Shoe String Chic giveaway, sweet peas and my OOTD.

The sweet peas that we planted in the spring have been giving us masses of blooms.
One big packet of seeds that cost about $3 have yielded dozens of bouquets which would cost several dollars for each handful.
I'd say that's a chic and savvy way to enjoy fresh flowers throughout the season.

Having a cutting garden is a great way to save money on floral arrangements.
In the winter when not much is blooming I buy a few blooms from the flower shop and then go outside to the Bungalow garden for variegated and unusual foliage to add interest and bulk up the bouquet.
It could be alliums, or rose hips, ferns or twigs anything that accents and enriches the total look will work.
Experiment with natural grasses or lop off small branches of shrubbery, you'll have fun and the weirder the better!

Speaking of chic tips Fiona has a Chic themed post every day for the entire month of September on her fabulous blog How to Be Chic.
I am enjoying her tips immensely and I think you will too.

I bought Shoe String Chic after I read about it on a blog.
It is written by Kerrie Hess and has some wonderful tips and thoughts for saving money and living luxe on a budget.
I decided that I wanted to pass this on.
The lightbulb went on and I thought it might make a great giveaway.

To enter you will need to sign up to follow my blog, and post a comment telling me what makes you feel chic.
I'll draw a name out of a hat (or perhaps a bag) and you'll need to stay tuned to see if you have won.
If you are the lucky winner you can send me your mailing address.

The giveaway will close on September 25th at midnight PST.
Good luck!

Today I am running errands and it's sunny outside.
This is my OOTD...

I'll put on some ballet flats of course 

and 

I am breaking that rule about not wearing white after Labour Day!

"Chic is all about creating a style that is uniquely yours...

Don't be a slave to fashion and never take fashion 

or yourself too seriously"

LuLu Guinness

Fashion and accessories designer

"Chic is the confidence to follow your own path, 

to wear what makes you smile, and to break the rules!"

Deborah Lloyd

co president and creative director at Kate Spade New York

I am off to greet the shop keepers and buy a few groceries.

Smiling is so easy when the sun is shining!

I'm eager to read all your comments.

Bon Chance!

Perfect Pasta with thanks to Adrienne.

Adrienne from  La Vie Quotidienne emailed me her pasta recipe after she read my kitchen nightmare post on the pasta that was a major flop. It sounded easy and she gave me tips as well to insure success.

Lovely daughter came over and we rolled up our sleeves and got busy in the kitchen.

we set everything up on the counter

Adrienne's recipe calls for a food processor which made things easy

Blend 2 eggs, 1 tsp. oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 3/4 c flour

until it resembles cornmeal

(see above)

add 2 tbsp water and process until it forms a ball.

Form into a round and place in a plastic bag for 30 minutes to rest.

divide into 3 portions and put through the press

8 times using a smaller setting each time

cut into 10 inch lengths

then using the cutter

feed it through and use a bit of flour to keep the noodles from sticking.

voila!

Dinner is served

Thank you Adrienne

I am so grateful that you sent me this recipe it's a winner!

Many wonderful connections have been made in cyberspace.

Blogging has enriched my life in a way I had not foreseen.

An online community of strangers 

that share experiences and events

feelings

fashion

food 

and 

fun.

Thank you for leaving comments 

and

 for taking the time to read my words.

Working and a time crunch has prevented me from leaving comments 

on many of the blogs that I follow 

and 

I avidly follow many.

I would love to follow more as I know there are so many more that I have yet to discover.

How much time do you spend blogging and how much time to you spend reading blogs?

Digging in the dirt...

What have you got planned for the weekend?

I have a bunch of top soil to dig into the front garden and I am planting some limelight hydrangeas.
We had our two large rhododendrons removed and have an area to redesign and plant.

I like mass plantings and repeats of a colour or plant dotted throughout the beds.
Several limelights are already established and I love their limey loveliness so I am adding more.
There will be some variegated hosta plants too...
and I am envisioning some white tulips or perhaps some lime parrot tulips but they will have to wait until I get the bigger pieces of the plan in place.

I plan to plant snowdrops randomly throughout the bed.
I adore snowdrops and am so elated when they show their lovely white blooms.

These are the variety that grow in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

They make a lovely wee bouquet.

I brought home a few packages of these from the nursery today.

(thankfully they are deer resistant!)

The nursery is gearing up for fall

clearing out annuals and some perennials 

it looked rather bare.

There are bins full of bulbs and though I am very tempted I decided to go back another time 

after I have finished this weekend work.

The weather forecast is for rain so I'll be mucking about in my boots

hair pulled back in a scrunchie

dressed in old jeans a white T-shirt

and a hoodie.

It is me at my most un-glamourous 

and I guarantee my face will be smeared with dirt.

I just might wear pearls.

You never know who might be walking by!

A girl can dream!

What are you doing this weekend?

Feelings...

I feel a little bit like this little guy...

Life has recently sent some curve balls our way.

Things usually run like clockwork here 

ticking along 

quietly.

I am fine with that

some might call it boring

I like it that way!

We have had our share of trials an tribulations over the years.

No one is immune from stress or loss.

I feel frustrated and somewhat helpless

because the troubles 

are beyond my control.

Too bad life doesn't come with a manual 

for times when we are faced with challenges 

that are new and completely foreign.

I have said things 

that were misinterpreted

cried

and

have raised the ire of someone whom I love dearly.

I have done what I thought was best.

I spoke my mind.

I may not have done it with as much grace and tact as I could have...

but that's hindsight.

I am hoping that things will settle down and the dust settles.

Disharmony and discord are a shroud of gloom that I abhor.

"To err is human, to forgive divine."

Seeking solace 

I wander outside in the Humble Bungalow Garden

where a bevy of beauty awaits.

the hydrangeas are blooming blue 

cranesbill geranium with such a dainty face

clematis wrapping it's vine around the honeysuckle

Romneya coulteri

a crepe fried eggy flower

moppets of white hydrangea

in the dappled shade

coreopsis in cherry yellow

I feel better when I walk outside 

brushing up against nature.

Kindred spirits.

Perhaps it's filling one's lungs with cool sea salty air

or 

clearing the mind of thoughts that are sad

and replacing them with a respite

from fears.

Moving on one step at a time...

just moving in a new direction.

Mr. HB and I had a date!

I love the word "date"

 it reminds me that our relationship is still going strong

and that we carve out time to be with each other.

It could be a walk

a movie

or a meal out.

Recently we dined at one of our favourite restaurants

where we sat under a canopy of greenery 

in the sunshine.

Lamb, asparagus and pasta for Mr. HB.

Peppers, basil and goat cheese pasta for the Hostess.

The food was delicious and the company excellent!

Sharing problems with a partner or friend eases the burden 

the viewpoints they offer

shed light

allowing one to see 

another side of the situation.

(two heads are better than one)

I am grateful for the opportunity to share and appreciate the support.

"The present is the ever moving shadow that divides yesterday from tomorrow. 

In that lies hope." 

Frank Lloyd Wright 

Peace sounds perfect to me right now.

Calorie conscious Pizza

Homemade pizza is one of the Humble Bungalow staple meals.
It's a versatile pantry friendly meal.
The ingredients for the dough are flour, yeast, salt, oil and sugar.
I use the Expo 86 Cookbook recipe which I have posted here.

Lovely daughter and I recently enjoyed a delicious lunch in an eclectically decorated artsy bistro. The menu has creative with unusual offerings. We shared a spinach goat cheese salad which was topped with skinny deep fried onion rings and dressed with balsamic vinegar to start and that was followed by a pizzette. The pizzette was a crisp skinny crust which was sparingly topped with fresh tomatoes, basil leaves, pancetta and cheese.

I wanted to make my pizza crust thinner to elevate the flavours of the toppings rather than being over powered by the crust.
A skinny crust means that I could savour a few slender slices without too much caloric consideration!
As Martha Stewart would say, "That 's a Good Thing"

I used the standard recipe and I rolled the dough thinly.
I sprinkled the pans with cornmeal so they would not stick and reduced the baking time by 5 minutes.

Black olives, basil leaves, home grown cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese.

I think they look very like a rustic Italian pizza.

I sampled a few small slices and I think the crust could even be thinner but it is quite delicious.

I will be sharing these pizza's with my family.

The recipe made 4 instead of the usual 2!

After posting my kitchen nightmare last week about my frustrating experience making pasta

I wandered into the local Thrift Shop

and 

as is my routine 

I peruse all the wares 

just in case there is something that I could use here in the Bungalow.

A shiver went through my body 

when I spied a cookbook by Lidia Bastianich!

It was $8 and I now have all the necessary information about making pasta!

Gracious Adrienne from La Vie Quotidienne is sending me her fail proof pasta recipe.

I'm keen to try it as you use the food processor to do a lot of the work.

Thank you so much!

"Timing is Everything"

Stay tuned!