Sea Ray...our Waterlust.

Mr. HB and I have been boatless for less than 2 months
and we have really missed summer not being on the water....
we've missed it so much that we started looking at boats for sale online.
Actually I started looking at boats online and I arranged to look at several smaller fibreglass power boats.
I like to think of them as "Go Fasts."
The first two that we looked at were tired and badly maintained which was such a disappointment as the ads stated that they were "immaculate" or "pristine."

Then we saw a gorgeous 27 foot Sea Ray Sun Dancer...she was and is a real beauty.
So we wasted no time in having her hauled out of the water, we had her surveyed and the mechanic gave her an inspection. We liked what the experts told us so we bought her and brought her home to the marina.

It's been a busy weekend cleaning and getting her ship shape and buying some new gear.
I'm tired and achy but very happy.

I've replaced the glasses above the microwave with clear acrylic stemware.

When a boat cruises at 20 -25 mph one doesn't want to have glasses flying about in the cabin!

Scotty manufactures marine products 

downriggers, safety equipment, and even these glasses!

Our friends, whose family own this company have grown up with us.

We have many wonderful memories of times spent cruising in the local waters...

Mr. HB and I introduced the president and his wife and they have been together and married for years.

(we have never dabbled in match making since as we think once is enough!) 

Acrylic "wine" glasses

short stemmed so they do not tip over as easily!

French press from Starbucks

two thermal stainless Starbucks mugs 

they keep the coffee hot longer and fit into the cup holders on the deck.

The dinette makes into a large bed

but we plan to sleep aft on the queen size bed

that way we can keep this made up as a table and the first one up makes coffee...

while the other lays in bed longer!

(thanks honey!)

I bought some large pillows to make sitting more comfortable...

we can have quite a few guests at the table.

I plan to keep marine blue as the theme.

I chose Tommy Hilfiger striped navy and white sheets and pillow slips

and the duvet cover is Tommy Hilfiger's preppy and crisp red white and blue.

Plenty of comfy seating out on the deck.

I have a few more basics to buy but storage is at a premium

so I am keeping it all the gear to a bare minimum

as we still need to bring food aboard!

I am so sleepy I'll need to close now

and get myself off to bed.

Sweet dreams...

( I hope you had a fun weekend!)

Busy weekend...

It's a busy busy weekend here in The Humble Bungalow!

I am taking a wee break to get some things done and hope to be back blogging next week.

Hostess

XO

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