It's a Profoundly Loved Blog Party!

A little earlier this year my good friend Seanna from the blog Seanna Approved tapped me to take part in a fun blogging Q&A called The Profoundly Loved Blog Party.

As with most of these kinds of posts the premise is as simple as can be. There's a series of questions which one answers and then they nominate a handful of folks to respond to the same queries themselves.

On this lovely first weekend of April, a mere day away from Easter Sunday, I thought that now would be a great time to spend a little while delving into this group of get-to-know-me-even-better questions before heading out to lap up up the prospect of a sunny springtime day and all the joy it’s bound to house.

It's 'Profoundly Loved Blog Party' Time!

1. Tell me about something you love and why?
Learning. I absolutely, passionately adore learning about just about anything and everything I possibly can. I've been this way my whole life and love perpetually lapping up knowledge anywhere and everywhere I go. Doing so brings me joy, helps me in every area of my life, and ensures that I've always got a stack of books a mile high waiting to be read.





2. What is one thing you do that makes you feel like "I could do this forever"?

Sharing my life with my wonderful husband.




3. What do you love about yourself?

The older I get, the more entries land on this list, which I think is a great thing because we should all love as much about ourselves as possible. Some of the things that really jump out at me are my passion for the past, my caring spirit, that writing and creating bring me tremendous joy, my unending love of reading, the fact that I've always had a lot of common sense, that I feel a profound connection with nature and the animal kingdom, my ability to make a million and one recipes from memory, that I'm (humbly) a great wife and daughter, that I'm an incredibly hard worker, that I'm extremely opened minded, and that I can almost always find the silver lining in even the bleakest of situations.




4. What advice would you give to someone who doesn’t believe he/she is beautiful?

This one cuts to the core and makes me draw in a long, heavy breath, exhaling it slowly and proceeding as though walking on eggshells with my reply, because this is something (as discussed in posts such as this one) that I've seriously battled with my whole life.

Honestly, my gut reaction is to say that I don't know. That if I did know, I could repeat it often enough to myself and have an easier time believing in my own (physical) beauty. That said, coming from a place of immense understanding, I would tell that person that external beauty is profoundly overrated and yet at the same time, that they are likely a thousand times lovelier looking than they've ever been kind enough on themselves to see. That a good heart, honest soul, and caring spirit trump "looks" any day of the week and that there is, without a doubt, someone out there who will think they're the most beautiful person on earth because they view them though the lenses of love.




5. What is the best piece of advice you've ever received about confidence?

Objectively, I wouldn't say that I've been given a lot of advice in this arena throughout my life. A good deal of what I have heard though has come from my wise husband and certainly one thing he's said to me numerous times is to remember that chances are people are not thinking about you in a negative, judgmental, or unkind light nearly as often as you might believe they they are, let alone that you think about yourself in the same way. Therefore, don't waste your time and happiness worrying that they might be!




6. If you were your own daughter/son, what important things would you tell yourself/them?

Interestingly for me, this ties somewhat into question #4. I would tell my child (err, myself), first and foremost that I loved them unconditionally. They I always will always have their back and would believe, at face value, anything they told me. That I would defend them with my life and fight to the death to ensure they they were as safe and healthy as possible in any setting. That if they needed dental work done, as I always did growing up (but which my parents weren't able to provide me with) and still do to this day, I would literally sell everything I owned (to raise money) and work five jobs, if that's what it took, so that my child never had to live with the disfigurement and self-confidence crushing embarrassment that comes from having a mouth full of teeth you're perpetually ashamed of, even though you (they) didn't do anything to cause that situation to happen. And I would tell them, often, that they were beautiful/handsome, unique, valuable, talented, creative, worthy of respect always, capable of amazing things, and that, last but not least, I would support them and their life choices no matter what (so long as they didn't harm themselves or others).






7. A verse, poem, sonnet, ancient-old proverb that inspires you to love yourself and others?

This classic poem entitled "Dreams" by Langston Hughes was one of the first pieces of poetry I remember learning by heart as a child. It has stayed with - and at times even guided - me through life ever since.

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There are so many fantastic bloggers out there that I'd be delighted to have take part in this blog party posting game, so if you aren't named specifically here, please don't feel excluded. You have my blessing to tag yourself and answer these seven thought provoking questions as well, anytime you'd like. If you play along, be sure to come back here after you've posted your answers to leave a comment letting me know that you've done so, as I would love to read your seven replies, too.

I'm nominating the following seven awesome ladies to take part in the Profoundly loved blog party:

Brittany from Va-Voom Vintage

Candice from Vintage Current

Daffny from A Vintage Nerd

Esther from Dolly Creates

Marija from Purple Pinky Honey

Michelle from Delightful Handiwork

Porcelina from Porcelina's World

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So often I find that with these kinds of blog tag/blog Q&A posts, I'm nominated - which I sincerely appreciate - but it usually takes me several months until I get the opportunity to answer them. I didn't want to wait anywhere near that long this time around, as I really do like it when my fellow bloggers and online friends tag me to play along with these kinds of fun posts.

It's been less than two months since Seanna did so, and while that might not break any blogging land speed records, so to speak, it's still pretty quick in my books. Who knows, perhaps the next time someone kindly tags me for a game like this, I'll post my answers that same month. (Knowing myself and my blogging schedule as I do, though it will likely be more like half a year, but hey, stranger things have happened! :))

Ten interesting things you don't know about me care of the Sunshine Blogger Award

Last spring, in the middle of April to be precise, as winter was just finally starting to pack its bags up once and for all (we had snow well into the month), my dear friend, German blogger, and fellow vintage loving lady, Beate, very thoughtfully bestowed the Sunshine blog award onto Chronically Vintage (she herself received it from Natalia over at In The Writer's Closet).

{Image source}

Unlike some of the blog awards I've very kindly been presented with over the years, if memory serves me right, this is the first time I've received the Sunshine Blogger Award. Thus, I've been eager since that mid-April day to post about it, as I do rather enjoy the fun set of random facts about oneself that this award, like many of its peers, gives the recipient a chance to share about themselves.

After five and a half years of avid blogging and numerous similar posts throughout that time (including receiving the Very Inspiring Blogger Award again this year, which I posted about in August), I won't lie, it can be tricky to come up with a brand new assortment of facts and tidbits of information that at least some of my readers don't already know about me.

Ultimately, I don't think that one needs to pull skeletons out of the deepest reaches of closet or reveal anything that don't feel completely comfortable doing in public for the sake of a blog post of this nature, nor do you have to write down only facts that are complete and total secrets. As such, I've tried to find a nice blend amongst the following ten entries of things you may have heard me mention in passing before and others that (best I can recall) should be fresh, never before shared snippets of info about yours truly.








1. I don't drive. Despite a genuine desire to do so, between certain symptoms of some of my conditions (which can be very distracting), the side effects of various meds, almost always present brain fog, and around the clock severe chronic pain, I feel it is far safer for me not to be behind the wheel and I haven't had a license since I was nineteen years old (which then, was only a learner's permit).

If I walk into walls, fall down stairs, suddenly forget what I was doing, and am often so tired and/or in pain I literally cannot move while just on my own two feet, I truly feel its best that I'm not on the road potentially putting my own life, my passengers lives or those of other drivers or pedestrians at risk and instead have resigned myself to being a passenger. This is something that, believe it or not, I had a really hard time sharing publicly for most of my adult life and feel is the most private thing about myself that I'm revealing here today.





2. That said, if I could safely drive, I think I'd be out on the road every day and my dream car would a pink 1957 Chevy. They've had a major sweet spot in my heart ever since I was just five years old and I can distinctly remember seeing one zoom past for the first time.




3. I've lived in two countries (Canada and Ireland), three Canadian provinces, and around a dozen different cities, towns, and communities throughout my 30 years on this planet. I wouldn't say I love moving, but I have got it down to a pretty exact science at this point and can pack up a whole two or three floor house, or good sized apartment, in just a couple of weeks if I truly have to (ideally though, I do like to work at a more leisurely pace when moving abodes).




4. Ugh!!! Due, I believe, to a combination of certain medications I'm taking and the sheer act of getting older, for several months now, since about last New Year, actually, I've been noticing my face looking progressively wider. I haven't gained weight (like most of us, my weight fluctuates a touch over the course of a year, but has been within the same five or so pound range for a few years now) and yet I see my face looking less streamlined, so to speak than it was in my mid to late twenties. I can't do a thing about aging and absolutely must take these meds, so for now I just have to contend with my already anything-but-chiseled facial features looking even less so. *Sigh*




5. Though it sounds like something that might be fake, it is indeed bracingly real, and I happen to have telephonophobia, which is generally defined as a reluctance or fear of placing and/or receiving phone calls. Though it's not a story I'm comfortable sharing publically, I know precisely what events triggered this in me as a youngster (coupled with my fear of confrontation and also my immense shyness), and while I can talk on the phone if I truly have (and should note, I don't usually have an issue doing so with my very nearest and dearest friends and family members), I loathe it and feel anxious even just hearing a telephone ring. As such, the advent of the internet (and also text messaging) as a means of communication was all the more welcome by yours truly.




6. I am a very genuine and appreciative person. Sometimes throughout my life, when I've been expressing my heartfelt thanks, I know that people have thought I was being insincere because of how much I was gushing or using an abundance of flowery, complimentary adjectives, but nothing could be further from the truth. I take note of every kindness, thoughtful act, compliment, and sweet thing that comes my way and am incredibly grateful for each of them.




7. While there are scads of desserts and sugary snacks that I enjoy the taste of, I have always had a much bigger "salty tooth" than a sweet one. With some of my favourite savoury treats - that I can currently safely eat - being cheezies/cheese puffs (especially Cheetos, which, yes, are as processed and jam packed with chemical ingredients as the day is long and as such I only eat once in a blue moon), kettle chips, pepperoni, salted almonds, olives, crackers with cream cheese, and GF nuts and bolts (which, if I may say so myself, I make a fabulous version of).




8. My vintage glove collection, which longtime readers may recall from this post two years ago about how I store my beloved gloves, now totals over one hundred pairs. Because I have so many, I wouldn't say I buy them as frequently any more, but I still add a few to the ranks every year and am always on the prowl for styles and colours, as well as really unique varieties, that I don't already own.




9. Located in Abbotsford, British Columbia, my first elementary school was in a residential area but was hugged on one side by a patch of wooded area that just happened to be inhabited by a number of bears. As such, my school had a special bear alarm, which, if sounded, meant that all students instantly had to gather on a paved area at the front of the school, where we would be guided back inside by several staff members. It didn't go off to frequently, but there was always a distinct adrenaline rush when it did and to this day, I associate the sound of school bells with the idea that a bear might suddenly appear!





10. The older I get, the more I find myself loving and wanting to wear early 60s fashions, in no small part because many of them have a powerfully ingrained sense of sophistication which suits a woman very well as she ages. Interestingly, my sweet husband predicted that I might gravitate towards such styles several years ago. Way to go, honey! I doubt I'll be filling my closet with early 60s pieces anytime soon, but I do foresee buying a new one every now and then and styling them in a very early Mad Men-esque way.

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Like most blog awards, this one follows a fairly set pattern of what is entailed if you'd like to take part.

-Use a the graphics above, or one/those of your choosing, to denote that you've received the award.

-Link back to the blog of the person who nominated you.

-Share ten (or eleven, I've seen posts with each) random interesting facts about yourself.

-Nominate ten of your fellow bloggers "who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere" (and optionally let them know that you've tapped them for this award).


To that end, I'd love to present this award to the following group of talented, stylish, inspiring, and always lovely ladies, each of whose blog posts are a welcome ray of sunshine in my feedreader every week.

1. Amber from Original Vintage Queen

2. Beverly from Tea Cottage Pretties

3. Corilynn from Poodles and Pincurls

4. Emma from Little Miss Bamboo

5. Joanna from Dividing Vintage Moments

6. Katie from Butterfly loves Snapdragons

7. Leah from Confessions of a Vintage Hoarder

8. Liz from The Vintage Inn

9. Paige Virginia from Paigey the Vintage Dame

10. Randi from Sailing Over A Cardboard Sea

If you opt to play along with this 100% just for fun blog award (no worries if you don't, I know that such things are not a firm favourite with everyone by any means), please don't hesitate to leave a comment on this post with a link back to yours so that I be sure to enjoy reading your engaging random facts and perhaps discovering new blogs amongst those that you yourself pass the Sunshine Award on to.

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Thank you very much, dear Beate, for thinking of me and my blog and sending this delightful award our way. Its warmth and upbeat spirit are exactly what I need as we brace ourselves to head into the chilliest season of the year again!

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award: Round 2

It's interesting how certain blog awards come and go like the quick, fun flashes in the pan that they are, and yet how others stick around for years, continuing to make their way around the blogosphere, sometimes returning to visit friends they've already said hello to for a second time. That is precisely the case with The Very Inspiring Blogger Award.




I've been seeing this particular accolade pop up on various blogs for a few years now and have already received it before myself (as you may recall from this post last September), however it has very kindly been bestowed on me again (at least) twice in recent months, once Janey of Atomic Redhead and once by Inky from On Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax.

I am sincerely touched that both of these lovely-as-all-get-out ladies wanted to pass this award along to me and am delighted to take this opportunity, as the soon-to-be-autumn-again sunrise begins to break across the taupe and sagebrush hued hills of Penticton, to share another handful of interesting little tidbits of information about myself that you might not know already.

♥ Seven more totally random facts about me ♥

1. Though neither myself nor anyone in my family was aware of the term or that such a classification existed at the time, I now know as an adult that I was unequivocally an Orchid Child (a term borrowed and anglicized from the Swedish term Swedish "orkidebarn: to describe a highly sensitive child).

As an adult, I have continued, as most Orchids do, to be a highly sensitive person (both emotionally and to various stimuli, including sounds, scents, touches, and a great many other elements in my environment). At times, possessing the trait of being so immensely sensitive can have its shortcomings and be a cross of sorts to bear, but I also greatly adore how perceptive, intuitive, creative, conscientious, attuned to other peoples' (and animals') emotions, loving, compassionate, and perpetually caring it helps make me and can scarcely imagine being any other (less sensitive) way than how the universe saw fit to make me.





2. Even though a ridiculously large number of foods are (and have been for many years now) completely off limits for me due to various chronic medical conditions (I would conservatively estimate that I'm unable to eat at least 95% of all foods in your average mainstream supermarket), I absolutely, flat out adore going grocery shopping (and cooking), and always have. When I enter a new grocery store that I've never been to be, even if it's just a branch of a chain I'm already very well acquainted with, I love to leisurely wander each aisle and observe everything that particular shop does, and doesn't, stock to tuck away for future reference. And by the same token, I love having the peace of mind that comes from knowing my fridge, freezer and pantry is well stocked after a big shopping trip.





3. Part of me will always feel like I was meant to be born into a well-to-do British family with old money, an aging Land Rover, and more tweed in their closets than in all of the Harris factory. I've been a devoted anglophile my whole life and genuinely sense that this was a path that I would have walked with aplomb, had I been reared in a rambling country manor home environment (alas, my humble Canadian upbringing with a million miles away from such an aristocratic lifestyle, but that doesn't mean I can't daydream about it from time-to-time all the same).





4. I was a natural, very pale blonde as a child to the extent that you'd think my parents were from one of those gorgeous Nordic countries such as Finland or Norway. While they're not, I do have quite a bit of Germany ancestry in my DNA, which likely helps account for my Goldilocks worthy hair colour as a youngster.

Earlier this year (in this post), I shared a childhood photo of myself and received a few comments and emails from folks were surprised to learn that I wasn't born with red hair. Nope, as much as I truly wish I was, I've been a bottle, and in recent years, wig, redhead on and off ever since I was 16 years old.

By the time I hit puberty, my softly flaxen hued hair had morphed into the dullest, most washed out "dishwater" blonde-brown you'd ever seen and as soon my folks would let me, I began dying it. I've always felt most strongly pulled towards being a redhead, so that's typically the colour you'll find atop my head and the one I've long come to feel most like myself while sporting.





5. I don't idolize famous people. I may look up to, revere, and admire them, as well as consider myself a fan of their work, but I've never been, and will never be, the type who goes "Beatlemania" for any celebrity or person, point blank. At the end of the day, fame or no fame, we're all the same in so many ways and it doesn't seem right to be to put anyone on a pedestal or view them as being akin to a god on earth.






6. In recent years, bar none, the most frequent type of jewelry that I've purchased has been brooches. I love them something fierce and delight in having just the right one to partner with any outfit I may dream up. My collection has really grown in leaps in bounds since 2012 onward in particular and now, between genuine vintage and vintage appropriate pieces, totals more than 100 brooches and counting! I can only guess what that number will be in another five or ten years from now (I'll have to report back as much in 2024).





7. One of of mine and Tony's biggest long term goals is be in a financial position to purchase an RV and use it to travel extensively across North America. Beyond the sheer appeal of this unto itself (we're both massive travel lovers), this mode of transportation (we theorize, I haven't tried traveling in one yet as an adult) will be easier on my health than many others and potentially allow us to get in longer trips to more places then a car alone currently can. I really like to believe this will happen for us down the road (figuratively and literally speaking!), so who knows, one day you might just see us pop up in your town! :)

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As its name implies this particular blog award is intended to be passed along to individuals and their blogs who inspire you in some capacity time and time again. As this describes every last one of the blogs I follow (I likely wouldn't be following them in the first place if they didn't!), it's no easy task to whittle my selection of recipients down to just ten.

That is typically one of the instructions/rules for this particular blog award however, so after much deliberation, I'm pleased as much to share The Very Inspiring Blogger Award with the ten following bloggers and their awesome sites.

If your own name isn't listed here, please, by all means, feel free to deem yourself "awarded", too, and play along, as I'm sure your site is delightfully inspiring as well.


1. Abigail from Sweeter Gets the Journey

2. Ashesela from Art Evolve

3. Beate from Bahnwaerterhaeuschen

4. Bex from Submissive Fem

5. Corilynn from Poodles and Pin Curls

6. Heather from Dancing In My PJs

7. Helen Mae from Lovebirds Vintage

8. Kate from Retro Rover

9. Marija from Purple Pinky Honey

10. Philippa from Gloria & Me

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Should blog awards not exactly be your favourite cup of tea (or if you've already received this one before and have no desire to post a "round two" of your own), fear not, you're under zero obligation to play along. These kinds of posts are intended to be nothing but lighthearted fun, and should they not feel that way to you, by all means bow out of taking part in this one. I adore blog awards, but fully understand that not everyone (by any means) does.

If though, you would like to take part, then all you have to is whip up a post of your own about receiving The Very Inspiring Blogger Award in which you link back to this post, share seven random facts about yourself, and bestow the award on ten folks whose sites you find to be a continual source of inspiration.

It was a blast to put together a second edition post for this particular award, and I want to wholeheartedly thank both Janey and Inky for thinking of, and sharing this award with me.

As I suspect The Very Inspiring Blogger Award will be one that, thanks in no small part to its name and the concept behind it, remains in play for many years more to come still, who knows, there might even be a third edition of here one day!


*PS* Want to know even more random facts about moi? On top my previous Very Inspiring Blogger award post, here are four other similar entries that I've shared here over the years:

-A scrap of honesty

-How many of these 99 things have you done?

-Receiving and passing along the Versatile Blog Award

-Seven Interesting Things About me

It’s Liebster Blog Award time!

With little more than a month of autumn remaining, it seemed like high time I got around to posting about the fact that not one, but two, wonderfully lovely ladies have bestowed the Liebster blog award on Chronically Vintage over the past year (especially because the first of these two times happened in November 2012, and I really don't want to let more than a year slip by before I write about it here).

First off, the Liebster Award came my way care of the completely sweet Lil from Little Lil of London, then a few months later in February, the thoroughly awesome Holly of Veronica Vintage tapped me for it as well. I really appreciate that you passed this fun Q&A award on my way, dear gals, and am happy to do the same here today as well.

The Liebster Award has been bouncing around the blogging universe for a while now, the general premise being that the person who receives it answers a set of questions from the previous recipient (the person who in turn gave it to them), and then creates the same number of questions to be answered by those that they pass it along to. This is done as a way of both getting to know your fellow bloggers better and also letting your readers in on more about yourself, your blogs, and your thoughts on various topics.

Some versions also specify that the recipient share eleven random facts about themselves, but I shalln't be taking things in that direction myself today (but if you're interested in such things, check out my post from June about The Very Inspiring Blogger Award in which I list seven).

Lil didn't specify a list of questions in her post, but Holly did, and so it's those that I'm going delve right into here today (in relatively short answer form - who wants to start a gorgeous, sunny Monday morning off by reading essay-esque answers?), before laying out eleven of my own questions for the folks I'm passing the Liebster Award onto to answer, if they so desire.


1. What started your romance with all things vintage?

There wasn't one specific event that catapulted my love of vintage, I'm simply been fascinated by, and completely in love with, history since I was a little girl. Growing up I was beyond consumed with the past (hmmm, nothing much has changed there!), reading everything I could get my hands on that had to do with history (especially the years spanning the Victorian era to the 1960s), watching old movies, going to museums, talking to my relatives and elderly neighbours about their youth, you name it, if it was vintage or antique related, I was endlessly enthralled - and definitely still am.




  2. What made you start a blog about it all?

You can read all about that very topic in this post from last March.



3. What is your favourite vintage item you have acquired so far?

Seriously hard to say...I love them all a great deal and have become very selective about what I will and will not buy over the years. I have a small closet and a modest budget, so if something is going to come home and live me - no matter if it costs a buck or a hundred dollars - I have to love it 100% (and have it fit at least relatively well). So while I'm honestly not sure if I could narrow it down to just one, a serious contender would definitely be my dusty rose 1940s tilt hat (which I spotted, fell in love with, and then Tony bought me as a wonderful gift).


4. If you could own one item of clothing from an Old Hollywood film, which would it be and why?

There are so many sublime, creative, gorgeous garments that have appeared in classic films over the years, but I'm going to have to go with a somewhat unexpected answer, and opt for one of the Mrs. Claus themed outfits that Vera-Ellen and Rosemary Clooney both wore in White Christmas, because of the incredible connection to the holidays of my youth that this movie holds for me (and because I think that a vintage Mrs. Claus suit is just about the cutest holiday garb ever!).





5. Would you rather live back in your favourite era(s) or would you prefer to stay in present day? Why?

This isn't the easiest of questions to answer in an elevator pitch kind of answer - and indeed doing so could easily fill many a blog post, as one explored the many sides and implications of going back in time - but the honest answer is that it truly depends on many factors. Because of my severe chronic health problems (which would have been a lot harder to deal with on a daily basis, get treatment for, find information quickly about, etc back then), I would probably opt to stay in the present.

Yet, if one could wave a magic wand and make me healthy as a horse, there are still a bevy of pros and cons to both, and my answer would ultimately lie in whether or not my husband could come with me, because I wouldn't trade any period in time (no matter how much I love it) if it meant not being able to spend my life with him. If I was healthy and he was there, then I may very well opt for the past - though I'd certainly miss all of you if I did!


6. If you could be a female historical figure, who would you be and why?

This is another question to which I have many answers, but no immediate top spot, because I respect, admire, and am fascinated with quite a number of famous historical female figures. One possible choice though would definitely be Florence Nightingale (I even went as her for Halloween one year when I was a little girl).


7. Same question, but as a male historical figure and why.

Same opening line as my previous answer through and through! In a strange way - perhaps because there have been even more famous male historical figures - this is even tougher to come up with a single name for. I've always longed to have the skill of a great master when it comes to painting, so someone like Leonardo da Vinci might make for a very exciting (and creatively fulfilling) choice.


8. How do you come up with topics to write about?

Pretty much anything is fair game here in terms of what I might potentially write about and I constantly keep my eyes and ears peeled for blog post inspiration. I like to pull from a range of sources, including my own life (and my vintage wardrobe), magazine articles (past and present), famous moments in history, fellow bloggers, Pinterest, books I'm reading, recipes I adore - you name it!


9. What nationalities/heritages are you?

I'm what I like to call a Heinz 57 of nationalities, with ancestors hailing from Germany, France, Russia, the UK, America, and a few wayyy back from Poland, too.




  10. Do you pre-plan posts of write off-the-cuff?

Having a blogging schedule is paramount to my ability to post here on a regular, frequent basis and I generally write the bulk of my posts anywhere from one to four weeks in advance of when they go live. That said, I like to write a few off-the-cuff posts each month, and welcome the "of the moment" nature they make possible when it comes to recording various things that have recently happened in my world.


11. Where do you see the future of your blog? What would you like to see it as being in about one year? What about five years?

For me, every day of blogging is a way of letting my health know that it hasn't taken over my life completely, while at the same time serving a marvelously relaxing way to unwind and take my mind off of such things. So as long as I'm able to keep on keepin' on (so to speak) here (point blank) with each passing year, I will be exceedingly happy.

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As eleven seems to be the theme of this award, I'm pleased as punch to bestow the Liebster Award onto the following eleven wonderful ladies.

If you've already received it before (and don’t feel like writing about it again), aren't a fan of blog awards, or would otherwise prefer not to take part, please don't worry the tiniest of moments. Blog awards are just for fun, and if it they don't feel like such to you, no worries at all, just know that I think you and your blog are worthy of one all the same.


1. Bonita from Lavender and Twill

2. Collette from Serendipity Handmade

3. Elle from Elle Buckle Vintage

4. Hannah from Just Peachy, Darling

5. Lisa from Butterflies and Daisy Vintage

6. Liz from The Vintage Inn

7. Paige from Baby Steps into Vintage

8. Patricia Lynn of Lady by Choice

9. Porcelina from Porcelina's World 

10. Sean from The Fictionista 

11. Stephanie Lynn from The Girl With The Star-Spangled Heart

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Here are my questions for you to answer, dear ladies - I hope you enjoy them as much as I did Holly's.


1. What are three of your favourite things about blogging?

2. What kind of sagely advice would you give to a blogger who is just starting their first ever blog today?

3. Do you find yourself drawn more towards creating word heavy or image heavy posts, or do you prefer a fairly even mix of the two in each post?

4. What is your favourite ten year span (note, this doesn't have to be a specific decade, such as the 1930s, you could pick 1925-1935) of all time from a fashion standpoint?

5. If you could go on a shopping spree (and money was no object), what are five vintage wardrobe items that you'd buy today?

6. What are five of your favourite savory foods, and five of your favourite sweet ones?

7. What's your favourite place you've ever lived? What are some of the reasons that makes this spot so near and dear to your heart?

8. If you could go on an all-expense paid vacation for two weeks to anywhere in the world, where would you go and what vintage clothes would you bring with you?
9. Currently, what are your three favourite colours? Do you wear these colours often or simply enjoy them in general?

10. If you could attend a concert from any musician/band throughout all of time, who would you pick to see live?

11. What's your favourite time of the day (morning, dusk, etc) and why?

♥ ♥ ♥

Thank you again very much to Lil and Holly for sharing this delightful blogging honour with me. I always sincerely appreciate each and every blog award that Chronically Vintage and I receive, and am so happy to finally get a chance this morning to share my answers to the questions involved with this one here today.

Receiving and sharing the Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Right around the time that this site came into existence (April 2009), blog awards and tags were going through a zenith of sorts. I was touched as can be to receive many blog awards from fellow bloggers during the first few months of Chronically Vintage's life back then, and have continued to enjoy the others that have come my way in the years since.

Sometimes it hasn't been possible for me to devote a post to an award that I've received, and in other cases, if I've already blogged about a certain award because I previously received it from someone else, I might not do a second "repeat" post about it. However, I truly have enjoyed and appreciated all of the blog awards that have been extended to me.

In more recent years, as there seem to be fewer of these floating around in general, I've tried to post about those that I've received, when it's been feasible to do so. It might take me a while to get a chance to write about said awards, but I keep a tiny running list of those that I still need to blog about, and aim to get to as many as I can.

On that note, the wee hours of this pleasantly warm morning seemed like a great time to sit down and devote a post to the Very Inspiring Blogger award, which I received for the second time this past January from the wonderfully lovely Mrs. Williams from the blog Vibrant Vintage, then a third time in March from very sweet Chelsea of A Sartorial Statement.

Now, the first time around when I received this award, it was in the thick of the aforementioned zenith, and though I acknowledged it in this post back in 2009, I don't recall ever specifically dedicating a post to this exact award. So now seems like a great time to do just that.




I was tickled pink when both of these gals gave me Very Inspiring Blogger Award, and am so happy that I get a chance today to share seven random facts about myself, as per the guidelines for this award, and also to extend it to a handful of the many (many!) other bloggers out there who constantly inspire me with their own stellar sites. 

♥ Seven totally random facts about me ♥

1. Ever since I can recall, I have absolutely loved sleeping outside during the warmer months. Be it a quick afternoon nap in a hammock or an evening spent under the stars in a cozy sleeping bag, few things lull me to sleep as easily, or wonderfully, as being out in the fresh air.





2. I love cardigans, which is scarcely an unknown fact about myself, however did you know that my collection is now nearing thirty in total? Wow! And to think there are still numerous colours (pale yellow, I'm looking at you!) and assorted styles of cardis out there I'd love to add to my closet (it will always be a collection in progress).





3. Though I wouldn't describe myself as being an athlete per se (I was a willing participant who gave it their best shot, but I am so, so not a competitor, I just enjoyed playing for the sake of having fun), during my childhood (long before I became chronically ill), at one time or another, I played the following sports a team level: soccer, basketball, badminton (my fave!), and track and field. I also took gymnastics, swimming, figure skating, tennis, and dance lessons (and was on my high school dance team).





4. Very often when I'm stressed and/or worried, I clean or organize with great determination. This harkens back to my childhood, when I found that doing so could sometimes give me a temporary sense of inner peace and control over various uncertain, stressful elements in my life (all the while keeping my environment clean, which is something I love no matter my state of mind). Now I just find it relaxes me when I'm stressed, and like to joke that you can tell how worried I am about a situation based on how tidy my house is. :)





5. More than anywhere else in Canada that I've yet to visit, I want to travel to the Yukon, specifically to Dawson City, as I have family ties stretching back to the Klondike gold rush there (my great-grandfather, Charles Burkhard, was amongst the mass wave of prospectors and adventure seekers who came north after gold was discovered in the Klondike, however unlike most, he remained there long after the rush had died down) and have felt an unmatched pull towards the arctic ever since I was knee high to a gold pan.






6. In much the way as some musicians can hear a song once and then play it perfectly without being given the sheet music for it, I've always been able to eat dish for first time and then, very often, replicate it pretty much spot on identically from scratch (without a recipe or list of exact ingredients). This cool skill really comes in handy if I fall in love with a dish at a restaurant that I know the chef is not likely to fork over their recipe for to the public anytime soon.

7. I am immensely grateful for the years of my youth that I spent in the Girl Guides of Canada. I feel like I learned a tremendous amount from my time in Guiding, far beyond knot tying and orienteering. I grew more confident (a huge plus for an incredibly shy, quiet child like myself), forged wonderful friends, became more independent, and acquired scores of real world skills which I still apply to this day (plus I can make a mean campfire banana boat! :) ).

{To learn more a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

♥ ♥ ♥

This isn't the first "x number of random facts" post I've done before over the years (for example, here's one from nearly four years ago that specified recipients share "ten honest facts" about themselves), and I highly doubt it will be the last. I enjoy these posts a lot as they allow me to share some neat little snippets of information about myself with all of you, which you might not have previously know about me.

As I adore getting to my readers and fellow bloggers better, too, I'd love to extend the Very Inspiring Blogger Award to the following ten people (as well as to absolutely any of my other readers who would like to receive it, too), all of whose blogs I adore visiting and being inspired by.

1. Bunny from Bunny's Victory

2. Emileigh from Flashback Summer

3. Frances from Polka Polish

4. Holly from Veronica Vintage

5. Jamie from Chatter Blossom

6. Joanna from Dividing Vintage Moments

7. La Toya from Mid Century Pink

8. Mariela from A Girl of Many Interests

9. Monika from Crazy Vintage Cat Lady

10. Sean from The Fictionista

♥ ♥ ♥

If you've already received this award before and/or, don't feel like blogging about it, please don't worry in the slightest. These awards are meant to be lighthearted and fun, not to feel like an obligation of any sort.

Should you like to take part and continue passing this award along however, all you have to do is write a post akin to this one with seven assorted facts about yourself and then continuing passing the Very Inspiring Blogger Award on to whomever your heart desires.

Thank you very much, Mrs. Williams and Chelsea, for the lovely blog award. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and love that I finally, at long last, got the chance to blog about receiving the Very Inspiring Blogger Award and to pass it along to some of the wonderful blogging ladies out there who inspire me as well.

Receiving and passing along the Versatile Blogger award

When I first started this site three years ago, blog awards were somewhat more common then they are today. Perhaps there was a fad component to them, and while I know that not everyone was a major far, I've always felt sincerely touched when someone had deemed me and my blog worthy of receiving any kind of accolade.

Earlier this year, in the hectic midst of everything surrounding our move, I received a charming blogging award called the Versatile Blogger, from not one, but two, completely lovely ladies: Bunny Moreno from the fantastic blog The Musings and Adventures of a Pinup Mama, as well as from Tracey Steel whose blog, Breathing English Air, always teams with beautiful images of the UK and great posts to accompany them.

The rules attached to receiving this blog are very straightforward and easy to follow:

1. Add the award to your blog.

2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.

3. Mention 7 random things about yourself.

4. List the rules.

5. Award to 5 or more bloggers.

6. Inform each of those 5 by leaving a comment on their blog. (I always feel like this point is optional, but you can certainly do it, if you'd like)

I always enjoy reading people's lists of various fun, interesting, or eyebrow raising (as the case may be!) facts about themselves, so without further ado, here are seven points about myself that you may not know.

 

♥ Seven facts about me ♥

1. Snugly, medium to heavy weight blankets and I are BFFs. For as long as I can recall, I've slept much, much better when I have soft, comfortable, fluffy blankets and and/or duvets on me (even in the summer). I fully believe this stems from a guest room at the house my paternal grandparents lived in when I was younger, which had the softest, most dreamily fantastic blankets I've ever encountered.

2. I'm taller then they'd said I be. When the doctor did an adult height project on me as a youngster, they said I'd not likely be any taller than 5 feet when I was fully grown (not that there's anything the matter with that height of course). I'm happy to report that I proved them wrong by a whole two inches! Though it means I'll never have supermodel gams that go on for miles, I really don't mind being petite one bit and am totally content with my adult height.

3. My childhood (school) nickname was "Jay": In elementary school my best was called Karen, which meant that her name started with a "K". As mine began with a "J", and these two letters are side-by-side in the alphabet, we came up with the idea of calling each other "Kay" and "Jay". After a while of doing so, other people began to notice and started using those names for us, too, even to the point where our teachers were doing it. Well into high school, even through mine and Kay's paths had diverged around middle school and we didn't hang out very often any more, people would still call me "Jay" sometimes.

4. I'm not superstitious at all, except for...: The act of throwing salt over your shoulder if you spill some. It's not that I actually believe anything negative will happen to me if I don't toss a pinch over my shoulder, I think it's just a learned habit I picked up as a child and never outgrew. As it's my one quasi-superstition, I keep doing it just for fun.

5. Generally speaking, I don't read modern fiction. It's not that I have anything against this literary genre, goodness no! It's just that I find my interests tend to lay more in nonfiction and classic lit. Though I read more modern fiction as a child (due, no doubt, in part to school book reports), I've always been this way and adore adding nonfiction and reference books to our home library.

6. I can touch anywhere on my own back. While I don't claim to be especially flexible (and am definitely not double jointed!), I am able to touch absolutely any spot on my back (while sitting, standing or laying down) - which makes zipping up my own dresses a breeze!

7. I never thought I was a hat person until...: Growing up in an era of baseball caps and floppy denim hats (remember those ones with the matching flowers on the front smack dab in the middle of brim?), I didn't feel like hat's worked well with my face shape at all. Imagine my delight then as a I got older and discovered that the issue wasn't hats in general, just most modern ones. Turns out many vintage hat styles (especially those from the 40s and 50s) suit me well, and as a result I quickly morphed into a die hard chapeau lover (and wearer).

{All images are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

♥ ♥ ♥ 

In turn I'd like to pass the Versatile Blogger award onto the following five wonderful blogs.

1. Ghosts and Garters Vintage

2. Love Letters from London

3. Miss Magpie's Musings

4. Old Haunts (a new vintage blog in town, be sure to stop by if you haven't discovered Kate's site yet)

5. VirginiaRetro

♥ ♥ ♥

If you've already received this award (and blogged about it) from someone else, please don't feel like you need to do it again. Either way, if you do  (or have already done) it, definitely let me know, as I'd love to read your random facts, too.

Many, many thanks to Bunny and Tracey again for thinking of me and sharing the joy of this delightful blogging award with me. I wholeheartedly appreciate it, sweet gals.  ♥