These beautiful 1940s inspired shoes were made for dancing

✯ Day 206 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

It's interesting, you know, there's something about summertime that sets my soul in the mood for dancing. Perhaps the inherent sensuality of a hot night, the sweet caress of a satin breeze, the fact that you're already perspiring, so why not work up even more of a sweat.

Maybe it's the airy dresses, breezy vintage skirts, hair pulled up and off your face to keep it from being plastered to your neck. It could even be the fact that come summertime, it's often hard to stay still - your body seems to be itching to make the very most of every warm moment of this marvelous season.

If your toes have a hard time staying still this time of year, then chances are you're a fan of good old-fashioned swing and jive dancing. While I don't profess to be overly skilled in this arena myself, I have cut a few rugs in my time - and definitely know what kind of attire to sport for a night spent dancing until the sun rises.

They may not be suede, but these splendidly pretty blue, t-strap shoes are more than worthy of a song of their own - and are precisely the kind of beautiful, yet functional, footwear swing dancers of days gone by and this era alike alike are bound to find themselves drawn to.

 

Styled after classic 1940s footwear, these elegant teal hued pumps feature a walkable (and danceable!) 3.25" heel (including the 1/2" inch platform sole), Maryjane style T-straps, lovely cut-out details, and a sling back that will go a long way towards keeping your tootsies from overheating during this sweltering time of year.

Available from Plasticland.com (for $59.00), these sweet and sassy vintage inspired swing dance shoes (which come in modern ladies sizes 5-10) are equal parts girl-next-door and pin-up vixen.  Their pretty colour is eye-catching, but far from glaring and would work (nearly as well as a neutral) with a wide range of colours in your wardrobe (think black, brown, grey, blue, burgundy, eggplant, cream, and white to name but a few).

Perhaps, for the sake of my wallet, it's a good thing that I'm not feeling well enough to hit the dance floor this summer, because if I was, I'd be mighty tempted to slip on a pair of these fabulous old school style dance shoes and jitterbug with the best of them!

Vintage 365: Wonderfully fun pin-up art pizza platter serves up oodles of vintage style

✯ Day 56 of Vintage 365 ✯

Being married to a fella who was born and raised in Italy, it's a safe bet to say that pizza is common item on the menu at our casa - not of course that I'm complaining, this decidedly scrumptious Mediterranean classic is one of my favourite foods of all time! (Though the Italian mister giggles a little when I order mine with pineapple, adding "We'd never include that back home", as he proceeds to ask for a bite of my pie.)

It's not every day that I encounter an old school style item devoted to pizza, let alone one that includes an immensely pretty piece of pin-up art and the timeless phrase "That's amour" on it, so the moment I saw this awesome Rockabilly Tattoo Ceramic Pizza Platter over at Plasticland, I knew at once that I needed to blog about (and add this stellar serving dish to my vintage wish list!).

This is one of those terrifically fun kitchenware pieces that doesn't take itself to seriously. It's all about looking good and serving (literally!) a very handy purpose: dishing up your favourite pizza in pure vintage tattoo art meets glamorous pin-up girl style.

Measuring 13.5 inches in diameter and retailing for $37.00, this fantastically cool pizza serving platter is sure to be as big a hit in your house as it would be in mine - even if you aren't hitched to one of Italy's native sons! :)

Five for Friday: January 29, 2010

...Sunshine, delicate as spun sugar encircles the air, yet its presence is a mask for the bitingly cold temperature that accompanies the light outside, pale as home churned butter. Still, so long as one is indoors, it’s nearly impossible not to feel invigorated by the much needed dose of vitamin D that the sun delivers – and certainly, sweet little Stella, loves the having a spot of light to nap in peacefully. As the weekend approaches my mind shifts to thoughts of tranquility levels equaling that of a sleeping cat. We’re still in the thick of winter and there’s no reason why a spot of good old fashioned hibernation can’t be on the agenda. Curl up with your favourite warm drink, a snugly blanket and some thick, comfy socks to fend off the chill, and settle back for a few minutes of fun with this week’s edition of Five for Friday...


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{Delicate petals of burgundy vintage satin and velvet swirl together with tiny rhinestones in this charming handmade fascinator style headband. Can’t you just picture this pretty piece paired with a cream hued wool coat or a faux fur stole during the winter, then as an accompaniment to your favourite flirty summer dresses and skirts. “Penelope” vintage millinery blossom headband, $25.00 (US) from etsy seller Katrina Pinka.}

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{Writing letters is one of my favourite activities no matter the season, but I find that the natural fact winter tends to equate to spending more time indoors means I’m able to zip off even more quick notes and long correspondence alike. I’m continually on the prowl for beautiful and/or adorable stationery, and this charming set of two notepads (50 pages each) of lined paper and delightfully cute plastic quill pen fit the bill perfectly! “Lines Birdie Note Pads and Plume Pen Set”, $22.00 (US) from Plasticland.}

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{If ever there was a scent that was aptly named to appeal to fans of the past like us, “Vintage Soul” from Liz Clairborne is it! Not only does this eau de parfum have a lovely moniker, it comes in an immensely beautiful bottle (and box) that calls to minds thoughts of the Moulin Rouge in its heyday, and is packed with a garden full of floral notes such as lilies, freesia, cactus flower, jasmine, gardenia, and tuberose. 3.4oz bottle of Vintage Soul, $22.61 (Cnd) from overstock.com}

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{Put the kettle on and pair your favourite cuppa with these fantastically cute Tiny Cherry and Almond Tea Cakes (which look both rustically playful and deeply sophisticated at the same time) made with sweet binge cherries and kirsch for oodles of appealing fruit and flavour. Image from, and recipe on, marthastewart.com.}

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{Rich, regally elegant jewel tones always seem to go hand-in-hand with the colder months (in my mind at least) and work so well to bolster one’s spirits. What better way to infuse a royal hit of passionately deep eggplant into your wardrobe then with this stunning 1940s reproduction frock? “Lula” wiggle dress with fish tail hem, available in sixes small-XL, £100.00 (UK) from The Pin-up Emporium.}

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Bundles of thanks, everyone, for your wonderfully lovely comments this week! At the risk of sounding like a broken record (but for the sake of Chronically Vintage’s newest followers), I will do my best over the course of the next couple of days to catch up on my visits to your own splendid sites. I love hearing from you so, so much and appreciate every one of your shared thoughts.

Wishing you all an amazing, warm and relaxing weekend – and last two days of the first month of 2010!