Friday, May 4, 2012

Tulips two ways....

Lovely daughter came over and cooked Mr. HB and I
Thai prawns and coconut curry the other evening.
As usual it was splendiferous, tasty and such a pleasure not to have to cook on a weeknight.
(thank you lovely J!)

She wandered in after pausing at the porch
capturing a tulip moment...



She took this stunning image with her IPhone
 crisp
beautiful
soft
organic

I am thinking
this image would be so lovely
printed and framed and hung in our bungalow.


many petals make a great tulip


 IPhone version
taken today by the Hostess
frilly frothy
simple 
but not quite as exquisite
as lovely daughter's

two IPhones
two tulips
two ways
just
two days
apart...


 Native BC Dogwood in bloom.

Nature and beauty bring out the poetic
as they conspire to inspire 
me
 to put pen to paper 
and write...

thoughts
and
musings
of
life
plodding along
weaving
bouncing
hovering on the edge
brushing up against the sides of reality
negotiating a highway
steering a true course
forward
as it should be...


Lovely daughter and I are watching Real Housewives of Vancouver
far from our reality
it's a guilty pleasure
and we are fascinated by these women and their lifestyles
I can't keep wondering if the show is scripted or not
as they are not very kind to each other
I know very few women that behave in this way...

Are you watching and if so 
what do you think?

The weekend is nudging near
fingers crossed it will be a good one.

Tell me what you fabulous followers will be doing to amuse yourselves...
Hostess
XO

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

A womanly post...thinking in pink.

Getting the right fit
is so important.


Did you know that most women are wearing the wrong bra size?

I have had the luxury of shopping at a lovely boutique owned by a very skilled English lady Jackie,
who incidentally, insisted on measuring her clients every time they came in for new brassieres.
I scoffed at the idea as I shopped semi annually for bras, how could they change size in 6 months?
Who knew?
Thankfully I listened to her advice.

She has retired now and I miss the sumptuous selection and her expert service so much.
I may have vented about this here on my blog before...
like a dog with a bone I am not wanting to let it go!

It's frustrating to go to a department store, peruse the stock, take in a few at a time, try them on and then get dressed again and repeat the process several times before finding what works best.
There never seems to be a clerk about when I need one.
I am I the only one who finds this frustrating?

Jackie would eye you up after measuring you with her tape and she knew which bras would fit
and often the sizes would be slightly different than what you might expect based on the styles.
(not unlike a designer's sizing, each company has it's quirks)

Peg was Jackie's assistant and she was SO funny.
A woman of "a certain age" with a savvy sense of fashion and a figure quite like mine and a rapid rapier wit.
She once shocked me after she measured my chest with her tape
(which hung conveniently around her neck as if she was a tailor)
she placed both her "cupped hands" over my breasts
to determine my cup size. I kid you not.

It took me by surprise and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
I have told this story many times to my friends, but the weird thing is that she knew the cup size!

Living in a smallish town we have a few lingerie shops and I am hoping that someone will open a new one.
Vancouver is the closest city where one can find lovely the French lacy Chantelle's and the Italian engineered Prima Donna's, two of my favourite makers.
Good quality lingerie does not come cheap, they are investment pieces in my opinion.
When one spends a generous sum on staples like these, one needs to economize in other areas.

Do you ever order lingerie off the internet?


I picked this up the other day
at the small bookshop on The Avenue
apparently it inspired Julian Fellowes
to pen Downton Abbey.
The clerk Shirley, and I had a rousing and animated conversation about Downton Abbey.
We were both gushing about the series and have watched the episodes many times and never tire of them.

Are you a Downton Abbey fan?
I am mad for the series and can't wait for more.

You might like to read Julian's novels Snobs and Past Imperfect
both reside in a place of honour in my collection 
they are very rich and thoroughly entertaining.

To Marry an English Lord
"American Heiresses Take on Peerage"

"In 1895 nine American girls, including a Vanderbilt, LaRoche, Rogers, and Whitney married peers of the British realm-- among them, a duke, an earl, three barons, and a knight. It was the peak year of a social phenomenon that began in the Gilded Age after the American Civil War, and handed down the legacy of Anglomania, preppie, and the world of the television series Downton Abbey."

It has been added to the stack of books at my bedside table
so many fabulous books waiting...


Hermes share a shelf with future reads.


Bolder Breakfast Tea
(gift from Peg in Comox)
sipping and savouring this delicious blend 
while composing this post.

Thanks Peg!
I just realized there are two Pegs in my posts today.



Soft pink hydrangea blooms
subtle in the dim light
  of the Humble Bungalow dining room.


pretty in pink


This plant was under $20
 will bloom for many weeks 
before being replanted in the garden.

May brings many blooms to the garden
and with them come many weeds
and a lawn that runs riot.

Treat your self to some fresh flowers
or some pesky weeds if you prefer...
 a jar of sunny yellow dandelions are free
and ever so cheery.
XO
Hostess

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Join me over at The Rich Life (on a budget) today

Today I am over at The Rich Life (on a budget).
Adrienne has graciously offered to host a post on "How You Wear Your Favourite Scarf."



I have so many scarves that I could have sent many images but I settled on my black and white Hermes vintage style soft silk square...
please join me and the other ladies as we tie one on!

Hostess
XO

Monday, April 30, 2012

Macarons and more....

The weekend was full to the brim of fun food family and friends...
and it's Monday
with only one Macaron left!


Delicious
 made by Julie
a Hostess gift 
(sheer perfection)



Don't you think it looks nice with the bluebells?
such a pretty shade


What to serve when a caterer comes to dine....


Buy some "fresh off the boat" crab
cook and clean it then pick it
make crab cakes
serve with ginger mayonnaise
atop a bed of pea shoots

follow with salad 
Barefoot Contessa style
from her Parties cookbook
red leaf lettuce
balsamic onions
vinaigrette
blue cheese 

(Mr. HB's recipe)
with fresh homemade fettucini pasta
artisan bread



roasted fruit
Greek coconut yogurt
(full fat)
with
chocolate espresso cookies
(homemade but rock hard the disaster of the evening!)

I should have tested these cookies before serving them
oh well no one is perfect!

Family dinner was a BBQ
new recipe from White Water Cooks


birthday gift from my son and DIL


West coast fare...


served with twice baked and stuffed potatoes
broccoli salad
tomato basil balsamic salad
red leaf lettuce balsamic blue cheese salad
(fresh, a repeat of Saturday's salad)
wild rice
served with the remaining fruit salad and yogurt

Slept like a baby last night after all the hustle and bustle.

I was recognized by a reader at the market yesterday!
Hello to Marsha
who so kindly introduced herself to me.

She'd been shopping in the newly opened J. Crew in Vancouver
she said the space is quite small
and the selection was limited.

I'll bet that they are dipping their polished toes
 very carefully into our Canadian market before they go big or go home.

Have a fabulous Monday...
see you tomorrow!
XO

Friday, April 27, 2012

A book that inspires and our native Camus blooms.

Do you love finding a great book as much as I do?
I've never been in a book club as I think I read far too slowly to join one.
Oh but I do have a great book on the go at the moment...
you might enjoy this one too....


This book takes place in India 
and tells the story of a woman who grew up in privilege 
now money is scarce
her mansion is crumbling...

"Spanning decades and told in rich rhapsodic prose that takes us from India to England, 
to high peaks of the Himalayas and deep into the Burmese jungle, 
Waiting for the Monsoon is an unforgettable tale of love, loss and the unusual bond between two people" 
(from the jacket cover)

"If her soul had been as spotless as her lawn, she would not have died that year. She was like the old Lloyds.
For years it was the only electric lawnmower for miles around: the fact that it was still functioning was thanks to the brand and not to love. The machine hummed softly as she pushed it along. In the distance she heard the bus starting up for the first run of the day. In one of the houses as the bottom of the road a light came on; the crickets had fallen silent and the birds were still in dreamland. India was slowly awakening..."
(from the jacket cover)

You can read a review here.

I have read over 200 pages and have been transported to another place and time and am enjoying every minute of this adventure!

What are you reading?
I'd love some book recommendations.


The Garry Oak Meadow at school just beyond the playing field.
Can you see those dots of blue scattered in with the yellow buttercups?



I can tell you that this is a special piece of paradise.
Easter lilies dotted this place a few weeks ago
their creamy heads bobbing in the breeze as if they were bonnets.


Camus
The First Nations People used the root for food.
I love the blue and mauve petals they truly glow amid the field.

There is a white Camus which we see rarely
known as Death Camus because it's root is poisonous.

If you drive through town you will glimpse some parks with this blue and mauve native plant.
It's quite stunning massed under the mighty oaks.
It gives me cause to pause and wonder what our land looked like when the settlers first arrived to the land.

I can't wait to see what the field looks like in a few more weeks as all the buds mature and bloom.
Perhaps you'll join me in a future post when I show it again in all it's glory.

Do have yourself a fabulous weekend.
Love that you popped by for a visit.
Until next time...
Be Well.