Tigara ~ Part 2

Tigara is one of my favourite places to visit...not only is it home to my BFF but the gardens are pure magic.
Without further ado you will be able to witness more of our friends' glorious home and garden...

The weather was hot and sunny 

and fortunately a gentle breeze blew off the ocean.

The porch overlooks the garden and the ocean beyond.

Vintage wicker is the perfect furniture for this arts and crafts home.

My BFF sets a lovely table!

Fresh flowers are always in abundance and artfully arranged.

Appetizers 

The British AGA is at home here in the heart of the home.

Many delicious meals have been cooked in this kitchen.

My BFF's husband is a clever craftsman 

He designed and crafted this copper hood.

He's also the talent behind their company Waterglass Studios...

just look at all the wonderful period light fixtures in these images.

Alabaster beauty

The living room ia spacious and furnished with oak arts and crafts furnishings.

This bath serves the two bedrooms either side of the doors.

Another powder room is tucked away underneath the staircase in the front hall.

The dining room

A third guest room off the main hall.

I love this light

looks like she has serious matters on her mind besides holding the torch!

I spied this tote in the guest room and my BFF said it was a gift for me!

Thank you S.

The main entry way and stairs leading up to the vast bedroom suite above.

French 75's were the cocktail of the hour.

Delicious mix of bubbly, gin, and lemon.

The front porch which I am so passionate about...

Mr. HB did some fine design work here.

My BFF got her hands on my IPhone and snapped this one of me...

barefoot

just wish I was a barefoot contessa!

Looking west to their neighbour's home across the croquet lawn.

The heritage Tea House.

Cooper their Welsh Terrior

which my BFF refers to affectionately as the Welsh Terrorist.

He is picking up on the scent of the resident native bunny...

who apparently lives under the ground in a burrow in this perennial border.

The garage and a shed with a patio seating area in front

this is where one of the BBQ's are located!

Vintage lighting in the Tea House!

Looking toward the shed and patio.

Toward the house.

Mr. HB relaxing in the cool of the Tea House

while he and my BFF's husband took a break from BBQing the lamb.

I hope that you have enjoyed this tour....

Tigara really is a magical place to visit.

An even better place to be invited to dine or pop by for a drink!

The hospitality is amazing as is the warmth of good friends and shared experiences 

It is the kind of thing that one finds only once in a lifetime.

Rather like Tigara...

Thank you to S and P for sharing your special home.

OOTD ~ French Style...

This outfit is comfortable and casual and for some reason makes me feel more energetic.

Banana Republic Striped Breton Tunic Top

I am working (walking) on whittling away the hip and tummy areas.

Bangles that jangle...

Hermes scarf

that adds a hint of French flair.

I think that I will be dressing more casually in my retirement...

I am hoping to have more time to go thrift shopping too!

Thrift shopping is like a treasure hunt

as one never knows what gems are lurking in the racks.

It will be fun to find some new pieces...

perhaps it will become a regular blog post 

"what I thrifted"

Have a lovely day...

The very first day of retirement...

Day  One
and a recap of the events yesterday.

I am officially retired as of today!
It's been a couple of months short of 25 years with the school district.

Packing up and saying goodbye to my colleagues was difficult...
but I am THRILLED to be able to start a new chapter.

Last day of work OOTD

I wore this soft white and grey hued Hermes scarf 

 my grey Lands End cashmere cardigan 

 Gap 1969 boyfriend jeans and black Mee Too ballet flats.

I got a chuckle when I noticed that Chester had posed in the photo...

if you have been reading my blog for awhile you might remember that he hopped into the dryer 

when my back was turned and rode out a couple of spins when I turned the dryer on...

the noise and thumps were so loud I thought something was wrong with the brand new dryer

boy was he ever lucky!

I think that was one of his nine lives used up

Our BFF's met up with us last night and we went out on the town!

I used my my WW weekly Point Allowance and enjoyed a burger with yam fries...no bun!

The Bard and the Banker Pub

We arrived early as there was a special event...

The Royal Canadian Scottish Regiment

pipe and drum band were playing outside the entrance

to a crowd of tourists and locals.

Aren't these stunning?

Waterglass Studios designed and created all the light fixtures

Intricate details and period lamps 

 historic architecture 

all blend together to create a warm ambiance.

loved these white foxtail blooms

set inside tall crystal cylinders

I am a fan of bevelled glass

this section of the pub is quite cozy and private.

This morning

I ran several errands

shopped for groceries

 did some laundry and ironing.

I headed out to French Vanilla for the latest edition of Jeanne d'Arc Living

 when I was browsing the shop I found some gorgeous linen tea towels!

Sheila has such a flair for all things French

her shop is a treat to visit.

These are thick and plush and feel soft at the same time.

I adore linen towels...

It is lovely and hot outside.

The weekend weather forecast is favourable...

HOT and SUNNY!

Canada Day is being celebrated on July 1st...

there will be musical events and fireworks.

I hope you will be able to follow my Humble Bungalow Blog when Google Reader is disabled July 1st.

It should be an easy transition if you opt for Bloglovin

or you can follow me by email

or simply type in

www.hostessofthehumblebungalow.blogspot.com

into a search engine window and you should be able to keep in touch.

Thank you for popping by!

Simple scarf ~ Stuffed eggs ~ and an Orchid

Warning!
This post is not an upbeat one so you may want to click away...

It's been one of those weeks...
without getting into too much detail
work has been very tedious
so much so that it has reaffirmed my decision to retire!

On a cold grey and rainy day this week I wore all black...
RW and Co. black leggings (in their 3rd year and they still look great)
a Gilmour tunic top that swamps me a bit
and my Echo summer weight scarf.

~ So simple ~

take a rectangular long scarf

wrap it around your neck with the ends at the back

bring them around to the front and loop them loosely over the front of the scarf

one side gets looped a second time so the ends are at different lengths.

How easy is that?

I loosen it so that it sits lower rather than higher

in the summer when it is not chilly I do not like my neck to be warm.

I made my stuffed eggs with low fat mayonnaise.

(WW Point count friendly = savings of 2 points per tablespoon)

I use curry powder, pepper, a spoonful of green relish, a dash of worchestershire sauce 

 mix with the cooked yolks

stuff the eggs and top with chives or parsley.

The egg dish has a large center and I am always trying to figure out a way of making it look pretty.

This time I laid down a bed of greens and put some fresh radishes on top.

Appies in a flash and this one is a frugal favourite.

I felt drained when I left work today

I have a scratchy throat

and am feeling sick

and it was WW weigh in day...

I am down .8 of a pound

for a total of 12.2 pounds lost since I started....

I knew that tonight I was feeling weak and oh so vulnerable...

I needed to go grocery shopping

I remained strong and did not succumb to chips or chocolates

instead I bought this...

an orchid

So pretty...

I do hope that your work week has been better than mine...

and if you stayed here and read my sad sack post

I promise that I will rally and rise up again and deliver better chit chat soon!

~ ~ ~

"This Too Shall Pass."

Salad daze...and Google Reader's demise.

Summertime is the season for freshly grown local produce...

the local markets are a riot of colour with freshly harvested vegetables on display.
I love looking at the baskets filled with bright red tomatoes and sunny yellow peppers
sprigs of green onions and ruffly heads of lettuce.

Simple glass jugs filled with country style flowers
and rubbing elbows with shoppers eager to get the pick of the crop

my eyes always wander to the market baskets that shoppers carry
looking to see what they have purchased and what I might have missed if I had been ther first!

"The early bird gets the worm."

Salads play a big part of our dinners from Spring until Fall.

Romaine lettuce is one of my favourites....
I dearly love a Caesar salad.

Since joining WW I have been unable to indulge in the rich and creamy clad romaine of my dreams...
way too many Points for all that dressing!
So I decided to compromise and create a lighter version that would allow me to still enjoy my favourite salad.

My new GE stove came with a griddle 

which is quite handy especially when one wants to grill something...

grilling lettuce elevates the flavour

it wilts a bit and has a delicious nutty flavour

I drizzled a wee bit of bottled low fat Caesar dressing on the warm romaine

(skipped the cheese and croutons)

enjoyed a small piece of chicken breast

which I marinated in a chipotle dressing

and some rice

A tasty dinner ~ Point Friendly

 after dinner I cleaned up the kitchen and headed outdoors in the sunshine for a walk.

The ocean was calm and flat like a mill pond...

a glorious evening scene.

 couples were sharing picnics on the beach

I noticed a bottle of wine and did not want to intrude on their moment

perhaps there was a proposal in the works

the mind does wander...

someone else was enjoying the calm sea on a lovely evening 

paddling has become a very popular sport here

apparently it is really good for the core muscles

and your balance improves.

The ocean is extremely cold in these parts so you do not want to fall in

this brave soul was wearing a swimsuit and looked dry!

I didn't walk as briskly as I usually do on my route

I soaked in all the beauty and stopped to take a few pictures and enjoy the views.

The Walk Meter App recorded the stats...

and I managed to walk 3.10 km in 43 minutes and burned 424 calories.

I love this APP!

~ ~ ~

I'd like to remind you that at the end of June Google Reader will cease to exist and any blogs that you might be following

including mine

will need to be followed by another method...

subscribe by email

or join Bloglovin like I did

I have found it so easy to transfer all the blogs to their site

I hope that you will continue to follow me on my path

the new chapter is about to begin...

Hope that your week is off to a great start.