Lighting and the printed word...

The light here in the Bungalow inspired me to play

I changed the settings on my camera

I have forgotten how amazing Black and white images can be...

there are settings for fine detail

and blurring

settings for greener 

bluer

 redder 

 Autumn

a season of change

changing of the colours

time for warmer coats

boots

and

rakes

leaves

inevitably

float down

and settle

to become mulch

or

a warm blanket on the compost

I will spend

many hours outside

raking

the leaves do not fall all at once

they take their time

and many a gusty wind will blow before

this acaia tree

  is nude and stark 

probably 

sometime mid November

a light show

dancing

on the wood panel

in the family room

and the last image 

Pepper

as I closed the pages on The Bag Lady Papers...

you might glimpse I am clad in my apron

and ballet flats from France

I had a Cabbage Roll making marathon

I am happy to report that they were delicious

and I have frozen some for the future.

P.S. I have ordered a few books after my last post...

Bringing Home the Birkin

The Pursuit of love

and

The Secret Life of Eva Hathaway

and that's just the beginning...

I've been tagged...

Suburban Princess has tagged me...
go here. to see her blog and check out how she answered the questions.

What is your favourite dessert?

Creme brulee

Ever tried to cook something and fail miserably?

When I was first married I tried to make tomato fried rice using rice and Campbell's tomato soup...it was a complete flop and ended up in the garbage can!

Is there a dish you haven't made yet but really want to?

Not really, whenever I see a recipe that excites me I get all the ingredients and make it.

What's your favourite food?

Potatoes...mashed, scalloped, baked, twice baked and stuffed, roasted, boiled topped with salt, pepper, butter and mint leaves.

What is your least favourite food?

Lima beans, I've never warmed to them.

Do you have any seasonal meals you like?

Turkey dinner with stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, veggies, sweet potatoes, brussell sprouts, all the trimmings.

What is your comfort food?

Mashed potatoes with butter, salt and pepper...or gravy!

Chocolate: milk, dark, or white?

Milk and dark...not white.

This vintage bread tin has a chipped rim

but is completely usable

and hides the bread which is store bought

and the plastic bags

which I find unsightly, are hidden!

I am meant to tag 8 bloggers and ask them to answer all these questions.
I am afraid if I did tag 8 bloggers that they might not read my blog post and miss it altogether or they may see it and ignore it all together and I would be rejected... :(

My Christmas cactus is in bloom already!

I think I'll cheat a little here and suggest that if you want to participate that you voluntarily answer these and post them on your blog....link back here if you participate....:)

I love this pudding bowl

the vintage motif

and especially the crazing

the crazing is what charms me most.

Imperfections can be beautiful...

Books and thoughts after reading....

Last week I received my pre ordered books from Amazon...

we have had such rainy weather that I actually indulged myself

and read for long periods of time

The first book was Savvy Chic

 which is well written and had some very clever ideas that were new to me.

I particularly liked her gift and wedding chapters

food and entertaining and wardrobe strategies

her thoughts were fresh and based on personal experiences.

Thrift, frugality, and refined good taste...

spiced with her personal flair for vintage

help to create a polished image

and elevate the everyday to elegant.

I do not usually keep books unless they are worthy as my wee bungalow is low on storage

I will keep this as a reference

as it is a worthwhile guide.

The Bag Lady Papers

was in a word

"disappointing"

I was hoping for so much more,

and it could have been.

She hints at how it feels to have lost all her money

but doesn't really let us get up close and personal.

It feels as though she is sleepwalking through this experience...

detached from her feelings.

The article in Town and Country was more intimate on many levels than the book.

I decided to buy the book based on that issue and now feel that my money was ill spent...

This book will be recycled

and I truly wish that I could have been impressed.

Most books that I read are in fact borrowed or purchased second hand.

I have access to an amazing book shop in our Village

that takes trades and gives a credit for future purchases.

The contemporary literature area is chock a block with newer novels

there is also a "Staff Picks" shelf

I look there first

most of the staff picks have been Hostess approved!

I cannot get enough good lit...

be it chick lit or classics

Who are your favourite authors and any suggestions for future reads?

The westcoast rainforest weather forecast..."rain, rain and rain"

It's raining cats and dogs..
it's raining it's pouring and this old man is snoring...
all those rain jingles come to mind.

The rain is torrential...
it's drumming on the roof
the gutters are vibrating with the velocity of the downpour
the windows are spotted with drops and rivulets are weeping as they move south to the ledge.

The skies are grey and the puddles are vast...
it's a day for wellies and a slicker.

a beach walk

feel the wet in every breath that you take

I want a red or yellow slicker

and some serious wellies

those elusive Hunters have not yet made it into my life

(yet!)

Hot cocoa in a thermos

and a warm jacket

a pair of boots

and

a walk

beach combing

with a camera

naturally beautiful

simple

Pepper  peeking at me

as I blog...

you can see the "heart rock" at the left

I beachcombed that one from the beach not far from the Bungalow

colour in raingear

is a mandatory

 "mood shifter"

who needs to feel dreary in the rain?

I say dress up and boldly seize the day!

What are you wearing as you embrace the day?

Recipe for Pepper Delight

                                           Pepper Delight

Ingredients:

One cardboard box

 one stuffed mouse

 one small Pepper

 one wool carpet

the "Hunt" is on...

fierce jungle behaviour ensues

swift movements

and

dexterity of paws

result in 

the capture

one tired victor

one mouse defeated

These cat and mouse games continued for hours

on and off

between short cat naps

 until she crashed

beside me on the couch!

I remember many days when my babies would play at my feet on the kitchen floor 

wooden spoons

pots and pans

tupperware containers

the floor was littered with kitchenalia

exploration ensued

small things put into larger things

larger things were pushed into smaller things

they didn't fit

spoons and pots became a drum set

first noise...

then a rythmn

 and music is born

such sweet memories

 observing their learnng 

of space relations

music

and math skills

I had no idea back then what I was facilitating

it just felt right

we were all in the kitchen together "working"

I was able to keep them safe and snug

I was snooper-vising

just as I am today

Pepper is darting about the kitchen

mouse is running for her life

and 

Pepper is in hot pusuit!

Hugs from the Hostess

Purrfectly happy Pepper

Chirruping from here!

Special delivery....and our Pepper

         My pre-ordered books from amazon finally arrived

I am reading Savvy Chic at the moment

I am enjoying her writing style...

and she shares some good ideas...

minimalist wardrobing

thrift

vintage garments

chic uncluttered leather bags

cooking simple elegant meals and entertaining strategies

luxe for less

creative and dramatic decor choices that add glam and suggest wealth

as in "old money"

and much more...

I hope to finish this tomorrow 

in time to jump into 

The Bag Lady Papers

I have wanted to read this book ever since I saw the Town and Country magazine with an article on Alexandra Penney...

she had all her investment "eggs in one basket"

 and lost them all

she tells us what it felt like to lose everything 

and how she survived this devastating personal crisis...

I have a sneaky feeling this is going to be good!

and peeking out of her bed

our new kitten 

Pepper!

our Bungalow looks quite dishevelled these days

look here at Janet's lovely cottage

I am going to live with some dust and disorder 

 focus on reading

and some serious tea drinking...

and I will just turn a blind eye for a few days...

I wonder how long I can last

how long can you ignore dust bunnies and chaos?

weeknight dinner party...and the kitten's still nameless!

It's a weeknight worknight dinner party

sometimes it just has to be scheduled that way

family have travelled many miles to be here

they are on a tight schedule 

have lots to do and people to see...

so why not have a weeknight dinner party?

I am making things ahead so that I can relax and enjoy the visit

pull out a great cookbook

peruse over a mug of tea

decide on the possibilities

make a grocery list

shop

prepare

I am serving this chocolate cake with a small dollop of whipping cream

for dessert

shrimp cocktails to start

and the main dish

is

prep the night before 

 cookbook image

I am serving an heirloom tomato with goat cheese and basil leaf salad

and a loaf of bread

all I need to do is set the table

the main dish takes 60 minutes in the oven

not too much fussing about

time and space to breathe

 the kitten's name search has been interesting 

and challenging

we have only had her here in the Bungalow for a few days

and are still observing her habits

she has the most adorbale sound 

a chirrup

she chirrups at the birds

 chases her own tail around and around in circles, then collapses

her favourite toy is a clump of feathers on a string dangling from a wand

she leaps, jumps and pounces 

it's tiring work!

we have narrowed down the names to Pepper and Tabitha...

I like Twiggy too.

Pepper would work because she is fast and feisty

Tabitha as she is a tabby 

Twiggy because she is tiny 

but as Mr. HB pointed out...

she will grow so that name might not suit her as she matures.

what do you think?

Introducing our new Bungalow kitten....

I have been very busy tending to our new kitten.
She is a curious and energetic little girl.

Capturing images on my camera has proven to be quite a challenge...she moves about so fast that many of the pictures have been a blur...for every 10 I have taken maybe 1 has been clear!

 inside our wine rack

a bit of a blur here

please ignore the dust!

my recycling basket

we put up some plywood as a temporary gate

to keep her contained in the kitchen and family room

our Bungalow has a very open plan so we have few rooms that we can close off

and kittens being curious can get into mischief

I spent most of yesterday playing with her and tending to her needs

it was such a warm and cozy afternoon with her on my lap

she'd wake up, open her eyes look at me and then purr

such a lovely feeling

snuggled up

together

tuckered out after playing

you can see just how tiny she is at

9 weeks old

she slept in her new bed and did not cry in the night

I had

my maternal ear open just in case...

I got up early this morning to feed her 

she leapt and ran around the kitchen for an hour and a bit,

played with her toys and has fallen fast asleep

in the wine rack!

I am predicting busy days with our new kitten

and is very affectionate

and loves attention.

we are still getting acquainted...so a name has not been chosen just yet...

I appreciate all your suggestions

and welcome more...

the phone rang...

the phone rang...

and it was good news!

I've been on a buying spree...

anyone who saw me shopping could tell I was on a mission

"mission possible"

there are a lot of tacky cat things lurking about in shops

I tried to be a savvy shopper

I only want the best for my new kitten

I hope that I have chosen wisely...

non skid bowls

kittens like to play

let's keep the food and water stable!

a perch

to look out the window

and see the hummingbirds as they drink at the feeder

a bobble

to bat about

and a carpet clad post to claw the way to the top!

a scratching pad

please use this instead of the leather loveseats...

a washable micro fiber bed

a feather on a string toy

add kitty litter, food, and love

we are so ready...

she will make her debut tomorrow...

not a coming out party or a debutante's ball

no spread in Country Life magazine

I will be picking her up from the vetrinarian's clinic

her story is heart wrenching...

she was found clinging to the body of her recently deceased mother's body

her brother too...

 3 weeks old in farmers field

her brother did not survive even with the expert care of the vets and technicians

she is a fighter and has captured the love and hearts of all who have bottle fed, nursed and cared for her...

they are sad to see her go

they shed tears

(I've seen them)

she has tugged on their heart strings

she may tug at yours

she's a charmer!

I promised that I will be emailing pictures to the crew regularly...

they have such devotion, love and efforts to save and tend for those whose futures look bleak

I would encourage you to donate to a local animal rescue organization

money, time, a gift for their fundraising drive...

I might not sleep much tonight....

I am like a nervous mom in labour...

tomorrow all will be changed

forever.

Pepper is the favourite name so far

thank you staircase witch

I'll need to have some time to see what kind of personality she has...

and will decide on her name...

Pepper does sound like a spunky, sure footed puss, with just the right amount of sass!

Happy days...

hugs all round!

smiling from here...:)

not so patiently waiting....for the phone to ring

Do you ever find that you are impatient?
My experience in motherhood and working with special needs children in schools has taught me patience.

I am feeling restless...excited, and I want the phone to ring.
and I don't want to hear the voice of a telemarketer on the other end.

I'll give you a hint...

if all goes according to plan

I'll need to find a name...

we are ready for another cat...

our beloved cat Stickley at 18 years +

taken on her last day here in the Bungalow

summer  2010

she was such a great cat

I miss her quirky habits

and there's no one running to greet me at the door when I get home

the house has felt "empty" too long

we have found a kitten

and completed the adoption papers

and are waiting to hear...

Here's a challenge...

what would you name a tortoiseshell tabby?

I'm all ears...

(and still waiting for the phone to ring....)

I hope it's good news...