Showing posts with label OPI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OPI. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Adding a wee bit of polish to my days...

The New Year is here and with it comes the opportunity to make some changes.
What changes might those be?
For starters,
getting back on the Weight Watchers Point Program with continued walks is my top priority.
Over the holidays too many sweets and treats have been savoured and despite the walks I am up a few pounds...it is not the end of the world but I do not want to let it get out of control.
I feel better when my clothes have a little bit of "breathing room!"

But I digress...
this post was titled adding a bit of polish.


 My hands and nails have never been given much thought...
I am a no nonsense kind of gal...and have thought of my hands as tools in the domestic arena.

As a result of neglect and my haphazard way of wearing gloves when I wash dishes and clean house
I have had to invest heavily in hand creams and slather them on throughout the day.
(L'Occitane Shea Butter... and I buy the small size to keep in my handbag and the car)

I have been inspired to make a wee change...
at least for now
while the New Year is fresh and new.
(will see how long it lasts!)

For now I am enjoying taking extra care of my hands and my nails.
My gloves are handy right beside the sink
as a reminder to put them on when I am immersed in domestics, which I am on a daily basis.


Purple Playtex Living Gloves
endorsed by This Hostess.


Workhorses in The Humble Bungalow


Base coat, polish and a top coat are applied so that they last longer and resist chipping.
This OPI shade is called Chocolate Moose...
I love how they choose creative names for their polish.
 I think this is a neutral versatile colour.


Looking for some pretty pink shades in the OPI,  Essie or Butter lines to add to my collection.


Perhaps something soft...and light, maybe in a blush pink.


or a deeper fuchsia like this Camellia.

Blues and greens and blacks are popular 
I am not sure that they are suitable for my 60 year old hands...
 though they are fine on my toes in the summer months.


Speaking of trying new things...
Cheryl, my friend from France, taught me how to make duck confit.
We browned the duck legs in a hot Le Creuset pan and then heated them in the oven.
We de-glazed the pan with a bit of Sancerre and added about a half cup of marmalade and let it simmer and reduced it until it was thick.

The wee potatoes were roasted in a bit of the duck fat in a hot oven until they were golden and softened.
The green beans were steamed until they were almost tender...
(I like a bit of resistance when I bite into a green bean)

~ Dessert ~
tasty lemon tarts from the bakery.

You can see why I am up a few pounds as we enjoyed many rich meals 
while our house guests were here in The Humble Bungalow.
So it is salad daze and healthy eating for the foreseeable future.

If you are looking for some inspiration and a fresh way of starting your New Year


Chat soon
until next time...
~ Be Kind and Take Care ~

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Wishing you a Joyous Christmas

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow.
I appreciate all your comments and would like to extend warm wishes to you at this time.


Our Humble Bungalow
Glowing with the white fairy lights strung on the tree and the beams.


Just a few finishing touches and I am ready...
adding a bit of OPI polish.


One more sleep!

Christmas brings with it a mix of emotions...

memories bubble up and are powerful
thinking of those no longer with us
of those who may be ill or suffering

it is a time to spend with friends and family
and often we find ourselves far away from home

Christmas expectations might be set too high
you might be short of money
you may be lonely

I hope that you have someone that you care for to share your holiday with and that you are Joyful.


An unexpected gift arrived in the mail today
from a friend that I met on The Ooh La La Paris Tour
Merci Beaucoup!

Wishing you a Peaceful Holiday.
Hostess

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Dinner time for the deer and the dears....

There are a few plants in the front garden of Our Humble Bungalow....
that have delighted the resident deer population...Dinner is Served!


Sum and Substance is a large leafed Hosta...
those bite marks are huge!


This Hosta had it's flower stalks bitten down and most of the leaves removed.
I planted it this Spring...may be moving it next Fall to the fenced back yard.
Yum Yum someone had a tasty treat.


Another Hosta that was planted this Spring...
munch munch munch.


The deer have left this Giant Rudbeckia alone...

The grasses are untouched but the Orange Crocosmia flowers have been all eaten.


They love eating roses...the tender new foliage and the flowers.


David Austin Rose William Shakespeare has not been a target yet...
perhaps because it is surrounded by Hostas 
which I have decided are the snack of choice for the deer.


This is the same size as the deer that I saw walking along our side walk out front of The Humble Bungalow. I think he must need a lot of greenery to keep him feel full...don't you?
(picture from the archives)


Plump Rose Hips are forming on our neighbours rose bushes.


They are really quite beautiful...


Indulged in a wee bit of pampering...
a relaxing spa pedicure with a bright red polish.
OPI 
Give me a Lido Kiss
from

We had the family around to celebrate Mr. HB's birthday.
I cooked up a big batch of macaroni and cheese, made a couple of salads, baked a salmon, and served cupcakes with coloured sprinkles.
Mother and Aunty Jennifer got to meet Mira Louise and we had plenty of cuddles and hugs from the children...
it was a lovely evening.
Seriously The Best!


The house feels so quiet now...
I can hear
the dishwasher swishing and the linens are in the washer spinning.
Yet
I can still hear the enthusiastic voices of the little ones...
 singing Happy Birthday to Grampa.
They will sustain and keep me happy until I see them again....
Life with Grand Children...
is as Good as it Gets!