and the book goes to...

It's just past 10:00 and we have drawn a name of the lucky recipient of the giveaway book.

official time clock

I was going to use a bag but decided on the pudding bowl instead

entries

Mr. HB drew a name

Julianne

Congratulations!

please email me with your address and I'll pop this book in the Post for you.

It's been a blissful day

Mr. HB and I had an fabulous afternoon at the Spa.
We both gave each other Spa gift certificates for Christmas, which was a surprise and a coincidence.

We relaxed in the mineral pool before having hot stone massages. These were followed by a delicious dinner out in the historic dining room of Hotel where the Spa is located.
We enjoyed our meal with one glass of wine and many glasses of water, which we were advised to drink to help with the detoxification that accompanies a massage.

I started with a mushroom risotto and had the vegetarian meal which was a crepe filled with quinoa, kale, beets, beans and topped with a carrot puree.

Mr. HB started with crab bisque and for his main had Seafood Mac n' Cheese...we were too full for dessert and the effects of the massages were making us feel very weary so we declined dessert and ate the two wee truffles and macarons that were presented with the bill and left for home.

I do go fairly regularly for pedicures and facials but I do not often opt for massage.
These treats are something that I do not feel guilty about, I save in other areas so I can indulge once in awhile...and in Marissa's book she also suggests saving for what you love and economizing on things that do not matter to you.

Last year we experienced the hot stone massage while on holiday at the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, B.C. at the Ancient Cedars Spa The scenic location and wonderful amenities offered here are of the highest quality.
To get us in the mood we were seated outdoors in adirondack chairs wrapped in terry robes covered with blankets, our feet soaking in shallow bowls of warm scented water. The view of the ocean was breathtaking and beautiful. Our treatments were performed side by side in an airy room high up overlooking the beach with the sound of the surf surging on the shore.
Such a luxury and one that was new to us, which has left us craving for more.

I highly recommend this destination should you ever find yourself travelling to these parts.

I am taking a large bottle of water to my bedroom and will be snug under the duvet in a matter of minutes....

Sweet dreams and hope that your weekend has moments of bliss.

Living the Savvy Life...and a giveaway!

Melissa Tosetti sent me her new book hot off the press, called Living the Savvy Life
The Savvy Woman's Guide to Smart Spending and Rich Living.

Melissa Tosetti and Kevin Gibbons worked on this book project together.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to review your book...
the pleasure has been all mine.

I received this a couple of days ago and thought it might take me awhile to read it.

I currently have a novel on the go and thought that this book might require extra attention 

I was not sure how devoted or engaged I'd be and that it might be a bit of a challenge...

 I am pleased and surprised to say nothing could be farther from the truth...

I picked it up and was immediately immersed and interested in reading the savvy tips.

The authors point out how detrimental habits of overspending and living beyond ones means can be.

These habits preclude us from obtaining what it is we truly want and dream about.

It might be a vacation in an exotic locale or the dream of buying something expensive that seems to elude our grasp.

(perhaps a Chanel bag Hostess!)

They give sensible and concrete advice on how to plan to be successful and to achieve these lofty goals!

There are tips for saving money, shopping, cooking, entertaining, wardrobing and more...

I almost forgot that there is a bit of French Chic Shopping advice too!

She lists books and websites

and has her own site which I suggest that you explore.

here !

Thank you Melissa, I appreciate your gift of this book

I'd like to pass it on to someone else,

as they say

One Good Turn Deserves Another

so

I will host a quick giveaway

if you want to enter leave me a comment

and sign up to follow my blog

I'll send it snail mail via Canada Post.

I'll put the names onto slips of paper and pull one out of a bag...

the giveaway closes Saturday January 15th @ 10:00 pm PST

Sunday January 16th I'll draw for the book.

Good Luck!

art glass objects d'art...and tech issues...

In the course of weeding and thinning inside the Bungalow
I have eyed up some keepers...
art glass objects that are of interest to me .

I love this wee owl

I think it is his expression that tugs at my heartstrings

Love All is a Tiffany paperweight

Heavy glass paperweight signed with a signature that is unknown to me

if you know who made this please let me know

For awhile I considered collecting paperweights 

and then I heard a dreadful story about someone who had their display on a table by the window

and the sun streaming in had shone through one and set the house on fire.

I keep mine in the cabinet in the dining room away from the window.

I have had a surprise

I see that I have 100 followers

I am truly excited

Thank you for reading my blog and signing up

this is a cause for celebration

a milestone!

 and

at the same time

 a bit of a shock...

 Blogger has alerted me to the fact that the storage space (Picasa Web Albums) 

of my photos has maxed out!

 I can purchase more space or I can delete images to free up some space.

I think I could have a hardcopy printed of my archival posts and then delete the oldest ones.

I am wondering what I need to do...

I will consult with my son who is in the tech industry

Any Bloggers have this experience?

What is your advice?

and again

thank you for following me

I'll get this little hiccup sorted and will proceed as necessary.

Hugs from the Hostess

Shopping...

I mentioned that I was planning to go shopping for some new lingerie
for this expedition I like to wear comfy clothes that are easy to remove...

pointe black pants

Bjorn antiqued gold shoes

Talbots crisp white shirt

baroque pearls

The sun shone down from a clear blue sky and after the torrential rain that we have been experiencing I felt much lighter and brighter.
The sun has a way of imparting hope and happiness...
It's as if a sense of optimism has been restored.

I had a pleasant outing that involved a drive along a country road that offered up many wonderful and pastoral views of farmland and horses.

The shop was not too busy considering that they had their semi annual sale on.

Only one shop girl was there so I browsed the sale rack while I waited for the other customers to depart.

There was nothing on the clearance rack that would work for me,

I am not surprised as this is often the case.

My go to Prima Donna soft cup bra was not available in my size, they are on order so I will need to return when they call me.

I came home with these...

Valisiere ll

underwired

 extreme comfort

and superb support

matching panties

skin coloured

to virtually vanish under clothes

I already own this bra in black and love the fit

it is convertible

cross straps in back

or

remove for a strapless look

incredibly uplifting

and 

best of all

it's so unbelieveably comfortable

(forgive me for the photo please the cups do look deflated!)

floral detail

underwires

that stay put with

 soft and scalloped edging

 no matching panty was available

Hanky Panky

are great and comfortable

more lingerie

from a past expedition

 image

 black and white

still loving these two colours together

here

What's in the trunk?

We enjoyed a delightful afternoon with our adult children and grand baby Isla.
Isla and Grammy played on the floor with toys while the adult children conversed.
I cannot take my eyes off her...everything she does is the BEST EVER!

She is developing her ability to hold onto things, to pick them up and to put them into containers...
she loves the IPHONE app of animal sounds...laughs and grins and
grabs the IPHONE and tries to put it in her mouth!
Grammy does not have an IPHONE yet. (but if it would make Isla happy I'd buy one!)

Memories bubbled up and moments of "I remember when" surfaced...
oh! when you were this age...
and you had this habit of...
and her red hair is so like that of Mr. HB's cousins...
maybe it was the same shade that you had back in the day...
I think there is a lock of hair in the trunk.

Memories might be blurred and skewed compared to the notes and journals that one might keep to record events and milestones...

family artifacts...
baby books with weights and heights and dates are reliable sources for comparison.

We have several trunks in storage downstairs,
our daughter asked us to bring them up and open the contents...
so son and able Mr. HB dug them out and brought them upstairs...
after a dusting and a quick vacuum of the exteriors we were assembled and ready...
and they were opened...
there was a musty smell infiltrating the air...
it's been years since they have been opened
cautiously and reverently we proceeded to explore the inner depths...

The contents spilled forth trinkets of nostalgia and memorabilia...report cards, baby clothes

a party dress

a knitted dress from Greece

 a Junior Crew shirt from Poppie's boat

books, cards, a family Bible, school annuals, pictures, a minor league hockey jacket (Mr. HB's)
hand crocheted baby blankets made by great grannies...
and scrapbooks...
with concert stubs, dried corsages from dates and graduation,
cards and love letters...

a blue garter...circa 1974

 and my wedding dress!

Lovely daughter absented herself to put it on....

I wished that she had put on the veil and the train...

I am looking into finding a cleaner who will preserve this for the future...

after all it is nearly 37 years old.

I find it amazing that it fits her like a glove...

she is her mother's daughter.

I however cannot fit into it so it's appropriate that I model the veil!

Tonight I am feeling very happy and grateful

I have so many wonderful things that I have been blessed with...

 fate

destiny

 and choice

have all played their hand in my getting to here...

What a colourful tapestry 

of so many memories....

Good News Bad News...

Who knew that Bonne Maman...
apricot is now available with 30% less sugar?

with thoughts of health this is Good News...

  a healthy weight is desirable 

hypothyroid disease

 hampers this goal

making it somewhat elusive

 my metabolism

is sluggish

even with medication

drat!

I have little interest in "working out"

when sweating is involved

my routine must be gentle 

 Yoga, walking and swimming

or

my joints make themselves known

 with searing pains that keep me awake at night

osteo arthritis has set into my hips 

my knees creak and click

but I do not want to complain...

because

here's the Bad News...

CANCER

 has reared it's ugly head

 at work

our upbeat and fit secretary has breast cancer

she will be away while she undergoes post surgical radiation

there is a dark cloud hanging over our school

it's as if we are holding our collective breath

hoping for good news

shocked

frightened

 helpless

sad

in the Bungalow we have been touched by cancer

 in our immediate family 

and that of close friends

some have lost their fight 

others continue their struggle

some are in remission

 a few have passed the 5 year mark have been told they are "cured"

We must do all that we can to ward off and protect ourselves from this insidious disease...

attitude and perspective are important

moderation is essential

schedule regular check ups and annual mammograms

performing monthly breast exams 

taking charge of our health and listening to our gut feelings

being aware of things that might be different or unusual

so working towards improvement:

eating smaller portions

healthier food choices

reducing stress

and worrying less

engaging in physical activity 

that does not exacerbate a pre-exisiting condition

it shouldn't hurt

or damage

what is vulnerable

getting enough rest

being positive

engaging in fun activities

learning something new

dabbling in a hobby

adopting a pet

fostering your social life by

cultivating and nurturing friendships

balancing all activity

with some personal quiet time

meditating 

or

reading 

 excitement ensues!

a new book

about fabulous vintage clothing 

a shop

a Frenchwoman

and romance...

I hope that you have something great to read...

and someone with whom you can share your thoughts and fears.

I sincerely hope that this post which is rather dark 

has not cast a dark cloud your way

 a very good friend of mine used to say...

This too shall pass

Weeding and thinning inside the Humble Bungalow....

I have been rooting through the closets and storage spaces of the Humble Bungalow and looking for things that I can part with and donate to the local charity shop.
January is the month when I get inspired to weed and thin out the bits and bobs that tend to accumulate behind closed doors.
It is very theraputic to look closely and listen to what each item has to offer...is it superfluous, does it still have a purpose, do I love it, can I live without it?

I cannot part with everything...I am a careful collector and exercise due discretion.

I have owned this vintage navy leather handbag for a few years and I have never actually carried it.
When I saw it in a thrift shop it I had to buy it, I love it....the price was low and the quality and details of the bag are gorgeous.
It is a  well crafted piece and shows no signs of wear.

compact and ladylike 

the closure

clip lock at right

clip lock at left

they open up at each end 

and the bag can be opened by pushing the two round disks of the closure together

lined in suede

impeccably crafted

and 

Canadian

I do not know if I will ever carry this bag 

but for some reason I cannot part with it.

This book is another keeper

I have been sorting out my book collection

and have been leafing through my reference books.

 how to accessorize

and the basics one might consider when stocking or tweaking the add ons 

that can elevate and illuminate

creative playtime for grown ups!

staying chic and shopping smart...

helpful hints keep this book on my shelf

on my agenda this month

lingerie shopping

I wash my lingerie by hand and it lasts a long time

I prefer to update these pieces once or twice a year

adding to the collection

I look for matching bras and panties that are lacy and feminine

I shop at a small boutique where the sales staff are trained to fit

they know what works for what body type and bring the stock to you

the prices are varied depending on the brand

 France and Italy supply lingerie

that offer superior quality and sumptuous designs 

I am eager to go shop

but I am in a decluttering and reorganizing phase

making space for some new arrivals.

Do you have a plan of what you will buy?

I look for things that I need first 

before I let myself be swayed into purchasing something that is fun and speaks to me.

I do allow myself some fun and frivolous fashions but only after the foundation pieces are found.

What have you seen in the shops that has beckoned to you

did you buy 

or did you resist?