Pops of Colour

Clematis Jackmanii

In a deep blue and purple when the blooms are new.

They fade a wee bit in the sunshine.

Lucky Brand silk scarf

in shades of mauve orange and red.

I wear this with my denim jacket and dress.

A lovely fresh rose fragrance from L'Occitane of Provence.

Arlesienne

Fig scented Lip exfoliating cream and a new lipstick.

Vibrant red summer colour.

Red Russell Lupines

The bees love this flower!

May is a very colourful month in The Humble Bungalow Garden.

I've been hand watering almost everyday due to the light rainfall that we have had this month.

Its so relaxing standing outside in the sunshine with the hose and nozzle spraying much needed moisture to the thirsty plants.

The hummingbirds and butterflies like to fly into the fine mists of water.

It's almost like they are saying thank you to me for providing them with water!

The geraniums on the front porch continue to put on a beautiful display.

I like geraniums as they are stalwarts in the potted plant arena!

Quite inexpensive and repeat bloom all summer long.

I opt for plants in a bold shade of red and some pure white ones.

The red ones in the planter on the railing

with some white ones in pots on the tables by the front door.

The white lavender is a new plant.

The bees are drawn to this one in droves.

I finished reading Educated, a memoir, by Tara Westover.

It was a difficult book to get through...

some parts were very graphic and utterly terrifying

her story is truly amazing.

I think I will read something much lighter next!

We've got a long weekend coming up as it is Victoria Day on Monday.

 I hope to get out weeding in the garden, do some cooking and entertaining.

What plans do you have for the weekend?

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

OOTD...

Mother's Day 

OOTD

NYDJ boyfriend style

Josef Seibel red ballet flats

Saint James Striped Top

My hair has more silver tinsel these days...

I like the effect and its natural!

You may notice that my cheeks are still swollen from the YAG laser treatment.

The capillaries that were zapped are red but will fade in the coming weeks.

I still may need a few more treatments to get on top of the issue.

Brunch at The Surly Mermaid in Sidney.

The "best ever" Eggs Benedict

they make it with a thin biscuit and served it with truffle potatoes.

NOM NOM

Mr. HB enjoyed the Korean BBQ chicken wings.

What a feast!

Driftwood Beach artist has expanded her work with the bird installation.

Sadly, her whale tail sculpture was stolen a few weeks ago...

who would do such a thing?

Last week the weather was been particularly warm 

almost hot...

today it has cooled to about 12 degrees Celsius.

I am reading Educated by Tara Westover

it's a memoir...

often disturbing. 

 I am finding it difficult to put down.

Hope that your week is off to a great start.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~ 

Linen frock...rosacea update and flowers...

I bought a new frock this week...
it is linen, made in Italy.

Stripes of navy and white

The back detail

cool, loose and floaty.

The perfect kind of dress for the hot days we are currently experiencing.

Add flip flops and a sun hat and I am good to go.

Heat and cold are rosacea triggers so I am trying very hard to keep my temperature variations to a minimum.

Further update on the rosacea flare up...

It has been a month since I had the laser treatment.

The skin on my face is not quite so red 

but there are visible broken capillaries.

 I went back for a follow up visit yesterday and had another session with the YAG laser.

I was advised to start using a medical grade serum.

The serum targets inflammation, weak blood vessels and redness.

It is expensive but so are the laser treatments.

If the results are as good as the technician claims I will be satisfied.

Today my face is puffy and pink where the nurse/technician targeted the laser.

Nothing so severe that I would need to stay cocooned indoors.

I put on mineral sunscreen and headed out for a walk with my hat and sunglasses.

Enjoyed a long lunch with some girlfriends.

Later this afternoon

 I hand watered the garden and took some pictures to share with you.

Purple Honesty 

creamy smillacena racemosa

one of our rain barrels

Clematis Montana reubens and hostas

Hostas, variegated iris, black mondo grass, Spanish bluebells.

Flowers for a friend...

lily of the valley.

Hope you have a lovely weekend and to all the Moms

Happy Mothers Day!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

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 ~