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July 31, 2015

Vintage Link Love for July 2015


Perhaps it comes as no surprise to most folks, but July whizzed by at the speed of light! I know that I begin many Vintage Link Love posts with similar sentiments about the pace at which the month that we just enjoyed whipped past at, but at perhaps no other time of the year does time seem to vanish more quickly than during the summer.

Though I'm in no rush to see the glorious warm weather disappear, the passing of time does mean that it won't be too long (the first week of September, to be exact) until Tony gets home from working in the States this summer, and that's certainly something that we're both massively looking forward to.



{This early twentieth century beach photo sums up July so well for me this year. Full speed ahead, with a smile on my face, a song in my heart, and sand underfoot - at least once or twice!}


This month I was a seriously busy little bee! Between my birthday celebration, listing over 190 brand new antique and vintage items in the shop (including oodles of adorable vintage novelty brooches), returning to YouTube after a nearly eleven month (unplanned!) break there, thrifting up a storm (I've got a video in the works with some of my exciting recent thrift finds, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for that), penning plenty of blog posts, and - no word of a lie - already beginning to think heavily about Halloween (giant shocker to those who know me, I'm sure! :D), plus all the other usual bits and bobs of life, I've been on my toes nearly none stop this month.

Ooohhh, plus, in the last few days of July, Chronically Vintage's Facebook page hit a new milestone: over 4,000 likes - thank you so much to everyone for your support there!

In amidst of burning the candle at both ends, I still found time to read many of my favourite blogs and websites. Amongst them I gleaned the following selection of twelve posts that captured my attention for one reason or another. I hope that you'll enjoy and/or be inspired by all of them as well!



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42 glamorous wedding dresses from the 1920s and 30s: Though I don't know anyone tying the knot here locally this summer, wedding season has been out in full force for a while now and this selection of more than 40 photos of vintage gowns more than helps to make up for the lack of nuptials I've been attending lately. Prepare to swoon!!!


What to know when getting your hair bobbed: Recently the always marvelously stylish Jenny Frances chopped over several inches of hair and is now sporting a very becoming bob. To help those who might want the skinny on what to know if you're considering this classic haircut, too, she put together a stellar, image filled post all about the ins and outs of getting a bob (that's definitely worth bookmarking even if you have no plans to chop your hair anytime soon - you just never know when a great post like this might come in handy).


Crinolinemania: the sexy fashion trend that killed 3,000 women: The heart of this story from Mashable/Retronaut may not come as shocking news to those who study historical fashions, but the concept that so many people perished as the result of an elaborate undergarment is still more than enough to give anyone reason to pause and think.




21 post ideas for bloggers: I've thought about penning a similar post to this one myself many times before, but haven't yet had the chance, so in the meantime, I thought that I would share this lovely, helpful list of twenty-one blog post ideas from, fittingly, the fun contemporary fashion, travel, and lifestyle blog N°.20 - because, really, who amongst us bloggers can't use a little post prompt help every now and then?


DIY Miriam Haskell Necklace: My good friend and fellow vintage blogger Bianca from The Closet Historian is not only a lovely writer, but an incredible talented milliner, seamstress, and jewelry maker. It is the latter skill that comes to foreground in this recent how-to post of hers in which she takes us through the easy to follow steps involved with make a show stoppingly gorgeous vintage looking, Miriam Haskell inspired statement necklace. Believe me, you'll want to reach for your round nose pliers, pronto!


The Great British Heatwave In 32 Photos: 1911-1976 (WARNING: MAY NOT BE SAFE FOR WORK OR SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTS/VIEWERS DUE TO NUDITY): Heat waves are anything but new, however the act of capturing them on camera has obviously only been possible since the invention of this world changing device. This recent post from the site Flashback rounds up over 30 photos taken in the UK during the early to mid-twentieth century during various heatwaves. Anyone who has ever experienced this common summer occurrence will be able to instantly relate to these memorable photos.




How to pack a trunk in 1870: I find the topic of vintage travel and how people packed for it in the days of ocean liners, long railway journeys, and even the early days of aviation to be wildly interesting, so when Aimee shared this post about how to pack one's trunks for a voyage Victorian style, I couldn’t lap up each word quickly enough!


Nine myths about dressing vintage: From fellow Canadian vintage fan, wearer, and blogger Kirstie, comes this spot on post that delves deeper, IMO, than many similar entries I've seen over the years and dispels some of the persistent myths that exist regarding the wearing of vintage.


Decked Out-Nautical Fashion through the Ages: Whether you live a stone's through from the ocean or hundreds of miles away from the nearest seashore, summertime calls for nautical inspired fashions in spades and it's always fun to see examples of them from decades past, such as the lovely roundup in this recent post from Blue Velvet Vintage's delightful blog.




What do you want to be when you grow up?: This post from Gemma's always engaging blog Retro Chick spoke to me a great deal.  I constantly find areas of my life, very much including the running of my blog, where my own assorted childhood career aspirations come to the surface and are realized, at least some of the time, through the work that I actually do for a living these days, much as Gemma finds that to be true for her as well.


29 of the most delicious things you can do with zucchini: With zuc season upon us again, the fine folks at BuzzFeed have rounded some thoroughly scrumptious looking recipes that make good use of the vegetable, which frequently grows in copious quantities for those who plant it and which always seems to be easy to come by in spades during mid-summer (no matter if you have a garden or not). The Pizza Boats, Chocolate Muffins, and Blueberry Zucchini Cake with Lemon Buttercream in particular really jumped out me. Which zucchini recipes there call your name the most?


Remembering the Apollo 11 Moon Landing With the Woman Who Made It Happen: July 20th marked the 46th anniversary since Neil Armstrong famously took his first steps on the moon, but as this intriguing Time Life piece details, such may not have been possible were it not for the pioneering software development work of Margaret Hamilton (pictured below).





{To learn more a specific image used in this post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}


♥ ♥ ♥


August, the eight month of the year and final full month of the summer, is a unique one. The dog days of summer are often behind us (or very nearly so), but autumn's chill hasn't yet returned. The beaches are full still, but at the same time, the first Halloween decorations are starting to grace the shelves of various shops (Walmart, Michaels, Hallmark, and Marshalls are usually amongst the first to bring in seasonal decor here in our neck of the woods).

Those who enjoy the summer are usually still flushed and happy about the heat and spirits are high in general. However, I think that many of our minds are already starting to look ahead to fall and the changes that it brings back into our lives, be it a fresh school year, unpacking our cold weather threads, or coaxing our ovens out of hibernation when comfort food season strikes once more.



{August is a fascinating month. We often bound into it in a bathing suit and leave sporting trousers and cardigans again - or at least starting to think about introducing them into our closets and daily ensembles once more. It's fun, sunny, and usually over far too quickly - much like this July was!}


I think that August, just as with early September, is a wonderful transition filled time between the two chapters of the year and I love that it lets us enjoy summer proper for a little while longer.

In the coming weeks, I plan to continue thrifting and yard saling up a storm, cooking and baking (peach pies made with local fruit, you guys, oh my gosh, I can't even - they're always sensational!) with local produce, enjoying the fact that the sun still sets fairly late in the day, and yet at the same time, thinking more and more about autumn and all my ideas and blog posts for that season.

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you each a sunny, fun filled, awesome August and hope that it will be a terrific month for all of us!

39 comments:

  1. Love your link posts - so much to store and read for quiet moments on the train :) Having just read the blog post ideas one, I'm feeling really unoriginal as a few of them I'd already started penning thinking I'd come up with the idea entirely :D Have a lovely weekend! x

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    1. It's awesome to know that you enjoy my monthly link roundup posts so much. I really enjoy penning them and tucking away the stories to include in each new edition throughout the course of the month.

      Don't feel bad for a nanosecond! There are only so many topics in the world to blog about and relatively few that haven't been covered somewhere at this point.

      Have a marvelous last day of July, my dear friend - big hugs!
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. Lovely and great photos:D

    Have a lovely weekend!

    Merethe

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Merethe. I hope that you have a sunny, terrific first weekend of August, too!

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Aw, Jessica!! I am so humbled and ecstatic that you included my 'What to know when getting your bobbed' piece! Thank you so much! *jumps around in excitement* :)

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    1. You are wholeheartedly welcome! It really was/is a stellar piece and I knew the moment that I saw it, that it was destined for an edition of Vintage Link Love. I've never had bobbed hair (real or a wig) myself, but the older I get, the more it appeals to me - especially during the roasty-toasty summer months! :) I just have to say again how fantastic your new 'do is, dear gal!

      Tons of hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. What happened to July? It went so fast. Thanks (again) for the wonderful links and images. I love coming here so much, both for your personality and your resources.

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    1. Goodness me, did it ever! It feels like it was as quick as a bolt of lightning, yet, objectively, when I look back on it, I did manage to get a massive amount (far more than I'd expected to heading into it) accomplished this month and if I can get even a fraction of that same amount done in August, too, I'll a very happy (if a bit knackered out! ;D) camper for sure.

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Ally. I hope that you have a marvelous first weekend of August!

      ♥ Jessica

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  5. Thanks for some great reading and a new blog to follow!

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    1. It's my pleasure, Piper. I adore connecting folks within the community with one another and am really happy to hear that there are some new-to-you links here.

      Have a terrific first weekend of August!
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. I will check the links, but I wanted to write a comment before! The Crinoline killed so many people? I didn't know! Impressive! Congratulations for the new items you selected for the shop and also, the 4,000 followers! You deserve the number, and the nice people, cause you are amazing! I am sure many more will come! I am so glad that I found your blog and many more will find too! Yes, this month started on the 1st and the rest I can't tell - where were the other 30 days? It's incredible. But now it's closer to Tony's arrival, so bless time flying! Have a great weekend, dear Jessica!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Denise. You are such a supportive, lovely person and I sincerely appreciate your kind congratulations.

      Very, very true! This last month went by at the speed of light. It's just amazing - even by summer standards - how quickly it felt. I hope that July was a great month for you though and that August will be, too.


      Tons of hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. Hello Jessica!

    Happy Saturday and thanks for this post, the links are really interesting and valuable! And pictures, as always, a pleasure to look at, vintage photos are always fascinated and, in my opinion, have a relaxing power!
    kisses

    serena

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    1. Hi lovely Serena, thank you very much! It's a long weekend here - Monday is the Canadian equivalent to a bank holiday - and it's a busy one for me. Thankfully the weather, which took an unusual nosedive last week, has perked right back up and its wonderfully warm again, which is how a mid-summer long weekend should be, if you me. :)

      I hope that you're doing well and having a great Sunday - many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Lots of great links to browse! Thanks Jessica! And thank you for including my little tutorial too <3

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    1. You're very welcome, sweet dear. It's so fantastically creative and really deserves to be shared far and wide. Thank you for posting it and for all of the great, easy to follow tutorials that you share with us. I always adore seeing what you'll share next.

      Tons of hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. Some great reads. I always enjoy a good "myths about dressing vintage" post.

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    1. Same here - ditto for fashion blogger myth YouTube videos. I almost posted one here this month actually, but the person's style couldn't be less vintage and I don't know her (beyond that one video) so I held off, but may still link to it one day.

      Many thanks for your great comments this weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. sunday morning magazine! perfect with coffee, scrambled eggs and fresh bread with homemade (and homegrown) pesto and tomatoes!! thank you, love!
    i´m sure one of the wedding dresses is from the late 50s/early 60s...... the silhouette and the posing give a clue.
    <3 <3 <3

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    1. Ooohh, that sounds so scrumptious! Pesto is the best. It's a firm favourite of mine and Tony's, too. I make a honey + pesto chicken dish that I invented the recipe for within months of being married and we've enjoyed it more often than any other pesto dish ever since.

      I hope that you have a fun, relaxing Sunday. Please give that darling kitty of yours a big pet and hug from me.

      Tons of you as well, sweet Beate!
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. I like the first 1920s beach photo, they look so happy and relaxed - the power of friendship :)

    I look forward to your video, I know the pain of editing, I have a raw footages from 5 or 6 trips I made in last three months and am not able to find the time to edit it and do the voiceover, because you know there is more interesting stuff to do :D

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    1. Hello dear Georgina, thank you very much for your lovely comment. I am definitely going through a bit of a baptism by fire, so to speak, when it comes to learning about video making right now. I think the biggest issue for me is not in the post-processing work (I'm used to that with the scores of photos for my blog and my shop, though of course that which is needed for photos is different often than that involved with video making), but the massive lack of good natural lighting in our house. Also, aside from the one little patch of blank wall where I'm filming, there's very few possible spots (in our house) to film in, which is not handy. I hope as time goes on to be able to invest in some video making appropriate lighting, for the time being, I'm just trying to make the best of the environment and equipment that I have. :)

      Best of luck with your editing. That sounds like a lot of work for sure.

      Have a great week - big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. Oh those wedding dresses! I love those crazy 1920s panniet-type dresses. We have a family photo of a similar one (my great-grandmother is the bridesmaid) but until recently (thanks to instagram at first) I hadn't seen others like it.

    I loved reading Gemma's piece too. Being happy is the best life goal, and there is definitely not enough emphasis put on that in our society.

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    1. Me too, big time! Like a lot of 20s and 30s fashions, it's unlikely that they'd work well on me, but in a way that just makes me adore them all the more because they become this out-of-reach unicorn of sorts. :) How fantastic that there is a family photograph of your grandma wearing a similar one. What a special treasure to have.

      Many hugs & happy first week of August wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. Agreed - July whizzed past! Thanks for the blog post prompts - like you said, we all need them!

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    1. Very much so and there's nothing wrong with that. Even the most creative person in the world can't come up with every possible blog post topic and sometimes, particularly if our blogging mojo is waning for a while, it's just plain handy to have lovely lists like this to turn to for inspiration.

      Have a marvelous August long weekend, dear gal!
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. I want to read all of these Jenny's Bob is divine
    Retro rover

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  15. I love this!! The great British heat wave pictures, the myths about dressing vintage and the blogging ideas are my personal fav's. Thanks again Jessica for providing us with the perfect way to spend a morning or evening. xx

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    1. It is my sincere pleasure, Erin. Thank you so much in turn for your lovely comment for sharing which links here in particular really jumped out at you this time around.

      Huge hugs & happy start of August wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. So glad to read that you are on countdown to Tony's return!
    And so many interesting articles you suggest here… I am going to read several of them including the one about the crinoline.

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    1. For sure! It's exciting that there's only a month left to go until he gets back. Really though, the summer has already passed very quickly for both of us and we've coped totally fine. I think that the strength of nearly 11 years of a loving, healthy, awesome marriage helps on that front. It will be so great to be reunited in person come September and to celebrate fall and all of its beauty together.

      Many thanks for all of your great blog comments today,
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. Thank you so much for including my post on the myths to dressing vintage! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And now I have another great blog to creep - yours! I always get so excited about connecting with fellow Canadian retro-lovers! 🍁😘

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    1. Hi Kirstie, you're sincerely welcome. I was thrilled to find your blog a few months ago and eagerly look forward to each new post there. We're a relatively small bunch, but those of us who are Canadian vintage lovers are fiercely passionate usually it seems - as if our small numbers endear us even more to this part of our lives (and wardrobes) that we hold so dear.

      Have a beautiful week,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. Thank you so much for including my post of packing a trunk! I'm so glad you liked it! :-)
    Aimee

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    1. You're sincerely welcome, dear Aimee. I very much enjoyed it, just as I do absolutely everything you share with the world on your beautiful, history rich blog. Thank you for shining the spotlight on vintage travel related topics this summer. I can hardly wait to see what you have in store for us for fall. :)

      Big hugs & happy August wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. I've just finished this lovely mix of entertaining, fun and learning list of links, so now I'm not behind anymore. And tomorrow a new list of lovely links will be posted I'm sure. Where did this summer go? I'm line drying today and suspect it will be the last time. Saying goodbye is hard, even to summer. Do you already have Halloween stuff in the shops in August!? Today, I'm working on a great new idea for my shop, and in a few hours my lovely niece comes by to have her nails done. She is one of my biggest fans. I love that the youngsters thinks I'm cool or even the strange aunt, the latter is fine with me too. Wishing you a lovely day, dear. :)

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    1. Actually, funnily enough - since you mentioned it, I mean - I simply didn't have time to put together a Vintage Links Love post this month and will intentionally be skipping next month's, as the 31st is Halloween and that is definitely going to be my focus. I'd held out hope until yesterday that I would be able to (this month), but this week has been crazy busy - complete with dealing with a broken hot water heater - and I just couldn't carve out the 2 - 3 hours usually needed for it. With any luck we'll be back in November, though I have been thinking for a while now that I may not continue this particular post series beyond this year. It's been a lot of fun, but it's not as popular with my readers as it was and moreover I feel like it could be fun to change things up again with something new for 2016. We'll see though - certainly nothing is written in stone yet and I do know of course that some folks, yourself very much included, do enjoy these end-of-the-month link roundups.

      We do indeed! Not all shops, but some indeed and by early September, virtually all that will sell Halloween items have started stocking them. I love browsing them all!!! :)

      That's so great! It's awesome that you're an aunt. I hope dearly to have that title placed upon me one day, too. I hope you two had a splendid get together!

      Tons of hugs & joyful wishes for October!
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. Oh, I will miss VLL for sure, but I also know that they are quite a lot of work for you, so I fully understand if you will not continue making them. And I am sure you always come up with something great, dear. And do keep your focus on Halloween, which I really love. XOXO :)

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    1. Hi lovely Sanne, first and foremost, happiest start of October - aka, Halloween month!!! I'm so elated that our favourite month is here again and hope that it's already off to a flying start for you.

      Thank you very much for your kind words and understanding. Again, I'm not saying that I'm tossing in the towel on that series entirely and would have penned one this month, had time and circumstances permitted, but looking ahead beyond the end of 2015, I haven't decided yet if I'll keep it going. I had a different end of the month series for 2012 and 13, then started this one at the beginning of 2014 and sort of feel like now that another (almost) two years have passed again, it would be fun to switch things up once more. We'll see though. :)

      Tons of hugs & the merriest of Halloween countdown wishes!
      ♥ Jessica

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