Two gals on the loose in South Granville, shopping and ethnic cuisine.

Cheryl met me at Cafe Artigiano on Robson Street for coffee bright and early Saturday morning.
The skies were blue and the sun was shining. We sipped a couple of coffees...an espresso for her, a decaf Americano pour moi. Their coffee is delicious and we snagged a table in the window a great place to people watch and a fun start our adventure.
Banana Republic across the street was having a big sale and Cheryl scored a few great pieces...black pants embossed with an aubergine floral pattern in what I think was cut velvet and a cozy black V neck angora and wool sweater.
Nothing for me although I did try a few things on...I really don't NEED anything.

We boarded a bus at Granville and crossed the bridge to the fabulous area of serious hostess style shopping...
Have you ever been to South Granville? It's a mecca of small boutiques punctuated with a few chain stores...Williams Sonoma, Restoration Hardware, L'Occitane, Chapters, Pottery Barn...well you get the idea.
Lots of variety and shops that we do not have here in sleepy old Victoria.

Lord's shoes!

It is a shop that has a huge array of fancy and different shoes.

If you ever are looking for shoes encrusted with crystals this is THE place!

Shoes for the girly girl in you.

Clothes, handbags, shoes, boots and accessories.

I looked but I did not find.

Hi there I'm having a bad hair day

(The blow dryer in the hotel was not up to snuff)

but who really cares?

Gosh I hope that I am not THAT self absorbed.

Snapping a "selfie" in the dressing room at Anthropologie.

Love their distressed walls.

Love the store and this could be trouble.

Where is my resolve?

I think the merchandising, displays and floor plan design are so very sexy and sumptuous.

How can they fail to sell us their wares?

I am smitten and wooed by it all ~"pure putty."

The bad news is there are two floors to browse!

Wish I was a better navigator!

I went willy nilly through the store...

So very tactile and with those scented candles and books juxtaposed with the clothes...well Hello Hostess!

 I am definitely in trouble!

Oh I almost forgot...

before we walked into Anthropologie we went into Eileen Fisher.

We do not have one in Victoria.

 I found a crisp white organic linen tank top.

I love it!

It fits so well and looks good.

The price point was a bit of a shock but I knew if I did not buy it I would regret it.

It's a desert island top.

One that I will wear until it is in tatters!

I am able to balance a splurge with those recent thrifty finds.

Mixing luxe with thrift makes total sense to me.

Am I justifying this purchase?

You bet!

Besides une femme recommends Eileen Fisher's clothing regularly and she always looks chic.

Cheryl and I perused the sales racks and tried on many garments.

we kept coming out to show each other how they looked and would give each other feedback and honest opinions.

This Tencel shirt came home with me.

I used to have a denim version of this shirt that I layered over white tank tops.

Wore it out and if memory serves me I had it for about 7 years.

This shirt can be dressed up or down.

I can wear it with pearls or my JCrew Venus Fly Trap necklace.

Shopping like we did until mid afternoon meant that we worked up an appetite.

Vij's restaurant is on my list of favourite spots to dine.

We go there as often as we can but they are not open for lunch so Cheryl and I did the next best thing...

Rangoli is their other restaurant conveniently located right next door.

It has a much more casual vibe and the food is exceptional!

Mosaic wall in Rangoli

Hostess's lunch

Cheryl's lunch

The pond outside with floating candles and apricot roses.

Lovely and unexpected...

thank you Vij!

In the afternoon we went for a refreshing walk along Spanish Banks.

The fog rolled in and blanketed the city in a cool mist that chilled us to the core.

Mr. HB and I went back to our hotel to get changed for dinner.

La Cigale French Bistro

Wonderful authentic French fare.

John and Cheryl go to France for several months each year so they are in the know!

Cheryl and I opted for French 75's as our aperitif, the men had martini's.

I chose beet salad with shaved Parmesan to start followed by grilled salmon on a bed of white beans.

I shared dessert with Mr. HB...rice pudding with caramel sauce.

(I usually do not like sweets but I loved this and the sauce elevated the simple pudding to gourmet status)

Sancerre wine from Chateau Sancerre rounded out the meal quite nicely.

That about wraps up our excitement and now I need to get serious about cleaning The Humble Bungalow.

There is also some laundry in the hamper and I doubt it will get washed by itself.

Take care and thanks for popping by...

Hostess

Weekend in the fog...OOTD

Southern Vancouver Island and Vancouver were blanketed in a thick cold fog for most of the weekend.
We sailed across the strait of Georgia aboard a BC Ferry to spend the weekend with our friends John and Cheryl. Cheryl was celebrating her birthday and the Boat Show was on at BC Place so we decided it was a perfect excuse for a getaway.
Fortunately there were some snippets of sunshine but it really didn't matter all that much as Cheryl and I set out to shop while the fellows perused the boats and all the related marine paraphernalia.

The ferry we were on passed a sister ship in Active Pass.

Here's the first indication that there would be fog...

after we left Active Pass it was as it someone turned the lights out!

Nothing could be seen out the windows until after we docked at the Tsawwassen terminal.

We arrived in downtown Vancouver to glorious sunshine!

The "views" or glimpses of the North shore from the 11th floor of The Blue Horizon Hotel.

Mitsouko's first weekend away from The Humble Bungalow.

The displays for Holt Renfrew...Chinese New Year.

Love those Ferragamo's.

Here's a bright handbag that would perk up a rainy day.

I'd never be able to navigate the streets with these killer heels.

Yes they are gorgeous.

I wore skinny jeans, polka dot socks, my Timberland booties and this French inspired Evan Picone top.

I dug the Georg Jensen pendant out of the recesses of my jewel box 

and decided to wear it as it seemed like a simpler accessory than pearls.

I wore my new men's wear scarf and brown Nygaard jacket.

Ralph Lauren gloves came in so handy with the chilly wet fog.

Robson Street is so pretty with all the white lights at night.

The Blue Horizon Hotel has affordable clean corner rooms with balconies and great views.

(If it is not shrouded in fog!)

I've got to close for now and prepare some dinner for Mr. HB and myself.

In case you were curious the cats were glad to see us return,

 but fear not, they were well taken care of (spoiled) by our house and cat sitter.

I'll write a follow up post in the next day or two and share some of the shopping and dining highlights.

Hi Ho Silver! Or goodness me I'm GREY!

Do you remember the theme song from the TV show The Lone Ranger?
I might be dating myself (but never mind) I watched it when I was a LOT younger!
Those were the good old days, the carefree days,  (the summer of my youth)
The memory of these ordinary details become more and more of a blur!
Which is surprising considering how instrumental they were in forming me into the person that I am today.

When I peered in the mirror I realized that there was a old lady's face staring back at me!
This woman has wrinkles (laugh lines) and grey hair...

Inside I don't feel like I am an older woman but I must be because I am a few years short of 60.
I am filled with questions...
Am I deluding myself and is my perception skewed?
Is it important that I come to terms with my mortality?
Do I need a reality check?
Does it keep me feeling younger by not accepting the label old woman?
When is a woman considered old?
Is it a number or is it attitude?
What do you think?

I think I'll stay "young at heart" and become an old woman when I am 80!
(maybe when I am 80 I'll move that number up to 90!)

Look at those greys...it's more than tinsel now...

50 shades of grey!

(in case you were curious I have not nor do I plan on reading the book)

"There is only one cure for gray hair. It was invented by a Frenchman. It is called the guillotine."

~ P. G. Wodehouse ~

Guess what?

I really love the greys.

Who knew that it would grow on me?

There is so much more freedom not having to cover it up.

(time and money saved)

I feel like I have reinvented myself.

I got to thinking about silver and foil and the tarnished patina of age.

It took me only a few seconds to find some shiny things around The Humble Bungalow.

Foil covering The Rich Life on a Budget Adrienne's mom's chicken casserole.

The recipe appears at the end of her post but don't rush to get there as she has some great weight loss tips.

There is some tarnish on the teapot and the tray.

Time for Twinkle!

I put fruit up on a pedestal.

Do you?

Wee vintage silver drinks tray.

It would be lovely on a bureau with scent bottles and pearls...

Tools of the trade for this domestic cook.

Cheap and cheerful glass beads.

I do not usually buy faux jewels but this strand glittered in the sunshine and I was sold.

Since my hair has gone silver I have been wearing more blacks and greys.

The addition of an icy crystal or silvery rhinestone necklace makes the hair pop a bit more.

Lipstick is essential when you have grey hair as it helps to light up the face.

I wear red more now than I did before I let my hair go grey.

Rather than hiding my age I am drawing attention to it.

I figure that I have earned the right to project that "older woman persona."

Perhaps I am projecting a new and honest self.

How do you feel about aging?

Are you joyfully embracing your golden years?

 Or are you hanging on tooth and nail to your youth?

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."

~ Audrey Hepburn ~

A Bit of this and a Bit of that....

This is a very abstract tangential post so fasten your seat belts and watch out for whip lash!

There's a lot of moss in our Humble Bungalow Garden this time of year.

It must be all the rain that we have been getting.

I'm so happy that this succulent has over wintered, so far so good.

Fingers crossed it stays alive.

Our wee patch of green.

The "lawn" is looking green and lush.

The compost has been spread and bulbs are popping their little heads up.

Spring might be coming early this year.

That straw mop is actually a grassy plant.

The boxwood in the concrete urn is such a performer.

I love boxwood and topiaries...

the black mondo grass is another favourite of mine.

Our Primula's are blooming already!

The snowdrops are about to put on a show...

A little shot of colour was in order today.

Cut Loose vest in chartreuse green worn over a black long sleeved Segments Merino tee.

I threw on the yellow and black print scarf by Saldarini.

Gap Boyfriend Jeans and Timberland Boots complete the OOTD.

Felt like wearing my Aunt Tirzah's fur coat today for warmth.

I love the softness.

It's really too bad that wearing vintage fur has such a stigma attached to it.

Honestly I would love to own and wear a vintage mink coat but would walk in fear of the bearers of red paint!

Teddy might have something to say on the subject...

if only he could talk.

I'm so glad that Le Creuset makes their pots in bright and cheery shades.

They make cooking much more of an event.

Lifting these pots helps keep my upper arms toned.

Love Hermes boxes...always a treat to receive one.

Fruit makes such a colourful and artistic display in the kitchen.

It's the official snack in The Humble Bungalow.

 I need to wear bright colours when I am feeling tired.

They lift my spirit.

Do you look to colour for a quick pick~me~up?

An instant mood booster are my red shoes!

Add some red lipstick and everything is brighter.

Sloughing off dead skin energizes me no end.

Can you imagine how soft this wee bunny feels?

It's little body is squishy and cuddly just perfect for snuggling.

When I see this little fellow in Isla's toy basket I often pick him up and give him a squeeze for good measure.

Here's Aunt Tirzah's coat 

I found this snapshot in the archives.

My break is over.

I must get back to the jobs at hand...

see you next time when I take a break from the elegance and glamour of domesticity!

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."

~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

Loot shoot ~ post # 962 ~ January 2014.

First of all I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all those who commented on the previous post.

I felt a wee bit vulnerable sharing something so very personal and my finger hovered over the publish button for a few minutes before deciding that I had the courage to share something that was at the time rather personal and painful.

It's not what my audience always wants to read but after all this blog is my space to say whatever is on my mind.

I waiver between the serious and the silly and often times things get muddied when I sit down to write.

I'll start out with an idea and things go sideways and I'm off on another tangent before the second sentence has been typed.

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and I hope that you know just how grateful I am for your comments and thoughts.

~ ~ ~

Mother and I had lunch at a little bistro in James Bay before taking her bags of clothes to the WIN Thrift Shop.
WIN is a wonderful shop ~ Women In Need helps women who are down on their luck get back on their feet.
I think it's a WIN WIN donating to this agency and the quality of their boutique stock is not a secret so you see some very well heeled gals shopping there.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile you may recall that Mother loves dressing up and she regularly buys clothes. It is a bit of an obsession with her but it's the nicest possible hobby for an elderly widow.
It gets out of her condo, satisfies her urge to keep up with fashion and browsing the shops keeps her moving.
I'm just so grateful that she still takes pride in her appearance.

I've been told that one of the early signs of dementia is when seniors lose interest in their personal hygiene and don't bother or take the effort to dress in clean clothes. My sister and I have noticed a few spots on her things which is worrisome but when we point it out to her she immediately changes her outfit. Personally I suspect it may  be her eyesight...that and the fact that she has dreadful lighting in her condo. There are only a few overhead lights and so with table and bridge lamps it makes for a dim view of things.

Mother keeps her things for a long time, so long that they come back into fashion long after they have gone out.
She's been observing my recent wardrobe closet de clutter and has decided that it is time to make more room in her closets.
So she phoned me up to suggest that we go together...plus the bags were large and cumbersome and I think she thought they might be too awkward for her on her own.

So after lunch we went in to drop the bags off and you might guess what happened.
We found some bargains!
Mother got two lovely blouses and I bought a wool and cashmere jacket and a cashmere sweater!

Fitted and flattering Nygaard wool and cashmere jacket.

I don't own a single jacket so this will fill a void.

It is short and will be paired with my jeans and trousers.

I could also wear it with my dressy short black skirt.

Brown would not be my first choice but the sumptuous fabric, fabulous fit and teeny price tag convinced me.

Raw silk scarf

turquoise and rust brown.

This can unite the blues of the jeans with the brown of the jacket.

Long and lean Lord and Taylor cashmere cardigan.

In grey so how could I refuse?

I'll be cozy and warm wearing this with my skinny jeans.

 I came home with a couple of great bargains that were completely unexpected.

Both fill in gaps in my current wardrobe so there is not even a twinge of guilt.

The best part of all is that these pieces were purchased for under $50.

My idea of FUN... 

Recycling with Benefits!

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is absolutely riveting...

I just love a book that I cannot put down.

(the subject matter is dark but the writing is superb)

What's on your bedside table?