Dressing on a shoestring budget or "Parisian Chic #101"

Living with a little bit of restraint and some planned spending is on the agenda.
Not a self imposed total ban on spending,
just watching the purse strings a little more carefully so that we can embark on a renovation that has long been overdue.

The mantra being "living better, consuming less."

Debt has become such a large scale problem on the global stage and it is affecting all of us worldwide.
If we cannot manage our personal financial houses how can we expect the leaders and politicians to keep fiscally responsible?

Saving money is not easy for me as I am easily tempted by luxe products
and I have a tendency to indulge myself more often than not.
I am going to try very hard to be more mindful of my spending habits,
using cash and the bank debit card for all but online transactions.

Restraint with a "capital" R.
(not a capital H for Hermes)

Starting today...

Back to school shoes...

ballet flats

black leather

simple

(affordable)

Shoes to wear with skirts and dresses

black leather

comfy

(affordable)

These are very pedestrian foot friendly

shoes

perfect for a Humble Hostess.

I am shod for September's school bell which will be ringing in a few days.

My closet is looking lean

in shades of black white and grey

with several LBD's

a few basic classic garments

that will transition together 

making a multiple of looks

and

with scarves, bangles and baubles

I am set.

I feel more like a French girl than ever before!

Parisian Chic did inspire me to make a fresh start

culling the unloved and unworn sad sacks that hung in wait to haunt me

whispering ever so subtly

 "ha ha told you so"

The bulk of which were patterned garments of flimsy fabrics

purchased on a whim

as a tonic

to appease a low ebb.

Just to be upfront and clear

I am not giving up 

scrunchies

leggings 

or 

scarf rings

no apologies to Ines

I did enjoy this book.

It was a very quick read and I think would be very helpful as a guide to shopping in Paris.

 The iconic double breasted/belted French trench is something I have lusted after

yet it does not suit my frame.

A figure skimming shape with a row of single buttons with a built in half back belt detail work much better.

and I sourced a very affordable example at Land's End.

(as I type it is in transit)

There is not much left on my back-to-school list.

I'm feeling pretty content with the pieces that I have acquired and I have not blown the budget.

I'm ready to meet and greet the staff and students.

Apple anyone?

Under the weather...

September the first has brought the fog in blanketing us with a cool misty overcoat of dewdrops.
There's a frosty feel in the air...BRR.
I am ailing,
snug under the cozy and warm duvet of down.

Ginger ale in hand, I have donned my grey cashmere sox.
Pepper is curled up at my feet and is slumbering deeply.

I have read the blogs that I follow...
before resuming my latest project, the twisted scarf in simple garter stick with that sumptuous alpaca yarn.
Knitting is conducive to meditating on all the gifts of everyday life
the garter stitch of gratitude.

I love and embrace the simple things in life.

Hot water for bathing,
food in the fridge,
a roof overhead,
family,
a warm hug,
the sound of birdsong in the garden,
scented soap,
comfortable shoes,
a great book to read,
a job to do,
friends who accept us for who we really are without judging,
a hobby to be passionate about...
and last but not least health.

What would be on your list?
Have I forgotten anything important?

My head is a bit foggy like the weather so feel free to add your own thoughts.

This vintage soap dish is so simple in style and form
it performs a function and in my eyes, is quite pretty.
I particularly like those two random black specks which are inside the porcelain glaze.
"Beauty in imperfection"

A recent find in the local shop from the village 

 residing by the kitchen sink

married with a bar of Provence triple milled lavender soap.

Pepper 

another beauty

and

not as simple as you might think!

She has become the most wonderful cat

she keeps me company here in the Humble Bungalow

follows me from room to room 

 "helping" with the domestics

her playful nature is a great source of entertainment.

Seeking comfort in small ways today

I'd like to have something yummy for lunch...

Lisa has something interesting on the menu.

I think they would go very nicely with my Schweppes ginger ale and Tums.

What do you think?

Slow-Mo day in the Humble Bungalow

I am enjoying a very quiet day here in The Humble Bungalow.
Relaxing in the sunshine between domestic chores.
I am working in slow motion and I like it!
This just might be the most boring post ever...
you might be yawning
and that's great if it's your bedtime.
Sleep and relaxation are not to be underrated.

Bees are buzzing about busy at work gathering pollen.

Hosta and spurge competing for space in a pot.

Look at all these smiling yellow blooms

they are an instant mood lifter.

Molyneux is blooming 

the newest David Austin Rose to set up shop in the Bungalow garden.

The fawns like her buds, their mother prefers Jude the Obscure.

As a dedicated Hostess it is my duty to feed my guests and feed them I am.

The buffet is a virtual salad bar that the local deer population seem to be enjoying.

Oh well

live and let live.

I love chartreuse green

it fills me with joy.

The blog was chartreuse in the beginning

before my love affair

with black white and grey

Do you love it too?

 Behold!

Limelight Hydrangea

showy pom pom blooms

greedy for water but excellent performers

with

masses of flowers.

"proven winners"

Two more have made their way into my possession.

I highjacked them when I saw them at the nursery

they were the last two standing.

I will be planting them soon.

Unfortunately a bloom snapped off in transport

so I popped it in some water,

funny thing

it looks too large for the vase

a rather awkward arrangement

but I am not bothered.

All is calm

I have actioned some comfort food for dessert.

It tastes much better than it looks

the creamy coconut flavour is lip smacking good.

"He enjoys true leisure who has time to improve his soul's estate."

Henry David Thoreau

Take a few minutes and just breathe....

Teatime with Parisian and Shoe String Chic....

If you have been following my blog you might recall that I have given up caffeine for health reasons.
I have been a tea drinker since I was a young girl. My grandmother used to make me cups of "Boston Tea" which was a tea cup of mostly milk with a small amount of tea from her Brown Betty teapot.

I have not given up the ritual of tea I have simply replaced the tea for a decaf version of my regular brand which is Typhoo.
I decided that I needed to make tea time more attractive and so I pulled out my silver tea service and polished up the tray which was downstairs in "my room" and voila we have elevated tea to another level. It tastes better too!

Lovely and delicious 

 the silver pot keeps the tea hot for a long time

one cup is never enough!

Taking tea has been a custom in our family for as long as I can remember.

Our family matriarchs were known as "tea grannies"

Tea tastes much better when it is served in a bone china cup and saucer.

I use them from time to time but opt more often for bone china mugs for everyday.

I love the English Dunoon line of arts and crafts mugs.

I keep my tea in a caddy for freshness.

Pisces my birth sign

by

 Portmeirion  Stoke-on-Trent England caddy.

I am sipping tea as I type,

perhaps you are sipping tea as you read these words.

It's a Blog Tea Party!

I received these in the mail this week

and I am looking forward to reading them...

I think it was Tish whose blog is a femme d'un certain age 

that recommended both of these books.

Thanks Tish!

It will be fun comparing these two books on Chic Style.

Sweet Peas

in the Humble Bungalow Bathroom

I wish you could smell these

they are so lovely.

I wonder if any perfume has their scent in a blend.

I am working hard around the Bungalow

touching up chipped paint

Like Kristin of Faux Fuchsia fame

 I abhor chipped paint!

Besides dressing well, cooking and decorating

 she has an adorable baby boy 

so pop on over and say hello

you might never want to leave her lovely place

she does motherhood in a royal style.

We are planning a renovation downstairs which is exciting me no end.

I am jumping out of bed early to get rid of all the "junk" that has taken up residence in the basement.

Stuff that we have kept in case we might need it "one day" and many "one days" have past and we have not used them!

I'm off to de-clutter...

To the woman who complained that riches hadn’t made her happy, the Master said “You speak as if luxury and comfort were ingredients of happiness; whereas all you need to be really happy, my dear, is something to be enthusiastic about.

Anthony de Mello

A Room of Her Own...

Chris Casson Madden wrote a book a few years back, "A Room of Her Own."
This book was the inspiration behind my choice of carving out some "personal " space.

When the children were at home it was a small corner of my bedroom that had an assortment of chocolate treats, some scented lotions, a candle, a pretty teacup and some richly illustrated books on home decor and a large collection of magazines that calmed me as I leafed through them in a dream like fashion.

(Chocolate and caffeine were never far from my side back then and now I rarely have either)

Dressed in a cozy nightgown sitting in bed with the pillows plumped and the door slightly ajar taking some "Me" time before turning in for the night. Morning came very early in those days and sleep was a luxury to behold.

A room of my own had to wait.

Bittersweet in it's own way...
because when it came into being was when my son left home.

It is his childhood room that I now use for my hobbies and healthy pursuits of Yoga and the occasional session of weight training. It has become a place where I can go and sit and peruse magazines, read books, listen to music and ponder and more recently to paint.

Steiff teddy sitting in the linen slip covered armchair

a cozy nest to curl up in.

I opted for soft neutrals to invite serenity and peace.

I put down an old rug from upstairs to add warmth

the floor is painted concrete and is chilly in the winter.

Here is where I play...

Pepper loves it when I am down stairs 

she runs around like a super charged energizer bunny.

She has climbed the easel and tried to bite the paint brush,

"steady on Pepper."

  The recent knitting project is going rather slower than I hoped as I need to be "on guard" 

for she likes to stalk the yarn and then pounce with all claws bared before the attack.

Picking up slipped stitches are not my forte and so they take forever to fix.

Pepper does have cat naps throughout the day

I think that is her secret...

I should adopt a napping habit 

but there is always so much I want to do.

Like knitting....

I have used up 2 skeins of the Alpaca yarn so far...

slow and steady.

Image from a birthday card

which my sister bought because it reminds her of Pepper.

Vintage keys

a tarnished tray

weathered weary cabinet

glass dome

and a pair of silver candelabras

all things that I like because of their quirks.

Do you have a place or a space of your own?

I'd be interested to see some images of where you find peace and inspiration.

Is it inside or out of doors?

You might be like my friend LM who meditates deeply

in a quiet place wherever she happens to be...

she always has that zone 

so very close

whether she is in Hawaii, 

France

 or the UK.

Be true to yourself this weekend

and try and soak in some loveliness

after all it's free.