Perfect Autumn Days Filled with Laughter and Fun

Outfit details

C. 1930s/40s burgundy felt hat with netting: Garb-Oh Vintage
Brown and white plastic cameo earrings: Handmade by me
1960s does 1930s brown and black fur coat: Yard sale find
Hell Bunny Kim Flare Dress in Black: Retro Glam
1950s brown gloves: Unknown, had for years (probably eBay or Etsy)
Autumn Leaves Vintage Style Bag: c/o Vendula London
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Burgundy faux leather pumps: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Party Line

Photography by Tony Cangiano  

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The days are growing shorter with each passing sunset. The light struggles to produce much intensity, frost tips the morning blades of grass, and coats become a necessity - most days at least - once more. We're heading into the second half of autumn and while it may not have quite the vibrant hues or caramel sunshine of earlier weeks, it is still part of my favourite season and I always try to savour every last day until the first snowfall ushers in winter's brazen return.

I borrowed the title of today's post from the words written on the gorgeous Vendula London Autumn Leaves Clip Fastened Bag that I’m sporting here, which the company very kindly sent me as a review gift.

Today's post is the second time that I've had the pleasure of working with Vendula London (you can read about the other and get oodles of information about this stellar UK accessories brand in this post from September) and just as with the first, their product(s) nailed it out of the ball park.

This awesome burgundy corduroy purse - which I want to sincerely thank the company for - is part vintage looking, part shabby chic, and part scrapbook style, which is perfect for me because I'm a old school wearing, shabby chic adoring, passionate paper crafter. The autumn theme is what really melted my knees like ice cream on a slice of hot apple pie, however.

I've owned many bags, new and old alike, over the years, but this is the first that was ever specifically fall themed. Well made, elegant and playful at the same time, nice and roomy, and a cinch to dress up or down, Vendula's gorgeous Autumn Leaves Clip Fastened Bag is an enchanting purse that personifies the creativity, quality and appeal of this British company's awesome offerings (which you can receive free shipping on for all orders over $150.00 USD when you use the coupon code FDUS at checkout).

It struck me a few days ago that almost every year, come autumn, I dip my toes into 1930s inspired fashion. As much as I adore and appreciate the looks of that history rich decade, a lot of the styles from it do not work very well on my short, hourglass figure. Some, particularly those from about '37 onward, do though, and thus it's usually the tail end of the decade that I dabble with every now and then.

Save - possibly (it could be either 30s or 40s) for the hat - nothing here is genuinely from the 1930s, but as is often the case, clothing doesn't have to be from a particular era to look the part or channel the spirit of certain time period.

The dress is from Hell Bunny, purchased last winter, but not yet worn on the blog. The coat is a 1960s does 1930s gem that I bought a few summers ago at a yard sale in a neighbouring town. The burgundy hat, which I sported here earlier this fall (in this outfit post) hails from Garb-Oh Vintage and has proven to be the most frequently reached for chapeau in my wardrobe this season.

We nabbed these photos in front of one side of the SS Sicamous, a good sized paddle wheeler boat that once plied the waters of Okanagan Lake until - fittingly one might say (given my ensemble) - the mid-1930s.

It went through several years of of having an uncertain future, but thankfully some of the locals of the time had the good sense to see it as an important piece of history and to ultimately create a dedicated volunteer run society for its preservation and upkeep. For decades now it has been docked on the shorts of Okanagan Lake here in Penticton and is popular venue for weddings, music and fashion shows, and various other local events (in addition to being open to the public as a museum).

It has always been one of my very favourite sights in our small town and given its colour palette and history, it seemed like a fitting place to highlight not only this 1930s inspired look, but my resplendent new Vendula London bag as well – after all, one can only image the wealth of luggage and handbags alike that spent time on this boat during its glory days!

Fall really is a joyful time for me and I am so grateful for each sublimely pretty day of it. The smiles and the styles, the hues and the happiness, and, yes, even the return of coat weather. There is a natural flow to life and the seasons are a huge part of it, so I've never tried to fight their changes.

Instead I look at them as an exciting opportunity to let another segment of my wardrobe have it's moment in the limelight and to get reacquainted with old (garment/accessory) friends, while also welcoming new ones like this delightful, old school inspired burgundy kiss lock purse into the fashion fold as well.

Savouring summer at the Sicamous

Outfit details
Red hair flower with feathers: Arden
Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12 Silver toned hoop earrings: Claire’s
Czech glass bead and plastic anchor charm necklace: Handmade by me (ages ago)
White cardigan: Suzy Shier
Red ruched neck tee: Forever 21
Vintage denim circle skirt: etsy seller Here Lies Boots Vintage
Red vintage purse: etsy seller I Love Vintage Stuff
Dark blue bangle bracelets: Local annual curling club flea market
Thicker red bangle: Forever 21
Thin red and white bangles: etsy seller Me She Designs
Aqua bangle: Claire's
Red and white stripped wedge sandals: Payless (years upon years ago)
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Photography by Antonio Cangiano   ♥ ♥ ♥

Penticton is a town sandwiched neatly between two lakes. On the south end one finds the smaller of the pair, Skaha, and on the north side the mighty Okanagan, stretching onward for an impressive 135km. While each certainly have their merits, of the two, Okanagan Lake has always been my favourite, and it is certainly where I spent far more childhood days with my toes in the sand and surf alike.

On the far west end of Okanagan Lake, docked and out of water travel commission for several decades now, you encounter a slice of the beloved past in the form of a paddlewheel boat by the name of the SS Sicamous. Once one of the largest ships to ply the waters between Penticton and all other towns and communities along the lake's hefty border, the Sicamous was a vital part of life in the Okanagan during the early days of the twentieth century.

As time wore on however, railway lines, modern roads, and later the construction of local airports all conspired to help put paddlewheel boats (be they for the transportation of passengers, mail, or goods) out of service in this part of British Columbia. While the Sicamous' fate was questionable for a while after she was put on grounded, thankfully a group of local citizens saw to it that she was permanently docked on shore to be enjoyed by locals and tourists alike as a museum and event hall.

Instead of floating passengers up and down the mighty Okanagan, for many years now the Sicamous has served as a local landmark and can be visited throughout much of the year for a small fee (or rented for events). As with most pieces with age to their name (especially those made largely from wood), the SS Sicamous needs an ongoing dose of repairs and maintenance to ensure she remains safe and presentable for all those who come to spend time on her sturdy decks.

For as long as Penticton has been in my life (so pretty much from the get-go), I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Sicamous, and often daydreamed as a child playing mere feet away in the warm waters of Okanagan Lake, what it must have been like to travel on her during her heyday.

It was with no small amount of elation then that I learned earlier in the year that my parent's renovation company, Ricklyn Renos would be doing work this summer on the Sicamous. The reno repairs/improvements they've been making are terrific, and will go a long way in helping to ensure that the Sicamous continues to sit majestically on the shores of Okanagan Lake for many years to come.

While I'd certainly stepped foot on the Sicamous before throughout my life for various events and simply to visit, before this year I'd never had a family connection to one of the area's most impressive and important pieces of history.

With that thought in mind, one gloriously sunny summer day not too long ago, as the afternoon hours slowly burned into early evening, Tony and I hopped in the car and shot some photos near the once powerful paddlewheel of the Sicamous, as well as the surrounding area, including the charming little vintage tugboats that are located beside the great ship they once helped traverse the waters of Okanagan Lake.

These images bring a smile to my face and heart alike, for they capture not only the spirit of summer's golden beauty, but also some of the grandeur and elegance of of the SS Sicamous and a time when water travel was vital to the area's economy, growth, and daily life. Which I'm now honoured to say,  my own parents have had a small role in helping to preserve for generations of locals and visitors alike to discover, enjoy and daydream about - just as I long have - too.