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May 26, 2016

Meet Skye: Passionate writer, devoted shirtwaist dress fan, and epic vintage hat lover!


May is nearing its end and summer is rearing to round the bend, ready to brighten - quite literally - our lives once more. At the moment though, we're still enjoying the final weeks of spring and as such, it's time to hop right into May's edition of our fun Meet a Fellow Vintage Blogger ongoing interview post series.

Today I'm deeply honoured to have the opportunity to interview none other than Skye from the bracingly wonderful vintage fashion blog, My Kingdom for a Hat. I've been an ardent follower of Skye's blog since discovering it quite some time ago now and greatly appreciate the wit, intellect, and creative flare that she brings to both her writing and her wardrobe choices.




Skye and I share numerous points in common, from a mad love of shirtwaist dresses (the size of her collections smokes mine out of the water!) and vintage hats, Halloween, great books, writing, sporting crimson hued locks, and so much more.

A fascinating, charismatic woman, Skye's honest opinions, exciting ensembles, and stunning yesteryear hats make following her blog a joy of no small magnitude, and really am pleased as can be that she was keen to take part in this series and share so much about herself with us here this month.

Grab your favourite springtime beverage, pull up a cozy seat and join me in to getting to know more about Skye, as we discuss everything from Flannery O'Connor novels to her love of Maleficent, and of course old school chapeaus in spades, too!


Welcome, Skye! For those who are just having the pleasure of meeting you and your vintage blog, My Kingdom for a Hat, for the first time, could you please tell us when your site launched and what inspired its lovely name?

I made my first post on May 2nd, 2012. It was finals season, so what else would I do, in a fit of procrastinatory pique, but start a blog? I'd been sharing my outfits on Facebook for a few months, and I decided it was time for a proper home. The blog was called Color Me Brazen then, a name I kept for almost a year. I've been My Kingdom for a Hat since March 2013. It's a pun on Shakespeare's, "my kingdom for a horse".




Let’s talk vintage hats then, shall we? What sorts of things draw you to a given hat? How often do you tend to wear one?


I wear a hat - or a headscarf, if it's hot - every day. I'm fondest of pillbox and calot styles. Anything that requires pins, really - I love that unmistakably vintage look. Impracticality delights me. Beads, feathers, veils - bring me form over function, every time.


Do you share my perpetual sense of bewilderment (even though I do fully understand the plethora of reasons why such is the case) over the fact that most people willing gave up the wearing of fashionable hats with nary a hint of protest, and, to your mind, what was the leading cause (or causes) for the demise of this thoroughly marvelous accessory?

I know this one! Western fashion, through the 20th century, was basically a march from style to substance. A hundred years ago, people either made their own clothes or had them tailored. Ready-to-wear garments didn't exist on any meaningful scale until the 1920s.

As they became more common, people's tastes grew progressively more casual, and that's about when we dispensed with hats, gloves, etc. People didn't want to spend time and money on non-functional accessories, and I can't say I blame them! I enjoy the ritual of lacing my corset and pinning on my hat just right, but it's definitely not for everyone.




We share an unfettered passion for shirtwaist dresses. What is it in particular about this deeply classic style of garment that appeals to you?

I'm the laziest seamstress ever, and a full skirt/fitted bodice dress is easiest to sew. But really, I'm just a hedonist. I'm very sensory, and swishing about in several yards of fabric is pure luxury.



As I’m sure inquiring minds may wish to know, how many would you say you own at present?

Oh lord - 50? 60? I did an inventory recently, but I turn over my stock a lot. I'm always sewing new things and selling old ones.




What decades do you find yourself most drawn to from a fashion standpoint? Do these differ from, or jive with, the ones that you yourself currently wear?

I find the 1910s and '20s incredibly interesting. I don't think people fully realize that history isn't a linear trip from oppressive to progressive, and the early 20th century shows us that. Women then had more freedom, in some ways, than women 30 years later! Flappers' fashions would make their granddaughters blush. I mostly wear '40s and '50s, though. As much as I love the Roaring Twenties, I'm not quite comfortable in above-knee skirts.


In addition to awesome vintage hats, what are some “must have” yesteryear accessories in your books?

Curlers! I've almost gotten used to sleeping on them. And gloves, of course, though adapting them for modern day is hard. Ladies of old didn't interact with technology the way we do. Try texting with satin fingertips...




And speaking of things pertaining to books, you’re a passionate writer, can please tell us more about the roll(s) in which writing currently plays in your career and daily life alike?

I am always writing. When I don't have pen and paper, I'm texting myself story ideas. When I don't have my phone, I'm whispering them under my breath, trying to commit them to memory. It's in my blood. I taught myself to read and write when I was four, and I wouldn't even know how to stop. I finished three novels before I graduated from high school, and I desperately wanted to be a teen author. Sometimes I judge myself for having missed the chance - and then I remember I'm only 22. Such an old fart, right?


Right now I work as an office manager, and I write and edit all official company literature. In high school, I was copy editor - their youngest ever- for my town's monthly newspaper. I've written for online magazines and for local community theater. I spend an embarrassing amount of time arguing politics on the internet - I'm actually trying to turn my political blog into a quarterly magazine. In April, I had a short story published in one of Yale's literary journals. I have a few more coming out this summer, and I'm hoping to publish my short-story collection within the next couple of years.


Oh, and the fanfiction. So much fanfiction. I freely admit to being one of Those Girls.


It’s an oldie, but a goodie all the same: Who (past or present), from the arts and literary world, would be seated at your fantasy dinner party?

Louise Brooks, first of all. She was the OG flapper. The real thing, not just for the movies. I've heard she read Schopenhauer on set, which appeals to the snob in me. Eleanor Audley, who played Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, and Angelina Jolie, who played her in the 2014 remake. Gregory Maguire, Stephen Sondheim. Ayn Rand, because I love arguments over dinner. And Oscar Wilde, in case the party started lagging.




Would you describe yourself as a bookworm?

Definitely! Though "books" is putting it broadly. I read mostly longform journalism lately, plus short stories on writers' forums online. The last book I read was Flapper by Joshua Zeitz, a social history of the Jazz Age (J’s note: I own and have read that book as well; it’s excellent!).


What are some of your favourite vintage/classic literature titles?

I was a Latin major, so my definition of "vintage titles" might be skewed! I love Ovid and Catullus. Their work has a crassness people don't expect from the ancients. But people have always been just people, and I love that. There's a famous bit of Roman graffiti that reads "on April 19th, I made bread". So #relatable.

To go a little more recent - I'm a big Flannery O'Connor fan. Everything That Rises Must Converge has been a big influence on my own writing. And as of last year, my all-time favorite book is officially vintage. Wicked was published in 1995. I love retold fairy tales, and Gregory Maguire was my introduction to the genre.




Aside from your beautiful wardrobe, what are some ways in which you inject vintage into your life?

My house is almost 100 years old, which I love. And I buy most of my housewares second hand. My partner and I are slowly amassing antique furniture, including one beautiful but very uncomfortable couch. We're involved with lots of historical reenactment events - Renn Faires, etc. And I make flower wines, which makes me feel positively medieval.


Like myself, you adore the past, but wouldn’t want to permanently live there, if such were possible. However, are there any elements of the decades you hold most dear that you wish were still more prevalent in today’s society?

The self-sufficiency. I rely on modern convenience as much as anyone else, but I make a point of knowing how to cook, sew, shovel a driveway, etc. It's important to know I could take total care of myself, even if I don't currently have to. I'm from New England: blizzard survival skills are a must.




There is an immense allure and undeniable beauty to vintage fashion, which accounts, in part, for its popularity and appreciation to this very day. To your mind, are there elements of 21st that may be looked back upon with similar reverence and appreciation, or will we continue to hold the “golden era” of fashion in high esteem, but not be anywhere near as keen to rekindle today’s looks in another, say, fifty to eighty years? (Not that the two couldn’t, of course, cohabitation in the sartorial world then, too.)

I honestly don't know! Today's fashions are less their own thing and more a remix of the past. We have more access to other eras and cultures than ever before; the lines are more blurred. 2016's "look" is much more eclectic than 1916's. If anything, I think today's renditions of vintage styles will go down in history. "2010s does '50s" will be the "'80s does '50s" of thirty years from now.



How far back in time does your passion for vintage fashions stretch? Were there any defining experiences in particular that cemented such for you?

I've always loved costumey clothes. I was a theater geek; I wore cloaks and sparkly shoes to school well into my teens. I went thrifting all the time, and I took pride in the fact that I would wear anything. When I was about 18, I fell in love with the "vintage dresses and colorful tights" ModCloth aesthetic. I walked around like a total hipster for a couple of years until I started craving more elegance. Now I wear vintage as it was supposed to be worn: the whole corset and caboodle. It feels right - even more so when I get asked if I'm in a play.




At this point in your life, how would describe your personal style?

"Walking anachronism". I love straight-up vintage; forget the "modern twist". If I don't look like your grandma in her prime, I'm not feeling my best.


We share many points in common, another of which is an unending love for All Hallows Eve. Can you share more about your passion for such and some ways (if applicable) in which you keep such going strong all throughout the year?

I've been volunteering at haunted houses for a decade (J's note: that is officially awesome!). It's actually how I met my partner of three years. Since 2014, I've been on the production team of the largest haunted event in the county.

I make costumes, help script scenes, and attend your demon-wrangling needs. This year, though, my partner and I are taking time off to experience other local haunts. We're calling it "research and development", though our motives are totally ulterior and we both know it.


Does your love of Halloween factor, in any outwardly discernible way, into your current fashion choices?

I love Halloween in part because it's an excuse to be totally, unabashedly garish. I like to think I'm channeling Hallows' Eve when I wear a corset and petticoat to work. Life's too short not to use the good china!

I also have a pumpkin-patch tattoo down my right side, so I'm always carrying a little autumn spirit around.
 


Back to blogging, for a moment. What are some things that you’re surprised to see remain largely uncovered (as in, not written about) in the vintage fashion world? Do you feel any compulsion to cover such yourself?

The concept of "classiness" is really loaded, and I want to see more vintage lovers examine it. I see too many fellow bloggers reference eras "when women dressed like ladies" or disparage today's women to elevate the past. There's nothing inherently respectable or not about certain styles of dress. I'm not personally comfortable in clubwear and stiletto heels, but it's not my place to judge women who are. We can celebrate vintage style without the implicit (and sometimes explicit) slut-shaming.

Besides, what's modest today was once revolutionary. Mae West was arrested for public indecency. Bettie Page made freaking fetish porn! In their time, they were no different from the girls we decry as "immodest" today. Even makeup was once considered scandalous.


Are a big social media fan? Any sites/apps you love/loath?

My relationship with social media is begrudging. I've got my blogs, and I use Facebook to talk with friends and browse vintage groups, but that's about it. I know it's pretty much essential these days, but I hate being constantly connected. I loathe "personal branding". I don't even have a smartphone, and I plan on being the last holdout under the age of 80.


So often, I find, that those of us who are heavily immersed in the vintage scene (and/or the wearing of vintage) come to have such almost exclusively represent, to the world, who they are and thus a certainly singularity of interests is perceived, when in relatively, such is very rarely the case. 

In an effort to change this, I’m immensely interested in discussing with fellow vintage fans what some of their other passions/goals/dreams are. Any such areas that you wish to share here with us?

I'm obsessed with Maleficent! I love her, always have. I have dolls, posters, t-shirts, even a tissue box with her face on it. Hell, I have a tattoo of her horns on the back of my neck! I'm active in the (unfortunately small) Maleficent fanfiction community online. She's my favorite character of all time, and I counted down the days to her movie in 2014.



And last, but not least, circling back to the earliest questions here, what would be your “take my kingdom, it’s yours!” unicorn of a vintage hat be?

I absolutely love Mode de Lis's lemon hat. Making my own version would be pretty easy, but it's just not the same as finding it in the wild.


Connect with Skye on the following sites:


Her Tumblr blog: Beginning Our Dissent





Meet the past interviewees who have taken part in this delightful ongoing post series:

February 2015: Emileigh | March 2015: CiCi | April 2015: Helen Mae | May 2015: Esther | June 2015: Ms. Falcon | July 2015: Jessie, and Laurence & Sylvain | August 2015: Holly | September 2015: Rhia | October 2015: Franny | November 2015: Emily | December 2015: Porcelina | January 2016: Nora | February 2016: Kate | March 2016: Carla | April 2016: Jessica E.


♥ ♥ ♥



It was a joy to get to know you better, Skye, thank you ever so much for this excellent interview and for sharing your love of the past with us through your blog. I wholeheartedly encourage one and all to pop on over and follow Skye there, if you're not doing so already.

With less than a month to go until summer, the following weeks of (typically!) near perfect, absolutely gorgeous weather will no doubt be full, exciting ones for many of us.

Not too busy though, on this end at least, for June's next Fellow Vintage Blogger interview post, which I'm thrilled to say will see us boarding our fabulous imaginary vintage jet and traversing back to Europe, where I'll chat with one of my oldest and dearest online friends.

Her many passions include such things as knitting, crafting in general, visiting museums, and vintage shopping, so I'm sure we'll have an absolute bevy of things to chat about. I can hardly wait!

Here's to the tail end of spring and all the fun and loveliness it holds in store for each of us, my dears!

44 comments:

  1. It was wonderful to meet Skye through your interview and discover a new blog to follow! I loved seeing her sense of humor come through in the interview. I have also wondered what is going to be the go with all of the vintage reproduction pieces that are currently being made in 50 or so years from now. I mean it's going to be a bit confusing for vintage sellers and those looking to buy vintage. Though I imagine true 50s vintage will be of the same rarity as 20s vintage is nowadays!

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    1. Absolutely! I'd imagine that well informed vintage sellers will, usually at least, be able to separate the repro from the real deal via things like fabric content, serged seams, plastic zippers, modern laundry instruction tags and the like, but no doubt this will be a fascinating point for future (and very veteran) vintage dealers to contend with as time goes on. And you know, I suspect that there will, rightfully so, be a collectible market for repro pieces in their own right, too (which is a rather cool thought).

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

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  2. A fellow Halloween lover! She looks fab and her hair has me swooning

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    1. Isn't it a beautiful shade of red? Definitely! Three huge cheers for us vintage adoring folks who also eat, breath, sleep and perpetually think about Halloween, too.

      Many hugs & happy Memorial Day long weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  3. I am glad you are running this blog series, Jessica. I like being able to learn about other vintage bloggers out there, and also to get to know them better than what we might pick up from their normal posts.

    Sarah
    www.sewcharacteristicallyyou.com/blog

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    1. What a wonderfully lovely and encouraging comment, dear Sarah. That is a huge part of what I hope to achieve with this fun ongoing interview series, so it sincerely means a lot to me to know that such rings true for you.

      Big hugs & joyful weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  4. Wow, this is one smart lady! I'm always in awe of people who have so many hobbies, but especially when some of them are craftsy because I know how time-consuming that can be! So now I feel incredibly lazy...! Ha! I love that our online world includes such interesting people though :) x

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    1. Same here! The breadth of interests that many in our community has and the passion that they pour into such never ceases to knock my socks off and inspire me to the moon and back.

      Many hugs & thanks for your great comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. Its always nice to meet other bloggers... what an intro :) !

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    1. That really is a joy, I completely agree. I've discovered some of my all-time favourite blogs (vintage and otherwise) via mentions, including in some cases, interviews, on other peoples' sites.

      Big hugs & cheerful weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  6. Very nice interview, dear Jessica, as usual! Syke is amazing, beautiful and I also love the shirtwaist dresses! I like that she is a bookwork, too (and that you own the Jazz book as well :) and I have the same feeling towards social media. I resisted getting a more modern phone, but in fact, I seldom use it :) Also, a nice "old" house is something great! Loved this post! Hugs and regards!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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    1. Aren't shirtwaist dresses that absolute best? I just picked up a new 1950s one this month in a very autumnal colour palette that I'm already planning a fall outfit around (the moment I spotted it for sale online, an October perfect look sprung to mind and I knew that said frock had to be mine :)).

      I'm delighted to know that you enjoyed this fun interview post, dear Denise, and that I was able to introduce you to Skye.

      Many hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. What fun! I'll have to go check out Skye's blog. I enjoy this Meet a Fellow Vintage Blogger series, it's a lot of fun finding other great vintage blogs.

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    1. Thank you sweetly, dear Akram. It's a joy to put together and share here with everyone each much. If you'd like to take part it in (I'm booking for 2017 at this point, as all of 2016's monthly slots have been filled at this point), please don't hesitate to drop me a line anytime. It would be such a pleasure to interview you as well.

      Big hugs & happy holiday long weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Wonderful interview! I'm off to look at her blog and Etsy shop!

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    1. Thank you, my lovely friend. I hope you adore both - as well as that you're having a fun filled, sunny holiday long weekend (it's absolutely pouring kitties and puppies here again this weekend).

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. What an awesome interview! I love her thoughts about the change from style to function.

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    1. Agreed completely. Skye has really hit the nail on the head there and opened a great topic to be explored further, either here, on her blog, or elsewhere in the process.

      Big hugs & happy holiday weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. Thanks for the intro to Skye and her blog! So much to love about her!

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    1. Isn't there though? She is such an awesomely dynamic, intelligent and interesting person. I enjoy following both of her blogs and really appreciate that she took the time to sit down and chat with all of us here this month.

      Many hugs & joyful Sunday wishes coming your way, sweet Sue,
      ♥ Jessica

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  11. hello,ciao...nice post and interview...Skye is a super Stylish Lady...cheers!

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    1. She is indeed, Aure, I completely agree. Happy that I introduce you two.

      Have a terrific weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. Another great and interesting interview Jessica, I'm going to take a look at this stylish ladies blog! xo

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    1. Thank you very much, honey. It's just amazing, isn't it, how quickly the months fly by between these interviews? If you'd ever like to take part yourself, please don't hesitate to zip me an email, dear gal. It would be fabulous to shine the spotlight on more vintage folks from Down Under, too.

      Many hugs & happy Sunday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. How have I never heard of this lady and her fab blog before?! I am definitely heading over to her blog now...
    Another fab interview Jessica, what a super series this has been! xx

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    1. Thank you so very much, my dear friend! I sincerely love that you've been a past interviewee, too, and eagerly look forward to bringing everyone here many more fun conversations with fellow vintage fans around the world.

      Tons of hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. she´s cute as a button!
    and as an fabulous style! thank you - dear jess - for interviewing her! so interesting!!
    much love! xxxxxxxx

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    1. Isn't she though? I can't help but have an instant affinity for anyone who shared my love of vintage hats, shirtwaist dresses, red hair, and Halloween. I'm really happy that I could introduce you to Skye, dear Beate, and hope that you enjoy her blog as much as I do.

      Many hugs & happy wishes for these final days of May,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. Another great interview with a lovely lady, Jessica. Many hugs, Ann xxx

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    1. Thank you very much, sweet Ann. It's such a sincere delight to chat with some of our fellow vintage enthusiasts here each month. If you'd ever like to be interviewed yourself, please don't hesitate to let me know. It would be such a blast to do so.

      Big hugs & happy weekend wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  16. I love finding incredible, new to me bloggers. Fantastic!

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    1. That's awesome, sweet Christina. I'm really happy to know that I could introduce you to Skye. She's such a fascinating, talented, engaging woman.

      Many hugs coming your way!
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. How had I not seen her blog before? Following now! What a stylish and cute lady!

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    1. Isn't she though - and those hats!!! I'm genuinely thrilled that I was able to introduce you to another die hard vintage chapeau fan, dear Tanith, and hope you really enjoy her delightful blog.

      Big hugs & happy last day of May wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. Great interview! That haunted house volunteer work is right up my alley, since I absolutely adore Halloween and everything about it. I also love that Skye wears a corset, since I'm very interested in finding a functional, modern-day corset as a supportive undergarment instead of just for show (so long as it doesn't snag or put too much pressure on my lovely purple opal navel jewelry!).

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    1. Thank you very much, Carrie-Anne. That point jumped out at me instantly, too. I've had my fair share of jobs and volunteer positions over the years, but never one that was so heavily focused on Halloween. I bet volunteering at a haunted house is an absolute blast!

      Many thanks for your lovely comment. Have a beautiful end of May/start of June!

      ♥ Jessica

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    1. Definitely! She's such a cool, whip smart, delightful lady and I was (am!) just thrilled to have had this chance to interview her and help others who might not have "met" her yet in our vintage loving community have the chance to do so care of this fun post.

      Big hugs & happy start of June wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. She seems interesting! I'm now following as I never knew of her blog, thank you for the introduction Jessica xx

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    1. You're very welcome, sweet Melanie. That is a huge part of the driving force behind this interview series (to introduce vintage bloggers who might not have crossed paths before to one another) and I'm sincerely happy to have lead you towards Skye's awesome blog.

      Many hugs & heartfelt thanks for all of your terrific comments today,
      ♥ Jessica

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  21. Straight after I have written this I am going to look up Skye's blog, I don't know how I haven't come across her before. She has great style! Fantastic interview as usual!

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    1. Thank you very much, my dear friend. As small and close knit as our community (especially the blogging corner of it) is at times, it's easy to simply not cross paths with someone and their site, even if you've both been around (blogging) for years. To this day, I still discover new-to-me vintage bloggers (often from Europe and who blog in a language other than English) and genuinely delight in such happening. Plus, new bloggers come along sometimes, too, and they're also a true joy to encounter. Hopefully I can continue to shine the spotlight on bloggers at all stages of their blogging paths here for a long time to come. :)

      Oodles of hugs & happy Tuesday wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. Wonderful interview! I loved seeing all of the Skye's gorgeous outfits and reading about her impressive achievements in writing!

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    1. Thank you sweetly, dear gal. It was such a joy to chat with Skye and to share about some of her many wonderful interests here. Hard to believe how quickly June is whizzing past. Soon it will be time for this month's exciting new interviewee.

      Big hugs & happy wishes for the new week,
      ♥ Jessica

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