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February 26, 2010

The results of Friday’s poll are in!

Feeling like some of the usual Chronically Vintage posts could do with a good spring cleaning, I recently decided to revamp two of them: the “Daily Vintage Deal” became the “Today’s Vintage Treasure”, and I turned the decision regarding what to do with Friday’s weekly post over to you, my readers.


{All heads turned in anticipation to hear what post topic had been chose by Chronically Vintage's readers as the winner of Friday's exciting poll :-) Fantastically glamorously image via myvintagevogue's Flickr stream.}


As of this evening, 46 people have cast their vote and it’s from those results that I’ve determined what I’m going to blog about on upcoming Fridays. The “winner”, with 39% of the votes was “Fashionista Fridays”. The outcome of this poll wasn’t a landslide though. 28% of voters felt I should keep the current “Five for Fridays” post, where as 17% of you wanted to see a “Flickr Friday” post launched. A further 11% felt that I shouldn’t assign a topic to Friday’s posts at all, and the final 4% said that they’d like to see something else entirely different from the ideas I suggested.

As I really didn’t have my heart set on any one answer more than another, I’m going to side with the majority of voters and launch “Vintage Fashionista Friday” as the new end of the workweek post. I’m honestly now quite excited about this, loving vintage style and clothing as I do.

The scope of this post is that each week I will find a handpicked selection of vintage (or vintage looking/reproduction) clothing that’s currently available for sale (in case you want to take home the look yourself) and put together a lovely outfit out of those items. I don’t have the budget to buy new clothes each week and model them myself, so Friday’s “look” will be comprised of photos of the items, which I hope will be both inspirational and enjoyable for my readers.

Regarding the other categories that I’d proposed in the poll, I plan to incorporate more posts based around vintage related photos and groups I’ve found on Flick into this blog, and will be distributing the links I’d usually include in “Five for Friday” into the newly minted post “Today’s Vintage Treasure”.

Normally, having just announced what Friday’s new theme was going to be, I’d put up the first such example, however, for some mysterious reason (and despite restarting the modem at least a dozen times) our internet service is cutting out today something fierce. I had to reload my browser window about fifty times, over the course of half an hour, just to get Blogger to load, thus allowing me to begin my draft of this post. I sincerely apologize about that and have no clue why our internet service is being so slow (but I’d be more than willing to chalk it up to the snowy, stormy weather and harsh winds we’ve been experiencing all week).

All things willing, I will bring you the first proper installment of Vintage Fashionista Friday next week, gathering items online between then and now to comprise the first vintage outfit with.

Thank you very much to everybody who voted in this poll and shared your comments below last Friday’s post. I took all of your opinions to heart and was touched by the wonderful thoughts on this subject that you shared. I hope that even those who didn’t vote for “Fashionista Friday” will quickly become fans of this new post, which covers one of our favourite topics – vintage clothing and accessories that the modern gal can easily weave into her own look.

On this the last Friday in February, I wish you each a beautiful, serene and deeply fun weekend, and thank you again for being the best readers – and vintage loving friends – anyone could possibly ask for!

February 25, 2010

Today’s Vintage Treasure: February 25, 2010





{While the cost of this basic sewing kit is much steeper than I’d usually promote, the beauty and appeal of the flapper-esque girl bedecked box it comes housed in helps to make up for part of the $55.00 (CND) sticker price. As a charming work of art, I could easily see this delightful box – which resembles a miniature vintage suitcase – taking pride-of-place on a bookshelf, dresser, counter top, or sewing table or anywhere you’d like to add a lovely dose of 1920s inspired fun to your home. If this cute sewing box is calling your name, you can find it on Overstock.com.}


Peering outside at this moment, one would think that they’d awoken in the arctic, snow whirling hurriedly in every direction, the resonating sound of a howling wind slashing across anything it comes in contact with. Alas however, I’m not up north keeping the polar bears company, but instead in good ol’ Toronto, which has been hit with a real wallop of a snowfall this week (on Monday we even experienced two brief blackouts in the later part of the evening, though luckily the longest one only last about five minutes).

In the midst of this snowy (though to be honest, not brutally cold – save perhaps for the wind chill week) week, I’ve been trying to catch up on a backlog of chores that are a tad overdue as a result of my being out of commission for a spell with a sinus cold in the middle of the month. Yesterday, for example, I did ten loads of laundry! (Thankfully we have washers and dryers in the basement of our building; I shudder to think about hauling that much laundry to a laundromat on the bus!) Unfortunately, that left me without a moment to spare to put together a Wonderful Wednesday Recipe post. I’ll try and make up for it next with an extra yummy (read: scrumptious dessert) recipe that I hope you’ll all enjoy.

As for the folding of all that laundry, it’s being done between today and tomorrow (today was also dusting day, which is an absolute must when you have a fuzzy little cat prowling around depositing her fur on everything in the apartment! :D).

Sweet thanks go out to all those who left comments (and opted to play along) on Tuesday’s post about playing blog tag, as well as to everyone who has left comments on any of Chronically Vintage’s other posts recently. It’s nothing short of a joy to hear from my readers– and fellow vintage loving friends – and I always want you to know how much I sincerely appreciate your visits and comments.

Whether you’re buried under a mountain of snow like me – or soaking up the delectableness of a placid winter (such as the one many parts of British Columbia have been treated to this season) - I really hope that you’re having a serene and splendid week!




*PS*

Be sure to tune tomorrow to find out the results of last week’s poll regarding what type of subject matter I should assign (or keep) for Friday’s weekly posts.

February 23, 2010

What to play blog tag with me?

If I were to assign a theme to this month, it would most definitely be "catching up". When I took a few days off (from blogging) earlier in February, I made a list of things that I wanted to try and devote some time to catching up on. That inventory included no less than twenty eight different online activities – and twelve “real world” ones – that I planned to focus a percentage of my time on. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get completely up to speed on such a tall stack of projects, commitments, interests, etc, but so far I have made noticeable strides towards brining several of these areas up-to-date.

As to be expected, some areas have required more time than I’d initially suspected. With others however, I was able to take care of much quicker than I’d initially suspected (and a few haven’t even been touched yet, but I will get to them sooner or later!). Along the way, as certain “catch-up” jobs were checked off my list, others (that I’d either forgotten about or which emerged through the process of working on different tasks) popped up and are now goals for the next few weeks (and months).

I plan to keep pushing myself quite hard (but not, I hope, too hard) to catch-up on various tasks over the last few days of February. When the first of March rolls around, I’m going to revise my list and readjust where I’m spending my time, as necessary (and will be spending more visiting other people’s wonderful blogs again). I’m finding that having a working list like this is really helping me feel less like I’m falling hopelessly behind on everything I want to accomplish online (and to a less extent, off-line, too) – a sensation that had been plaguing me for years, I came to realize this month.

All work and no play however, is bound to burn anyone out! (And, let’s face it, even when you enjoy writing most of them, anytime you reply to more than four hundred different emails in less than three weeks, that constitutes work!) So I thought that I’d put my goal (perhaps the largest one on my list) of reaching "inbox zero" on hold for a few moments and have fun answering some questions that I was tagged with, by the immensely sweet Nicolette of Simply Colette, all the way back at the start of last October.

If you’ve not had the great pleasure of visiting Nicolette yet, I highly recommend you zip by her site. It’s a treasure trove of beautiful and imaginative images, inspiring ideas and terrific writing from one of the loveliest souls I’ve met online.

Today’s game of blog tag consists of answering five questions (the replies for which sound like the makings of a fantastic party or evening in with friends), so I’m going to do just that – followed by a list of ten other bloggers who are welcome to carry on this enjoyable post, if they’d like (as always, anyone who reads this post is welcome to keep the meme going themselves, even if I don’t specifically tag you).


Tag, I’m it!



{Two adorable children run gleefully after one another down a street in New York, perhaps engaged in their game of tag, in this snapshot from 1942. Vintage photo via epicharmus’ Flickr stream.}


What books are on your favourite shelf?

As a lifelong bookworm and very avid reader, this question is always tricky for me to answer concisely for there is such an overabundance of books that I consider to be true favourites. However, if I stick to the parameters of the question and base my answers of off books that I actually own a copy of (and thus have on my bookshelf) at the moment, a roundup of my favourites would have to include the following (which I think lend credence to my deeply eclectic tastes).




-Forties Fashion: From Siren Suits to the New Look by Jonathan Walford (Without a doubt, this is the most in-depth, well researched, engagingly written book I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading on the subject of fashion and the impact that clothing had on the world during the 1940s. If I could only have one title on my shelf about clothing from the forties, hands down, this image laden book would be it.)




-Collected Poems 1947-1997 Allen Ginsberg (Legend, master, artist, historian, inspiration, Allen Ginsberg was all these things and countless more. His work, at times avant-garde, at others hauntingly ageless, was one of my first introductions to the world of The Beat Generation writers as child, and remains to this day a beloved favourite of mine.)




-Pattern: Using Pattern to Create Sophisticated, Show Stopping Interiors by Tricia Guild (While I can see their appeal, I’ve never been a fan of stark white, minimally furnished rooms – even if my husband fancies them! Give me colour, depth, artistry, soul and intrigue on – and between the – the walls of a home and I’m a happy interior design camper. No other book I’ve encountered thus far brings so much beauty, vibrancy and allure into the rooms it highlights – all the while melding a menagerie of design styles and decades together – as this beguiling title does. From the moment you pick up this hefty book with its flocked flower pattern bedecked cover, you know you’re in a massive treat - and each page that follows confirms and exceeds that expectation.)




-French Inspired Jewelry: Creating with Vintage Beads, Buttons & Babbles by Kaari Meng (Whether you love to create your own jewelry or wear the works of others, this book – by celebrated jewelry artesian owner of the famed Hollywood store French General - is an absolute must for those who adore shabby chic, French provincial, Victorian and vintage styles. Aside from being easy to follow and well explained, each project is presented against a backdrop of the incredibly pretty little treasures, turning the images into scrapbook-like works of charming, timelessly wonderful art in and of themselves.)




-The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics (While my fashion preferences veer towards the 1940s and 50s, my taste in music encompasses groups and artists from every era, and like many people, I’m a massive fan of the Beatles. From their early bubble gum tunes to the soul-gripping songs like "Let It Be", and everything in between, there is so much to adore and extract inspiration from in the Beatles’s work. This book is a thrill for the senses. Each pair of pages highlights one of the many songs from the Beatles' vast catalog, coupled with a mod era illustration that promises to evoke memories (even if you weren’t alive during the 1960s) and help you fall even further in love with the Fab Four.)


What DVDs are on your favourite shelf?

Truth be told, we really do not own many DVDs. We tend to watch our movies at the theatre, on TV or via services like zip.ca (a Canadian site that's similar to NetFlicks), so my answers come from the “shelf of life” rather than the literal spot on our little TV stand where our teensy DVD collection residess.

Five fantastic movies that I would recommend everybody watches at least once in their lifetime, and each of which has impacted me deeply for various reasons, are:




The Pianist (2002)





La Dolce Vita (1960)




The Secret Life of Words (2005) (I saw this movie last year for the first time and must say it was the most stirring and touching film I watched in 2009. In my opinion it truly should have been an Oscar nominee – if not a winner - in two categories: best actress [Sarah Polley] and best film.)




8MM (1999)





The Illusionist (2006)



What are your two favourite cookbooks?

It’s impossible for me to narrow down this epically diverse category into two all-time favourites. For as long as I can recall, I’ve adored reading and learning from cookery and gastronomy related books. I read them with the fervour and intensity that many do novels, and value the wisdom and inspiration that comes from cookbooks no end. To that extent, I would say two of my perpetual favourite cookbooks are:



-Falling Cloudberries: A World of Family Recipes by Tessa Kiros (For me cookbooks have always been about so much more than just recipes on paper. What endears me to a title that devotes itself to the realm of food is the writer’s ability to draw me into their kitchen, their relationship with what they eat and prepare for their family, and their admiration for culinary ingredients. Few writers have mastered the skill of transmitting this information – nor presented it so exquisitely beautifully – as Tessa Kiros does in this visually lyrical tome of recipes gathered from her diverse travels around the globe.)




-The Silver Spoon (The use of the word "tome" is often applied liberally to books of all kind, but this classic Italian masterpiece (first published in 1950) truly qualifies for that prestigious title. Overflowing with more than 2000 recipes from every corner of Italy, this book jumps right to the point, filling each page with an average of two or three different recipes, from those that almost verge on being ostentatious to the most humble of “cucina povera” dishes. If you’re serious about cooking, eating, and getting to be know the world of Italian food, The Silver Spoon is worthy of a spot on your kitchen counter and bookshelf alike – it certainly has one on mine :-))


Select 1-3 recipes you would cook for your guests


{Nothing like the joy of whipping up a wonderful meal for a group of dear friends! Vintage image from 1948 of a woman hard at work baking bread from the pages of the Life Magazine photo archives.}


As some of you may know, cooking is a profound passion of mine and there are few things in this world I gather pleasure from more than preparing a meal for those dear to me. Given that many of us are still trapped in the throes of winter, I would invite every one of my dear readers over for a warming, relaxed weekend lunch, during which I’d feed you my Creamy Gala Apple, Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup, Balderson Cheddar and Fresh Thyme Country Biscuits, and Cinnamon, Vanilla Bean and Bosc Pear Bread Pudding for dessert.


What will be drinking that’s available?


{It would be so marvellously lovely to partake in afternoon tea with all you! Glamorous vintage image from ∆Sabine Davis∆’s Flickr stream.}

Sticking with the theme of ensuring we’re all toasty, I’d heat as many kettlefuls of water as needed and lay out a spread of teas and tisanes for all of us to pick and choose from. Naturally I'd ensure they were served with a selection of honeys, sugars, milk, cream, soy milk, cinnamon sticks, and citrus slices.


Tag, you’re it!



{Though this photo which hails from 1901 is technically more on the antique side, I thought it was too preciously adorable not to include in this post centred around playing tag. Image from jflangjr’s Flickr stream.}


A Vintage Chic

Just a Happy Housewife

The Frog’s Eyebrows

A Chock-Full of Rants and Raves from a Thirty-Something Mama

Roses R Red

The Art of Living Beautifully

Random Thoughts of a Very Boring Girl

Rue and Hyssop

It’s All Make-Believe, Isn’t It?

Madeleine’s Wunderkammer


I should note that if you want to carry on this game of tag, there are no real rules. I answered the same questions that Nicolette had on her blog, but you could change them up if you wanted. Please let me know if you keep this game going, I’d love to read your replies!


Thank you very much for this delightfully enjoyable tag, Nicolette dear! It was oodles of fun to escape from more mundane activities this evening and share some of my favourite books, films and recipes with my treasured readers.

February 21, 2010

Revamping the Daily Vintage Deal post (into Today's Vintage Treasure)

Beautiful Sunday greetings to one and all! While I’m afraid I wasn’t able to put together a “Saturday Snapshots” post yesterday (I must confess, I was sorely short on sleep after trudging my way through a sinus/throat cold this past week, so I used as much of Saturday as I possibly to catch up on some much needed sleep), I didn’t want to the entire weekend to slip by without adding a new post (I’ll try my best to ensure that a new line-up of vintage photos appears next Saturday – we’ve missed two editions back to back now, and are long overdue for another selection of inspiring images from the past).

Before I go any further though, sincere thanks are due to all those who have voted so far in (and commented on) Friday’s poll regarding whether to keep the current type of post I usually put up on Fridays, or if you’d rather see something new take its place. I’m going to keep the poll open until this coming Friday, at which time I’ll make my decision regarding what Friday’s new (or existing) theme will be (don’t you just love a little blog suspense? ;-D)

In the meantime however, I’d decided to slightly tweak a post (that despite its moniker doesn’t actually show up quite every single day – ok, truth be told, there hasn’t been an edition of this post in about a month, but that was partly due to my recent “blogcation”) that many of my readers may be familiar with called “The Daily Vintage Deal”.

In its place I’m going to try out a new post called “Today’s Vintage Treasure”. This post will be similar to the daily deal, but not strictly limited to bargain items (though, that said, as someone whose budget is tighter than a Victorian corset, I will always strive to ensure a healthy dose of stellar deals appear amongst the merchandise I feature on Chronically Vintage for those who also love a fantastic bargain).

So often in my online travels I come across amazing/gorgeous/rare/swoon-worthy items that I want to share with all of you, but I’m not able to squeeze them into the ebb and flow of my posts. While I’m sure there will still be great finds that go unwritten about, I hope that by expanding the scope of a short post about a lovely online discovery, I’ll be able to share a broader range of wonderful vintage items with you.

I settled on the title that I did as well because it gives me a bit more wiggle room in terms of how frequently I add such a post to Chronically Vintage. Ideally I’d love to bring you a treasure a day, but I know that won’t always be possible, so instead of locking myself into something I can’t keep up with, this post will let me share terrific finds with you whenever I’m able to do so.
On that note, and without further ado, allow me to present the first ever installment of “Today’s Vintage Treasure” to you.



{Just look at this vintage silk party frock, from the sublimely lovely – and perpetually timeless cut – to the cuter than cute pattern, which at first glance appears as though its comprised of polka dots, but is actually made up of dozen of tiny pumpkin hued sheep – everything about this playfully elegant dress is worthy of the word “treasure”. I’m sure people will be flocking (sorry, I’m a sucker for puns) to this beauty, which fits up to a 36” bust/29” waist, over at Fast Eddie’s Retro Rags where it’s selling for $180.00 (US).}


For the time being, aside from the “Daily Vintage Deal” and (possibly) “Five for Friday”, I don’t plan to alter any existing reoccurring posts. However, one other teeny little change I made to this blog over the weekend was to widen the centre part of its template. Instead of cramming everything into a narrow little alleyway of a space, I’ve extended the area where my posts appear, and simply can’t believe I didn’t do so earlier! At the risk of sounding biased, I think the wider layout looks wonderful – and it’s certainly easier to read posts on.

I don’t know if it’s the fact that the sun has once again leapt out to greet me today or that my cold is (albeit slowly) starting to lift (I can actually taste once more, hurrah!) – or simply the fact that there is so much joy and elegant serenity to be extract from a Sunday, but I feel chipper at the moment and hope the mood hangs on for a spell!

Likewise, darling friends, I wish each of you a day that rich in happiness paired with lashings of whatever makes your heart smile.

February 19, 2010

Polling Chronically Vintage’s readers, what would you like Friday’s posts to cover?

Joyful Friday greetings, everyone! How are you each as we head into this second to last weekend of February? My pesky sinus cold is hanging on (oh noz!), but otherwise all is well – we were even treated to the most delightful burst of daffodil hued sunshine this afternoon (a welcome sight after a week of immensely grey skies and many a snowfall).

While on my recent blogcation, and over the past couple of days, too, I’ve been giving a fair bit of thought to revamping a couple of the reoccurring posts that currently appear on Chronically Vintage. Though I don't presently plan to alter certain ongoing posts (such as Wednesday’s Recipes and Saturday Snapshots), I’ve started to feel that others might benefit from a change of pace.

Chief among these is my usual "Five for Friday" post, in which I share five items/links/images/etc that have interested and inspired me during the last week or so. I certainly enjoy putting together this post, but (and maybe I’m just itching to start spring cleaning here ;-D) was thinking that perhaps it was time to shake things up regarding what I post about on Fridays.

I’ve created a little poll below in which I list four options that I’ve thought of, as well as a blank line where you’re welcome to share your own ideas (I’d love to hear them!) for a possible theme for Friday’s posts.





This is Chronically Vintage’s first ever poll and I’m buzzing with excitement to read your responses. There’s a high likelihood that I will go with whatever option gets that most votes. The other ideas may very well weave their way into other posts, too (for examples, I’ve been itching to put together a frequent post featuring recent Flickr finds – in addition to the vintage photos that comprise "Saturday Snapshots" each week – for ages).

Thank you so much to everyone who casts their vote! I sincerely appreciate your impute and will report the outcome of what (future editions of) Friday's posts will be about next week.


Wishing you all a bright, beautiful, and immensely fun weekend!

February 17, 2010

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Creamy Gala Apple, Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

Before launching into today’s recipe, I wanted to take a moment to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who left Valentine’s Day wishes for me over the weekend; it was such a joy to share Cupid’s special day with you all for the first time on Chronically Vintage. I really hope that you each had a marvelous February 14th!

I should also mention that this post brings my "blogcation" to an end. Even though I’ve been under the weather for several of the days I was "off", I really cannot believe how immensely fast an entire week and a half whipped past.

During my time away from actively blogging, I was able to catch up on a sizable portion of my (massively overdue for a reply!) emails and various other online tasks I’d hoped to accomplish, as well as to (finally) do a few things around the house that I’d been yearning to take care of for some time, yet never seemed to have enough hours in the day to quite accomplish.

While I don’t feel like I’ve just returned from a dazzlingly lovely tropical holiday, I do genuinely feel a renewed sense of blogging energy. I’ve better come to terms with the issue that was plaguing me heavily regarding staying abreast with my blog comments, and have also decided that I simply have to allow myself a little R&R sometimes (we all do!).

Once more I extend my deepest and most sincere of thanks to all those who have left comments for me over the past few weeks. Your encouraging, caring, friendly words have been a true help to me. I’ve missed you all dearly, dear friends, and look forward everything that the feature holds in store for Chronically Vintage!



Creamy Gala Apple, Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup


The alternative title for this dish– the one by which it’s best know around my kitchen – is “comfort soup”, for that’s what it instantly delivers to anyone who sits down before a bowl of it. Mild, yet far from bland, nourishing (you can practically feel the many wonderful nutrients from the squash, yams, carrots and apples seeping into your body with each steaming spoonful) and absolutely perfect during the winter months, this soup is exactly what I need today to help banish the rather unpleasant sinus cold I woke up with on Monday morning!

It’s by no means essential that you use Gala apples here, though I do prefer a sweeter apple such as Red Delicious or Pink Lady if I’m out of Galas (if you like would like a bit of tartness, feel free to use Granny Smith instead) – you could even opt for ripe, juicy pears instead of apples should the desire strike.

As with many soup recipes, this one is forgiving. You can forgo the squash and increase the amount of yams (or vice versa), omit the ginger, nutmeg or cinnamon and spring for a jolt of zing with a little curry powder, paprika or lightly sautéed shallots sprinkled over the top right before serving (actually, I have employed shallots before even when I’ve kept the cinnamon in place).



{As if I’d possible contemplate using any other kind! ;-D If you’ve got a hankering for both carrots and a beautiful piece of artwork featuring this humble root vegetable, you can pick up this charming vintage inspired Old Fashion Carrot print for $12.99 (US) from art.com.}

There’s something both heartily rustic and yet so elegantly refined about this soup. It calls to mind quite weekend afternoons spent watching the snow fall tranquilly, the pleasure of happily flowing conversation and many requests for second helpings.


Ingredients

• 4 cups of (homemade or good quality store bought) vegetable broth

• 2-3 medium sized carrots peeled and sliced into circles (thickness of your choice)

• 2 Gala apples peeled, cored and sliced

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 1 large yam, peeled and cubed

• 4 tbsp of butter or margarine

• ¾ cup cream (either single or double, the choice is yours)

• ¼ tsp nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger (optional)

• ½ tsp sea salt (or to taste)

• Freshly milled pepper (to taste)


Directions

In a large, heavy bottomed sauce pot combine the vegetable stock, butternut squash, yam and nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 15 minutes over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium and add in the sliced carrots and gala apples. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes (or until the vegetables are cooked through), stirring often.

Next, take the pot off the stove and carefully pour the soup base through a colander, into a large bowl or another large pot, but do not discard either the stock liquid or the apples and vegetables. Return the stock to the pot, but not the veggies and apples. Next puree the vegetables and apples with a hand-held mixer or in the food processor (even a sturdy blender would work, if you don’t have a stick mixer or food processor – I’ve made it this way many times and it always comes out great).

Reintroduce the pureed vegetable and apple mixture into the broth over medium heat; add in the cream, butter and salt and black pepper. Stir often and bring to a rapid simmer (but not quite a full-on boil), reduce the heat and cook for another 5-10 minutes depending on the consistency that you prefer (the longer you cook this soup for the, the thicker it becomes).

Serve while nicely warm, ladling ample portions into soup dishes or generous sized cappuccino mugs. Should there happen to be any, leftovers can be stored (covered) in the fridge for up to 3 days.

I adore serving this delicious soup with fresh or toasted slices of French or sourdough bread, homemade apple butter (to keep the apple theme going), and a little jug of fresh cream to be passed around and drizzled into the bowls by all those you may be sharing your table with you.

Serves 3-4 as a starter or light lunch

Bon appétit!


February 13, 2010

A Valentine’s Day postcard from my blogging vacation

Greetings, sweetest readers, how have you been lately? I really cannot believe that a whole week zoomed past this my last post. In the time since then I’ve accomplished some – but not all – of what I’d wanted to (as well as other things that I’d put off and suddenly realized I had the time to complete), done a lot of thinking regarding how to approach blogging in the future, and have also just breathed, allowing myself (for whom having idle hands never feels natural) to do nothing but relax here and there.

Last weekend I estimated that I’d return from my “blogcation” today, however some of my conditions are flaring up (not because I pushed myself too hard during my time off, but simply because no matter what, several of them act up every month due hormonal reasons relating to my monthly cycle) and I’m on bed rest at the moment. Thus, I’m afraid that I am going to have to tentatively extend my blogging break until this middle of this coming week (hopefully no longer than that!). Provided I feel well enough, I’m aiming to post the next weekly recipe this coming Wednesday – and launch back into more frequent posts after that.

During these days off I’ve continued to contemplate how best to approach the blog comment situation that had been weighing so heavily on my mind recently. I still do not feel like I’ve come with the “perfect solution”. As I stated in my last post, I think that I simply have to accept that I’m not always able to visit every one of the blogs of those who visit me (much as I truly wish I could, both because I want to say thank you personally for visiting my blog, and because I love and gather immense inspiration from your own sites). Yet, I will continue to try my best to get to as many as I can, when my health allows.

I want to extend my sincere thanks again to everybody who has provided me with their own insight and suggestions regarding this situation. I value and appreciate your wise and deeply caring words greatly.

(On a different note...) Tomorrow marks the annual day of love and romance. It provides us with an ideal time to pledge (or perhaps reveal for the first time) your adoration towards someone special, to reflect on past and present relationships, and embrace the joyful spirit that love inherently imparts to the world.


{This tremendously cute pair of Kewpie dolls is here to help me wish you all the loveliest of Valentine’s Days, no matter how you choose to spend it! Vintage postcard via riptheskull’s Flickr stream.}


I realize that Valentine’s Day is not everyone’s cup of tea, but even if you can live without the flowers and chocolates, the cut-out tissue paper cupids and sentimental love poems, I hope that you’re able to join in the greater sense of amicability that February 14th represents.

Today and always, know that I love and cherish each of you, dearest friends and visitors, so very much and that from the bottom of my heart I am wishing you a delightfully beautiful Valentine’s Day!

February 7, 2010

You have all helped me to see the forest for the trees, thank you!

My dearest readers, on Thursday I turned to you for help regarding how to handle balancing my chronic health problems with my desire to keep abreast of the comments Chronically Vintage receives. I’ll openly admit, I was feeling rather overwhelmed as I composed that post. A sleepless night the day before spent mulling this problem over constantly in my mind had really indicated to me that this was an issue I needed to voice and seek assistance with.


{This vintage photo (which comes care of mademoiselle therese’s Flickr stream) of a beautiful maiden languishing on a park bench, clearly looking frazzled and more than a little distraught, is an apt representation of how I feeling on Thursday. After receiving an amazingly kind outpouring of supportive comments and terrific suggestions however, I’m doing a lot better today!}


The unbridled support, understanding, and insight and “love”, too, for that is how you all made me feel, so very loved!) that fill the more the 30 comments which poured in has floored – and touched – me greatly. I truly feel like the words “thank you” fail to express how grateful I am to everyone who shared their thoughts regarding this matter with me. I took all of your words to heart, absorbing the wisdom and guidance you bestowed upon me.

Over the past couple of days I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching, deep thought and contemplation. These things paired with your comments have truly helped me to realize that perhaps I wasn’t looking at the bigger picture of my blog as a whole, but rather focusing on the one aspect that was troubling me the most (trying to figure out how to keep up with comments).

Amidst an emotional day on Friday, it dawned on me that I part of the reason why the comment issue was troubling me so deeply was because it had come to represent a greater feeling of failure in terms of being able to stay up-to-date with many, many aspects of my life (both on and off line) that I’ve been experiencing for years now as a direct result of my medical conditions affecting so many elements of my world.

Continually feeling as though I stumbled three (or thirty!) steps backwards for every one step I took forward had started to weigh heavily on my mind and soul.

While I wouldn’t call myself a “Type A”, I’ve always been a bit of an overachiever and a major workaholic, so just about no matter how far I fell behind in terms of everything I needed to get done, I just kept plugging away ceaselessly, at times spreading myself too way thin. Sure, I’d scaled back in some places (for example, I used to be active on several different online forums, yet these days I almost never post on forums, much as I wish I was able to), but in areas others things had only gotten more harried.

Aside from learning to cut myself more slack (a nearly foreign concept to my mind) and accepting that sometimes I have limitations due to my health, I’ve also realized that periodically I need to take breaks away from certain online activities so that I can put my energies into other ones instead.

This way, I hope, I will feel less like I’m trying to divide myself in ten, twenty, etc different directions at once and more like I can focus on the really key things that need my attention at a given moment the moment. To that extent, I’ve decided to take an immensely small blogging breaking for the next few days.

I cannot stress enough that I am not in any way stepping back from Chronically Vintage – just taking a teeny-tiny break. This blog is a joy and sanctuary for me, I love it (and all of you!) dearly, but want to ensure I’m able to give it my very best by not being crazily inundated by other online activities that I feel I need to tend to as well (for example, at the moment I’ve got a massive back load of emails I feel I must get through, especially those that are still outstanding from 2009).

Not only do I have a lot of overdue things to attend to on the computer, but also in my home and personal life, and I plan on getting some of those done over the coming week, too (however, I will try my best not to pull a “typical Jess” and overexert myself until I cause one or more of my conditions to flare-up). I’m going to tentatively take the coming week off from blogging. At this point in time, I’m planning to jump right back into writing new Chronically Vintage posts next Saturday (the 13th).

In the future, from time-to-time, when I start to feel heavily overwhelmed (by the volume of activities that I feel I’ve failed to keep up with at a level I’m happy with), I will grant myself permission to take small blogging breaks again. It might sound odd, but in nearly all facets of my life, I’ve really never learned how to “cut myself a break”. I hope that this week I will better learn how to do so.

Regarding how to approach keeping up my the wonderful comments that I receive and visiting your own splendid sites, I’m going to take the advice many of you offered to me and just do the best that I can, accepting that some days I may not be able to visit as many other blogs as I’d ideally like to. Instead of worrying about not being able to visit absolutely everyone (and seeing this as a failure), I will try to look at those I am to visit as an accomplishment in its own right.

Sincerely, with all of my heart, thank you very much to everyone who showered me with unparalleled kindness and understanding. Your friendship and support have helped me in so many ways! I feel that your comments paired with a pint sized blogging break (during which time I will try to catch-up on as many things as I reasonably can), will really prove to be just the ticket I need when it comes to finding a deeper sense of long-term online tranquility.

May peace, joy and inspiration be with you all in the coming week, sweetest friends!

February 4, 2010

Trying very hard to find the right balance (but I could really use your help)



{Vintage photo via cessnal152towser’s Flickr stream.}


Last night I could not sleep. I tossed and turned (thankfully my husband is a fairly sound sleeper and didn’t hear my stirrings), repeatedly got out of bed only to lay back down moments later. Such an occurrence is by no means entirely uncommon for me, but there are times when something is weighing heavily enough one one’s mind to the point of robbing them of slumber, that it is best to seek advice from those near and dear you. I sincerely value each of your opinions and friendships, and want to talk bluntly to you all about something that has been eating away at me for quite some time now, in the hopes that you could help me out with it.

A recent conversation with a very dear friend (and fellow blogger/photographer) of mine in which I spoke candidly about certain elements relating to my health helped to give me the courage I needed to turn to my readers for their impute on this matter. (Once the flood gates have opened, as they say...)

I’ll spare you the details (trust me, you want to be spared), but in short I am not in a good state of health. I have not been since I was 18 years old (I’m 25.5 now), as that was the age at which I developed almost all of the chronic illnesses that I now have (more recently however, one cropped up about three years ago). I’m not, truly thankfully, dying or facing a massive medical crisis at this moment, so please do not think that I was leading this post in that direction.

One of the by-products of some of my conditions (I have about a dozen different major, chronic illnesses and a small number of lesser, but still chronic, problems) is that they greatly impede on the amount of time I’m able to spend on the computer each day.

On what I’d dub a “fantastic day”, I’m able to devote about 1.5 hours to being at my computer (many days this number is smaller, very occasionally it’s slightly higher). Due largely to one of my conditions in particular, I’m forced to break my computer usage time up into approximately two to ten minute intervals throughout the day. While I wish I could spend hours on my laptop daily, doing so is not possible at this point in my life and I have come to terms with this. I’m grateful for the time that I do have on the computer and try to use it as wisely as I can.

However, it is virtually impossible for me to stay on top of everything I need (let alone “want”) to get done online, because my computer time is so greatly limited. Between emails, writing blog posts, administering and maintaining a website (that I founded in 2004) for people who share one of my conditions, devoting time to my photography, doing research, and a trove of other online activities (which, believe me, I’ve already greatly scaled back over the last few years), I continually feel as though I’m falling further and further behind on almost everything I need to do online and on my desktop (e.g. writing blog posts).

Over the past couple of days I took an earnest stab at trying to catch up on the wonderful comments that have been left for me during the last two weeks here on Chronically Vintage, however I wasn’t able to visit all of your blogs. This bothers me so, so much (I honestly get stomach pains just thinking that I’ve not been able to come visit all those who took the time out of their day to visit my site and share their awesome thoughts with me), yet sometimes in life one has to admit defeat. In this case, I’ve been whopped by the sheer volume of comments I’ve received lately.

As I say that, please know that from the bottom of my soul, I am massively appreciative of each of those comments. I cannot stress enough how much I treasure your visits and the wonderful words you leave beneath my humble posts.

And so in lies the predicament. As many of you know, staying up-to-date with your comments (by which I mean visiting and commenting on the sites of those who stop by your blog) can just about become a full time job – or at the very least, take upwards of several hours a day. I have to be perfectly honest, it is beyond my physical ability at this point in time to spend multiple hours a day on the computer (on any activity, be it writing posts, visiting blogs or otherwise), and so I’m left racked with guilt now because I haven’t been able to catch up with all of your comments.

Up until this point, about 98% of the time I have managed to catch-up sooner or later on your comments, but this time I simply cannot. I’m truly sorry. I fully understand (and am not upset in the least) if some of my readers opt to no longer comment if I’m not able to comment on their sites. Please know that I will always give it my “fighting best” when it comes to staying abreast with your comments, but that sometimes doing so isn’t possible for me.

I need your advice. I will always permit comments on my posts, and I love hearing from you all, but I do not know how to approach the fact that sometimes I’m simply not able to keep up with your comments. What do you suggest I do?

As my readers, will some of you be hurt if, from time to time, I’m not able to comment as frequently on your posts as you may on mine? How to I determine what a good balance of time spent on replying to comments is? Perhaps is there something I can do to make up for not being able visit you on certain days?

Am I, as I know my very level headed husband would likely say, worrying about this perceived issue too much? Please, I implore you, tell me how you would handle this situation if you were in my shoes? (Yes, I do see the irony in asking for comments.)

With every fiber of my being, thank you for reading this post and for your impute, sweet friends.

February 3, 2010

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Quinoa, bell pepper and green onion salad


~ Quinoa, bell pepper and green onion salad ~

During a recent phone call with my mother, she mentioned that she’d bought quinoa for the first time and was curious if I’d cooked with it before and if I had tips regarding its preparation. I have indeed, I informed her, and it’s really a delightful grain that lends itself beautifully to being paired with a myriad of other flavours (from dried cranberries to oven roasted tomatoes). I suggested preparing it with a tasty stock, some fresh herbs and whatever vegetables she fancied.

While I don’t cook quinoa as often as I do certain other grains like rice, barley and couscous, I do enjoy whipping up a dish with this adorable little ingredient (which is technically a cereal, not a grain, that’s related to the spinach plant) from time-to-time, and when I do, the recipe below is one that I often turn to. I put it together a few years ago after a different quinoa centered discussion with someone else, and adore how well this dish works in either its warm or cold state.


{This cheerfully lovely vintage sign for fresh sweet peppers would have definitely been enough to get me to pull over and check out the produce on offer at a roadside vegetable stand. These days however, you can spot it over at AllPosters.com, where it’s for $10.99 (for a 12 x 12 inch version).}


If you’ve never tried quinoa before, I highly recommend picking up a package (it’s available at nearly all well-stocked health food stores and most larger supermarkets). Quinoa, which is naturally gluten-free, is high in protein and essential amino acids, meaning that it works very well as a complete protein source. It’s also rich in fiber, iron, and magnesium. When cooked quinoa has a very pleasant, gentle, vaguely nutty flavour (it’s a bit reminiscent of brown rice) that makes it well suited to both savoury and sweet dishes (it makes a delightful alternative to oatmeal for breakfast or brunch when mixed with ingredients like fruit, nuts and honey).

Once cooked quinoa is light and fluffy, perfect for absorbing dressings and lending it’s gentle flavour to more robust vegetable and/or meat overtones. This particular salad is vegetarian, but you could toss in a handful of grilled meat or prawns for a heartier meal, or keep the vegetarian theme going by including zucchini, eggplant or any other veggie you wish for more substance.

All this talk of quinoa has me suddenly craving its mild, wonderful taste and soft yet slightly crunchy texture so much, I think I too will have to pick up a package the next time I’m out grocery shopping. In the meantime though, I’ll call up my mom to see how her first foray into quinoa cooking turned out.


Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa (ensure that you buy the type which is labelled as having been washed so as to remove the slightly bitter outer coating that quinoa contains naturally)

• 3 cups water

• 1 green bell pepper (capsicum), chopped into even sized pieces

• 1 red bell pepper (capsicum), chopped into even sized pieces

• 1/4 cup chopped scallion (green onion), both green and white parts (if you don’t have green onions on hand try using leeks or chives instead)

• 1/4 cup chopped red onion

• 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley (or other fresh herb of your choice, dill is particularly lovely with quinoa, I find)

• 4 tablespoons liquid honey

• ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt (to taste)


Directions

In a medium-large saucepan (the heavier the bottom, the better) combine the three cups of water and quinoa; bring to a soft boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for about 13-18 minutes. You are aiming to have as much as possible of the liquid absorbed, much like a pot of rice, and for the quinoa to have softened.

Meanwhile combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and salt and pepper in a jar or bottle with a secure lid (one that won’t leak). Shake the mixture vigorously to emulsify the oil and vinegar. Store at room temperature until you are ready to dress the quinoa salad.

While the quinoa is cooking, dice all the vegetables and fry them for about two minutes over medium-high heat in a large non-stick frying pan or skillet (the scallion may only need a minute), just so that they sweat and release some of their natural oils. Remove from the heat, toss with the flat leaf parsley (or your choice or herbs), and stir into the quinoa once it’s finished cooking.

Pour the dressing over the veggie and quinoa mixture and toss lightly to coat all the grains. Serve warm or chilled. Any leftovers can be kept, covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight plastic container, in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This dish travels well and is absolutely perfect to take to summer picnics, backyard barbeques and potlucks all year round (you can easily multiple the recipe as needed).

Serves 2 people as a main dish, 4 people as a side dish or starter


Bon appétit!


February 1, 2010

Countdown to Value Village’s first 50 percent off sale of 2010!

Everyone loves a great deal – especially during these challenging economical times – and the recent news of Value Village’s next 50% sale has me buzzing with excitement!


{Delightful vintage image of a fellow gal who loves a good day of sale shopping (not to mention polka dot dresses) as much as I do, delivered via mademoiselle therese’s wonderful Flickr stream.}


Though not nearly as publicized this time around as many past sales have been, I got wind of the fact that the next one is going to be held on February 8th, then called to two separate Value Villages, both of which confirmed that the rumours are indeed true. (I would recommend ringing your nearest location – or the one you’re planning to hit – however, just to be certain, especially if you live outside of Canada).

With the doors set to open at the blurry eyed hour of 7am, it’s safe bet to say that many second hand store aficionados and deal hunters nationwide will be clamouring to head indoors from the cold and get their thrifting groove on :)

Value Village typically puts on at least three 50% off events each year (I continually hold onto a glimmer of hope that one day they’ll decide to have such sales on a monthly basis – the likelihood of this happening however, I realize, is rather on the slender side), and in the lead up to one that took place last May, I posted several of my favourite, handy-dandy Value Village shopping tips to help ensure that any day of bargain hunting goes as smoothly as possible.

In addition to those useful hints, today I’m going to share a few more pointers with you that I’ve picked up from a lifetime of second hand shopping, and which have helped to serve me well over the years. I really hope they’ll be beneficial to all of you, too.

♥ ♥ ♥



-Arriving at a big store swarming with crowds of bargain hungry shoppers, bright lights, loud voices, crying kids, ringing cells phones and frazzled employees can quickly become overwhelming! Before you know it you’re wandering through the electronics aisle (suddenly tempted to take home an Atari system, Betamax, or Boombox for no other reason than the pleasant sense of nostalgia such items invoke) and have landed (what feels like) miles away from the women’s clothing department.

Even if you’re planning to make a morning/afternoon/evening/entire Monday out of a hitting a Value Village 50% off day, it doesn’t hurt to plot out a game plan beforehand. In the days leading up to the sale, determine first and foremost your budget, and secondly what it is you’re most hoping to find (for example, at the moment I’m in serious need of some slips, more skirts and pants, a winter coat and boots, and some heavier weight sweaters – and of course, I never pass the dress aisle by without going over it with a fine tooth comb!).

Aim to hit the areas of the store that house the items you’re most looking for first (this can be especially important if you wear a particularly common size of clothing that many other shoppers will also be gunning for).

Going through the pieces in your size range (when I’m at a Value Village, Salvation Army thrift store, Goodwill, or other larger sized second hand clothing store, I always check the area with my current modern clothing size first, then look one or two sizes on either side of that number, then flip through the garments labelled with sizes that correspond to the vintage 40s/50s ones that I best fit, before finally giving some of the other racks a quick once over, just in case a garment was placed (either by an employee or by a fellow customer) in the wrong spot (I’ve actually found a number of lovely pieces over the years that were misfiled, especially in the coat and shoe departments).

Once you’ve covered the main areas that you were hoping to get to and have made however many trips to the fitting rooms are needed to try your bundle of finds on, you can proceed to either head up to the checkout, or to keep looking in other areas of the store (without feeling the pressure to “get what you came here for” taken care of).

Worth noting is that fact that on super busy days like those of the 50% sale, merchandise is continually being tried on by other customers. Some of whom will decide against certain items which in turn then get put back out on the floor. As well, some second hand store continually replenish their merchandise throughout the day, so twenty new blouses in your size could be added to rack while you were in the changing room or a different part of the store. If you’re planning to stick around for a while, it pays to check the racks/aisles you’re most interested in again one last time before calling it a day.


-If clothing is the aim of your game (and let’s face it, isn’t it usually when you head to a big Value Village sale like this?), take a few moments before you leave the house to double check your measurements. Imagine you’re being fitted by a tailor and, while either in the buff or wearing the type of undergarments you normally sport on a day-to-day basis, measure your neck, bust, waist, hips, and inseam (and optionally other areas like your upper arms, too). Jot these numbers down, and if you’re on the prowl for hats and/or gloves as well, measure your head (to determine your hat size, measure your head all the way around directly above the top of your ears) and hands (work out your glove size by measuring your dominant hand [it’s generally a tad larger than you other hand] around the knuckles and palm in inches).

When you head out for your day of shopping fun, bring a flexible (sewing/tailor’s style) tape measure with you, that way, if for whatever reason you’re not able to try a garment on (e.g. the minuscule number of dressing rooms have lines longer than the Great Wall of China, you’re already running an hour late for a date, etc), you can approximate how well it will fit you by quickly measuring the key spots (namely bust, waist and hips, if the garment is longer; inseam length can be very important with trousers, jeans and shorts, too, though such items of clothing can sometimes be tailored to fit you better, so an extra inch or two near the ankles may not be too big of a deal).


-In the same vein, if your closet at home is a mix of sizes, spend a few moments trying on some of your favourite and best fitting garments to determine what (modern) sizes fit you the best both in terms of numerical (for example, size 10) and letter based sizes (e.g. M, XL, etc). This way you’ll know what areas (assuming the second hand store you’re at sorts their garments by tag sizes) of the shop to hit first – an especially important point on days when places like Value Village are jam packed with customers, many of whom will likely be vying for the same size(s) you are.

Likewise, if shoe shopping is on the agenda, be sure to determine before arriving what size (and width) of shoes are most comfortable for you (your feet naturally swell the longer you’re on standing/active on them, so you may wish to measure your shoe size later in the day).


-Keep in mind that the further back in time the garments you’re trying on hail from, the more likely it is that the sizing on their tags/labels is not the same as that of today’s clothing.

While some are quick to point out that Marilyn Monroe was reported to have worn a size 16 during the 1950s, what most fail to acknowledge is that a vintage size 16 is roughly the same – in terms of actual measurements – as a modern American or Canadian size six!

Over the years the size numbers allotted to women’s garments have grown progressively smaller. Thusly one simply cannot use the same sizing system when it comes to vintage and modern pieces (even some of the pieces that I own from the 1980s are labelled as being 1-3 sizes “larger” than the actual numerical size I wear in modern clothes, with pieces from the 40s and 50s, the vintage size is several numbers larger, as is the case for most women).

Generally speaking, as their sizes are often based on measurements in inches (or centimetres, as the case may be), gloves, hats and shoe sizes have not changed terribly much over the last several decades. So if you wear a modern ladies size 7.5 pair of gloves, you will likely find that vintage 7.5 gloves fit you well.


-Check any garment you’re considering buying from top to bottom. We’ve all been there, you spot the perfect shirtwaist dress/ivory hued cardigan/felt circle skirt beckoning you from across the rack, you hurry over, smiling happily, and pounce on your newfound gem, thinking to yourself that you’ve lucked out to no end (how is it possible, you ponder, that no one else has nabbed this stunning piece already?).

However, once you get your prized find inside the changing room, you’re left with a reality as harsh as the fluorescent lighting over head: the garment is flawed.
Sometimes the defect is minor (a fallen hem, missing button, split seam, broken zipper, barely noticeable small stain or hole), and the smile quickly returns to your face as you realize you can definitely still salvage the piece with a little DIY or a trip to your trusty seamstress.

Other times however, the damage is much more substantial, running the gamut from ink stains (remember, prior to 1945 and the introduction of ball point pens/biros, most pens still required one to fill them manually with ink, a potentially messy task for even the most steady handed of souls) to moth holes, visibly noticeable fading or thinning of fabric in certain spots, yellow perspiration marks (which often crop up under the arms and around the neck/collar) to strong odours (everything from mildew to cigarette smoke) that may or may not be able to removed with appropriate laundering.

In certain cases even severally compromised garments can be brought back from the brink of death. Dry cleaners, seamstresses, and the availability today of a plethora of fabric care and stain removal products can go a very long way when it comes to rescuing a seemingly lost item of clothing.

Sometimes however (say for example in the case of a wool skirt that a pack of moths greedily used as their personal buffet for years on end), you have little choice but to come to grips with the fact that the item in question is simply too far gone for it to become part of your wardrobe (of course you can still buy the piece from the standpoint of a clothing collector and hold onto it as the piece of fine art it once was and still is).

While no one likes to have their joy dashed, when at first you don’t succeed, head back out to the racks and keep searching. You located one potentially amazing find, there’s nothing to say that others – in potentially better shape – aren’t waiting to be plucked up by your hands, too.


-Resist the urge to buy needlessly! I know, you’re standing there adding up the sticker prices of the twelve garments in your hand and while $72 doesn’t seem like all that much money for a dozen items, if you already have seven black sweaters at home, do you really need the four others you’re holding right now? Ask yourself if you could better put the same money those tops would cost you to use on something that you (or another member of your household, if you’re shopping for others, too) could use a whole lot more?

Who amongst us hasn’t looked in their closet and realized that they have, for example, fourteen summer dresses, but not a single pair of winter weight trousers? Now might just be the time to look for those pieces that are missing or in need of supplementation in your wardrobe.

♥ ♥ ♥



I wasn’t able to attend the last 50% off event in November, but am keeping my fingers firmly crossed that, so long as my health permits, I’ll be able to head on over to the upcoming sale next Monday, armed with oodles of optimism, handy wipes, comfortable shoes and the unfailing dream that a vintage treasure or two might just be waiting in store for me to discover!

Wishing all of my fellow Value Village sale shoppers a prosperous, fun-filled day brimming with amazing finds!