A Canadian in Omak, Washington

Outfit details

All hair flowers: Arden
White rose stud earrings: Claire's
Red shrug: Fairweather
1980s does 1940s Karin Stevens novelty print dress: eBay
White skinny belt: eBay
Cute vintage wreath brooch: eBay
Bangle bracelets: Assorted sources
Red vintage purse: etsy seller I Love Vintage Stuff
Nude and black seamed stockings: eBay
Black pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red  
Photography by Antonio Cangiano

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Travel, even relatively short distances, is extremely challenging for me due to many of my chronic health problems. It bodes well for me then that I'm a natural homebody in a lot of ways. However, I've also always had a spirit of wanderlust and this duality, I believe, will forever exist in my soul. Much as I'd love to take to the open road on a lark whenever the urge strikes, such is, point blank, absolutely out of the question most of the time.

Every now and then, one in a very blue moon, a day comes along though where I sense that in the moment I'll be able to handle a little bit of driving. Kelowna, an hour away, or Osoyoos (also about an hour away) in the opposite direction, is usually the limit of what I'll push myself to, but occasionally I’ll go a little further still. I know full well that I'll pay for this decision with weeks of being bedridden and racked with flare-ups afterwards, but sometimes that's ok. My health can have nearly full reign of my life most of the time, but once in a while I get to still have fun and go on a little adventure, too.

Hard as it may be to believe (considering that I've often lived an hour or less from the border), I went the first twenty-eight and a half years of my life without ever visiting the US. One day a few weeks ago (right around the start of February), sensing that I could probably handle a quick road trip that day, Tony and I decided it was high time we hightailed it to good old US of A.

He - of Italian birth and upbringing - had already been to the States before a couple of times with my parents, but again, never once in my life had I stepped foot below the 49th. Doing so was something I'd longed to accomplish for ages, so on a very chilly weekend day we set out for America. After dealing with US customs (who wanted to check our car for some unknown reason and then made us fill out some pretty standard forms before letting us continue on our way), we cruised over the border and into Washington state.

We headed to the town of Omak with the purpose of grocery shopping (oh, the marvelous array of gluten-free foods that exist in US stores that we don't have here in Canada) and did just that. The whole day was bitingly cold and very, very overcast, but before night fell completely, we quickly grabbed a few shots on (what I'd call) the main stress in Omak, standing in front of a great old vintage movie theater.

The decision to go to the States was made that very morning (that's how my health rolls - advance plans, out, on the fly, in!) and as soon as it was, I knew that I wanted to sport a red, white and blue vintage outfit in honour of the US flag and my first time on American soil.

A few mad dash outfit changes later (cue closet that looks like a tornado hit it!), and this ensemble is what I settled on. Other than the fact that my arms were a touch nippy (I had white gloves in my purse, but forgot to slip them on before we took these snaps) when I wasn't wearing my jacket (not pictured), this was a great choice of outfit for the day (so comfy - a must for any kind of travel) and one which, I was touched to receive plenty of compliments on from folks on both sides of the border (including one of the female US customs agents we were dealing with on our way to the States).

Our whole trip was quick - about five hours spent in the US - but a total blast. Between the epically big Wal-Mart, seeing various US business in person for the first time (Bank of America, Rite Aid, Prince's, etc), and simply spending time in a brand-new-to-me country, it was one of the best days I've had in years.

Trunk loaded with delicious US foods (why, oh why, aren't all the Jet-Puffed marshmallow varieties - such as pumpkin pie, chocolate, coconut, and gingerbread - that you have there available in Canada, too?), photos snapped, and memories made, as a dense fog washed over the road, we carefully (we honestly could not see more than a few feet in front of us) made our way home, sailing over the Canadian border sans any issues.

As I knew would be the case, this delightful dalliance with America left me wrecked, health wise, for a few weeks afterwards, but I don't regret the choice to go one iota. I can now say that I've been to the States for the first time - and what I'm sure will not be the last - time, and that's worth feeling extra crummy for a while. Big time.

Now...where'd I put that bag of pumpkin pie marshmallows? :)

Remembering Allen Ginsberg, gifted beat poet and cultural visionary

✯ Day 154 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Allen Ginsberg is a man who is nearly impossible to sum up in a few words - or even paragraphs for that matter. A brilliant poet, cultural visionary, deeply creative soul, and one of the most prominent members of the beat generation, Ginsberg was the type of person who transcended mere descriptions, preferring perhaps to be as open to interpretation as his writing.

I discovered this fascinating poet at an early age (probably in grade 4, which is when I first recall learning of the Beats, including Ginsburg's close friends Kerouac, Burroughs and Ferlinghetti), read his work extensively in my teen years, and discovered upon meeting my husband that he too was a follower of this controversial, immeasurably creative writer.

Ginsberg's work is an opus of tantalizingly thought-provoking, sometimes wacky, often sagely, nearly always entertaining poetry and other writing that captured the good, the bad, the brutal, and the often unspoken elements of a tumultuous generation.

Throughout his life Ginsberg rarely held back, opting to speak his mind in such a way as to ensure he would open and impact those of his readers and listeners (Allen often gave live readings - and made many recordings - of his work during his career).

Though the world sadly lost Allen Ginsberg in 1997, it was on this date (June 3rd) in 1926 that this fascinating, free speech promoting, iconic beat writer was born.

In celebration of his many literary and cultural contributions, I wanted to share a reading (transformed into a lovely Youtube clip featuring background photos of Allen with some of his friends and peers) that Ginsberg made of his superb poem America (which is a good contender for my favourite of all his works).

*Please note there is some adult language and subject matter in this piece and as such I do recommend one listens to it in the presence of young children.*

 

During his life Ginsberg came to know a great many famous people from Bob Dylan to Paul McCartney, yet I do not believe that he let these relationships - nor the fame he amassed - ever go to his head. To the very end Allen Ginsberg was a man - and writer - of the masses. He spoke up, often very expressively, for the causes he believed in and against the things he saw as injustices.

In poems like Howl and America, as well as a great many of his other visionary works, Ginsberg stepped outside the conventional realm that most poets of the day were residing in to bring a raw slice of truth to the world, which remain as meaningful and worthy of our attention today as when it was envisions and penned decades ago.

Admiring the art and historical significance of WPA posters

Vintage illustrations have always been a favourite form of artwork of mine. Among the most striking pieces of mid-twentieth century artwork to have captured my interest over the years are the myriad of posters produced by some of the artists employed under President Roosevelt’s New Deal agency, the WPA (Works Progress Administration or Work Projects Administration, as it was renamed in 1939).

At least two thousand different WPA posters are known to have been created during the late 1930s and early 40s, of which thankfully hundreds have survived to this day. Their subject matter was diverse, ranging from social causes to WW2 patriotism slogans to travel advertisements. WPA posters were generally colourful and redolent of the art deco style of illustration. Many of these wonderfully designed pworks are today housed in the Library of Congress, which has a collection of over 900 of them.

Below is a selection of ten WPA posters which I’m particularly fond of. Their striking art is an instant reminder of a period of history that was full of uncertainty and serious questions about the future (the US was struggling through the Great Depression, watching the world go to war and eventually entering WW2), where money was often tight and community spirit and national pride were highly encouraged.





















{All images from the Library of Congress’ database of WPA posters.}

The world was both a very different and very similar place to the one we inhabit today when these posters hung on walls around America, but just because a few decades have passed since their creation, it doesn’t mean that you can’t surround yourself with their distinctive blend of art and social conscious today. A terrific online shop by the name of the Retrovert sells posters, greeting cards, mugs, and shirts sporting artwork found on various WPA posters.

While some of the subject matter of the WPA designs may seem outdated, propaganda-like, or a tad wonky by today’s standards, others carry messages which still ring as true now (perhaps even more so as we suffer through the current economic recession) as the day they were produced - and without a doubt each of these historically important posters is a unique and creative work of art.