Beauty matters....

Last week I gave Mother a bunch of tulips and unfortunately they drooped within a few hours...we tried the penny in the vase trick and poking a hole through the top where the bloom joins the stem but nothing worked.
Mother decided that she would simply display the blooms in a silver compote...
when we arrived at her condo tonight these gorgeous blooms greeted us.

I blurred the edges and enhanced the colour.

but they are equally beautiful in their natural state. 

Beautiful aren't they?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

Beauty makes all the difference...

"A tulip doesn't strive to impress anyone. 

It doesn't struggle to be different than a rose. 

It doesn't have to. 

It is different. 

And there's room in the garden for every flower. 

You didn't have to struggle to make your face different than anyone else's on earth. 

It just is. 

You are unique because you were created that way. 

Look at little children in kindergarten. 

They're all different without trying to be. 

As long as they're unselfconsciously being themselves, they can't help but shine. 

It's only later, when children are taught to compete, 

to strive to be better than others, 

that their natural light becomes distorted."

~ Marianne Williamson ~

I have been thinking a lot about beauty these days.

Beauty matters.

In spite of the bleak winter weather the garden is coming alive.

The flowers are budding...

the birds are singing in the morning before first light until the sun sets in the sky.

There is much to be thankful for in the day.

Those little bits of beauty that surprise us when we least expect them.

The flowers growing in the cracks of concrete by the seashore.

A kind smile from a stranger that you pass in the street.

Picking up the phone to hear the voice of your best friend...

the sound of the kettle as it whistles when it boils.

That sweet taste of tea from a china cup which brings with it a sense of joy.

Beauty matters.

These simple everyday things are never taken for granted...

the "attitude of gratitude" is the simply the most empowering tool that I have embraced as an adult

if you have never thought about it you might like to start now...

it will change your life forever and for the better.

Look for beauty that will enrich your days...

I hope that you find some beauty this weekend.

Walkabout....Victoria's Chinatown.

Your sensitive and thoughtful comments and emails continue to surprise and amaze me...

I am grateful and truly humbled.

Now moving forward after that anonymous rant and getting back to the business of blogging.
Blogging in the manner to which I am accustomed.

My Volvo was in being serviced at the dealership and so I had a few hours in town to do some exploring.
My first stop was Value Village as I do love to peruse the books and china tea cups...I found myself looking at handbags and found a vintage Furla leather bag in chestnut brown leather.

It's a bit of a monster in size but I do like a bag with lots of room for a book and a bottle of water.

I like the tied handle details...

I've been looking for a bargain bag in brown to go with my watch strap for several years.

Our local Value Village is a vast warehouse full to the brim with all kinds of goods.

I find it an amazing place to find everyday basics and clothing.

You'd be surprised at the quality of some of the items...

I think a lot of people, myself included, declutter and are too lazy to have garage sales!

I am on maintenance at WW and went to their new location in Royal Oak for my monthly weigh in and was down half a pound...so far I have not fallen off the wagon!

Salads are so satisfying especially when they have some protein added like the blue cheese and nuts here.

This combination was delicious...apples, blue cheese and nuts atop of baby romaine lettuce.

A simple vinaigrette which I sparingly drizzled over top.

I ordered a decaf Americano coffee to go with the salad from The Grindstone across the street from Value Village.

Lunch out is a treat and I don't mind dining alone.

After lunch I decided to take a walk in Chinatown.

There are guided tours of chinatown which are really interesting.

 On the tours you visit the Mah Jong parlour and go inside the temples and some of the buildings and the shops.

I highly recommend going on a tour if you are visiting Victoria.

The Gate of Harmonious Interest

the entrance to Victoria's Historic Chinatown.

Fisgard Street is chock full of shops, cafes, markets, temples and buildings.

One of my favourite spots to browse...

there is a resident cat that frequently snoozes in the window but he was not there this afternoon or I would have taken a picture of him as he is quite a handsome and very large feline.

There is a sweet little garden out through those french doors...

if they had been open I would have stepped out and taken a picture.

I popped into Silk Road Tea Company on Government Street which is around the corner from Fisgard.

They were serving Lullaby Tea a new blend which is a sleep tea.

The roller ball of aromatherapy oils is reported to induce sleep as well.

It smells lovely!

It seems that many women suffer from sleep issues.

I do not want to rely on any pharmaceuticals so I am experimenting with these.

I also picked up a tin of Japanese Sour Cherry tea...it is a particularly refreshing tea served over ice in the hot weather.

It's another glorious day here and I must close for now as I am going to take a walk.

I'll see what I can find to share with you as I wander about in the neighbourhood.

Do something nice for someone today...

you'll feel better for it.

Anonymous rants and a day of beauty....

I am wondering why on the previous post anonymous at 11:33 felt the need to vent.

It's curious too that all the rude comments are signed anonymous...never a name to stand behind their words.

It's so easy to throw stones when one is invisible.

My blog voice has never been one that aspired to anything too serious...

"elevating the pedestrian to equestrian through Hermes scarves"

 should give the reader the notion that it is not a blog dedicated to frugality or that I am trying to change the world.

I am curious why the commenter thought that he or she might see pictures of our fair city here.

It's true that I randomly showcase a bit of the scenery but that is not a regular occurance.

I think that the reader must have stumbled here quite by accident.

I considered removing the ability for anonymous comments but decided against it.

This brought out some great support by readers who found the comment completely out of line and unfounded...and I must thank those readers who addressed this on the blog and those who emailed me privately.

You are so appreciated and I am very grateful!

Anonymous if you are reading, perhaps you would like to elaborate on your comments.

I would be happy to openly discuss your comments here on the blog.

I could not pass these pretty tulips by without taking a picture.

Do you think Mother Nature had a red brush in her hand when she made these blooms?

The boulevard on this quiet byway in Oak Bay has been planted with bluebells.

I stopped the car to take a picture...

the oak tree overhead cast it's shadow on the road.

I think the deer have been nibbling these tulips...

well we all have to eat.

I chose a Cobb Salad when Mother sister and I went to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel Pub for dinner.

It was delicious!

We went for a walk along McNeil Bay after dinner.

Mother told us that she wants her ashes scattered here when she passes on...

Father's ashes were scattered here 7 years ago, she showed us where she put them.

We were not invited to that farewell to Father.

Mother just up and decided that because she was his wife she would do it by herself.

 She never told my sister and I until after the fact.

We now know what is expected and she is working on her obituary for the newspaper.

She is thinking of her mortality more often these days...

Views to Trial Island and the Olympic Mountain range in Washington State.

Signage in Oak Bay is quite creative.

Talk about the dog whisperer!

Wild sweet peas...at least that's what we think they are...no scent to speak of but they look like they are related.

OOTD 

Grey lambswool beaded cardigan

white Coldwater Creek tank top

dark wash skinny jeans G21

Mee Too black ballet flats

I wore these to meet up with a reader from Salt Spring Island this afternoon.

We met up at Pure Vanilla and chatted for over an hour about books, gardens, blogs, travel and France!

It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with a lovely reader...

I think I will hop on the ferry and pop over and visit her before we take the boat over this summer.

I think that there is much to see and do by car and I would be delighted to visit her mediterranean styled garden.

Thank you A for taking the time to come across the pond and spend some time with me.

It was an honour to meet you!

Hope that your week is off to a great start!

Blah blah blah....blog.

Are there any new thoughts that I can type that would inject some excitement to The Humble Bungalow Blog?
Yawn...maybe I should make something up?
I am in a writer's funk and wonder what I can do to spice things up...
Do you ever get yourself in one of those moods?

It's like school when struggling and emergent writers are ready, pencil and paper poised to start and then realize that they are stuck...it's time for a story starter!
Those random few sentences that inspire and fuel the imagination...
"Leslie was sitting in her car when a police car sped by at top speed side swiping her Volvo estate with such force that her Starbucks coffee spilled all over her beautiful Hermes scarf!"

It's kind of weird for me...not having anything that I feel excited to write about...

Maybe I am ebbing low...like Springsteen sang "man I'm tired and bored with myself"

So here goes people...
I am attempting to cobble together a post with a cup of tea and a lemon shortbread cookie in my mouth.
Don't judge me too harshly if it is a crummy post!

I treated myself to some flowers...actually it's a limey shade of white hydrangea.

I'll keep it in the house for a bit and then plant it in the garden.

The morning light filtering through the blinds...

Love the size of these blooms.

Distressed and funky jardinere...

a freebie from the boulevard.

Someone has polished the silver so much that the base metal is showing through but I thought the pattern was nice.

I think it might be a Tudor Rose.

Our new DKNY coverlet on the master bedroom bed...

chrysanthemum like blooms stitched to form a pattern.

The cats seem to like it and one of them threw up on it within the first 30 minutes...

I was able to wash the spot and thankfully it did not stain.

I haven't seen Mother for over 3 weeks now and she tells me that she is feeling tired...

I have asked her to make an appointment with our GP and see if her B12 is low.

Perhaps it is her heart?

It's such a worry.

She says that she misses seeing me and I reassure her that I will see her as soon as the last of my cough has gone.

I do not want her getting ill with this nasty business.

I think it will be this week that we can arrange an outing...it is long overdue.

Lovely daughter and I had a delightful thrift shopping adventure this weekend.

She found some great vintage leather boots, some modernist Finnish glasses and we were able to buy her a retro sapphire ring which I might add is stunning.

See for yourself...

She has a great eye for design and manages to find quite a few bargains.

This was a wee extra gift as she just had her birthday and we have yet to celebrate due to illness.

I am looking forward to our dinner out and getting dressed up and enjoying a glass or two of bubbly.

In the meantime I am off to the nursery to buy some plants and perk up the deck and porch.

There is nothing like digging in the dirt and getting my hands dirty to perk things up.

What do you do to shake things up when you are in a funk?

Denim Love ~ or is it Lust?

How excited are you about your clothing purchases?
Do you get a wee bit of a rush when you find the perfect piece?
Or do you feel rather hum drum and so so when buying clothes?

Well I got really excited when my new Gap denim jacket arrived and I immediately put it on to find it fit perfectly and I love the lighter wash. I bought the Petite but in a large as I have some "considerations" up front that necessitate a bit more fabric and I do want to be able to close the jacket without it gaping.

JCrew Venus Flytrap necklace

Can you picture this with white jeans? a printed skirt? a black dress with sandals?
I can and am already imagining all the combinations possible with my current wardrobe.

Hermes scarf with a pop of red...

which reminds me I must replace those red ballet flats that wore out.

JCrew necklace gets two thumbs up.

Sherman brooch oh yes!

The jacket is soft and already distressed so my work is done people.

Now I just need to get out and wear it.

~ ~ ~

I've done the seasonal closet swap and tried on all my Spring and Summer clothes.

The good news is that there will be lots of room for clothes!

 The bad news is only two things fit!

Going from a size 14 to a 10 or 8 is exciting but it means that shopping is going to be very much on my agenda!

I have laundered and ironed all those too large items and have booked an appointment with the consignment shop in Oak Bay. I received several hundred dollars last season when I sold my clothes....it is not a lot of money but it will get me started as I need to replace the basics.

My walking partner and I are hosting a baby shower for a fabulous teacher friend who is expecting her first child in a few weeks.

It will be fun to see all the gals from work and catch up on all their news.

I had so much fun shopping for a baby gift!

Have you noticed how cute the baby clothes are these days?

What have you got planned for your weekend?

Hope you've got some time set aside for a wee bit of fun.

Thank you for stopping by...

Hostess

XO