Pretty Pinks...

May is such a beautiful month here in Victoria.

Our garden is putting on a lovely show...
The roses are not yet in flower but we have lily of the valley, clematis, hellebores, geraniums, white anemones, irises, tulips, and many more.

I captured this rhododendron on my walk.

A fly photo bombed my shot!

Its iridescent wings look quite like a jewel.

A pale pink soft rhododendron...

we don't have enough room for rhodos

roses take priority.

We worked in the garden on Saturday and some of Sunday.

Mr. HB planted tomatoes and cucumbers in the greenhouse.

Radish seeds will be sown soon.

Russell Nursery

was hosting a

a pop up Vintage Fair.

I did not find any "rusty vintage items" for the garden 

but I did find a new apron!

Made locally 

I can use it both in the garden and kitchen.

The pockets are handy too!

Love the fuchsia fish !

My hands take such a beating working in the home and garden

despite rich creams and cuticle balms

mine rarely look cared for...

GRRRRR!

I've been experiencing a breakout of rosacea.

this condition surfaced in my early 30's.

The dermatologist started me on a round of antibiotics and a topical cream.

 We got it under control but since then over several decades 

more outbreaks crop up.

There is no "cure" for rosacea.

Redness control skincare products 

(Avene)

using a gentle

 touch 

avoiding the sun 

and 

temperature extremes are also essential.

A cycle of IPL laser treatments 

help to manage the condition.

I have had one IPL treatment and will need a few more...

the flushing, redness and bumps are difficult to camouflage.

It is frustrating and I do try to keep calm.

It's sunny outside this morning and the birds are chirping.

My to do list today:

 ~ wash the slipcovers ~

~ hand water pots and plants in the garden ~

~ write and publish a blog post ~

~ deep clean the sink ~

~ wash the sheets ~

~ walk ~

Love this soft almond scented milk concentrate...

I use this after my shower every morning.

Well I must stop procrastinating and get busy with my to do list...

(you may have noticed that I started the "do list" with my favourite activity)

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

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

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

April snippets from Quarterdeck cottage

Love these pretty pink blossoms on the tree out front of the cottage.

I am tempted to pick a sprig and pop them into a vase.

They are so delicate and frilly, almost frothy in their form.

A subtle scent gently fills the air when you are standing beneath the branches.

A yellow primula and a variegated iris for the garden.

I planted the iris out front of the cottage and hope that the deer will ignore it!

The primula will come home with me to be planted in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

The Pender Island Garden Club had a sale at the community centre.

I purchased the plants from the garden centre and the shell was from their sale.

I quite like shells and have a few that I have collected over the years.

They reside on the window ledge of the guest room.

This one will be headed there soon.

I found this arts and crafts Ruskin pewter brooch at the Nu To Yu thrift shop.

I purchased it for a friend who collects these pins.

It amazes me what treasures can be found in this tiny little shop.

Speaking of treasures look at this sweet little toadstool!

We walked 3 km along a road under a magnificent canopy of trees.

Our destination was Gather a new cafe at Hope Bay.

They serve tea, coffee, beer, wine, baked goods and light meals.

There are musical events held here on occasion in the evening. 

It's been open for 3 weeks and already has a loyal following.

The local Pender Island knitting ladies were there for their meeting.

I could not help but to eavesdrop and sneak a peek at what knitting projects they were sharing.

It is very similar to the knitting group that I attend at a local Victoria cafe.

We both had a cold beer...

mine was a light IPA and Mr. HB chose a dark stout.

I opted for the curry vegetarian bowl served on brown rice.

It was incredibly tasty but I could not eat it all!

After lunch we walked back through the woods to the cottage.

We did a lot of walking so we felt little guilt 

relaxing and reading our books on the sunny deck.

April has been a blur...

so many things have kept us busy.

The cottage makes us slow our pace and we really relax and sleep soundly.

We go to bed earlier and get up before 7 most days.

The fresh air, 

peace and quiet, 

long walks in nature

 put us into this zen zone.

It's a beautiful sunny morning here at the cottage.

Hope wherever you are, that your week is off to a great start!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Let's get dressed!

Do you enjoy a fresh salad all year round?

We regularly have salads with our dinner
I opt for leftover salads for many of my weekday lunches.

I love a light dressing made with a good quality olive oil and a flavoured balsamic vinegar.

The Tuscan Herb olive oil has a peppery taste 

 The Fattoria di Sommaia has a distinctive smooth flavour.

Flavoured balsamic vinegars create a superb salad dressing.

You can marinate chicken in these oils and vinegars

dress and coat veggies before roasting in the oven

dip focaccia bread in a blend of these two delicious ingredients.

Oil and vinegar

a happy marriage of flavours.

I also have a jam dressing that I make on the boat.

You need an empty jam jar...

Bonne Maman works for me.

3 tablespoons of jam

1/3 cup vinegar

1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper

1 cup of good quality olive oil

Shake to mix

Refrigerate dressing and shake again before serving.

I've been remiss in not posting regularly on the blog...

life has been busy!

I've been enjoying visits with the grandchildren, 

and working in the garden.

We are embarking on a renovation too which is rather daunting...

our home will become a worksite.

Things will need to be packed up...

we will be sleeping in the guest room

as we have a crew here to remodel our master bedroom.

The electrical service upgrade is slated for tomorrow...

no power all day

I will need to go out for tea and coffee!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

April Snippets

April seems to be flying by faster than last month...
odd how some months feel like they are long and others short.

I suppose it's how busy we are and how much we pack into each day.

I've been focusing on healthy eating and walking these past few weeks
in my attempt to shed some of the winter weight gained during the cold winter months.

This lane is tucked away off the beaten track in Oak Bay

we saw sunny yellow forsythia and Kerria Japonica 

bright bold red rhododendrons, 

various varieties of tulips and daffodils.

By this sign we spied evidence of the hollyhocks yet to bloom

we will come back along this way again as check on their progress.

I love hollyhocks but for some reason they do not grow well in our garden despite my best efforts,

The Iphone has a health app that helps me track my steps and distance walked.

Here is the readout for today...

A friend and I walked in Oak Bay today

around the waterfront and up into Uplands Park.

The native wild lilies are blooming.

The shooting stars are such a vibrant shade and look amazing en masse.

A camellia bloom was purposely placed on a green dumpster waiting for the company to come by and empty it!

I had to stop and capture this image...there is so much unexpected beauty out there is we just take the time to stop and look.

We rewarded ourselves at the end of our walk...

a cuppa with a view at The Oak Bay Marina.

The Karl Lagerfeld graphic tee...

I wore it in honour of Notre Dame.

The devastating fires yesterday at the iconic cathedral in Paris

have shocked and saddened so many

myself included.

It sounds like they plan to rebuild it.

They have raised millions already with more donations yet to come.

Taken in 2015 when I was last in Paris.

It's time that I prepare dinner so I must close for now...

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Until next time...

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Graphic Tees? Do you wear them?

We've been busy here in The Humble Bungalow

lots of things have kept me away from the computer.

Sunny days for long walks with friends

visits from the grandchildren

tidying up the garden

planting flowers.

There have been odd jobs, decluttering, repair projects and more...

Today the electrician was here installing some task lighting in the kitchen.

After he left I went to the mall to buy some new socks.

Why do socks wear out so fast?

I think its because I don't bulk buy socks and so they get worn a lot!

I bought new socks 

(mission accomplished!)

Came home with a new walking/yoga/workout outfit.

Graphic tees are popular...

especially for women of a certain age!

I have been relucutant to get on the bandwagon...

until today when I spied this top.

What are your opinions on graphic tees?

Leave a comment and we can chat...

Capri Yoga pants

Karl Lagerfeld Tee

I may wear this with my jeans under a sweater or jacket.

The fabric is super soft and it is weighty enough that it skims the body rather than clinging like some fabrics tend to do.

You can see that the black and whites are still the main players in my wardrobe.

It's so difficult to change my stripes...

Zebras are so stylish!

Flip Flops 

for our summer cruise.

Still looking for a bathing suit cover up...

Must close for now as I am off to the travel agent to pay the balance of our cruise.

Hope that you are well and finding small snippets of Joy in your daily round.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~