June 30, 2015

Vintage Link Love for June 2015


Nope, no way, no how, we can't seriously have reached the halfway point in the year already. That seems borderline impossible, does it not? And yet, hard as it may to wrap our lovely minds around, that we have.

I generally like to save my summaries of the year and how it played out until the end - or at least a fair bit closer to it, so I'll refrain from such for now. But I will say that the first half of the year has been truly mixed bag of highs and lows, good and bad, stresses and points of joy.

It hasn't, for the most part, played out how I foresaw in the slightest (for example, we had no idea going into it or late -spring, for that matter, that Tony would be headed to the States for work all summer long). Sometimes that's a good thing, others not so much. It is what it is though and ultimately I okay with where the year is at so far.

I may be singing a different tune come six months from now, though I certainly hope not. I often find the second half of the year to better than the first and really do have my fingers crossed that such will be the case this time around.

Right now though, summer is out in full force (yippee!), there's more sunshine than you shake a beach umbrella at, and my birthday is less than two weeks away - plus I've been listing up a huge storm in my Etsy shop this month, with over 180 new vintage items landing on the virtual shelves there in June alone - so I'm a happy, very productive camper at the moment.

Today on Canada Day Eve (yes, that's a thing - in my books at least! :D), let's take a moment before we launch into July and enjoy some of the fascinating, informative, inspiring and just plain fun stories that have caught my eye in recent weeks. I hope that you guys find them to be every bit as engaging as I did!




photo VintagelinkloveblogpostheaderforChronicallyVintage_zps551f30c8.png


How to turn a t-shirt into a Bardot top: Gemma shows us a dead simple, no-sewing required way to take a run of the mill t-shirt and transform it into an alluring, arguably far lovelier, off-the-shoulder Bardot inspired top. Believe me, you'll never look at a ho-hum tee the same way again!


Your Life On Earth So Far: Tony recently shared this interactive BBC website with me and suffice it to say, history and cool fact lover that I am, I was more than a little captivated by it. You impute your date of birth and then, presto, a whole slew of fascinating information regarding what has happened on earth so far in your life pops up. Love it!!!


How the last American Civil War veterans lived, loved and died: Though I am a Canadian and have no strong family connections (that I'm aware of) to the Civil War, its multi-faceted history, widespread brutality, horrible loss of life, and the nation that emerged in its wake have always fascinated me, as have images like those in this great Mashable/Retronaut post highlighting the lives of some of the longest living veterans from this bloody US conflict.




How a Makeup Mogul Liberated Women by Putting Them in a Pretty New Cage: This in-depth, rivetingly engaging post from Collector's Weekly delves into the life and work, social impact and lasting impressions of beauty industry pioneer, Helena Rubinstein, and will have you transfixed and fascinated from start to finish.


20 truths about being a full-time blogger: My neck practically hurt by the end of this spot on post from The Travel Hack from all the vigorous nodding in agreement I was doing (though I do differ from the author in some areas, such as that a far greater amount of my working time is taken up with writing posts than she says she spends on that area). Whether you're a professional or hobbyist blogger, if you're doing it on a full time level (and perhaps even a dedicated part-time one as well), chances are you'll be able to relate and nod alone, too - big time.


I was given just 15 months to live: One of the most rewarding elements for me of blogging is the fact that it causes my path to cross with such a vast array of people around the world. Many are vintage lovers themselves, but not all are. Some discover my blog due to other topics that I've covered here before, such as places I've traveled to, genealogy research, or medical related posts.

In the case of the latter, I recently had the great pleasure and honour of getting to know a truly inspiring cancer survivor named Heather Von St. James (pictured below with her husband and daughter), who developed pleural mesothelioma and was given just a few months to live. Truly thankfully, Heather beat the odds (and they were stacked against here, big time) and is not only still with us a decade later, but going strong and helping others who affected by mesothelioma and cancer in general. I encourage you to visit her site, read her story, and be every bit as inspired as I was by this courageous woman and her indomitable spirit.




The #1 reason why you never have anything to wear: From the popular mainstream fashion site Grit & Glamour comes this interesting look at what the author thinks in the top reason so many of stand in full of our bulging closets and bemoan that we have nothing to wear. Do you agree with this take on things?


Pinup: The Movie: We're I a documentarian (a job that I would actually love to do beyond measure), I would definitely create a doc about the vintage world. I am not however, but thankfully Kathleen Ryan is and she's currently creating a film all about the history of pinup culture and its roll to this day in American society. Check out the exciting trailer for "Pinup: The Movie" (click on the link at the start of this entry) and then buzz on over to their Kickstarter page, if so desired, to help it become a full-on reality thanks to crowd sourced funding.


How To DIY Your Own Vintage Hair Tie: From Bonita's beautiful blog Lavender & Twill comes this terrific, super easy tutorial for making your own (awesome!) vintage style hair ties, like the gem that she created that’s  pictured below.




10 Tips to Buy Vintage Online: This is a topic that I get a lot of questions about and which I've certainly chatted about before, but I haven't compiled my best tips in one super handy post yet, so I was thrilled when I saw that the always lovely Nora had done just that in this great entry. Her "in the know" post is a must for vintage newcomers and veterans alike.


The 20 most influential fashion bloggers of 2015: Though, as touched on above, I wouldn't be one to sum things up quite yet for this year, plenty of blogs and websites already making lists lauding the best of the best for this year. This article from Fashionista.com does just that with mainstream fashion bloggers, and especially since I'm a vintage fashion blogger myself, I found it very interesting to see who made their cut and who was surprisingly absent from this roundup of wildly influential big names in the style blogging world.


The Boyer Sister's New Album Has Dropped: Many of you may be familiar with the sweet, lovely, talented trio of young women called the Boyer Sisters (pictured below) who together run a great vintage lifestyle blog, but did you know that all three of them happen to be hugely talented and very accomplished musicians as well, whose brand new album - a toe tapping, gorgeously sung selection of classic, highly popular mid-century swing tunes - was just released this month? Now you do and now you can download it for yourself. Believe me, you'll want to - it's sensational!





{All images throughout the list of links above come by way of the post that they are displayed directly beneath the write up of here. Please follow the links provided to learn more about these images.}


♥ ♥ ♥



July promises, as this month usually is for me, to be a busy, exciting, action packed one, with plenty of work, but no shortage of fun as well.

Coming in as my second favourite month of the year, topped only by October (Canadian Thanksgiving! Our wedding anniversary! Halloween!), July is a glorious time of the year. It's awesomely warm - which I adore - and almost surreally beautiful. Sandwiched squarely in the middle of summer, it's a merry, blissful time that could happily last forever - or at least nearly so - if such were possible.




{Three massive cheers for July and all the beauty, radiance, and leisurely loveliness it houses. Vintage Vogue magazine cover image source.}



It is not however, so instead, let's all get out there and try to enjoy it to the very fully while it's still here. For as quickly as we have reached the halfway point of 2015, we'll be at the end of the year and up to our perfectly groomed eyebrows in snow and Christmas decorations again, which, I don't know about you, but I'm in no hurry to rush into (at all!).

To all my fellow Canucks, have a truly joyful Canada Day celebration tomorrow - and to one and all, I wish you a sun-kissed, sensationally lovely July from start to finish!

39 comments:

  1. My consolation for the year flying by (July already?!) is this great post. The links will give me lots to explore and enjoy. Your blog is such a valuable resource.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's wonderfully nice of you to say, Ally. In many ways, I felt the same way (as in, well, June is over, which is far from fabulous, but at least it's time for another fun edition of Vintage Link Love!).

      I really hope that you have a joyful July and a stellar summer from start to finish!
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  2. ah yes! perfect reading for lounging on a deck chair in the garden!!! someone bring me some icetea! :-)
    thanks jessica!!!! xxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happily!!! Would like fresh Okanagan cherries or peaches in your glass? :)

      It's awesome that you have a garden to lounge out in during the summer. We don't, buy my parents have a deck and a small back yard, so anytime I'm over there, I can get in some outdoor R&R at their place, which is fantastic.

      Wishing you a truly wonderful July, my dear friend!
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  3. Awesome links! I really liked the life on Earth Link and the Civil War Veterans link. I am from an area in Virginia that saw a lot of major Civil War battles and I have family who fought on both the Union and Confederate sides. The Civil War has always fascinated me!
    Classy Country Girl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much, lovely lady. Same here - and all the more so the older I get. I watch just about everything Netflix (we don't have cable by choice - didn't feel we watched enough TV to justify its cost) puts up on the Civil War, with Ken Burns' stellar mini series being my favourite by far to date.

      Have a fabulous 4th of July!!!

      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  4. Great links. I'm really interested in the pin up movie and the tips for shopping online. Also the wonderful survivor story
    Retro rover

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much, dear Kate. I'm seriously interested in the Pinup Movie as well. It's surprisingly how little coverage you see of the pinup/rockabilly world on TV or film, despite it being quite a thriving, widespread subculture. I really hope this film gets the funding it needs and that I can see the finished doc one day.

      Wishing you a fabulous first week of July!
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  5. A day away from July is astonishing! It's in the eighties here in the South of England today and I just got back from a horrible hospital trip and am so pleased to be able to flop down on the sofa!

    I'm rather intrigued by the BBC link you mentioned so shall have a peek. I hope you're having a lovely day xxx

    ReplyDelete
  6. Haha, I can't believe that someone else made a pie chart of the frequency of types of clothing they wear. Thanks for sharing that link. It makes me feel a little less odd ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I remember your pie chart post last year, it was really cool! I think a lot of folks and their wardrobes could benefit from creating one. Mine would be ruled heavily by dresses, skirts, cardigans and accessories/jewelry, with much smaller slices going to other items.

      Wishing you a great first week of July!
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  7. I love the story about Helena Rubenstein! The idea that wearing red lipstick was a feminist statement in the early 20th century makes me happy. Have you heard of Red My Lips? It's an organization that challenged women to wear red lipstick during Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April) to raise awareness about myths about sexual assault. It seems like a very similar idea to wearing red lipstick to protest the fact that women have to conform to the societal ideal of the "angel of the home."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wasn't that terrifically engaging? I lapped up every word and really enjoyed learning so much about this cosmetic industry pioneer. Sometimes Collector's Weekly really knocks it out of the ballpark with their articles and this was definitely one of those times, in my books.

      I have heard about Red My Lips, but have not yet taken part in it. I'm a domestic assault/sexual assault/rape survivor and am truly all in favour of anything positive that shine the spotlight on the importance of raising awareness. So many women (and men) will be victims of these kinds of heinous crimes at some point in their life and we desperately need, in the 21st century, to get those statistics down further big time - especially when children are the victims.

      On a much more upbeat note, I hope that you guys have a fantastic first week of July and Independence Day celebration! I'm so happy that Canada Day is mere hours away and will keep that celebratory spirit going all week long in honour of the 4th, too.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  8. I can't believe it's pretty much July either! How on earth did that happen! We've finally got some nice weather here just in time for it too :) I loved Nora and Bonitas' posts - even though I don't have the craft skills to even make a simple hair tie, I very much appreciate those who do! Excitingly Nora's moved to my neck of the woods recently and I hope to meet her soon :) x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know, eh, it's flat out amazing!!! The other night I was penning a post and referencing a couple of old posts. It felt like mere weeks since those posts had gone up, but in fact they were both from early 2014. Wow!!! At this rate, I'll be 50 before I know - forget just turning 31 in a couple of weeks! :D

      It is really cool that Nora moved to the UK. I so hope that you two can get together. You're two of my favourite bloggers ever and I'd adore seeing you gals in the same photo/post.

      Have a fantastic July, honey!
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  9. Great list of stuff to read! I love anything about history too

    ReplyDelete
  10. Replies
    1. Thank you very much, sweet Sara.

      Wishing you a fantastic Canada Day and whole summer, too!

      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  11. I enjoyed your varied list of new ( to me ) sites to explore. The year certainly is flying by , where does that time go. Enjoy your Summer and Canada Day .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi sweet Jill, thank you very much for your lovely comment. I'm really trying to find links that are new to many of my readers and delighted to hear that some (all?) of these were for you.

      I really hope that I will and am so excited to savour and enjoy the next two - three months of sunny bliss!

      Wishing you a fantastic July!
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  12. I always enjoy your selection of links and always end up following a new blog or pinning something. This time it's the Bardot top and the Boyer Sisters. Thank you for the tip-offs. Hope you have a lovely July. Sam x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's awesome to hear, Samantha, thank you very much for sharing which sites/posts are new to this time around. The Boyer Sisters are some of the nicest, most talented young ladies I've ever met online (or off) and am thrilled to have been able to introduce you to them.

      Have a joyful July,
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  13. What a great list of links. I found a new blog to follow (the travel blog). And the post on the influential bloggers of 2015 was one I found myself and poured over. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's my true pleasure, lovely Patricia, thank you so much for your great comment. I'm a huge armchair traveler (and real world one, when circumstances will permit) and love to watch travel shows on Netflix, follow various travel blogs, and take out travel books from the library. The world is such an incredible place with endless things to see and learn about - much like history itself, come to think of it.

      Wishing you a stellar July!!!
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  14. A great Canada-day tomorrow for all the lovely Canadians! I looovd your post and yes, the year is flying! I am sure that in 6 months your tune will be different, cause Tony will be back! I loved your picks, and yay to the cancer survivor - many don't have the luck or honor or whatever the word to wake up in the morning again. I can't talk much about that, otherwise I start to cry and it took me long to be a bit "cool" like I seem to be now. I am eager to visit the blogs you mentioned - your life on earth, the American veterans lives, truth about bloggers, why you never have anything to wear among others! I agree with you, through the blogosphere I got to know you, and you are lovely! Thanks for all the links!
    DenisesPlanet.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I hope you have a great Canada day! This post is fabulous! Great read and interesting links!
    http://inkandlacedesigns.blogspot.com.au/

    ReplyDelete
  16. HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!!
    ....
    Following up on the links lead my up to the funny and somewhat contraversal sentence: "The middle class frowned terribly upon women who wore makeup. It was only actresses, prostitutes, and the very wealthy who could make themselves up."
    It's funny, is't it - you were eather a prostitute OR you were super-rich. :)
    There are lots and lots of contradictions when it comes to women's history (our way of life, our mothod of raising kids, our hygene... all the way to our fashion) and this is the MAIN reason I began being interesed in all thing vintage. Learning "how things were", how they developed in time.. all thanks to Internet. :)

    Thanks for the links.
    ..
    Huge Canada-holiday hug!

    Marija

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're the sweetest dear Marija, thank you very much! It's hard to believe that another Canada Day has come and gone already. I guess the good thing there is that it means it's almost time for both of our birthdays again! :)

      That is sincerely fascinating (regarding what drew you to vintage/history). What a powerfully interesting reason to want to learn more. I see that reflected in so many of your wonderful posts and the diverse array of topics you share with us.

      Many thanks again & have a joyful weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  17. I hadn't seen some of these original posts, so thank you for drawing my attention to them. Lots of weekend reading for me, as I don't know where time is going in the working weeks these days! Serves me right for taking on a PhD!! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're very welcome, my dear. It's always a blast to put this post together, trying to include some posts that are hopefully new to each of my lovely readers.

      I wholeheartedly commend you on working towards your PhD and can just imagine how quickly the busy days of hard work involved with that must add to the feeling of the year flying past. Hopefully you can still get a bit of time for some good, old-fashioned R&R this summer - I'm hoping that I can as well.

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  18. Great links. I will have to catch up on some more later, but I loved the BBC one (despite the sadness of many of the facts).

    And I think that is my #2 reason I never have anything to wear. #1 is not doing my laundry efficiently!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, sweet gal! I adored the BBC one as well. That's very interesting regarding laundry being the #1 reason you're apt to feel that way. It would be really fascinating to me, especially as a fashion blogger, to poll a large segment of population and see what statistically came out as the top reason (or reasons, if a couple were neck and neck) for such being the case.

      Wishing you a beautiful weekend!
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  19. Thank you for including me in this amazing round up sweet Jessica! That Collectors Weekly article on Helena Rubinstein was enthralling from beginning to end. It almost made me forget that we are half way through another year.... Almost. Gee, how does that keep happening?? (0_o')

    xox,
    bonita of Lavender & Twill

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wasn't it just riveting? It was by far the most engaging article I've ever read on her. Sometimes Collector's Weekly really knocks if out of the ballpark and this was definitely one of those times for me. I'm delighted to know that you really enjoyed that link, too.

      You're wholeheartedly welcome, my dear. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us through such handy, easy to follow tutorials. They're always lovely and wonderfully inspiring.

      So true! I've actually already begun thinking about/planning for Halloween - not that I mind (quite the opposite!), as it is my favourite holiday...but still! It does highlight just how rapidly this year is whizzing past!

      Big hugs & many thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  20. I am too amazed at how quickly this year has flown right in front of our eyes !
    I am certainly reading a few of these suggested links, specially the one from BBC "Your life on earth".
    I'm curious, although I've always felt this has been such a destructive time for the environment :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zero argument there. I literally stay awake some nights worried sick about the state the our poor, beautiful planet is in and how drastically we need to change a lot of things if it, and us as a species, has any realistic shot of a long and happy future for thousands or even millions of years more to come.

      On a more upbeat note though...thank you very much for each and every one of your wonderfully nice blog comments this week. It's always a pleasure to hear from you on any topic, dear Lorena.

      Have a beautiful weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete
  21. Now I finally had time to enjoy my favourite post from you, DH is riding his bicycle, and I am enjoying the silence. What I especially enjoyed here was:
    Your life on earth. I have a birthday in 48 days on Mercury, what am I doing here?!?! ;)
    Rubinstein was one h... of a woman, very interesting reading.
    Anything to wear - so true, but I also think it is often due to mess. If you sort your clothes in seasons and then in colours you will have lots to wear. I do. My problem is choosing.
    Pinup, the movie - I will love to see it, I hope it becomes a reality
    Hair tie, I have to try making them. So nice and easy and I have lots of fabric scraps.
    Thank your for a really entertaining list as always, dear. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Time to get backing, there's always delays with the flights to Mercury! :) Jokes aside, how cool would it be if we could safely and quickly visit other planets. That element of space travel has always really appealed to me, though I wouldn't want to be amongst the first people to do so. I'd want the art and science of it to be perfected first before I ventured out to other worlds.

      I sort all of my clothing by colour - my closet looks like a series of little rainbows. :)

      You're very welcome, my sweet friend. Thank you very much for coming back to let me know which posts spoke to you most this time around. Hard to believe that we're just ten days away another addition of this post. This summer (and year in general) is going by sooo quickly!

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

      Delete