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.

An Orange Post...

This season I have been dreaming of oranges...
juicy vitamin C ~ tasty orange segments
bright orange totes
orange shoes
sherbet
roses

my dreams have spoken as I opted for a rich shade of orange at the Spa...
OPI "Duetsch you want me baby?" from the German collection.

a bit of a departure for me but not too "out there"

I have had the Hermes out to review my scarf collection

for I will be compiling a few scarf related posts soon...

I have several of these boxed cards.

If you ever needed ideas for a new way to wear your scarf you are sure to find it here.

I have never laundered my Hermes scarves...

I have hand washed other silk scarves both vintage and new ones.

Once with disasterous results...

all the dye ran together and ruined the scarf...

I should have added lots of salt to keep the colour from running 

but I had no idea that it was not colorfast...

it was a vintage Balenciaga!

I've borrowed this book from a co worker

I am into it for a few chapters and so far it's got me hooked

 I read for a few minutes each night before I turn in.

~ ~ ~

I have been too busy to walk the past few evenings for various reasons...

food and eating has become a bit of a challenge 

 there are retirement parties and celebrations on the calendar...

I am trying hard to stay within the WW Points Plus allowance and I know this week I cannot expect to lose much ~ if any ~

I just need to be mindful.

I am in this for the long haul and it is a lifestyle change

 not a "diet."

There is a Ginger cat that has been coming by and meowing at our front door.

Our cats have been looking at it through the glass in the front door 

 they seem to be entertaining and communicating with it

 ~ cat chats! ~

I have been able to pat the cat and it is not thin and looks healthy.

I believe it belongs to a neighbour.

Have you been dreaming in colour?

What shade has been speaking to you?

I may still decide to take the plunge and buy an orange tote for summer...

I have seem a fabulous Ralph Lauren orange leather tote bag

on sale at our Hudson's Bay Co.

It would go great with my sandals and Lanvin scarf...

(said scarf is in a pic on the sidebar)

Have a delicious day my friends...

Linen scarf ~ a summer weight accessory

I love linen...
What is it about the fabric that speaks to me? Rather it shouts to me "Hostess!"
I love it for dish cloths, slip covers and pillows as well.

Currently I do not own any linen garments and am on the hunt for a dress to wear this summer.

A few years ago I owned a few really baggy billowy tops and a pair of wide legged trousers.
I am trying to get away from too much volume in my clothes these days.

You may recall that I recently purchased a white and black linen long scarf. The texture is an irregular weave and the scarf has not been laundered yet so it is very crisp ~ almost stiff.
I may hand wash this sooner rather than later as I can see that it may irritate my neck in the heat.

I'll be using Aveda Shampure to gently wash it and then hang to dry...ironing will be necessary but not on a regular basis ~ just after laundering.

The easiest way to wear a long scarf is wrap it around your neck

ends towards the back and bring them back to the front looping them through and letting the ends hang down.

Not being crazy about symmetry I like to have one end shorter than the other.

You can see how crisp this is as it stands up strongly rather than flowing softly.

This scarf was half price when I purchased it new and still it was a wee shock to my wallet...

nowhere near as dear as Hermes but up there with the Tilo one that I bought before Christmas.

Climbing Royal Sunset Rose

the perfect shade of apricot

which reminds me of orange sherbet

and our darling Isla!

Our two resident felines really miss us when we go out.

They are great company for each other though!

Our roof and gutter projects are finished and Mr. HB is working on the deck repairs...

he is building new railings in his spare time so I don't imagine our deck will be completed until mid summer.

 The Humble Bungalow Garden keeps me busy and out of mischief

of course there is an absolutely adorable 3 year old 

a red headed little Miss who loves to play and have tea parties!

All she needs to do is ask and Grammy will come ~ a~ running!

On the agenda this week...

a pedicure and a hair cut.

What have you got on your do list this week?

Hope things are ticking along nicely in your neck of the woods.

Hermes scarf ~ simply casual

Simple works best when it comes to scarves...
Scarves do not need to be tied in fancy ways to be beautiful.
Choose a scarf pattern that you love and one that will add some interest to your wardrobe.

Vintage, antique, consignment and charity shops are a great place to find scarves.
If you want to spend more, the sky is the limit!
Most designer lines offer scarves.

Hermes is probably one of the most popular brands. They offer new scarves in a variety of patterns and colours designed and signed by the artists who create them. The clerks are very adept at draping and colour matching them for you...they can also offer tying instructions and there are small booklets printed by Hermes and included when you buy one of their scarves to show a variety of ways to wear your new scarf!

Today I wore my very first Hermes scarf which Mr. HB purchased with me in San Francisco.

It is a hot sunny day here so I did not want anything too high up on my neck.

I opted for the loose cowboy...

I am able to do this knot without thinking.

It's a classic.

Lovely bright colours for Spring and Summer.

For more scarf posts from the past 

please look at the very bottom right hand side of my blog and you will see Hermes Scarves as a tag...

there are about 30 posts on scarves 

if you have some time to spend you will be able to view them all.

Hope that your week is off to a great start.

OOTD ~ Hermes Scarf

My favourite Hermes scarf is black and white...
it might seem rather unfair loving one Hermes more than the rest but this one gets way more wear.
It goes with most everything in my wardrobe and is so easy to tie.

We took Mother out for a casual dinner Friday evening as it was her 86th birthday.

The weather was warm and sunny and the venue was right above the harbour on the windowside overlooking the docks...where Athena a 295 foot sailing vessel was moored.

I am shuddering a bit looking at my hair...

it is a week away from a trim and it desperately needs one!

New capri pants from Costco in a smaller size (!) by Dahlia

black jersey Tee by Carilyn Vaile

Clarks sandals

Hermes vintage series silk square

Simply tied in a square knot twice.

Easy peasy...

as requested I will be focusing on how I wear my scarves over the next little while...

 there will be garden posts too

as the roses are putting on a wonderful display and their beauty cannot be ignored.

How is your weekend?

Please continue to follow me on Bloglovin 

as sadly Google Reader will be gone in a few short weeks!

The Humble Bungalow Roses and a teary farewell...

It's a wet Friday here in our neighbourhood and I grabbed my camera and popped outside to take a few snapshots.
Our garden has oodles of gorgeous roses and their fragrance wafts about mixing the scents of the various varieties...
Jude The Obscure, Constance Spry, Gertrude Jekyll and McCartney are a few in the front of the house...
heady and intoxicating and not at all dampened by a little moisture from above.

Gertrude Jekyll a David Austin rose

Constance Spry a heavily scented vigorous climber.

Hosta and Lady's Mantle

spattered with droplets of rain.

Rainy giant leaf of Hosta Sum and Substance.

The Calla Lilies are damp too...

My eyes have been moist with bittersweet tears this week

as we sold our beloved Chris Craft Constellation...

after almost 20 years of cruising and wonderful family holidays we decided that it was time to move on.

This picture of roses that I painted years ago used to hang in our main salon of the boat

...it now hangs downstairs adjacent to the laundry room.

Our cozy salon where we spent many happy hours.

Summer roses were invited aboard.

Our lives have been richer because of our boating experience...

although it is sad to see her go

it opens up opportunities for different kinds of holidays

travel to ports farther than she could take us...

New York

perhaps the UK 

 there's always Paris!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Breakfast ~ 3 WW Points!

Our Weight Watchers leader spoke to us about starting our day with a satisfying breakfast.
One that stays with us and keeps us fueled for the morning, is gorgeous to look at, has a variety of food groups and is quick and easy to make.

My usual breakfast has 1 point

no fat yogurt and berries.

Wilt in a small amount of boiling water a handful of spinach and cherry tomatoes...

squish the tomatoes...

whisk up an egg with a fork

add a tablespoon of bacon bits

add to wilted veggies

cook until done.

Serve

Savour

 enjoy your new 3 point breakfast!

Feed your soul as well as your tummy!

The longer walks have provided an opportunity for quiet reflection

and the sleep that I experience each night is so restorative...

the calm and peace are a bonus.

My weight was down again but less than last week.

The pattern seems to be a smaller loss one week and a more significant one the following.

The meetings continue to make me laugh

as the women who are in my group have such a wonderful sense of humour.

The weeks' successes and failures are discussed in an open and supportive manner.

I cannot believe it took me this long to join WW.

If you are interested in losing weight in a healthy way this is a great program.

Have a fabulous day!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin