New dress...

The black bamboo dress that I donated left a void in my closet that begged to be filled. A few empty hangers are now languishing in our closet...

That bamboo "understated" black dress was the one that I wore to many events...
from my retirement celebration...to the theatre, dinners out, Christmas, a staff party, a funeral, bridge luncheons, date nights....

I knew that I needed to find a replacement dress
but I had no idea that I would find one so quickly.

The dress I found is patterned and has body and weight so it hangs well.

I plan to wear black or grey tights with it and depending on the event either my new Chelsea Boots or black shoes.

 For a dressier look I can opt for sheer charcoal hose and black kitten heels

and add a vintage brooch for some pizazz.

Hard to capture this well as the fitting room is so tiny.

(I also am wearing my NYDJ boyfriend jeans underneath!)

You can see the jeans underneath 

but I was in a hurry 

as I was meeting up with my DIL and the grandchildren for a lunch date!

pockets come in handy

sleeve detail

Made by Masai and purchased at a consignment shop in Oak Bay.

Not everything I own has to be new.

New Clark's Chelsea Boots

I'll be wearing these most days every week for the forseeable future.

It has been a wee bit of a shopping frenzy lately...

not my usual habit but I have been fortunate to find some of the things that I need to replace the tired and worn out pieces that I have purged from my closet.

I've been very lucky at the thrift shops too...

several new key pieces have been found at bargain basement prices.

I'll post more on these soon.

Have you found anything on your list for Fall and Winter?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

September is a great time to curate one's closet.

September is a time of change...

the summer season is slipping away
fall is in the air
fresh starts, new beginnings
and a burst of colour in the foliage of the trees.

A great time to start some projects,
take a class,
shop for accessories,
clean out the closet
declutter the pantry
get rid of expired medications
polish boots, shoes and handbags.

Take stock of what is hanging in the closet...
what clothes get worn, what clothes do not feel right when worn.
Time to "observe trends" that may be in the magazines, on blogs, in the shops.
Can you rework what you have in your closet?
How about pairing separates in a fresh new way?

Perhaps it is time for re-evaluating one's personal style
how our current lifestyle might affect the clothes that we keep
those that we may donate, consign or hand down...

What new things could thrill or inject energy to what we have and love?
Vintage pieces?
Classics?
Boho?
What "speaks" to your inner muse?

Can you kick it up a notch?
Is it a genuine representation of your personal style?
Does it feel real or do you feel like you are wearing a "costume."

Shop at the charity and consignment shops for a splash of colour,
find something a bit unusual...a scarf, a belt, a bag are great pieces that don't have to break the budget and are ways to add a punch of colour or texture or style.
Have fun!

The least expensive accessory that I purchased so far this season is a lipstick.

L'Oreal trio...

The new kid on the block is #315 True Red

It is the first red that I have purchased since I was in Paris.

It will be fun wearing this shade with my crisp white shirt and jeans.

I have a lot of black and grey garments and this pop of colour will brighten up my pale complexion.

I've received numerous compliments on the Rose 31 scent by Le Labo.

Layering products makes a fragrance last longer so I phoned Nordstrom and ordered the Rose 31 lotion yesterday.

Wearing a new scent and a red lipstick is giving me a psychological boost.

Have you found anything new and exciting for the new season?

Une Femme has some new lipstick shades 

coincidentally I was working on this post when I read her blog post!

Great minds think alike!

The WW regime is really paying off...

almost 10 pounds down.

I am not hungry and have been pleased with how my clothes are fitting.

More energy and better sleep patterns have been wonderful side effects.

My skin has started to glow...

I think it must be all the water that I am drinking 

plus the variety of colourful vegetables and fruits on the menu...

less red meat 

a bit of fish, lean free range chicken and organic eggs.

What are you reading right now?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Grandchildren ~ Play time and memories...

There's nothing quite as special as time with the grandchildren...
their seemingly endless energy, unbridled enthusiasm and love of spontaneity is part of what I love so much when we are together.

These precious hours never fail to put a smile on my face and time passes so quickly that I always snap a few photos to preserve these special moments.

Gyro Park Octopus

children can climb inside the head and slide down the arms of the octopus.

A glorious September afternoon for a some playtime at the park.

Henry loved the zip line!

(you can see it on the right of the image)

Cadborosaurus

The mythical sea creature that has been seen over the years

swimming in Cadboro Bay.

(like the Loch Ness Monster)

Peek a boo!

GRRRR!

Our darling Mira loves to play like the big kids.

She climbs up the steep steps of the slide and then delights in sliding down.

Henry sitting on the fin of a blue whale.

Dallas Road Beach

the waterfront staircase and turret painted by Victoria's artist in residence.

A driftwood hut

a great spot for the grandchildren to explore and use their imagination.

Pirates?

Buried Treasure?

Isla had fun playing inside the structure and after playing inside we hunkered down and got serious about digging for beach glass!

Our September weather has been mild and sunny which makes it easy to get out and have fun in the afternoons and on the weekends when Isla is not at school.

I remember start of the school years as a young student...

new pencils and fresh pink erasers

clean scribblers

pots of glue

new shoes

white socks

 new skirts and blouses

gym strip

a lunch kit

all the things that I needed to make a great start to the school year.

So many years ago...

but the memories are still fresh.

And now it's Isla's turn to experience 

the newness of her books

the fresh pencils

clean pink erasers

a new pencil box

a backpack

Time to forge memories of her own which she'll keep for years to come.

My goodness but time passes quickly...

At the age of 62

looking back...

I have countless memories and experiences

enough to fill up many many books!

Feeling so grateful that I am able to share such lovely days with my family.

September is fresh with newness and I am starting a few new projects of my own.

How about you?

Have you got something new on your radar?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD and random snippets from The Humble Bungalow

Our weekend harvest of home grown vegetables in Mr. HB's new wooden Trug.

The Trug looks very much "at home" with the wooden cutting boards.

Mr. HB tends to the veggies in the garden and grows tomatoes in his greenhouse.

The tomatoes are so tasty and sweet, 

nothing like those that you find in the grocery stores.

The potatoes were amazing too...we ate them for dinner last night.

Love being able to go outside and harvest some home grown veggies.

After much consideration and testing many samples I was finally able to chose a rose fragrance...the one that I opted for is Le Labo Rose 31.

It was a time consuming exercise testing all the samples.

Some were too sweet, some too strong,  and one made me break out in hives and I had a rash with a couple of other ones which was a surprise as I have never had a reaction to any perfume before.

Le Labo makes a "natural product" that is compounded fresh at the retailer 

 when one places the order.

Nordstrom's Fragrance Department in Vancouver were extremely helpful.

They sent me all the samples for free.

  I received the scent promptly after placing my order and a few samples of Le Labo Rose 31 lotion and shower gel were included.

The scent is subtle and can be worn by both women and men.

It is a subtle fragrance and layering the lotion with the eau de parfum makes it last longer.

Fall is in the air and our furnace came on this weekend when it rained.

We need the rain badly as there are forest fires still burning in our province

and the gardens are looking quite parched.

With the change of season comes the change of clothes from the out of season closet downstairs and swapping out the summer things in our bedroom closet.

Some pieces overlap and are worn all year long.

I do not have a huge list of things to replace.

(or a big budget)

 I did get rid of a pair of basic grey pants last Spring...

they had lost their shape and the seat pouched out making them look shabby...

 having worn them for 2 or 3 seasons they had served me well and owed me nothing.

I went out and did a wee bit of shopping this past Sunday 

after our family brunch 

and the beach play time with the grandchildren.

OOTD

NYDJ boyfriend jeans

Cupio tank top

OM3 jersey jacket

Jungla shoes

OOTD without the jacket.

Calvin Klein sturdy skinny knit pants

a wide elastic waistband with a slim line

no extra details to add bulk

smooth across the tummy

I like these very much!

Gap long sleeved top

a basic in a neutral shade that is very soft and will be cozy for Fall and Winter.

Great for layering under my vests.

Patterned Mod-O-Doc tunic top in black, grey and white that will be paired with the skinny knit pants.

All three items totalled $130

plus they can be worn with several other things already hanging in my closet.

Machine washable

 hang to dry 

which extends their life 

keeps them looking new as long as possible.

Still on my list for Fall and Winter are a new pair of black leather Chelsea boots.

I wore out my last pair...

which is not surprising 

because I must have worn them 5 days out of 7 for the past 2 years!

The weight loss regime continues...

I have lost 6.8 pounds in the past few weeks.

Eating lower WW point count food and not drinking wine

coupled with more exercise has finally paid off.

It's hard work and dedication that make the difference.

It is my hope that the losing will continue and that the scale will reflect my efforts.

The goal is to get back to my WW goal of 132 pounds which is at the top of the WW weight range for someone my height.

If I eventually weigh 135 I will be content...

132 would be amazing.

My heart goes out to the people affected by the recent wild weather events.

The devastating earthquake in Mexico and that powerful hurricane Irma. 

There are so many things that are beyond our control.

 Watching the news it is encouraging the way that people are helping each other get through these troubled times.

Hope that your week is off to a great start.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

The Views from Here...

We have been away on the boat over the Labour Day Weekend and Mr. HB has returned home and I am at Quarter Deck Cottage with my sister.

Our cozy cottage has a lovely view over the Salish Sea towards Vancouver Island you can see part of Salt Spring Island on the right in this snapshot.

There is a smokey haze over the region due to forest fires in BC and Washington State...the sun looks like a big red fireball.

Binoculars are placed on the table so that we are ready to grab them.

Boats, eagles, seals and Orcas are frequent "visitors" off the deck in the distance.

Reading on the deck is punctuated by the passing of the boats...

from large yachts to the tiny crafts that ply the waterway

they capture our attention.

We cannot sit all day so we venture out walking.

We make time to explore the country roads.

This Old Manse is located in the historic Hope Bay area of the island.

There are some lovely heritage homes in this small bay.

At the end there is a small dock, an art gallery, a restaurant and a real estate office.

We spied a chocolate shop undergoing renovations and will soon be open for business!

Sheep farming seems to be a popular vocation on the island.

We hear the sheep as we walk and this curious fellow came to greet us through the fence.

Farm stands and fresh egg stands pop up along the roads.

This morning at Raven Rock there was a large offering of fresh veggies.

I could not resist the large oak leaf lettuce and the basket of cherry tomatoes.

Then the posy of cheerful dahlias just begged to be bought!

I've already planned my meals revolving around fresh eggs and the produce.

The no alcohol regime has become routine and I am not missing it at all.

Thought that I would but the "faux wines" are keeping me satisfied.

There is no scale here at the cottage to accurately monitor my weight 

but my clothes are feeling looser which is encouraging...

the daily laps in the pool and the walks are definitely helping.

 I am way behind reading all the blogs that I follow

holidaying at the cottage is not really conducive to computer time.

Will try to catch up over the course of the week.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

XO

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Random stuff on Wednesday.

~ The Humble Bungalow ~

The garden out front has many plants and flowers.

Among them are yellow rudbeckia flowers 

a variety of yellow, pink, and red roses.

Limelight hydrangeas

Hostas

grasses

lime kniphofia

lavenders

boxwood 

The deer have been by munching on the Hostas and the Hydrangeas so the new garden help suggested that we try spraying with BOBEX...

it is all natural but is very stinky and it deters the deer from chowing down on the plants that have been treated.

Our tiny entry hall is rather cluttered,

it is where we hang our coats

store our brollies

hats.

Inside the picnic basket are winter woolly scarves and gloves.

No room for a wardrobe and no closets...

This wee area of the living room is where I write cards.

The quartersawn oak arts and crafts desk has many compartments inside 

which I use to store our address book, stamps, pens, and cards. 

We have such a small living area on the main floor...

about 975 square feet so we need to be careful not to collect too much stuff!

In 100 year old +  bungalows, storage was not originally a consideration.

People generally did not have a lot of extra things...

they were living on limited incomes, credit was not available and so people tended to be quite frugal.

Our bedroom closet is really small and we have to renovate that room someday. Mr. HB will redesign our closet and have some built in drawers installed.

We use the downstairs closets for our out of season clothes.

Trying to keep a minimal wardrobe is my goal but every so often I act on impulse and buy something that is usually something that I already have represented in my current wardrobe.

Buying a variation of something that I already own and don't really NEED 

is a waste of money.

This summer I paid attention to 

what I wore regularly 

what did not get worn often 

and 

what never got worn.

3 dresses were worn regularly and two others hung in the closet.

I wore 2 pairs of pants and the same few tops weekly.

The rest languished away...

 Why have something if it is not being used especially when storage is an issue?

The exercise also showed me that the clothes I wore 

were those that made me feel good wearing them

and  coincidentally 

they are the better quality more expensive items in my closet.

With that in mind, I plan to buy fewer things come the Fall and opt for better quality "investment" pieces.

It seems to me to make sense not to waste the space, time and money 

on something mediocre that is not going to be a workhorse in the wardrobe.

Walking scenery...

Clover Point on Dallas Road

the start of my regular 5 km. walking route.

Midway along the route Ross Bay

looking across at The Olympic Mountain Range in Washington State.

Ross Bay and the trees that line the edge of the historic Ross Bay Cemetery.

Walks have been lovely with the sunny warm weather...

breezes have been slight which I appreciate.

Plainsong was a good book...

a slightly different genre than I usually read but it came with high praise from the gal at the bookstore.

I have reserved the second in the series, Eventide,  at the local library.

In other news...

The scale has responded to the no alcohol regime.

I quit the wine habit last Tuesday.

Several readers have emailed me regarding me giving up alcohol.

My new tipple...non alcoholic wine.

It tastes good and has way less calories than real wine and is less expensive.

The information on the bottle 

may be of interest to you. 

I sip a couple of glasses at night, 

one before dinner and one with dinner.

Willows Beach walk

mixing up the walk locations for a variety of scenery.

There is a tearoom near the playground.

Mom and I used to stop in after our walk along the Esplanade.

I have taken tea here several times this summer and I think of her when I sip my cuppa.

My Mulberry knapsack has been getting a lot of wear this summer.

I love to be hands free when walking and it is the perfect size for my prescription glasses, wallet, lipstick, tissues and keys.

I love the colour of the leather and the details.

It is a sturdy bag that should wear well for many years.

Have you seen The New Amberley bag by Mulberry. ?

Positively Smitten with this bag...

I like the shape, the brown embossed croc finish, and the clasp detail

it is not too big 

so there is no worry that I would be carrying a too heavy bag and injure my shoulder again!

  Plus it is a bonus that it is a cross body bag.

Perhaps I will invest in this one...

it has been ages since I bought a "new" handbag.

The last two have been thrift shop finds.

Back to the garden...

One of the Hostas that the deer have munched!

Thankfully the giant Rudbeckias seem to be safe from the deer.

Are you familiar with books by Kristin Hannah?

Firefly Lane (2008) is a page turner...

Kristin has a large number of books to her credit

and why have I not read her novels before this?

 I have no clue!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog

taking time out of your day to read the blog and glance at the pictures.

Hope that you are enjoying these last few days of August.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~