August 23, 2009

Pretty Link Roundup {August 23, 2009}


Both my husband I have been in rather desperate need of new eyeglasses (or more accurately stronger prescriptions for our lenses) for a while now, so this week – on different days – we each found time to squeeze in an appointment with the optometrist. Darling husband got an absolutely fantastic pair of Ray Ban frames! They have the most amazing pattern on the arms, it has the appearance of the wood grain on a classic Edsel station wagon, and is so delightfully vintage looking I almost squealed with glee when he selected that set of frames in the shop.

I already have frames that I’m wild about so I got new lenses put into them, but while there I grabbed some prescription sunglasses – a first for me (I’ve only been wearing glasses for two and a half years), as they were one sale (lenses plus frames) for more than half off. Had it not been for the sale, I never would have contemplated it. But being nearsighted I felt that being able to see clearly outdoors even on the sunniest days would be wonderful (not to mention a safety conscious) boon, so I selected a classic looking pair of DKNY frames in an elegant tortoise shell pattern that (if I may so myself) goes wonderfully with my fair skin and red hair.



{How fantastic is this stylish young gal sporting her fierce cat eye glasses? Off the charts fantastic! While neither my specs or sunglasses are this pointed on the ends, they do have a somewhat similar feminine and curvy shape to them. Photo via suz1212’s Flickr stream.}


I know that not everyone adores wearing glasses, but – and this could be due in part to the fact I love my perfectly pink-plum hued pair of shades that somehow work just like a neutral and have yet to clash with anything I’ve worn – I don’t mind in the least. Of course I wish I had perfect eye sight, but I figure that considering that I don’t, it’s wise to make the best of the situation and embrace my “second set of eyes”. I’ve always thought that glasses were beautiful and fancied how they looked on both gals and gents, so when at the beginning of 2007 when I started to need them myself, I was as happy as one can be upon learning their eyesight isn’t stellar any more. I mulled this over and realized that part of the reason is because I’m super (I really do mean beyond extremely!) allergic to nickel, which means that I often have to avoid metal jewelry. However, my glasses (and now sunglasses) have plastic frames, so I can wear them without having to worry about keeping my skin from freaking out.

On a totally different note, something else that absolutely brightened my week was when I found out that Chronically Vintage had been the given a beautiful write-up on the blog Buttercup Bungalow, including a mention of a recent link in last week’s pretty link roundup about Bride.com’s piece on ten ways to add a dose of Mad Men style to your wedding. I’m utterly touched to be featured on this wonderful site and sincerely thank Buttercup Bunaglow for writing about Chronically Vintage.

A slew of delightful and diverse links make up this week’s roundup. From choosing the right shade of red lippy based on your skin tone to how to dress yourself (if you’re chap) – or the gentleman in your life – in impeccable 50s style, these fun and informative vintage themed links are bound to contain something that will catch your interest.


♥ ♥ ♥



* 10 Muppets and their Mad Men counterpoints: Discovered via my friend A Rambling Fancy’s great blog comes a humorous post on Flavourwire.com that compares ten different Muppets characters to their Mad Men counterparts. I chuckled all the way through – so much fun! :)


* Co-ordinating your various online shops: A handy entry on the subject of ensuring your assorted online stores (be they devoted to vintage, craft related, fashion, etc) are all able to sync up, from a woman who's been selling and collecting vintage wear for the better part of three decades.


* I Want Candy (part 1): Giulia shares some of her favourite candies and sweet treats (such as Nutella, a definite fave at our house, too!), including a selection of scrumptious candies that have been around for ages.


* How to Look Smart & Stylish (Men): A detailed, thorough and interesting article on the subject of how to ensure you (or your favourite fellow) always look handsomely and smartly dressed in true 1950s style.


* Betty Grable hair: Queens of Vintage delves into the strikingly gorgeous “peak-a-boo” hairstyle that Betty Grable made famous in this post, which includes step-by-step tips (and photos) from the beautiful Amanda Newsum on how to achieve this iconic style yourself.


* Pigtail fad (1940s): Frank of Bulldog Vintage traces the popularity of pigtails amongst adult women during the 1940s, which he feels can be linked back to the bow adorned pair Judy Garland sported in the Wizard of Oz.


* How to pick the right red lipstick for your skin tone: A lovely and useful post chocked full of tips on how to help ensure you select the best shade of red lipstick for your own skin tone.


* The Vintage Princess Phone: Natasha shares some beautiful photos – and a vintage ad – of one of my absolute dream “wish list” items: a pink princess phone! A must visit post for anyone who also loves this classic telephone (in any colour).


* Older is wiser: While not necessarily vintage themed, this superb post highlights a number of middle aged and older actresses (such as Julie Christie, Sophia Loren, Blythe Danner, and Isabella Rossellini ) who are shinning proof of timeless beauty and grace at all ages.


* Fall essentials: This week has been like a glamorous fashion show from the past over at Tales from a Retro Modern Housewife, as she’s compiled a series on different pieces that can help ensure your vintage wardrobe is in tip-top shape for autumn. The posts cover pencil skirts, blouses, wide legged pants, sweaters and light jackets, and fall accessories, and are a must read for vintage fashionistas everywhere.


This week I’m bestowing the Your Blog is an Inspiration award on a truly gorgeous site that I just discovered a few days ago, by the name of GirlWhimsy.



Though this blog is new to me, it’s already become a colour-filled favourite. Packed to the rafters with a diverse array of stunning, diverse, often adorable vintage themed images from various decades, this blog full pure, fabulous, endearing eye candy. Thank you for the marvelous inspiration your blog fills me with, Debbie. I love what you are doing on your pages!


On the video clip front, the focus is on Rosie the Riveter this week. We're channeling Rosie's trademark look via a hairstyle inspired by this American WW2 icon, care of the talented Iris of All the girlie things. Use this handy step-by-step tutorial to master a classic Rosie inspired look in mere minutes.


{The Rosie Quickie}





Can you believe, my dears, the August is dwindling down so quickly? Sure, I’ve bemoaned the heat at times (goodness knows it has been on the rather stifling side this month!), but when all is said and done, I truly do love so many aspects of this toasty, copiously sunny season – and will be able to enjoy it even more now thanks to me beautiful new sunglasses.



{Yes, summer can be harsh at times, but until this duel climate, Jetson inspired world becomes a reality, it's probably just best to make peace with whatever season you're in at the moment. Illustration via What Makes the Pie Shops Tick?'s Flickr stream.}


Not too sure what life has on the agenda for me that’s noteworthy this week, but whatever it is, and no matter how sizzling the weather, I’ll be sure to greet each day with a smile. Because, love winter as I do, when I’m outside waiting for the bus in -30°, snow pummeling me from every angle, I know I’ll be wishing like mad that it was August once again.

Wishing you each a gloriously, serene beautiful week ahead!




*PS*

If you haven’t already done so and would like to, be sure to swing by this post and enter for your chance to win an absolutely adorable, chic Alessi brand kitchen timer from Chronically Vintage and AllModern.com. All you have to do is leave a comment for your chance to be the lucky winner, but hurry, the contest ends this Tuesday night!

19 comments:

  1. My Mom had cat eyed glasses. They were such the style ;)

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  2. The frames sound great.Thanks for all the great links, and totally love the last picture ... classic.

    Have a lovely day,and congratulations on the blog write-up.
    xoxo

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  3. Wonderful post! I enjoyed all the links you highlighted. Especially enjoyed the Red Lipstick tutorial and the Mad Men Sesame Street was very funny.

    Always enjoy your blog. Hope you had a great weekend!

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  4. Wonderful post as always! Congrats on the lovely write-up Buttercup Bungalow's blog. You completely deserve. I always find your blog inspirational and a wonderful read!
    Thank you for the fabulous list of links. I shall have fun looking through them all.
    Have a lovely week!

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  5. Ooh, wonderful links, yet again!
    Mmm. I love Nutella, too! I eat it straight from the jar. Hehe.
    -Andi x

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  6. DearvJessica!
    The frames sound all great, congrats on yr write-up & thanks for all the fantastic links. Off now to peruse further...!!

    Have a great week!

    xxLola:)
    PS thanks for all the lovely comments - much appreciated! xx

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  7. Apologies! Should have deleted "v" betw Dear & Jessica!!Only noticed as comment disappeared into ether!!

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  8. Too funny! I remember going with my dad to a classic car auction when I was a little girl. He bought an Edsel on impulse. That brings back a laugh :) The new glasses sound cute. I just got new ones a couple months ago. Thanks for the sharing the "coordinating your stores", that was good advice! Have a lovely day! :)

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  9. I am in some serious need of new glasses. It's been quite awhile now. I can tell I need my eyes checked again.

    I hope you have a great week. Cheers!

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  10. I love cat eye glasses--I'll bet yours look fab! I wish I could wear them myself, but most don't suit my face shape very well.

    And thank you for featuring my hair article in your "Pretty Link Roundup"!

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  11. what a coincidence! I just went to the eye dr this morning...I dread the eye doctor the most!

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  12. Ms. Cangiano,

    My sincerest gratitudes for the mention of my recent despatch How To Look Smart & Stylish (Men) within your fine journal. I do hope to post another despatch very soon.

    I remain your humble & obedient servant,
    Alexander Dyle

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  13. I too am in need of new glasses (and sunglasses, oh dear) and wish I was bold enough to sport a pair like the girl above!

    Oooh, it looks like I'll be spending my evening catching up with my blogroll & all these lovely links! But first...Mad Men, hurray! ;-)

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  14. Well...least I sound ancient...I must admit I had cat eye glasses when but a wee thing of ten. Also, through most of my teen years; they were all the rage or else that's all my folks could afford...not sure which -grin-.
    Still wearing glasses but rimless now; wish I could wear contact lenses but eyes too sensitive.
    Hope you enjoy your news spectacles!

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  15. Hello Jessica,

    I've been wearing glasses full time for just a few years also. This past time I got the matching sunglasses and that is so nice....My eyes are so sensitive to the sunlight so driving without sunglasses would be impossible.

    I stopped and went over to visit Girl Whimsy...my...I'll be going back...talk about eye candy and so much inspiration. What a great blog.

    Hope your week is off to a good start!

    Love & Light,
    Stephanie

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  16. @ Sher, how cool that your mom sported the awesome cat eye style! Did you ever try her glasses on when you were growing up? I would have wanted to wear them every day :)

    @ Dustjacket Attic, thank you very much, darling soul!

    @ Amanda, thank you so much, sweet dear! I thought the Mad Men meets Muppets post was totally wonderful, too!

    @ Lizzy, thank you very much, honey, for your super kind words. It's a joy to follow your blog, too, my friend!

    @ Andi, thank you, doll! Isn't Nutella the best? Hubs loves to dig into the jar with a spoon, too :D I tend to like pairing it with other sweets (such as drizzled on a slice of chocolate angel food cake) or something really salty (pretzel sticks, for example).

    @ Nora & Lola, hi my sweet dears! Thank you for your lovely comment! No worries at all about the typo! Blogger really should give you the option to edit your comment once you've posted it (such as Flickr does, for example).

    @ Simply Colette, what a wonderful memory to have! I'd be very tempted to buy an Edsel on a whim too, how can you resist that fantastic vintage charm they posses? :D You've very welcome for that link, thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it. (Huge thanks too for posting my button on your site, darling. If you have a graphic/button too, please let me know so that I can place it on my side bar right away.)

    @ Keith, I was embarrassingly over due for new lenses. I was getting migraines from trying to watch TV or movies with too weak of a prescription, and that signaled that it truly was time to see the eye doctor. I hope you're able to get to specs really soon too, my friend.

    @ Jitterbugdoll, thank you, sweetie! I bet you'd look beyond adorable in cat eye glasses. I've seen a wide array of women in vintage pics sporting them back in the 50s and it really seems like a lot of different face shapes can pull that style off successfully. (Just a thought... you could grab a pair from a costume shop or a modern pair of inexpensive cat eye sunglasses for a few bucks on eBay just to see if they do or do not actually work for you.)

    @ Kathie, ohhhhh dear, I don't mind the eye doctor at all. I think they might be my fave Dr. actually. I never get the "butterflies in your stomach" sensation when I go to see them that I tend to with other medical doctors. I know lots of other people who loath going to the eye doctor too though, so maybe I'm the odd one out? ;D

    @ Alexander, thank you deeply for your immensely kind comment. Thank you for writing such a useful article, I hope that my readers enjoyed it as much as I did.

    @ aramblingfancy, I bet you could pull them off, sweetie! Cats eyes really aren't that tricky to wear, they're sort of like crinolines or corsets, they seem far more intimidating then they really are (IMO).

    @ Thistle Cove Farm, you don't sound ancient at all, you sound like a very lucky gal. I can scarcely imagine how cool it must have been to wear these beautiful glasses when they were in vogue.

    @ Stephanie (Queen of Dreamsz), thank you for your lovely comment! My eyes are sensitive to light too, more more specially to a lack of it. I'm nearsighted and have issues with distances all the time, but find that at night (in the dark) my vision gets considerably worse. The eye Doc says this is normal, but I still find it a little unnerving. Thankfully my new lenses are helping with this point a lot though.

    Thank you each so very much for your wonderful comments! I hope each of you is having a beautiful week! Be sure to swing by Chronically Vintage tomorrow to find out who won the draw for the adorable Alessi kitchen timer.

    Big hugs to one and all!
    ♥ Jessica

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  17. Why, thanks for mentioning my post, I always like to have a look at your link roundup, and what a surprise, to find my blog quoted there!

    I wish men read that "How to look smart" article down here, and stop wandering wrapped in baggy pants with a low crotch, a thing that makes them walk like constipated penguins - and does *not* make them look smart, incidentally.

    And the "Fall essentials" one was very useful and, hmmmm, gorgeous!

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  18. @ Paperdoll, the pleasure is all mine, thank you putting it together, sweetie.

    I'm with you 110% when it comes to wishing that more men would return to a dapper, elegant style of dressing. I pine for the days when gents sported a suit every day (or at least nearly every day) and when a proper hat (aka, not baseball cap) was considered necessary garb.

    Thank you very much for your comment, honey! So glad you enjoyed the various links.

    Oodles of hugs,
    ♥ Jessica

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