The Hostess is feathering the nest...

The Humble Bungalow gets a wee make over for the holidays.
Nothing drastic, just a few natural touches are brought in to play.

Paper Whites are blooming

sweetly scenting the kitchen.

An amaryllis stands tall on the Bungalow mantle in the living room.

Hosting the annual turkey feast for the family means a fancy dressed up table.

I like to change up the colour of the cloths and napkins.

This year I am using a black and silver theme.

The cloth and napkins are black,

the accents silver.

I needed some sparkle so I went shopping for some bits and bobs.

Reindeer votive holders will be placed in the centre of the table 

and I will find some fresh cut boughs to add a touch of green.

Some bling for the napkins!

Beaded rings will wrap the black napkins...

a touch of icy sparkles.

I'll take a photo when I have the table ready before the guests arrive and post it after Christmas.

OOTD

(Sunday)

I wore black leggings over a long black tunic top and the grey and black striped sweater

bow toed patent leather party flats

we were off to a brunch with friends

our hostess makes entertaining look effortless

she put on a sumptuous feast for 20 or more

(I didn't count)

We were greeted at the door by her husband 

who had Caesar's mixed up and ready to pour

we had one in our hands 

almost before he shut the door!

After mingling and chatting as everyone arrived our hostess laid the table with a colourful array of tasty food.

Quiches, fritttata's, ham, cheeses, bagels, greek yogurt, fruit salad, beans, artisan sausages

juice, coffee and tea.

It was a wonderful chance to socialize and a great way to jump start the holidays.

Thank you L!

Here's Pepper taking a break.

She is one of those cats that doesn't like to drink out of a bowl.

I might have mentioned this quirky habit of hers before on the blog.

She has been a bit naughty with the Christmas tree as she likes to sit underneath and bat at the baubles.

I am making rum balls today

here's the recipe if you want to try them.

Hope that your week is off to a great start.

Family matters

Our annual traditional tree decorating Pizza Party was on Friday.

Our tiny  Charlie Brown Christmas tree was draped with vintage ornaments and glass garlands.

Vintage birds

German pine cones...

and 

small glass baubles.

The littlest angel helped keep our spirits bright

her smiles and charms worked their magic.

She is the shiniest star in our lives.

We are so blessed.

Mr. HB's Mother had a fall and her caregiver thought that she needed to have an X-ray.

One phone call and
everything changes.....

Mr. HB spent the better part of his day sitting in the Emergency Ward waiting...

trying to keep his Mother calm and reassure her.

It's good that they went to the hospital because the X-ray showed a broken elbow.

We are getting advice from the orthopedic surgeon,
and await a consultation with her GP.
Surgery can be risky and  hospitalization will be somewhat unsettling for her as she is almost 94, likes familiar surroundings and a predicted routine.

I was at home preparing for our annual Family Tree Decorating Night while Mr. HB was with his MOM at the ER.
We had no inkling that her fall had been so serious.
I am so grateful that I could be kept updated by texting...
because my first reaction was to postpone the pizza party and rush up to help out...
it is so hard not knowing what's going on in a situation such as this one
and the waiting just escalates worry and fear.

The kids arrived and we ordered pizza and munched on appetizers until Mr. HB made it home.
The darling Miss Isla kept us entertained!
She had fun opening and closing the kitchen cupboards and taking out the contents and putting them back.
She repeated this many times and what a twinkle she had in her eyes...
she also left me a wee tomato lipped kiss mark on the glass at the front door
a sweet reminder that I will leave up for a few days because it brings me joy.

It's times like this that remind me of how grateful I am for our family and dear friends.

Friends and family really do matter.
hold tight
stay close
and hug often.

Hostess,
XO

Wishing you a Happy and Joyful Weekend.

Domestic helpers and Rosacea Salve

We recently broke a very large Reidel wine goblet,
it snapped with very little force and I was concerned that Mr. HB had sliced his hand.
He was fine but the goblet was a goner.

I have a thing about thick walled wine glasses.
I really truly hate them!
I've tried to like them but I cannot abide the width when sipping from them.
We have owned some for years and I have finally donated those that have been taking up space in the cupboard.
I feel so much better now because they annoyed me every time I opened the door.
De-cluttering is so wonderful...

We have some thin crystal glasses which feel great in the hand and are very light to hold.
They are very fragile and so I hand wash them very carefully.

I use foamy cleaners that we bought from Williams Sonoma in Vancouver.

Use lots of soap and hot water

gently wipe

place on a tea towel and let air dry. 

Luigi Bormioli 

makes titanium reinforced stemware which is much more durable

and they are whisper thin.

These gloves have a ridges which grip so the glasses do not slip out of my hot soapy hands.

Our farmhouse porcelain sink is not very glass friendly

many a chip has happened by accident

and I do not use any chipped china or glassware.

It repels me.

Chips in crystal and china are to me 

what Faux Fuchsia feels about chipped nail polish.

The weather has turned very cold, there was ice in the birdbath this morning.

The grass is frozen and the front stairs were treacherous.

I hung on tight to the handrail on the way down.

The skies are a beautiful clear blue and the trees silhouetted against that backdrop look amazing.

Outdoor lights twinkling in the icy and frosty nightlight

in the Humble Bungalow front yard.

I am so happy that I purchased the down puffer coat this fall

I am toasty and warm on my walks.

My face is the coldest part of me when I walk.

I have rosacea

and cold air exacerbates the skin condition.

It is troublesome,

 as the skin becomes quite pink and stays that way.

Products that have alcohol or with hazel are to be avoided as they irritate and inflame the skin.

Gentle natural ingredients are the way to go.

I spoke with the esthetician at the local Pharmasave 

who coincidentally suffers from Rosacea.

She has taken many workshops and has spoken to the skin care representatives about their products

 with the hope of finding a line that helps her skin look it's best.

She suggested that I try the Sea Buckthorn Salve 

 it was 1/3 rd. the price of any other product for Rosacea on the shelf.

I am testing it out and will be returning to report back to her in a few weeks.

It is rich in natural oils

goes on smoothly

imparts a glow

and has no scent to speak of...

Rebekah over at Cupcake Caramel

is having a similar problem.

I wonder if this salve would help settle her skin...

I think I'll let her know about this product

maybe it'll help her rash.

Hope that your week is off to a good start.

Harrods soap, an eggnog loaf, and roast beef Sunday dinner.

When I think of Harrods I think of quality.
My English friends who have lived and shopped in London feel that it is up there with the best merchants.
I am disappointed in their soap...
is it the soap or is it the way that I am using it?

Calling all experts...

here's the soap

looks nice 

smells lovely

all wrapped up in a pretty package 

and now look...

personally I think this is hideous looking soap and I am going to chuck it in the garbage

it sits in an english china soap dish with raised ridges to give it a chance to dry between uses

Is it the soap or is it the dish?

What is the problem here?

Please let me know if you have the answer as this is really bugging me.

There are very few pet peeves of mine but this is up there with rudeness 

and those annoying sticky price stickers that will not come off of glasses and other things that one buys.

I dislike wasting food and those items that don't get used up before their expiration dates.

Which brings me to the eggnog that is about to get tossed...

Did you know that you could use eggnog for something other than sipping?
I have sampled French Toast made with eggnog and it's delicious.
So in the spirit of thrift. waste not want not...

I went online and found an eggnog loaf recipe which I made this afternoon...

It went together very quickly and baked in the oven for 50 minutes.

I will wrap these up and store them in the freezer

later when I am busy 

I'll have something tasty to share with friends and family.

 The Humble Bungalow is a busy place these days.

More workers on the scene, dust seeping upstairs.

More next week and the reno is coming along nicely.

I'll be taking photos one day soon.

Exciting times!

I am cooking a roast beef and yorkshire pudding with veggies tonight.

Mr. HB's sister and Mother will joining us for dinner.

SIL lives near the Alberta border and is in town for a reunion.

Must get busy and get cooking...

I'll be wearing an apron so there will be no OOTD images today!

Have a great day.

Lights and natural touches...

Lighting up the Bungalow...
Mr. HB has been busy stringing the white Christmas lights.

He has been up on ladders to add some twinkle and sparkles to The Humble Bungalow.
I like the dark wood details much more at night when it takes on a warm glow.

Daytime it can be dark inside and I find myself turning on lots of lights.

Living room

(I did not use the flash as it looks far too harsh)

view from the kitchen butler's pantry door 

looking east into the dining room

mantle above the fireplace

sporting the resident 

Ojibwa tamarack duck decoys

Mom and babe...

Salal

a native plant,

simple and natural 

in a mercury green glass vase

a gift last year from a friend

The Paper Whites are growing taller

I hope they bloom for Christmas!

Dining room plate rail lit with white

 subtle and just enough to add warmth to the dark fir.

Simmering on the stove is a tomato sauce 

made with whole tomatoes,onions, garlic, basil and red pepper flakes

a healthy glug of Worchestershire sauce

salt and pepper...

I'll boil up some pasta and dinner is done.

Quick and easy are the meals these days as there are lots of things to do to get ready for the holidays.

Most of the gift shopping has been done.

There will be some more baking as I give homemade goodies away.

My uncle, who lives alone always gets an assortment of treats.

I take some to work and share them with the staff.

Then there is the fellow who hauls away our garden refuse to the compost centre

 and various others who provide us with service over the course of the year that I try to remember at Christmas.

The Food Drive is in full swing at school and the truck will be overflowing with food for the needy.

The sock drive is at 500 pairs with our goal for 1,000.

Street people need to keep their feet warm and dry.

The Hampers are getting filled with toys for the families at the school who are experiencing hard times.

With generous hearts 

this spirit of giving could happen all the time.

I'm thinking of dedicated tireless volunteers

 whose helping hands and hearts of gold

make such an enormous contribution to our communities everywhere.

I am in awe of you all!

There's lots to do this weekend and I may not get to it all...

what's on your agenda for the weekend?

Have some fun!