The perfect Luxulite brooch for Peach Fest + embracing autumnal hues early

Outfit details

1940s style forest green snood: eBay seller tina.g-2008
Vintage style plastic peach rose stud earrings: Handmade by me
Brown thin knit cardigan: Suzy Shier
1940s style plastic peach dangle brooch: Luxulite
C. 1980s does 1940s/1950s mustard yellow dress: (I think) eBay
Pine green faux leather skinny belt: eBay
Yellow plastic bangle bracelet: Forever 21
Vintage peachy-orange and dark green plastic bangle bracelets: Unknown, had for years (probably thrifted)
1950s/1960s brown faux patent leather handbag: Frugal Frocks
Nude seamed nude stockings: eBay
1940s style faux leather round toe pumps: Walmart
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace
Nail colour: Essie Roarrrrange


Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

My love of autumn and its colours palette isn't exactly a highly guarded secret. From the earliest days of my blog's life, all the way back in 2009 right up until the present, I have made both a key element of the annual ebb and flow of happenings here and am sure that I always will.

Perhaps its because we've had so few truly summery (or late spring, for that matter) days this year, but even though we're still a few weeks away from autumn's official return, I'm already starting to embrace this beautiful season once more.

The first of my harvest themed decor items are making their way out of storage, dishes starring root veggies, cinnamon, and/or long, slow cooking times are appearing on the table; and, to the surprise of no one who knows me, I'm sure, I've begun wearing autumnal hues, too.

Not entirely, of course - it is still technically summer and I do want to get my "light and bright" colour palette on for a while longer, but here and there for sure, especially on rainy and/or overcast days like this past Sunday when we grabbed these snaps against the backdrop of a local hedgerow just up the street from our house.

Last week was Peach Fest here in Penticton and while we didn't get to a ton of events (in part because it overlapped with Tony's birthday weekend), we did enjoy some of the local festivities and the general air of high spirited merriment that fills the town while such is underway.

In honour of a festival whose roots center around the luscious, scrumptious peach that grows in abundance around these parts and has long been an integral factor in the local economy, I knew exactly what vintage inspired novelty brooch I wanted to wear.

I purchased this awesome Luxulite brooch last year in fact with the primary intention of sporting it for the Peach Festival, so I knew that on Sunday, the day after Tony's birthday, the time had come to debut it here on my blog.

To create the rest of my ensemble, I used the colours in my brooch as a jumping off point, while also looking ahead to fall and its earthy, inviting hues that so many of us melt like butter over.

And speaking of buttery shades, this c. 1980s does 1940s/1950s mustard yellow dress, which I've had for a few years now, is one of my all-time favourite dresses. If, for some strange reason, I had to shortlist my entire dress collection down to just ten, or really, even merely five, this dress would make the cut, no questions asked.

It has somewhat poufy sleeves though, which look a touch bulky under a fitted cardigan like this brown one, but aside from that (and really, that isn't even a truly negative point), it's pretty much my dream solid coloured dress and I reach for it the whole year round - especially from mid-summer to late autumn.

It felt like a while since I'd last rocked a snood on camera here, so picking up the green in the Luxulite brooch, I opted for a dark forest green one and repeated that same colour in my choice of skinny belt, as well as one of my vintage plastic bangle bracelets.

This brown cardigan has some light grey hued plastic pearl buttons on the front. Pretty for sure, but they didn't go with the general palette or look of this outfit one iota, so instead I tied the cardi and tucked most of the buttons in the knot and folds created by that process. Issue solved! :)

I was quite bushed (and full – so many carbs!) from Tony's birthday celebration the day before, so I wanted comfy and cozy, but still well put together and I feel like this fun Peach Fest meets autumn colour filled outfit delivered nicely on that front.

Stay tuned later in August, to see what I sported for my husband's b-day itself, and then for a whole bevy of fall hued and themed outfits that will be coming down the pipeline here as summer continues to wind down and we embrace the return of my absolute favourite time of the year.

I can hardly wait for the crisp, refreshing days of fall - but first, am hoping that we get at least a few more sporadic rain-free days, as I do have some further thoroughly summertime-y looks that I'm eager to share here with you this year before pumpkin-spice-everything officially returns.

*PS* This coming Monday (the 15th) I'll be having a routine medical procedure (I've had the exact same one numerous times over the years) at the hospital, so I'm giving myself the weekend off from blog post writing (though will still be online plenty) to relax and prepare for such. I will have two or three new posts for you next week, starting with one on Monday itself, so happily no major disruptions to life as usual here on my site. :)

Lilacs, lime, and Luxulite in the early spring sunshine

Outfit details

C. 1950s lilac purple sheer nylon/chiffon scarf: Unknown, had for years (possibly a gift)
1950s style iridescent rhinestone earrings: Claire's
Lime green 1980s does 1950s shirtwaist dress: (probably) eBay
1940s style iridescent purple beaded brooch: Luxulite
Vintage lilac flower print scarf (worn as a belt): Thrifted
1950s purple wrist length gloves: Unknown, had for years (probably eBay)
C. 1950s navy blue kiss lock handbag: Frugal Frocks in Armstrong
Vintage frosted clear bangle bracelets with clear rhinestones: Thrifted
Clear bangle bracelet: Gift from a lovely online friend
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Navy blue patent faux leather pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Partyline


Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

As far back as I have memories of being old enough to have a say in what I wore, colour has played an immensely important role in my wardrobe (a topic that I delved into here). There is an energy, a depth, and a language all its own both to colour in general, as well as to how it interacts with our fashion choices.

Some people give relatively little thought to the hues that they don, perhaps leaning just towards favourites, dressing as their peers do, or wearing only certain shades because of their job or lifestyle. And that's okay, of course, to each their own on all style related fronts. Yet for many of us, especially if we're fashion bloggers, colour is so much more than a secondary aspect to the functionality of clothing.

Colour can whisper or shout, sing melodically or gently hum. It says so much without actually uttering an audible word and can both evoke strong memories and make a powerful stance in the moment.

As someone who is staggeringly shy and introverted, colour also gives me a way to express myself that might not always come through when I do actually speak. Besides that, colour is a joy! As most any artist will tell you, it holds limitless possibilities and can be most anything you want it to (be).

Naturally some colours work better together than others, but I firmly believe that just about any two hues can be married, so long as their tones compliment one another (in fact, that rings true even when three, four or sometimes more different colours are involved).

Last fall, in the context of a vintage Halloween themed outfit, I debuted this fun lime green 1980s does 1950s shirtwaist dress of mine here for the first time (though I'd owned it for ages and sported it previously - just not online) and in amidst the lovely comments that arrived for that post, the notion was formed for me to try and and style it in a way that suited each of the four seasons.

These (four posts) didn't have to happen all back-to-back (and indeed, this dress did not appear here during the past winter), but the general premise was that when each new lime green centered look popped up, it would work with some of the colours of the season to help make it more at home in that chapter of the year.

Bright lime green might not be the first colour that one thinks of as a blank canvass to base this kind of just-for-fun idea off of, but that is actually all the more reason why it appealed to me so strongly. I liked the idea of ensuring this dress (just about the only electric green piece in my wardrobe at present), got plenty of wear and knew even before spring officially arrived, that I'd be reaching for it again this season.

The inspiration for this particular outfit comes from both the beautiful little floral print scarf that I opted to use for a belt, as well as from this recently purchased Luxulite vintage style novelty brooch - on top of the fact that, as touched on here, I'm currently off-the-charts in love with all things purple!

I opted to wear the printed scarf, which stars a pretty pattern of lilacs – one of the most iconic blooms of the season – as my belt. I used the little hit of navy blue that it includes as the inspiration for the dark neutral used in this look, and wove it into the ensemble via my shoe and vintage handbag choices (both of which are solid navy blue).

Lime green is a bold, exciting colour and doesn't generally need a ton of embellishment, but I virtually never go jewelry-less, so to pick up the purple in the scarf around my waist, as well as my sheer vintage hair scarf, I reached for this darling Luxulite brooch with its enchanting soap bubble style plastic beads and lilac hued elements.

Vintage purple gloves, iridescent rhinestone earrings (to compliment the beads on the brooch), and clear plastic bangle bracelets round out the look and help keep the colour palette established in the belt scarf’s design going strong.

These colours are punchy and enjoyable. They're perfect for daytime wear, but could easily see you through a multitude of casual evening events as well. Bathed in early springtime sunlight (at one of our favourite parks in the nearby city of Kelowna) they come alive all the more and instantly remind me why colour is such an awesomely versatile, bold, creative way to make one's outfit all their own.

Whether it happens this year or at a later date, you can bet that I'll be aiming to let this cute vintage lime green shirtwaist dress star in both a summer and wintertime look, respectively, too, and am excited to see what hues will speak to me when those days each arrive.

An awesome plaid skirt from Vivien of Holloway, adorable goats, and an unplanned photo shoot

Outfit details

c. 1960s Italian made red scarf (worn on my head): Probably thrifted (had for years)
Sparkly gold bow earrings: Payless
Black thin knit turtleneck: Probably thrifted (had for years)
Vintage style honeybee and hive brooch: Luxulite
1980s does 1950s woven gold belt: Thrifted (Value Village)
Red and green vintage style tartan circle skirt: c/o Vivien of Holloway
1950s red wrist length gloves: (Probably) eBay (had for years)
Gold tone metal chain link bracelet: Payless
Mid-century vintage black patent purse: Etsy (seller does not appear to be in business any longer)
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Red patent faux leather pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Tony Cangiano











































{Tell me you can't practically hear this cute goat say, "All right, Mr. Cangiano, I'm ready for my close-up" :D}

♥ ♥ ♥ 

Over the years, I've mentioned here at least a time or two before that one of my favourite things to do in the Okanagan is to discover or simply visit (if they're already known to me/us) locations that, despite having lived in this part of the country on and off for much of my life, that I've never been to before.

One such place that we'd not yet visited, despite having driven past it many times over the years, is a small local and specialty food shop called the Log Barn 1912 located near the North Okanagan town of Armstrong. I try to hit Armstrong multiple times a year, primarily because they have one of the few actual vintage clothing stores (that also takes in modern items on consignment, but their vintage section thrives and has landed me some great finds over the years) in this whole region of the province.

We headed up that way recently and decided to stop at the Log Barn in the process, as Tony in particular had been itching to check it out for quite some time now. The Log Barn 1912's name taps into the rich history of the area and the farm land on which is reside. The shop itself was founded in 1995 and strives to provide the general public with a wide array of food created primarily by those in the Mennonite community across British Columbia.

Inside the fabulously quaint little store (that was very well heated the day we were there, despite it being quite chilly outside) one finds over 150 different products, some of which are (I believe) made on-site, including sandwiches, salt water taffy, jams, spreads, mustards, jerky, peanut brittle, cinnamon buns, and many other delicious specialties. Interspersed between the products, there's a beautiful vintage kitchen stove that is now a decorative piece, as well as friendly staff members handing out samples.

As charming as the inside of the Log Cabin is, it is the outdoor of the building and the surrounding property that draws visitors in like a month to a flame.

Situated all around the grounds, one finds a truly eclectic array of large scale outdoor decor and statues, including ones of both wild animals and dinosaurs alike.





As if that wasn't unique enough, there's also a good sized number of real live goats that live on the property and for which a specially constructed walkway has been designed so that the goats are quite literally overhead of you when you drive into the parking lot (you can even buy goat food pellets and hand feed them, if so desired).

Plus, there's also a long retired vintage blue pickup truck and sundry other delightful things stationed around the actual wooden log cabin building itself, all of which make for a terrific photo shoot location.

Tony and I were on a tight schedule the day we buzzed up to Armstrong and didn't have either of our DSLR cameras which us (as a shoot wasn’t planned in advance), but when we saw the blue truck up close in person, we knew that it - and the rest of the setting - complimented my outfit too marvelously not to take some photos on Tony's iPhone.

I was test driving the outfit that you see here for the first time that day (something I often do, especially if I'm wearing one or more of the pieces for the first time and want to get a good feel for how they look and fit on me) and had planned to wear it out again in the coming week for a shoot, but we were so pleased with this location, that so far we haven't taken any more photos of this exact ensemble.

The star of which is definitely the absolutely gorgeous, and very, very vintage looking, red plaid circle skirt that I kindly received as a review gift from the wonderful folks over at Vivien of Holloway (whom I want to sincerely thank for this downright fantastic garment).

Over the years I've found that many genuine vintage plaid skirts, especially pleated ones, can be very unflattering on me (pleated garments in general do not tend to do me any favours), so I only have a couple in my wardrobe at present and am always looking to add more that will work for me.

This classic, sophisticated circle skirt from Vivien of Holloway nails it there like no one's business! Free of pleats and boasting a very figure flattering round shape, this skirt teems with mid-century charm and style.

Well made from a good quality light-medium weight fabric, this particular skirt - called the Bottle Green Red Tartan Circle Skirt - is one of several different similar plaid/tartan/checkered skirts that VOH is currently offering. It retails for £49.00, which - especially for those in the UK and elsewhere in Europe - is a very fair price in my opinion for an excellent, old school style garment like this.

This is my first plaid/tartan circle skirt ever and I'm truly in love with it. From the length (28 - 29" inches long, depending on the size), which is my favourite range for all kinds of dresses and skirts, to the timeless Scottish inspired tartan in rich, intense shades of red, green, yellow and black, this is a skirt for the ages and one that I’m sure I will absolute live in over the years.

Knowing that we were headed to a shop that is so connected to rural and traditional products, I opted to partner my elegant new VOH plaid skirt with this cuter-than-cute honey bee hive brooch that I recently bought from Luxulite. I've always loved bee, hive, honeycomb and honey themed items, especially when they're adorable looking, so naturally I made a beeline (:D) for this darling pin.

The pin and skirt are bold pieces unto themselves, so I kept the rest of my look more subtle, opting for solid colours in shades of red, black and gold. As winter was still underway that day, I felt a classic black turtleneck would be a good way to help keep the chill at bay, while not having to reach for a million layers, that could have obscured the brooch and possibly even the skirt, too (I.e., a long princess coat).

This was a fun, super comfy outfit (I could sleep in this skirt, if I had to – it fits that well) and just the thing for a busy day of trekking up to this corner of the Okanagan, to visit a really cool location that we'd never stopped at before.

We both enjoyed our time at the Log Barn 1912, very much including posing near and photographing the uber cute goats, and agreed that we'd try to make a point to stop in there more often from now on when we're in that neck of the woods. Perhaps even with a DSLR in hand next time! :)

If you could wear a Christmas card, this festive outfit is what it might look like

Outfit details
Red felt beret: eBay
Gold tone heart earrings: Claire’s (purchased last month, so they could very well still be in stock)
Vintage style Winter Collection beaded brooch: Luxulite
Green thin knit shrug: Consignment store
1940s style Fleur wrap dress: Heyday
Red plastic bangle bracelet: Forever 21
Gold and dark green vintage bangles: Thrifted
Mid-century vintage red purse: I Love Vintage Stuff
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Red patent pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Nail colour: Sally Hansen Golden-I


Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

Despite - or perhaps, the argument could be made, in part even because of - the fact that this has been, and will continue to be, the busiest month of the year of me, I'm teeming with an abundance of holiday spirit this year.

Honestly, I think it would be very, very hard to organize and host the annual Vintage Secret Santa gift exchange here and not be flush with feeling of comfort and joy. Beyond that wonderfully fun element of this season though, there are the 12 Things That Make Me Disproportionately Happy About Christmas, as well as many other reasons that a lofty sized smile remains on my face throughout the month.

Unquestionably, one of those points has always been the chance to deck myself - much like those well known halls - out in holiday finery. From about mid-November (yes, really, that early) to the first week of January, a huge number of my outfits are focused squarely on Christmas and (later on) New Year's, and this is has long come to be one of my favourite elements of the season.

I love shopping for vintage, repro, and vintage appropriate festive winter garb and aim to add new pieces of such to my closet, as I find them, all through the year. Some of my most recent, as those who follow me on Instagram (see this photo) might know, are three super wintery themed brooches from the awesome UK vintage style jewelry brand Luxulite (I also picked up a perfectly summer appropriate brooch from them that will be ideal for the annual Peach Fest that our town holds each summer).

I already had four Luxulite pieces, each of which I adore, and knew that some of their holiday offerings would be an ideal fit for my cold weather wardrobe. I'm sporting one of them in the photos above today and am sure the others will appear here in good time, too (if not this year, than during future holiday seasons). I love the substantial-ness of this brooch, its merry holly leaf and berry theme, and how joyful a piece of jewelry it is.

Keeping the merriness going, I finally got a chance to share my awesome Heyday holiday themed Fleur dress with you guys! I bought it during their after Christmas sale in 2013 and wore it often last year, as well as a couple of times this year (before we had a day where the weather was nice enough to take photos in - the others had been super rainy), but it has eluded being captured on camera until now.

I love this dress. Like, really, really, really love it. I own another Fleur as well (it's a floral print, so it suits spring and summer best), and both are major favourites in my wardrobe.

Like all of Heyday's offerings that I've bought over the years, they're comfortable, well made, and imbued with an excellent sense of vintage style and charm. Honestly, I love this darling Christmas ornament print dress so much, I'm half tempted to wear it even when it isn't Christmas!

Looking at these snaps, the title of today's post sprung to mind, because I really do feel like this outfit is a wearable version of the kind of seasonal loveliness that Christmas greeting cards often abound with. This ensemble is completely fun, which, ideally, is how a good chunk of this time of the year should be for all of us.

Busy though I am, and even though we had a hit of sudden stress this past weekend when our sweet dog Annie ran into some gastrointestinal problems that needed medical vet care (she's doing a lot better now, I'm very happy to report), my Christmas spirits really are high this year and I am eagerly look forward to bringing you guys at least a couple more festive ensembles before the last of the holiday decor comes down in January. :)


*PS* Another thing that has really been fueling my happiness levels this week is the fact that this past Sunday, my Etsy shop - where everything is currently on sale for 30% off until January 4th - hit a major milestone: 1,000+ items sold. To say that I was ecstatic about that fact would be a major understatement!