25 darling vintage items for babies and young children (plus, I became an aunt for the first time!)

Earlier this month our family experienced a beautiful and blessed event of the best kind, when Tony's sister (his only sibling), Maria, gave birth to her first child: a strapping nine pound baby boy that the elated new parents named Jarno.

As neither of my own siblings have kids of their own yet, this wee lad (pictured below) instantly turned Tony into and Uncle and myself in an aunt for the first time. Needless to say, we're both elated to have these important roles bestowed upon us!

Though our nephew and his parents live in Italy and we're in Canada, thanks to the power of modern technology, we'll be able to watch this sweet little tyke (who totally looks like his Uncle Tony!) grow up and definitely hope that occasional visits will be possible over the years, too.

In the spirit of Jarno's birth, as well as the fact that springtime itself is the universal season of rebirth and new life, I thought it would be oodles of fun to share some of the super cute genuine vintage baby, toddler and young children appropriate items - a mix of clothing, accessories, toys, decor and other charming pieces for little ones - that have been crossing my path lately online.

It is not uncommon, at any given point in time, for many of us to know someone who is expecting, just gave birth, and/or has young kids of their own (or you may even be in this wonderful group yourself), so while very few of these items will fit grownups, they're fabulous for all the smallest recipients on your gift giving list!

25 darling vintage items for

babies and young children

1. Preciously lovely and pretty as a picture, this tiny mid-century vintage pink knit set features a cardigan style sweater and matching hat/bonnet with pink satin ribbon ties, and is sure to melt your heart! $14.25 for both garments from 42nd Avenue Vintage.




2. Springtime perfect pastel hues and fun embroidered animal designs call this lovely pair of 1970s gingham baby burp cloths home, and elevate this utilitarian item into something extra sweet and special. $12.00 for the pair from Starr Child Vintage.



3. File this one under the "I can't even" header, because, seriously, I can't even...A teeny, tiny mid-century vintage Mexican tourist jacket. If that isn't the epitome of old school cool, I don't know what is! $45.00 from Ms. Tips.



4. Bursting with mid-century charm, this adorable pair of matching Plankie brand plastic baby rattles are just as cute as decor pieces (in the nursery or elsewhere) as they are functional, if you wanted to give them to a wee-est one in your family. $18.00 for the pair from Milkweed Vintage Home.



5. Ideal for little ladies or gents alike, these soft-as-a-lamb's tail mid-century small children's sized deadstock vintage gloves are ideal for springtime and would be especially charming sported by a wee one for church or a party on Easter Sunday. $12.50 from Chronically Vintage.



6. I can just imagine what a fascinating read this recipe and information booklet called Feeding The Child For Health, dated 1935, must make for. No doubt plenty has changed since it was penned, but I'm sure a fair amount still rings true 81 years later. $8.00 from Openslate Books.



7. Fantastic for spring and summer - or if you're taking baby on a holiday during the nippier months - this fun, animal print vintage child's top is geared towards those around twelve months old and is sure to garner compliments and "awws" whenever its worn. $15.00 from Salvage House.




8. Wonderful for a nursery, play room, craft space, home library or anywhere you fancy, this beautiful pair of mid-century wooden wall art plaques have an old school fairy tale theme to them and will continue to suit little ones as they grow up. $16.00 for the pair from Happy Day Antique.




9. Almost too cute to use as anything but a decor piece, this marvelously fun little c. 1940s embroidered baby shoe holder would make for such a fantastic baby shower gift, especially if the mom-to-be is a vintage fan. $26.00 from Shabby Shop Girls.




10. Homemade knits and infants go together like childhood and toys, so why not whip up something for the wee ones in your circle with these delightful c. 1951 knitting pattern book of handknits for babies. $5.00 from OldPatterns.com.




11. Sometimes there's simply no beating a true classic and that's what this immensely lovely little mid-century Raggedy Ann doll is (so presh!). $12.00 from What's New On The Mantel.




12. Timelessly lovely and very practical, these sophisticated vintage brown leather toddler boots are so stylish, you'll wish for a pair in your size, too! :) $30.00 from Jade and Lauren JR.




13. If ever there was a fabulous little outfit for a baby's first spring and summer, this cheerfully hued plaid and flower vintage sunsuit is it! $14.00 for dress/blouse and bloomers from USA's Kids.




14. An ideal gift for the special soon-to-be parents in your life, this sophisticated vintage StorKraft baby fork and spoon set is still in its original box and features easy to hold curved handles, perfect for little hands as baby begins to feed him or herself. $42.00 from Sunny Day Vintage.




15. As much tiny works of art as they are timeless playthings, these gorgeous turn of the last century children's wooden blocks could easily be used as nursery, childhood room, and even adult bedroom decor, as the little whippersnapper continues grows up. $65.00 for 18 pieces from Milkweed Vintage Home.




16. Vintage and antique children's garments and accessories never fail to make me smile and wish that (more) children still dressed in those sorts of wonderful yesteryear styles. One has only to look at this fantastic c. 1960s little girl's navy blue and pink, for example, to instantly see why such is the case for a vintage fashion fan like myself. $38.00 from Ruby and June.




17. Who amongst us doesn't fondly remember the first suitcase we had as a small child? I can clearly picture mine (it was in shades of lilac-y purple) and I felt like such a sophisticated globe trotter each time I packed it up for a weekend at Grandma's house or a family road trip. Relive some of those fun memories with this sweetly illustrated (Easter time perfect) tiny vintage children's suitcase, that could easily be used as a storage and/or decorative piece around the house, too. $32.00 from Chocolate For The Soul.




18. An ideal baby shower, birthday, or holiday gift, this lovely little vintage baby comb and brush set comes complete with its original heart shaped packaging and would thus be an especially nice choice for Valentine's Day. $12.00 from Caprock Baby.




19. Almost too pretty to actually use, this kitty cat embroidered and quilted butter yellow baby's bib is chocked full of loveliness and yesteryear style. $9.00 from The Turtle and The Ray.




20. Childhood just wouldn't be the same without things like nursery rhymes and fairy tales, and when it comes to such, you just can't beat a beloved classic like this 1957 take on the age old tale of Mother Goose. $12.00 from Atty's Sprout Vintage.




21. Is this enchantingly sweet mid-century vintage ceramic angel themed light switch cover not one of the most precious things you've ever laid your eyes on? I'm utterly in love with it and can't imagine a more charming piece to use in a nursery. $28.00 from Caprock Baby.




22. How fabulously cute + pretty + fun is this great mid-century three-piece vintage children's dishware set? From the punchy hues to the terrific illustrations, its practically impossible not to fall in love with it at first sight! $25.99 from Left Lane Vintage.




23. These are, undoubtedly, some of these most adorable vintage baby booties I've ever come across. Fluffy pink mohair and whimsical little kitty cat appliqués team up to create a pint sized footwear pair that is off-the-charts sweet! $32.00 from West Egg Vintage.




24. And for even more cat cuteness, playful little embroidered kitties top this immensely sweet 1950s cotton crib blanket that would also work wonderfully as a cover atop baby while using a rocking chair. $34.00 from Atty's Sprout Vintage.




25. I absolute adore overalls, especially on children, and have fond memories of my own pairs from when I was knee high to a sandbox. This awesome pair of 1950s deadstock blue overalls with coordinating blue short sleeved shirt is as classic and sweet as they come, and would look so cute for a photo shoot starring baby and daddy. $36.00 for both garments from Salvage House.



Plus a bonus 26th item that is geared towards all the stylish vintage adoring mamas out there! 


26. Classic, elegant and ideal for Mother's Day gift giving, this beautiful gold tone metal and goldstone brooch is an ideal way to quite literally keep one's love for their children close to their heart. $12.50 from Chronically Vintage.



{To learn more about a specific image used in this post, please click on it or the link in the text immediately below to be taken to its respective source.}

♥ ♥ ♥

I was ecstatic when I found out that Maria was pregnant and even though we were thousands upon thousands of miles apart the whole time, I adored hearing about how the experience was unfolding for her and her partner. I know that she'll be an excellent mother and that Jarno will grow up in a home with love and happiness - which, ultimately, is the best gift any child can ever receive.

There's definitely a surreal quality to thinking of myself as Aunt - or, in Italian - Zia - Jess and it melts my heart to picture the first time, down the road, that I hear sweet Jarno call me such.

As detailed here, late January and much of February were rocky times for us, so in launching March (and by extension spring itself) off on such an incredibly wonderful note, I can't help but think that things have turned around and that the sun - both literally and metaphorically - is smiling upon our family once more.

Announcing Chronically Vintage's new etsy shop

It is with the greatest of joy that today, at long last, I reveal my top secret vintage plans! As the title of this post gives away, I've launched my first ever etsy shop!

Given the fact that plenty of folks already know Chronically Vintage (the blog and social media presence) online, it made perfect sense for me to name my shop the same thing, which is precisely what I did. The shop officially opened to the general public a few hours ago and now 100% live and ready for business.

In these early initial days, you will primarily find a good sized selection of antique and vintage jewelry, with pieces spanning the Victorian era right on up to the 1980s, with a particular emphasis on items from the mid-twentieth century, as those are the decades I - and I know many of you - hold nearest and dearest to our hearts, in the listings right now.

In the coming weeks (and beyond!), I will be adding lots of great vintage clothing, hats, handbags, sewing and knitting related items, ephemera, and other great vintage goodies. Likewise in the near future, I will also be adding an in house line of handmade nickel-free jewelry (made by yours truly), a lot of which will have a vintage vibe to it (and/or be made with various vintage jewelry components) and all of which will be timeless in its style.



{Run, don't walk over to Chronically Vintage's Etsy shop, add it to your Etsy favourites, like and share it on social media, and by all means feel free to buy to your heart's content! :) Image source.}


I'm not entering into being an Etsy shop owner lightly in the slightest. Before I even registered a new etsy account, I set about going through the proper legal channels of opening a sole proprietorship business (the Canadian term for a small business with a single owner), registering for GST and PST (tax) numbers, doing a phenomenal amount of research on small business and Etsy shop ownership and operations, hiring a graphic designer to create my Etsy shop graphics (as well as new coordinating ones for my Facebook and Twitter accounts), ordering packaging and shipping supplies, had new business cards and address labels printed up, spent weeks photographing items and drafting listings, and perhaps most importantly of all, have been combing the Okanagan right, left and center for amazing vintage items to list in my shop.

As you've likely heard me say here before, this part of the world is not exactly overflowing with vintage fashions or accessories, but there are items - especially jewelry - to be had around these parts if one knows where to look, and I decided around the start of 2014 that the time had finally come to fulfill a very longstanding dream of mine to become a serious online vintage shop owner, no matter what hurdles (small volume of local merchandise, my health, life’s unavoidable curve balls, etc) came my way.

Making this decision has already proven to be one of the best and most fulfilling of my life and I believe in my heart of hearts, in no small part because of all of your support, that this shop will not only succeed, but flourish beyond my wildest dreams!

Though things may still be extra hectic for me for the next little while, I want all of you to know that I have every intention to keep blogging at more or less the same kind of regular basis that I usually do here and that I'll soon be back to visiting all of you at your wonderful sites and hanging out on social media at my usual clip.

This has been an incredibly exhilarating, at times stressful, eye-opening, creative, action packed, indescribably busy period for me over the past several weeks and I feel a sense of lightness and elation at being able to finally announce what has been keeping me so busy with all of you lately. Today is really and truly the realization of a  major dream of mine and one that I feel so blessed to be able share with each and every one of you.

Here's a sneak peak of just some of the (currently 85+ and counting) vintage listings that I have up in my etsy shop already. There's lots more (including Bakelite, novelty brooches, and oodles of 1930s, 1940s and 1950s jewelry) in the shop.




Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone for your support and encouragement lately, even though you didn't know just what exactly it was that I was up. It has meant a tremendous amount to me and really helped make getting through the uber busy days easier.

This is such a fantastic, life changing new part of mine - and yours, my sweet friends - world. Chronically Vintage is expanding from "just" being a blog to being a blog plus and Etsy shop of the same name. This is so exciting, so much fun, and most of all, so very chalked full of even more vintage awesomeness for all of us!

As my way of further saying thank you, please use the Chronically Vintage exclusive coupon code GRANDOPENING between today and Monday May 12th to save 15% off any and all purchases from my Etsy shop. (As well, if I see that you're a Chronically Vintage reader and have used this coupon code, I will include a free surprise gift with your order.)

Happy shopping & many heartfelt thanks in advance for your wonderful support of Chronically Vintage on Etsy!

Announcing the winner of the Fairyfiligree giveaway

Hello my lovelies, I hope that you're all well and having a terrific weekend! Things are as sizzlingly hot as a habanero pepper over here at the moment, but that hasn't hampered our spirits or stopped us from enjoying the great outdoors. Yesterday my mom and I spent the day shopping for Tony's birthday on Monday, and today I'm mostly wrapping gifts, cooking for his celebration dinner tomorrow, and drawing a winner for this week's awesome $40.00 Fairyfiligree etsy gift certificate giveaway.

I want to thank everyone who took part in this giveaway and for your support of Fairyfiligree. I've known the wonderful woman, Marika, behind this shop for three years, and can tell you that she truly appreciates your patronage and interest in her shop full of covetable European gathered vintage treasures.

This giveaway brought in 46 comments in total, and with the help of a random number generator I'm delighted to announce the lucky winner is comment number 45, which belongs to the dear Meg Eileen Carroll of La vie en rose et moi.

Happiest congrats, Meg, I'm thrilled for you, honey!!! Please contact me with your email full name and email address, so I can pass it along to Marika, who will issue you the gift certificate for her shop.

Many thanks again to all those who entered this giveaway. It had been a fairly long time since we last had one here, but I'm happy to report that you won't have to wait nearly as long as for another one. I've got an exciting contest in the works with a great cosmetics company, which is slated for next month.

Wishing you all a gorgeous Sunday and week ahead, sweet friends!

And the winner of the Worn Fashion Journal prize pack is...

Mondays isn't exactly famous for being the best day of the week, and when you open your eyes to a thick layer of shimmery frost on the inside of your windows and howling winds blowing -22C temps outside, it can take giving yourself quite a mental pep talk to emerge from the snuggly, toasty cocoon of your bed. However, brushing these points aside, I was definitely excited to get up today (despite the near arctic weather), bright and early, so that I could draw the winner of the Worn Fashion Journal prize pack giveaway.

 

The post about this giveaway received twenty nine comments, amongst which a random number generator selected number 26 as the winner. This comment belongs to none other than Liz from the serenely pretty blog Liz Secret Rendezvous. Joyful congrats on winning, Liz! I'll be contacting you this morning with further details about your lovely prize pack.

I want to thank each of your sweet dears who took part in this wonderful giveaway. I had a thoroughly enjoyable time reading your comments regarding what your favourite kind of fashion magazines are, and have to say that by and large, I share many of the same sentiments and taste in glossies that you gals do.

Many sincere thanks go out to the awesome team at Worn Fashion Journal as well, for collaborating with Chronically Vintage on this contest. It was a pleasure to work with you, and to share my passion for your absolutely stellar, highly interesting magazine with my readers (again).

Oodles of congrats again to our lucky winner, Liz! I hope that your magazine prize pack (consisting of five issues of Worn and a couple of adorable pin-back buttons), will help bring a marvelous dose of warm, happy feelings and scads of fashion inspiration your way!

Announcing the $100 Amazon.com gift certificate winner

Entries poured in around the clock for Chronically Vintage’s recent giveaway, which was held in conjunction with my husband’s terrific new book notification website, Any New Books?, and today I’m pleased as punch to announce that we’ve drawn the lucky winner (via an online random number generator).

Maestro, a drum roll, if you please... The wining comment was number seven, which just happens to belong to one of the sweetest gals on the internet, Kathie from the blog Just a Happy Housewife.


{Our lucky winner hails from the wonderful site, Just a Happy Housewife, which if you aren’t familiar with, I urge you to check out; it’s a truly beautiful, happy little corner of the web that is worth visiting often.}


Warmest congratulations, Kathie! I’m delighted that you won and hope that you’ll let me know what sorts of delightful new goodies you pick up with your $100.00 amazon.com gift certificate.

Huge thanks go out to each and every one of you who took part in this contest (and who signed up for Any New Books?). I really enjoyed letting you know about Any New Books?, and truly appreciate your support of it (as we try spread the good word about it to fellow book fans near and far).

Congratulations again, Kathie, I hope you have scores of fun on your Amazon shopping spree! And thanks again as well to all those who helped make this giveaway such a wonderful success! Fear not if you didn’t win this time around, I’ve got several other (vintage themed) contests in the works for the remainder of 2010 and well into next year, so there’s always another chance for you to win! :)

I’ve missed you all something fierce!

Blissful start of autumn greetings, my wonderful dears! I can scarcely believe (long as it was at times!) that a month has passed since my last post. I won’t lie to you, it hasn’t been the most enjoyable month I’ve ever had. I’m grateful that it’s now behind me and am hopeful that the surgery I had will ultimately prove to have been successful.

Having recouped from my operation somewhat, I couldn’t put off hopping back into the world of blogging again even so much as one moment longer! Any time I’m not able to post for a while, I begin to pine for the companionship of my fellow vintage loving friends – and after a month of not hanging around Chronically Vintage, I was champing at the bit to get back here!

I want to extend my deepest and most heartfelt thanks to everyone who left comments on my last post (as well as those lovely souls who sent emails and cards), your kindness and understanding is truly appreciated.

Other (as in, not pertaining to the surgery I recently had) serious health problems continue to be a rather substantial issue in my day-to-day life, so while I’m delighted to say that I’m back to blogging after my month of medical leave, I’m afraid that I may not be posting up a storm again quite yet (aiming for a post or two a week, when possible).


{Hip, hip, hooray! Fall, gorgeous fall is back in town and has me smiling every bit as chipperly as this chic vintage gal! Image via Sunset Flame on Flickr.}


On a cheerier note though, autumn, my most beloved of seasons has returned and I simply couldn’t be more jubilant about that! I hope that you’re all excited about the splendours of fall as well, and that this season will be superbly wonderful for each of you!