Tuscan Sun...a meagre wardrobe, and thoughts of Seattle.

One of my favourite movies is Under the Tuscan Sun
the cinematography is rich,
the scenery is beautiful,
the story wonderful.

I put myself into the story and imagine what it might be like if I were to live Frances Mayes' adventure in Tuscany.

After watching the film a few years ago I immediately got my hands on the novel by Frances Mayes.
The novel was devoured in record time and I was left craving red wine and pasta!

Little did I know that she had written a cookbook...
one of the year end gifts I received was this lovely book.
A big thank you goes out to my teaching partner!

Mr. HB loves short ribs so the first recipe I have prepared is Short Ribs Tuscan style!

Lucky that we own a vast Le Creuset ovenproof pot

the recipe filled this almost to the brim.

In a freshly cleaned oven 

the weight of the pot 

+

sagging racks

 contents are weighty.

The Humble Bungalow smells divine.

The windows inside the Humble Bungalow are all spotless and shining.

Now all we need is some sunshine to prove it!

I went through my meagre wardrobe and found a few pieces that needed further weeding.

I have been wearing the same few basics over and over.

It makes getting dressed fast and easy.

It surprises me that I do not mind having a minimalist wardrobe.

Would you be comfortable living with less?

Changing the idea of what constitutes a workable wardrobe has been a slow process.

Less 

is definitely working...

streamlined to the basic workhorses

add those brilliant accessories

seems to fit my simple lifestyle.

Black and white are the neutral basics left hanging in my closet.

There are some spaces that could be refilled which would inject some energy

and a splash of colour might be fun.

I plan to keep an open mind when I go shopping.

I have been avoiding the stores lately in preparation for the trip so it will be fun to see what they are showing.

I do "need" shoes

and I am not exaggerating!

Seattle will certainly have some shoes

and a few basics

as I need to replace some tees and tanks.

There's a new wheel on the Seattle waterfront 

which looks far too ambitious for either Mother or myself...

it looks a bit like the millennium wheel!

I think we'll do the Space Needle

and perhaps "ride the ducks!"

Summer often means a holiday...

tell me what are you planning

a stay cation

or a vacation?

Every thing's coming up roses...

Man cannot live by bread alone...

I rely on flowers to bring perfection to the table.
Blooms that radiate loveliness
colours that fill my soul with joy
home grown in The Humble Bungalow Garden...

Saturday's roses

nudging 

and 

shuffling for space

in a crystal ice bucket

It's been a busy weekend here in The Humble Bungalow.

On Canada Day

we went to a BBQ at the gorgeous heritage home of our BFF's.

watched the fireworks from our dining room window when we got home...

Happy 4th of July to our neighbours south of the border!

OOTD among other things...

Do you love a dress in a pattern or a solid shade?
I am partial to black, black and more black.
It hides a multitude of sins.

Besides all my LBD's,

I have a couple of reliable patterned dresses which I can pop on

and in a flash be out the door.

One such dress has had oodles of wear and is still going strong,
 the pattern is a marriage of unlikely colours,
daubs of colour that look as if they have been splashed on by a paint brush.

I have owned this dress for several years

when I bought it it was on sale 

 the CPW (cost per wearing) 

now

down to just a few pennies!

I wore a Sherman pin that I've had for eons,

a co worker said it reminded her of a coral reef in Hawaii 

where she and her husband went scuba diving.

I used to wear brooches everyday

I think that was before I discovered scarves and when my only strand of pearls was a small faux pearl choker.

Change is the one constant...

preferring real to faux

I have very little in the way of jewelry.

I do love how fashion conscious younger women accessorize.

They are not afraid of taking risks and seem to have a sixth sense of what looks great.

Vickie is one amazing blogger and she is on the cutting edge of fashion

go and see for yourself.

~ ~ ~

I will be opening this bag soon...

I purchased this as I have been seriously craving some crunch, sour and salt...

as the end of term closes I plan to indulge

(the first in over 2 months)

 naughty yes, but I feel I have more than earned them...

Poppy patterned Mikasa vase

I snatched it from the free pile from down the street

it's just waiting for some fresh cut flowers...

~ ~ ~

The cats have been racing around the bungalow

most of the time they are friendly.

Nose to nose greetings are common

Pepper has been keeping Chester in line when he gets too rambunctious

Chester likes to run full steam ahead, pounce and leap on Pepper's back...

a swat lets the little guy know he's out of line.

 ~ ~ ~

I have been arranging flowers for the year end ceremony this week

tick tock the term is coming to a close...

~ ~ ~

Holidays!

Who knows what the months will bring....

Go Big or Go Home...

It was an occasion of honour, one of our near and dear colleagues was hanging up her hat.
Taking her leave at 55 to travel the world with her husband of 35 years...
they are embarking on a trip of a lifetime and plan to do it in style.
We gathered to wish them bon voyage...

I watched from the wings and had a few moments of envy.
These two have invested in revenue property, paid off their mortgage, and saved their money.

A lively party was held in a heritage home filled with local art.
The gals on staff did the decorating, catering, serving and clean up.

I offered to do the flowers...
something I am able to contribute
and enjoy doing.
(don't even ask about the skit ~ let's just say I was the one wearing the silly costume!)

I use a very sturdy crystal wine bucket

so the flowers do not threaten to tip over.

Roses

foxgloves

dusty miller

lady's mantle

alliums

ferns

I build it big

and 

work from all sides

bulking up with fillers like Lady's mantle

turning the vessel 

as the shape takes form.

I must apologize as it must be dead set boring

 to read and see these roses again...

feel free to 

YAWN!

 I never tire of roses

(no surprise!)

apricot and chartreuse

a lovely marriage of colour

There were lots of comments on the flowers

but I really didn't notice

my focus was on the happy couple

both embarking on their dreams

of travel and a life of adventure 

on the doorstep of their future.

Best wishes J and S.

This quote speaks to me

(I hail from some hearty Irish potato famine survivors)

"May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand."

~ Irish Blessing ~

Nature's antibiotic...Hail to Kale Caesar recipe included.

Did you know that garlic is Nature's antibiotic?
It can keep those blood sucking vampires at bay too...
We grew a crop this year and Mr. HB has harvested the crop and braided it for storage and easy access...

hung up to dry by the sink

I think it looks quite arty

perhaps even Italian

The simple Caesar salad recipe follows

substitute kale for the romaine.

Wash and spin dry a bunch of kale

remove the tough ribs and tear into bite size pieces

place in a salad bowl.

Our fundraising cookbook from 1992

I was the Parent Advisory President that year and we were fundraising crazy back then...

chocolate sales, fruit by the box, chicken breasts, cards and giftwrap, hot dog days, the annual Spring Fair

and let's not forget those evenings in the smoke filled cage of the local casino counting out money!

We bought a computer lab with 30 brand new state of the art Mac's

and we gave each classroom teacher $150 a year for incidentals and paid for fun days and field trips

as well as special events for the entire school to enjoy.

Those were the good old days 

when our children were young and we had masses of energy and time to share.

My cookbook is falling apart 

the kids have grown up and flown the nest.

It's just us and the cats now...

It's a wonder that I even get a blog post written...

someone is very sleepy...

I am so smitten with Chester

he is just a bundle of loveliness!

I have permission from our son Stewart to share an image that he took of their one and only garden rose...

and it's a stunner.

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

a song from one of my favourite all time movies...

have a listen and walk down memory lane with me.

Mr. HB and Mother are both down with a nasty cough and cold.

Apparently it is making the rounds and many people are home 

sidelined with boxes of tissues and cough syrup.

Nin Jiom 

is on the job in both our households...

Personally I think there is a better time to get a cold

that would be winter

no one likes to be sick come summer...

I do hope Mother rallies as we are planning to zip off to Seattle in July for some fun, food and shopping.

Hooray it's my last week of work until September!

I am delighted...

Hugs, health, and Happiness.

(and a Happy Birthday shout out to Natalie!)

XO