Mother Daughter getaway...new clothes for Spring and summer.

Last weekend our darling daughter accompanied me on a trip to Vancouver.
The focus of the trip was to shop.
And shop we did!

The first day we walked and shopped for 5 hours and the second for 6...a marathon of walking and shopping yielded quite a few bags full.

I love these shoes.

Ferragamo Varina flats...

IF I were to plunk down the cash I would insist on a pair in red.

They are quite pricey at $625 but they are beautifully made and so classic, perhaps iconic.

A gal can dream....

Aritzia is a favourite shop of darling daughter...

we have one here in Victoria

the Robson shop has three storefronts and loads of stock.

We perused the shop both days as it was on the same street as our Hotel.

Milestones restaurant was the perfect casual spot to stop for dinner.

Lots of variety and healthy options for dinner.

OOTD

Calvin Klein ponte knit pants

Style & Co. black top

Clarks boots

Burberry print infinity scarf

(My hair is a mess as we got caught in a torrential downpour!)

H&M navy and white striped top

London Fog navy and white polka dot trench coat.

White NYDJ jeans

Black flats by Pegabo with gold accents on the heels

H&M striped top

We sipped Perrier and munched on popcorn while we watched the award winning movie Brooklyn.

(I highly recommend it)

We also watched the English film Man Up.

(funny and entertaining ~ cute)

There was a gale force windstorm Sunday 

when we left the dock at the ferry terminal the wind was really intense

The crossing across Georgia Strait was lumpy but we made it to the island without incident.

Later that same day there were some ferries that had mishaps...

one bumped into a concrete dock and some sailings were also cancelled.

Are you old enough to remember Lamb Chop and Shari Lewis?

These little lamb chops were for sale in the onboard shop.

Like lamb chop I am embracing a bright paw.

Dior Adventure will do the trick.

Hope that your week is ticking along nicely.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

White Wednesday...

When I first started blogging Wednesday posts by many of the bloggers that I followed were often
"wordless" or "white" Wednesdays.
Today my focus is on white.

Walking in the garden yesterday I realized that many of our flowers are white...
this is not an accident,
we planned the plantings based on my love for all white bouquets.

We planted this magnolia last year and it is in bloom.

I love how the wee droplets of rain are clinging to the petals.

I am so happy that we chose this delicate and fragrant magnolia.

The giant Snowdrops are flowering.

Their wee flowers remind me of a baby's bonnet...

more water droplets dripping off the leaves

 With any luck these snowdrops will multiply...

my vision is for masses of these white heads bobbing in the beds!

The book I ordered from Ivy's Book shop arrived so I have put the kettle on and am brewing up a pot of tea and will sit and relax in the Humble Bungalow living room and savour the sumptuous pictures inside this lovely book.

Cheerio for now,

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

My search is over...for now.

It has taken me weeks to find a great pair of black knit pants...
who would have thought that this would have been so challenging?

Black pants are such a great basic and one that I wear several times a week...
that's why I was so desperate to replace my favourite pair.

Mine were 2 years old, a wee bit faded and they were looking less than best.

Calvin Klein makes these and they were found at Marshall's at a very good price point.
The fabric has lots of Spandex so I expect that will help retain the shape of the pants.

These knit pants are ankle length so they work great with my short legs!

They are a pull on pant...which sounds frumpy...

they are so comfy and without a zipper and pockets there is a wonderful slimming effect.

Great style to wear with a longer top.

With any luck I'll be wearing these for a few years to come.

Oh and while I was there...

I spent the money that Mother gave me for my birthday.

Linen top white with grey stripes.

Going to love this for summer 

will layer it over a tank top and wear it with my white skinny jeans.

I can see it as a bathing suit "cover up" too.

Bring on the sunshine!

I am already wearing a lighter shade on my paws.

Formula X polish 

"Thrilling"

I have been away for the weekend with lovely daughter on a shopping spree in Vancouver. 

The gale forced winds are hammering our coast and we just made it home across the strait

before the winds really picked up.

Will post soon.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Flower Power

There is an amazing tonic to brighten up our gloomy rain days...
Today I am harnessing Flower Power!

a wee daisy does the trick

cheery daffodils

sweet scented clematis

a pure white camellia

I have been immersed in reading an inspiring book 

on the remaking of one of Britain's largest privately owned gardens.

It was a huge undertaking, which sounds quite daunting, the results are stunning.

Roy Strong was the garden writer for Country Life magazine for many years.

He has several other books most notably "A Country Life"

euphorbia

I love this chartreuse shade of the flowers

another beautiful euphorbia

a broody kind of day for walking

heavy cloud cover

no wind

more rain in the forecast

 the yellow lichen looks pretty today

I don't know if these flowers brightened your day but they are certainly helping me stay positive 

under this torrential down pour.

"There are always flowers for those who want to see them. "

~ Henri Matisse ~

"Be Well and Be Kind"

 ~ Hostess ~

Beauty and the Brow

It is International Woman's Day!

Today I am focusing on Beauty...
which truly is in the eye of the beholder.

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart."
                               ~ Khalil Gibran ~

The focus of today's post is the brow...

Personally I feel that make up should be used with a light touch to look like you, only better!
My routine is simple and quick and I prefer the "no make up look."

You may ask why do I bother?
In a nutshell, it makes me feel better about myself.

Powder foundation, a quick sweep of eye shadow, followed by mascara all by Jane Iredale.
Followed by light dusting with Bobbi Brown Bronzer to highlight my cheekbones.
This can all be done in about 5 minutes or less.

BTW ~ I no longer use a lash curler as I noticed too many of the lashes were falling out.

My eyebrows are thinner due to a thyroid condition and I have quite a few white hairs now
which makes them almost disappear.

Professional tinting at the Spa lasts about 6 weeks which covers the white and grey hairs.
Unfortunately no amount of dye will give the illusion of fullness and for that
I went to Sephora.

Bobbi Brown makes a brow pencil which is easy to use.

The soft formula allows for precise filling in of the areas that need a little fullness and definition.

It comes with a sharpener which is convenient to keep the tip sharp making it much easier to apply.

I also picked up my birthday bonus gift.

Marc Jacobs eye liner and a small lipstick.

I use an old mascara wand to brush my brows before applying Maybelline Brow Drama.

The brow drama is tinted and has a gel which keeps brows in place

then I use the Bobbi Brown brow pencil to fill in any gaps.

I do not tweeze my brows.

I use a small pair of scissors to clip any hairs that grow too long and to maintain their shape.

You can have this done at the Spa if you so desire.

The results of just these 3 products are quite dramatic...

brows "frame" the face.

If you have ever seen anyone who has shaved off their brows you will understand what I mean.

Have you noticed women that are wearing "too much" make up?

I wonder if they are trying to hide their age, ashamed perhaps that they are not youthful.

Too much make up can them look even older...

lighter formulas used sparingly are far more flattering.

Be comfortable in your own skin

rejoice 

you are a woman of a certain age

there is no shame in that

hold your head high

walk with confidence

embrace your years

you have earned respect

and you have wisdom.

Focus on healthy eating, drink lots of water, maintain a good skincare regime.

If your budget allows for it have a professional facial every month or so...

and please remember to SMILE!

A smile perks up the corners of the mouth and lightens up the face.

Celebrate being a woman today!

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~