In the Pink...

These pretty pink Gerbera Daisies were under $5 at the market 

at that price it took very little convincing

 so I brought them home.

They last about a week in our bungalow and they add so much cheer.

Flowers really do elevate my spirits and are a wonderful way to add an element of beauty to our home.

Speaking of cheer we celebrated Easter with a wee gathering.

Brunch with the 3 littles and their parents.

Easter bags filled with stickers, chocolate bunnies, eggs and a small toy.

On the menu:

Strawberry and spinach salad

fruit salad

bacon

scrambled eggs

yogurt

cottage cheese

smoked salmon cream cheese spread

cheese scones

orange juice 

coffee

Then it was off to the park and the spare lot for some running around

 time to ride on the merry go round  

(we all got dizzy)

slide and swings.

I had to empty my shoes of all the sand when I got home!

I purchased some new walking shoes recently...

Jungla and Merrell Vibram

Two different styles...

one casual and one slightly dressier.

Both were half price and my old walking shoes were in a sad and sorry state.

The Magnolias are blooming in our neighbourhood.

We have a white one but many of the neighbours have Magnolias in pink.

Ours is young and only a few feet tall but is putting on a lovely display.

I do so love a pure white flower...

Pink is the colour that has been standing out for me this Easter weekend.

Pink Lewisia plant new from the garden centre.

Mr. HB purchased tomato plants and cucumbers and they were planted.

We enjoyed our first harvest of asparagus from the Humble Bungalow Garden and it was tasty and oh so tender.

Love these pretty sweet blooms.

Started this fabulous book on the weekend...

almost 600 pages and I have read about 200 pages so far.

It is calling my name and the tea has steeped so I will close for now.

Thank you for stopping by the Humble Bungalow.

Hope your week is off to a great start...

XO

OOTD ~ What I wore and will soon will be wearing.

I tied one of Mother's scarves on to perk up this plain V neck top.

The scarf is a large lightweight square by Fraas.

The top is Wilfred from Aritzia.

Boyfriend jeans by NYDJ

Sad I know but no great lighting downstairs where the full length mirror is located.

I do plan to buy a free standing mirror if I ever find one that is not too expensive.

You can see my sterling bangles collection on display atop of the cabinet.

Darling daughter and I went shopping for her birthday gift and we were successful in finding her some super cute Citizen's of Humanity jeans at Aritzia.

After she shopped we cruised through the Bay looking at various items...

shoes, tops and tees and she found me something that has been on my "bucket list" for quite some time...

The classic tweed jacket that I can dress up or dress down.

Perfect colour too to go with my small curated wardrobe!

Ferragamo flats that darling daughter gave me for my birthday this year!

I am so happy with these shoes and they are so comfortable to wear!

Bangles

The jacket was on sale and deeply discounted...

it felt so wonderful to find something long wished for at a bargain price.

I had money left to go out for lunch the next day.

Hearty mushroom soup and a small slice of a baguette served with a simple salad.

I found this quote on Pinterest and feel it so very inspiring and appropriate for those who are dealing with dark days.

I received a lovely email from a reader recently 

she is feeling low

so I would like to dedicate these words to her.

Life is full to the brim right now in The Humble Bungalow and this Easter Weekend we have oodles of plans...

I am carving out some "me time" with my favourite magazine

before the arrival of the house guests and the family brunch.

Hope your weekend has some fun packed into it...

thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

XO

Getting My Happy On continues ~ Grandchildren, a kind gesture, a gift in the mail and a win ~

Our darling Henry enjoyed exploring the "spare lot" on our street.

On this site we have some driftwood benches and a table,

a tire swing, rope swing and a wee lending library.

There are trees and a grassy meadow where children love to run.

Play is serious business...

first you need a plan

then you need to execute the plan

then organize all the pieces

sit back and discuss what will happen next.

Isla and Henry played together collaborating on the building of the tower

they decided on the roles of the players

and then they worked out the scenario...

meanwhile as I looked on

Mira sat on my lap and we played with the shape sorter.

The fellow who owns and operates the excavator that is working on the site next door

noticed that Grammy and three wee ones were at the window watching the action and the steady stream of trucks.

When we all went for a walk past the site he suggested that the grandchildren might like to sit in the cab of the machine...

he didn't have to wait long before he got an enthusiastic response!

My goodness that was a kind gesture and a wonderful highlight for our wee ones.

Smiles all round!

I received a thoughtful gift in the mail this week.

Earplugs!

These will help muffle the noise...

love the shade of green too!

Thank you R!

In other "green news"...

I purchased this organic Physician's Formula mascara awhile back.

I love the formula but cannot get used to using the spiky plastic brush.

It has been a messy and frustrating experience 

so I decided that I would give up and move on...

 Dr. Hauschka mascara is back on the job 

with a bristle style brush for an easier application.

I made a yummy prime rib dinner with Yorkshire pudding on Sunday 

we ate the leftovers on Monday

 Mr. HB made some beef sandwiches to take to work.

Probably the last roast for the season.

My back has been stiff and sore since Mom passed away.

(I will book a massage when the bulk of mom's estate is settled)

 Yoga is really helping limber up the muscles and the back seems to be on the mend.

Plus I am sleeping better since going back to the Yoga Studio.

(I love a decent night of sleep)

My Yoga mat is falling apart...

wee bits of the mat are left behind after my practise so I must find another one asap!

This is the mat that the cat scratched a few years ago

Swimming fish amid the lily pads...

I wonder if any of you have had a similar experience with your cats...

any thoughts on a thick good quality replacement mat?

We won a strawberry planter from the Garden Centre!

These planters are quite expensive so I have never bought one but when one gets the call that one is waiting to be picked up you waste no time and start the car!

Our neighbour across the street put this plant pot on the boulevard...

free for the taking so I grabbed it and planted a white hydrangea in it.

How is your week going so far?

Getting My Happy On

Oh my the overcast rainy days are getting tiresome...
almost everyone I encounter seems to be focusing on our wet Spring.
We are craving some sunshine and warmer weather
but until that happens, I believe in being proactive by making my own sunshine...

A pretty new brolly...

from France

a tasty latte sipped in a local cafe

Warm thoughts sunshine and yellow sunflowers...

a dear reader from Vancouver

sent me a card and a packet of seeds for sunflowers 

which we plan to plant 

in The Humble Bungalow Garden

that put a smile on my face!

Thank you R

you are a kind and thoughtful friend.

XO

With a passion for  French interiors and homes... 

 no plane ticket or holiday accommodations arranged

I'll be transported as I peruse these beautiful magazines.

The hunt for the illusive pink lipstick is over...

it is a bit darker pink than I thought would suit me but with help from the savvy gals at the pharmacy I bagged a winner!

L'Oreal Colour Riche #580 Peony Pink

It's frequently the little things that can help keep up our spirits.

a cheerful mug

(Emma Bridgewater)

a warm hug

a smile

perhaps an afternoon to relax and read

indulge in a pot of tea

nibble a square of good chocolate

maybe even have a nap

If things are not going your way

I do hope that they will get better...

This blend is divine...

what are your favourite teas?

Raindrops like wee diamonds sparkle on the stems of the snowdrops.

Your turn now to chime in and share with us 

what do you do to keep your spirits up?

The sun is out as I put the finishing touches on this post.

Wishing you a lovely week.

Hostess Shopping habits...Friday post.

I try to shop locally as much as possible.
This is especially important when it comes to food.
If we want the farms to survive as acreages
and the local farmers to stay in business we need to give them our business.

I opt to shop in smaller stores where I know the owners...
the big box stores do not offer much in the way of service
and one generally does not engage in the same sort of conversation with the clerks while conducting business as these stores are usually noisy and crowded and the line ups long
which makes waiting to get through the till a rather tedious exercise.

Having said that, there are a few exceptions...

Like linens...
Our kitchen tea towels are all made of linen.
I love how soft the linen towels get after many washings.
After years of fighting with the iron I have come to terms with the job, and I love ironing...
standing back admiring the stack of freshly ironed tea towels each week on laundry day is a just reward!

I'm not sure why ironing was in the category of "domestic drudgery"...
it never occurred to me that all I needed to do was shift the way that I thought about the job in order to embrace and enjoy the process...
after all is said and done, it is repetitive and very meditative.
Calming...

Patricia Hines designed linen towels from Western Australia

found in a local second hand shop

as new ~ unused

$7.00 each

Each towel has a bit of red in the pattern which is why I bought the pair...

I have a red tea kettle and some other red accents in The Humble Bungalow Kitchen.

Coffee for my morning cafe creme comes from Italy

served in my favourite bowl

from

Emma Bridgewater Black Toast pottery from the UK

Since retiring I have been quite frugal...

especially with clothing.

I have kept a book where I record the clothes that I purchase and how much they cost.

It has been a great exercise and I plan to keep up the habit.

I love to shop vintage and peruse the charity shops.

 This is rather like a hobby as it can take up quite a bit of time.

If one is pressed for time this is not the best way to shop.

We have quite a few good consignment shops in town which are fun to browse.

One of my favourites is Good Things on Oak Bay Avenue.

I have consigned many household things with them...

recently we took some of Mom's items to them.

 I have purchased many more items from them that I could ever list!

(no book itemizing these purchases exists!)

Other shops are;

Value Village, Salvation Army, WIN thrift, St. Vincent de Paul, Super Chance and the James Bay Community Closet are located in town.

The Beacon Hospital Thrift Shop in Sidney is a 40 minute drive

but has a good selection of housewares, books, and clothing.

Like any second hand shop one needs to go with an open mind and look carefully at what is in the store.

Do you shop second hand?

Do you prefer to shop online or in person?

How was your Friday?

Mine was busy, but relaxed.

Yoga class, lunch out with a friend, and a wee bit of shopping

tried to go for a walk in the gale force winds

wrote this post while drinking a pot of tea

next up I will prepare a healthy dinner.

For those of you who may be curious about the lot next door...

and those who aren't please look away now.

This is the view from my kitchen window...

there is a huge pile of dirt waiting to be trucked away.

I wonder if we will have a weekend of peace and quiet.

Hope that you have some fun things planned for the weekend.

Hostess

XO

Excavating the dirt and the pursuit of peace.

The Humble Bungalow is usually a quiet place.
We are fortunate to live in a quiet area not far from the city centre...
buffered by Beacon Hill Park and the seafront is a couple of blocks away.

Birdsong, wind, and some local traffic sounds are what we usually hear.

Our peace and quiet has been disrupted by the heavy equipment that is on site next door excavating the lot for the construction of two homes.

You can see our bungalow and the close proximity to the digger.

A steady stream of trucks come by to transport the dirt...

It is rather like a truck parade.

The streets are streaked with mud 

it has been raining so there are many muddy puddles.

I have been leaving home seeking peace and solace elsewhere.

Healthy lunch post Yoga today...

kale salad

2 egg omelette

Eaten in peace while the operator was on his lunch break.

Thank goodness for this timely gift.

The Yoga Studio

 where 

I am able to breathe deeply

sit on the mat 

close my eyes

perform restorative poses

follow through the fluid sun salutation movements

which

restore inner peace and help achieve a sense of calm.

For this I am grateful...

There is an abundance of beauty in our neighbourhood.

Despite the rain I am getting out for my walks.

The noise and chaos next door is a great motivator!

Sipping tea

Lapsang Souchong

a smokey liquid that has an intensity that awakens the taste buds.

This large Emma Bridgewater mug in the Black Toast pattern makes me smile.

You can see my Spring and Summer shade of Lipstick 

 L'Oreal Everbloom

Next time I go to the pharmacy I am going to try to find a pink shade.

I'll ask the gals on staff as they are super helpful

  it would be nice to have another colour on hand.

Hellebores are putting on a great display in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

So that's about all the news from The Humble Bungalow...

what's new with you?

I'll be back soon.

XO