The winner is......

What's in the bag?

The name of one follower who will be receiving a copy of Shoe String Chic.

 I wrote the names of those who were participating in the giveaway on strips of paper...

with a little help from Pepper

I popped them into the bag.

I hope that you can read sideways as I forgot to rotate the image before uploading it!

Congratulations Lorrie please email your mailing address and I'll send you the book.

Thank you to all who participated.

Pepper could have picked the winning name 

she seemed very keen on this event but now that it's over she seems a bit blase.

Monday has brought with it gale force winds and rain...

  Hunkered down here in The Humble Bungalow

dressed casually in grey yoga pants and a hoodie

domestics are on the agenda

and not a chic thought to be found.

  Real life can't be all glamour now can it?

A lesson in scarf tying courtesy of the Hermes clerk...

Mr. HB and I were in the  Hermes shop browsing the scarf selection when a delightful young gentlemen came over and politely asked if he could show us a particular scarf.
I explained how lovely they all were and that I would never be able to chose just one!

He stood by patiently as we discussed the colours of my wardrobe and what my colour preferences might be.
As we hummed and hawed he pulled out a silky one in shades of light and dark blue not unlike this scarf, which is Italian and not Hermes but I am going to show you how he folded the scarf before draping it about my shoulders.

point to point

right side down

fold again and meet at the middle

fold over once more

this is where he left it

draped casually on my shoulders

I prefer to slip it through once

and let it simply hang

it can be arranged to one side if you prefer.

I find this works best if you are wearing a coat or jacket

as it adds a dash of interest and depending on the scarf

possibly a punch of colour.

To read more about the Hostess's first Hermes scarf

go here.

Blogland is abuzz with the colour orange

it seems to have taken us by storm

and captured our imagination

I feel it has something to do with the fall shades the leaves are turning.

Orange is not a colour that I own unless you count the Hermes boxes!

Do you have something orange in your fall wardrobe?

Annie has some lovely orange things over a her blog 

after you have checked out the oranges 

go see her most recent post

she's having a giveaway!

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!