Thrift shopping and frugal finds.

The current economic crisis is making people nervous and the stock market is experiencing a major dip with many investors selling in a panicked frenzy.
The uncertainty has people running scared.

While I do not spend willy nilly, I do balance big ticket purchases with frugal ones.

I am more than happy that we have thrift shops in our town. I patronize them on a regular basis and have fun looking at the wares. You might be familiar with that saying "one man's junk is another man's treasure".

Shopping in thrift shops offers opportunities to acquire things at reasonable prices. It is an adventure and one must shop with an open mind, keeping your eyes open. Go slowly and peruse carefully, move things around, and you might be surprised what you'll find. Thrift shops are not just for the needy and impoverished. Well shod, bejeweled, ladies - who - lunch have been spied gathering goods and conversations are shared in the aisles over themed table settings for their upcoming dinner parties!

I have seen more Mercedes parked outside and think that thrifting has been elevated to include the upper middle classes.

I would encourage you to venture forth and seek out your local charity shops...

Here are my latest finds...

Leather wallet

Very similar to the Hobo wallet

I paid $100 for the Hobo

and $10 for this one... 

the lining is bright and cheery

in perfect condition.

A book for Grammy's Home Library

$2.00

Isla loves books!

A new release which I nearly bought at the book shop for $30.00

I found this mint one for $4.00

He who does not economize will have to agonize.  ~Confucius

Has the current economic news changed the way that you think about money 

or have you decided to stop shopping for anything that is a non essential?

Advanced Age...and eyeing up some alone time.

I think it was Duchesse that steered me to a blog which I am now following with great enthusiasm.

Advanced Style is a fashion blog with older women as the focus.
It is a peek at chic older women who have amazing and I do mean amazing, style.
The women that are focused here are extremely well turned out confident women who have not "given up"
or resigned to spend their elder years in polyester pull on pants, baggy tops and sensible "old lady footwear".
They are putting themselves "out there" and getting noticed.

I applaud their energy and enthusiasm and admire the joy that they bring to their everyday round.
Go and check it out and see what you think...you might be inspired to add a flash of colour or some big chunky jewelry to your ensemble.

Things are ticking along slowly here in The Humble Bungalow.
Life does have a wee bit of routine...
home keeping, shopping, cooking, gardening, and blogging.

Many of my friends are away on holiday right now so I am feeling more alone than usual.
It's good to be alone once in awhile...a lot of reflection and deep thought can be had.

At work, coworker friendships are comfortable, easy and fall into a happy rhythm.
Rather like a work family.
I do miss that daily contact when school is out over the summer.

Lucky for me that Pepper thrives on attention!
(and the fact that I have many great books just waiting to be read.)

The garden roses have been dead headed and the foxgloves desperately need pulling.

There are no blooms left, just straw coloured stalks waving in the breeze...

saying goodbye for now...

see you in a couple of years.

Same time same place

another great display of their unfailing beauty.

Those reliable and stalwart performers never let me down.

Looking blurry

(sans specs!)

I desperately need glasses to read

am blind as a bat these days!

and 

 scared silly of Laser surgery

so I must get some hip and trendy specs.

I am leaning to tortoise shell or black

possibly larger frames

perhaps a chic pair 

like Ines de la Fressange wears 

on Little Diaries 

at the Roger Vivier website.

I am currently reading Kate Morton's House at Riverton.

The lovely commenter Gretchen, suggested that I try her books

 and I am happy to say that I have bought all 3 of her novels!

Thank you Gretchen!

What books are you reading these days?

Any recommendations?

If you join in on your "Views from the Sink" from last Wednesday's post

please send me a link so that I can put them on my blog.

Family Images from the past...

My mother, sister and I recently went through some old photos.
We sat on the sun filled deck here in the Humble Bungalow garden and sipped freshly made iced tea and noshed on some antipasto, crackers, and a round of brie cheese.
My sister and I wanted to have copies of many of these images as Mother is the keeper of the albums.
I am planning to have these copied and will go hunting for some frames and plan to set up a photo gallery somewhere in the Bungalow, a shrine for want of a better word, paying homage to my family and my roots.

Father atop a sandstone rock in the BC Gulf Islands

Mother sitting on a rocky seashore

and I see my love of scarves has been inherited!

I think they make a fine pair.

No fish tales needed here

a picture is worth a thousand words!

Dad and his dog in the front yard of his family home.

Black and white images

are so evocative and rich in detail.

I love vintage family photos

they show us a bit of what we have forgotten

a time long past that can be revisited

remembered 

and 

shared.

Some of the photos are forced and staged

(say cheese!)

while others are taken quite spontaneously

capturing the reality and honesty of that moment so many years ago.

I got quite emotional looking through all the images...

so many of the people in the pictures have passed away

not to be forgotten

but to be remembered with love.

Mother and my cousin.

If you have a family member that you have been neglecting

try and make contact with them this weekend

phone, visit, or write them a letter.

You'll be happy that you took the time and made the effort

and it might just make their day a little brighter knowing that they are thought about by you.

Spread a little joy wherever you go this weekend.

Hostess

XO

Roman Holiday....

I do so love the romantic movie Roman Holiday.
Dashing Gregory Peck and the exquisite Audrey Hepburn in her American debut performance.
The movie was made in 1953 two years before I was born and stands the test of time.
I love to watch it, and usually see it once every year.
If you have not seen it you might enjoy looking and listening here.

It's hot and sunny here and the shopping needs to be done.
I have my market basket, sunglasses and a new silk scarf...
feeling very much like I'd love to be on holiday in Roma....

I found this vintage silk hand rolled scarf in a thrift shop

and after touching the fabric

eyeing the stitching

and opening it up to reveal the intricate design

I knew it would need to come home with me.

Hermes you have some serious competition!

This colour palette will work well with denim and greys

and none of my Hermes scarves are in this colour range.

Plus an added bonus was that it was under $10!

not the $400 that I usually spend at the Hermes Boutique.

I have no idea who the designer is...

if you recognize it perhaps you would be kind enough to advise me.

Is the signature Constantino?

I am not too sure...

All this talk of Italy has made me think of pasta!

For dinner I am preparing a simple sauce made with San Marzano DOC tomatoes,
Only grown in and around Mount Vesuvius,
(sweeter and tastier than most tomatoes because they are grown in that volcanic ashy soil)

spicy Italian sausage sauteed with garlic and onions,
oregano
salt and pepper

simmered for an hour.

Yum! 

The Humble Bungalow is scented highly with this tasty goodness.

All I need to do is cook the pasta and dinner's done.
Easy Peasy.

                                                            
                                                                           Ciao for now!

Views from the sink..."White Wednesday"

Do you spend hours in your kitchen prepping dinner, washing dishes?
I know I do.
I find these simple tasks very soothing.

The radio is always on and I am alone with my thoughts.
A great song has me swaying to the beat and often I sing,
sometimes very loudly and out of tune but only Pepper can hear it so it matters little.

What I see when I look up from my sink is a high wide wooden shelf, a 98 year old window sill.
I have chosen to place things on it that speak to me...

Objects that inspire calm and reflection...
here are the kitchen sill shots.

Standing here washing veggies

I thought that it might be fun to ask other bloggers to post their kitchen views.

Matte white = Peace and Serenity

Vintage pots

I am inviting you all to post some images of your kitchen sink scene.

Please leave me a comment and a link to your blog 

so that we can all hop right over 

and 

see what you gaze at from your kitchen sink!

Come on

don't be shy

the more the merrier!

Hope that you have fun and enjoy White Wednesday.