Friday, September 27, 2019

Surprises! Flowers and an unexpected Frock...


An unexpected bloom from one of our Calla Lilies...
they were in flower during the summer and most have become dormant.
Not this one!


This beautiful blue hydrangea bloom is outshining the rest on the plant.
Most of the other flowers have faded and are dry and crispy.

If you read my Instagram you'll know that this hydrangea was a gift from my husband's firm when my father passed away in 2007.

It was a small potted plant when it arrived.
Now, years later, it stands about 6 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter!


Am immersed in Where The Crawdads Sing and loving the story so much!


Replenished my supply of serum from IS Clinical.
This serum works hard and delivers on its promise for better skin.

A luggage strap for my carry on.
The book I plan to take on the plane.


I ran errands on Oak Bay Avenue on a sunny breezy Fall day...
to get in more steps and walking I popped into a few of the shops and browsed.

This black Nyan dress caught my eye in the Maresa Boutique
It looked interesting and has some fabulous textural details.
I had not planned to purchase anything 
BUT it spoke to me!!!

It will replace the black textured skirt I planned to take in my carry on.
It will be an easy dress to wear...with hose or capri leggings.
Perfect for the trip to Italy and France.


The garden is still quite colourful...
My desire to get out there and work and weed has completely vanished...

Busy elsewhere in The Humble Bungalow this week.
Packing lists, errands and painting.

We had to rip up the carpets and underlay as we had some rainwater seep in during the last torrential rainstorm.

My husband discovered that the rain barrel
which usually stores then distributes the precipitation to the garden
 via a soaker hose 
(which unfortunately was plugged) 
 so 
it saturated the soil right beside the floor and seeped inside.

He's installed and overflow gauge with a wider solid hose. 
(in case the soaker hose malfunctions again)

Spent several days painting the concrete floor in the guest room.
We have purchased a couple of runners for now and will monitor the situation.


I pass by a garden on my way to the wee lending library and often stop to admire the unusual plants that grow in it.

This pretty pink plant is in the garden across the street.
I have no idea what kind of plant it is but will make sure that I ask 
next time I see our neighbours out in their garden.

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Monday, September 23, 2019

Everyday clothes...

My basic wardrobe has gone through quite a transformation these past few years.
I've purchased a few basics from The Eileen Fisher store on South Granville in Vancouver.


This is my everyday Fall and Winter wardrobe.

Pants
Two pairs of black Eileen Fisher 
 one in rayon and the other a knit.

Jeans
Eileen Fisher 
Ralph Lauren
Vintage America

Sleeveless tops
Eileen Fisher white
Eileen Fisher black
Sympli wine

Tees
Tahari Linen white 
H and M linen white
Wilfred Free grey knit
Karl Lagerfeld printed Paris graphic 

Long sleeved tops
Cable and Guage Black with white polka dots 
Tilley black wrap style 
Sympli black knit
Saint James striped black and white V neck
David Cline grey black white print
Bailey 22 blue Tencel shirt
Holland America souvenir navy and white striped top 
with sequined cruise ship detail on front

Puffy vests
black Eileen Fisher
blue Calvin Klein

Sweaters
Black Goat camel cashmere swing coat cardigan
Black Goat black cashmere V neck tunic 
Multi coloured grey with accents rib knit long vest 
Navy cashmere cardigan
Grey hooded cardigan / jacket style

Skirt
Black textured knit A line skirt

Active wear
Black capri length Yoga pants
Black and grey long Yoga pants
Columbia active wear black jacket
Columbia active wear black rain jacket

Jackets and Coats
Eileen Fisher olive green khaki jacket
Bryn Walker charcoal grey knit 
Saint James beige rain coat
Eddie Bauer down charcoal puffy coat 
Lands' End black down puffy jacket
Vintage denim jacket

I have a few pieces of dressier clothes for special occasions 
which are stored in our guest room closet.
Most items I have had for a long time and many are vintage from thrift shops. 


Saint James striped top and Eileen Fisher vest.

I love how easy it is to get dressed with a small wardrobe.
The key is to have a few basic pieces that mix and match
accessories to add that little extra oomph.

It's been a gradual shift and I have learned a LOT from other bloggers.

Buying fewer pieces, investing in quality long lasting garments just makes sense.

I recently read that the "Fast Fashion" industry 
is the top contributor to climate change.

Eileen Fisher offers clothing recycling 
where EF garments are redesigned and made into new pieces of clothing.
The company also sources organic materials.
Her ethical approach to the fashion industry is one of the reasons that I am willing to pay a little more for a garment.
Feeling better wearing something that is not harming our planet.

Everlane is a company the Janet at The Gardener's Cottage is passionate about.
She received a lovely cashmere sweater from them made using recycled cashmere...recycling fashion is just such great news.


Comfortable too, showing up in the same or similar outfits.
No more feeling pressured to continually
spend money.

Instead the extra money I can use for...
Experiences, travel, date nights with my husband,
home improvements
lessons and clothes for the grandchildren.


Rainy day today...
perfect for getting some things done inside The Humble Bungalow.
Laundry has been accomplished...
A Fall pot roast dinner has been prepped.
I've repainted the hobby room floor as it was getting chipped by years of wear.

After I publish this post
 I plan to pop the kettle on and enjoy a few chapters in my current book
Miss You by Kim Eberlen

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Travel carry on list making...roasted tomatoes and a new book!

Travel planning is part of the fun when embarking on a getaway.
A friend and I will be flying off to Italy and France in the next few weeks...
so
I want to be prepared for a variety of events and weather.
 I am relying heavily on layers to do the job.

This is the list of things that I am mulling over.

Colour theme of basic black, grey and white.

All will fit into my Air France carry on.
I did not add all the scarves to my list 
as I am trying to decide if I can be happy with one or two 
which ones they may be are still to be decided.



This navy cashmere cardigan will go with all my clothes.
The silk scarf is a triangular shape and adds a bit of oomph to the basic items.

The coat I am packing is from Eileen Fisher 
 an olive green khaki shade...
there is some olive green in this scarf 
as well as mustard yellow, blue, white, black and many more shades.

I can tie it to focus on the colours that I want to emphasize.


This long charcoal grey jacket is in a sturdy knit fabric 
which can be also be worn as a coat.
It's from Bryn Walker 
I am leaning to taking it as its very versatile and has two large pockets.


I've been busy roasting the tomatoes that my husband grew in his greenhouse.
The sweet and richness of roasted tomatoes is such a treat.
Very versatile over fish or pasta.
Can be served as a side dish...or on top of a sliced baguette.


I added these to a jar of quality Italian pomodoro sauce
simmered for about an hour before I
served it over pasta.
An absolute gastronomic delight!


Autumnal colourful flowers for the cottage...


I've discovered a new author 
Kate Eberlen.
Am immersed in this lovely story...
it's a romantic story of two young people 
who have a chance meeting in Florence while on holiday 
and it moves back to London where their lives cross paths...

I am starting Part Two and am enjoying the story and writing immensely.
It's so refreshing when you discover a new author and I found out her next book "If Only" is due to come out in April of 2020.

What are you reading?
Have you discovered any new authors?

Do any of you seasoned travellers have advice you care to share when it comes to packing light for 3 weeks using only a carry on?

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~


Monday, September 16, 2019

Sleep Quality ~ a quick report.

In an earlier post I pondered if the double bed in the guest room, although very comfy, was responsible for the lack of restful sleep.

I found myself yawning in the mid afternoon and craving a strong cup of coffee.

Caffeine is a sleep disruptor so I didn't want to try a cup and opted for decaf tea instead but I still felt weary...

We had been sleeping in a double bed while renovations were being made in our master bedroom so I considered that it may have been the size of the bed but now I am not sure that's true.

I have been quite busy researching sleep, what constitutes a good night sleep, the amount of sleep we need, things that contribute to a poor nights sleep, over the counter sleep aids and their effectiveness and side effects.

What started out as a simple question in my mind turned into hours of online study...it was as if I had fallen down a rabbit hole!

Several readers commented on the use of magnesium supplements to help with sleep, so I looked into that on The Mayo Clinic site. It turns out that I may have a magnesium deficiency...many of the issues associated with a deficiency are things that I have been recently experiencing...
numbness, dizziness, poor sleep, heartburn, irregular heartbeats, muscle spasms, and fatigue.

Magnesium is found in avocados, leafy greens, beans and legumes, whole grains, bananas, almonds, cashew, hazelnuts, popcorn, peanuts, oats, cocoa, dark chocolate seeds - pumpkin, chia, sunflower.

I do not regularly eat nuts, avocados, or chocolate...as they are high in WW points.
Leafy greens of all sorts in salads, various beans, and bananas are consumed frequently.

I have oats in the fall and winter for breakfast but not every morning...
this is a habit I may need to change!

According to one site I checked out approximately 75% of people are deficient in magnesium!

Will follow up with my doctor and have an appointment booked.

I have started taking a pill with my dinner and my FitBit has already registered the imrpovements.
REM is twice what it has been previously and the DEEP sleep is much longer.

I woke up fewer times and feel much better when I wake up in the mornings.


The pharmacist mentioned that many people are experiencing better sleep when they take this supplement. She handed me a pamphlet with a lot of information about magnesium which she encouraged me to read.
After I finished reading about the benefits of the supplement,
I decided to give it a try
she suggested this gentle 200mg dose.

The cost was under $30 for a 4 month supply.
My husband is trying it out too.

I found a new body lotion at the pharmacy...
it absorbs into my skin quickly after my shower.


I have shared this information as it is helping me sleep better...

 I suggest that you check with your physician before trying this supplement.
If you are deficient, a simple blood test can test for the level.

Wishing you a lovely week.

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Bedroom renovations are done!



The renovation took several months 
due to our summer holidays 
and 
the schedules and work load of the construction crew.

Here's what the bedroom looks like today.


Built in drawers and doors replaced a very small closet space.

We have so much more room for our clothes and its much better organized.

I purchased:

new pillows
memory foam mattress protector
cotton sheets
bed skirt
throw


Chester seems to approve!

We are leaving the distressed floor as it is...
I am not planning on buying antique rugs which originally thought I would.

Not sure about art work on the white walls...
they look so peaceful and serene.

All white bedding is my favourite.


Claire Austin Rose

I am working on my list
"3 weeks in a carry on" 
 for my upcoming trip to Italy and France.

More about that next time!

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~