Saturday Snapshots: July 16, 2016

{Quote image source}

{Pin curls, fab outfit, adorable kitty cat, and a mile-wide smile? Yep, this delightful mid-century gal officially wins at summer.}



{"Lois Duncan Steinmetz playing the accordion aboard the shanty boat Lazy Bones, c. 1947", because Lois was just awesome like that.}




{One look is all it takes to know that this 1940s pair - and their beautiful dog - were a blast to hang out with. Plus, don’t his shades look they could have just walked off the spring/summer 2016 runway? Proof positive that designers today take styling cues from the past right, left and center.}




{Group fun in the sun while at the beach in 1937 - love the lady at the back's classic folding parasol. It reminds me a lot of the gorgeous Disney themed hand painted ones that my dear friend Janey, from Atomic Redhead, has been creating and sharing on her blog this year.}




{No convertible? No problem! Just make like these two cool c. 1940s gals, in their matching shirts/play suits, and put the trunk (boot) of your car to good use! :)}




How much do you love this beautiful 1950's woman's fabulous ombre striped strapless swimsuit?}




{Teenagers being teenagers and having a blast at their local Tallahassee drive-in burger joint back in August of 1957 (you just know the milkshakes there would have been to die for!).}




{In a perfect world every single day of the summer would be as fun, carefree and sunny as the one depicted in this fabulous American beach snap, which was taken during July, 1952.}




It's never to early in life to ensure that your warm weather style game is squarely on point, as the young misters Larry and Louie Poggenburg kindly demonstrated for us during the spring of 1965.}




{Okay, it's official, seeing these two lovely c. 1950s synchronized swimmers has got me yearning to hop into the nearest body of water pronto!}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, 

please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

♥ ♥ ♥


Soooo, it's been a really long time since the last edition of Saturday Snapshots occurred here. Like, a really, really long time. I went digging around through my achieves and it would appear that the last such post was in May 2015, some fourteen months ago.

Wow, I'd been thinking it was last fall, but such appears not to be the case. There's no set schedule or timeframe for these posts of course, but as I - and I know, many of you as well - really adore them, I do like to get one up periodically. Today, in the middle of July, seems like a great time for new edition of Saturday Snapshots, don’t you think?

I read the quote that kicks off today's post for the first time ever a few weeks ago and it instantly resonated with me. Though I am generally a million miles away from lazy, I don't per se think that work related activity (or lack thereof) is the sort of laziness that the man who penned it, American author and philosopher Sam Keen, had in mind when he wrote those words. No, I highly suspect that he was referring to one's pace of life and how much, from sun up to sun down, we're able to get done in a day during the peak of summertime.

I'm a major workaholic and I will burn the midnight oil like no one's business, but during these glorious dog days of summer, even I tend to scale back a little. How on earth can one not? These few brief weeks of truly hot weather will vanish with the first tumbling leaves of September and with them, any hope (short of a vacation to a far-flung destination where the sun shines all year 'round) of feeling truly warm from the sun until next spring arrives.

Summer, to my mind, shouldn't be about merely staying busy nor doing next to nothing at all, no, it should be a happy marriage of two. If ever the expression "play hard, work hard" was at home in a chapter of the year, summer is it.
 
I may still bust my hump during for most of the week, but while the temps are near (or at!) triple digits and the sunshine seems to stretch on from here to eternity, you can bet that I'll be sinking my toes into the sand, talking peaceful strolls in the early morning hours, and lapping up froyo like its going out of style, while I still can.
 

As we sit now, there's just over two full months of summer left. Fall weather often begins before that point though, so I think that's all the more reason to go along with Sam's take on things and revel in the fact that this season not only allows, but frankly encourages us, to slow down, stop and smell the roses, and practise the time honoured art of slow living for a brief while amidst our usually frenzied, fast paced modern lives.

Here's to the rest of summer and all the relaxation it has the potential to afford us!

Now, where did I put that beach umbrella? All this talk of taking things easy has me champing at the bit to spend the weekend under the open the sun. Care to join me? :)

25 Vintage Deals Under $100 for July 2015

A few nights ago, as the very last vestiges of the setting sun vanished for another sleepy eve, I went out to get our mail and was almost overwhelmed by how strikingly beautiful the weather was, even at that late hour. In fact, it was the time of the day that helped to make it so magical. The air was warm to the point of feeling electrically charged, yet a solid wind blew, tinged with heat, as the sky turned shades of spilled ink indigo and jet black.
 
I walked leisurely to and from the mail box, trying to impart the heat of each step into my soul, which still felt partially frozen from last winter. Returning to our wee front stoop, I sat and looked up at the heavens, thanking the universe for the gift of this beautiful night and for the wonder that is summer from start to finish.
 
There is an abundance of things to adore about this season, even if - unlike myself - the heat isn't one of them for you (the hotter, the better for me, so long as it's a dry heat of the type that we're fortunate to get here most of the time). It is on precisely some of those seasonal joys, perks, and highlights that I'm focusing today's selection of 25 Vintage Deals Under $100.
 
Whether you prefer AC and a chilled fruit salad, hot dogs on that beach at mid-day, or a simple al fresco picnic as dusk rolls in, there is beauty and joy in every last minute of summertime and I for one, am truly grateful that we still have over two more months still of it to make the very most of. For now, though, let's delve into these delightful deals on summery vintage, handmade, and vintage appropriate goodies that are sure to appeal to even the biggest fan of winter amongst us! :)

1. Butterflies are a common sight in many areas, my own included, during the summer months and are such a beautiful, apt symbol of the season. I've always had a major thing for butterfly themed jewelry and clothing, and if you do as well, then you might adore this whimsically sweet c. 1960s BSK brand silver washed brushed gold tone metal butterfly brooch, which would look super cute on all kinds of summer sundresses, blouses, peasant tops, and (pinned) to straw hats and handbags. $16.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




2. Though they look beyond good enough to eat, these are not in fact real popsicles! Nope, instead they're some of the cutest handmade soaps I've ever seen. Talk about a great gift to give your guests at a summer party or barbeque! $5.50 for one 4 ounce bar of glycerin soap from Crimson Hill.




3. Nothing says summertime quite like the beach and few things represent that most delightful of places better than seashells, such as the fabulously pretty ones in this rare c. 1950s Mosell white enamel coated gold tone bracelet. $48.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




4. Wrangle excess volume or simply highlight your beautiful curves further with this charming, super cute rhinestone bow belt. Its light blue hue reminds me of the sparkling summer sky and the rhinestones of fluffy white clouds floating through it. $19.99 from Blue Velvet Vintage.




5. Smocking, a dainty floral pattern set atop a pastel pink background, fluttery sleeves, and a nice mid-calf (on most people) length lend this 1970s sundress an awesome mid-century vibe that would be right at home in a 1940s ensemble. Fits up to a 38" bust/ 36" waist, due to the fact that it's elasticized and can therefore work for many different sizes, from XS to XL (up to 36" inches in the waist). $42.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




6. The first of the season's peaches - which our area of the country is famous for growing a huge abundance of - are just starting to hit the grocery store and farmer's market stall shelves - and with them comes thoughts of peach everything - very much including accessories, like this fabulously fun vintage style handmade confetti lucite style brooch that is positively pulsating with old school inspired charm. $21.00 from Summer Blue Jewelry.



7. Described as having notes of Suntan Lotion, Coconut, Sea Salt, Lime, Jasmine, and Musk, this artisan scent is so far up my alley, it's not even funny! :) I haven't tried it yet myself, but it's on my wishlist and I really hope to one day, especially since it sounds like the most perfect summertime perfume ever. $23.00 for a spray bottle of scent from Wylde Ivy.



8. Calling all tiki, Hawaiian and Polynesian fans, this off-the-charts fabulous 1950s plastic and metal charm bracelet is for your! It features nuggets of marbled turquoise blue and white plastic, along with super fun metal hula girl charms. Love, love, love!!! $42.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



9. Summery, sweet and stylish, this delightful mid-century rhinestone and plastic flower brooch instantly calls to mind fields of wildflowers swaying rhythmically in the roasty-toasty July breeze. $14.21 from Tansy Bell Vintage (use the coupon code TBV1Year at checkout to save 25% off on everything from this wonderful European Etsy vintage shop).




10. Though we do most often associate them with summer, pastels are frequently players during the summer, too, showing up in everything from ice cream to swimsuits to salt water taffy, not to mention in our jewelry choices. This new-to-the-shop deadstock set of Nemo brand 1950s clip-on earrings is bursting with some of the loveliest pastel shades around and offers you all kinds of marvelous matches for your warm weather outfits, be they mid-century, repro, pinup, rockabilly, or modern. $28.00 for the set of five pairs on their original paper display card, from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




11. That the New Look influence is hard at work in this splendidly pretty 1940s two-piece summer dress and jacket Anne Adams sewing pattern is undeniable, much like the timeless loveliness of the garments themselves that it will help you produce. $15.00 from One More Cup of Tea.




12. Even on the hottest days of the year, if an outfit calls for them, I have no qualms with sporting vintage gloves, though I do usually keep the colours light and the lengths short. This beautiful pair of candy pink c. 1950s gloves are just the sort I'd reach for, especially because of their eye-catching braided detailing at the wrist. Fits a vintage size 7 or 7.5 hand. $15.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




13. Recently I had the pleasure of obtaining a small assortment of mid-century vintage millinery flowers, most of which were (are) in brooch form, including this cheerful, summertime outfit perfect dark pink daisy example. $10.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy (some of the millinery flowers have already sold, but you can see all of the ones that remain here).



14. Summer + sunglasses are a natural (and smart!) match, especially when you've got frames as a sweetly lovely as these pretty pink 1950s cat eye ones (swoon!). $56.00 from Go Go Vintage Glasses.




15. Hot weather calls for lightness - in food, in bedding, and most definitely in clothing, including our accessories. This recently listed 1950s Coro brand cream and gold 1950s confetti lucite necklace is ideal for the season's scorching heat and would even be a great choice for a summer bride on her wedding day. $25.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




16. Give the oven the day (or month!) off with this delightful pair of mid-century vintage recipe books, both of which feature oodles of cold eats and drinks to help make the heat more bearable and delicious at the same time. $13.50 for the pair from Mud In The USA.




17. Elegant white milk glass and fun aqua hued molded plastic blooms team up with gold tone metal in this eye-catchingly gorgeous 1950s bracelet that sings with the spirit of summer and which partners so well with tons of different mid-century novelty prints, circle skirts, and sundresses all season long. $30.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




18. Ideal for everything from weddings to garden parties, church to a girls night out, this classic, good sized mid-century beaded white purse is the kind of goes-with-everything accessory you'll reach for time and time again for many years to come. $38.00 from Buy Ur Vintage Junk (be sure to use the exclusive coupon code for Chronically Vintage readers, VTG20, at checkout to save 20% off on all merchandise at Buy Ur Vintage Junk's shop until the end of July).



19. Though it is technically a covered casserole dish, I can't help but think how perfect this beautiful 1940s piece of crockery (that measures 8.5 inches in circumference) would be to serve summer salads - from potato to garden to macaroni - in all summer long, especially if you were entertaining outdoors. $15.00 from Vintage Finds by Suzi.




20. This classic 1950s tea length white sleeveless dress is currently on sale and deeply discounted, which just bolsters its appeal all the more. I could see this dress looking like a million dollars at all kinds of events from weddings (including as a wedding dress itself) to car shows to summer concerts. Available in modern ladies sizes XS to XL, $59.00 at the time of writing from Blue Velvet Vintage.




21. Rare is the summer day when I'm not wearing at least one thing with flowers on, be it a dress, hat, handbag, pair of shoes, or piece of jewelry. They suit the season sublimely and are just so cheerful to boot, very much including this wonderfully gorgeous c. 1910s - 1920s antique pale pink glass brooch with hand painted blue and pink flowers on it. $28.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



22. If you live anywhere near a body of water, especially one frequented by people, chances are seagulls are as common a summertime sight around your town as they are in mind. Unlike the real deal though, this cute, kitschy pair won't get your car dirty or try to steal your lunch, instead they might in fact jazz it up thanks to the fact that they're salt and pepper shakers. $17.95 from Shake That Thang.



23. Like many a child, I can fondly remember picking daisies and braiding crowns of them to wear as I played outside during the summer when I was a youngster. This sweet, romantically pretty mid-century pink enamel and gold tone metal flower bracelet reminds me of those carefree, sun-kissed days each time I look at it. $20.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.




24. Much like winter's chill, summer's heat can do a real number on your lips, especially if you're spending much time in the sun and/or water. Help keep your lips smoochably soft with this warm weather perfect selection ice cream flavour inspired lip balms from Live Beautifully Body. $4.50 per individual tube of lip balm.




25. We have the merest speck of a yard in front (and to one side) of our condo and there isn't room for a real garden, but thanks to two small patches of dirt, since the year we moved in here (2012), we've been able to keep three rose bushes that we planted alive and thriving. They bloom about three or even four times between June and October usually and are out in full force right now. Rose are my all time favourite flower in any form, very much including jewelry, so this new-to-the-shop vintage enamel and shiny gold tone metal really feels at home in July for me and I'm sure for many of you as well. $18.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.

♥ ♥ ♥

As I sat on the front stairs and gazed at the first pulsating stars of the evening, I wished with all my might to capture the temperature, the vitality of the warm air, and the whole season itself and keep it there forever. Alas, such is not possible, but I did bank as much of it as I could in my memory to see me through when the icy breath of Old Man winter returns to breath down my neck again.

While seasons are temporary, pieces like those well priced examples in today's post can last far longer than just three months and are a great way to keep the spirit of the season going long after the last beach day of the year. And that is certainly something to be thankful for unto itself.

Have an amazing, sunshine filled second half of July, my dear friends!!!

20 things I (really!) want to do this spring and summer!

The birds are chirping up their orchestral tunes, the daffodils are out in full force, and I have officially worn open toed shoes for the first time this year! We're a month into spring already and suddenly, exquisitely, majestically, and so very beautifully, there is an almost hyper-abundance of things to do and see and savour again for the first time in many, many months.

If our plans aren't already set in motion beforehand, as the weekend draws nears, Tony or I will usually ask the other person what we might want to do on Saturday and Sunday. The answers can range from yard saling to fishing, thifting to the farmer's market, just depending on which one of is doing the replying. Fortunately we're both great at splitting our free time amongst each other's passions, while also sharing in many of the same ones (say for example, attending auctions or sitting on the beach in our camping chairs and watching the onion skin hued sun be swallowed up for the evening by the sagebrush covered Okanagan hillside) and that ensures that our weekend are usually a blast.

This time around when Tony posed the question to me on Friday, my mind didn't just stop at the coming two days, instead it shot off into a rapid fire Hollywood movie worthy montage of many of the fabulous things that I want to do, not just right here and now, but throughout the coming weeks and months that will fill the sublimely warm seasons of spring and summer.

This flip book of activities that these two can house is as good as endless, especially if you happen to live near water or other highly inviting landscape features. It can have a thousand pages, or just a few that you revisit time and time again, taking to heart like the lyrics of your favourite summer songs. The following are twenty that are topping my list this year and that I sincerely hope are able to come to fruition!

20 awesome things I really

want to do this spring and summer 

1. Test drive all of the great vintage, repro and vintage appropriate warm weather clothing I picked up over the course of the fall and winter and feature oodles of it here in future outfit posts.

2. Watch the stars shine like a hundred billion sparkling fireflies from atop Apex Mountain on a hypnotically warm night.

3. Get so lost in the enchantingly loveliness of the season that I forget not only what time it is, but what day of the week it is, too!

4. Barbeque a lot. I mean risk wearing out the grill levels of barbequing.

5. Watch the twinkling, gorgeous Canada Day fireworks that are shot off over Okanagan Lake down at the beach.

6. Try to spend at least a few minutes, but ideally an hour or more, outside every single day.

7. Think of my Halloween costume well in advance October and then start making and/or buying the necessary elements.

8. Go fishing with my honey. He fishes, I lounge on the dock and converse with him, and delight in each and ever dragonfly that lands for the quickest of pulses, on my bare, suntanned skin.

9. Get said suntan without burning to a crisp first. Easier said than done when you scorch faster than a piece of toast, even after being slathered with industrial grade SPF!

10. Fly a kite! I was probably 12 or 13 the last time I did so.

11. Have a bonfire, complete with marshmallows (and thus naturally, s'mores) at the beach (own town allows you do so in some areas).

12. Visit the traveling carnival (midway/fair) when it's in town (it's almost a running joke how often, despite madly wanting to do so, I end up missing it, usually due to my health).

13. Go on at least one road trip, even if it's just a weekend long getaway. My immense sense of wanderlust is usually strongest during these sublimely lovely months of the year, thanks in no small part, I'm sure to the fact it was when my parent took us on holidays around the province when I was a youngster.

14. Picnic like it's going out of style!

15. Buy some coloured chalk and let my inner five year sidewalk artist run free.

16. Come the early days of August, watch the Peach Festival Parade on Main Street (I haven't been in over half my lifetime!).

17. Put the frozen yogurt maker we bought at the end of last summer though its paces!

18. Take a houseboat cruise ride on Okanagan Lake for the first time (how I've gone 30 years without doing so before is beyond me!).

19. Attend our town's toe-tappingly fun annual square dance festival.

20. Camp!!! (After all, it is an in-tents experience! :D)

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

♥ ♥ ♥

I know that there's a very real chance I won't get to everything on my list, modest sized though it may be, this spring and summer, but even just having these desires down on virtual paper makes the possibility of them turning into something tangible seem all the more likely.

Chances are, for every one that does happen, ten marvelous unplanned or very last minute activities, invitations, feasts, and trips (even if that word is simply used to describe a five minute drive somewhere) will occur and come the last days of summer, when summer gets ready to hand the torch over to autumn, I'll look back on these months and smile ear-to-ear.

Spring and summer never disappoint (see 2012's post 25 reasons to love summer for some of my personal favourite reasons why that rings true for me). Even when the going gets tough in my daily life, something about sunlight until nearly 10 pm, the ability to walk barefoot in warm-as-oatmeal sand, the wearing of sundresses and strappy sandals, the consuming of light, fresh fair for nearly every meal, and the treasure trove of memories that this time of the year houses all ensure that it's worth jumping out of bed in a happy-go-lucky mood, no matter what you might have planned - or not – for the day.

So tell me, my dears, what's calling your name this spring and summer? Will you be mapping your every move, taking it nice and easy, or - as I tend to do - balancing the two to create a generous stretch of months so lovely they make every last icicle, snow bank, and extra woolen layer of winter worth it a thousand times over.

Here's to the prospect of all that this half of the year holds in store for each of us - may it be a spring and summer to delight in and cherish the memory of forever!

Flickr Favourites: August 17, 2014

{1950s orange juice advertisement ~ Christian Montone}


{Summer School Spanish Language Program Festivities, 1951 ~ Duke Yearlook}


{Farm fresh ~ Magalie L'Abbé}


{Rose 'Love' raised in USA ~ naruo0720}


{57 Ways of Summer Eating with Heinz ~ alsis35}


{Beach Blanket Bingo 1930s ~ Vintage car nut}


{Vegetables ~ katinthecupboard}


{Beach Bum ~ Ross Harvey}


{Montgomery Ward summer 1959 catalog ~ Capricorn One}


{Sarasota Sun-Debs training at Lido Beach, Florida ~ State Library and Archives of Florida}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on its title to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

♥ ♥ ♥


It's human nature to find ourselves constantly looking forward. Even the most die hard of nostalgists amongst us are prone to setting their sites on tomorrow far too often sometimes. I count myself amongst the guilty there at times, but this week isn't one of them. No, as we savour these last few weeks of summer, the worst of the dog days behind us now, though the temperatures still feel warm enough to bake a cake on the sidewalk, I am incredibly content to live right here in this glorious moment, the sizzling August breeze that blows off of Okanagan Lake some days tickling my skin through the open bedroom window.

Soon enough, it will be my favourite season, autumn, but as much as I madly adore it, I have no desire to turn my thoughts in that direction yet. I'm too busy buying succulent peaches and late season cherries, walking barefoot on the dry summer grass as the heat baked straight into the earth rushes up to caress my soles, and flat out delighting in the fact that I only need to wear one layer to be more than warm enough when I go outside.

I'm star gazing, yard saling, watching Annie jump merrily through the sprinkler, feasting on barbequed foods like there's no tomorrow, sitting in the sand at the many local beaches and holding my darling husband's hand as we gaze at the almost hypnotic little waves lapping eagerly at the shore, enjoying sunlight well into the early evening still, and reminding myself to soak up every last precious moment of summer while it's still here. That famous Canadian winter sets in swiftly and rarely shows mercy, and when it does, though I love that season in many of its own ways, I know that I will pine for these days immeasurably.

They, like fall however, are not now, and I am very grateful for that. No, now, is alluring, resplendent, and scented with wisteria, honeysuckle and generously sized roses. It calls for ice cream cones, boat rides, long walks as the wind rustles and plays with the still green leaves, and as many memories created in the great outdoors as humanly possible.

All of these things are reflected in today's Flickr Favourites images, which serve as a powerful visual reminder to let tomorrow be tomorrow. You and I and all of us need to just enjoy, appreciate and savour today. Glorious, sun drenched mid-August gem that it is. And on that note, I'm off to take my beach towels out of the dryer, pack a picnic lunch in advance, and spend another magnificent day out enjoying the Okanagan at its very best and most beautiful while summer is still here.