Lilacs and lily of the valley....sweet scent~sations.

Springtime is one of my favourite seasons.
Fresh air, milder days and longer daylight hours.

Blooms
intoxicating scents
blosssoms
lilacs and lily of the valley...

loving white blooms as I do I cannot resist picking a handful.

Fortunately I can open the door and venture a few feet along the gravel path and snip off some lilac blooms.
Picking the lily of the valley simply requires that you pull straight up and firmly and they come up clean.

I cut into the woody lilac stems to help them soak up water...

longer lasting ~ less wilting

heady fragrance.

Pretty too, do you agree?

sweet little blooms

"lily of the valley" 

sounds like a humble country plant 

"muguet de bois"

 feels ever so much more elegant!

What's a name 

when they are such a perfect posy...

I think that white always makes a statement 

subtle yet stunning

~ ~ ~

simply elegant.

If pearls were flowers 

they might be muguet de bois...

Pearls are sublime...

I love the creamy lustre that they radiate.

and they go with everything...

jeans 

a LBD 

cashmere sweaters

silk nightgowns

linen

wool

cotton

fur

Take care not to let them come in contact with perfume or cologne

which strips the nacre of the pearls 

and to my knowledge nothing can be done to repair them after that.

Have your pearls hand knotted between each bead and have them restrung them every few years.

Do you know how to tell if pearls are real?

  you gently rub a pearl on your tooth and if it is natural it will feel gritty

Chester tried testing this strand...

rather a cheeky little move don't you think?

When our children were babies Mother wore her baroque strand of opera length pearls

and she let them chew on them.

She did draw the line when they tried to tug at them though!

Are you wearing pearls with what you have on today?

Do drop me a comment if you have time I'd love to hear from you.

Mother's Day Tea...snapshots.

Darling daughter hosted a delightful Mother's Day Tea for my Mother, myself and sister L.
It would be remiss of me not to share the photos...
J went to a lot of trouble to make our afternoon a special one.

Considering how busy she has been with her job and all the packing and unpacking it was quite the feat, very endearing, and most appreciated.

Hans Olsen table

Finnish glassware

Rice Pattern Arabia china

vintage Mod linens

Danish cutlery

Vintage Modernist table setting

Lily of the Valley

in a gorgeous white porcelain vase

I cannot remember if this is Thomas or a Rosenthal.

Silk Road Tea was served...

Abkhazi Garden blend which is delicious!

Assorted tea sandwiches and fruit salad.

Mother's house warming gift...

bendy "branches" that have wee lights.

Rather a departure from her usual floral offerings.

Definitely a popular choice judging by lovely daughter's reaction!

It's so exciting watching J set up her new home

and sitting outside on her deck was surprisingly quiet when you consider that she is smack dab in the middle of the downtown hustle and bustle.

Hope that your week is off to a great start!

OOTD ~ May 12

My OOTD has been seen here recently and I like the pairing so I have worn it again.
Like that French girl I am accessorizing it differently but the core garments are the same.

Jones NY top

RW ponte knit leggings

Adriana lace camisole

Pepper is not camera shy!

 lacy details that say "peek a boo!"

salt and pepper 

tinsel

the grey is here to stay

this is my natural colour now

all the dyed locks have been shorn

I find this charm a bit funny

if lost return to Tiffany and Co.

(as if!)

The closest Tiffany is in Vancouver 

 if someone found me lost ~ suffering with amnesia 

I doubt very much they would take me there!

My wardrobe is very small which is good in so many ways

I can get dressed very quickly and most things work together.

Mix and Match makes it look like more than it really is

and 

WHEN I lose some of this weight 

(note the positive slant)

replacing a few staples will not be an onerous task.

~ ~ ~

My sister, Mother, and I enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea at darling daughter's new loft.

We visited The Silk Road Tea Company sampled some teas

then ventured down the street to The Fantan Gallery in Chinatown 

we patted the two sleepy resident cats...

peered into the postage stamp sized garden in back 

Mother bought a house warming gift for darling daughter and I picked up some new placemats and napkins.

Chester checked them out...

Pepper was not too interested...

I went for my walk even though it was foggy and rainy...

plus I cooked a WW points friendly dinner.

I did indulge in a glass of white wine

after all it's Mother's Day.

How was your Mother's Day?

OOTD ~ Walking ~ Weight Watchers...

The Weight Watcher's meeting was informative and fun.
The Wednesday evening group are all women and quite funny and at times it bordered on hysterical.
Having a sense of humour is so imortant. Wouldn't you agree?
particularly when facing a new challenge...

There was a lot of information to assimilate and there is still a lot I need to learn about the program.
Day One found me tracking everything that have eaten and am wearing a pedometer to count my steps.

This is all so new (foreign) to me but a gal can change...
and it feel like the right time to embark on something new.

Some of you suggested that I wait for retirement to start this regime but I feel keen so why wait?

Vera Wang boyfriend jeans

Born shoes

Royal Robbins fleece jacket

My route is along the seafront

the views are never dull.

It's a brisk walk which takes me about 50 minutes.

Falling into bed after a brisk walk and sleeping soundly is a bonus 

and one that I approve and appreciate.

 While on WW 

exercise is encouraged if not expected

to maximize one's success.

So it's great that I love to walk.

I am eating mostly fruits and vegetables with portions of lean protein.

Modest snacks between meals and lots of water.

My tummy has been rumbling today but I have not felt like I am starving or that I am being deprived.

Not a lot of fats are encouraged but there are no real restrictions 

except one is to meant to keep within a set number of points each day.

Points that are established by your age, height and current weight 

with an eye to losing 10% of your current weight to start.

Each week we meet and weigh in...

there is a lecture and dialogue is encouraged

support comes from the participants as well as the leader.

So enough about WW...

our vintage wicker chair just got more comfortable

it's a chair that gives me pins and needles in my legs if I sit in it for more than a few minutes

IKEA chair cushion

a perfect pairing

comfort at last!

Have you had a good week?

What is on the calendar for your upcomng weekend?

Are you celebrating Mother's Day or are you being celebrated?

Best wishes to all you Moms out there!

Have a fabulous weekend.

Out and about among the plants...

The Humble Bungalow Garden is coming to life again after it's winter slumber...
glancing around at the blooms in the Spring sunshine is such an uplifting experience.

Growing things feeds my soul...
there's something so cheerful about a window box filled with colour
or a smattering of colour in an otherwise plain bed.

Drought tolerant grasses have their place in the garden too.

They add variations of colours and texture

many smaller grasses are very reasonably priced.

My favourite is the Black Mondo grass which is still quite expensive...

frugal gardener's love a free snip here or there.

When it comes to something new and rather unusual we keep these plants until they are well established before dividing them and popping them into other areas in our own garden...

and then we can share them.

Mondo grass is one of these plants

 as is the newest black hellebore!

I love the shade of this euphorbia

 I put up with it's habit to procreate willy nilly

 because it is so pretty.

The sap can burn your skin so do be cautious when you are cutting the stalks.

It makes a lovely filler in a bouquet but the water can be milky from the sap so you may want to use a coloured vase instead of a vase of clear crystal.

Lady's Mantle is another great plant to grow as a filler for bouquets.

It is hardy and re-seeds everywhere so beware...

don't say that I did not warn you!

if you are diligent you can pull the babies up and give them away or toss them on the compost pile.

The flowers are frothy and a heavenly shade of chartreuse green!

a variegated euphorbia 

this was a gallon size only two years ago and it is thriving

I am pulling up lots of seedlings and have given lots to my sister

who has a home in the Highlands area.

I don't think the deer like these plants.

For her sake I hope that's true as she has a regular crew of deer cruising through her acreage!

A beast of a euphorbia

bulky and vast

fills in nicely...

The Humble Bungalow is under seige.

A roofing crew are on site and there's a vast bin in the drive almost full of cedar shakes...

the house was shaking and it felt like the men were walking on the ceiling

then at 4 o'clock when they quit for the day 

I sighed and put the kettle on.

 I do love peace and quiet.

(and so do the cats)

How is your week going so far?