Pasta salad, a post surgical meal.

One of my colleagues recently had to undergo emergency surgery and will be off work until after Christmas so a bunch of us are prepping and delivering meals to her home so that she rest up and focus her energy on healing.
There is a great array of dishes that people have chosen to make and many she will be able to freeze.
The deliveries will be once a week by a designated co worker so as not to tire her out with all of us keeners ringing her doorbell.
We all wish her a speedy recovery...

I have mentioned her before on the blog as she is the chic French femme who eats her burgers with a knife and fork and could wear a paper bag and make it look like haute couture. If you could see how she dresses and ties her scarves you'd know in a heart beat that she is as feminine and French as can be.

I chose to make a simple but nutritionally packed pasta salad.
She may decide to eat this for her lunches or add it to another main course.

It makes a large bowl and is really tasty.

It's a great dish to take to a pot luck dinner too.

Bon appetit!

If you can help someone in need ~ please do.

~ Bungalow Beautification ~

Living in a 100 year old registered heritage home comes with responsibility and means keeping on top of the maintenance and is not for the faint of heart.
There is always a long list of things that need doing and we take on a few projects every year.
Mr. HB has been quite busy around here in The Humble Bungalow this month. Besides priming and painting downstairs in the laundry room he's been working on the front porch.

Here is the new front door made by a talented local craftsman Percy, an exact replica of the former 100 year old one that was seriously delaminating. The hardware is new and in the Craftsman style from Classic Brass.

Mr. HB has been busy down in his workshop testing out stain colours to get just the look and shade that we like.

The original bevelled glass was saved and used in the new door.

Mr. HB painted the old house numbers black as they were corroded from the salty ocean breezes.

For the same reason we replaced the porch light...

Waterglass Studio 

had an arts and crafts style lamp suitable for the porch.

There will be a bus full of arts and crafts enthusiasts coming through our Humble Bungalow this month.

We have been busy cleaning, tidying and tending to the garden 

 putting our best face forward.

Do you remember the glove?

I read Faux Fuchsia's post this morning and was astonished to read that her "baby" is now 18 months old!

I remember clearly the day she announced that she was expecting him and it seems like yesterday.

Time marches on...

Chester napping and groggy after his surgical procedure yesterday.

Poor little fellow...

we had to entice him with treats so we could give him the pain medicine this morning.

When one adopts a rescue kitten part of the agreement is that you will have them spayed or neutered.

I am keeping him company and blogging from bed.

It's a tough job but someone has to do it!

Hope that you have a fabulous weekend!

Hostess

XO

Do you judge a book by it's cover?

Technically speaking this is a magazine not a book
I did buy it based on the cover...

Modern Women: why we need to take control now

Amazing Fashion Under $100

Spend Less, Look Great

131 Flattering Styles

Stop Emotional Eating: Here's How

and the best

slow cookers

concealers

fitness trends

September 2012 Real Simple $5.99

The tea is steeping

the sun is shining

dinner is planned and I am taking a wee break after a busy day...

it's just me and the cats here in The Humble Bungalow.

Pepper is happy as she got some cuddles and treats

Chester just loves the sunshine

he "helped" me put a load of laundry in the washing machine.

He'll be around to help when it's time to fold it too!

Not too much is happening here but that's OK with me

I don't need or crave drama or excitement.

I like the simple life.

How about you?

Eating local ~ morsels of goodness.

Tasty, juicy and sweet.
Three words that sum up Nature's late summer offering / gift ~ freshly picked local black berries...

alone or with some cream

 Mr. HB prefers his

 atop of some Coconut Dream "ice cream."

Any way you choose to serve these morsels

they are delicious.

One of Mother Nature's late summer harvests

so worth buying 

or if you are lucky enough to find a bramble 

picking your own.

Look at the size of these beauties...

I've had some on hot oatmeal

and a few stirred into Greek style coconut yogurt.

I can't quite say I've had my fill of these yet.

I hope this sunshine sticks around awhile longer and ripens the rest of the crop.

Is your mouth watering yet?

I do hope that your week is off to a fabulous start.

Please tell me what fabulous things you've got planned.

~ ~ ~ 

Hostess

Two reasons I HAD to go shopping.

You might be curious why I needed a reason to go shopping.
Trust me I do need a legitimate reason.
I have been avoiding the shops because we are knee deep in renovations and are having an identical newly crafted  front door made to replace our 100 year old door which is delaminating.

First off I've been down with a cold and my head has been stuffed up and fuzzy.

I managed to stay in bed for two days and then got up and about thinking I was cured....
until I went to do a load of laundry ~ black clothes.
My mind was obviously still foggy as later I discovered that I forgot to check the pockets.

When I went to hang them up to dry I was shocked at what I saw...everything was covered in small white bits of Kleenex, yes people I had left all my spare tissues in every pocket of every garment and I think there must have been a total of say 10 tissues which simply was a snowy disaster. As it turns out I was able to rewash the load several times and spin in just the air cycle the garments before attempting to de-lint and hand pick off the bits which were resistant after 3 washings. Not all garments survived...one dress and one top were down.

The second reason that I needed to go shopping is that we do not have doors on our bedroom closet and Chester attacked and shredded my basic black tunic top the very one that I wear several times a week to school.
It's rather disconcerting staring at a knit jersey top that has holes and runs in the fabric trying to figure out if it can be repaired and salvaged.

Which takes me back about 20 years when I came home from work to find our adorable kittens Stickley and Teco had had a shredding party of their own and were swinging in large holes that they had made in our imported Scottish lace curtains that hung in the living room windows...these were so pricey that I did spend many evenings attempting to stitch them back together...but they were never the same and as soon as the cats matured and I could afford to, I replaced them!

My new purchases are hung up on a higher rod and I've left only sturdy denims on the low rod for the time being.

think of this plain tunic as a layering piece

a backdrop for want of a better term

I'll show you what I will be pairing this simple top with...

all with medium weight leggings in black

This one replaces the lint top that ended up in the rag bag.

Both pieces are made of sustainable Bamboo by the Vancouver Company Gilmore.

I'll be showing you the new door soon

it has been installed but still needs to be stained.

Percy, is the talented artisan who crafted the door

he salvaged the original bevelled glass and the end result is brilliant!

Stay tuned.

~ ~ ~

Thanks for stopping by!

Hostess

OOTD ~ Errands

Mr. HB has installed a full length mirror for me downstairs!
It's been several years since I have had one and think this will help me monitor how I look before I leave the house.
The renovations are not yet complete as you can see...
and the bonus is I now have a place to snap some images of the occasional OOTD.

Gilmour top in a mushroom shade

skinny jeans

ballet flats

You can see the saw in the background to the left.

I try to take a tote bag or basket when I run errands so that I do not end up with all those cheap plastic bags.

This one goes with my outfit.

I did add something as a result of checking the mirror.

I think this adds to the whole look.

Fortunately the weather is warm enough that I do not need anther layer.

We are enjoying what is known in these parts as an Indian Summer.

Must run now and get some of my errands accomplished...

hope that you are having a great week!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead.

XO

Hostess

My style ~ skin care ~ make up.

When it comes to make up I am a minimalist.
Using a light hand with just a hint of make up to draw attention to my eyes.

I wash and moisturize my face twice daily with an arsenal of products...

Avene from France

sold locally at the Pharmacy in the Village.

My weapon of choice...

a battery powered Olay brush

deeper cleansing 

sloughing

and a gentle massage.

I love this tool and I think it has made my skin look better since I started using it.

My rosacea has settled down since using it so that's a bonus!

This enamel tin holds all my make up.

This is it, 

all of the products that I use.

Organic Mineral sunscreen by Eminence

Lancome mascara

Great Lash clear for eye brow control

2 eye liners 

one in brown for daytime

one in black for evening

eye shadow powder brush

eyebrow and eye lash grooming tool

eye lash curler

shadows for daytime in mauve, pink and grey

a darker shade for the smokey eye at night

basic neutral pink lip

Like most things here in The Humble Bungalow

keeping it simple seems to be the way to go.

What is your approach?

Minimal or maximum?

Tory Burch ~ Thrift Find of the Summer!

On our summer boating holiday we visited a Gulf Island that had a Thrift Shop
"Nu~to~U" which was only open 2 days a week.
My BFF and I went early before the 10am scheduled opening and stood behind a few locals in a line that snaked it's way out the door and down the steps. I thought to myself as we waited that this must be one fabulous shop if the locals were queuing well before the doors were open.

She's made with recycled finds

love that aluminum teapot cover

can you spot it?

This female form certainly was a conversation starter!

On my first visit I found a wee watercolour of roses

which I plan to hang on the wall of our guest room.

 a brooch with two scottie dogs made out of bakelite

On Labour Day Weekend 

lovely daughter and I paid this wee shop another visit.

This time we found ourselves way at the very bottom of the stairs with probably 20 people ahead of us.

Listening in to the local gossip was incredibly entertaining

I suppose living on a small island means that everyone knows what everyone else is doing!

(there was some pretty interesting chatter with some very personal details going public)

When they opened the doors there was quite a surge 

as people entered the shop and scouted out the tables and shelves

it was rather difficult negotiating the tiny aisles

and I spied a black handbag

that no one else seemed to be interested in...

I bought it!

supple leather

a simple style 

do you recognize the logo?

Tory Burch design

Dena Glazed Hobo Bag.

subtle details

well constructed

a mirror inside

zippered section

with pockets for keys and a cellphone

(the mirror still had the protective film on it)

I think this bag is brand new.

You can see it here  at Saks for much more than I paid.

After we shopped the Thrift Store we went grocery shopping and my Roots cross body bag's strap broke!

It must have been meant for me.

I have taken the Roots bag in for repair and in the meantime I am enjoying this Tory Burch Bag

and I am feeling a little smug about the fact that I did not have to pay the regular retail price of this bag.

It's a guilt free pleasure!

What have you been fortunate enough to find at a thrift shop?

What is your best score ever?

Hope your week is off to a great start!

Soothing sights just steps away.

Life has been anything but routine here in The Humble Bungalow and I have needed to seek solace.
Things beyond our control that have upset the balance of calm and thrown us off kilter.
These events can only make us stronger and bind us tighter together as a family.

Looking for something to soothe my spirit I did what I usually do when life gets me down and I went outside and slowly meandered in the garden.

a cheery bunch of colchiums

tucked beneath a ginger plant

(also known as the Autumn Crocus)

here's the bloom on the ginger plant

looks very much like a lily

pretty ~ in ~ pink

speaking of lilies

here is a lovely orange day lily

sadly their blooms wilt after a day 

I have a mass planting of these against the north foundation of the Humble Bungalow

they've multiplied like mad

a flush of roses

this lovely rose whose name escapes me is a happy specimen

and never fails to please

Alliums which attract the bees like nobody's business

I like to use them as fillers for my arrangements.

a nod to blue

with this hydrangea

I have several blue hydrangeas in bloom

Recently I have fallen in love with hydrangeas

and have at 5 limelights in the front garden 

several blues in the back yard

 a few weeks ago I purchased an oak leaf hydrangea with a creamy lace-like pom pom flower.

It's comforting to know that they will grow and thrive in our clay soil.

They can be pruned and shaped which is convenient 

so that they do not take over the space where they have been planted.

Our reliable Jacob's Coat Rose

has been blooming all summer long

it is located just outside the back door

within easy reach

for picking and the necessary dead heading.

I feel the gloom has lifted ever so slightly

in just taking the time to look around outside 

getting some fresh air and sunshine.

I count on my garden to help me as I negotiate the often precarious journey of life.

What gives you strength in times of distress?

Where do you go to be alone with your thoughts and regain perspective when things go sideways?

Purr ~ affection, a catty post.

The news on the feline front is that a bond of friendship is being forged.
There are cat chases around the house when the rugs go flying and the cats are a blurry flash.

They regularly eat out of each other's food bowls.
Concerned about this habit I mentioned this to the vet she nodded and smiled and said there's very little you can do about it and she knows because she has two cats herself.

Pepper and Chester having an afternoon nap

(someone disturbed their slumber by taking a photo!)

Chester looking very chic in a feather boa

looking very wild attacking the feather boa

Chester has doubled his weight since arriving here from California

where he was rescued.

He had been malnourished and was a very skinny kitten.

I hope that he will continue to thrive and be as affectionate...

he purrs like a motor boat

and loves to snuggle and cuddle.

Our pets are family

they give us so much love and joy.

I can't imagine The Humble Bungalow 

without a pet or pets about...

He's a sweet little fellow.

Speaking of cats...

Have any of you been watching the Real Housewives of Vancouver?

They are the cattiest women I have ever seen.

One woman is mean to the core and doesn't care who she hurts...

they had 2 episodes of the Housewives Tell All and it was a full on cat fight.

I do not know any catty women

have had very few experiences that border on catty 

and wonder if I am just lucky.

How about you

have you got some cat tales to share?

~  ~  ~