August My Stylish French Box delivery...

A beautifully curated box of French items recently arrived on my doorstep.

My Stylish French Box is always a luxurious treat.

A wee bit of French chic to add to our home.

Beeswax candles ~ Apis - Cera

Salad servers ~ Sabre

Pottery oil jug ~ Digoin 

Dijon mustard ~ Pommery

Vintage brooch ~ French Brocantes

Pretty tray ~ Au Bain Marie

Table runner ~ Charvet

I've opened the mustard it is yummy.

Lovely flavour in a homemade salad dressing.

Decanted some quality olive oil into the Digoin jug

placed the cork stopper inside...

it works well and is much nicer to use that the plastic olive oil bottle.

We eat a lot of salads here in The Humble Bungalow.

The servers will get used daily and they are so very pretty.

I look forward to using the candles.

 I absolutely LOVE the fragrance of beeswax as it burns.

The wee tray is now in our guest room on the table,

The colours work exquisitely with our red 

 Toile du Jouy bed linen.

Sharon and her team at My Stylish French Box are planning a festive holiday box for November.

If you are interested in a lovely gift 

(or one for yourself )

please click the link here and it will direct you to the site.

Hope that you are staying well.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Thank you for popping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

OOTD ~ September meet up with friends

 Most days since Covid happened I have been wearing casual clothes. I work in the garden, go for walks and clean the house. Life is very quiet and simple around here.

I dressed up much more when I was going to my weekly bridge games, out for dinners and social gatherings with friends. Most of these things have been curtailed due to Covid. When we gather, we are mostly outdoors...walking, having coffee or dining outdoors.

A small group of friends get together regularly for a walk and have coffee or tea and perhaps a treat after we have walked.

This past week a reader mentioned that I had not posted many OOTD posts and it's true! My everyday work clothes are not that exciting to look at...I do put on make up and frequently wear my pearls but there is no one around to see them except the cats!

Here's what I wore on my walk and coffee meet up with friends.

OOTD

The white top, jeans and khaki jacket are by Eileen Fisher.

Scarf from My Stylish French Box

Vintage Bag by Due Fratelli

Hope that you are staying safe and being mindful of your interactions with others.

Masks are mandatory most indoor places here.

I plan to buy some fun ones soon.

                     Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

                            ~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

September...

The second flush of rose blooms ~ always a welcome sight.

The repeat blooming roses will bloom again after being deadheaded

a job 

while time consuming...

is rewarding!

Yesterday I was super busy dusting, vacuuming, doing laundry.

These domestic chores need to be done regularly...

once accomplished are so satisfying.

I blitzed the bungalow and by noon I was pretty much knackered!

I stopped for a break and decided what I would cook for dinner.

The planning of meals is very much a priority here in The Humble Bungalow.

The view from our laundry room...

the patio plants and garden beyond.

I peek through the French door when I am folding laundry or ironing.

Natural beauty helps keep me grounded and sane.

The Covid upswing in numbers here in BC is rather unsettling.

We will have to keep our bubbles small moving into the cooler weather.

How will we manage to be social when it gets cold?

Sales of outdoor heaters and marquis tents might be in demand.

I plan to walk regularly with a couple of friends.

Thankfully

I have a long down coat which will keep me cozy.

We enjoyed a tasty lunch on our boat last week...

so simple and full of flavour.

Bagels cream cheese, lox, capers and red onion slices.

Have you been busy making meals?

Are you baking bread?

I've been cooking regularly since early March.

The number of times we have been out for a meal on a patio are few.

Happy Hour with friends outside have been our safe social dates.

Our dinner...

Chili and baking powder biscuits.

(I haven't baked biscuits in years)

Martha's recipe from the Goward House Cooking Club.

Sadly we are not able to meet up due to Covid right now.

Harvest this morning.

Fresh tomatoes from the greenhouse.

Yellow beans from the raised bed.

I blanched the beans for 3 minutes then plunged them into ice water until they were cool.

Dried them with kitchen towels

 packed them in Ziploc bags ready for the freezer.

Almost finished Akin by Emma Donoghue...

I am enjoying the story.

Emma is a very creative and gifted writer.

She's Canadian.

What are you reading?

How are you keeping your spirits up while in isolation and staying safe?

Have you been inspired to be creative?

New crafts, projects, redecorating?

Hope that you are being careful and staying safe.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Snippets, tidbits and good books...

Holdays are such a gift...
time to relax, cocoon and embrace the good things in life.

We sleep well here at the cottage.
There is a gentle calm pulsing throughout our days...

As we spend a lot of time outside in the fresh air...
dining al fresco, walking, swimming, reading.

These slow days contribute to our well being and we are usually in bed asleep just after 9pm...
we wake and watch the light as it brightens and moves across The Salish Sea.

The bark of the arbutus trees are peeling which reveals a limey green layer under the rich amber colour...these are a feature in our views as we have several of these lovely trees growing at the edge of the sea.

Birds flitter about, gather and sing...
they seem to be drawn to the limbs of these trees.

I read this engaging mystery novel in a day...

a real page turner set on The French Riviera.

You might enjoy it!

The old stove died a few days ago and the general manager was able to order a new one and have it delivered to our small island in a day!

This is quite remarkable and we were very happy as we have no local access to shops and the ferry service is limited.

Local Sea Star Vineyards make excellent award winning wines.

Their Encore is a rich full bodied red wine...

perfect with a BBQ steak, baked potatoes and green beans.

Things break...

My Fit Bit battery died and I went online to get a replacement and was surprised to learn they are not available!

OH NO!

You are meant to purchase a new FitBit...

well that was a shock, 

so I have decided not to replace it.

My husband says I should buy an IWatch but I am reluctant...

I am wearing one of the vintage sterling bangles that I have in my collection...

this one a sweet gift from our darling daughter Jennifer.

Campus Queen from 1968

Fresh halibut, steamed broccoli and wild rice with sauteed mushrooms.

Yummy Halibut

To cook the halibut I dip it in flour, salt and pepper

saute in a wee bit of oil and butter

cook until skin is somewhat brown and fish is white and flaky

squeeze the juice from a fresh lemon overtop and add a tablespoon of capers.

Easy and so flavourful

Enjoy!

Read this gem yesterday.

A real binge read..

could not put it down

  I am considering re-reading all of the Jane Austin classics.

Am heading to the bookstore today as I have read all the books that I brought for our holiday.

Hope that you are staying safe.

Our Covid case numbers have increased here over the past few weeks.

It is alarming and we continue to keep our "bubble" small.

We wear our masks when we are out in the shops.

Hand washing and sanitizer are used constantly.

Feeling so thankful for the fresh air and sunshine.

The ability to be out safely in nature

soaking in all of the beauty that surrounds us

is soothing during these uncertain times.

Stay Safe.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Holidaze...

We are on holiday at the cottage and have our boat at the marina...

son and grandchildren are up at the cottage and my husband and I are on our boat. We have great weather and the pools are open.

Lego is a favourite with the grands.

Doctoring up a patient.

Side walk chalk

Very busy days...
3 excited youngsters to entertain.

Lots of food to prepare...snacks and meals.
Their favourite pool time swims, complete with floaty toys!

I will be back blogging after they return home.
Will need to try and figure out the new blogging formats...

Wish me Luck!

Take care, stay safe...

                       ~ Be Well and Be Kind ~