Tonic for a tired soul....

Life has been rather fraught with challenges and work has been busy
so last night I gave in to fatigue and retired early with two of my favourite things...

I have not indulged in Chocolate for months

but I have not forgotten it's healing properties.

I love to pop a square on my tongue and let it gently melt...

I am just eating up this delicious read.

It's about Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley 

and the days that they lived in Paris

hobnobbing with Gertude Stein, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald,

 and assorted other characters of note.

If you are like me you'll want to read this while you are cooking supper!

I slept rather late so I apologize that this post is a bit short on words

but considering the high calorie content I hope that you will not mind.

I hope that your weekend is of to a great start.

T.G.I.F.

I am taking my lovely daughter for lunch

to be followed by an afternoon of pampering at the Spa.

What's on your agenda?

Don't forget the giveaway from two posts back...I am drawing a name next Monday!

Lip gloss, roses and a retro recipe.

Our robust climber Royal Autumn Sunset is putting on quite a performance this month with a full flush of peachy blooms.
This fragrant rose climbs up onto our sun deck and is reaching for the sky.
Pruning judiciously and tying up those wayward limbs is on the list of things to do in The Humble Bungalow.
In the meantime I have plucked a few beauties and popped them in a jug which I have placed above the kitchen sink.
I can inhale the heady and intoxicating scent while doing dishes.

These peachy blooms were tight rosebuds when I cut them

a day later they are billowy and full.

This delicate shade of peach is one that I also like to wear on my lips.

Chanel lip gloss in Legende 

adds a soft peachy shine 

which I have been wearing for over a year now.

It's a wee bit quirky that I must have my lipstick or gloss

even if it is a simple lip balm.

I dislike the feeling of dry lips and often I will exfoliate with a toothbrush and scrub.

Dry flaky lips feel like barnacles to me.

You might think that I go through a lot of lipsticks.

I suppose I do.

Is the Hostess a lip-o-holic?

(perhaps)

While grocery shopping I recently discovered a new gloss

it's probably been around for eons but it was new to me,

 it was incredibly priced and without testers available

I brought two home to try.

They are very sheer with just a blush of colour

moisturizing and smooth

and on sale for $6 each

great for everyday wear around the house and garden.

I am pleased that shades work so I did not waste any money.

I'll be using the Chanel Gloss when I go out 

and I'll be saving money thanks to Burt's Bees the rest of the time.

Do you use any "bargain basement" cosmetics or skin care items?

Feeling lazy on a work night after a busy day in the library

dinner will need to be simple.

on the menu...

leftover chicken

a retro, home made (pantry friendly) Waldorf Salad

with baked potatoes.

Retro Waldorf Salad

2 cups diced celery

2 cups chopped apple

3/4 cup chopped walnuts 

3/4 cup mayonnaise

Toss together and chill before serving.

What simple fare do you offer up after a busy day?

Don't forget to enter the Humble Bungalow giveaway

see the previous post for details.

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?