I adore the Vintage Halloween Flickr group

✯ Day 294 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

As those who follow this blog with any regularity have likely picked up on already, I'm a huge fan of both Flickr itself as a whole, and Flickr groups (which, by the by, there is a maximum limit of 5,000 that any one Flickr user can belong to at once - don't ask how I know that fact from personal experience).

There's a Flickr group for darn near anything under the sun, and if there's not (and you're a Flickr member), you can always start one yourself (as I did earlier this year with my Vintage Canada group).

Given the large number of folks, like myself and many of you reading this right now, who love all things vintage and Halloween related, it's no surprise then that a well established Flickr group already exists devoted to this winning combination.

{Images via: 1. 1920's Halloween, 2. "Be Good to Your Goblins!", 3. Ann Ruth Halloween, 4. Kitty Halloween, 5. Golden Halloween, 6. 1950's Charles Dye Halloween Calendar Top, 7. Bag of Goodies for Spooks, 8. 1920's Halloween, 9. Don't choke on the pipe, 10. 1940's Halloween Pin-up, 11. Halloween mobile, 12. 1920's Halloween Costumes, 13. Nan Grey}

 

The Vintage Halloween Flickr group is a treasure trove of thoroughly delightful, festive, down right interesting images (a handful of which you can see in the mosaic above) that are sure to entertain and fascinate lovers of the past and fans of October 31st alike.

Given that I know so many of you are massive Halloween enthusiasts, too, before the big day (and trick-or-treat filled night!) itself arrived, I wanted to let you all know about this fabulous group, which (witch), naturally, I'm a longstanding member of!

Introducing Flickr Favourites

Few sites continually inspire me with the same degree of creative, endlessly beautiful wonder that Flickr does. I’ve professed my undying love for Flickr here before (and like to think it comes through in my Saturday Snapshots posts, as well as many other image filled articles), but have been wanting for ages to launch a regularly occurring post devoted squarely to this amazing image filled site.

Instead of assigning this new reoccurring post a set day of the week (for example, Tuesday), I’ve decided to put together a Flickr Favourites post whenever the mood strikes – which will certainly be on a frequent basis (I’d tentatively say one such post every week or two).

While Saturday Snapshots focuses solely on vintage photographs of "real folks" (as opposed to famous people, magazine pictures featuring models, etc), the images that appear in “Flickr Favourites” will be a tapestry of old school snaps and modern photos with a vintage slant (or ones that I simply find to be too resplendently lovely to not share with you). Sometimes the images that appear in a given post may have a common theme, on others might be entirely random, tied together simply by their inherently breathtaking vintage related subject matter.

Last June I wrote about ten of my favourite Flickr groups devoted to various vintage topics, and many of you shared with me how much you enjoyed that roundup. Since that time I’ve thought often of that post, wanting to have a regular outlet in which to share more vintage related Flickr groups, so in addition to a selection of assorted images that have captured my imagination recently, each time I write an edition of Flickr Favourites, I’ll be including a previously un-blogged about Flickr group that’s focused solely on some marvellous aspect of the past.

I’m so excited about this delightfully fun new post, and sincerely hope that the images below, as well as all that follow in future editions, will provide you with scores of inspiration, help to fuel your vintage daydreams and brighten you day in the sweetest of ways.


♥ ♥ ♥


{Vintage Turquoise Creamer by ethanollie}



{Floating spoons by saltycotton}



{Still life 5 by lucy.loomis}



{A Symphony of Pink and Turquoise by Charm and Poise}



{Spring Journey by Magpie’s Fancy}


♥ ♥ ♥

Teaming with images of lovely treasures, retro kitsch, family heirlooms and other items gathered and saved from yesteryear, the Flickr group Vintage Beauty – Thrifted Bliss teams with photos of assorted vintage items and photographs that people have found while out thrifting and want to share, or are hoping to sell (elsewhere, Flickr itself has a strict no selling policy).


{1. Stewardess from the 1950s, 2. 60s mod, 3. hairdyer1, 4. Romance is in the air}

♥ ♥ ♥


As spring ever-so-slowly creeps out of hiding here, my mind is evidently being drawn to shades of turquoise and blue, both hues that contain the ability to be serene and invigorating at the same time, much like this very season itself.

Wishing you each a radiantly sunshine filled Monday – and a week ahead bursting with bliss!

The results of Friday’s poll are in!

Feeling like some of the usual Chronically Vintage posts could do with a good spring cleaning, I recently decided to revamp two of them: the “Daily Vintage Deal” became the “Today’s Vintage Treasure”, and I turned the decision regarding what to do with Friday’s weekly post over to you, my readers.


{All heads turned in anticipation to hear what post topic had been chose by Chronically Vintage's readers as the winner of Friday's exciting poll :-) Fantastically glamorously image via myvintagevogue's Flickr stream.}


As of this evening, 46 people have cast their vote and it’s from those results that I’ve determined what I’m going to blog about on upcoming Fridays. The “winner”, with 39% of the votes was “Fashionista Fridays”. The outcome of this poll wasn’t a landslide though. 28% of voters felt I should keep the current “Five for Fridays” post, where as 17% of you wanted to see a “Flickr Friday” post launched. A further 11% felt that I shouldn’t assign a topic to Friday’s posts at all, and the final 4% said that they’d like to see something else entirely different from the ideas I suggested.

As I really didn’t have my heart set on any one answer more than another, I’m going to side with the majority of voters and launch “Vintage Fashionista Friday” as the new end of the workweek post. I’m honestly now quite excited about this, loving vintage style and clothing as I do.

The scope of this post is that each week I will find a handpicked selection of vintage (or vintage looking/reproduction) clothing that’s currently available for sale (in case you want to take home the look yourself) and put together a lovely outfit out of those items. I don’t have the budget to buy new clothes each week and model them myself, so Friday’s “look” will be comprised of photos of the items, which I hope will be both inspirational and enjoyable for my readers.

Regarding the other categories that I’d proposed in the poll, I plan to incorporate more posts based around vintage related photos and groups I’ve found on Flick into this blog, and will be distributing the links I’d usually include in “Five for Friday” into the newly minted post “Today’s Vintage Treasure”.

Normally, having just announced what Friday’s new theme was going to be, I’d put up the first such example, however, for some mysterious reason (and despite restarting the modem at least a dozen times) our internet service is cutting out today something fierce. I had to reload my browser window about fifty times, over the course of half an hour, just to get Blogger to load, thus allowing me to begin my draft of this post. I sincerely apologize about that and have no clue why our internet service is being so slow (but I’d be more than willing to chalk it up to the snowy, stormy weather and harsh winds we’ve been experiencing all week).

All things willing, I will bring you the first proper installment of Vintage Fashionista Friday next week, gathering items online between then and now to comprise the first vintage outfit with.

Thank you very much to everybody who voted in this poll and shared your comments below last Friday’s post. I took all of your opinions to heart and was touched by the wonderful thoughts on this subject that you shared. I hope that even those who didn’t vote for “Fashionista Friday” will quickly become fans of this new post, which covers one of our favourite topics – vintage clothing and accessories that the modern gal can easily weave into her own look.

On this the last Friday in February, I wish you each a beautiful, serene and deeply fun weekend, and thank you again for being the best readers – and vintage loving friends – anyone could possibly ask for!

Happy first Stellaversary!

What on earth, you may very rightfully ask, is “Stellaversary”? Well, it just so happens that the word Stellaversary is a completely homemade term I created as a way of marking the date when we first brought our darling cat, Stella home. As today, the 23rd of November, is the one year anniversary of when she came into our lives, I am hereby proclaiming this date to the first annual Stellaversary!

Though both my husband and I had the pleasure of growing up in homes with pets, as a couple, Stella is the first animal that we can jointly call our own. We’re both massive animal lovers and had known from day one that we wanted a pet (or two...), but for the first few years of our relationship our lives were in too much of a state of flux (several moves – including overseas, waiting for life altering decisions from Immigration Canada, etc) for us to have responsibly taken on a pet.

Last year, for the first time ever in our life together, things began to settle down, (positive) outcomes were finally reached, and we knew that at long last it was OK for us to consider bringing home a pet. We didn’t set out on this exact date one year ago with the intention of bringing home a cat, we’d actually gone out to buy a dining room table, of all things! Well, we succeeded in finding a beautiful one of those (on sale!), and afterwards continued bopping around to various places in that part of town.

As the evening wore on we found ourselves at a PetSmart which just happened to be one of the locations that includes an in-house animal rescue adoption centre. All of the cats at PetSmart are ones that have found their way their from animal shelters (such as the SPCA) and who are looking for loving “forever” families of their own. Both my husband and I are huge supporters of adopting shelter animals, so when we saw two adorable, 11 week old kittens staring up at us through the viewing glass of the cat corner (of the store), we instantly asked if we could look at and hold them.

Though we would have loved dearly to be able to have brought them both home with us, we knew that it would be much more economically responsible for just get one cat. The pair that batted their sweet golden eyes at us were brother and sister, of whom we decided to adopt the girl, Stella (at the time she was the calmer of the two, a trait that we thought would make her a good house cat – as we live in a high rise apartment and she wouldn’t, and isn’t, allowed outside...little did we know then that she had a secret rambunctious side that would put the Energizer bunny to shame!).

After speaking with the person in charge of the cats (who told us that the kittens were feral strays, but had no further information about their background other than their age), we loading up a shopping cart (at PetSmart) with everything (and then some) that a young kitten might ever want or need, paid for our kitty supplies, and with hearts bursting to the breaking point with love and excitement, brought our new kitten home.

For the first few days she was very, very shy (she camped out under the sofa for the most part), yet after a little while our new baby cat warmed up to us. We named her Stella (the Italian word for star, as her grey fur and sparkling yellow eyes both reminded me of stars in the night sky) and suddenly we came to realize how very much our lives had been missing without this wonderful animal in it.

Jump ahead a year and Stella is every bit as adorable today as she was back then. Full of spunk and energy, she’s a bright, inquisitive, massively energetic cat who loves to run around the apartment, exploring ever nook and cranny, play with her (plethora of) toys, sleep in her kitty condo (a gift from my parents to their “grandkitty”), and curl up with my us from time to time for a good snuggle.

Stella is not the most “lap cat” of felines, but for all her playfulness, she is exceedingly sweet and often seems to know when I’m feeling extra rough health wise. On such days she’ll curl up with me in bed or on the sofa as I watch TV, purring loudly and nestling her little grey face into against me. Whether she knows it or not, Stella is a therapy pet. Though it was us that saved her, in so many ways she has also rescued us.

She is also a joy, a blessing, and a truly wonderful animal. It’s nearly impossible to fathom how life would be today if we’d not brought Stella home. Though we may very have adopted a different cat at some point, they would not have been our darling Stella. Just as with children, no two pets ever exactly alike, and when it comes to wonderful kitties we could not have found a more darling pet than our sweet Stella.


{1. Even the best of us must rest sometime, 2. A vision of cuteness, 3. "Mommy, mommy", purred Stella, "I saw another one, it's up there, look!", 4. I'm not vicious! You just caught me mid-yawn :), 5. Contemplating everything that flutters, flaps or flies, 6. Pink is the love you discover, 7. Stella wishes everyone a sunny Sunday, 8. Stella ponders whether or not she should steal yet another strawberry from the "human's" curious display of temptation, 9. Sunshine makes me sleepy, 10. What is this strange, warm, wonderful light?, 11. Reach for your dreams, 12. Such a very serious look, for one so young, 13. I'm so precious. Twelve images, to represent each delightful month that we’ve had her, plus one more to symbolize my love for Stella, make up this mosaic that shows the many expressions and moods of our precious grey tabby. All photos were taken by me and are from my Flickr stream.}

My dear friends, please join me in celebrating one year of a life filled with the pitter-patter of four tiny paws, and in the merriment of my endless love for my cat, as we mark the first ever Stellaversary!

Are you on Flickr?

As you may have gathered if you follow this blog, I am a tremendously big fan of photography, whether antique, vintage or modern. I never tire of snapping my own shots or admiring those of others, so quite naturally I was drawn to Flickr like a moth to a flame.

Not only do I often post there myself, but I spend an inordinate amount of time on the site in general, pursuing photos, commenting on my Flickr friend’s amazing snaps, and swinging by a bevy of groups centred around all manner of things that tickle my (eclectic) fancy. In short, I am absolutely love Flickr! It is truly one of my favourite websites of all time and a never-ending bank of inspiration for me.

While uploading a few shots earlier this week, I began thinking about the really neat fact that before I I started chronicling my love of vintage online, some of the wonderful people whose vintage blogs I now follow, I knew firstly through their gorgeous Flickr streams (Super Kawaii Mama, Johanna Öst, Fleur, Millie Motts, and Casey, amongst others). Which really got me wondering which of my lovely visitors and blogging friends are on Flickr, too?


{Wonderfully pretty hand tinted photo of a woman holding a camera circa 1935.
Image via Omega418’s Flickr stream.}

Are you also a fan/addict of Flickr? Do you have an account there? (It doesn’t have to be one centred around your love of vintage, don’t worry!) If you do, and you’d like to be Flickr friends, I would love to follow your stream. If you’re interested, you can find me (and my preciously adorable cat, Stella) hanging out (all the time) on Flickr here.

Hope to follow you soon! :)

Five For Friday {September 11, 2009}

...The first traces of autumn’s telltale chill drift across the early morning air. The sun will pounce again with intensity before too long, but for the moment the calming scent and feel of the season that lies ahead invigorates my mind, body and soul, calling forth the need for elements that continue to capture the inherent beauty of early September...


♥ ♥ ♥


{To celebrate the enchanting splendor of roses before the first frost hits}


{Granted in this day and age all manner of roses are available year round, but much as I try to eat what is in season, so too do I (often) aim for flowers that speak for their key growing seasons. This arrangement of hydrangea, wax flower, willow and ballerina-esque peach roses seems to capture the crisp whiteness of summer the orange hues of early autumn to a tee, making it an ideal addition for your “between seasons” table setting. “Wedding Centerpiece in glass bubble bow”, $99.00 (US) from 1-800-Flowers.com.}


{To satisfy both your sweet tooth and love of vintage inspired packaging}


{Cast in molds from 18 vintage buttons, these rich milk chocolates from UK brand Hotel Chocolate are almost too lovely to eat. Yet don’t feel bad if you do give into the urge for a nibble, the antique inspired, robin’s egg blue box they come in is also sweetly gorgeous. 100g package of milk chocolate buttons, £6.00 (UK pounds) from Hotel Chocolate.}


{To inject an instant dose of visual tranquility into your weekend}


{I adore photography of all types, but have a particular fondness for both shooting and viewing images that hone on the resplendent elegance that lurks in everyday items or paired down moments in time, such as the soothing, stunning photos that make up the Pure, Simple and natural Flickr group (which the four images above hail from).}


{To ensure your walls are anything but drab through this coming winter}


{A little bit colonial, a smidge Victorian, and boosting a delightful dose of vintage charm, this quirky – but still entirely elegant – wallpaper features hand-drawn sketches and is designed with larger walls in mind. I would love to paste it in a stately study, cozy dining room or inviting front hall, but could also see it working well in a good sized bedroom or kitchen, too. Ten metre long roll of “Silbodal yellow green background” wallpaper, 1,300.00 (Swedish Kronor, approximately $186.00 US dollars per roll), from Swedish online decor shop Wingbud Wallpaper.}


{To make you smile every time you look at their adorable, slightly cheeky faces}


{This pair of tiny vintage kitten figures would look so sweet perched on any shelf, window sill or dresser top. Available for an absolute song at just $2.00 (US) for both cats, from etsy seller In His Word.}


Today’s date is a sombre one that holds many meanings and links to powerful memories for all who recalls its occurrence eight years ago. I would just like to take a moment to think of those affected, in whatever capacity, by the events of September 11th and the aftermath that followed. May peace be with you all.

To my wonderfully dear readers, I wish you each a deeply serene and beautiful weekend ahead.

Winnie the beauty

Vintage photos are a subject that I truly enjoy. Lacking old family albums of my own to page through (for the record though, some of my relatives like my granny do have older black and white/vintage pictures, hopefully one day I’ll have the honour of being the keeper of some of these wonderful snapshots in time), I’ve found that Flickr has become like a surrogate photo album of sorts.

Instead of my own great, great, greats aunts or grandfathers though, through vintage and antique photos of people one knows nothing about, it’s almost as though you can imagine anybody in an old photo to be your relative or friend. Perhaps that sounds silly, but if you think about it, ultimately we’re all distant relations, and the history of those who came before us is ultimately responsible for our existence in the present.

Recently I came across the photo below (on Flickr) and was absolutely struck by how lovely this dark haired young woman is. The Flickr user who uploaded it doesn’t know much about the photo other than that it was given to his mother by a woman named Winnie.

There’s something about the effervescent look in her young eyes, the gorgeously feminine style of her dainty floral print, ruffled dress and the quaint little purse strung across her chest that makes me think she would have made an incredibly cool older sister or cousin. Or perhaps she was the baby of the family, sweet natured as the day was long because of all the love she’d received from her large family.


{From her up-swept curls to her adorable outfit, Winnie looks like a woman with world of possibility at her fingers. I wonder what became of this stunning gal? Photo from Spysgrandson’s Flickr stream.}

In looking at photos of strangers from the past and imagining the lives of those who’ve never known (as I touched on in a post last week, too), we do more than keep their memories alive, we preserve the beauty of their souls through the joy these images bring our own.

On the Cusp of Summer {Monday Muses, June 15th}

It rains one moment and exudes glistening sunshine the next, teetering between seasons June can be one of those months where it’s always wise to dress in light layers and carry an umbrella – at least in some parts of the world.

Here in Toronto we’ve had a mixed bag of weather so far this month. Some days have been stunners, others stormy, wet messes. Nature has embraced the idea of summer, but is still a tad hesitant to part with spring. Warm mornings and cool nights, or perhaps the exact opposite can pop up as easily as perfectly balmy days.

Jeans and shorts are both kept at the ready, sandals and gumboots sit side-by-side in the entryway. It’s more summer than spring, but far from the stifling heat of August that leaves you languid and in dire need of a constant stream of cold drinks.

The middle of June smells like fuchsia roses, Hawaiian Tropic, campfires, garden soil, and dusty rain. It’s like a child about to hit adolescence, certain of its impending growth but still tied to the comforts of its innocent past. Mid-June is a time to string badminton nets, sit outside until midnight hoping to glimpse falling stars, and gather (or at least admire) as many of the lingering lilacs of May as you possibly can.

There is so much warm beauty to this rich time of the year, when daisies begin appearing and everything suddenly seems a hundred times tastier when consumed between gulps of fresh air. Pivoting between seasons, this brief window of toasty, but not scalding, heat is a treat to behold and experience. This week my Muse is the cusp of summer, that magical time right before school lets up for the year and the dog-days of July come roaring in.

The following photos – and mosaic of pictures – all fill my soul with an instant fondness for this lovely, tranquil moment of the year, while providing wonderful ideas regarding what sorts of vintage looks to don for the arrival of summer. I hope that you too will enjoy the delightfully pretty, playfully fun time that mid-June brings with it (or at least the romanticized notion of such).



{This incredibly charming photo hails from a blog that I just discovered this month called wildflowers::pretty. I love the gentle beauty that flows through its creator’s photos and posts.}



{Johanna Öst looking superbly pretty in her new navy blue and white, button adorned swimsuit. Something about the fuller cut makes me think of the cooler water temps one generally encounters in June.}



{Anja of Clever Nettle looking about as sweet-faced and adorably set for early summer as one possibly can be.}



{This photo from Esme and the lane way does such a strikingly excellent job of conveying the sort of fading sunlight glory that summer ushers in.}



1. Vintage Style Outfit in Living colour, 2. Summer 1950, 3. laundry day!, 4. 081258 01 00A, 5. Cherry nosegay vintage button necklace, 6. Casual 50's look, 7. The California Barbecue, 8. It's not so easy as it maybe seems to take a picture at this angle, 9. Happy Birthday Mutti!, 10. 50's fashion , 11. A Patio Somewhere in Suburbia, 12. 8/6/08, 13. May 25 1957 {Vintage June joys of all sorts abound in these photos! Click on a link to see a larger version of a particular image and/or for photographer information}

Do you love the sweet tenderness that June can still posses or do you favour the passionate heat that comes later on in the summer? Does June inspire you or leave you wishing it was time to shovel snow from the driveway again?

10 awesome vintage related Flickr groups

It’s scarcely a secret that Flickr is one of my absolute most beloved websites in the universe. Long before I got my first digital camera and began uploading photos of my own last February, I’d been perusing its myriad of pages for a couple of years. To me Flickr is the stuff inspirational dreams are made of. From favourite photographers to the incredible results keywords can deliver, I am never bored or at a loss for creative muses when on this site.

On particularly fun way to find a bounty of images of a given subject is through Flickr groups. Being a rather eclectic soul (with more interests than you can shake a feather duster at), I’ve personally joined a ton (seriously, a ton) of them. While I cannot admit to staying abreast with the latest uploads on all of them, there are many favourites that I try to check on a frequent basis. Not too surprisingly, a good chunk of such frequently visited groups centre around a vintage related theme.

As such I thought it would be really fun to share a selection of Flickr groups – and a sampling of images from them – with you that never fail to deliver a wallop of vintage inspiration. The ten groups below are just the tip of the iceberg though, there are dozens – if not hundreds – of other groups all with a penchant for the past, just waiting for you to discover.

1930s and 1940s: Rich in everyday types of family snapshots (most of which are in black and white), this group also features some images of the era from Hollywood, magazines and popular culture.


{1. Happy Lipstick [739], 2. WWII -4, 3. 1936. Gimnáziumi kirándulás, 4. 1944. N.}


Vintage Illustration: As the name implies this group is devoted to the true art which is vintage illustration. Sporting over 2,000 members and more than 20,000 uploads to the group’s pool, this is often the first place I run to when I need a vintage ad or drawing.


{1. The winds of grace ..., 2. 1943 Parker Quink Ink (with Solv-x) Advertisement, 3. Pepsi - 19581122 Post, 4. Sunny Side 3}


Vintage hair: Loaded with more inspiration than you can shake a stick at, this lovely group is filled with photos and illustrations that have an emphasis on women’s hairstyles from days gone by, as well as lovely modern gals sporting vintage dos.


{1. Movie Classic Magazine cover, Myrna Loy, 2. Untitled, 3. HTMUSAMI_1948F002, 4. flapper2}


Vintage Clothing: This group is (primarily) for photos of modern folks decked out in vintage attire. Though you may have to wade through the group’s pool a little bit to find mid-century looks, but there are still plenty of these sorts of styles there to help inspire your own wardrobe.


{1. Playful, 2. Jacques Fath for Halpert 50s dress, 3. Kaila in her grandmother's dress., 4. The Girl Can't Help It.}


Vintage shoes: Whether its pumps, flats, oxfords or sandals, you’re sure to find oodles of beautiful and diverse vintage shoes among this group’s many photos.


{1. 1940's Kedettes, 2. 1940's shoes, 3. shoes, 4. 1950s chocolate brown nubuck pumps}


Vintage Pinup: Bursting with vintage pinup photos and illustrations, as well as shots of modern ladies in pinup styles, this group is a terrific spot for both eye-candy and inspiration.


{1. It's a Snap (Pretty Snappy. Snap Judgment), 1958 GIL ELVGREN, 2. IMG_5408.tea.L, 3. Modern day Pin up, 4. Josie Raven}


Fabulous Fifties Heaven (1950 – 1959): Celebrating all things fifties, this group teams with vintage advertisements, photos and illustrations that convey the wide-eyed optimism, suburban lifestyle and marvelous fashions that ruled the decade.


{1. Bell Telephone System Ad, 2. Armstrong Flooring Ad, 3. Family Circle - August 1955, 4. Coca Cola - 19581122 Post}


From Kitchen Past – The Vintage Kitchen: From Pyrex to aprons, turquoise hand mixer to ads for counter tops and furniture, this group is jam packed with a wonderful assortment of photos and illustrations relating to old school kitchens.


{1. Kitchen Curio, 2. 1950's Kitchen, 3. Vintage Sifter, 4. Glimpses of my kitchen}


Vintage Cookbooks: From timeless classics to recipes that should probably never have seen the light of day, amongst the many pages of this charming group’s pool you’ll find scads of vintage illustrations and photos pertaining to the culinary arts.


{1. Jack Benny Jell-O Pamphlet '30's:), 2. frontispiece, 3. Sunkist Recipes for Every Day, 4. Kellogg's All-Bran Ad}


Wedge Heels & Wartime – Forties in Print: Chronicling illustrations and advertisements from the twentieth century’s fourth decade, this group has more than 1,500 uploads to inspire and entertain you with (I’m especially fond of the amazing fashion styles one sees in such images).


{1. True Story October 1941, 2. koala-paca 1944, 3. Modern Beauty Shop - March 1944, 4. Harper's Bazaar 1942}

{To visit an individual image, click on the corresponding link below each collage.}

Putting together these mosaics and scanning through a bevy of amazing vintage images has kicked started my Thursday off the cheeriest of notes! To keep that sort of happy feeling going, I’m always looking for new places to source inspiration from and would love to know what some of your favourite vintage related Flickr groups are.

On the hunt for summer plaid

Plaid is iconic, ageless and beautiful. It can run the gambit from formal to incredibly playful, with most plaid items falling squarely in between. Plaid has an element of androgyny to it as it can be worn very well by both men and woman. From lumberjacks to the grunge rockers of the early 90s, plaid has played both a practical and trend-setting role in fashion.

I’ve always thought plaid was a wonderful pattern. While it may not instantly convey femininity the way that say a floral or polka dot print does, plaid fabric can be whipped into anything from an undergarments to dresses, and somehow its grid of lines seems to work well in accentuating the curves of a woman’s body.

While plaid can certainly make for some terrific winterwear pieces (think classic plaid jackets from the 1950s, for example), its association with balmy weather through everything from shorts to skirts, camp hats to tops is what has me thinking about this bold pattern lately.

Over the past few weeks I’ve had the joy of searching for pieces to add to my summer wardrobe. I set out with a razor thin budget, but I didn’t let that deter me. Along the way there were a number of items I was searching for (some I found, others are still on the lam), one of which was definitely a vintage inspired (as opposed to 80s or 90s style, which have been all the rage for the past few seasons) plaid shirt.

It seemed for quite a while though that luck wasn’t on my side. Every button front short or long sleeved plaid shirt I tried on seemed to drown me in its pattern. I’m petite (5”2) and do not have a very long torso, and didn’t want to end up looking like I was wearing a plaid mini dress.

With my summerwear budget nearly tapped out, I headed to Forever 21. While that may hardly seem newsworthy to many (especially my lovely American readers), it was the first time I’d ever been there before (which is sort of hard to believe given that there’s a location at the mall closest to my house - still better late than never!).

I was surprised by how big the shop was (though I noticed that they didn’t stock some pieces I’d been eyeing on the US Forever 21 website) and while certainly catering to the trends of the moment, how pretty some of their pieces were. I loaded up a mountainous armful of assorted items – including almost every plaid top in the store – and headed to the dressing room.

I’d struck out four times on the plaid front, when much to my surprise a light blue number hit the jackpot! I put it on and instantly felt like I’d popped out of a vintage summer camp post card or calendar page.

I probably stood there for three minutes examining my reflection, adjusting my side parted, freshly curled that morning hair, and loving how the shirt looked with the pretty-much-trouser-cut jeans and black oxford style shoes I was wearing. While none of the other plaid shirts that day panned out, I did also swing an awesome coral-meets-dusty rose hued cropped cardigan that fits like a glove, so I really felt like I’d had a successful shopping trip. The fact that the plaid shirt only cost $17 certainly helped sweeten the day too!


{I’m almost certain this is the same plaid shirt I bought. I found this image of the store’s US website and would be 100% sure if I could zoom in on the fabric, as my shirt has thin lines of red interwoven with the blue. The same and style is definitely identical; on the US site it’s is called the Marla Plaid Shirt and retails for $14.80US (up here in Canada I paid a few cents under $17 for mine). Either way, it’s a good deal for a lovely lightweight, all-cotton summer shirt.}

I’m delighted to have found a plaid shirt and am sure it will get a ton of rotation in my wardrobe this summer! I’m still keeping my eyes peeled though in case I come across any other plaid gems, and using these wonderful photos I’ve spied lately on Flickr as huge sources of vintage plaid hunting inspiration for whenever I find myself near a clothing store.


{Timeless Plaid Beauty}


1. 40's Plaid Dress, 2. Innocent World British bear jumper skirt (details; red) 2, 3. Plaid picnic tins, 4. Blue and brown plaid vintage circle skirt, 5. new boots!, 6. Vintage 70's Multi-Colored Box Plaid Button Down, 7. Red plaid cuff, 8. Plaid School Girl Skirt, 9. DSC06423aaa, 10. plaid is rad and makes me glad, 11. Large plaid fabric flower brooch, 12. Red Plaid Vintage Aladdin Thermos, 13. 2 of my favorite vintage shoes{Click on a link to see a larger version of a particular image and/or for photographer information}

I think that plaid is a pattern that ultimately, with a little sleuthing around for the right piece, anyone can pull off and look fantastic in. It’s a lovely print that for all its historical roots, doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously, preferring to be a chipper, lively pattern instead.

Are you mad for plaid? Have you discovered any marvelous summer pieces in this classic pattern? I’d love to hear about your finds if you have – one plaid shirt is awesome, but finding a second might be even sweeter! :)

In the navy

Regal and understated, timeless and graceful, navy blue often takes a backseat to black, grey and brown, seen more as the stuff of uniforms and nautical wear. However, with its denim-like ease of pairing and hint of warmth over black’s midnight coolness, navy pairs wonderfully well with the majority of hues in the rainbow and can bring a lot of colour to your face when worn near it.

I’ve always adored wearing this inky shade of blue and moreover it loves me. At times black can wash out my pale strawberries and cream skin (there’s a decent hint of pink to my skin tone, so I prefer to think of it as a berry instead of a peach, even though I love peaches) and overpower the green of my eyes, to curb this effect enter navy.

In the past couple of weeks while I’ve been picking up (budget friendly) items to compose my summer wardrobe with, I’ve bought two navy tops, one shrug (my first shrug ever! I know, how is it possible I went 24 years without one?), and a light weight cotton cardigan (it’s material resembles a cotton tee more than a woven sweater and will be perfect for tossing over anything and everything during the warmest months of the year).

Then the other night while reading Elle (the US edition, it’s the first time I’ve ever checked out the American version of this Canadian fashion mag staple), I spotted the most incredible dark denim shoes (with white piping and a dainty bow) from one of the ultimate masters of classic wardrobe pieces, Liz Clairborne. I tend to doubt that I’ll ever own these shoes, unless I can find a shop that sells them in person (I have uneven sized, wide feet and have learned that shopping for shoes online is never, ever a wise idea, I absolutely need to try footwear on before purchasing). Nevertheless, I can swoon and dream and imagine the plethora of outfits that these shoes would pair gorgeously and perfectly with.

These lovely heels (which I could very easily imagine some of the Mad Men gals wearing) set me looking for other wonderful navy blue pieces to inspire my summer – and year-round – wardrobe with. The following beautiful shots are but a few of the serene, sweet, and wonderful indigo hued photos that fill me with swirls of vintage inspiration.

{Blue makes me anything but!}


1. Blue dress, 2. `If the essence of my being has caused a smile to have appeared upon your face or a touch of joy within your heart., 3. threads, 4. Alice Shoot 02, 5. Blue Dress 2, 6. Vintage 50s Dress, 7. shadowspawn photography, 8. 04.11.08 {snow white... without the dwarves! }, 9. eyelet party dress, 10. blue colored rose, 11. From wonder into wonder existence opens, 12. Lexi, 13. blueberry cake {Click on a link to see a larger version of a particular image and/or for photographer information}

There is something so marvelously vintage about navy blue, to me at least. I can’t quite pinpoint what early moment in my life made me associate navy with the clothing and realm of the past, but I do and when I slip into this hue I feel a jolt of vintage energy flow through me. What’s your take on this dark, subtly mysterious colour, does navy also float your boat?

Dreaming of highways and cars and vintage suitcases {Found on Flickr}

The open road is an incredible place. At times lonesome, others crowded and frazzled. It calls and whispers, beckons and tempts, it is the beginning and the end.

After a week of heavy grey skies I awoke at 7:30 this morning to a stream of pale sunlight. Nostalgic light, the kind that takes you back to childhood summers and makes you long to go running to the nearest beach – or to head out for a weekend trip somewhere, anywhere.

But alas, I do not have a car and it’s far too soon to contemplate toe dipping – unless I want hypothermia. Instead I’ll live out my desire to heed the call of the road via Flickr images that invoke a very vintage feeling of driving, traveling and looking gorgeously well-dressed for the warmer months.


{Hitting the open road, vintage style}



1. Crystal Cove 2005, 2. round and round we go, 3. May 1954 Seventeen, 4. Vintage 1940's shoes and battered suitcase, 5. Nina, 6. 7.29.08, 7. 1950s lemon yellow dress, 8. Bird watching, 9. March 1955 Vogue, 10. The Vintage Suitcase, 11. DSC_0269 copy, 12. Florida Fashions of Orlando, 13. iso vintage suitcases {Click on a link to see a larger version of a particular image and/or for photographer information}


Whether you are parking it at home or heading out onto the highway, I hope that all my lovely readers have a marvelous weekend!




{PS}

Ooohh, this a week of wonderful firsts for me! On Monday I tried my hand at Polyvore for the first time, and today I’ve begun playing around on Big Huge Labs. Both are proving to be oodles of fun!