Embracing Joy...

Do you feel Joyful?

Joy definition...

a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.
"tears of joy"
synonyms: delight, great pleasure, joyfulness, jubilation, triumph, exultation, rejoicing, happiness, gladness, glee, exhilaration, ebullience, exuberance, elation, euphoria, bliss, ecstasy, transports of delight, rapture, radiance

What do you enjoy in your daily round?

I've thought about what brings me pleasure on a daily basis.
After due consideration,
I discovered its really the simple things that bring me Joy.

Starting each morning with a mug of hot coffee...
with some quiet time to check my email, social media, and perhaps read a chapter in my current book.

A shower with fragrant soap or body wash, drying off with a pure linen towel and then applying some emollient lotion.

Washing my face and gently applying a rich serum followed by moisturizer.

Domestic routines are followed...

simple chores like making the bed
tidying up the kitchen
emptying the dishwasher
starting the laundry

these jobs are important home keeping rituals.

An organized home is less stressful for me personally
so staying on top of the mess and clutter is imperative.

Getting out for a walk every day.

Looking at the homes and gardens as I pass by
listening to the songs of the birds...
gazing across the ocean to the snow capped mountains
as I walk along the seafront.

Other things that bring Joy;

family
friends
gardening
roses roses roses!!!!
flowers
tasty healthy food
(cooking)
afternoon tea sipped from a beautiful china cup and saucer
thrift shopping
good books
scented candles
sunshine
a cozy cashmere sweater
comfy jeans
pearls
decluttering
donating to charity
a bouquet of David Austin roses picked fresh from the garden

                 ~ giving simple gifts ~

food...homemade soup, a frittata, or a casserole
delivering a posy of flowers
sharing a good book
a jar of jam and some fresh baked scones
soap with a handknit dishcloth
beeswax candles wrapped in a linen tea towel

"Giving" is rewarding and it is something I really enjoy...

There are so many things that bring Joy into our lives...
what are the things that you find bring you Joy?

I almost forgot to mention how much I love collecting sea glass!

and heart shaped rocks!!

So now its your turn to share what brings you joy...

please leave a comment if you have time.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog today.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Chatting about roses...and a look back at the Humble Bungalow "before pictures"

Rose Constance Spry and Paul's Lemon Pillar together on the arbour

 in front of The Humble Bungalow.

People often stop to chat when they see me out in the front garden.

I frequently invite them in

so that they can smell the fragrance of these beautiful blooms.

We get many compliments from passers by 

about the roses and plants in our small lot garden.

I have often wondered what it would be like to have an acre...

I know that we would need many many more rose bushes.

Currently we grow about 30 roses

 an acre would require hundreds perhaps thousands!

I would need to hire a full time gardener.

Jude the Obscure rose

a David Austin variety that has had me smitten as soon as we were introduced!

LOVE at first sight...

the apricot colour of those frothy petals

( the scent is amazing)

This bloom is about to open up fully.

David Austin roses

Jude the Obscure and Abraham Darby

both very fragrant 

mixed with lacy fronds of the chartreuse green Lady's Mantle

Set atop the The Humble Bungalow bathroom sink.

Graham Thomas is a bright yellow David Austin rose.

This one is planted in our "work area" of the garden.

It is growing up a black trellis in the corner where we keep our compost bins, extra pots, wheelbarrow and stakes.

Gardeners NEED a work and storage area...

we've tried to hide ours by installing a latticework screen.

When we moved into The Humble Bungalow Garden almost 38 years ago 

it was in shambles...

it was overrun with prickly blackberry bushes and invasive morning glory.

The clean up took months as we did it all ourselves.

The children were young, 

Jennifer was 3 and Stewart was 15 months.

We worked together most weekends when the weather was decent.

The design has changed over the years 

it has morphed into a cottage garden style 

which features mostly on David Austin roses.

I pick a few roses when they are at their peak and bring them indoors to enjoy.

William Shakespeare and Jude the Obscure roses.

Constance Spry and Paul's Lemon Pillar roses.

This is Iceberg and prolific blooming climber.

This is what The Humble Bungalow Garden looked like when we moved in.

We knew that there was a lot of work required to fix this bungalow.

It had great "bones" and the location was good.

Mr HB designed and built the deck and arbour.

This picture is about 5 years old...

the rose you can see growing up the lattice is Climbing Royal Sunset.

The bed below has been completely changed...

 it has 4 black pergolas with white Claire Austin roses and a boxwood hedge at the front.

Here is The Humble Bungalow before we moved in...

the transformation is unbelievable even to me!

The house next door has been torn down and a new one built in its place.

The benefits of gardening are many...

fresh air

exercise

a creative outlet

and a 

calming refuge from life's struggles and stressors.

I hope you've enjoyed the rose parade today!

I'll be back again soon...

thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Trying harder to budge the winter weight gain...shoes, salads and a Fitbit

One step at a time...

Walking in comfortable sneakers is my idea of luxury!

These New Balance shoes are unbelievable!

I think its the memory foam...

I finally broke down and bought a Fitbit.

I opted for the new model Inspire HR.

So many women I know love them and say that they really help motivate them 

to walk longer, farther and to stay active.

They also record sleep, 

the length of time slept, 

the sleep stages...

awake, REM, light and deep.

You can track weight, water, heart rate, calories, steps, kms walked or run.

I've noticed that I am more mindful since wearing mine.

I'm going to track my weight too and see if there is any change.

The weather has been wonderful this weekend and I spent quite a few hours outside pulling weeds and deadheading the roses.

Marigold the Mouse designed and created by the talented artist Robyn 

at Willie Woolly

is enjoying the Climber Royal Sunset.

Its a fragrant frothy rose that grows up on a trellis on our deck overlooking the back garden.

Arugula, red onions, strawberries and goat cheese salad.

a light vinaigrette dressing and lunch is served!

Lunch out with Mr. HB at a new waterfront bistro

Boom and Batton

Mega yachts 

a tasty salad and a glass of wine

Reading this humorous book by Olivier Magny.

I think I may have been to his wine bar in Paris when I was there on tour in 2015.

We went to a tasting in a cavern that looks exactly like the pictures online and he must have been the sommelier who led the tasting as he looks the same!

He's written other books which I might buy:

Into Wine: An invitation to Pleasure

WTF? What the French

How was your weekend?

What are you reading?

Do you wear a Fitbit?

Has it been a game changer for your fitness regime?

Have you had difficulty leaving comments on my blog?

I have had a few readers email saying that they cannot comment anymore and I have no idea what is wrong as I have changed nothing!

Try Bloglovin where I also have the blog listed on their platform.

I've got to close for now as I am having guests for dinner tonight and need to prepare a few more dishes.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Blue and white...My Stylish French Box

When I read a few months ago that the theme of the May delivery of My Stylish French Box was going to be blue and white I did a little happy dance!

I posted pictures of our collection of blue and white porcelain before on the blog.
Our collection is small and carefully curated...will share them later in this post.

Look at how beautifully the contents are packed!

A feast for the eyes and the fragrance from the Fragonard candle is divine.

Letol scarf

Gien porcelain mug

La Pompon linen bags

Fragonard candle in a decorative reusable porcelain lidded container.

Notebooks and a lovely blue Swarovski crystal pendant.

I love receiving this elegant treat every few months.

If you are interested in ordering the August box or an annual subscription 

please click the link here 

You can also read the reviews from recipients.

Porcelain Bowls by Harumi Ota

Wee Vessel with bunnies by Robert Amos

both are local Victoria artists.

My newest dress is also in blue and white.

a cool loose linen frock

Have you read this book?

Its a classic!

one that I re-read every so often 

especially when I want some French Chic style inspiration.

What are you reading?

Where do you find inspiration for fashion and home decor?

Pinterest? Instagram? Magazines? Blogs? HGTV? You Tube?

I've just made a pot of Mariage Freres Earl Grey Tea.

 I am heading out to the front porch with my book .

Until next time...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~