Renewal: refreshed, recharged, re-energized and "retail-ed!"

The past weekend was full to the brim with simple joys and bright moments which have left me feeling energized.
I have come out of a dark mood and into the light...

My morning cafe creme routine starts with counting my blessings,
I sit quietly reflecting on all the good things in life embracing and adopting the attitude of gratitude to set the tone for the day. I have found this to be very powerful and it changes the way that I see and interpret life events.

Mr HB and I walked in Chinatown...through Fan Tan Alley.

Victoria's Fan Tan Alley

My husband took me out for lunch at The Fan Tan Cafe, a popular Chinese food restaurant in our city's historic chinatown. It was busy, the service was great and we sipped our tea and chatted while we waited for our food. The food was not "totally WW friendly" (noodles were involved!) but the seafood chow mien was chock full of veggies which were so lightly cooked that they were still rich in colour, crisp and delicious.

Here's my fortune cookie and the fortune inside...

I did a wee bit of shopping at the Fan Tan Home Decor and Style shop.

A black dress by Angela Mara made in Italy.

Soft, cozy and the fabric is heavy enough that it does not cling but skims the body which is just the way I like a dress to fit.

It feels like a warm hug.

It was 50% off so I pounced on it and I said YES to the dress!

I plan to keep my eye on this shop as they have quite a few styles that I like.

I wore it out to dinner on Saturday evening when we dined with friends.

This lovely bouquet was a thoughtful gift from my nearest and dearest friend.

She bought it from those darling gals who run Thorn and Thistle Flowers.

They carry such pretty flowers and their plants are amazing...

our Christmas Amaryllis is an indication of their high quality plants.

They sell other things too and now offer coffee and treats

and they now located are in my old neighbourhood.

Sunday I cleaned house and went for my walk.

I opened a new bar of fragrant Verbena soap 

 it is currently scenting our main bathroom.

This soap was from my Mom's condo...

she loved the Verbena scent but she never used it as she loved her Pears soap.

While on the topic of fragrance and scents...

It was time to open a new scented candle.

This one was in the box from 

My Stylish French Box.

I am busy trying to finish my latest knitting project so that I can start my new one!

Have you got a project on the go?

Hope that your week ahead is positive

and filled with 

 lightness and cheer.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Easy peasy dressing...
it's not a salad dressing!

It 's a simple minimal curated wardrobe
that has evolved since retiring.

This boiled wool skirt gets worn at least twice each week.

The Chelsea boots are my go to for Fall and Winter.

Opaque Hue tights offer warmth and help to create a longer silhouette.

I have a pair in grey and another in black.

The cashmere V neck sweater by Black Goat was a Christmas gift from my husband.

I prefer a cozy longer sweater for extra warmth 

 the length is versatile 

allowing it to be worn with leggings 

or 

the skinny ponte knit pants that I wear frequently.

I've been wearing my Masaii print dress weekly since I found it in a local consignment shop.

 Newer Eileen Fisher striped dress 

priced quite reasonably so another workhorse joins the group.

 Knit pants and a Cut Loose top...

so simple.

This cut loose top pairs well with the boiled wool skirt.

Having separates that mix and match helps to stretch the budget and makes it easy to put together many versatile outfits.

Previously jeans and a tee top with a cardigan were my "uniform."

Recently I have felt a shift...

in how and what I wanted to wear.

Black Goat cashmere have a lovely soft grey cardigan that I have my eye on...  

it may be a wise purchase sometime soon as the grey shade fits into my wardrobe effortlessly.

Blogging from the kitchen table 

while Jane Green's Mom's rib recipe bakes in the oven...

(copyright laws do not allow me to post her recipe)

easy peasy dinner tonight

potatoes

coleslaw

Must close now and work on my knitting project.

Hope you have some fun things planned for the  weekend.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday thoughts January. 2018....

I finally purchased a new IPhone case...

my other one was chipped and the coating was peeling off

 every time I looked at it it made me cringe so why it took me so long to find a new one is beyond me.

I'm experiencing disrupted sleep

it is most likely stress

but

like many women of my age 

who frequently find that our sleep wake rhythms change

the nights feel rather long when one lies awake 

listening to the ticking of the clock

I am trying to come to terms with these new sleep patterns

but it is not easy.

In the morning when I wake up and look in the mirror 

I see that my eyes are puffy 

and my skin has creases on the side of my face

from lying on my pillowcase.

I  googled "wrinkles on the face from sleeping" and to my surprise discovered that if one uses a satin or silk pillowcase that these wrinkles will be reduced.

I was really skeptical 

but with several leading dermatologists endorsing the product 

I thought that I better give it a try...

 after one night of sleep

I am thrilled to tell you they really do WORK!

I did not wake up "Feeling Glamorous like the box indicates 

but I woke up and was happy to see that the deep creases were not imprinted on my cheek!

I also have introduced a healthy product into my skincare regime

At bedtime after cleansing my skin

I apply a small amount of coconut oil on my face.

It is super emollient and feels so soft in the morning.

This large jar was under $10 and it will last a long time...

and you can use it all over the body.

I am taking life one day at a time...

seeking small comforts and snippets of beauty

where I can find it in my daily round...

it is a lot harder to find than it used to be

and 

if I had a magic wand I would wave it and erase all the bad stuff in our world.

I will continue...

to do my best.

Home keeping

cooking

taking care of my husband

offering support to our family

tending to our cats 

and 

walking.

sharing random acts of kindness

Cocooning and recharging....

behind closed doors.

Its also the time of year when I like to replace some of my lingerie

so this is on the top of my list of things to do 

perhaps I'll get around to it this week.

Have you got a long list of things to do this month?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Finding my way...

Thank you so much for your supportive emails and comments on my previous post.

Many of you wrote about your personal tragedies and situations that are much more dire than what our family is going through and upon reflection this past week I have been able to regain my sense of perspective

coming to terms with my feelings of helplessness.

I've put my energies into action 

working on domestic chores

focusing on the jobs at hand.

It is not a cure all but it feels good to accomplish something that needs doing.

I am glad that my kitchen does not look like this one

but it CAN look rather messy if I do not stay on top of the cleaning.

Thank goodness for the auto clean program...

it makes the job so much easier.

I've been chiselling away at my "to do" list...

the feeling of accomplishment 

is a reward

when I am able to cross another job off the list.

Maintaining leather 

Coach bag, shoes and boots pays off as they look better and last longer.

 Fresh Shampoo

for  

my make up brushes once a month...

a simple routine that takes just a few minutes.

This wee orchid was a gift from a friend 

when Mom died on my birthday last March.

It is blooming again!

This orchid has a double row of blooms...

speaking of blooms our Amaryllis is absolutely stunning!

Each stem has four flowers!

There is another stem about to bloom.

We have never ever had an amaryllis like this one.

Low WW point lunch yesterday

after a busy day working in the Humble Bungalow.

Did you watch the Golden Globes last night?

Oprah's speech was so inspiring...

I watched it twice.

A stack of books await...

Speaking of inspiring.

I found this wonderful quote on Pinterest...

Hope that you find some comfort and joy in your week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Goodbye 2017...

We've just said farewell to our friends after spending a few days at Quarter Deck Cottage.

We shared a few idyllic days 

walking, laughing, dining, and chatting...

Good friends are such a gift and I am so grateful to have them in our lives.

It has been a difficult year for us and I am not sad to say goodbye to 2017.

Many things have contributed to the current sadness in our family.

A sadness so deep that it has rocked us to the core.

Shock, disappointment and grief 

emotions so strong that at times it has crippled me.

There is very little that I can do 

to change the situation that affects our family.

It is beyond my control.

 I will help and support our family to the best of my ability.

Craving a space that is calm

peaceful

I find it in simple routines...

The repetitive motion of knitting 

walking along the seafront

ironing linens

chopping vegetables

sipping tea

reading with the cat slumbering on my lap

I am conscious of inviting gentle rhythms 

of everyday living

into my daily round.

Not sure how things will turn out...

it is a situation

which can, 

if I allow it,

 to rob me of sleep

make me weep

prevent me from feeling contentment and happiness.

My wish is for a Peaceful

resolution for our family.

Happiness in the New Year might be awhile coming but I am hopeful.

Best wishes to you all for 2018.

Thank you for stopping by...

Hostess

XO

This Hostess has been shopping ...and a few festive touches in The Humble Bungalow

I've been naughty!

Guilty YES!

I bought something for myself...

I went into the store "just to browse" 

I tried on a few cozy sweaters and perused the racks of the Saint James section, Royal Robbins and then the Eileen Fisher group of garments.

 A tunic top for tall gals but a dress for short me.

The hem sits slightly above the knee and it drapes so well 

the fabric is super soft and it flatters without clinging.

The WIN thrift shop did not disappoint either...

French Dressing shirt in black and white...

great for white pants or black skinny ponte knit pants.

Also the black and white Hermes scarf, probably my favourite will look great tied at the neck.

There are a few festive touches here in The Humble Bungalow.

We don't do a lot of decorating but we have a tree lit with white lights

 a peachy pink poinsettia

candles

wee trees on the mantle with the Ojibwa duck decoys.

Sadly we are unable to put our vintage glass baubles on the tree because the cats undress the tree and bat the ornaments around and they break...

Please excuse our messy fireplace 

Some silver baubles from my childhood home with two vintage silver pieces.

White fairy lights and the silver balls on the front rose arbour.

Our wee tree with white fairy lights on the front porch.

Reindeer votive holders

glitter cones

sit atop

our silver tray

which was a wedding gift.

The seniors turkey luncheon at the club was a lot of work but such fun.

Those of us who volunteered were treated to lunch and a glass of wine 

which we ate while the choir performed 

then we served the desserts and tea and coffee 

before washing up all the dishes.

This year there were 80 seniors in attendance...it is one of the many fundraisers that we have at the club.

We were thrilled to go to our darling granddaughter Isla's school 

where we watched the annual winter concert. 

How are your holiday plans shaping up?

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow

Merry Christmas!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~