Feelings...

I feel a little bit like this little guy...

Life has recently sent some curve balls our way.

Things usually run like clockwork here 

ticking along 

quietly.

I am fine with that

some might call it boring

I like it that way!

We have had our share of trials an tribulations over the years.

No one is immune from stress or loss.

I feel frustrated and somewhat helpless

because the troubles 

are beyond my control.

Too bad life doesn't come with a manual 

for times when we are faced with challenges 

that are new and completely foreign.

I have said things 

that were misinterpreted

cried

and

have raised the ire of someone whom I love dearly.

I have done what I thought was best.

I spoke my mind.

I may not have done it with as much grace and tact as I could have...

but that's hindsight.

I am hoping that things will settle down and the dust settles.

Disharmony and discord are a shroud of gloom that I abhor.

"To err is human, to forgive divine."

Seeking solace 

I wander outside in the Humble Bungalow Garden

where a bevy of beauty awaits.

the hydrangeas are blooming blue 

cranesbill geranium with such a dainty face

clematis wrapping it's vine around the honeysuckle

Romneya coulteri

a crepe fried eggy flower

moppets of white hydrangea

in the dappled shade

coreopsis in cherry yellow

I feel better when I walk outside 

brushing up against nature.

Kindred spirits.

Perhaps it's filling one's lungs with cool sea salty air

or 

clearing the mind of thoughts that are sad

and replacing them with a respite

from fears.

Moving on one step at a time...

just moving in a new direction.

Mr. HB and I had a date!

I love the word "date"

 it reminds me that our relationship is still going strong

and that we carve out time to be with each other.

It could be a walk

a movie

or a meal out.

Recently we dined at one of our favourite restaurants

where we sat under a canopy of greenery 

in the sunshine.

Lamb, asparagus and pasta for Mr. HB.

Peppers, basil and goat cheese pasta for the Hostess.

The food was delicious and the company excellent!

Sharing problems with a partner or friend eases the burden 

the viewpoints they offer

shed light

allowing one to see 

another side of the situation.

(two heads are better than one)

I am grateful for the opportunity to share and appreciate the support.

"The present is the ever moving shadow that divides yesterday from tomorrow. 

In that lies hope." 

Frank Lloyd Wright 

Peace sounds perfect to me right now.

Calorie conscious Pizza

Homemade pizza is one of the Humble Bungalow staple meals.
It's a versatile pantry friendly meal.
The ingredients for the dough are flour, yeast, salt, oil and sugar.
I use the Expo 86 Cookbook recipe which I have posted here.

Lovely daughter and I recently enjoyed a delicious lunch in an eclectically decorated artsy bistro. The menu has creative with unusual offerings. We shared a spinach goat cheese salad which was topped with skinny deep fried onion rings and dressed with balsamic vinegar to start and that was followed by a pizzette. The pizzette was a crisp skinny crust which was sparingly topped with fresh tomatoes, basil leaves, pancetta and cheese.

I wanted to make my pizza crust thinner to elevate the flavours of the toppings rather than being over powered by the crust.
A skinny crust means that I could savour a few slender slices without too much caloric consideration!
As Martha Stewart would say, "That 's a Good Thing"

I used the standard recipe and I rolled the dough thinly.
I sprinkled the pans with cornmeal so they would not stick and reduced the baking time by 5 minutes.

Black olives, basil leaves, home grown cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese.

I think they look very like a rustic Italian pizza.

I sampled a few small slices and I think the crust could even be thinner but it is quite delicious.

I will be sharing these pizza's with my family.

The recipe made 4 instead of the usual 2!

After posting my kitchen nightmare last week about my frustrating experience making pasta

I wandered into the local Thrift Shop

and 

as is my routine 

I peruse all the wares 

just in case there is something that I could use here in the Bungalow.

A shiver went through my body 

when I spied a cookbook by Lidia Bastianich!

It was $8 and I now have all the necessary information about making pasta!

Gracious Adrienne from La Vie Quotidienne is sending me her fail proof pasta recipe.

I'm keen to try it as you use the food processor to do a lot of the work.

Thank you so much!

"Timing is Everything"

Stay tuned!

Kate Spade meet Land's End

You might recall the Kate Spade bag that I bought in Seattle.
Mr. HB was involved in the choosing of this bag...
the contenders were all black and quilted bags...
some were far and away beyond the budget!

Talking of budgets reminds me that I am really uncomfortable buying things that cost the earth when there is a perfectly acceptable option available at a reasonable price.
I say Yes to a luxe treat now and again but it is not an everyday event and I only indulge if I have the money in the bank.
In mid life I have come to accept that I need less and am happy with a smaller wardrobe.
I am not "doing without" I am choosing to be "content with less".
These thoughts and actions are readying me for retirement when my clothing needs will dwindle.

I read a fabulous post on this subject by Cupcake Caramel and it fits perfectly here.


A Humble handbag...

A classic style in basic black and happily the honeymoon period is far from over.
I have pared down my bag collection and have sold most others through a local consignment shop.
It feel great having less clutter in the closet and the decision making is simplified.

Boat totes, a bathing suit, cashmere sweater and tank tops were purchased from Land's End a few years ago, and then I forgot about the company until recently.

Their garments are great for my workplace as they are washable and classic.
The quality of the garments is impressive, the sizing is consistent and are available in Petite sizes.

The Sun Shower Coat is made in water proof microfiber, is lined and has nice top stitching and button detail.
The fabric has just the right amount of weight to it so that it hangs well and I don't think it will crease.

It is available in a variety of colours and you can see it here.

( Now on sale, I should have waited)

Land's Ends Sun Shower coat, Hermes scarf, Kate Spade bag.

I think a bright umbrella 

in sunny yellow or Hermes orange 

might be just what is needed for those drizzly days that will soon be here in the Pacific Northwest.

What colour is your bumbershoot?

Tea for the wee...and thoughts of 911.

When I was a little girl I had a miniature porcelain tea set which had been given to me by my grandparents. I cannot remember if it was a birthday or Christmas gift.
It was white with a dainty pink rose pattern on it and consisted of a teapot, cream and sugar bowl, small plates and cups and saucers.
Mother would help me by boiling the kettle and making mini cucumber sandwiches and cutting the crusts cut off.
These tea parties were small and spontaneous and a few dolls were usually invited as well as my much younger sister. Mother would sit down on the child's size table and chairs and we would enjoy a wee tea together sipping thimble full cups of tea.

I had forgotten these memories until we were cleaning out our basement and we came upon this charming tea set.
We completely forgot that we had this stored away.

This sweet porcelain set was from Mr. HB's grandmother.

It is in remarkably great shape and I wonder how many teas were served for it to have survived all these years.

It has been carefully washed and now has a place of honour on the bottom shelf of the china cabinet.

Tea has been such a major part of my life from toddlerhood to date.

I cannot imagine not sitting down and partaking in this luxurious brew.

What memories stand out from your childhood?

My thoughts go out to all of those who have lost a loved one 

in the September 11th attack on The World Trade Center.

The 10th anniversary of this event today brings with it the memories of where we were on that fateful day

when we found out about this tragic event.

The eerie images that have graced the pages of the newspapers

and the TV documentaries

 are a grim reminder of man's inhumanity to man.

We may not be able to help influence global change

but we can help in small ways by giving to our own community.

There are opportunities to make a difference at every turn.

I challenge you to make a difference 

even the smallest kind gesture can brighten someone's day.

Kitchen nightmares!

The afternoon started out great,
it found me happily perusing the collection of cookbooks looking for inspiration for dinner.

My husband loves Italian food and I thought I'd try and make some fresh pasta with a simple tomato sauce.
It can't be that difficult.

We watch Lidia Bastianich most nights before dinner is served.
She makes everything look so easy.

I put all the ingredients in the food processor to mix as directed

and then proceeded to knead the dough.

It was hard work and my muscles got really sore.

It doesn't look that difficult on TV.

(that should have been my first clue that something was wrong)

At least I had some time to recuperate after fighting with the dough.

It needed to be wrapped in cling film and chilled 

for at least 30 minutes before rolling and cutting.

Try rolling a large clump of clay 

it was quite a battle and the clay won.

I managed with this pasta machine to flatten the lumps

but it was struggle with only two hands.

One to hold and guide the dough and one to turn the crank.

Why did I not purchase that Kitchen Aid pasta attachment when I saw it in Seattle?

Oh and I didn't have a pasta rack for drying the pasta.

(make do and mend)

 I used some glasses and put wooden spoons on top of them.

Pasta needs to dry before cooking it.

Cooking should take 3 minutes to al dente.

Here's where things got really messed up...

the pasta was cooked for 12 minutes and was still chewy and not at all al dente.

I felt like a failure as I followed the recipe to the letter.

I had simmered the tomatoes, garlic, onions and basil for an hour or so and it smelled delicious.

We were hungry so

we ate it anyway.

I am on the hunt for a fabulous pasta recipe

if you know of one please let me know.

In the meantime 

I will be visiting Lidia's Italy website 

seeking some pasta pointers.

Hope that you had a better day in every way!

Have a wonderful weekend

and carve out some time to just sit and be still 

and observe some of nature's bounty.

Shoe party!

What could be more fun than bows on toes?
When it comes to a party I love shoes that are girly and ready for fun.

I love my Stuart Weitzman black patent leather pointers from Spain.
These dress up a pair of denim jeans and they elevate a simple LBD.
I wore them today with white capris and a black V neck sleeveless top.
I don't believe in not wearing white after labour day.
Besides baby, it's HOT outside!

Stuart has competition

these dainty sling backs are made by a company that used to make 

"old lady shoes"

Naturalizer has amped up their designs...

perhaps they realized that "old ladies" don't like looking frumpy.

The new kids on the block...

These are the blacks in my shoe wardrobe

there are more

(of course!)

Sadly no red ones as I wore out the last pair.

They made me feel so happy and energetic 

gotta love what a great pair of shoes can do for a gal.

"I like Cinderella, I really do. 

She has a good work ethic. 

I appreciate a good, hard-working gal. 

And she likes shoes. 

The fairy tale is all about the shoe at the end, and I'm a big shoe girl." 

Amy Adams 

Do you LOVE shoes?

Tell me a shoe story I'm all ears.

French Perfume...

This post is in response to an anonymous commenter who wanted to know what fragrance I wore.

I love wearing scent as it makes me feel very feminine.
I use it sparingly as I do not want the fragrance to be overpowering.
Have you ever been in the unfortunate situation where someone has literally bathed in perfume and it is so strong that you sneeze?
It is very off putting if you are dining and you cannot avoid breathing in a scent that is so bold that it threatens to flavour your food.

I currently have 2 perfumes which I use according to my mood.
Hermes makes a lovely green citrus scent, Voyage d' Hermes which is light and I feel very energetic when I spritz this on. My sister wears this too!
Moonflower Orchid is from Grasse in France, it is slightly musky and feels rather exotic and somewhat bohemian!

I do love scent for men too and Mr. HB wears T'erre d' Hermes which I chose for him and it's intoxicating and very sexy!

Here's a post from 2009 on scent...

Christian Dior
''Long after one has forgotten what a woman wore, the memory of her perfume lingers''.


Coco Chanel
''Wear perfume wherever you want to be kissed''.

Earrings and alliums...

I can think of only a few things that make me feel more feminine than wearing pretty dangling earrings.
(lingerie, scent, and silk and not necessarily in that order!)

I have not been able to put my finger on how or why certain styles of earrings impart femininity they just do.

Lovely daughter made me a pair of crystal drops in the 1990's which I have and wear when I want to sparkle.
These Citrine beauties were a recent gift for my birthday.
I love them, and they have more value to me because she made them herself.

Large in size 

dainty in style

shaded softly in a warm honey tone.

Aren't they pretty?

I can never remember if this wee feline bronze

is made by Walter Bosse 

or by Baller.

It's vintage and was purchased years ago

from a thrift shop.

I had no idea they were "collectible" at the time 

I just liked the face and form.

Behind the scenes

a handmade amber art glass bauble.

Blowing glass is an amazing skill

I watched a documentary on Dale Chihuly on PBS

it's a craft not for the faint of heart.

If you have the opportunity to view it 

I highly recommend it.

Summer days are getting shorter

and I can feel there's a nip in the air

the garden is getting ready for her long winter slumber

and some of the leaves have started to turn.

If you love flowers and gardens you must go and meet Belinda

she has talent when it comes to growing flowers and creating lush bouquets

 she also makes and sells jewelry!

Go over and see her

 you'll be impressed.

Alliums have been growing throughout the season

they are now reverently tilting and bowing their heads 

as they wither

saying a fond farewell to summer.

Wonderful and reliable performers 

in a floral arrangement

 as a filler 

to add interest

or 

grouped together 

rubbing shoulders with their next of kin.

Close up

they are a lacy parasol of purple

oh to be a ladybug

sitting beneath

in the dappled shade 

protected 

from the hot summer sun.

I'll be trading in the parasol for an umbrella before you know it.