Showing posts with label lunch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lunch. Show all posts

Sunday, August 9, 2020

OOTD...spa time and lunch out.

Welcome to The Humble Bungalow Blog.

Blogger has introduced a new interface which is proving to be quite quirky.
If it continues to be problematic I will give up and post only on Instagram.
Vintage Coach bag and Maui Jim prescription sunglasses
Summertime Basics
Chaus of New York Polka dot top.

I found this at Marshalls and it is a comfy loose longer length top that I can wear with my casual black Yoga pants or dressy Eileen Fisher skinny black pants.

I have done very little shopping since Covid arrived.
When I do shop I wear a mask.

Except for a new pair of black Yoga pants and a blue pair of linen trousers by Ellen Tracey both sourced at Marshalls. I have only ventured into Toys R Us to buy birthday gifts for the grandchildren.

Our cases of Covid are up a bit more here in BC and both my husband and I remain very vigilant in our efforts to stay safe. Our ages put us at a higher risk and I have had pneumonia 3 times, the last bout kept me bedridden for 6 weeks so I daren't take any chances.


                       Pepper, our elder cat,
                       loves to find a ray of sunshine and have a nap.


My sister and I went to the Spa last week at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel.
We were celebrating her 60th birthday.


It was a beautiful sunny day and we really enjoyed soaking in the mineral pool.


We enjoyed lunch at Faro the new pizza spot in the hotel.


Sized for sharing


I met a long time reader Rosemarie for lunch last week.
She and I exchanged gifts.
Rosemarie is a vivacious and kind woman who sends me cheery emails.

She sends me sunflower seeds at the anniversary of my Mom's passing...
she has also sent me tea, earrings, and more recently some polka dot socks!


My current book stack...

Just finished The Guest List by Lisa Foley, an Agatha Christie type of mystery.
I never guessed who the murderer was, with so many twists and turns.

Well that about wraps up this post...

I hope Blogger can give us a tutorial on the new format.
It is difficult trying to figure it out withour much help!

Stay Safe
and 
Please 
Wear your Mask

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Birthday highlights...


Life is speeding by...
now that I have clocked 65 years
looking back
it feels like a bit of a blur.


Japanese Tapa Bar lunch out with my husband and our son
who gave me this beautiful bouquet of flowers.


Flowers are filling many vases here in The Humble Bungalow.


Chester reminds me that we need to stop and smell the flowers!


Love a green and white bouquet.




Birthday lunch out with my girlfriends.

We have a wonderful restaurant nearby called Nourish that features healthy food.
The focus of the menu is mostly vegetables.

This grain bowl had lentils, roasted veggies, kale, radish and carrots
served atop a bed of butternut squash miso.

It was incredibly delicious!


A rather silly impish smile 
as I hold the vast bouquet of flowers that my darling husband bought for me.


We both enjoyed a quiet dinner out at a local hotel.

The place that mom, my sister and I used to go to on Tuesday evenings.
I wore mom's pearl ring and had a glass of mom's favourite white wine.
Remembering her on the anniversary of the day she passed away.

It is with mixed emotions that I celebrate my birthday 
while I remember it is also mom's day of demise.

Thankfully I have a supportive family and friends who cheered me up.
I am so grateful to have had mom in my life for so many years.
I have many special memories and a few of her things 
that continue to remind me of her everyday.


A surprise package arrived in the mail.
From a dear reader of my blog 
Rosemarie

She knows me well and sent me these cute socks.
I am going to wear these a lot.
They are fun and will add some oomph to my basic wardrobe.

Thank you Rosemarie!
XO


The sun is shining and there are signs of Spring 
flowers are coming to life and popping up in the garden.
I feel more energy and enthusiasm when the sun shines.
Do you?

"I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now. 
One does, I think, as one gets older."

~ Virginia Woolf ~


Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.

If you would like to leave a comment and I hope that you will
you'll need to use a Google search engine as Safari will not work 

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Monday, January 15, 2018

Renewal: refreshed, recharged, re-energized and "retail-ed!"

The past weekend was full to the brim with simple joys and bright moments which have left me feeling energized.
I have come out of a dark mood and into the light...

My morning cafe creme routine starts with counting my blessings,
I sit quietly reflecting on all the good things in life embracing and adopting the attitude of gratitude to set the tone for the day. I have found this to be very powerful and it changes the way that I see and interpret life events.

Mr HB and I walked in Chinatown...through Fan Tan Alley.


Victoria's Fan Tan Alley


My husband took me out for lunch at The Fan Tan Cafe, a popular Chinese food restaurant in our city's historic chinatown. It was busy, the service was great and we sipped our tea and chatted while we waited for our food. The food was not "totally WW friendly" (noodles were involved!) but the seafood chow mien was chock full of veggies which were so lightly cooked that they were still rich in colour, crisp and delicious.


Here's my fortune cookie and the fortune inside...

I did a wee bit of shopping at the Fan Tan Home Decor and Style shop.


A black dress by Angela Mara made in Italy.
Soft, cozy and the fabric is heavy enough that it does not cling but skims the body which is just the way I like a dress to fit.
It feels like a warm hug.

It was 50% off so I pounced on it and I said YES to the dress!
I plan to keep my eye on this shop as they have quite a few styles that I like.

I wore it out to dinner on Saturday evening when we dined with friends.


This lovely bouquet was a thoughtful gift from my nearest and dearest friend.
She bought it from those darling gals who run Thorn and Thistle Flowers.
They carry such pretty flowers and their plants are amazing...
our Christmas Amaryllis is an indication of their high quality plants.
They sell other things too and now offer coffee and treats
and they now located are in my old neighbourhood.

Sunday I cleaned house and went for my walk.
I opened a new bar of fragrant Verbena soap 
 it is currently scenting our main bathroom.


This soap was from my Mom's condo...
she loved the Verbena scent but she never used it as she loved her Pears soap.

While on the topic of fragrance and scents...


It was time to open a new scented candle.
This one was in the box from 
My Stylish French Box.

I am busy trying to finish my latest knitting project so that I can start my new one!

Have you got a project on the go?

Hope that your week ahead is positive
and filled with 
 lightness and cheer.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Monday, December 11, 2017

The Festive Season is well and truly upon us!


Ready or not the festive season is truly in full swing!


Hope that you are hanging in there!


We added a few seasonal decorations to dress up The Humble Bungalow
The faux tree is up and wrapped with white fairy lights.

There is a wreath on the front door...
 boughs and red berries
mandarin oranges.


I spent a lovely hour 
lunching with a good friend at one of my favourite spots...
Pure Vanilla.

The Festive season can get far too busy as there is so much to do.
Cooking, baking, entertaining, being entertained, shopping, cards, decorating, wrapping presents and so it goes...

I need to remind myself to slow down 
and 
savour the simple things in life.

Lets take a collective deep breath...
stop and smell the flowers.


Jude The Obscure is STILL blooming!

Hope that you find some time to savour a few quiet moments this week.

~ Be Well and Be Kind ~

Friday, April 28, 2017

Friday ~ Food, fragrance, and fiction....



Wednesday afternoon...
2 squares of Belgium chocolate 
Lapsang Souchong tea
a delightful magazine Victoria with a favourite French focus.

Mother's Paragon cup and saucer, now mine, and her sweet wee sterling basket.

A bittersweet day
 as we handed the keys to mom's former condo over to the new owners...
the end of an era.

I took the afternoon "off" and cocooned at home.
It was wise to stay home as there were a few moments when I teared up.
Mom was a strong believer in stoicism and she bore all her trials with grace and dignity.

She never "aired her dirty laundry" in public and advised us to do the same.
I am doing quite well under the circumstances...
am taking one day at a time
taking life slow
going to Yoga 
appreciating beauty where it pops up
giving thanks...


Home grown asparagus 
harvested from The Humble Bungalow Garden.
Steamed lightly and served with a dollop of mayonnaise.
Sweet and tasty.

It is two years since I was in Paris
nibbling fresh white asparagus dipped in mayonnaise.
Its hard to believe that it has been so long since that dream trip.


Chartreuse green Euphorbia putting on a stellar show in the garden.
I like to think of these as flowers but I believe they are considered bracts.


A pretty little mix of perennials stand out against a weathered tree trunk.


The Demitasse Garden Centre has a wide assortment of plants.
They are located not too far from the home where I grew up and I love to pop by and wander along the aisles 
perusing their stock for something new and different.
Many of our Humble Bungalow plants were purchased from this special nursery.


Soup for lunch after plant shopping...
this is a popular spot for local landscapers and trades people to grab a bite of lunch.


Cleaned out my closet and pared down my wardrobe even more...
who knew it was possible that I could find more things to consign?

I am making room for a few new things that I have on my wish list.

Bought a pink ball for the grandchildren to play with in the garden 
and on the boat.
Have you heard of the Big Love Balls?
They have quite a following on Instagram.


New fragrance from France.
I ordered the reasonably priced sample pack of testers from Sylvaine Delacourte awhile back 
and after wearing them for a few weeks I finally decided which one I like best.


Dovana
a beautiful atomizer
with a spray bottle inside and a spare one to use after the original is empty.


Current read...
picked up from the wee library 
outside author Laura Bradbury's home in Oak Bay.


"Beach Combers Library"
when I am finished the book I will return it and drop of another one to share with the readers in that neighbourhood.


Public art on Oak Bay Avenue...

Time for me to close for now and get our dinner.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.
Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.
XO


Monday, April 24, 2017

Books and comfort food...


On a grey day last week I took my book to a local cafe and sat at a table near the window.
I ordered a pot of tea and a hearty bowl of soup.
There were scads of people lunching and chatting yet I felt quite sheltered by the noise in my little corner by the window.

Kate Morton's book "The Lake House" has so many twists and turns that I cannot figure out the mystery that she has so cleverly crafted.

I have been lunching on soup quite a bit as I find it such a comforting meal.
Simple, hot, tasty and nutritious.


I've noticed a lot of dandelions on the boulevards that line the streets nearby...
many lawns are dotted with the yellow flowers that are considered by many as noxious weeds.

We have a gadget for pulling these long rooted weeds out of the lawn.
The taproots can be 8-10 inches and if you don't get the root in its entirety it will grow back with a vengeance!


I received a lovely gift from a local author.
Thank you for the book Lise-Lotte!


has written a book about 
her GreenHouse
the gift her Mother gave to her while she was in Hospice.

Her Mother was an avid gardener and was happy pottering about in her "glasshouse" in her garden by the sea.
The greenhouse was a gift from her husband many years ago...

Lise -Lotte, friends and family dismantled the glasshouse and moved it carefully 
before reassembling it in her back yard...and by all accounts it was a challenge!

(Lise-Lotte's Mother, like my own Mother, wore Chanel No. 5)


Greenhouse Hygge
The House of My Growing Dreams


Lise-Lotte popped in a packet of Earl Grey Tea 
 several of her beautiful art cards
and so I put the kettle on and brewed some tea while I read her book.

Lise- Lotte has used many beautiful snapshots of her garden and greenhouse
in the book...

Lise-Lotte has written a lovely tribute to her Mother
shared with us her vision for the greenhouse 
how it will play a new role in her garden.

Lise-Lotte uses it for entertaining 
as well as growing and propagating flowers 
and vegetables.

The author is able to pop out and sit in her greenhouse 
all year long
sipping a cup of tea or a glass of wine.
It is a quiet refuge, a place for reflection and contemplation.

Having recently lost my own Mother 
I can understand why Lise-Lotte likes to spend so much time in her Mother's greenhouse.

I feel that she, like me, is looking for moments 
when we can be close to,  remember and honour our Mothers.

If you are in the Victoria area you can find Lise-Lotte's book at:
 Ivy's on Oak Bay Avenue, 
Tanners in Sidney on Beacon Avenue, 
Thorn and Thistle Flower Merchants on Bowker Avenue
Russell Nursery on Wain Road

Southlands Nursery In Vancouver also carry the book.

I received this book as a gift and in no way am I being reimbursed by the author
all opinions are mine.


More lunchtime comfort soup...
this one, a creamy tomato basil bisque
with a side of salad and a baguette slice.


I am looking for some new book titles and know many of you are avid readers.
What are you currently reading or which books are on your wish list?

Thank you for stopping by The Humble Bungalow Blog.
XO