Flower Power

There is an amazing tonic to brighten up our gloomy rain days...
Today I am harnessing Flower Power!

a wee daisy does the trick

cheery daffodils

sweet scented clematis

a pure white camellia

I have been immersed in reading an inspiring book 

on the remaking of one of Britain's largest privately owned gardens.

It was a huge undertaking, which sounds quite daunting, the results are stunning.

Roy Strong was the garden writer for Country Life magazine for many years.

He has several other books most notably "A Country Life"

euphorbia

I love this chartreuse shade of the flowers

another beautiful euphorbia

a broody kind of day for walking

heavy cloud cover

no wind

more rain in the forecast

 the yellow lichen looks pretty today

I don't know if these flowers brightened your day but they are certainly helping me stay positive 

under this torrential down pour.

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them. "

~ Henri Matisse ~

"Be Well and Be Kind"

 ~ Hostess ~

Beauty and the Brow

It is International Woman's Day!

Today I am focusing on Beauty...
which truly is in the eye of the beholder.

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."
                               ~ Khalil Gibran ~

The focus of today's post is the brow...

Personally I feel that make up should be used with a light touch to look like you, only better!
My routine is simple and quick and I prefer the "no make up look."

You may ask why do I bother?
In a nutshell, it makes me feel better about myself.

Powder foundation, a quick sweep of eye shadow, followed by mascara all by Jane Iredale.
Followed by light dusting with Bobbi Brown Bronzer to highlight my cheekbones.
This can all be done in about 5 minutes or less.

BTW ~ I no longer use a lash curler as I noticed too many of the lashes were falling out.

My eyebrows are thinner due to a thyroid condition and I have quite a few white hairs now
which makes them almost disappear.

Professional tinting at the Spa lasts about 6 weeks which covers the white and grey hairs.
Unfortunately no amount of dye will give the illusion of fullness and for that
I went to Sephora.

Bobbi Brown makes a brow pencil which is easy to use.

The soft formula allows for precise filling in of the areas that need a little fullness and definition.

It comes with a sharpener which is convenient to keep the tip sharp making it much easier to apply.

I also picked up my birthday bonus gift.

Marc Jacobs eye liner and a small lipstick.

I use an old mascara wand to brush my brows before applying Maybelline Brow Drama.

The brow drama is tinted and has a gel which keeps brows in place

then I use the Bobbi Brown brow pencil to fill in any gaps.

I do not tweeze my brows.

I use a small pair of scissors to clip any hairs that grow too long and to maintain their shape.

You can have this done at the Spa if you so desire.

The results of just these 3 products are quite dramatic...

brows "frame" the face.

If you have ever seen anyone who has shaved off their brows you will understand what I mean.

Have you noticed women that are wearing "too much" make up?

I wonder if they are trying to hide their age, ashamed perhaps that they are not youthful.

Too much make up can them look even older...

lighter formulas used sparingly are far more flattering.

Be comfortable in your own skin

rejoice 

you are a woman of a certain age

there is no shame in that

hold your head high

walk with confidence

embrace your years

you have earned respect

and you have wisdom.

Focus on healthy eating, drink lots of water, maintain a good skincare regime.

If your budget allows for it have a professional facial every month or so...

and please remember to SMILE!

A smile perks up the corners of the mouth and lightens up the face.

Celebrate being a woman today!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD ~ Not a Birthday Suit!

March 3rd came and went in a flash...
the birthday celebrations started a few days before and are continuing well into the weekend.

~ Tea and nail polish two routines that I now view as rituals. ~

At 61 years of age I have lived long enough to know what I "need" to be happy.

often it is "not doing" 

but resting 

or

 taking "time out" for scenic walks that makes the biggest difference.

Shutting out the "should"  messages and exploring the "could" messages is also incredibly powerful. Freeing up time for personal hobbies and enriching activities makes me feel so much contentment.

Embracing the attitude of gratitude made the most significant change in my life.

It sounds like a little thing because it is relatively easy

and 

 it alters the perception of everything in such a positive way.

I have learned a lot about life during these past decades

my body is not as young or toned as it used to be

there are aches and pains

there is wisdom

inside

outside there are the signs of aging

"laugh lines" sound so much better than "wrinkles"

this arts and crafts oak table shows signs of wear and it is circa 1912

much older than I am 

we are not refinishing it or giving it a "face lift"

this table has a history

it's imperfections are indicative of it's age

I like to think that is true about women as we age...

many stories

history

our faces reflecting life, love, and laughter over time.

My Mother, sister and I walked along the Esplanade at Willows Beach before dining at the Snug in the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.

The light was quite luminous after the rain.

Friends joined us for a casual delicious sushi dinner at The Oak Bay Marina.

Three tasty truffles were shared 6 ways!

Mr. HB gave me a silver bangle to add to my collection.

This one is carved by a First Nations artisan, Alex Helin.

He was the youngest carver to work on the totem for The Commonwealth Games.

The carving on the bangle is in the hummingbird pattern which represents healing, joy and love.

Flowers arrived from dear friends who live in Vancouver and the south of France.

My favourite bouquets consist of white  and green flowers with a smattering of greenery.

OOTD

NYDJ skinny jeans

 Chaus printed tunic top

~ The good news is that I can rise my right arm high enough to take this picture ~

(physiotherapy, exercises and massage are paying off)

View from the change room...

I'm looking for new black ponte knit pants.

My current pair are 2 years old and I wear them twice a week at least so they are on their way out.

I tried on 3 pairs but they were not made of thick and sturdy fabric.

I want them to hold their shape and wear well.

The birthday celebrations will continue into the weekend.

What plans have you got for the weekend?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Flowers and a colourful Stew for a rainy day...

Yellow daffodils are bursting forth in The Humble Bungalow Garden.
The deer do not eat them so they bloom in the front yard unlike the poor tulips that have are being munched to the ground!

Daffodils look cheerful even after the rain...

there is something about yellow.

I love yellow slickers, boots and brollies.

Such a great tonic for the grey days of prolonged precipitation.

Yellow shouts "Happy."

Mauve-y blue flower with white stamens...so pretty.

I snapped this photo when we were at the nursery picking up our new bare root roses.

We ordered three white David Austen roses...

"Claire Austen" is reliable and fragrant.

A hardy rose.

They will be located in the back bed at the foot of the sun deck.

I am having the gardeners plant them and plant the bed with a formal boxwood hedge.

I have hired a company to come and help with our weeding and the heavy work.

 There is a lot of weeding and digging to do in our garden as we have not really had a harsh winter which keeps weeds and plants in a dormant state.

The mild weather means that the weeds have multiplied!

The physiotherapist in very impressed with my progress and he says he likes my "attitude."

He says that a positive approach is the best kind of medicine.

I am always a bit sore after he manipulates my shoulder 

so I need to keep reminding myself that no pain is no gain.

These sweet little pansies are so cute...

My walk earlier this week was in the down town area.

These are the lamp standards that line our city streets.

I wandered through the shops but did not find anything to buy.

Browsing the fashionable shops inspires me to be more creative with my clothes.

I love to sit at a cafe look out the window and watch the women walk by 

and see what they are wearing.

A very classy looking lady wearing an amazing wool coat walked by...

Her coat was very boxy and looked like it might have been vintage.

Circa 1950's style.

Her hair was cut in a long bob

she wore bright red lipstick on and carried a small lady like handbag on her wrist.

She was walking quite fast in black suede kitten heels.

I wondered about her...

I imagined that she might be a lawyer or a doctor.

The cut and style of her clothes was elegant and impeccable. 

~ ~ ~

I saw a Hermes scarf in the case at WIN on Pandora Street.

A charity shop!

I tried it on but the colours were not flattering so I left it...

someone is going to be a very happy shopper.

Fountain at The Bay Centre...

Chilly temperatures and grey gloomy skies...

beg for a warming meal.

I felt that we needed an injection of "Happy" so I chose a colourful Stew for dinner.

"Little Stew" 

is a staple here in The Humble Bungalow.

It is easy and you can use almost any vegetables that you have on hand.

Use a heavy dutch oven or enamel Le Crueset with a lid.

Saute 1 or 2 large onions chopped until soft.

Brown some meat...ground beef, chicken or turkey.

Add a tin of beef bouillon.

I use about a tablespoon of thyme, a wee bit of salt and pepper.

Add assorted veggies and simmer for several hours.

Serve with bread.

You can see how it looks after it has been simmering...

the flavours mingle and the liquid reduces.

Boy~oh~Boy

the Humble Bungalow kitchen smells wonderful!

What has your week been like?

I am celebrating my birthday this week and have been wined and dined and will be back to tell you more.

Be Well and Be Kind

Monday Jewels...

Welcome to my blog...
I hope that you will continue to pop by and catch up.

Life has been busy and full and I am feeling immense gratitude these days...

The latest posts have been smaller and while I do apologize, my inability to sit and type for very long due to the shoulder issue have necessitated that I keep my time at the computer short.

But let's get on with it and put aside any whining and complaining!
The Spring flowers are working their magic...

This is one stunning Hellebore!

I love the colour and those stamens are like little jewels.

Henry, our grandson, came over last week to spend a morning with Grammy.

We had a fun building with blocks, we coloured in our book, shaped things with Play Doh, ate a healthy snack and read books. 

Next time it will be Isla's turn and I plan to make cookies or cupcakes and we can decorate them together and she can take them with her when she goes home.

One on one time is a lovely way to connect with the grandchildren.

Essie Jag-u-are lasts about a week 

I wear my gloves when doing the house work and washing the dishes.

I bought French's ketchup and learned that Heinz pulled out of Canada and laid off all the employees.

French's stepped up and has started making ketchup as well as their classic mustard.

I like the idea of keeping Canadians working and buying local.

(you can read the story here)

My car was in the shop again...

this time not as a result of vandalism but wear and tear.

My 2001 Volvo Estate is a high maintenance gal.

I have to keep her running as I cannot afford a new car right now.

The comfort that this car offers suits me and I do love Volvo's for their safety features.

I have owned 2 Volvo's prior to this one and I would opt for another one in the future.

While the car was being serviced I went shopping...

I bought this beautiful rhinestone brooch for resale at Vanity Fair Antiques.

Darling daughter and I rent a shelf in a case where we sell a few things.

Mostly jewelry and a few other bits and bobs.

Scottish citrine Hallmarked silver pin

Glasgow 1956

If I can figure out how to launch an Etsy shop I might try my hand at selling online.

It is fun to go browsing for treasures and beautiful things.

These Mexican silver earrings are for my personal use.

Since I got my hair cropped I am wearing bigger earrings.

You can see the reflection of me taking this photograph!

I stopped for a healthy lunch at The Grindstone Cafe.

Their salads are tasty and they make a great tortilla soup.

So that's about all for now...

Hope your week is off to a great start.

Be Well and Be Kind.