Hermes ~ the ultimate accessory

Accessories make the basic wardrobe POP!
You can own a few basics and add a few scarves or belts and shoes and you have more than a dozen outfits.

I do love pearls...they are luxe and I own more than a few strands.
Wear then in multitudes if you have them..

The best bang for your buck is a scarf...
vintage, new, designer brand or the ultimate....

Hermes.
For my money it is THE scarf to buy.
Wear it often, change up the tie.

choose a great colour palette

 a pattern that speaks to you

one that ignites passion

look at the features and fold accordingly

point to point

repeat the fold

and again

tie a knot

wrap around your neck

knot in front

ends go through each side

pull tight

voila!

simple 

longer double knot in front

loose ends

on the side

looks so casual and uncontrived...

if it looks too fussy

it is

RELAX!

Play with your scarves and you will get comfortable

I stand in front of the mirror and look to see that the tie matches the theme of the outfit and that it feels right.

Wear your scarves often

they do nothing languishing in a drawer or an orange box!

Tie one on a tote

drape one under the collar of a jacket

wear one with a swimsuit

( take it off before diving in!)

Wear two at a time

just wear them

if they are Hermes  ~ they cost you a small fortune

(if you earn a conservative salary like me)

With the weather getting warmer

I think I 'll be wrapping my Hermes around the brim of my straw hat....

There was a retirement event this evening

Thank you to all who attended

I have so much to be grateful for...

colleagues

friends

family

I was more than humbled tonight...

tears fell

easily

I am sure there will be more in the days to follow.

~ ~ ~

Lovely Daughter's Father's Day Brunch...OOTD

Mr. HB was feted on Father's Day by our darling daughter and her significant other.
We dined in their urban loft....
I took a few snapshots to share with you.
The 400 square foot patio is through the sliding glass doors in the top right of the image.
Sunshine, teak chairs and potted plants await...

Rosenthal china 

Tapio Wirkkala glasses

Rosenthal stainless cutlery

Hans Olsen table and chairs

an inviting corner

I can imagine how pretty this would be at night

Tapio Wirkkala 

and 

fruit salad

Weight Watchers friendly!

( I ate brunch instead of breakfast AND lunch)

~ The menu ~

fruit salad

scrambled eggs

crisp bacon

roasty potatoes

coffee

 bubbly

great conversation in a richly decorated atmosphere

wonderful!

Lovely daughter is a collector of bakelite bangles.

Rabbit Ears never looked so fashionable!

My OOTD

Dalia black Capri's

Eileen Fisher top

Majestic Paris linen loose jacket

Roots cross body bag

Franco Sarto sandals

I was so excited  

(I actually did a little happy dance)

when a co worker mentioned that I was looking slimmer...

her words were "Leslie you are wasting away!"

I confessed to my new regime and said thank you.

~ ~ ~

I have tried to keep my WW to just a few near and dear 

oh besides all you lovely readers of course 

 you know with you it's all out in the open.

I must close for now...

I'm busy here this week in The Humble Bungalow.

Be Well

A Morning Rose Walk in The Humble Bungalow Garden

June is Rose month here in our Humble Bungalow Garden...
their blooms and scent fill me with JOY!

This gorgeous rose whose name escapes me is growing on a trellis beside the front door.

Joesph's Coat is by the back door

sweet and prolific bloomer

this rose does not cut well as it wilts within a day of picking...

pretty in place and the bees happily buzz about and have a picnic party...

White iceberg climber

on a trellis in the back garden.

I think every rose grower needs a reliable white rose.

I have a newly planted white rose which I am eager to see get established

because it is a David Austin rose with many many petals and a heady scent.

Graham Thomas a stalwart among roses

David Austin again and those petals are gorgeous...

not to mention the scent!

Gertrude Jekyll

another reliable David Austin...

watch out for her thorns as her stems are very prickly

wear your rose warrior gloves when trimming this specimen or you will get scratched!

Constance Spry

the rose on the front pergola as you enter our Humble Bungalow

she is putting on quite a show right now.

I hope that your week is filled with joy...

perhaps if you are feeling blue a posy of roses might be just the thing to perk you up.

I love roses...

oh and have you seen the peonies that are in bloom?

What's not to love about these frothy cups of beauty?

I have a Father's Day brunch post planned and some more scarf thoughts on the way soon

stay tuned...

OOTD weekend duds...remembering DAD.

Weekends are usually a casual affair in The Humble Bungalow.
Walking gear, a bathrobe, comfy clothes and not necessarily in that order...
this post is a mish mash of thoughts and bounces around rather hap hazardly...

We went out with our BFF's for dinner Friday...

I wore capri's from Tulipe Noire

by Lisette

my trusty and true denim jacket by Blue Willis

white tank from H and M

Franco Sarto sandals

I think the scarf was purchased at Macy's

( a trip when Mother and I shopped Seattle until we very nearly dropped!)

My hair is going grey before my very eyes...

I had a cut this week before

 my hairdresser went off to NY for a Bumble and Bumble training session...

I think she wants to add more highlights but I am holding firm.

(for now)

~ ~ ~

We bit the bullet and bought a new stove.

After months of problems with no timer or self cleaning program I decided that it was time!

Honestly I think Mr. HB was the one who pushed for the replacement...

~ ~ ~

it arrived this morning and I was up bright and early 

showered and ready to receive the delivery

It works!

and I think it looks great.

GE Cafe series

I like the commercial look of those nobs!

~ I think I will refer to this expenditure as my retirement gift! ~

it could be a string of pearls

or a diamond ring 

I prefer to keep things simple

a stove is way more my style anyway.

Mr. HB bought a new battery powered lawn mower and I can use it as it has a push button start.

Lime green by Ryobi...

oh and while he was at it he bought a weed whacker...

I will stay far away from that tool as they scare the dickens out of me.

~ ~ ~

I received quite a few emails asking to see the Swarovski flip flops...

Lucy Blue

You can buy new soles when they wear out 

which I think is so handy 

especially when one considers that appliance companies no longer want to repair the things that they build and sell.

We really do live in a throw away society.

We happened to buy a new toaster...

on sale

matches the new Krups coffee maker

Walking a bit farther this morning...

think I'll have to buy some new shoes soon as the soles are looking thin!

Happy Father's Day.

I'll be remembering my Father

with fond regard and lots of love.

Oodles of memories 

and I get a bit choked up when I think of all the sacrifices that he made for our family.

He was one of a kind

a scholar

 tomato grower

avid reader

hard worker

natty dresser

member of the BPOE

husband to Mother

Dad to my sis and I...

an unselfish man

always put others' needs before his...

Dad I LOVE and MISS YOU.

Just desserts...

Have you ever heard of the two bite brownie?
There is a bag of brownies sold at our local market that are wee...they are called two bite brownies and seriously they can be popped in your mouth quite easily...but I have not tasted a morsel for months!

Then...
there was a dinner party at a local eatery
put on by my colleagues to celebrate my retirement at the end of this month
and after dinner a beautiful looking dessert arrived...

I am calling this the two bite brownie

as I only took two small bites!

You can see that I had the waitress bring us all spoons so that we could share...

This brownie packed a punch of flavour and I am happy that I only had two bites

it was enough to satisfy!

For dinner I opted for the grilled chicken breast on asian style greens and a glass of white wine.

I walked from The Humble Bungalow to the restaurant.

I did not walk very fast though as I was wearing my Swarovski crystal encrusted flip flops!

I walked past this great garden

the owners have planted a vegetable garden in their front yard.

I love the pergola feature where they might choose to sit and perhaps sip a cup of tea or a glass of bubbly.

Have your self a fabulous weekend!

Stop and smell the roses...

they are perfection at this time of year.