Colour and textures...let's talk tulips

Coach scarf
look at the watery silky swirls of pattern and the riotous use of colours

this scarf is very versatile
and can be worn folded and draped in a variety of ways

to show off different aspects of the pattern.
and expose and focus on different colours.

I wear this scarf when I need a spring tonic...

I seek a shot of colour every now and again

and I adore items with texture

texture and weave

fringe

satin 

silk

linen

cashmere

 flannel

quilting

former post on texture

Textures inside the Bungalow 

muted tones

a silver picture frame

 a woven lamp base

 organic browns in a pottery jug

no more humdrum shades

let's bring on the brights

Spring flowers...

such a delight

affordable

 bunches and punches of colour

tulips

in a simple vase

heavy frosted glass vase

(garage sale find)

The language of flowers...

floriography

  Red tulips symbolize love, 

purple... royalty 

yellow tulips... cheer 

White tulips....forgiveness.

varigated tulips...beautiful eyes

Tulips

enchanting beauty

 and 

simplicity of form

 flowers today 

flowers tomorrow

Visit a local flower market

browse

and

see if there are any blooms that beg to be bought

and brought 

home

If you are fortunate enough to have a flowering quince like Janet 

you can ignore all this tulip talk

go outside with your secateurs and snip snip snip...

almost any flowering tree branches can be cut and brought indoors to "force" blooms

happy foraging...

Hugs

from the Hostess

Kitchen prescription for a quickie company dinner...Cheat!

I hang up the telephone...company's coming and what will I serve?

Good friends, the kind who accept you as you are...
no worries if the house is a bit under dusted no matter....
they have come to see you!
They are the best kind of friends.
long time friends,
friends who have seen you in illness, in health...
friends that come to converse and share...

We are relaxed and at ease...

When time is of the essence...
I serve an easy peasy uncomplicated dinner...
one that is quick to assemble and allows me time to visit.

How to do this?
CHEAT!

I employ some speedy and convenient helpers
a jar of good quality sauce, Italian sausages,  a package of prewashed spinach, a package of grated mozzarella cheese, and sheets of fresh lasagne, garlic bread, and a bakery made pie.

Serve a plate of fresh veggies with dip and a glass of wine and casually sip while the dinner is in the oven cooking.

Tossed mixed greens salad with cherry tomatoes
Simple vinagrette made in jam jar...see post.
Spicy Italian Sausage Lasagne
Garlic bread
Lemon Meringue Pie


Spicy Italian sausages are sauteed with onions, mushrooms until cooked.

Add a quality jar of tomato based sauce and add spices.
(I use basil, worchestershire sauce, salt,  pepper, and oregano)
Simmer until mixture is hot.
Coat the bottom of the lasagne pan with sauce layer pasta sheet

top with spinach leaves add a bit of sauce...
another sheet of pasta... more sauce
pasta and last bit of sauce to completely cover sheet of lasagne
top with grated cheese...
cover with foil and put in fridge.

Remove and let sit 30 minutes then heat oven to 350 degrees and bake 45 minutes...
the garlic bread takes about 15 minutes so just before the lasagne is finished cooking pop the bread into the oven the remove the lasagne and uncover let it sit for 10 minutes and serve...how easy is that?

Meanwhile you've sipped a glass of wine, munched on some raw veggies and chatted and laughed and caught up on all their news and shared yours...showed photos of grandbaby Isla and with their help have set the table and now there's time to sip more wine and enjoy a simple repast.

After the dishes were cleared the cards came out
and the bridge score was, well...
let's just say that the men won!

Cheating a little bit in the kitchen when last minute plans are made, make for a calm Hostess!

What quickie meals do you make for company?
Do you ever use pre washed salad greens, spinach or grated cheeses for convenience?

Seeing double...

I went shopping as I needed a quick fix post flu...
after spending 3 days in bed reading and surfing the net
I craved some retail therapy...
therapy that internet shopping could not satisfy.

I wasn't looking for anything in particular...
I was hoping that something would shout "buy me buy me"...
It's side of my self that I have not yet shared...
let me introduce this side now
occasionally
"I need to shop"...
(don't be too shocked)
I need to eat
I need to sleep...
Today I woke up and said "I need to shop!"

Need might sound desperate...it's only a word
don't be too bothered by it's use here I couldn't find a better one...

Mother used to say when she felt blue that a new hat was just what she "needed" to cheer her up...
I guess that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

I looked long and hard at handbags and found a very nice Nanette Lampore bronze mettalic cross body bag but after wearing it for half an hour and glancing in the mirrors as I cruised the clothing I decided it was too small...and at $250 reduced from $375 thought that the mettalic finish might date quickly.
You might ask why I tried this bag on and wore it so long...

I feel one needs to assess and scrutinize bags very carefully...they need to "fit my lifestyle".

Furthermore, I do not like to return merchandise...
I am lazy in that area and dislike any confrontation with clerks.
Some clerks can be rather tedious when dealing with returns...and it's not as if I have removed tags or forget my receipt...I have all that with me.
I have been known to donate things that I couldn't be bothered returning.
I digress...

I didn't find any garments that screamed out to me...lots of sale items that were odd or too trendy...and the basics are already in my closet.

Then I detoured through the shoe department and I found these...or rather they found me!

Hello Hostess...look over here...they practically waved at me.
Others waved too but for different reasons they did not come home with me.

Seeing double

twins

not identical

 fraternal

not one pair but two

and two of the same style

one conservative and versatile

and the other purely for fun

I know this might seem odd 

the thought did cross my mind

I put it down to the effects of the flu 

which is still lingering 

ever so slightly

flats + comfort = Happy Hostess

I can see some of you fashionable high heeled devotees shaking your heads!

no apologies 

flats and kitten heels are me

MTNY Legend

Mee Too New York

Ah...

I feel much better already

not sated 

but satisfied for the moment...

and tomorrow is another day...

Have you cruised the sales?

What did you find?

An investment piece

or

something cheerful and fun?

Pottering about the Bungalow...

This is a view of the interior of an arts and crafts bowl...
why have a smooth finish when you can add a flourish?

I am reminded of the hand that created this...
the finger that dragged along as the wheel turned
the smooth wet clay as it gave way to the pressure of the hand...
I can feel it here
even now,
after many decades...
tracing my finger in the grooves

(feelin' groovy)

Pottery is HUGE in the arts and crafts movement...it is "artfully crafted" and fits in with the philosophy and guidelines that arts and crafts is all about.

"Arts and Crafts"...those words sum it up.

Things made simply
things made,
by hand,
by hand and heart.

William Morris was quoted as saying
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”

There's a guiding principle to live by...
all this de-cluttering might be attributed to William Morris~

I bought this piece of pottery in the late 1990's because I fell for the lava glaze

It bears no signature or mark so identification is difficult

attribution might be possible

but I would not know where to begin.

I found this in an antique shop while on holiday

it is a large and heavy vase 

look how the glaze has bubbled and popped in the kiln.

This wee bunny with the wonderful colour treatment

purchased in the late 1980's

before I had even heard of the artist

I just liked the colours of the glaze and the form.

It is an early example of

 the work of 

Artus Van Briggle

A well known potter from Colorado Springs  

the company is still in business

they started in 1899

have a look

 Vase (potter unknown)

with

Van Briggle bowl and bunny.

Harumi Ota porcelain bowl

circa 2009

I use it for pasta, salads, fruit

it

resides on the Humble Bungalow dining table

waiting 

to be filled

I just finished reading

Frances Itani's book 

"Remembering the Bones"

she's a very clever story teller

I read her book "Deafening" a few years ago

and was very excited to find this book

and she is at work on another one!

What 

are you reading

now?

I hope that you grab some time for yourself this weekend

and 

Hug your family!

Bungalow Bob Arts and Crafts circa 2011...a Pepper Post!

What have we here?
Is it a carpet
or maybe it's sisal...

Pet lovers can be a wee bit indulgent when it comes to their pets.

I've heard of pooches that get coiffed with bows in their hair and matching claw polish.

Well we are teetering on the edge of that precipice...

and Pepper is on the receiving side...

We subscribe to the American Bungalow magazine and have every issue since they started publishing

and I happened upon an ad for pet paraphenalia in the last issue

I emailed 

 Bungalow Bob's Pet Designs 

and asked him if he would be interested

in designing and building Pepper

a scratching post in the arts and crafts style...

he'd never made one before

but rose to the challenge

and he exceeded our expectations!

look at the attention to detail...

and constructed with quarter sawn oak

superior craftmanship

the finish is sheer perfection

it's a lovely solid piece

Pepper gave it the once over...

I think it meets her approval!

she is a pam-purred puss 

 that soft down duvet does beckon...

looking ever so relaxed

and given the fact that she's part Bengal

these moments are interspersed with frenzied activity

(you can see the surgical site where they shaved her tummy)

is that a smug shot?

I have a sneaky feeling that she is ruling the roost

or trying to give that impression!

I'd say she's got me under her spell...

she gives us much happiness

here in the Humble Bungalow.

I have been asked to show more detail of the Humble Bungalow

these are last years images

Humble Bungalow Porch

beam detail

View from the street

Porch details side view

Constance Spry Climber on pergola

side view looking back into garden

deck off of the kitchen top left

the fence shown here has been replaced with a new one

the slate patio is now mostly covered by creeping thyme

clematis and sundeck

and for interior images you can go here too.