500 (Followers) for Friday: January 22, 2010

The numerical in the title of today’s post does not denote the quantity of items/ideas featured within (as is generally the case with “Five for Friday” posts), instead it refers directly to the fact that this week Chronically Vintage reached a milestone number of followers: 500 – and counting!

It’s rather surreal actually to reflect upon the fact that that, according to the Google followers counter on the right hand side bar of this blog, there are now over five hundred admirers of this site. Added to that hefty number is the fact that I know many more out there tag along with Chronically Vintage via different means, too, such as feed readers. Others still may not follow along in a measurable way, but are new and returning visitors.

When I began this humble blog last spring, I never dreamed in that in less than a year, so many people would take notice of my teeny corner of the internet – let alone help to turn this site into the cheerful place of vintage history, timeless beauty and endless fun that it. I can scarcely begin to put into words how much I appreciate and value each and every person who has ever visited this site, whether you actively follow along, pop by once in a while or just visited once. Without you, Chronically Vintage simply would not be the same.

In lieu of posting a handful of recent finds today, I wanted to share five wonderful things that you, my treasured followers, have given me since I began this blog.

♥ ♥ ♥

{Fellowship}

Growing up I was the lone vintage gal on the block (I’d venture to say in the whole town actually). Whereas others were tripping over one another to wear the latest 90s trends, I held steadfast to my lifelong love of the past and tried to incorporate vintage style as best I could into my wardrobe as a teenager.

As the years progressed and saw more of the world, I came to discover that there were others out there who also shared my passion for vintage. My first online encounters with vintage style came in the form of vibrant rockabilly looks, which, while I certainly admire and think look sublime on some gals, usually end up coming across as too costumey on me. I kept searching though and discovered one day that there were others just like me who love to wear authentic (and/or reproduction) vintage styles out there (who standout not for being overtly sultry, but for the undeniable elegance and allure that radiates from the time honoured vintage styles they don).

Knowing that I was not alone in my desire to wear the exact looks of the 1940s and 50s, instantly made me feel like I was part of a community of like-minded individuals. For a couple of years I sat by on the sidelines, reading vintage blogs, pouring over Flickr streams full of modern gals in old school looks, and learning a great deal about the garments and styles of the decades before my own lifetime that I hold most dear.

Quite literally from the first week I began Chronically Vintage, I have been welcomed into the online vintage community with welcome arms. Everyone of my visitors and fellow vintage bloggers makes me feel like I’m home (when I read your comments and visit your own incredible websites). Thank you deeply for the gift of friendship and camaraderie that we’re blessed to be able to share.


{Diversion}



As some of you may know from reading past posts or from our email correspondence, I’m not always in the best of shape health wise. For a number of years now I’ve had several severe chronic illnesses, each of which has a profound impact on my life. I generally try to refrain from talking about my health too much on this site, but occasionally the topic does surface (such as if I’ve been absent from blogging due to a flare-up).

My health is unpredictable, fraught with complications and challenging to plan any semblance of a “normal” life around, yet, even on my worst days, I try never to let the medical issues I face define who I am entirely. I’ve long made peace with my situation, but there’s no getting around the fact that it’s a constant in my life.
In order to help take my mind off the issues my body faces daily, I truly need outlets and activities where I don’t have to think about my health concerns, and for me this blog is truly one of the most incredible, most cathartic venues I’ve discovered.

Being able to shift my mind from pain to productivity, to think about a topic that brings me bliss and which I’m fortunate to be able to write about and share my thoughts on publicly is a godsend in my life. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to connect with you through my writing, to have a place where I can think about history, fashion, art, and countless other topics besides my health!


{Creative outlet}



I believe firmly that every single person on earth is creative. No two souls or minds are identical; each one of us has the ability to exert creativity in our own wonderful ways. For me being creative in some semblance has been on par with having air to breath, I couldn’t fathom life without a place to let my creativity run free. Though Chronically Vintage is not my only artistic outlet, it is undoubtedly one of the most important creative lynchpins in my life.

Through your comments, blogs, photos, ideas and own amazing originality, I am constantly fuelled onward down my own creative path. Thank you for allowing me a public platform from which to share some of my creativity with the world.


{Inspiration}



You, my fellow vintage bloggers, are my muses. In the way you dress, write, think, create and ultimately live, you stoke my unyielding adoration of the past and help to ensure I’m able to incorporate it with both the present and the future. Thank you deeply for continually rocking my world with the astonishingly lovely inspiration you provide me with.


{Joy}



Tied only with love, there is nothing in the world worth perusing more than happiness. Each one of us has such a very short time on this planet, and I believe that we should strive to do all that we can to ensure that our lives blossom with happiness.


{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


♥ ♥ ♥

From your blogs, comments and friendships, I am continually provided with countless reasons to smile, to feel happy, to look at the world from a new and more cheerful perspective. In writing posts for Chronically Vintage, I get to temporarily escape many of the unpleasant worries of life and let bliss come tumbling out my heart and onto the computer screen.

Thank you for the immeasurable abundance of gladness being a part of the vintage community brings me.

I try never to take anything for granted; I cherish the good and strive to work around the bad, embracing positives and eschewing the negatives whenever possible. Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful for having this blog in my life, nor that I don’t reflect upon how wonderful it is to be able to connect with so many people who share one of my biggest passions: vintage!

Thank you to all of my followers, new and longstanding friends, and first time visitors alike, you bring so much to my world and are absolutely priceless to me.