This delightful 1950s Square Dancing Cake is sure to do-si-do its way into your heart

In recent years, multi-coloured, intricately layered cakes have been all the rage (and for good reason), but it might fascinate you to know that such culinary works of skill and art are anything but new.

They may have grown more complex in recent decades, but their history stretches back for many years and those who are not uber talented professional cake arts (myself included!) might find that they have better luck with vintage versions that are less apt to result in one's next Pinterest Fail.

Hard as it is to believe, we're more than 2/3rds of the through the beautiful month of July and that means that the August long weekend is just around the corner. With it, for those in my town, will come the return of our annual Peach Festival, which always include a big square dancing event with participants from far and wide visiting Penticton to take part.

In the spirit of such, I knew the moment that I spotted today's vintage recipe for a two-tone checkered dessert called Square Dance Party Cake that I wanted to share it with all of you (which greatly resembles a classic Battenberg cake).

Though I haven't made it yet myself, I definitely hope to whip up a GF version come the early days of August (interestingly, while putting this post together, I discovered that I'm not the only one there who wanted to give it a spin; Amanda from the blog Amanda's Cooking did just that, complete with photos, back in 2014 and shared her results in this recipe post).

This is one of those marvelous mid-century cakes that looks like it might be complicated, but actually really isn't. A few simple steps are all it takes to achieve the compliment inducing checkered pattern - plus this beautiful vintage dessert is quite budget-friendly, making it amply well suited to weeknight meals and special events/holidays alike.



{Hailing from 1950, this beautiful vintage cake utilizes two different colours of batter, a classic white frosting, and yummy squares of chocolate to create a dish worthy of any square dancing, summertime, or otherwise noteworthy event. Vintage recipe ad via Click America.}


I know, I know, I've probably said it a dozen or more times now over the years, but as folks tend to comment and ask for alternatives if I don’t mention as much, I'm all the more happy to say again that if shortening isn't your cup of tea, then by all means substitute in your favourite cooking fat, such as butter, margarine, vegan margarine, or coconut oil, here instead.

As pretty and pristine looking as the white icing shown here is, I'd be rather tempted to jazz it up a bit. Perhaps opting for a chocolate or fudge frosting, though that would of course alter the taste of the cake. Caramel, coconut, lemon, orange, cherry, strawberry, pineapple, raspberry, blueberry, mocha, mint, almond, walnut, peanut butter, cotton candy, and seven-minute frosting would all be awesome choices here, too.

And to keep the checkered theme going all the more, you could even use two different types and/or colours of icing on this cake, if you wanted - perhaps one on the inside and different version on the outside.

The chocolate squares on the top are a fun touch, but certainly not a requirement. You could swap them out for chocolate curls, fresh or candied fruit, nuts, sugared rose petals or citrus peel, any candy you please (given the Southwestern connections that square dancing has, I can't help but think how cool a choice these classic prickly pear cactus candies would be), marshmallows, sprinkles, pralines, chocolate covered coffee beans, or anything else that you felt would suit this beautiful pink and white cake nicely.

I'm not able attend our to our town’s fun annual square dance event each year, but I can whip up this charming mid-century cake cake anytime my heart desires – as can you – and that alone is worth doing dancing a few happy steps over! :)

Have an absolutely fantastic weekend, my sweet friends!

*PS* In case you missed yesterday's post about it, I wanted to let you all know that I'm currently holding a 25% off storewide Christmas in July sale in my Etsy shop until the end of this month.

A tugboat, hearts galore, and the long overdue debut of my black 1950s quilted circle skirt

Outfit details

1950s red nylon/chiffon scarf: Thrifted
Black and silver heart earrings: Target (I think)
1930s clear and black beaded necklace: Maejean Vintage
Grey button front shirt: Tommy Hilfiger
Black cotton camisole: Joe Fresh or Old Navy
Vintage heart and cupid dangle brooch: Either eBay or thrifted
1980s does 1950s red stretch belt with silver heart clasp: eBay
1950s black quilted circle skirt: eBay
Red faux leather cross body purse: eBay
Red laced trimmed crinoline: Pettiskirt Style
C. 1980s lack sheer heart print gloves: eBay
Grey tights: (New in pack from) Value Village
1940s style black faux suede heels with bows: Walmart
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

Waaaaayyyy back in December 2011, I blogged about finding one of my vintage grails - a quilted 1950s black circle skirt - and how I'd not only unearthed it at long last, but done so at a stellar price. Though I've worn that skirt scores of times since then, it has somehow escaped appearing on my blog until now (baffling, I know! :)).

This outfit, so very common of the sort I sport (with a coat or jacket over top) in the winter, is what I wore for Valentine's Day this year (so hence the plethora of hearts, right down to the black sheer heart print gloves). As nearly months have somehow whizzed past since then - seriously, where did they go?! - before we really get into the thick of late spring and then summertime weather and their accompanying fashions, I wanted to share these photos with all of you.

As I'd posted about earlier in February, I really wasn't feeling a saccharine sweet palette or even pink at all (strange for me, I know) this Valentine's Day, but I didn't want to forgo dressing for the holiday entirely either. Instead I paired red with black, grey and silver and opted to let my festive feelings shine through the wearing of so many hearts.

Don't let my lack of a coat fool you, it was seriously chilly that day and I had goose bumps a plenty going on - at least on the top half of my body. On the bottom, between the grey tights, red crinoline, and quilted black circle skirt, I was relatively warm, save for my feet. Up top I opted for a vintage appropriate grey button front shirt, a beloved 1930s beaded necklace from Maejean Vintage, a cute little silver toned vintage dangle brooch complete with cupid charm, a red and silver vintage heart buckle stretch belt, and a pair of sheer black lace gloves that offered virtually no warmth, but were definitely in keeping with the spirit of the day. Earrings and a sheer red vintage hair scarf capped the casually cute ensemble off (with my usual black faux suede heels wrapping things up at the other end).

They were images were shot down at Okanagan beach here in Penticton right beside the SS Sicamous, where one finds a charming vintage tugboat permanently moored a few feet out into the water. Tony and I were busy critters on Valentine's Day, running errands, as we tend to on the weekend, and spending the evening celebrating with family at my mom's house, and I didn’t realize in the moment just how wrinkled my shirt has become throughout the day! Oh well – that’s real life!

Now that I've finally shared this skirt on camera, chances are you'll see it here again and again as time goes on. I find that to often be the case the with pieces I've had for ages, but not posted about sooner - perhaps its a way of making up for lost time (doubly so in this case, given how I'd yearned for a skirt just like this for ages).

Though it was just a couple of months ago, it feels like a long time since Valentine's Day and looking back at these snaps, I'm grateful that winter has retired for another year once more and that, fun as the holidays that season houses are, we can focus on spring and summer for a several months now.

For while I do certainly love winter in many wonderful ways, I "heart" warm weather even more! :)


*PS* If you haven't caught wind of it already, hop on over to the wonderful blog The Boyer Family Singers and enter for your chance to win a $75.00 store credit from my Etsy shop, as well as take advantage of a limited time coupon code there that will save you 25% off on absolutely everything in my shop (to which I've added over fifty new items in the last week alone!).

Sometimes it's good to be a little koi

Outfit details

1940s black straw hat with yellow flowers: A Vintage Affair in Calgary, Alberta
Faux pearl stud earrings: Claire's
Black cropped cardigan: Fairweather
Vintage rotary telephone brooch: 25th annual Vernon Antiques & Collectibles Show
Black and white gingham 1940s reproduction wrap dress: Lolly Doll Clothing
Black plastic rose stretch bracelet: Thrifted (Value Village)
1940s yellow gloves: Jardin Antiques in Okanagan Falls (blogged about here)
Black patent faux leather vintage handbag: etsy seller A Vintage Revival
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Black pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red


Photography by Tony Cangiano

♥ ♥ ♥

Or a big one, whatever the case may be. :) This wordplay title comes from the fact that these photos were shot at a charming raised koi pond in front of a local nursery. As koi and goldfish are my two favourite fishies in the whole wide world, it only seems fitting that I finally got to pose with a handful of these darling multi-coloured aquatic beauties.

Before proceeding even a moment further with today's post, I want to sincerely thank everyone who commented on Saturday's post about our yard sale. Between that exciting happening and a jam packed Sunday and Monday, I haven't been online for the past three days and am just now reading and delighting in each of your awesome, supportive comments. I'm pleased as punch to report that Tony both adored his first garage sale (as a seller) and that the two of us made a tidy profit of $160.50. We had sunny (warm!) skies, a fairly good turnout, and got rid of plenty of items. After all was said and done, we donated nearly all those that didn't sell to two local thrift stores that both work directly with important charities, such as Women in Need.

Though not entirely over yet, this month has been nothing short of a true whirlwind for me. I fully realize that I haven't been online, or more accurately, in the blogging realm, quite as much as usual, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices in one area of how we spend time to devote those minutes, hours and days to others. I know that as time goes on and I get more Etsy shop running experience under my belt, I'll get better at juggling the two very, equally, important halves of my online vintage world.

I've already used the analogy (here) of my shop being like a newborn baby and my blog like a five year old child (as it's been online for half a decade), and much like with a brand new baby, it's only natural for a mother to need to devote more of her time, energy and attention to the newest member of the family. That doesn't mean, of course, that she forgets her older child, not in the slightest, just that at times the baby will her focus a bit more.

This isn't a veiled way of saying that I don't plan to continue to blog often, I very much do, nor that in the long run you won't see and hear from me around the blog realm and on social media. Goodness, no! Nothing like that in the slightest. I guess what I'm saying, or doing, is publically acknowledging that I've quickly come to better realize firsthand both how much time and energy running my blog the way I have for the past few years, especially the last 2.5 years, takes, as well now as how much of both of those things running an Etsy shop that I hope to turn into a very successful business in due time consumes as well.

There are only so many hours in the day, and even with both of those important areas of my life, I - like all of us - must and want to leave space for other things, too. Be it cleaning my house, cooking, reading, crafting, spending time with Tony and our pets, visiting friends and family, sourcing items for the shop, and every now and then traveling, amongst plenty of others (and speaking of traveling - knock wood - ten before we're set to departs, things are still looking positive in terms of me being able to accompany Tony to Vancouver in June).

May has not left me with a lot of spare time for vintage outfit photo shoots, but before the month wrapped up, I wanted to share another one with you that I've been bursting with exciting about for months now (the prospect of it I mean, these snaps themselves were taken just a few days ago). If you have a better memory than me :) (mine is a bit fried at the moment from burning the candle at both ends so much lately), you may recall that last August I mentioned in this post about an exciting interview that I'd had with UK vintage reproduction Lolly Doll.

I mentioned then that you'd be hearing more about Lolly Doll on my blog in down the road and today I have the great pleasure of making that happen. I've remained in touch with the wonderful woman (Lolly) behind Lolly Doll ever since our interview. At the moment, Lolly is going through a super busy period in her life and needs to focus her attention on areas other than her reproduction clothing site, which is currently offline.

However, Lolly Doll fans can still connect with the company on Facebook, where Lolly has some styles of gingham dresses (including black gingham with black rickrack, green gingham with white rickrack, and plain navy with white rickrack) available for sale in UK sizes 8 to 18 and my understanding is that she will ship worldwide. If you're interested in discussing purchasing a Lolly Doll vintage reproduction dress with Lolly, you can Facebook private message her anytime.

Lolly very kindly sent me this charmingly sweet 1940s reproduction black and white gingham wrap dress to review recently and I can say with absolute sincerity that it instantly became one of my favourite items in closet (thank you so much, Lolly, I adore and appreciate it immensely!). It is so comfortable I practically forget I have it on while I'm wearing it, which makes me think it would be an ideal frock to travel in (be it by car, boat, plane, train, you name it!). Well made, accurately sized, and cute as a button, this dress sings with the spirit of 1940s, but it is not beyond the ability to be styled in a more modern direction, too, if so desired. Lightweight, cool (a must in for sizzling summers we get here in the Okanagan), and just flat out pretty, it was the ideal piece to sport recently for a quickly errand running trip around town that including posing at the local Art Knapps nursery in front of their beautiful koi pond.

As you, my dear readers, may know, I'm huge on finding places, urban and wilderness based alike that transmit serenity the moment you visit them and, this koi pond, mere feet away from multiple busy roads and whirl of traffic, when visited after the nursery has closed for the day (as we did for our shoot) is one of those "in town" tranquil oases for me.

The fact that it houses several (they were darting to and fro all over the place, but I counted at least seven koi of varying sizes) of my favourite type of fish certainly doesn't hurt either when it comes to putting me in a relaxed, extra happy mood - something that I need more than ever now that the dynamics of my life has shifted and I've got an exciting Etsy shop to run alongside my beloved blog.

Simple joys like visiting that greenery bedecked pond full of sunset hued fish never ceases to lift my spirits and brighten my day, which, coincidentally, is exactly how I feel when I slip on my Lolly Doll dress as well. Another point in its favour and reason why I've been wearing it more days than not as of late! :)

Enjoying Penticton in all its glorious summertime beauty

Outfit details

Red and white polka dot hair scarf: eBay
Strawberry earrings: Handmade by me
Vintage red beaded necklace: gift with purchase from an etsy seller
1980s does 1940s/50s novelty print dress: eBay
Red skinny belt: eBay
Vintage raffia straw and bamboo handbag: Yard sale find
White vintage bangle bracelet: Value Village
Red and green bangles: Forever 21
Red and white peep-toe wedges: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano  





 


















♥ ♥ ♥

Canada is known the world over for its notoriously bone chilling, snow laden, icy street filled winters, and while that reputation is more than a little bit justified, I have long felt that we also deserve to be know for our incredible summers as well. Granted, some parts of the country experience longer, better and less humid summers than others, but from coast to coast, the country springs to life in the most profoundly lovely way from June to September, and few places exemplify that better than the Okanagan Valley where we live.

I know, you might think I'm being a touch biased, but having lived in cities in both the prairies and Eastern side of of the country, too, as well as a number of different parts of British Columbia (from the Carbiboo to the Lower Mainland), and also outside of Canada, I can tell with the deepest of convictions that there is no where else in the country - and quite possibly the world - that I would rather spend my summers than here in the Okanagan.

Our town of Penticton is hugged lovingly on both sides by sage brush covered hills and sandwiched squarely between two large lakes, which make for some of the best inland swimming and sunbathing you could ever hope to find. This corner of Canada is as close to a desert as one is going to come across anywhere in this country (much as it looks the part though, it is technically a semi-arid shrub-steppe) and the dry, sizzling heat that accompanies such a landscape is a huge part of the reason why the Okanagan has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations in North America.

When I lived elsewhere, I pined for this kind of summer. It was in my blood, and nothing else - no matter how pretty and pleasant it might have been - could quite compete with the resplendency of this season in Penticton. Though the heat can knock the wind out of my sails sometimes, that would happen anywhere the temps climbed into the 20s (Celsius) and higher, so the Okanagan is not to fault there. In fact, I actually find it's dry heat infinitely easier on me than the stifling humidity we experienced for each of the six years we lived in Toronto.

From beaches to peaches, lakes to wakes (behind boats, I mean) I cannot get enough of summertime here. While autumn is technically my favourite season, and I do love the chill of winter and spring at times, I daydream about summer all throughout the rest of the year and love when I have days on which I'm able to get out and let the nourishing amber sun warm my skin and soul alike.

On one such recent day we stopped by Rotary Park down at the east end of Okanagan Lake and grabbed these subtly windswept shots after I'd wrapped up with a doctor's appointment. Medical visits, no matter how many I keep tucking under my belt, are always stressful and unnerving for me, regardless of what transpires during them, so afterwards I typically either want to go straight home or to someplace very serene. Few spots calm my nerves and put my mind at ease more than the beaches here, so Rotary Park seemed like the perfect spot to spend a little time.

We shot in three areas of the park, and I love each one. I've never used such a large tree trunk as a backdrop before, nor, I think, have I posed in front of one of our town's few public flower beds. You've seen Okanagan Lake before a number of times, but it never grows old - if anything, it just gets more gorgeous and endearingly wonderful with each passing year.

My ensemble might, in colder months, channel a certain December 25th vibe, but against summer's stark, warm sky and verdant backdrop, it makes me think more of a garden than Christmas trees, and the light hue of the white dress really helps keep a bit of the heat at bay.

As we sit here right now, hard as it is to believe, autumn is technically just thirty-two days away. I'm eager for its arrival, but am also keen on holding onto summer for just a while longer still. I want a thousand more days with weather as perfect as this, especially because those winters we're so widely well known for the world over live up to their rap - and then some!

Fall and winter and if we're lucky, some semblance of a spring, will happen of course, as they always do, and no amount of wishing will affix summer in place forever. Yet even when the mercury gets frostbite once more, I'll still have photographs of days like this, coupled with the thought of summer's distant return, to keep me nearly as toasty as I was on the beautiful afternoon when we took these lovely photographs.

   

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

♥ ♥ ♥

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.