Stripes, gingham, a snowy owl, and wouldn't you know it, more rain!

Outfit details

Green and white vintage style headwrap: Handmade gift from a lovely blog reader
Black enamel covered metal hoop earrings: Unknown, had since I was a teenager (probably Claire's)
Green and white striped Gina Top: c/o Dolly & Dotty Green cardigan: Old Navy
Oscar the Owl brooch: Erstwilder
Black plastic rose bead stretch bracelet: Thrifted (Value Village)
1940s style side button high waisted blue jeans: Freddies of Pinewood
White 1950s/60s tile purse: Running Rabbit Studio
Black & white vintage style saddle shoes: eBay
Lip colour: MAC Party Line


Photography by Tony Cangiano  















































(The fabulous keyhole and tie string detail at the neckline on the back of this darling green and white striped shirt from Dolly & Dotty.)

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Earlier in the month, I chatted (here) about the near monsoon levels of rain that we've been getting around these usually very dry parts and how they've been impacted our normal spring/summertime ability to take photos just about any time during daylight hours that we desire. As such, I won't lament the weather - very little we can do to change it, after all! - here a great deal, but it does warrant mentioning because it is directly responsible for the backdrop against which today's images were captured.

Recently, on yet another rainy weekend (it's almost like the rain is intentionally falling most heavily on the two days a week that are the most likely for Tony and I to be out and about on – le sigh. We'd been doing quite a lot of bopping about in the northern Okanagan that afternoon, rain falling the whole day long (you can actually see some raindrops on my clothes in many of the photos above).

As evening began to break and we knew we'd have next to no daylight soon, we opted to just make the best of a damp situation and found an (already closed) little shopping mall/plaza that had a slender overhanging roof that allowed us to duck under and avoid getting wet while grabbing a few snaps of this fun, casual 1940s inspired ensemble.

For the first time ever really, in just the last year or two, I have been feeling stripes big time for my own wardrobe. I've always appreciated stripes and enjoyed them on others, but for ages, I shied away from them as a general rule (with a few notable exceptions made for things like classic Breton strips).

I'm not sure what flicked the switch, so to speak, but something did and now it seems stripes are something that I can't add enough of to my closet. Especially so in terms of vibrant, yet still very classic looking garments, such as this absolutely delightful Green and White Striped Gina Top from online UK vintage reproduction/vintage inspired/rockabilly clothing superstore, Dolly & Dotty.

I'm truly honoured to have recently become one of Dolly & Dotty's brand ambassadors and to, in this exciting new roll, get a chance to highlight a number of wonderful pieces - and share more about the company itself - from this fantastic, budget-friendly brand here on my blog in the coming months. Beginning with this super cute striped shirt, which looks sweet and innocent from the front, then gets decidedly flirty with the fun keyhole detailing on the back (see photo above of such).

It was far too cold (about 10 or 11C and pouring rain) on the day we took these snaps to go comfortably go bare armed, but I slipped down my cardigan for a few moments so Tony could get a snap of this wonderful detail on the back of it for you guys to be able see as well.

I really like this top. It's lightweight, but not sheer (which is getting harder and harder to find, even in the repro/vintage inspired fashion world), very reasonably priced, incredibly comfortable, fits like a glove, and is timelessly pretty as well.

I have several other separates, aside from my beloved Freddies of Pinewood side button jeans here, that I know it will play really nicely with, too, including a vintage high waisted denim skirt and a jumper style skirt from Tatyana (bought way back when they were still known as Bettie Page Clothing) - to name, but a couple.

I knew, as it was indeed the fact, that a lot of driving and bopping around would be taking place that day, so comfort was the name of the game, but naturally, as us vintage fashionistas do, I still wanted to look a.) old school and b.) well put together.

I don't do a great deal of pattern mixing usually, but when I do, I like to reach for patterns that compliment each other nicely, in terms of both their colour and design. Strips and gingham are practically kissing cousins, as the old expression goes, so they felt like a natural match.

This very sweet fabric headwrap was a surprise gift a few years ago now, which a super thoughtful blog reader made and sent it to my PO Box as what is called online these days, “love mail”. I was immensely touched by her kindness and have worn this wonderful handmade piece many times, especially during the summer months, which might as well be called gingham season, if you ask me.

I kept my accessories fairly simple here, as the striped top (which I want to sincerely thank the fine folks at Dolly & Dotty for), gingham headwrap, and dark denim high waisted jeans already make quite an impact themselves. Naturally some made it into the fold though, including one of my absolute favourite brooches from Erstwilder, which stars none other than a well known Canadian bird: the majestic snowy owl.

I've spotted numerous types of owls in the wild (and heard the calls, no doubt, of more still), but haven't encountered any snowy owls in person. Maybe one day - that would certainly be a thrilling experience! Either way, this wide-winged sweetie pie can keep me company anytime and work wonders with a slew of different outfits, thanks to its timeless black and creamy white colour palette.

Though we have been getting some dry lately lately (cue chorus of excited cheers!), there have still be tons of damp ones as well, including this past weekend.

Thus, as we embrace summer's return this week, it will be genuinely interesting to see what Mother Nature has up her (rain jacket sleeve) and if we'll be needing to seek out more covered awning as we head into July or if we'll finally be able to shoot in good weather anywhere we please, as per usual for this time of the year.

As you can imagine, I'm pulling for the latter!

Serenity sought, and found, while wearing my beloved Freddies jeans, at Yellow Lake

Outfit details

Royal blue floral print scarf: eBay
White rose stud earrings: Claire's
Emerald green camisole: Ricki's
Mustard yellow cardigan: Loft by Ann Taylor (bought on eBay)
Pink rhinestone rose brooch: eBay
Bangle bracelets: Assorted sources
1940s style side button jeans: Freddies of Pinewood
1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing
1940s style black shoes: Thrifted (Salvation Army)
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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Relatively few of us live out in the wilds of nature any more. Most, it's fair to say, return home to an address that is either located smack, dab inside of a town or city, or which can reach one in a matter of minutes. Even those who have opted to live far further from the hustle and bustle of a community are rarely without at least a few of signs, stresses, and sounds of modern city life (such as visible traffic, telephone poles, and airplanes flying overhead).

I love city and town living, don't get me wrong. In fact, given the option between living in the backwoods or on the main street of a pulsating metropolis, the city option will nearly always win out for me (I was born a stone's throw away from Vancouver and have adored big cities since the youngest of ages), but sometimes one needs - really and truly needs in the pit of their soul to head as far away from an urban center as possible.

As awesome as a week in the country may be, if that's not in the cards (and it rarely is!), I'm grateful to have a few locations around our part of the province where I can retreat and quietly collect my thoughts, skip some of my worries out into the water along with smooth rocks, and breath in hearty lungfuls of pure, fresh, glorious Canadian air.

Three Mile Beach in Naramata, which I blogged about last summer is one such spot, another is Yellow Lake, located between Penticton and the small community of Keremeos (which houses Bear's Farm produce market). Though a leg of British Columbia Highway 3A runs directly past it, with cars buzzing all the while, there is still a tremendous sense of tranquility to this small, beautiful lake.

In the summer, Tony adores heading here after work or on the weekends to cast his line and whittle away the hours, and I'm fond of visiting it not only to accompany him while he fishes, but to simply decompress and be at one with nature. Something that we all, at times desperately, need to do far more often than we're prone to. An hour or two spent outdoors probably won't erase all of your troubles, but it can usually help send at least a couple packing and give you a renewed sense of energy to help tackle many of the others.

For this overcast afternoon of wilderness zen seeking, I opted to wear my massively adored Freddies vintage style side button jeans and mustard yellow Loft by Ann Taylor cardigan (last seen here), an emerald green lace trimmed camisole, a beautiful floral print scarf in shades of royal blue, green, yellow, pink and white; a sparkling pink rhinestone rose brooch, a stack of bangles, and my trusty 1950s corduroy bucket bag to create a casual, colourful chilly weather ensemble.

In the warmer months, one sees tiny turtles swimming in the water, fish leaping out (especially in the very early morning hours), along with myriad birds soaring overhead or resting amongst the tall grass of the shoreline. Shimmering winged dragonflies rest leisurely on the lake's surface, an occasional fox darts out of the woods, and even a snake or two - hopefully of the non-rattle tailed variety - can be spotted every now and then. It's a slice of the woods, of mother nature's backyard, and of calmness that takes less than half an hour to reach and which never fails to sooth and rejuvenate weary spirits.

With spring not that terribly far off, I'm sure we'll soon start heading down that way more often again, be it for fishing, settling frazzled nerves, or simply sitting on a wooden dock and basking in the sunshine. For while I do love cities and towns, there's a part of me that will always crave the great outdoors as well, especially when my mind needs to unwind and get away from the daily grind for a spell.

The most wonderfully cute handmade vintage reproduction sweater ever!

Outfit details

Red and white polka dot hair scarf: eBay
Red hoop earrings: Claire's
Handmade vintage reproduction cherry print sweater: Vintage & Cool Knitting
Bangle bracelets: Assorted sources
Vintage reproduction side button jeans: Freddies of Pinewood
White 1950s/60s tile purse: etsy seller Running Rabbit Studio
Red and white peep-toe wedges: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red 

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

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Rarely being able to make even moderately long-term plans (a point I discussed here earlier this year), I don't typically check the weather forecast any further in advance then the day we're on, or perhaps the next, unless curiosity compels me to. Late last month however, that inner voice of wisdom (which it's always wise to listen to) told me to do just that and I'm very glad that I did, because the week that was waiting ahead of us was jam packed with temperatures in the 38C/100F range.

Such toasty days are rarely well suited to wearing sweaters, yet it was precisely that which I wanted to wear, so I knew that I had to head out and grab some snaps right then and there (summer was here by then and that could potentially mean several weeks of sky high temps). Tony and I headed down to the lovely grassy park in front of Skaha Beach here at the south end of town and took turns shooting each other - with a camera, of course! He wanted a new head shot for use online, and I needed to take pictures of this resplendently pretty cherry sweater.

Created for me as a gift by one of the absolute dearest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting online, Regiane Trainotti of the blog Vintage & Cool Knitting, this sweater arrived on my doorstep shortly before I went in for surgery this past April, and I've been eager to sport it front of the lens ever since.

Regiane and I met when I commented on a sweater she had created for Charlotte from Apple Menina, and became fast friends pretty much overnight, swapping many Facebook messages back and forth, as well as connecting via each other's blogs. She and I share much in common (from a passion for vintage to a penchant for crafting), though we live thousands upon thousands of miles away (Regiane hails from Brazil), which makes meeting face-to-face anytime soon quite unlikely. Thankfully though, there's the internet and postal system by which to stay in touch.

It was via the latter that this beautiful handmade sweater arrived last spring. Regiane had asked if I would like to receive and review one of her wonderful knit garments, and I couldn't say yes quickly enough.

We discussed style, sizing, details and material type (I'm allergic to lamb's wool, so a synthetic wool was a must), and I decided to go with a classic 1940s cherry partnered sweater that Regiane had already made some of before for herself (you can see a cardigan and shell set in the same pattern that she made for herself here) and other people. It's design is so "me", and calls to mind the many wonderful childhood memories of picking sun-kissed Okanagan cherries that I hold near and dear to my heart.

This vintage reproduction sweater could not be more expertly made. I really mean that. From the perfectly neat stitches to the sleeve construction to the way the whole thing fits, I fell in love with Regiane's terrific handiwork even more the moment I slipped this sweater on, and would happily wear anything she created. The quality, workmanship, and care with with it was made are abundantly clear, and I really felt like I'd been transported back to the 1940s as I stood out in the ever-increasingly-warmer late June sunshine that day.

Wanting to ensurer the was on emphasis on my fabulous new cherry print sweater, I kept the rest of my ensemble fairly low key: Freddie's side button jeans, a few bangles to match the colours of the sweater, a fun white vintage square tile purse, a simple polka dot hair scarf, and a pair of peep-toe wedges (which, amazingly, are holding on for another year - I've had them for a few summers now, and each year I think that one will be its last, but, though they do look a bit worn out, they're still going strong and I suspect they'll get me through until the end of this one).

I love the look of cropped/short waisted sweaters with high-waisted vintage or reproduction jeans and trousers - I find the combo really helps ad length to my relatively short torso and overall height (of 5'2"), so it's one I reach for often. If I wasn't in a pants mood however, I'd happily pair this charming sweater with something such as a red, black or denim pencil or a-line skirt. It would look darling under a jumper or pinafore dress as well, and of course with high waisted shorts, too.

Without a doubt, this is - as the title of today's post says - the most wonderfully cute handmade vintage reproduction sweater I've ever had. It's comfy, expertly constructed, completely adorable - and a cinch to wash (a trip later in the day to the dog park with Annie and numerous other pups there meant that it needed a good cleaning the moment I got home, and it came clean in a snap after a gentle hand washing). I would love it equally whether Regiane and I were friends or not, but the fact that we are makes it all the more dear to my heart.

If you've also fallen hard for this sweet-as-a-summer-cherry sweater yourself, too, Regiane is always happy to create pieces for customers who are interested in purchasing one of her beautiful knits. She's planning to open an online shop soon, and for the time being, can be contacted either via her blog or Facebook.

Just as the weatherman had predicted, the temperatures did indeed sore skyward from the next day onward, so I'm really happy we got a chance to grab these snaps when we did, and moreover that I finally had the opportunity to share Regiane's incredibly fun handmade knit garment with all of you. Though it might be a few more weeks until the weather is cool enough to fold it back into heavy rotation in my wardrobe again, all of that summer sunshine is needed to grow the cherries that the Okanagan is renowned for, and which match this endlessly cute sweater so well.

My deepest thanks go out to Regiane for creating this excellent piece and sending it my way. It's the first sweater anyone has knit specifically for me since I was a little girl, and I know that I will treasure it always as the beautiful gift and work of wearable vintage reproduction art that it is.

Savouring spring at Skaha Bluffs (in my Freddies overalls)

Outfit details

Floral print scarf: L.C. Fashions consignment store

White plastic rose stud earrings: Claire's

Pink button front shirt: Costco

Vintage reproduction overalls (dungarees): Freddies of Pinewood

Wee little yellow wildflower tucked in my pocket: Mother Nature :)

Pink beaded stretch bracelets: Forever 21

Striped purse: Jones New York

Black 1940s style shoes: Thrifted (Salvation Army)

Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

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Last summer, in a post entitled The Intrepid Urban Explorer, I touched on the fact that I truly love to investigate and enjoy as much of the surrounding area as I possibly can. This hasn't been the only post in which this subject was raised, nor will today's be the last, I'm sure - especially when you're blessed to live a part of the world that is nothing short of breath-takingly beautiful and which always seems to offer up a new corner to explorer.

On a gloriously sunny Saturday a few days before I went in for my surgery (yes, I know, I've said almost the same thing in my last two outfit posts, too, but as I knew it would be several weeks afterwards before I'd be well enough to leave the house and take such snaps, I made sure to have a few, like today's photos, waiting in the wings to use in the weeks to follow), after a morning of garage saling both in Penticton and Kelowna, Tony and I decided to cap off the day by venturing to the outskirts of town and up a rather traitorous stretch of road.

If you've ever seen the TV show Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads, picture the mind-blowingly narrow, straggly, precipice banked roads they traversed and you'll get a picture of just how dangerous the path we were on is. Lest you think I'm kidding, we have a medium sized sedan (not a huge car by any stretch of the imagination) and we could scarcely fit on the road, which I kid you not, is designed to somehow (miraculously) allow for two cars to inch past each other, one coming in either direction.

Not since I was a backseat passenger in my parents minivan on snowy winter evening trips up and down the Coquihalla Highway have I been so on the edge of my seat, muttering silent prayers of safety under my breath the whole time, as I was while we made our way up the road that one has to take if they want to go see the Skaha Bluffs.

Fortunately, it's not a terribly long road and once you reach the top, there's ample parking spot and a view of all of Penticton that is so majestic, you'd happily return again on a camel, if you had to.

Despite being a 489 hectare provincial park located just a few minutes away from town, this was the first time I'd ever been up to the Bluffs in all the many years I've lived in the area, and we couldn't have asked for nicer weather on the day when we bravely headed up that way (we had no idea beforehand that the road was so frighteningly narrow).

The warm-as-melted-butter sunshine had drawn plenty of other outdoor enthusiasts that day, some of whom had come to hike, rock climb, or bird watch, and others (like us) who just wanted to soak up fresh air and savour the view - and of course, if you happen to be a vintage fashion blogger, take some outfit snaps.

Having a new puppy in the house, my Freddies jeans and overalls have been getting more wear over the past couple of months than in all the time I'd owned them previously up until this point, as one does not want to risk having a very rambunctious dog accidentally damage a less durable item of vintage or repro clothing.

These overalls are also a great go-to piece for days when I'm yard saling (warm, comfy, sturdy, pockets - what's not to love!), and the two reasons combined is why I was sporting them that Saturday. We'd not begun the day knowing that we'd be headed up to the Bluffs, but the fact that we did added a third reason why they were the perfect thing to wear for a spot of wilderness fun.

A woven raffia bag, pink button front shirt, pair of iridescent pale pink stretch bracelets, cute floral print scarf, and my endlessly reliable 1940s style black shoes rounded out the look.

I love the fact that even though Penticton isn't terribly large, it - and it’s many surrounding towns, communities and off-the-beaten-path locations - offer up such an abundance of things to do and see - not to mention serve as fantastic photographic backdrops.

I'm really looking forward to the coming summer weather months and the numerous local places, new and old alike, that I hope we'll get to explore - trusty camera in hand every step (and steep mountain curve) of the way.

Photographic proof that own more than one pair of pants

It's scarcely a secret that I'm not a big trouser wearer. I don't inherently have anything against pants, it's just that - whether we're talking vintage, repro, or modern - I tend to have a really tricky time finding any that fit even remotely well. Add to that the fact that (due to medical) reasons it's almost always hard for me to wear anything tight and/or heavy (as I find the waist bands on many pants to be) around my midsection and there's a reason tumble weeds blow through the area of closet reserved for trousers.

Throughout 2012, when I appeared here in pants, it was always either my beloved Freddies of Pinewood side button jeans (as seen in outfits like this one) or my equally cherished Nine West denim capris (a summer wardrobe staple for days like this one spent yard saling). The only other pair of pants I've ever worn on camera to date here, have been my cute Freddie's overalls (dungarees), which tend to be reserved for especially outdoorsy days.

There are a couple of other pairs of pants in my wardrobe, but they very rarely see the light of day, because (and I do apologize if this is a tad frank) I have to be extremely un-bloated (aka, not bloated) and to have my pain levels at a certain spot for me to even contemplate slipping into them. For the first time in months, I recently had one cold winter evening like that, so I jumped on the chance instantly to wear the third pair of Freddies of Pinewood pants that I own: their Classic Pedal Pushers.

Now, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in this post, the lighting - especially during the winter and in the evening - in our darling little house is anything but stellar. We don't get very much natural light at the best of times and there's a shortage of overhead lightning on the main floor, so top-notch results one is not likely to achieve (without the addition of studio lighting) anytime soon, especially when shooting - as in the case of the photos in today's post - when an iPhone. Nevertheless, it's such a rare and wonderful occasion when I get to wear these pedal pusher jeans, that I couldn't let the night slip past without grabbing a few quick shots.

Outfit details

Gingham hair wrap/scarf: eBay

Silver hued star burst earrings: Dollar store in Kelowna

Sterling silver & Swarovski crystal cherry pendant necklace: a beautiful gift from Tony ♥

Red ruched neck tee: Mariposa 

Grey dolman sleeve cardigan: Freddies of Pinewood

Cherry print bangle: etsy seller Faux Flowers

Other bangle bracelets: Assorted sources

Denim pedal pushers: Freddies of Pinewood

Black 1940s style shoes: Thrifted
Lip colour: Red Apple Lipstick's Red Lipstick

Vintage Saks Fifth Avenue black patent purse: etsy seller MK Retro


Photography by Antonio Cangiano   ♥ ♥ ♥

Now, generally speaking, pedal pushers are supposed to stop (or be cuffed so that they hit) about mid-way down a person's calf. On someone like me however, who is 5'2" and by no means leggy, most pedal pushers hit me at ankle height. This could be seen as a negative, but I actually see it as a positive, because it means that it's like I get two pairs of pants in one out of my pedal pushers. I can either wear them as is (as I did on the very cold and snowy evening when these pictures were taken) or roll them up a bit in the warmer months so that they look like pedal pushers instead of tapered jeans.

I love Freddies of Pinewood. Aside from the fact that I was once hit with a large courier fee bill (on top of the usual Canadian customs fees) - much as like what happened to me when I ordered from eshakti last December - I have had zero qualms with this company (and to be fair, that's more the courier's fault than Freddies). I know a couple of people in our vintage circle who've had rough experiences with Freddie's customer service team, but thankfully I've not run into such issues myself and found them to be very pleasant to deal with the one time I emailed them back and forth about sizing.

To date I own four pairs of pants (my side button jeans, overalls, front pocket jeans, and these cute, classic denim pedal pushers), as well as a small number of tops (including the grey one in today's post) from them. I really hope that over time further Freddies products, especially their jeans, will make it into my wardrobe, as theirs are the only vintage reproduction pants that fit me well (I've bought other brands over the years and had zero success in terms of finding a good fit) .

For those shopping outside of the UK in particular, Freddes can be a touch pricy (their prices are in UK pounds), but I can attest to the fact that they're very well made and durable. I've probably worn my side button jeans at least 30 times, and they look as crisp and fresh as the day the arrived in the mail. The same goes for all of the other items I own from Freddies, and I consider my jeans to be one of the best wardrobe investments I've made in recent years.

As you can see here, my wig (Pin Up from the brand Jon Renau) is holding up well so far. The curl has dropped a little in spots, but over all, I'm really impressed with the quality and durability of this inexpensive synthetic wig. As you know, I hope to buy a good quality real hair wig one day, but that's just a dream for the time being (especially after the string of super big expenses - from taxes to car repair bills - that we've been hit with already this year). In the interim, I'm very happy to stick with Pinup (and/or other similarly styled and prices synthetic wigs) while I work towards the (very) long-term goal of saving up for a really nice real hair (or alternatively a super high end, heat resistant custom made synthetic) wig.

I adore wearing this wig with bows (the Bettie bangs and flowing curls just look so cute, if I may say so myself, with it), be they wee little ones or great big vintage inspired bowed hair wraps like this fun black and white gingham one (which, interestingly, I believe was last seen here on the blog in another series of grainy evening shots during a night of fishing, however the weather then and the weather now couldn't further apart from each other!).

So, while my collection is pretty darn slim at best, I'm not completely without a pair or two of jeans to slip into on those days when durable trousers are called for or simply desired. A closet full of pants might be nice, but so long as I have a couple of pairs that I can rely on, I'm a happy (Freddies jeans wearing) camper. :)