OOTD on laundry day....and bloggers.

Our house guests have left and I am spending the morning doing laundry and generally tidying up.
It is a slow mo kind of day here in The Humble Bungalow.

I've had the kettle on several times to make tea.
Played with the cats as they got into the act of "helping" me change the bedding in the guest room.
I have a scratch on my ankle from Chester when he pounced out from under the bed to attack me.
It required antiseptic and a bandaid so as not to bleed all over the carpet.

The downstairs storage area is a catch all for donations and out of season items so I gave it a lick and a promise...
packed up 2 bags for the charity shops in the Volvo ready for the next time I am close to their donation bins.

Adrienne inspired me to pick some hydrangeas today after reading her blog post.

limelights 

whites

dabs of blue

looks like a flower within a flower

"The Secret Life of Flowers" 

sounds like a book title...

I'm wearing the white Talbots shirt that I saved from the donation bag at the last minute

I think it was a good decision because when Mr. HB came home he said

"you look nice."

these are fun freshwater pearls

 perfect for a home day when one wants to feel great 

while tending to the daily

"domestics"

 Keeping house is hard work and I think it's worth taking pride in...

materfamilias had some thoughts on "women of a certain age" showing what they wear 

and it got me thinking...

why do I do it when I have hardly any clothes that fit me now...

at WW today I weighed in and the scale showed I was down another 1.2 pounds

less than 4 pounds to go to reach my goal.

~ ~ ~

Pinched myself when I saw the recent post wedding image on Privilege

So delighted to see Lisa's wedding dress...

if it were not for her I would not be blogging.

Thank you again...

Congratulations!

 Best wishes for a lifetime of happiness.

~ ~ ~

Back to reality here in The Humble Bungalow.

Floors need to be swept, dishes need to be washed and life ticks on as the Westminster clock chimes.

"I make no secret of the fact that I would rather lie on a sofa than sweep beneath it. 

But you have to be efficient if you're going to be lazy."

 ~ Shirley Conran ~

About last weekend...OOTD and a milestone birthday.

Our weekend was jam packed with fun...
on Friday evening we had our BFF's over for a casual dinner.

I love the joy of sharing a simple meal with friends

entertaining that is comfortable and enjoyable for the Host and Hostess.

having the table set ahead of the arrival of the guests makes sense to me

I pour the water over the lemon wedges in the glasses to allow for the flavour of the lemon to infuse with the water

there is a full pitcher with lemons on the sideboard for refills

the roses are putting on a great showing this summer

it must be all the glorious sunshine

I tried a new recipe

which was very tasty

and easy to make.

Mr. HB grilled the steaks while I boiled up some baby new potatoes 

which I then topped with a blob of sweet butter, chopped mint leaves and a grinding of fresh pepper.

I served the steaks with sauteed mushrooms, steamed green beans and red pepper slices

The star of this meal was definitely the sauce...

cilantro was the main attraction

I harvested some rhubarb and actioned a crisp

served warm with some coconut Bliss

 these two flavours together are a match made in heaven

The next morning bright and early we drove up island

to look at a boat.

OOTD

deck shoes

(Vans)

Distressed boyfriend jeans

(Vera Wang)

Striped jacket

(Joes Fresh)

a smaller boat might be in our future

we thought we could stop boating 

but after a summer with no boat 

we realized that the sea is so much a part of our life and our history together

we have owned boats for the past 25 years and Mr. HB had a speedboat when we first met.

I was a guest on my BFF's family's boat when I first met Mr. HB

most of our friends are boaters...

in fact our BFF's recently downsized to a smaller boat 

and we were feeling rather sad that we would not be joining them as we get along so well.

Mr. HB has been on the ocean since he was a baby

and Mr. HB is celebrating his 60th birthday this week.

That's a lot of time spent messing about in boats!

(Happy Birthday Honey!)

we went out for lunch 

fabulous flower baskets line the railings

grilled pineapple ring

topped with warm butter lettuce

coconut prawns with mango salsa

yummy

Weight Watcher's Point friendly too...

later in the afternoon we had a ride on a small ferry

the ocean was rippled and a warm breeze was blowing

my fingers are crossed that we are back on the ocean soon

now it's time to sit and relax

and soak in the sun's rays

some are better than others at the art of relaxation

cats seem to be at home anywhere there is a soft surface

this new door mat has been adopted by Pepper!

Hope your week is off to a great start...

Demitasse...a local gem.

Demitasse is a local gem.
They serve delicious food...pizza, salads, sweets and fabulous coffee and tea. You can pop in for a quart of milk, a loaf of bread, stock up on some deli items or buy imported foods and condiments...and if that is not enough there is a gardener's dream just outside where one can peruse the plants from a bench or a table as one sips a coffee.
The plants are displayed with an artistic eye...mixing textures and colours to show off their beauty.

I rarely leave empty handed!

So come along with me as I snapped some pictures this week and see if you agree...

the pot is made by a local craftsman

I love the effect of the ribbing and the colour together with these plants

wall plantings are popping up all over town and I love how these add interest

siiting here in the sunshine is so relaxing

I enjoyed a cup of tea and a spinach salad with beets and orange segments

Hardy hibiscus...

I chatted with a woman who related the story of how her friend had planted one in the garden that took two seasons before it came into flower

 only one bloom

and she gave it to this woman who was her friend and had recently lost her husband

I felt an immediate kinship with this gardener

who BTW bought this plant for her own garden.

my love of limelight hydrangeas never wanes

lovely colours and textures in this pot!

looking north at all the plants as we weave our way to the back of the nursery

they carry a stock of unusual specimens

I covet this concrete pot

frilly and frothy 

Demitasse offers a huge collection of great plants to tempt the gardener

the thing is that I could use a little help with restraint!

again that great appealing combination of white and green

more limelights

be still my beating heart!

who doesn't love a topiary?

I hope my Flax grows this tall

Hmm I do like this...

I bought a spikey grass that has mauve flowers 

which is currently on the front porch

as I have yet to find a place in The Humble Bungalow Garden

to plant it!

Please go and visit Demitasse if you find yourself in Oak Bay

you'll be rewarded with stunning visuals and a healthy and tasty experience.

Be Well

Hostess

My recipe for relaxation...

I don't know how you handle stress and fatigue.
Some people swear by aerobic exercise and others like myself want to cuddle up, keep warm and cocoon.

Having gone through many stressful patches in my life I feel that I can offer some advice...
well maybe not advice, just what has worked for me personally.

A wise woman told me that she turns off the TV, lights a scented candle and goes to bed early after a warm soak in the tub, with a mug of tea, a chocolate bar and a stack of magazines!

Doesn't this sound delicious?

I find a soak in the tub so restorative.
There is something so soothing about lying in the hot water eyes closed with negative thoughts floating away
as the scent and softness of bath salts work their magic.

I have a recipe that I love to make that I want to share with you...
because I believe that women need to stick together in times of trouble.
(and in times of peace, let's be honest we need to embrace our friendships and support each other in this world)

Behold the salts!

White fluffy towels are a luxe staple here in The Humble Bungalow.

My "soaker tub" a deep claw foot that I can recline in...

I love geranium, clary sage, neroli and rose blended together.

It is Bliss in a jar!

I do not own a bed jacket like my Mother had when I was growing up...

(her's was quilted pink satin and I thought it was so elegant)

so this striped terry top works well

(Joe Fresh)

it keeps me warm while I sit up in bed perusing the magazines and sipping my tea...

which at night is decaf and you'll have to trust me there are no chocolates in sight!

While I do love a good quality chocolate I much prefer potatoes!

It must be my Irish background...

seriously if I need comfort food I make potatoes.

In a heavy pan like my Le Crueuset

saute in a wee bit of butter

sliced onions, a few pieces of leftover carrots and potatoes quartered.

Cook over medium heat until hot.

Season with a fresh grating of pepper and a tiny bit of salt.

Enjoy!

BTW

I am not under any particular stress at the moment

I am aware that there are quite a few bloggers out there 

who are currently "under the weather" for various reasons.

If you have a few moments please share with us how you handle times of stress...

what do you do?

Have a fabulous weekend!