Answering the I ♥ Fall Tag (because I epicly do!!!)

 As many of you may have gathered by now, I absolutely adore answering tags, be they here in written form or over on my (very sporadically) updated YouTube channel. I like to keep things interesting and don't post tags here all that often, but aim for at least a couple a year.

Sometimes folks will kindly tap me to answer specific tags that they're playing along with, at others I'll discover them independently myself and feel a desire to answer the questions they pose.

Though occasionally tags (such as 100 Questions to Inspire Rapid Self-Discovery) get in-depth and personal, most are just plain fun. As well, I find them to be an excellent partner for the weekend, when few of us have the time or burning desire to delve into lengthy and/or heavy posts.




{Pure, unbridled elation fills my heart and sets me to throwing my hands up in cheer the moment fall rounds the bend again!}


Today, on the very first Friday of my absolute favourite season of the whole year, I though I'd take a stab at answering the I ♥ Fall Tag, which has been floating around the web in various iterations for at least four years, if not longer.

This tag is speedy, easy, and totally enjoyable - so I highly encourage all those for whom it also resonates with to play along as well (please be sure to leave a comment with a link to your own post or video, if you do, so that I can delight in reading/hearing your replies, too).

I ♥ Fall Tag Questions

1. Favourite fall lip product? My trusty tube of MAC Diva lipstick. It's the perfect vampy, blackberry juice hued colour to compliment so many of autumn's muted and jewel toned ensembles (not to mention, all things black and mysterious looking, too!).






2. Favourite fall nail polish? There are sooo many that I love! Narrowing it down to a single choice is not easy, but if I must pick just one, I'll have to go with the wildly beloved modern day classic, Lincoln Park After Dark from OPI (which, perhaps not all that surprisingly or coincidentally, is quite similar in hue to my lipstick choice above).



3. Favourite time of the day during fall? It's a two-way tie for me between the (truly!) golden hour and dusk, when the heavens takes on the inky, marbled look of the illustrated skies in that most awesome of Halloween classics, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.




4. Favourite fall candle? Back in 2014, when Target still existed in Canada, Tony and I picked up one of their Limited Edition brand Pumpkin Cheesecake candles that is so incredibly delicious scented, we not only haven't actually lit it yet, but we keep it out on a tiny shelf in our kitchen - where it gently perfumes the air - all year long. That one takes the (cheese)cake for me in this camp.
5. Favourite fall accessory? Any sort of vintage or vintage inspired autumn jewelry, especially if it stars maple leaves and/or pumpkins (such as this elegant antique amber and sterling silver brooch that is available in my Etsy shop).




6. Haunted house or fun fall hayride? Both, pretty please! But, if I could only pick one, haunted house all the way! I love experiencing safe thrills and chills comes October.





7. Favourite Halloween movie? Hands down, no questions asked, for all of time, Disney's 1993 gem of a film, Hocus Pocus. 





8. Favourite sweet treat to eat come Halloween night? Definitely handmade caramel apples, which I whip up a big batch for each All Hallows Eve (because, as we all know, calories don't count on October 31st! ;D).





9. Have you picked your Halloween costume for this year yet? I have indeed, but I'm not telling anyone (but my darling husband) what it is! :) I always save my reveal until the big night it itself and even like to surprise my parents with my costume choice.

Edit: When I penned this post recently, I thought I'd hit on my costume for this year, but now, I'm not as sure and am quite 50/50 between two (one of which I wore in a past year, but didn't share here yet). No matter what I go with, I'll be posting about it in November. 




10. What is your favourite thing about fall? Everything!!! In particular though, I adore how the season exquisitely marries light and dark in so many different ways, the stunning fall leaves, autumnal foods, and the various elements that I highlighted here back in a 2014 post called 5 things about Halloween That Make Me Disproportionately Happy.

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

♥ ♥ ♥

There are scarcely words enough in the languages of the world to even come close to adequately describing my elation over fall's return. While I will miss summer's powerful heat (and generally very outdoor photo shoot conducive weather), this season is so entwined in my soul that I always forgive it instantly for sending its predecessor packing.

From the fact that autumn has always felt like the true new year for me (as touched on previously in posts such as this one) to the sublime colours that Mother Nature drapes herself in to my most beloved of holidays, Halloween to, yes, really and truly, pumpkin spice everything, no other time of the year makes me quite as content, gleeful as autumn does.

Naturally, this leads me to want to "blog (and wear) all the fall things", so you can bank on a fun bevy of seasonal posts here as each week and month of this fall progresses.

Such will include scrumptious harvest fare, All Hallows Eve themed entries, cold weather styling ideas, and plenty of vintage and handmade autumn perfect finds. In fact, you could say that season is going to be as rich in fall related posts as a mug of warm apple cider is in gorgeous spiced aroma!

Here's to a brilliant, beautiful, and exciting (not to mention, playfully spooky) autumn for all of us!


*PS* Have you heard? There's two times the giveaway fun going on right now!

Here on Chronically Vintage, I've teamed up with Wise Apple Vintage this week to offer one lucky winner the chance to take home a $75.00 USD store credit to their awesome online vintage decor and collectibles shop. Enter that giveaway on this post.

And over the blog of my lovely friends the Boyer Sisters, I myself am giving away a $75.00 store credit for my Etsy vintage shop, as well as offering a limited time coupon code there for 25% off on everything in my store between September 21st and October 10th. Pop on over to their blog for your chance enter and to avail of this deep discount when you shop Chronically Vintage on Etsy.

25 Vintage Deals Under $100 for August 2015

Speedy and very busy for me, August's go-go-go pace has somewhat taken the wind out of my sails. As such, I gave serious though to skipping the 25 Vintage Deals post this month (a new one doesn't happen every single month, but I do aim to get them up whenever possible, especially since I know that they're popular with many of my readers), as they take quite a few hours – and a fair bit of energy - to put together and write.

However, on Friday night one of my conditions started flaring up and the Etsy shop related work that I had planned to do then wasn't able to happen. Instead I wound in bed and it just seemed logical to start gathering listings for today's post while I was, which is exactly what I did. :)

Though the weather here, save for a spot of rain on Friday, has been great lately and far more summery than autumnal, there are subtle signs of the next season's impending arrival and indeed, the fact that we're into the last stretch of August is one unto itself.

Given that school will be starting again for many of my readers and/or their kids, and since most of us automatically associate late summer with brand new notebooks, shiny red apples, and hitting the books, I thought it would be a lot of fun to focus August's edition of 25 Vintage Deals Under $100.00 on school days and early autumn related vintage, vintage appropriate, and handmade budget-friendly finds.

So grab a freshly sharpened #2 pencil, slip into a plaid skirt, and get ready to jot down notes on all the wallet approved bargains that are coming your way this month! :)

25 Vintage Deals under $100

for August 2015

1. No fruit is more synonymous with the end of summer and all of autumn than apples. Be they the real deal or the wearable kind like this delightfully fun little brushed gold vintage brooch, as the days grow shorter, one is always served well by upping their apple quota. $8.50 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




2. Chalkboard paint and chalkboard themed decor items have been all the rage for several years now, but sometimes they're no beating the real, original deal, like this great mid-century 13.5 x 19 inch handheld chalkboard slate that could easily be hung on a wall in any classroom or part of your house. $30.00 from Blue Moon Collectibles.




3. This used 1940s Double Q composition notebook is extremely cool. Inside the original owner kept school notes and filled some of the pages with her very talented illustrations. What a special slice of mid-century daily life! $15.00 from Kenton Collectibles.




4. Perfect for pre-school aged children, very much including younger siblings when their older brothers and sisters rush off to catch the school bus next month, this timelessly fun vintage metal See and Spell Toy is sure to entertain little ones and bring back plenty of memories for the the young at heart alike. $40.00 from DeeDee's Vintage Decor.




5. There is something very young-woman-about-campus to these fabulous 1940s style Tan Faux Suede Bow Accent Chunky Heel Shoes. They're stylish, comfortable looking, and so timelessly pretty! Available in modern ladies sizes 7 - 10 from Blue Velvet Vintage.




6. An awesome mid-century modern inspired print calls the fabric on this versatile little handmade zipper pouch home. Use it as a pencil case, makeup bag, small clutch - whatever you can dream up! $13.00 from The Curious Needle.




7. One of the most classic and important signs of the harvest season - the wheat stalk - stars in this timelessly pretty, Thanksgiving perfect mid-century vintage copper matching brooch and earring set. $27.00 for the set from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



8. From garments to scrapbook pages to teacher's gifts, the array of creative projects you could create with this set of handmade apple print fabric covered buttons is as vast as the number of leaves that will tumble to the ground this autumn. $4.83 for a set of five buttons from Handmade by Elaine.



9. Cute, kitschy and such a great conversation starter, this 1950s Polly red top 1950s lunchbox with matching thermos features oodles of cool mid-century illustrations and is so much fun, you might want to give it pride-of-place on a kitchen, classroom, or office shelf. $58.00 for the two-piece set from Tessie's Old Oddities.




10. Perfect now as is or with a cardi + tights (and/or tall boots) for the nippier days of the coming season, this fun, sophisticated mid-century matching cotton floral print jacket/blouse and skirt set sings with the colour palette of the changing seasons. Fits up to a 34 inch bust/26 inch waist. $52.00 for both pieces from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




11. Hand tooled leather stars in this eye-catching, festively fun little dish that suits the end of summer as well as it does each day of autumn. $12.00 from Beyond The Door.




12. Squeal worthily sweet, this 1960s Josef Originals school teacher mouse vintage figurine is as cute as September's golden light is beautiful! $6.00 from Raindrop Vintage Shop.




13. There are certain scents that will always go hand-in-hand with the return of the school year and chalk - and chalk dust - is most certainly one of those for me. Take a trip down memory lane with this delightful mid-century box of colour chalk. $10.00 from Fly By Night Vintage.




14. Jazz up your back-to-class 'do with this wonderfully cute mid-century vintage "School Days" fountain pen shaped hair barrette. $10.00 from Rosebud Cottage.




15. Nothing says fall quite like the sight of crunchy leaves carpeting the ground or the jewelry version jazzing up our favourite ensembles. Greet September's return in timeless style when you pin this elegant mid-century vintage black and coppery brown enamel maple leaf brooch to your favourite dress, blouse, or sweater - its colour palette also makes it a great choice for Halloween, to boot. $14.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




16. Keep your noggin' nice and toasty while watching outdoor football games, picking pumpkins, or doing yard work come autumn time in this whimsically charming mid-century vintage yellow and green wool beanie hat embroidered with the team name Rough Riders. $25.00 from Savanteer Vintage.




17. Fabulous for its intended purpose or as a stylish decor item/photo shoot prop, this fun Stenso Lettering Card comes with its original wrapper and still in very good shape. $10.00 from Retro Reaction.




18. In the last few weeks I've bought four new scented candles to help ensure I'm ready to face the encroaching long nights of fall and winter all the better. If I was going to add a fifth to the seasonal collection, I would be very (!) tempted to make it this seriously scrumptious scented, autumn perfect handmade pumpkin bread soy wax tined candle. $6.00 for a 4 ounce candle from Sweet River Candle Co.




19. You like vintage school supplies, oui? Then this pretty and practical set of French language flashcards from 1959 is for you. $18.00 for 51 flashcards and their original box from Recent History.




20. Whether you're a teacher or not, chances are you enjoy the symbolic pairing of apples and late summer, including making them a part of your wardrobe. What more fun and whimsically charming way to do just that than with this big, beautiful vintage rhinestone and enamel coated green apple necklace? $26.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




21. Charming illustrations combine with wooden letters and a practical, handy education tool in this 1940s Richmond Spelling and Numbers Board, that would also make for a great piece of home decor, especially in an office or library. $24.00 from Retro Reaction.




22. For several decades now my maternal grandma has had a set of coaster which feature dried flower sandwiched between clear glass. Every time I look at this lovely mid-century vintage clear plastic brooch with its dried wildflowers, I am reminded of those coasters and warm summer and early autumn days spent at her house. $14.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




23. Worth its asking price for the soft sage green colour and awesome font used on the cover alone, this lovely 1940s classmate autograph book is a thoroughly charming reminder of a once common item that most smart phone carrying students today have never even heard of - let alone owned. $10.00 from Lisa's Retro Style.




24. If ever there was an iconic little girl's school dress, this beautiful vintage Polly Flinder's smocked plaid number it is. Aww! Stated as being a (children's) size 5. $14.22 from Wee Little Ones Vintage.




25. Pear season is really starting to hit its stride here in the sunny Okanagan right now and will continue for several seriously delicious weeks to come. If you're a fan of this sweet, juicy fruit and/or wearable items that depict it, then this warmly hued vintage 3D plastic pear and gold tone chain necklace is for you! $18.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.

♥ ♥ ♥

I've said it before, but I'll happily say it again, there is truly something about this time of the year - especially once we hit early September - that really feels like it's the start of a new year. I use it in much the same way as one and have been doing a lot of housekeeping, organizing, and a few home repairs lately.

It's just natural that we want our abodes, our own personal sanctuaries, to be neat, tidy, and in good working order before the brutally cold winter months take hold again and we hunker down to keep the chill at bay inside of them.

This is a beautiful, endearing time of the year. Busy, yes, but also often a lot of fun and filled with such a rich bounty of seasonal joys! Some of which I've tried to capture here in today's post, which I'm very glad was able to come to fruition in the end.

Have a relaxing, wonderful second to late Sunday in August, my dear friends! 

(And if you haven't done so already, please be sure to check out and leave a comment - to support on of our own - on this week's brand new vintage blogger interview post featuring an engaging discussion with the very stylish Holly Brolsma-Colon from Veronica Vintage.)

Honey, I'm home!

Or, I should say, "Honeys, I'm home!", as I've sincerely missed each and every one of you while we were off gallivanting, sightseeing, antique & vintage shopping, and having a merry old time on Vancouver Island during the past couple of weeks.

Aside from the fact that it rained so much I almost started to worry that the Island might sink (I joke, but it was pretty darn wet there!), our trip was sublime and even the rain had its charm, beauty and perks, such as ensuring we spent a lot of time seeing indoor sights.

At the moment, as traveling tends to do to folks (especially those like me who are chronically ill), I'm rather knackered and will need a bit of time to recoup from our awesome trip. While I’m getting back into the swing of things,  I'll be packing up and shipping out all the Etsy shop orders that arrived in the last two weeks, unpacking our bags, getting ready for October's many celebrations at our house (including Canadian Thanksgiving, our 10th wedding anniversary, and three family birthdays all next week), and hopping happily back into my usual blogging (and online in general) routine right away
.



{We're back and that means it's time to jump head first into gearing up for all the many fabulous events and holidays that October houses, very much including my favourite holiday of the year: Halloween! Look for lots of exiting new posts pertaining to October 31st, as well as a product review guest post from Tony, highlights from our trips, outfit posts, vintage recipes, and lots more fall time fun here in the coming weeks. Image source.}



Though the damp weather did significantly cut down on the number of outfit shoots were were able to do, thankfully, on those rare sunny - or at least not completely soaking wet - days, we got in a few and I'll be sharing the snaps from them in the coming weeks, along with a post or two highlighting some of my very favourite elements (including the Victoria Vintage Fair and getting a chance to hand feed a group of endlessly adorable harbor seals) of our amazingly fun two week trip to Vancouver Island in the very near future.

I sincerely want to thank each and every one of the fantastic vintage loving ladies who guest posted for me while I was away. If you haven't had a chance to do so yet, I highly encourage you take a few minutes and read through all of the guest posts - on topics ranging from vintage knits to bead mid-century handbags, stylish old school fall fashions to the joys of collecting vintage books – today, as there is no shortage of great ideas, inspiration and informative alike to be gleaned from them.

Likewise, thank you deeply to all those who left comments on various posts and for me on social media throughout our travels. I always adore hearing from, and connecting with you, and really look forward to continuing to do so as we work our way through the last three months of 2014 and (of course) beyond.

Though our trip was very action packed, it was also delightfully relaxing by sheer virtue of the fact that I got a massively needed breather from the heavy stress and work load I've been under the year, as well as a break from my day-to-day routine at home as well.

As a result, I can honestly say that I've returned far more relaxed, with my energy levels somewhat recharged and a fresh, much needed outlook on how to balance work, life, and downtime from here on out. Thus happily proving, as I always find, that travelling is without a doubt one of the most rewarding and important things a person can ever do.

Singing the praises of autumn's return

Autumn, it's very name exudes a sense of the poetic beauty that abounds throughout the season. This is a time of abundance and endings, where a bountiful harvest overlaps with the final days of truly warm sunshine for many in the more northerly parts of the world, and countless crispy, crunchy leaves looking as though they've been cast in lustrous metals tumble down as we tuck our sundresses away once more (or at the very least, partner them with opaque tights).

There is no segment of the year that I adore more than autumn - especially the first few weeks, when golden light and the renewed scent of chimney smoke dance in gracious harmony through the days, as dusk grows ever shorter, grinning pumpkins seem to chase away the last few mosquitos of summer, and a certain almost electric magic fills the air.



{Fall means apple picking (be sure to take a style cue from this cute 1940s gal and wear a darling novelty print dress when you do), pumpkin patch trips, generously sized Thanksgiving feasts, ghost stories told around campfires, wool coats, closed toed shoes, and a bevy of other marvelous things we haven't enjoyed for many a long month. Image source.}



Time realizes that it need not rush so any more, much as there is to be done as September wraps up and October - beloved, dear, gorgeous, thrillingly spooky, October - settles in for what, if one is lucky, may be the last snow-free month of the year. Sometimes snow strikes before the witching hour of All Hallows Eve, but not always, and the "will it, won't it?" aspect always holds its own certain familiar appeal.

We know the year is winding down, the lingering spirit of summer's merriment hangs in the air, but we can already foresee the winter holiday season in the very next thought, too. For now though, Santa and his team of reindeer are a good ways off. There's cornucopias, scarecrows, thick slices of pumpkin pie, Halloween costumes, and Remembrance Day poppies to come first.

No matter what is transpiring in my life at the time, year after year, without fail, I feel a sense of childlike giddiness when autumn returns. I smile, trample playfully through freshly raked piles of leaves, and inhale as much of the fragrant air, which seems to contain notes of cinnamon, dried foliage, and freshly chopped wood in every breath.

Fall is always a busy season at our house, containing as it does everything from Canadian Thanksgiving to our wedding anniversary, Halloween to one week in mid-October with three family birthdays, but I wouldn't have it any other way.



{Though it can be an action packed time for us, autumn always seems to come bearing a profusion serenity, the likes of which summer can rarely match, and this calmer pace suits - and sooths - me just fine. Image source.}



I associate this chapter of year with productivity (gone is the relentlessly sweltering heat of summer that can zap one's energy to the point where just getting through the day from morning to night feels like a significant achievement), good company, decorating, planning, and scrumptious slow cooked meals.

It's never easy to part ways with summer (even if its heat can get on one's a little nerves at times), and I know that as soon as we awaken to the first frost of the season, I'll feel a twinge of longing for the dog days that were upon us just a few weeks ago. Right now though, I'm all about autumn and every last joy, possibility, familiar favourite, new adventure, and caramel filled dessert it contains.

The gorgeous, snow-free side of this season tends to be short, and by November, we might as well roll out the welcome mat for Frosty the Snowman, but right here and now it's just beginning and there are weeks left of mild days and a kaleidoscopic colour palette adorning mother nature to savour.

I hope deeply that this autumn is a beautiful one for each of you. I know that 2013 hasn't been the easiest of years for a lot of people, but perhaps this bronze light covered second to last chapter will prove less problematic and stressful for all of us.

Join me, won't you, in raising a steaming mug of hot apple cider to that hope and the thought of every good and wonderful thing that makes up this resplendently lovely season!

15 elegantly beautiful 1940s autumn looks

From between the slats in the Venetian blinds in our living room, I can see delicate little goldenrod hued leaves fluttering about like wind chimes in the breeze - their rich, Midas approved shade symbolic of so much of what I adore about late September through early December.

From my earlier childhood memories right up until today, there has never been a time when I didn't love fall, and over the years the reasons why the second-to-last season of the year gets pride-of-place in my heart have only continued to mount.

One of my favourite elements of autumn always been the evocative, captivating colour palette it brings with it, like the best dressed lady in the world arriving at a hotel and opening her grand trucks, sensual velvets, nubby tweeds, diaphanous silks, hearty wools, and versatile thick cottons spilling forth from every angle.

While summer can sometimes seem a touch manic, autumn is calm and collected, yet by no means devoid of pep and spirit. More brazen then winter, yet less innocent than spring, it is the sophisticate of the year and surely knows it, for fall has no qualms with painting her palette of style and beauty across the land - if only for a few brief weeks.

Chalk it up to the 1980s classic Colour Me Beautiful (my mother's copy of which I actually read so many times as a youngster that pages started to fall out of it) if you will, but I've long known that autumn time colours often work well on me, and indeed a scan of my closet would quickly reveal a penchant for burgundy, teal, rust, brown, grey, muted green, copper, and burnished gold.

I'm certainly not alone in this regard, as fall's wardrobe (or at least certain shades from it) looks wonderful on a great many people, and there are few amongst us who can't avail of at least a couple of this season's sublimely lovely, subtly dramatic colours.

With that thought planted firmly in mind, may I present a selection of classy, timeless, dizzyingly beautiful 1940s fashions, each one of which conjures up a sense of the autumn and all that is enchanting about this resplendent season.

{All images via the incomparably terrific stream of dovima_is_devine_II on Flickr.}

Like the rainbow of earthy hues in a harvest time cornucopia, these vintage fashions are both visually appealing and thought provoking – not to mention more than a little bit inspiring. They celebrate much of what is marvelous about fall, while also serving as a sartorial jumping off point for other times of the year, especially if this is a palette that suits you well.

And speaking of cornucopias, tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in Canada, and I'm elated about that fact that Tony and I will be sharing it together with some of my relatives for the first time ever (prior to this year we always lived thousands of miles away from them). Thus adding yet another point to the lengthy list of reasons why, now and forever, autumn - and the timelessly stylish fashions it brings with it - will always be my most beloved time of the year.