Mid February and it's Friday...

Life has been a bit of a roller coaster this week 

and there's more on the way so I am going to fasten my seat belt and try to navigate the days ahead with grace.

Carnations for Mom who has recently been diagnosed with cancer.

Our views have been rather sterile...

I am grateful for family and friends...

Whose love and support sustain us during tough times. 

Looking for the beauty in my daily round has never been more important.

It helps me put things in perspective...

The guest room and a wee antique Herend vessel.

Chester is up to his usual tricks.

Oak tree bark in Oak Bay

Acorn sculpture in the Oak Bay municipal yard.

The view from here...

Humble Bungalow dining room.

Roycroft hand hammered arts and crafts candlesticks

melted beeswax candles.

I love the scent of beeswax candles when they are burning.

I'll be posting snippets when I have the time 

 my time and energy 

right now is focused on Mom.

I may not have the time to respond to comments but be assured that I will read them all.

Thank you again for you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Valentines Hearts...

Good morning from The Humble Bungalow.
It is Valentine's Day today so I am sharing a few hearts with you today...
and a message of love.

Chocolate hearts 

Paris

"All you need is love.
But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt."

~  Charles M. Schulz ~

"The most important thing in the world is family and love."

~ John Wooden ~

"Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses." 

~Ann Landers ~

I am sniffling today with a head cold so I plan on drinking loads of fluids.

Happy Valentines Day to my husband...

"in sickness and in health"

I remember our pledge on that wedding day back in 1974.

We've come a long way since that day and I love you more now than I did back then.

Happy Valentines Day

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other."

~ Audrey Hepburn ~

I'll be taking a few days off while I am sick

will be back soon.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

NYDJ

Since many of you have shown interest in my thoughts on a smallish wardrobe

I am continuing on the theme with jeans today...

Many office workers will wear jeans on Casual Fridays 

so I thought today would be a good day to share this post..

Retirement 

changed my focus on dressing 

to a much more relaxed and casual style.

This lifestyle revolves around activities and pursuits that I enjoy

time is spent with family and friends...

nothing too fussy or fancy

for

live theatre

bridge

french lessons

walks

the gym

home keeping

lunches

fundraisers

grocery shopping

cooking

(image from the archives)

Clothes that are well made, fit and flatter are worth their weight in gold...

Jeans are a basic in my wardrobe and I have tried many different brands over the years. In the past I have worn Levis, GAP, French Connection, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, g21 from Walmart.
The cost of all of these jeans has been modest, well under $80...some sourced at the thrift shop for under $10.

I really like the brand NYDJ they are made in the USA which makes them "guilt free" fashion.
The jeans wear well and last a long time so I use the CPW (cost per wearing) factor to justify the expense. NYDJ rarely go on sale here in town, and the prices are around $150 - $200 which definitely puts them in the category that I consider  "investment clothes." I save up for these jeans and because my wardrobe is small they play a big role in my casual retirement dressing.

Writing down and tracking every clothing purchase with the brand details has become a habit since I lost 30 pounds and had to rebuild my wardrobe.
The notes in my book have shown me which clothes wear better than others and I am able to avoid costly mistakes in the future.

I wash the jeans on the gentle cycle, turned inside out and then hang them to dry.
The styles are flattering, look smart and are slimming.

NYDJ are also available in Petite lengths which I love, because I feel jeans that have been hemmed never look quite the same as those fresh from the factory.

NYDJ

Boyfriend, straight leg and skinny

The skinny and the straight legged jeans are over 2 years old and the boyfriends were purchased last year on a trip to Vancouver.

Stay tuned for another post on clothing items 

in my basic wardrobe.

Do you wear jeans?

How many pairs do you have in your closet?

At one time I think darling daughter had over 20 pairs...

the most that I have ever had at one time would be  4 or 5 pair.

What brand(s) of jeans do you like and how do you feel about the cost?

Hope you have a lovely weekend 

thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

White Wednesday ~ a fluffy blanket of Snow.

Welcome to our White Winter Wonderland!

The Christmas lights are illuminating the snow laden climbing rose.

I am so happy that those white lights are still strung on the climbing rose...

they add such a pretty touch to the back porch.

These rustic seats and table are part of the local area known as the common.

The common is a spare lot that will never be developed 

apparently a brick culvert runs beneath the surface...

(too close to the surface and vulnerable)

there was a creek that ran through the property 

the First Nations used to portage along the creek

on their way to the Inner Harbour.

A former resident, who was a gifted woodworker, scavenged the local beach for the materials and built the seats and table.

Neighbours gather here in nicer weather to chat and have picnics or coffee.

Children climb the trees, run around the site and play on the swings.

Our "wee lending library" is situated out front for anyone wanting to borrow a book.

The policy is based on the honour system.

It is suggested that you "take on and leave one."

The turnaround of books is quite amazing...

I took one for Mother yesterday...

The Lake House by Kate Morton.

I plan to read it when she is finished as it has been on my list for quite sometime.

Looking out the back door of The Humble Bungalow at dark.

Thats a lot of snow!

The fluffy white carpet of snow softens sounds

the neighbourhood feels quiet and very hushed.

The trees are laden with snow...

according to the forecast more is on the way.

Chester has found a cozy blanket of his own!

In between their usual cat naps they have been sitting at the windows

watching the snowflakes fall.

Last but not least...

this lovely white heart shaped rock.

This rock has come all the way from Hyeres France,

 a thoughtful gift from a local BC reader.

She spends each Fall season with her husband living on the Cote d'azur

they love Provence

 and 

spend many days exploring the quaint and beautiful villages...

we have met up several times and most recently we had lunch at which time 

 she shared her favourite spots to visit.

Thank you A for your kind and special gift.

XO

Hope you are cozy and warm.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Budget friendly basics...starting with Tops.

Most women I know like to get a bargain,
especially on clothing and
many will only buy at the sales when items are sold at a reduced price.

Thrift and consignment shops are great places to look for items when one is trying to stretch the clothing budget.

Finding decent tops in great condition can be a challenge, particularly in the thrift shops. Tops seem to show wear faster than most pants or sweaters.

I have been on the hunt for some new white Tees,
which I never seem to find second hand,
readers gave me numerous suggestions of their favourite brands
many of which are sold exclusively online.

I am tactile and visual so I prefer to try things on before I buy them.
Returns can be expensive and I am frugal
so I do not like to "pay to try things on."

Last year I had a rather tedious experience when ordering Tees.
The fabric on the Tees was too thin and sheer and the styles were quite shaped which meant that they clung to reveal and focused on my untoned  midsection...

Currently I am working to improve this area at the gym,
but in the meantime, I do not want to advertise my wobbly bits!

Tees and crisp white shirts are two items that I love to have in my wardrobe.
I obviously have high expectations
when currently planning to replace those that are tired and worn out.

Two new white Tees 

by Joe Fresh

which I will be test driving for the next while.

Mr. HB and I drove out to the Western Community on the weekend and we stopped in at Superstore where a line of clothing by the name of Joe Fresh is sold.

It is a low cost line of clothing that Club Monaco founder Joe Mimran sells.

The cotton Tee on the left is lightweight and has some texture to the fabric 

but is not too sheer and was on sale for $7.64

The "performance tee" is made in a heavier weight blend 

 spandex is mixed with the cotton

has body, does not cling 

 sells for $16.00

I really like to try things on as sizing is not standard like men's wear.

Here is an example of the size variations...

Two basic black tank tops which make great layering pieces.

Gap in an XL

Haggar in a Small.

Impressions top in a Large.

Two other tops in blue...

Style and Co. 

Calvin Klein

These 7 basics are my casual every day tops.

I have 2 other active wear tops for working out in at the gym and on my walks.

Keeping a small inventory of clothing is necessary as our closet is really small.

It does make it easier to stay within a budget and it means getting dressed is mush faster as there are not too many choices.

I will share some more aspects of my minimal wardrobe in a future post.

Thank you for your suggestions and comments about the Tees

and I hope you have a lovely week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~