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April 11, 2016

Introducing a fun new post series: Links, Life, Love


 Soooooo, you guys remember back in early January when I decided to retire some of my long standing reoccurring blog post series? (As discussed in this post.) Though I've not yet regretted that decision for a moment and have greatly been enjoying exploring other writing channels in place of where they once occurred, the more time that goes on, the greater the sense of longing for some sort of regularly occurring link sharing post becomes.

I didn’t want to revive my "Vintage Link Love" series however, as I stand behind the reasons why it was handed a gold watch and sincerely thanked for its diligent years of loyal service. Instead I want to launch a new post right here, right now, that will combine elements of that past series with others topics that I often want to discuss with all of you, too, but don't always have the ability to set aside a whole post for right in the moment.

By the same token though, I don't want these posts to be a million miles long, nor will they necessarily be occurring here on a month-by-month basis. In fact, I want them to be as "on the fly” as possible.

They're going to combine a small smattering of (mostly vintage related) links from around the web that have caught my eye lately, include a (likely) brief look at some of what has been transpiring in my personal life lately, and also share some of things - online or off - that I've been loving and/or feeling deeply inspired by in recent weeks.

Generally speaking all of these are points that most of my readers really enjoy hearing about, so without further ado, may I present you to the first ever edition of Links, Life, Love.


Links:

I swear it was you, my dears, and your plethora of awesome posts in the first few weeks of 2016 that ultimately birthed this series. Try as I may, I couldn't stop bookmarking articles that spoke to me and that I, in turn, wanted to speak to each of you, my lovely readers, about. There's just too much awesomeness being created each day, week and month of the year online not to shine the spotlight on at least a wee fraction of it here.


-Detroit in the 1940s: Then as now, Detroit has not been without its highs and lows, struggles and beauties, as this striking photo filled piece from The Atlantic about the Motor City and its inhabitants during the mid-twentieth century heyday.


-The Ultimate List of Maternity Friendly Retro Clothing: Recently the immensely lovely Bethany from Miss Betty Doll gave birth to her second child, a gorgeous new daughter and little sister to her first sweet girl, and as she rocked vintage/repro/retro styles through her pregnancy, she decided to put together an excellent and very thorough list of some of the best sources for just such fashions when one is expecting. It's a must bookmark no matter if you ever plan to have wee ones of your own or not.


-Women of the Big Band era that everyone should know: My good friend - and fellow Canadian gal - Liz from Vintage Inn excels at penning informative, exciting, and just plain awesome history filled posts and one of her latest, which takes a gander at some of the female stars of the big band era, is no exception.


-Things Pale Girls are Sick of Hearing: Given that I've actually been called "a vampire" before in public by complete strangers, even when I wasn't wearing goth fashions or makeup, simply because of my light complexion, this great Forever Amber post hit home for me big time!


-How to alter clip-on earrings into post earrings: Let's face it, objectively, few people find clip-on earrings to be as comfortable as pierced styles, provided you have holes in your lobes, so if you've ever wished you could comfortably sport a pair of clip-ons without their pinchy pain, this wonderful DIY tutorial from Christina, that shows you how to convert clip-ons to post style earrings, is definitely for you!


-Vintage stocking guide: In need of a vintage stocking 101 class or just want to brush up on the details of sporting old school hosiery. Emeleigh to the rescue with this terrific entry on the subject.


-6 ways to temporarily trim a plain hat: Ever wanted to jazz up a ho-hum hat without permanently altering it? Enter these six stellar tips from endlessly talented milliner, my dear friend, and fellow vintage blogger Tanith Rowan to the rescue!


-And speaking of vintage hats (something that one should do often! :)), how fabulous is this detailed look at How to refresh vintage hats/veils from none other than the thoroughly lovely Emily from Emily's Vintage Visions. You'll never look at a bedraggled hat the same way again!


-And last, but definitely not least, a really sweet Facebook friend, and fellow old school adoring lady, of mine, Elizabeth, recently took the plunge and launched her own mid-century fashion blog called Gloriously Vintage. If you haven't caught wind of it already, I highly encourage you to go check Elizabeth's site out and shower her with love and comments as she begins her own exciting vintage blogging journey.



{Those hats though!!!}


Life:

First and foremost, thank you very, very much to all those who shared their thoughts with me in the comment section of last week's post about some of the substantial changes that Etsy has been making lately.

I won't lie, I was pretty shook up by the major overhaul of that site (chiefly in terms of how seller's shops now look) and am still battling some stress and anxiety from it, but being a glass half full kind of gal, I'm trying to just buck up and make the best of things, believing wholeheartedly that when the reno dust has finally settled (even if that takes a few months) things will largely get back to normal there and my shop and I will have weathered this suddenly storm intact.

Secondly, it's spring! I know, stop the presses! But seriously, it is and that has me beyond jazzed. Though I was going through a rather rough patch on the health front throughout all of March and very early April (I was only well enough to leave the house twice in six weeks and then only for a little while each time; this sort of thing is super common for me, so it didn’t phase me too much, but I was starting to get cabin fever a bit as the sunshine rolled back into town and I really hope that April will be kinder to me in so much as my health is concerned).

Things are well here in our wee abode. March 19th marked the three year anniversary of the day that we brought home our darling dog, Annie, and the following day marked the 12th anniversary of when my husband, Tony, and I first met back in 2004. How time massively flies!




Speaking of my Italian cutie pie, he's headed to Austin, Texas at the end of this month for a brief work trip. It's not possible for me to tag along with him (it just doesn’t make sense for us to spend several hundred dollars on a ticket for me when he’ll be there for such a short time), but I'll definitely be saying hello to the Lone Star state in spirit and can't wait to here his first impressions of this very famous corner of the U.S.A..

With spring's arrival, even in the face of not doing too well health wise in recent weeks, I've been in a very creative, energetic mindset lately and have been a seriously productive panda in many areas of my life and work. Trust me when I say that, thanks to such, there are so many fun new posts coming down the pipeline this spring and summer - and I can hardly wait to share all of them with you!



Love:

Before I go any further, I would be truly remiss if I didn't thoroughly thank my beautiful friend Vanessa, from the blog, Nessbow, for inspiring this portion of my latest blog post series care of her own terrific ongoing series called Things I Love Thursday (in which she details some of the various things that she's been wild about lately).

These posts of hers have long struck a chord with me and I always knew that it wasn't a matter of if, but when, I finally took her lead and implemented something similar here on my own site.

So far spring I've been seriously crushing on the following things:


-Purple - as in the colour: Suddenly, I can't get enough of it in any form. Clothes, flowers, desserts, craft supplies, home decor, you name it, violet is my new game!

-The fact that, for the first time ever, my Instagram account hit more than 5,000 followers. This has been a milestone number that I've been working diligently to reach for quite some time now and I can't thank every who follows me enough for making it happen.

-Baby/new potatoes: A timeless favourite, I've scarcely been going more than three or four days without serving these scrumptious little nuggets up garden grown goodness - often with fresh mint, dill, or chives, a ribbon of butter and a glorious springtime sunset cascading over our dinner table to help make things even more sublime.

-The smell of fresh cut grass wafting through the breeze again (it is, after all, one of my top ten favourite scents of all time).






-Fellow vintage blogger Sabrina’s super cool newly launched Etsy shop, Inky Notions, which abounds with her splendid hand drawn illustrations, many of which are thoroughly vintage focused (watch for a collab post between Sabrina and I a little later this year – it’s going to be a blast!).

-The latest season of House of Cards. Action packed, riveting, and so full of that characteristically conniving, brilliant, megalomaniacal Frank and Claire Underwood goodness that we all adore.

-My new oversized blank page notebook that I've been cramming full of hand written notes and simple sketches for blog, Etsy and crafting related ideas that have been flowing like a waterfall from my mind in recent weeks.

-The Daily Otter. No matter what life throws my way, this site never fails to perk my mood back up in 0.005 seconds flat.


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


♥ ♥ ♥



So there you have it, sweet darling, links are back, you get to find out more about what's taking place in my life outside of the vintage realm, and I cap off the whole kit and caboodle by sharing a wee array of things that I'm crazy in love with right here and now. Delightfully fun, oui?

Again, I'm not setting a schedule for these posts. They'll appear here every so often, once I've built up at least a few entries for each of the three sections they entail and, you know, the fact that I have a place to share these things with you all again is my final "love entry" for this inaugural edition.

Have a marvelous Monday and gorgeous week ahead, everyone!

55 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you, sweet dear. I'm really stoked about this new series. I like that I'm not tying it to any set structure either. The the longer I blog, the more staying power I find reoccurring post series tend to have, for me personally, when such is the case (with a notable exception made for my, roughly, once a month blogger interview series).

      Big hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. Thank you so much for including my hat refresh link in today's post! It was my very first video tutorial and I was so nervous about putting it together. The feedback has but absolutely wonderful so is so encouraging and makes me want to do more videos. :) So glad you enjoyed it.
    -Emily

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    1. You're sincerely welcome, Emily. Thank you for sharing your awesome expertise with us. I just love that you're posting video tutorials now in addition to your informative, fantastic (traditional) blog posts. I'm so excited to see what you'll delight us with next the video front.

      Tons of hugs & joyful springtime wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. Ahhhh thanks Jessica for the Love :) I'm really glad you enjoyed that post, it truly was one of my favorite to write :)

    Have a wonderful week!

    Liz :)

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    1. You're very welcome, sweet Liz. Thank you again for penning this super enjoyable - and informative read. Your blog is always such a huge delight and marvelous source of historical knowledge.

      Big hugs coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Thanks for sharing about what is current in your life. Bloggers can be amazingly open or extremely shut up about themselves. I also love post like these that include links to other awesome websites and blogs. It is a wonderful way for me to discover those other vintage enthusiasts out there!

    Sarah
    sewcharacteristicallyyou.weebly.com

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    1. Indeed - and finding a comfortable middle ground can be a challenge at times. I'm naturally a very, very shy and private person, but largely through blogging here for the past seven years, I've grown far more comfortable talking about myself. Of course there are some things that I'll likely never discuss publicly (as we should each have), but in the right context, I'm open to discussing a lot of details about myself and my life these days.

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

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  5. What a great idea for a feature on your blog. Look forward to more in the series
    Retro rover

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    1. Thank you very much for your vote of confidence about this new series, Kate. I really feel like it's the accumulation of a lot of things I've been wanting to post about lately, but often haven't felt like I had a natural opening to do so. I'm really looking forward to future editions as well.

      Have a fabulous week!
      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  6. Such a nice new column! I loved that! And I will take a look at being a vampire, something that always happened to me (without a bit darken makeup, the question is "are you sick"? "are you wearing white hosiery in summer?" and so on :), so it really was funny to read :) I didn't know that your health wasn't so good now, I am sorry to hear that :( I hope all is OK soon! And Etsy, yes, I know how you felt about it, I wouldn't like the changes either... hope you can cope with that, and everybody else too! By the way, I also love the smell of cut grass! Hugs and kisses, dear Jessica!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. Thank you very much across the board, my caring friend. I'm thrilled to report - perhaps helped in part by the return of sunshine here - that I'm doing considerably better on the health front this week (and have even made some exciting plans for this weekend as a result). I know that you've had some real ups and downs regarding your own health in recent months and truly hope that you're having a better time in that regard this month, too.

      Tons of gentle hugs from sunny Penticton,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. I just came back from reading Amber's post on being pale. In my little part of the world I am considered pale and am often called "Casper" - can you believe that ?!

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    1. As adorable as Casper the Ghost is, that is quite the insult for sure. I'm sorry that you've been on the receiving end of some very rude comments about your complexion, too, sweet Lorena.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Yes! So much love for this! As the trees are budding and the grass needs cutting, i am especially drawn to the color purple and mowing smells as well. Something about it just shouts 'SPRING'!!

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    1. Thank you sweetly, dear gal! I'm utterly wild about purple right now. Were it a food, I'd be eating it at least once a day. In fact, in all my life, I don't think I've ever felt as pulled towards the colour purple as I do right now. :)

      Many hugs & happy April wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. I love these links! Detroit in the 1940's is fascinating!

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    1. Isn't it though? The mix of grit, tension and glamour in that array of images really sticks with you.

      Have an awesome week, lovely lady!
      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  10. First off, I love the new feature. I think it does an excellent job giving us insight into the various things going on in your life and your mind, and there's definitely some quality reading there for me to delve into the next time things are slow at work. (Shhh, don't tell.)
    Also, I hope you're feeling better soon. That sounds to rough to be housebound for so long! I know you said that you're largely used to it, but I'm sending good wishes for spring your way.
    Also, I hope Tony likes Austin! My brother (who is, oddly enough, also named Tony) moved there last year, and has nothing but good things to say about the city since then. I'm really hoping to go visit him sometime this year - maybe in the winter, when things are starting to get really nasty in Chicago.
    Cheers!
    Jessica

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    1. How exciting that you have a relative in the lone star state now. Neither of us have any family there (save for one aunt and her now grownup children in California, none of my relatives live in the States, nor do any of Tony's), but that's certainly not a reason (in the slightest!) to hold off on seeing a place and I hope that I can follow in both Tonys' (Tonies?) footsteps and visit Texas one day, too.

      Thank you very much, honey. I'm thrilled to report that I'm feeling considerably better on the health front this week. The return of sunshine here is just the dose of vitamins that I need to bolster my energy and help me move past these most recent flare-ups.

      Big hugs & happy Wednesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. I love this idea for a post series - it's both personal and informative :) I'm glad to see links incorporated again because you always seem to know about the best content! That list of maternitywear - talk about comprehensive. I'm not pregnant but I want to save it somewhere just in case I need it in future! I've been having a similar moment with the colour pink as you have with purple lately, it's funny how loves of certain colours can go round in cycles like that xx

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    1. What a great compliment, sweet CiCi, thank you so much! I knew, when I couldn't stop saving links in my usual Word doc for such (even after I'd retired "Vintage Link Love") that there was just no way I could do away with including a slew of such together at the same time and that was a bit catalyst for the creation of this new series.

      That's really cool! Pink is my all-time favourite colour, so I always have a crush on it, but sometimes I feel a certain shade more than others. I can already sense that it's going to be dark pink and fuschia for me this spring + summer. A natural progression, no doubt, for my current craze for all things violet hued. :)

      Tons of hugs coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. A wonderful post, as usual, Jessica! I love otters so I subscribed. I followed a few of the ladies you mentioned in this post as well.

    Thank you for all your hard work and attention to detail when you share the sparkling gems of information you share.

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    1. You're wholeheartedly welcome, dear Tambra. Thank you for the lovelier than lovely comment. Aren't otters the best? They're a firm favourite of both mine and Tony's, too. They're super elusive, but we even have some (lake/river) otters living around these parts. I've never seen one myself, but some of Tony's fishing buddies have and that gives me (more) hope of my own spotting some day (fingers crossed!).

      I hope that you're doing well and enjoying a sunny, marvelous April, my friend.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. What is it about purple? I can't get enough of it lately. I've planted purple violas in my window boxes and dug out a violet eyeshadow I hadn't worn in years. It seems to work well with the Spring light, I think.
    Thank you for the Daily Otter. You've made my day. xxxx

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    1. Same here! It's almost ridiculous how much I'm in love with purple right now. I've never, in all my (almost) 32 years of life, felt as pulled towards this colour as I do at present. I don't know what caused this vogue, but I'm certainly not complaining and have really been enjoying getting more wear out of my purple clothing and accessories lately.

      You're very welcome, sweet lady. Otters are one of the most precious and darling animals on earth (plus they're whip smart, too). How could I not share that fab link here with of my equally awesome readers? :)

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. What a lovely post. I looked at all the links and there are some great things. I have often converted clip on earrings to pierced as they can really hurt. I really loved the Detroit pictures though, just so very provocative and full of life. I do hope that one day people look back on our time with as much nostalgia. Many hugs my dearest Jessica xx

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    1. That is a really fascinating point to ponder. I wonder about that fairly often, in part from a fashion perspective, but also in a much broader context. Objectively, I doubt (unless, goodness forbid!) the world goes south mighty quickly in the coming decades, that the 2000s - 2010s will be held up to the same degree some other time periods, but one never knows an the nostalgist in my certainly likes to think that such will be the case.

      Many hugs & sincere thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. Wow, what a post Jessica. I'm definitely going to have a look at some of your Links. As for the Love part, I'm with you on the smell of freshly cut grass! There's nothing that speaks to me of spring/summer like that smell. xxx

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet lady. Agreed! That, along with line dried linens, is as evocative as any scent can be for me when it comes to the warmer half of the year (classic Coppertone sunscreen is another biggie though for sure).

      Many hugs & joyful April wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. Love these. Having just visited Detroit, that interests me. Along with the Underwoods. And vintage stockings. And...

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    1. I had a feeling that you were a fellow House of Cards fan, Ally. They capped off this season on such a suspenseful, intriguing story line. It will be thoroughly exciting to see where the 5th season leads the Underwoods.

      Have a fantastic week!
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. you got luck! i just opened the notebook after mowing the lawn first time this season - can you smell it! :-)
    this new kind of post actually tops the old link-love-series which i liked very much - but this time it feels even more like a vintage´y glamour magazine!!!! lots of stuff to read for the quiet hours after pottering around house&garden! thank you very much! <3 <3 <3
    spring greetings full of sun and flowers and big hugs! xxxxxx

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    1. Yay! I'm so happy to hear you say that. I was going for something (generally speaking) that was lighter, more "2016", and enjoyable for an even broader range of readers. Thank you so much for the wonderfully nice - and very encouraging - feedback on this first edition of Links, Life, Love, sweet Beate. I sincerely appreciate it.

      Tons of hugs and sunny springtime wishes coming right back at you,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. Love this! Love hearing what you're up to, what you're into - all that good stuff! Thanks for sharing! :-)

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    1. My pleasure, Nikki. Thank you for your lovely comment. I hope that you and Wise Apple are enjoying a terrific springtime.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. Lovely post!
    As my health is bad I#M really less out here I blogland. I do my bvest to keep posting and to not abandone my good ol' blog ... but after my professional job and working a couple of hours on Etsy, I'm just dead and pain just drags me into bed or to netflix. I'm still here reading blogs but most of the time I'm too tird to even comment. Instagram is so much easier on me in this challenging situation.
    I try to get better. :)

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    1. I'm truly sorry that you've been dealing with so much on the health front in recent months, my sweet friend. It's very commendable that you're still keen to keep your blog going in spite of such (goodness knows I've come immensely close to pulling the plug on mine many times over the years to due my own medical issues) and I really hope that you're able to continue doing so for as long as your heart desires. Please know that no matter what you're facing, if you ever need someone to talk to about anything in the world, I'm here for you.

      Gentle hugs & immense understanding,
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. I hope you're feeling better now. I've had a chest infection all of this year which was only just diagnosed and lo, once it was and I was given antibiotics I went and had an allergic reaction to penicillin!

    And a happy belated anniversary to you both xxx

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Melanie. I'm delighted to report that I am indeed doing a fair bit better this week. It's really interesting, you know, but I've long noticed, after nearly 14 years of being severely chronically ill, that I often experience periods of intense flare-ups with various conditions as the seasons start to shift. Historically, the end of summer has been the worst period in this regard for me, but the end start and end of winter, respectively, are close on its heels. I wonder if I'm alone in this or if other CI (chronic illness) fighters have noticed as much about themselves, too.

      I'm truly sorry that you've been going through a lot on the medical front lately yourself, too. It's always like adding insult to injury when you end up becoming sicker/in more pain because of a medication that was supposed to help you. I've been there many times over the years and know firsthand how truly unpleasant it is. I sincerely hope that you'll soon be experiencing much more positive days in terms of your health, lovely lady.

      Tons of gentle hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  21. What a fun new post idea! I look forward to more as you roll them out, and I'm going to check out a bunch of those links you suggested!

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    1. Thank you very much! I'm really psyched about this new series, too - and all the more so because it's going to be a sporadic one (though I'd estimate a new edition once every 2 - 3 months, but time will tell) that happens organically, as lists of each amass and feel like they're ready to be shared.

      Happy link reading!

      Xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  22. What a great idea for a post! More personal than a typical blog's roundup post, and with plenty of great links to check out. (Thanks for the shout-out, too, dear! :) )

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    1. You're super welcome, sweet Sabrina. I'm wholeheartedly looking forward to our fun collaborative post this summer.

      I hope that you're having a great week. My health has finally improved again a bit and I'm going to be making up for lost time in recent weeks by getting away with Tony for a quick road trip this weekend.

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. Thank you beautiful Miss Jessica! I was wondering where all the traffic to my blog came from - it was from you! So honored you mentioned me at all <3<3<3 - Miss Betty Doll

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    1. You're very welcome, sweet lady. Thank you for the time, thought and expertise that you poured into your awesome vintage style/repro/pinup maternity wear post. It's the most extensive I've ever encountered on the subject and will be a huge help to many the world over, I'm sure.

      Oodles of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  24. Love this new format and the fabulous links you've provided.

    Thanks so much Jessica :+)

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    1. My pleasure! Thank you very much for the positive and wonderfully encouraging feedback. I'm really psyched about this new series, too, and am especially happy about the fact that new editions will come about organically, as a sufficient number of entries in each of the three "categories" arises.

      Many thanks again & have an awesome week ahead,
      ♥ Jessica

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  25. I love your love section and I also agree with you that it's great that it's finally Spring! I hope it helps you feel better!

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  26. What a lovely new series! I am looking forward to checking out some of those links. I have some clip on earrings that I can only manage to wear for a few hours so that conversion post is perfect for me. I'm sorry to hear that you have been so housebound recently. That must be very tough indeed. I hope you feel better soon. I know the Etsy changes are not what you would have wished for but your shop is so super, filled with so many gorgeous pieces, and you work so hard on it that I am certain it will continue to be a great success no matter what Etsy do.

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    1. Thank you very much across the board, my sweet friend. I'm delighted to say that things started to improve substantially for me on the health front last week and that, as a result, Tony and I were even able to zip out of town for a quick, massively needed weekend getaway (there will be at least a couple of blog posts to follow about our wee trip in the near future). Though tired after such, my health is still doing much better than last month at the moment (knock wood) and I'm optimistic that it will continue to "behave" as spring progresses.

      That really means a lot to me, thank you. Though I'm not chalking it up to such entirely, of course, April has been the slowest month so far for me in terms of sales (though, I must say for the record, that last spring was very slow in that regard, too) and that hasn't been doing much to pacify my trepidations and concerns regarding Etsy's recent changes. Still, I'm trying to - as that oft said vintage expression says - keep calm and carry on, remaining hopeful that when the dust settles on this revamping, things will largely return to normal there.

      I hope that you guys are doing well and having a beautiful April.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. Great news that you are feeling somewhat better and that you managed a weekend away. I hope you had an amazing time. A weekend change of scene can be so very refreshing. I look forward to reading all about it!

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  27. Thank you so much! It really was awesome to zip off for a little while. I brought, but didn't use, my lapop even once while there - and even Tony scarcely touched his. We both agree that it's crucial to step away from the computer (et al) briefly every now and then and truly just focus on relaxing and having fun while away from home (and sometimes even when we are home, too). I look forward to blogging out our wee trip soon and to hopefully getting in another such road trip (to a different part of the province) this summer.

    Joyful weekend wishes & many hugs coming your way,
    ♥ Jessica

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  28. This is such a charming mix. :) I'm so happy your link collection is back. I've spend way too much time checking them all out, as you know I always do. I love the private news and am glad everything seems good at your end. And this year is purple!? I'v almost forgotten that you have a colour for almost every year. I don't this year, that is, I seem to go a little more towards red again. It has always been a favourite of mine, but the past 2-3 years I haven't been wearing it as much as I used to. This weekend son will starting working on the foundation for the greenhouse and the surrounding. I can hardly wait. Have a fabulous weekend, dear. :)

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    1. Hello my dear friend, I had a distinct feeling that you'd be on board with the return of a periodically occurring link collection, as I know what a big fan you were of its previous iterations here. I'm just delighted to have a place in where to share some of the stories that have really been catching my eye lately again.

      Interesting, you know, purple isn't my official colour of the year again for 2016 (I haven't had a chance to announce what this year's is here yet, but will be doing so in the very near future), but it might as well be as I'm beyond enamored with it at the moment! :)

      Purple was my colour of the year back in 2014, and while I did enjoy and grow my collection of items starring it tat year, I wasn't enthused to the same to degree about it then as I am now. Perhaps that year was simply planting the seeds for my passion (for it) to truly blossom, which they've thoroughly done this spring.

      How exciting that the foundation is being laid for your greenhouse this weekend. I hope that everything goes marvelous for you guys and that you have a beautiful start of May.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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