&M striped top

We sipped Perrier and munched on popcorn while we watched the award winning movie Brooklyn.

(I highly recommend it)

We also watched the English film Man Up.

(funny and entertaining ~ cute)

There was a gale force windstorm Sunday 

when we left the dock at the ferry terminal the wind was really intense

The crossing across Georgia Strait was lumpy but we made it to the island without incident.

Later that same day there were some ferries that had mishaps...

one bumped into a concrete dock and some sailings were also cancelled.

Are you old enough to remember Lamb Chop and Shari Lewis?

These little lamb chops were for sale in the onboard shop.

Like lamb chop I am embracing a bright paw.

Dior Adventure will do the trick.

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Bainbridge Island ~ a long awaited pilgrimage...

Seattle has been one of our travel destinations for many years...
it is close to Victoria and takes only a few hours by car or a high speed ferry.
We enjoy the sights, shopping and the fabulous restaurants...there is always live theatre, The Seattle Art Gallery, The EMP, Chihuly Glass Museum, Space Needle and various heritage sites.

We have not explored the areas surrounding Seattle very much...

we have been to Tacoma and travelled south to California.

On this visit I suggested that we take the ferry across to Bainbridge Island.

Bainbridge Island is across the water from downtown Seattle.

It turns out that the ferries run frequently and the trip takes only 35 minutes.

The view as we are arriving at the Bainbridge Island Ferry dock

you can see the snow capped mountains in the distance...

Bainbridge is a beautiful island which serves as a bedroom community to Seattle and is linked to Poulsbo Washington at the far end by a bridge.

There are many large vineyards, luxurious waterfront homes and vast acreages that dot the island.

The streets near the ferry dock are lined with quaint shops, galleries and cafes.

My main reason for making the pilgrimage to Bainbridge Island 

was to visit the knitting store Church Mouse Yarns and Teas.

The shop offers lessons, sells patterns and yarn, 

Teas and Emma Bridgewater Black Toast patterned china.

Three of my favourite things all located under one roof!

You can sit inside at the great table or in a cozy chair and knit to your hearts' content.

I purchased this reversible poncho pattern 

I am using the Berroco Ultra Aplaca yarn in the same shade as the pattern.

The progress so far...

when it comes to the grafted seam I am going to be in need of some assistance.

Hopefully a few of my expert knitter friends will be able to guide me...

or else I will pop into our local wool shop The Beehive for a tutorial.

snapshots from our walk on Bainbridge Island

sign in a toy shop

stone figures along the waterfront

a beautiful heritage arts and crafts bungalow

circa 1913

I would have loved to have been invited inside.

We had lunch at The Harbour Public House

 sipped a tasty beverage from The Blackbird Bakery

perused many lovely shops.

Among my favourites were:

The Berry Patch

Heart

Lark

Pastiche Antiques

Petit and Olson 

(wow this shop is fabulous!)

Salt House Mercantile

Seattle Children's Hospital Bargain Boutique

Our stay was short and sweet and I would eagerly return.

The Gardens at The Bloedel Reserve are reported to be spectacular and I can imagine them on a sunny summer day...

there is a wee bit more to share  with you from our Seattle visit in the next post.

Hope that your week has been going well...

Have a lovely weekend! 

Fresh from Seattle...

My previous post generated an amazing number of comments and responses.
Thank You!

I had no idea that it would create such a flurry of emails and comments.

Thank you for taking the time to write and for sharing your thoughts...
Just knowing that google was responsible for the sudden drop in followers makes me feel better.

I write the blog as a hobby, not as a job and post only when I feel the desire.

Readers are important...I'd be kidding you if I said it didn't matter.
It is not for the "approval" as one commenter mentioned...
there is comfort knowing that there is an audience of readers out there.

So without further adieu...

Mr. HB and I have been away on a little jaunt to Seattle and we returned last night to our cozy Bungalow, which was well taken care of by our house sitter...who also took great care of our cats.

View from the BC Ferry crossing the Strait of Georgia.

The Clarks are super comfy and we walked a lot!

The new leather cross body bag by Maggie turned out to be a winner.

Not too big and the area at the front has a pocket for my IPhone which is handy for taking pictures!

My carry on bag had plenty of room as I packed light.

I wore my Barbour jacket

NYDJ skinny version

took various Eileen Fisher tops

a dressy pair of ponte knit pants 

my new coral top and sweater.

a warm grey knit pullover

Burberry cashmere scarf

walking shoes by Clarks Artisan 

It was chilly walking around downtown in Seattle and there were rain showers.

I got a chill and so I kept sipping hot beverages.

Turns out the chill was a warning of a cold coming on.

It is the first cold that I have had in over a year!

Pike Place Market is always on our list of spots to visit when we go to Seattle.

The flowers are really beautiful and so reasonably priced...

Love white bouquets with simple greenery.

We had lunch at a French cafe...

the menu was much like those I visited in Paris.

Ham, baguettes and cornichons.

Olives, salads, oysters, terrines, sausages.

We enjoyed a steaming hot bowl of French onion soup.

When we visit Seattle we always stay at The Mayflower Park Hotel.

It is comfortable, the location is close to shopping and situated close to many fabulous restaurants.

Valet parking, an award winning bar ~ Oliver's 

a restaurant  ~ Andaluca 

wonderful ambiance 

comfy beds

lovely decor

prompt room service

fresh flowers

The staff are efficient, polite and friendly.

Old world charm built in 1927...the same year that my Mother was born!

I'll be keeping close to home until I shake this cold.

Will work on a few more snippets from our trip and post them when I get time.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog!