Shopping local and thinking ahead...

I was at the local deli stocking up on Mr. HB's marmalade when...
perusing the shelves which were heavily laden with food and wares for the upcoming festive season...
and I paused for a moment and realized that it's only a few weeks away.

I used to make homemade marmalade 

from a Martha Stewart recipe which calls for a cup of scotch in the ingredients!

I would make a batch every season...

until we just happened upon this one in the deli

Busha Browne's 

from Jamaica

now the Bungalow Gold standard.

I spied some pretty serving dishes...
and I have only platters in white so I was thinking that these would come in handy
for antipasto, dips, tapenaude, olives...you name it!

The wee spoon came with them.

a wee depression in each side 

to accommodate the spoon when at rest

I bought two.

I have started some Christmas shopping.

I purchased the Christmas cards

and several small gifts.

I like to patronize the small specialty shops as we are a small town.

 Keeping the money local helps our economy and benefits our community.

I'd love to go to a Williams Sonoma or a Pottery Barn

but that requires travel and at this time of year I prefer to stay close to home.

We do not have many on our gift list 

so stress is kept to a minimum

and I prefer it that way.

Soon I'll be baking a few fruit cakes 

a batch or two of scottish shortbread 

and my Mother's rum ball recipe.

But like the shops I am getting too far ahead...

I am a big kid at heart!

Have you started thinking about your plans for the festive season?

OOTD and flowers!

The wind was wild and the temperature cold...
under my down puffer coat I wore some warm Hue tights
(not fish nets today warmer thicker ones in charcoal.)

My walk was a blustery one and I test drove the new hood that's attached to my coat...
it kept me cozy.

A tunic top, which on my short frame is a dress length,
pearls and my "wanna be" cowboy boots.

I layered on a cashmere Burberry scarf...

to keep my neck warm.

this fringed scarf 

which has been a loyal servant for the past 3 years

has some tan pink and cream with a soft smattering of blue

I'd love one in black and white!

This image makes it hard to discern what is boot and what are tights

maybe when we get the basement reno done 

I'll install a full length mirror in the laundry room 

or inside a closet on the back of a door 

and I'll be better at snapping shots!

zippered pockets

which I'll keep zipped up for a flat line

Short arms mean longer sleeves!

I pushed these up a bit and they looked better.

Very special visitors brought me an unexpected and cheery bouquet.

I was told that they were picked out by none other than the lovely Miss Isla!

Isn't she clever?

We had a fun visit 

with tea for her mom and me

and toys and snacks

for Isla.

Snug inside listening to the howling wind outside and the furnace chugging along at full tilt.

There's supposed to be snow by the end of the week....

BRRR!

I am behind in my emails and blog reading so I am off to see what I have missed...

BTW the Fashion Police were on duty on my last post.

I hope that if that particular Lt. B.S.A. is still on duty that he or she pay me another visit...

if there is a blog attached to The 5th  Precinct I'd love a link to it!

Keep Warm!

“I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things... I play with leaves. 

I skip down the street and run against the wind.”

 Leo F. Buscaglia 

I wore some fish net stockings...a term more commonly used circa 1967

Fish nets, window panes, mesh nets...
we wore them in the mid 60's and boy did we think we were the bee's knees.
(do bees even have knees? they are so full of pollen one does wonder)
Well they're BACK...
but are they meant only for the young?

I think quite possibly I am too old to get away with wearing them nowadays
but age has rarely factored into my decisions before...perhaps I am on the cusp of tarty.

I'd rather be slightly tarty than totally frumpy.

I've chosen my old leather boots from several seasons ago to pair with these...
not so much mesh is visible...

My skirt is just a tinge below the knee.

Black ponte knit

forgiving when stretching and bending

and the knit keeps it's shape so there are no pouchy baggy bits like those knits of olde.

(do you remember crimpolene?)

Where are the fashion police and what would they say?

I am taking a stand on my right to wear fish nets.

A splash of colour

not so rebellious 

just because.

my favourite colour is

green

What are you wearing that might be pushing the fashion envelope?

Do you yearn to be younger and express it in your fashion choices?

What would you definitely not be caught dead in?

(fish nets perhaps?)

Luxe Votives...and a new pillow

Life is ticking along here in The Humble Bungalow, nothing too outstanding just a regular rhythm.

I don't know about your taste when it comes to fragrant votives but mine run along the lines of healthy waxes and lead free wicks. Once those two things are satisfactory then I'll choose a wonderful scent.

The latest votive to make an entrance here is made by the Upper Canada Company. They are well known in these parts for their soaps and lotions.
Buying Canadian products is good for the economy=guilt free spending!

The Wild Mint Lime combination is not too sweet or too floral

it has a nice blend of citrus and I love it in my kitchen.

It looks good with the newest linen pillow

look at that crewel embroidery

I am pretty sure that the embroidery was done by a machine 

because the pillow was not that expensive.

My love affair with beeswax continues and will never wane.

The greens are spot on for colour.

Researching Votives online 

was an eye opener

 what a wide range of varieties, scents and costs!

Jo Malone, Archipelago, Votivo, and Diptyque 

are a few that I perused

 I had a wee shock when I saw some of the prices.

This Canadian candle was $20 and has a burning estimate of 65 hours.

When it's finished I'll pop the container in the freezer for a bit and it makes it easy to remove the last of the wax

then I'll repurpose the glass for another use...

at the moment I am thinking Q-Tips in the bathroom!

Do you buy luxe candles ?

What are your favourite brands and fragrances?

Pepper takes the stage...

By request Pepper will be making an appearance.
She has been pretty lazy sleeping on soft duvet covered beds both upstairs and downstairs in the guest bedroom.

I coaxed her to wake up with some cat treats and got the camera out and snapped her picture.
For every picture that you see here there were about 10 more of each pose and most were blurred as she doesn't hold a pose for long.

Here she is perched up on the granite counter by the stove

looking rather nonchalant.

Pepper is royalty here in The Humble Bungalow.

Do you think she has any idea of her power?

I wonder what she's thinking...

"here she goes again with that crazy camera"...

This look is not for the camera

it was the birds outside that caught her attention!

When she was first here in our home she refused to have her claws clipped.

Snarling, biting, wriggling out of the towel, scratching and hissing at us.

I worried that we'd lose an eye!

We ended up taking her to the vet so that the technician and the vet together could do the job.

I took her for many monthly visits before deciding to train her to allow me to do the job.

I gave her a treat then cut the claws on one paw,

another treat and another paw,

same again twice more and we're finished.

Pepper does love her food

and she loves to chase her catnip mice.

She chirrups when she's happy and it's the sweetest sound ever!

She does not like water unless it is fresh from the tap...

"She who must be obeyed."

Pepper often sleeps on top of the duvet of our bed with us asleep underneath.

Part Bengal, part Egyptian Mau, part Alley cat she does not like to be left alone.

She follows me around the house when I clean or water the plants.

If I am sitting at the computer, more often than not, she is snuggled up right beside me keeping me warm.

Pepper is cheeky and sneaky and does rule the roost.

(can you tell?)

She has taken to jumping way up to the top of the cabinets

 snoozing and surveying what goes on below.

What a spoiled Puss!

I have toyed with the idea of getting another cat to keep her company...

but I have a sneaky feeling that she might not like sharing us with another feline.

It's been a cold and stormy day

 there's a sweet geranium blooming on the windowsill

cheering up the grey gloom that lies beyond the pane.

If the sun is not shining 

I find my own way to add cheer to the day

and that usual means having some fresh flowers close by.

What makes your life a little sunnier?

Dinner is cooking in the oven, 

Pepper's asleep, 

The Vancouver Canucks are on the TV and Mr. HB is happy.

What's not to love?