Entertaining grape...a new dress.

I have pushed my fashion envelope and I purchased a dress in something other than black.
Are you shocked?
The LGD has arrived on the scene...
little grape dress by Gilmour, a line made in Vancouver, BC.
The fabric is a dreamy sensuous bamboo and it drapes and skims and twirls as I spin.
Honestly it feels like I am wearing yoga gear.

I am pairing this with some black Hue capri length tights

and will wear it with sandals and perhaps the Swarovski encrusted flip flops.

Lucy Bleu

 I need to find a new OPI to wear on my toes 

maybe there's a shade of purple 

now that does sound like fun!

BLING!

It has no hanger appeal

I very nearly passed it up.

A little voice in my head said why not be adventurous and try it on?

I'm going to be wearing this in Seattle.

I gave myself a manicure and tried a faux French nail...

OPI Hearts and Tarts

 I ran a white nail pencil by Sally Hansen under the nails

bright ~ shiny

simple.

~ I think I am going to take Pondside's advice and try something new ~

Have you tried anything new lately?

OOTD or what I wore on date night.

It's date night here in The Humble Bungalow and this is my OOTD.

I took a beading course at a local shop and this necklace was the first thing I made.

Pearls and Labradorite.

I have made a few things since but I'd need a refresher course if I were to take it up again.

Land's End layering tank

Aerie wisp of a cardigan

metallic crinkle skirt in pewter by Spanner

Sofft shoes

I gave myself a home spa treatment ~ a manicure. pedicure and facial.

I surprised myself by actioning the pedicure

with

less mid section to get in the way

I was able to bend over without huffing and puffing!

Look at those eyebrows people.

There are no longer a flimsy excuse.

Gosh little things really do excite me!

~  ~  ~

We ate some delicious high calorie Thai food and then went for a walk
before going to see Bill Maher at the Royal Theatre.
Mr.HB and our friend Julie, of catering fame, are fans.
I was a tag~a~long.

I love the ornate details of this heritage theatre.

The event was SOLD OUT and the audience a mix of the elderly, boomers and the younger generation.
Bill's focus is on American politics and religion and he's irreverent and rude.
Any excuse for a date with my mate.
Gotta keep the love alive and dating is such a great way to focus on a relationship.

If you haven't taken your spouse out in awhile start planning a date...
you'll be surprised how it rekindles long lost feelings especially if you have neglected this part of your marriage.

I think a picnic on a beach or in a park is a great place to start...

What would be your dream date?

Wednesday meet up found me wearing black!

I met up with Sheila who writes the blog Ephemera and Peg from Comox for dinner.
Sheila will be posting a picture of the three of us on her blog sometime soon.
We enjoyed a glass of wine and a salad.
Three women three different wines, all chose the Tuna Tataki spinach salad!
Conversation was brisk between bites.

Peg is going through treatment for cancer and has a very positive attitude.
Wearing a pixie cut and looking radiant in her soft mauve she looked beautiful.

She's taking time to see the sights in our fair city while she stays at the local lodge,
then she goes home to her husband, home and garden on the weekends.

Sheila is a fun fashion blogger and if you have never visited her blog...run over and pay her a visit.
She has a flair for fashion and an eye for quality and shops regularly at consignment and thrift shops.

I wore a black and white patterned dress and a black unconstructed sweater...

vintage bakelite clamper bracelet

heavily carved

necklace worn as a bracelet

in place of my usual stack of sterling bangles

red velvet made the date

Earlier in the day I went with a friend to the floral wholesale market

the prices are lower than retail and the selection was impressive.

We were looking for the wedding flowers for my BFF's niece

the wedding will be held in the fabulous garden of my BFF.

There will be 5 of us arranging flowers the day before the big event.

I've done this several times over the past few years and it's so much fun.

While there I decided to treat myself to a new orchid...

Weller jardinere 

Price for this 2 stemmed orchid 

a mere $25

I'd be paying almost double for this at the Avenue flower shop.

The sun is shining and the garden is abuzz with bees as they flitter about from bloom to bloom.

It's a great day to be outside in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

Take some time to pause and reflect 

and consider all that you have to be grateful for in your life.

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!