Five for Friday: January 15, 2010

...Yesterday afternoon, following a week ravished by arctic winds and murky grey skies, the temperatures actually rose a tad, climbing ever so slightly above zero (Celsius). With this sudden “warm snap” came early daydreams of spring. I know it’s far too soon for the gentlest season to arrive, but there’s no reason why I can’t let my thoughts stray to beautiful things like blossoming trees, first harvest vegetables and the scent of sunshine once again toasting the air. Granted there’s still snow and ice on the horizon, but in the meantime I’ll be busy starting to plan all the lovely ways I’ll celebrate when April does eventually whirl into town...

♥ ♥ ♥


{To fill your bath with the delicate scent of orchard fruits}


{Hued like a bowl of just churned orange sherbet, this generously sized (12.5 oz) bar of Luxo Banho soap comes packaged in an immensely lovely Art Deco inspired box, and smells delightfully of fresh apricots and peaches. Available for $12.00 (US) per bar of soap from All-Pop.com.}


{The kind of timelessly pretty, wear-it-anyplace sweater that will remain a staple in your closet for years}


{If like me, you’re a giant fan of light weight, classically styled sweaters, this darling number is just the ticket! Made of soft organic cotton and featuring a charming knit bow, this wonderful turquoise top would look equally stunning in the winter with a long wool skirt or paired with sailor inspired shorts come the dog days of summer. Turquoise bow knit sweater in assorted modern ladies sizes, £52.50 (UK) from Lunacy Boutique.}


{To invigorate your mood on even the bleakest of mid-winter mornings}


{From Japan-cool brand Tokyo Milk comes “Paper and Cotton”, a crisp, airy scent embedded with notes of white sage, birch, moss and coriander, all housed in a bottle bedecked with vintage fashion images. Each 1 oz bottle of perfume in a clear glass bottle (with spritzer) is $29.00 (US) from Plasticland.}


{An endearing reminder of days both past and more recently spent at local fun fairs and carnivals}


Available in six alluring designs, these laser cut wooden brooches boast playful vintage images and are shaped to look just like ticket stubs. Pin one (or more) to your favourite coat, purse, hat, scarf or anywhere else you please and pretend you’re on your way to a carnival. Vintage style wooden fun fair ticket brooches, £6.00 (UK) per pin from The Oriental Magpie.}


{A woman can never have too many bags, especially when they’re handmade, vintage inspired ones!}


{On those days when it’s far to grim to venture outside one moment more than is strictly necessary, spend some time indoors delving into a DIY book such as Making Vintage Bags by Emma Brennan ($12.21 [US] from amazon.com). This helpful (176 page) title provides detailed instructions on how to make twenty original designs (five each from the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s), amongst which nearly any handbag enthusiast is sure to find a purse they’d love to make for themselves.}


I want to take a moment and extend massive thanks to all those who provided me with their impute earlier in the week regarding my hunt for a good source of crinolines (some of your leads look really promising!). I will be certain to do a follow up post later in the year to report how the status of my budding crinoline collection is coming along.

Many thanks as well to all those who have left comments on other Chronically Vintage posts lately, too. Over the course of the weekend, amidst such pleasant activities as writing snail mail letters and hand washing a gorgeous vintage skirt that arrived in Thursday post, I will do my best to catch up on at least a portion of your wonderful comments and visit each of your gorgeous blogs.

Recently a dear visitor commented that she found the smaller font size that I often use directly under images to be a bit hard to read. I’d wondered before if that font was too tiny and upon knowing that some find it to be, I’m happy to report that from here on out instead of reducing the front size (below photos, graphics, etc) to differentiate it from the rest of the text in my posts, I’ll italicize it. I always welcome your feedback on any element of this blog and appreciate the person who mentioned this doing so (I hope you find the font easier to read now, sweetie).

Wishing one and all a sublime weekend filled with warmth (be it derived from hot cocoa or the weather itself), serenity and many lovely memories.