Gardener's cottage inspiration and The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Janet from The Gardener's Cottage
inspires me
to make my life more healthy and beautiful
to redecorate and to have fun in the garden.

Her style, her thrift adventures, the way she decorates her cottage, the food that she chooses to eat
it's what makes me visit her as often as she posts.
I wish that she lived closer so that I could meet her in person.
Maybe someday...

Healthy yes and tasty too.

Take an avocado, mash it up

pop in on top of a skinny slice of bread

top it with tomato slices

a wee bit of pepper and salt

fast and easy

lunch is served!

(I used half an avocado)

Janet over at The Gardener's Cottage is excited about 

The Alkaline Sisters

their site is very interesting, inspiring and informative.

The weekend had it's ups and downs

the sunshine was around for most of the weekend hooray!

Mr. HB and I pottered about outside in The Humble Bungalow garden.

Mr. HB's mom had a fall and she broke her hip

 many hours were spent in the emergency ward while they took x-rays

she'll be on bed rest for weeks while it heals

she lives in a facility that offers 24 hour care

so she will be well looked after.

Such a stressful day waiting, wondering, and worrying...

 it's difficult seeing someone you love in pain

and however well informed we are there is always the chance that this might not turn out well.

For now we can breathe a little easier...

On the menu tonight:

 organic free range chicken

carrots

squash

peas

mashed potatoes

I harvested some rhubarb this afternoon and made a crisp for dessert

which I'll serve with a dollop of coconut yogurt.

We discovered a fabulous red wine through our catering friend Julie

it's a Shiraz from Australia

 Skulls

not a very inspiring name but a great flavour.

the grass is green 

with all our rain we haven't needed to water it

the garlic is growing taller

the rhubarb thicker

a bit of whimsy

 bowling balls peek out from the plantings

the raised vegetable beds

sweet peas are planted at the back with lattice to climb up on

the clematis is glorious

everything looks so lovely in the sunshine

it was great to be out and not need a sweater or a jacket

We are both weary after a day of gardening but it's a healthy feeling

knowing that we worked hard and accomplished a lot.

I am going to sleep like a baby tonight!

How was your weekend?

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

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

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

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 

Pasta al Sugo 

(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