GIVEAWAY: Enter to win a $75.00 store credit from Wise Apple Vintage

There are many important factors when it comes to being a successful online vintage seller. To my mind, undoubtedly, one of the biggest and most powerful of such is the imagery that one uses to promote and showcase their offerings with.

Clear, well lit, beautifully shot photos can not only help a shop to succeed, they can instantly create an identity for a seller or brand as well.

Over the years, I've encountered tons of different vintage sellers and their shops online and I can honestly say that few have nailed product photography as well - or as appealing - as Nikki McIntosh from USA based Wise Apple Vintage does.

Whether in her standalone shop or over on Etsy, where she also sells, Nikki crafts inviting, cleanly shot and very attractive imagescapes to highlight her mid-century offerings, which primarily include housewares, barware, collectibles, and planters.



(Just a small sampling of the more than 100 different, super fun mid-century items that Wise Apple Vintage currently has in stock. From top left to bottom right: Vintage Ceramic Dog Wall Planter | Mid-Century Modern Dansk Red Pinwheel Dish | Vintage Ceramic Mushroom Cookie Jar | Vintage Stoneware Owl Mug)


If memory serves me right, I first discovered Nikki's thriving vintage shop on Etsy several years ago (she's been there since 2008) and was instantly hooked, just as I am on her seriously terrific main e-shop.

Her prices are refreshingly reasonable, her inventory is updated frequently, she has impeccable customer care, and, indeed, her product photography is so gosh darn lovely that I feel like I'm flipping through the catalog of a major housewares chain when viewing her listings.

I've had the great pleasure of working with Nikki as a blog sponsor for quite a while now, during the course of which we've formed a wonderful online friendship as well.

Nikki (who blogs about various vintage and decor related topics here) is as sweet as her vintage offerings are appealing, and as we embrace the very last days of summer, she has generously offered one lucky Chronically Vintage reader the chance to win a $75.00 store credit to her main (not-Etsy) shop).

Read on to learn how to enter this exciting giveaway and add some of Wise Apple Vintage's stellar mid-century charm to your own home.


Giveaway Details:


This giveaway is for one $75.00 USD store credit from Wise Apple Vintage standalone website.
 
It is open to participants worldwide and will run from today's date (Monday September 19th) until 11:59 PM on Monday September 26, 2016.

The winner will be drawn using Raffle copter's tool to do with after the giveaway has wrapped up and will be contacted via email shortly thereafter.

There are thirteen different ways to enter this giveaway via Rafflecopter, the only one that is mandatory so as to gain entry is to leave a comment below on this post letting me know what one of your favourite items in Wise Apple Vintage's shop is (please note, if you win this giveaway, you are not obligated to put your prize towards that item in the slightest and are free to apply your prize to anything that you'd like in Nikki's standalone online shop).

The more ways in which you enter this giveaway, the greater your odds of winning become.

The giveaway winner may apply their $75.00 USD store credit to the cost of any item, or combined items, in Wise Apple Vintage's standalone shop. Any amount above $75.00, including shipping costs, are the responsibility of the winner and will not be covered by Wise Apple Vintage.

Thus, for the sake of example, if you opted to selected two items that, along with their shipping costs, had a grand purchase total of $78.50 USD, Wise Apple Vintage would refund $75.00 USD to you after you had made your purchase and you would pay the remaining difference of $3.50 USD out of pocket.

If you have any questions about this Wise Apple Vintage $75.00 store credit giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Nikki's passion for vintage shines through in each of the beautifully curated mid-century items that she lists and in the care that she puts into photographing the products that she sells.

As a vintage consumer, blogger, and fellow seller, I really appreciate this and know that it speaks volumes to the success that Wise Apple Vintage has experienced over the years.

I'm tickled pink to be teaming up with Nikki and her fabulous shop for this giveaway and really want to thank her for the opportunity to do so, as well as to say a big thanks as well to each of you who take part in it.

Best of luck to everyone who does so!

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: An art print prize pack (complete with a custom portrait of yourself) from Inky Notions

If a genie, fairy godmother or other benevolent imaginary being with the ability to bestow wishes - or perhaps more accurately in this case, talents - came along, I've always maintained that high up on my list would be the ability to draw and/or paint like a gifted artist.

I like to joke that even my stick people don't look like stick people and while that is a bit of an exaggeration, as much as I adore art, did well in art class, and consider myself to be an artistic person in general, I am by no means a talented drawer or painter.

Thankfully however, there are plenty of folks in this vast, wonderful world of ours who have been blessed with this fantastic talent. One of them who resides in our own online vintage community midst in none other than Sabrina from the lovely, photo filled blog Vibrant Vintage.

Earlier this year Sabrina took the exciting step of launching an Etsy shop by the delightful name of Inky Notions, where she sells prints of her original artwork, much of which is deeply imbued with a charming, memorable old school quality mixed with a distinctly appealing style all her own.

Around the time that Sabrina launched Inky Notions, she became a Chronically Vintage sponsor and very, very kindly offered to create and send me a custom print of my own. As Tony and I were on the cusp of celebrating our next "loveiversary" (the date that commemorates the day that we first meet back in 2004) around then, I instantly knew that I wanted my custom print to be a present for my beloved.

While a drawing of me might have seemed like a natural choice, as Tony already has tons of photos of his vintage wearing wife, I suggested instead that the portrait depict our two adorable pets, Annie (a black and white Bulldog dog) and Stella (a grey tabby cat).

I wanted an illustration of such for Tony not only for its own merits, but because while Annie loves everyone and everything on the face of the planet, shy little Stella is not as keen on her canine sister and the likelihood of an actual photo of the two of them “playing nice” in the same frame is exceedingly unlikely to ever happen.

Sabrina was game for this idea and did a marvelous job, using photos of the two of them (separately), to create an image on paper that will probably never be captured on camera. The piece is a true joy and testament to Sabrina's artistic talents (see the iPhone photo that I took of it below).

Tony loved it to bits and was so surprised by this hand drawn present (you just about could have knocked him over with the feather!). We're still looking for the perfect frame for it, but for now it is carefully displayed sans frame on a tall bookshelf – safely away from the inquisitive critters that it depicts.

We're both so honoured to have this custom piece of art in our home, and today I'm thrilled to be able to offer one lucky winner the same opportunity, as I've teamed up with Inky Notions for a great giveaway. Read on to get all the exciting details!


Giveaway Details:

This giveaway is the winner's choice of any three art prints that are currently available in the Etsy shop Inky Notions, as well as a custom 5 inch x 7 inch sized self portrait of yourself or someone else to be included with the three prints of your choice.

As per the sponsor's guidelines, this giveaway is only open to those in the US and Canada (though international readers are welcome to comment on this post still, if so desired).

The giveaway will run from today's date (July 12, 2016) until 11:59 PST on Monday July 18, 2016. The winner will be drawn using Raffle copter's random winner selection tool after the contest has wrapped up and will be notified via email shortly thereafter.



{A sample of three of the more than fifteen different original vintage inspired art prints that are currently available in Sabrina's shop, Inky Notions. If you're the lucky winner of this giveaway, you'll be able to choose any three prints of your choice, plus you'll receive a custom original 5" x 7" portrait as part of your prize as well.}



There are 11 different ways to enter this giveaway, the only one of which is mandatory is that you share with me what your favourite print currently available in Sabrina's shop is. The more ways in which you enter - all via Rafflecopter - the greater your odds of winning become.

If you have any questions about this giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Sabrina was a true joy to work with on my own custom print. She not only "got" my vision, but executed it to a tee and created an adorable original piece of art that my husband and I will treasure for the rest of time.

I really appreciate and want to thank Sabrina for so generously offering up this prize pack, including a custom portrait print, to one lucky Chronically Vintage reader, and likewise want to sincerely thank all those who enter this fun giveaway.

Best of luck to everyone who takes part!

Book Giveaway & Review: The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 from Dover Publications

These days we're used to seeing and thinking about a whole host of world famous designers and fashion houses. Even if we don't own a single piece from any of them, most folks are at least familiar with a handful of such and we've come to think of their presence as part and parcel to the world of style.

Such was not always the case though and the invention, if you will, of the modern fashion house as we would recognize and acknowledge it today is relatively new. Unquestionably one of the first and most influential early players in this sphere was The House of Worth.

Founded in France in 1858 by Mr. Charles Frederick Worth, a highly regarded and skilled dressmaker who had previously been employed by some of the top tailors in the UK and France, the House of Worth hit the ground running, by offering exquisitely made and deeply beautiful haute couture clothing. As time went on, the company would grow to include ready-to-wear fashions, as well as perfumes.

The House of Worth provided fashions to some of the most affluent, wealthy, powerful - and powerfully dressed - customers in Europe and the world as a whole. From stars of the stage, such as Sarah Bernhardt, Nellie Melba, and Jenny Lind to European royals, old money and new, and those trying to climb the social ladder alike, The House of Worth had an impressive clientele and provided stunning pieces to all of them (including both wedding gowns and costume party ensembles).

In its original iteration, The House of Worth remained in business until 1952 (the brand was revived again after more than four decades of laying dormant, in 1999), with Charles Worth's heirs taking over the company after his death in 1895.

It was under the leadership of Charles' sons, Gasteon-Lucien and Jean-Philippe, that The House of Worth experienced the Edwardian years, and it is the tail end of this very period that the book at the heart of today's post focuses.





The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 from Dover Publications is a unique and enchantingly beautiful soft cover book that includes 125 watercolour and ink illustrations, all of which were originally produced by The House of Worth.

That alone would be enough to make any vintage fashion or historical costume fan go weak in the knees, but this book is so very much more. Woven through its many fashion illustration filled pages, one is greeted with an excellently written - and very engaging - historical account of how these drawings (and some accompanying fabric swatches, which are pictured in photographs in this book) came to be in the possession of the Litchfield Historical Society located in Litchfield, Connecticut.

Readers are introduced to the well-to-do ladies, Julia Chester Wells and Mary Perkins Quincy, respectively, who received the drawing as a catalog of sorts that highlighted new offerings at the time, from the House of Worth during the 1910s. Throughout the book, their fascinating lives are opened up to us so as to help us get a better sense of what the typical American House of Worth customer was like back during the brand's heyday.

I've read more books on historical fashions over the years than I could ever count, and can honestly say that this is one of the most unique and appealing approaching to profiling the history of a company, its customers, and its products alike that I've ever had the pleasure of encountering.

The Litchfield Historical Society has done a marvelous job in helping to preserve the history of The House of Worth through these Edwardian era fashion illustrations, just as Dover Publications has done by teaming with them for the creation of this 144 page book, which was published in August 2015.

There is so much to enjoy and admire about the fashions created by The House of Worth. They were pioneers in the field of both haute couture and high end ready-made clothing alike, and unquestionably, they helped to pave the way for many other similar companies, some of who are still in business to this day, that would follow.

If you have even the slightest interest in yesteryear fashion history (and chances are, if you're reading this post, then you definitely do), than The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 is for you!

The awesome folks at Dover Publications have very kindly offered a copy of this book to one lucky Chronically Vintage reader. Read on to find out how you can win (they're are plenty of ways to enter and the giveaway is open internationally).



Giveaway details:


This giveaway is for one copy of the soft cover book The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 from Dover Publications from Dover Publications. It is open to readers (participants) worldwide and will run from today's date (Tuesday May 31, 2016) until 11:59 PST on Tuesday June 7, 2016.

The winning name will be drawn using Raffle copter's random winner tool once the giveaway has wrapped up and the winner will be contacted via email shortly thereafter. Your book itself will be shipped out to you directly from the fine folks at Dover Publications.

You may enter using however many of the following ten different Rafflecopter methods you desire. The only entry that is mandatory is that you please leave a comment on this post in which you share with me one or more of your favourite elements of Edwardian era fashion.

The more ways that you enter, the greater your odds of winning become. If you have any questions about this book giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me anytime.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Edwardian fashions, be they the simplest of garments or the most elaborate and expensive produced, have always spoken to me, and getting a chance to read The House of Worth: Fashion Sketches, 1916-1918 was a true joy that left me yearning all the more for a time machine (and a Vanderbilt's pocketbook!) to the past.

Sadly, such isn't possible, but we can immerse ourselves in the history of such care of marvelous books like this, and I truly want to thank Dover Publications for teaming up with my blog to offer a copy of this terrific title to my readers (as well, they've very kindly extended a 25% off coupon code, WFBJ, which you can use on their website to save 25% off on all orders until the end of June).

Many sincere thanks, and best of luck as well, to each and every one of you who take part in this fun vintage fashion book giveaway!

GIVEAWAY: Win a $50.00 gift certificate from online vintage clothing shop Vintage World Rocks

We're on a major giveaway roll here so far this year and April isn't going to be any exception!  To kick things off on that front this month, I'm absolutely delighted to bring you a generous $50.00 digital gift certificate giveaway from none other than Chronically Vintage's latest blog sponsor, the fantastic online vintage clothing shop Vintage World Rocks.




Launched in 2010 by Jillian Worthen as an eBay shop and in 2011 as an Etsy store, Vintage World Rocks recently added a standalone online shop to their roster which is what today's post will be shining the spotlight on.


With an ever-expanding selection of 1930s - 1980s vintage pieces (new updates are added weekly), all of which are in good to excellent shape, Vintage World Rocks presents a curated collection of very reasonably priced old school selections that are sure to catch the eye of any mid-century, late-century, or contemporary fashionista alike.




{A selection of Vintage World Rocks' delightful mid to late-century vintage fashions, all of which would be marvelous for the warmer half of the year that we're embracing once again at long last. From top left to bottom right: 1980s Blue and White Vintage Polka Dot Short Sleeve Blouse - $15.00 | 1970s short sleeve peach maxi dress - $20.00 | 1980s teal blue pleated skirt - $10.00 | 1970s sheer red sleeveless dress - $15.00}


Their site is easy to navigate and greets you with an array of products that have been grouped together (at present) by colour, as shown in the screen capture earlier on in this post, which makes for a strikingly lovely homepage. Once there, one can search by clothing, bridal, and sale.


Vintage World Rocks has very generously offered one lucky Chronically Vintage winner the chance to win a $50.00 gift certificate to their shop, which can be used towards the cost of any item(s) that you'd like. Read on for all the exciting details!


How to enter:

In order to enter this giveaway, you are welcome to do as many of the following eight things in total as you'd like. Make sure to please leave a separate comment on this post letting me know about each one that you completed so as to better increase your odds of winning (note: multiple entry methods combined on the same comment can only be counted as one entry; you must leave separate comments for each one that you enter with).


1. Sign up for Vintage World Rock's newsletter.


2. Leave a comment below telling me what your favourite item from Vintage World Rocks' current offerings is and how you might style it this spring (or fall, depending on whereabouts in the world you live).


3. Like Vintage World Rocks on Facebook.


4. Post about this giveaway on Facebook, tagging Vintage World Rocks and Chronically Vintage in your post, when you do.


5. Follow Vintage World Rocks on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway.


6. Follow Vintage World Rocks on Instagram. (Speaking of VWR and Instagram, be sure to to tune in on April 11th, when they'll be holding a big sale there.)


7. Follow Chronically Vintage on Instagram.


8. Pin any of Vintage World Rocks' items to Pinterest (limit of one Pinterest pin entry per giveaway participant).


Giveaway details:


This giveaway is open to readers worldwide and will run from Wednesday April 8th until 11:59 PST on Wednesday April 15, 2015. The winner will be selected via random number generator and announced on Facebook and/or Twitter shortly thereafter, as well as notified directly via email or Facebook private message, if such contact information is publicly available for the winner.


The winner will receive a digital gift certificate of $50.00 USD that they can use to put towards the cost of an item (or items) at Vintage World Rocks online shop. Any merchandise costs, including shipping, over and above $50.00 USD are the responsibility of the winner and will not be covered by Vintage World Rocks.


If you have any questions about this giveaway, please don't hesitate to email me.

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Thank you very much to Vintage World Rocks for bestowing one lucky Chronically Vintage reader with this great $50.00 gift certificate prize, and many huge thanks to all those who take part in this fun giveaway.


Best of luck and happy Wednesday wishes to everyone!

Enter to win a $50.00 store credit from St. Augustine Vintage

Last month I had the great pleasure of receiving a beautiful vintage floral needlework handbag to review from etsy seller St. Augustine Vintage, which was featured in this outfit post. Today I'm thoroughly delighted to give one lucky winner the chance to bring home something of their own from this wonderful etsy shop.

One of the things that I love about working with a diverse range of sponsors from around the world is that I nearly always learn at least one new thing from each of them, and in this case, it just happens to be the fact that St. Augustine Florida, the town for which this vintage shop is named, is the oldest in America to have been settled (and continually inhabited by) Europeans, with roots stretching all the way back to 1565. If that isn't worth naming a vintage shop after, I don't know what is!

In this hand curated, charming fun etsy shop, one encounters a broad range of inviting items from various decades past. How broad a selection you may be asking? Well, at the time of writing, a very respectable 481, to be exact. In that wide mix one finds everything from delightful home decor pieces (many of which instantly gave me flashbacks, in the best kind of way, to my grandparents' house when I was growing up) to yesteryear craft supplies, classic jewelry (and watches) to oodles of vintage clothing, accessories (including sunglasses), and shoes.



{A quartet of fabulous old school offerings from St. Augustine Vintage featuring one of the holiday season's most beloved colours: red! From top left to bottom right: Coats & Clark's vintage 1950s bulky knits pattern book, Beaded vintage cherry coin purse, 1950s Decca record album with 15, 45 rmp records; Set of four vintage tiki napkins}



Spend a few minutes browsing St. Augustine's listings and you'll quickly find yourself feeling like you've popped into one of your favourite, well stocked, reasonably priced thrift stores (with the added convenience of being able to do so in your comfy flannel pajamas at 11pm on a chilly winter's eve, if your heart desires).

The very lovely Kara, a professional writer by trade with a passion for selling vintage as well, who runs St. Augustine Vintage is generously giving one Chronically Vintage reader the chance to win a $50.00 US store credit to her shop, which you are welcome use towards the cost of anything there that your heart desires.

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How to enter

There are seven possible ways for you to enter this giveaway, the more of them that you do, the greater your odds of winning will be.


1. Swing on by St. Augustine Vintage and let me know what your favourite item is from their current listings.


2. Add St. Augustine Vintage to your etsy favourites.


3. Like St. Augustine Vintage on Facebook.


4. Like Chronically Vintage on Facebook.


5. Post about this giveaway on Facebook.


6. Follow Chronically Vintage on Twitter.


7. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter.


Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning.



Giveaway details

This giveaway will run from today's date until Friday December 13, 2013 at 11:59 PST, and is open to readers from around the world. The winning comment will be drawn using a random number generator, with the winner being contacted via email shortly thereafter.

The winner will receive one $50.00 US store credit, which the seller will provide them with, to be used towards the total cost of anything you'd like from St. Augustine Vintage. If your total (including shipping) exceeds $50.00, then the winner will pay the difference out of pocket. Please email me if you have any questions about this giveaway.

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Coupon code fabulousness!

Spot an item (or ten!) from St. Augustine's offerings that you can't live without? Want to get some great secondhand items to give to those on your holiday wishlist? In the mood to spoil yourself this week? Then you're in luck, because you can take 15% off of any order of $10 or more (before shipping), when you use the coupon code VINTAGE15 upon checkout between now and January 16, 2014.

Thank you very much, Kara, for patterning St. Augustine Vintage with Chronically Vintage for this awesome giveaway, and may thanks in advance to all those who enter. Best of luck, everyone!!!

The world needs V&Oak Magazine and so do you!

A little earlier this year, I had the profound honour of being featured in not one, but two different articles pertaining to mid-century fashion in V&Oak magazine's premier print edition. Though I've appeared in numerous online magazines over the years, this was my first time being featured in a print publication, and the experience truly stands out as one of the best and most exciting highlights of my blogging (and vintage loving) life so far.




One need only spend a few moments flipping through an issue of V&Oak or bopping around on their website to understand that this magazine is a cut above the vast majority of its peers. I say that completely devoid of any kind of bias, because of my appearance in their marvelous Fall/Winter 2013 edition. No, my feelings would resonate just as deeply whether or not such was the case.

You see, V&Oak is a magazine that falls squarely in line with my own personal style aesthetics and beliefs when it comes to how one should approach dressing, and by extension, life itself. As I touched on earlier this month in the post I am authentic to my soul, I believe firmly in the importance of rocking, owning, and being proud of one's unique style voice.





I don't subscribe to the theory that there is only one way (aka, highly period accurate) to wear vintage, nor that one need ever follow trends (unless they want to), or that you have to follow in line with the bulk of the population when it comes to how you dress or live your life. We are so incredibly blessed to each be born unique - why would you want to merely blend into the crowd, when you could, if only in a small way, standout and expressive your creativity through your wardrobe choices?

V&Oak stands for "vintage and one and a kind", a description which could very well be used to sum up my wardrobe in its entirety, along with those of many of you as well. This magazine puts an emphasis on originality, individualism, and freedom of style, while embracing the past, but not becoming a complete slave to it.

Far from simply discussing fashion, this magazine partnered classic lines from Huckleberry Finn with one of their outfit spreads, interviewed a modern photographer who does vintage themed boudoir style shoots, explored topics pertaining to vintage weddings and home decor, gave a fair handed amount of page space to multiple decades (from the 1920s right on up to the 1980s), interviewed multiple bloggers, authors, business people, and creative folks from around the world, and made me feel, after just a few pages in, as though I was sitting around on a comfy couch having a great conversation with some of the brightest, most inspiringly dressed friends a gal could ever ask for.

Miles away from the many dime a dozen modern glossy mags, and even a few of the indie publications out there, V&Oak felt fresh and new, yet not so avant-garde as to risk not hitting its target scarcely on the mark.

This magazine will likely appeal as much to fashionistas as it will those who beat squarely to their own style drum. It is well laid out, beautifully photographed, engagingly written, and positively lovely through and through. It's important for those of us whose fashion choices deviate from the so-called standard norm to feel like there are publications out there that speak to us, highlight brands and styles we enjoy, and which help us discover and learn more about topics that matter to us in the process.





V&Oak does all that, and more. It is a vibrant, exciting, beautiful new publication, and one which I firmly believe the fashion sphere, and the world as a whole, is better off because of.

If your interest in V&Oak has been piqued, and I do hope it has, I'm delighted to give one lucky winner the chance to win a one year subscription to V&Oak magazine (which will include the 1st edition - in which yours truly appears), constituting two issues in total (the magazine is currently published twice a year).

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How to enter:

There are seven possible ways for you to enter this giveaway, the more of them that you do, the greater your odds of winning will be.

1. Leave a comment telling me one of the reasons why you love your own unique look (be it vintage or otherwise).


2. Follow V&Oak on Twitter. 


3. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, including a @VandOAK and the hashtag #winvandoak to win your tweet.


3. Sign up for V&Oak newsletter (scroll down near the bottom right hand side of the page to do so).

4. Like V&Oak on Facebook. 


5. Like Chronically Vintage on Facebook.

6. Post about this giveaway on Facebook.

7. Post about this giveaway, including a link to this Chronically Vintage post, as well as V&Oak’s website, on your own blog. 

Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning.


Giveaway details

This giveaway is for a one year subscription (two editions) of V&Oak magazine, which will be mailed directly to you from the fine folks at V&Oak themselves. It it open to contestants from around the world, and will run from between today's date and Sunday December 1, 2013. The lucky winner will be drawn using a random number generator and contacted by me shortly thereafter (and possibly announced on the blog, too). Please email me if you have any questions about this giveaway.

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It's been several weeks now, since I first saw my own face smiling up at me from two articles in the inaugural print edition of V&Oak, and longer still since I was interviewed (including by the thoroughly wonderful Janine Rudkins from Lesley's Girls Vintage) for it, and still my feet have yet to come quite back down to earth entirely.

There are certain firsts in life that stay with your forever, especially if they're not something that most people get to experience - a camp in which I would place appearing in a glossy fashion magazine squarely into. And this was one of those amazing firsts for me. I truly want to thank V&Oak for including me in their premier print edition, and for recognizing my blog and my personal style as jiving with their ethos and vision.

I've always been a bit of a square vintage peg in a world of round holes, so to speak, and it means an incredible amount to me to know that not only are there others out there like myself, but that we have a magazine that captures the spirit and splendor of rocking a vintage and one of a kind wardrobe and life every day in countless wonderful ways to read now twice a year.

Enter to win a $50.00 gift certificate from The Best Vintage Clothing

With the winter holiday season right around the corner, many of us are starting to shift our budgets away from ourselves and towards our loved ones, or at least are scaling back on what we might otherwise opt to splash out on our own wants and needs. I've actually always really adored this element of the season, and how it guides you in putting others first - something that we should all strive to do at various times throughout the year, not only at Christmas.
 
Giving truly can better than - or at least just as marvelous as - receiving, and on that note, today I have the great pleasure of offering one lucky reader the chance win a $50.00 gift certificate to spend/put towards anything their heart desires from online vintage seller The Best Vintage Clothing.

I had the wonderful pleasure of being introduced to The Best Vintage Clothing earlier this year when the proprietor (known affectionately as Miss Kitty), contacted me about ways in which we might collaborate. Two posts were born from our lovely back and forth conversations, today's and an outfit post towards the end of last month which featured a darling heart shaped novelty brooch and earrings set from this great online vintage shop.

With roots stretching back longer than I've been alive, The Best Vintage Clothing began operating in 1980 and has been online since 1996, making it one of the oldest vintage clothing and accessories shops I've encountered on the web so far. Based out of Pennsylvania, USA, this online only shop stocks an absolute treasure trove of vintage garments and accessories spanning multiple decades and price points.




From the incredibly high end, including one of my biggest dream vintage items of all time - a stunning 1950s Dior wedding dress (pictured above), which just happens to be in my size - though not even remotely close to the fitting into my budget, to plenty of fantastic buys for under a $100 (now that's more like my wallet, and I'm sure many or yours, can handle - endlessly lucky bride though, who one day gets to call that stunning Dior wedding dress her own).

In fact, Best Vintage Clothing currently boasts more than 2,500 vintage items each under a hundred dollars, as well as free shipping on all US orders.




{Four of the beautiful vintage clothing and accessory offerings under $100.00 that The Best Vintage Clothing currently has up on their terrific site. From top left to bottom right: 1940s Betty Barclay Seersucker dress, 1940s navy blue straw hat with netting and flowers, 1950s mink bow sweater clip, 1940s daisy and dahlia print skirt.}



Best Vintage Clothing's site is really well laid out, with each category and sub category being a snap to navigate, as well as to sort by garment type/style and also price point (you can start your search by designer, if applicable, as well).

I spent a couple of solid hours on there while putting this post together and only just began to scratch the surface of seeing everything that this incredible vintage clothing seller has to offer. From a 1930s evening coat that is as timeless and elegant as can be to a darling polka dot flapper style dress from the 1920s, a dusty rose Edwardian skirt and blouse set (adore!) to a classic 1940s green rayon day dress, it was all I could do to keep from swooning clean out of my seat.

The diversity, range and sheer scope of The Best Vintage Clothing's offerings is astonishing. In addition to carrying thousands of garments and accessories (including jewelry, purses, shoes, and hats - with scores of items in each category) for women, they also have menswear and children's offerings, in addition to collectibles, ensure that there's sure to be something (or hundreds of things!) that's bound to appeal to every vintage fashion lover out there.

As that's a heading just about all of my readers fall under, it's a real treat to be able to offer one lucky giveaway participant the chance to win a $50.00 gift certificate for The Best Vintage Clothing (for use on their website) to be spent on, or put towards the overall cost of, anything your heart desires from their jaw-droppingly incredible array of vintage merchandise.


How to enter 

There are ten possible ways for you to enter this giveaway, the more of them that you do, the greater your odds of winning will be.


1. Swing by The Best Vintage Clothing site to check out their terrific offerings, then come back here and tell me about an item that you might like to put the $50.00 gift certificate towards if you win. 

2. Post about this giveaway in on your own blog, including a link to The Best Vintage Clothing, as well as one to this post, then leave a comment here with a link to your post. 

3. Like The Best Vintage Clothing on Twitter. 

4. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, including a link back to this post in your tweet. 

5. Like The Best Vintage Clothing on Facebook.

6. Post about this giveaway on Facebook, including a link to this Chronically Vintage post. 

7. Follow The Best Vintage Clothing on Tumblr. 

8. Follow The Best Vintage Clothing on Pinterest. 

9. Pin any item you like from The Best Vintage Clothing's site to any Pinterest board of your choosing (limit of one Pinterest entry per person).

10. Sign up for The Best Vintage Clothing's newsletter (scroll down near the bottom of the page to do so). As an added bonus, you'll automatically receive an email with a 20% instant coupon code when you do. 


Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning.


Giveaway details

This giveaway will run from today's date until Tuesday November 19, 2013 at 11:59 PST, and is open to readers from around the world. The winner will be drawn using a random number generator, with the winner being contacted via email shortly thereafter. The winner will receive one $50.00 US gift certificate from The Best Vintage Clothing, which the company will provide them with. Please email me if you have any questions about this giveaway.

♥ ♥ ♥

Best of luck and many thanks in advance to all those who enter, as well as my heartfelt thanks to The Best Vintage Clothing for their wonderfully kind giveaway prize. Christmas is definitely going to come early this year for the the lucky lady or gent who wins it!

Announcing the Blue Rose Vintage hat giveaway winner

A vintage hat is a thing of beauty and an incredible way to accentuate - or even star as the main event in - any outfit. I've long felt that way, and know that many of you do as well, so it was especially awesome to see the abundance of comments that poured in for our giveaway to win any vintage hat you wanted from beautiful online boutique Blue Rose Vintage.

Many of you shared some of the diverse, fascinating reasons why you adore vintage hats, posted about this giveaway across social media, and even blogged about it on your own wonderful sites. I really appreciate every entry and want to thank both those of who took part in this fab contest, as well as Blue Rose Vintage again for their generosity. Without further ado...

{Image source}

With the use of a random number generator, I'm pleased as punch to say that the winning comment number is 120 which belongs to Joleen Brown from the Miss Dolly Bow Beep.

Happiest congrats, dear gal! Please email me anytime you'd like and I'll pass along your details to the terrific folks at Blue Rose Vintage right away, who will then be in touch with you regarding picking any of their stellar vintage hats that you'd like. 

Another giveaway, this time brought to you by renowned Canadian TV and cinema production company Sullivan Entertainment (who are famed for their shows such as Road to Avonlea and Wind at My Back, as well as the much beloved Annie of Green Gables movies), that I am massively excited about, will be coming your way later this very month, so if you didn't win today, fear not, you might just hit the jackpot next time.

Have an awesome Monday, everyone - here's to a beautiful, fun filled just-about-autumn week ahead for one and all!

Enter to win any vintage hat you'd like from Blue Rose Vintage

Last Saturday I featured what has to be, bar none, one of my most flower adorned, eye-catchingly delightful vintage hats ever in this post (a photo from which appears below here as well).

A swirling, glorious garden atop my head, this hat is the kind of topper that steals the shows, in the best kind of way and I adore having a few hats with such sublime magnetism in my wardrobe. This particular beauty came by way of a stellar online seller who specializes specifically in vintage hats: Blue Rose Vintage.





As I mentioned in Saturday's post, the splendidly nice folks at Blue Rose Vintage contacted me earlier in the summer and asked if I'd be interested selecting one of these vintage chapeaus to feature on my blog. I was touched and thrilled that they were interested in working together, and couldn't say yes quickly enough. I selected the topper that I did because I'm still trying to actively up the amount of green in my wardrobe, but there were many other contenders in the running for my selection as well.

It's scarcely a secret that I love and frequently wear vintage hats (a topic that I really delved into when interviewed by Kathleen Lisson from That's a Pretty Hat last year about my passion for collecting and wearing hats). They've appeared numerous times in my vintage outfit posts here, and are a favourite component of many of the looks I've put together in posts such as those in the Vintage Fashionista Friday series.





A hat is both a work of art and a catalyst for emotion and individuality. It can be sweet and simple, wildly bold, quirky, reserved, sophisticated, playful, enigmatic, daring, enchanting, cute, dramatic, or just about anything else one can possibly imagine, depending on its design, how its styled in the scope of an ensemble, and the person sporting it in the first place.

Sometimes when I post photos of myself wearing a hat, or discuss the topic of hats here on my blog, I receive comments in which people say that they like/love hats, but are wary of trying to wear one themselves. I get that, believe me I do.

In today's day and age, hats are not the fashion mainstay and integral element of an outfit that they had historically been for hundreds of years. A lot of people who were born from 1960 onward, and especially those born in the 80s or even more recently, may have had little (if any) experience wearing a fashionable hat before and it can be intimidating to picture yourself walking down the street in a beautiful hat when no one else around you in wearing one these days.





I believe firmly in wearing what you love however, no matter if others are doing it to or not, and highly encourage anyone with an interest in hats to try one out. It doesn't have to overly fanciful by any means. Pick a classic vintage hat style, such a beret, fedora, tilt or platter hat, in a neutral hue and wear it with one of your absolute favourite outfits, that you already feel confident in. This way you'll be more inclined to not feel as self-conscious while bopping around town, your workplace, school, wherever you may find yourself in your lovely topper.

Chances are, the more you wear hats, the more you will come to adore and feel comfortable wearing them. Believe me when I say that vintage hats are like potato chips, it's exceedingly hard to stop at just one!





Many of us in the vintage world already know this point well however, and find our shelves, walls, and closets teaming with a bevy of old school chapeaus, which we gleefully don at every turn.

This is the camp I'd place myself squarely into, and as such I truly loved getting opportunity to select a hat from Blue Rose Vintage, an online boutique shop that began life offering all kinds of vintage fashion offerings two years ago, but quickly developed into a specialized seller of quite simply, and wonderfully, nothing but fabulous vintage hats (like the examples, all from Blue Rose Vintage, peppered throughout this post).

Their offerings span a wide range of decades (think 1900s - 1970s), depending on the current listings, are reasonably priced in today's market, expertly curated and photographed, and are made up of an inventory that's updated on a daily basis all year round, meaning you could potentially find a new vintage treasure for yourself every time you visited Blue Rose's elegantly lovely website.





Today I'm delighted to be teaming up with Blue Rose Vintage to bring one lucky reader the chance to win any hat they'd like from this awesome vintage hat seller's inventory.

Please note that that the winner will select the hat they want to receive once the contest has wrapped up and the winning name has been drawn, simply because of the revolving nature of Blue Rose's offerings.


How to enter


You may enter however many of the following ways you would like, with one entry per method, up to a maximum of nine different entries in total.


1. Post about this giveaway on your own blog, including a link back to this Chronically Vintage post and Blue Rose Vintage's website. Leave a comment here letting me know all about your lovely post.
2. Comment here telling me one or more of the reasons why you love vintage hats.

3. Like Blue Rose Vintage on Facebook.
4. Post about this giveaway on Facebook, including a link back to your post in the comments here.
5. Pin any of Blue Rose Vintage's offerings to any Pinterest board you'd like, including a link back to the pin in the comments here.
6. Follow Blue Rose Vintage on Tumblr.
7. Follow Blue Rose Vintage on Twitter.
8. Tweet about giveaway on Twitter, mentioning @BluRoseVintage and in your message. Post a comment here with a link back to your tweet.


9. Subscribe to Blue Rose Vintage's Quarterly Newsletter (signup is located at the bottom of their homepage).


Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning.

This contest is open between today (August 28, 2013) and Friday September 6, 2013, with the winner being drawn using a random number generator the following day and announced in a blog post here shortly thereafter. It is open to winners worldwide.

♥ ♥ ♥

A vintage hat is truly is a special element of one's outfit, whether you wear yesteryear styles or are more of a modern style maven, and it's wonderful that we have specialized online boutiques like Blue Rose Vintage available to us 24/7 to shop for classic, beautiful vintage hats (especially if, like me, you happen to live somewhere with exceedingly few vintage shops in your area).

I know that I'm going to treasure my green 1940s floral hat for many years to come and hope that the lucky winner will adore the hat they select every bit as much.





Thank you very much to Blue Rose Vintage for this marvelous giveaway, and to all those who enter for the chance to win any hat they'd like from Blue Rose's gorgeous selection of vintage toppers. Best of luck to everyone!

Announcing the Chatterblossom giveaway winner, plus a cool update on yesterday's vintage photo post, and Tony's upcoming birthday

Phew! Now how's that for a lengthy, descriptive title! :) As you can no doubt deduct, today's quick little post is about all three of those things - in that order. To begin with, I'm pleased as punch to announce the winner of last week's awesome giveaway for a $25.00 gift certificate from etsy handmade, vintage, and upcycled jewelry and hair accessory seller, ChatterBlossom.

Comments poured in throughout the week, with an end total of 106 entries being received. In the early morning hours, before the sun had even broken through the horizon, I used a trusty random number generator to select that lucky winner today and am delighted to say that it's none other than commenter Dolly Madison!




Many happy congrats, dear gal! Please email me anytime with your contact information for me to pass along to Jaime from ChatterBlossom.

Thank you very much to each and every one of you who entered this giveaway. There are others lined up for the second half of the year, so if you didn't win this time around, fear not, there's always the potential chance you may in the not-too-distant future.

In celebration of the August long weekend and B.C. Day (today!), yesterday I posted a charming vintage photograph of some B.C. beauty queens from the 1940s, which then lead my dear husband, as well as two of my awesome blog readers and fellow vintage loving friends (Kathleen and Marija) to do some clever detective work, which they all very sweetly shared with me and that I'm happy to pass along to all of you here right now.

According to this wonderful page from a local photographer, Stuart Bish, which chronicles all of the Miss Penticton winners from 1948 to the present day, Miss Penticton (seen in yesterday's photograph) was one Joyce Nasica (Warrington).

Tony (a stellar online bloodhound, if ever there was one) was also able to find another lovely photograph of Joyce Nasica, pictured below on the right with two other ladies (as well he unearthed that Miss Kamloops in yesterday’s photo was named June Carlson née Cornwall.)



{Image source}

 

Further adding to the fact filled history fun, Marija discovered that in 1949, the title of Miss Canada, though not awarded to Joyce, did indeed go to a British Columbian named Margaret Lynn Munn, who was Miss Vancouver that year. Thank you very much, all three of you, for your top-notch vintage sleuthing! If I, or anyone else, finds out further information pertaining to this photograph, I will be sure to post another update here.

Speaking of my cute-as-a-button husband, guess whose birthday it is tomorrow? That's right, none other than Tony, who will be turning 33 years old the moment the clock strikes midnight on August 6th.

While most of what transpires on this blog is helmed by me, Chronically Vintage absolutely would not be what it is today if not for Tony's behind the scenes (technical/programming) help, as well as for the tireless work he does all year around as my personal photographer.

I love him dearly for this and an unending number of other reasons. He's my sweet, brilliant, funny, brave, reliable, handsome, truly awesome soul mate and best friend in the universe, and I feel so incredibly blessed to celebrate another of his special days (the ninth since we met back in '04) together.

{Vintage birthday card image via Vintage Party Paper on etsy}

Happiest Birthday Eve - and Day - wishes, my darling! I love you with all that I am and ever will. May each and every last thing that your heart desires come true!!!

Enter to win a $25 ChatterBlossom gift certificate

Last month I had the great pleasure of having etsy jewelry shop ChatterBlossom as one of my June blog sponsors. As you may recall from the closing lines of this post all about ChatterBlossom, I promised you that a giveaway from this terrific shop would soon take place and today I'm delighted to bring you just that.



{Bloom by Morning clematis small Victoria button cocktail ring. $18.00}

Featuring a vast array of handmade, upcycled, vintage and antique jewelry and accessories (such as hair flowers and headbands), ChatterBlossom's creations are diverse, appealing and timelessly pretty. On of the things I most like about this shop's offerings (which are created by Jamie Lee, who runs an awesome blog also called ChatterBlossom) is how there's something to suit nearly everyone's taste in jewelry.



{Let's Fall in Love pastel peony silk hair flower clip. $24.00}

Though common threads - understated elegance, a love of buttons, and a definite spirit of the past, for example - run though each handmade creation, Jamie offers up a wide range of different pieces, some of which are more girly, others full on vintage, some appealingly minimalist and all teeming with a sense of classic beauty. Nearly everyone loves jewelry and/or accessories, so chances are there's one or more offerings in ChatterBlossom's (frequently updated) listings that are sure to catch your eye.



{Gulf Stream mother of pearl vintage shell pendant and necklace. $12.00}

Want to win a $25 ChatterBlossom gift certificate to put towards any of Jamie's terrific pieces like those shown throughout this post? Of course you do! :) And as such we've got not one, not two, but seven ways for you to potentially win.


1.) Go to ChatterBlossom's etsy shop, take a gander through the delightful offerings there, and comment here letting me know which piece is your favourite and what kind of outfit you might partner it with.

2.) Add ChatterBlossom to your list of favourites on etsy.

3.) Follow ChatterBlossom on Twitter.

4.) Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter then come back here and post a link to your tweet.

5.) Follow ChatterBlossom on Pinterest.

6.) Pin any image from ChatterBlossom's etsy shop to any of your Pinterest boards, then comment here with a link to that pin (please note, while you can pin however many items you like, there is a limit of one entry per person for this giveaway entry option).

7.) Blog about this giveaway on your site, including a link back to this post in your own. Once you've done that, pop back here to let me know in a comment with a link to your post.
Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning.


This giveaway will run until 11:59pm PST on Sunday August 5, 2013, with the winner being drawn using a random number generator the next day and announced in a blog post here shortly thereafter. It is open to readers from around the world.
ChatterBlossom's pieces are sweet and sophisticated, timeless and more than a little bit treasure chest worthy. It's awesome to partner with Jamie again to offer you this giveaway, and I really want to thank her for the opportunity to do just that.

Best of luck to one and all who enter - be sure to tune in here next week to find out who the lucky $25 gift certificate winner is!

Announcing the Spear of Summer Grass book giveaway winners

Happy Monday evening greetings, my dears, can you believe that we're already into the last week of May? Where on earth did this month zoom off to at the speed of light and then some?

Though there were some long moments for me, overall it was pretty darn speedy, very much including the last week, which included a giveaway post that offered up two copies of author Deanna Raybourn's captivating new novel A Spear of Summer Grass.





This giveaway was a touch different that most that we've held here before, because it involved having two prizes (copies of the same book) to bestow on two lucky winners: one from Canada or America, the other from anywhere else in the world.

The North American winner will receive their copy directly from the publisher, the international winner will receive their from me (the publisher will be mailing it out to me very soon, and I in turn will send it to you as soon as it reaches me - that book will definitely be logging some major frequent flyer miles! :)).

Using a random number generator (separating the North American commenters from the international ones and drawing from the total number of comments in each of those two groups), the following two winning comments were selected.


North American winner: Jill from Tea with the Vintage Baroness

International winner: Erika from Swingin' it in vintage


Happiest congrats, ladies! I'm thrilled for you both and hope that you enjoy this lovely page turner that's set in 1920s Africa as much as I did. Please email me anytime with your mailing address so that I can pass it along to the publisher (for Jill) and post out the other copy (to Erika).

I really appreciate all of the comments that poured in for this fun giveaway - which, interestingly, was the first one we've held in more than four years of this blog's life for a book (I highly suspect it won't be the last though).

Fear not if your number was drawn this time around, I have (at least) three more giveaways slated for the coming summer months, so there will plenty of other chances for you to potentially land a great vintage related prize of your own in the coming weeks.

Book giveaway and review: A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

 It's a safe bet to say that the twentieth century decade that is on most people's lips these days in the 1920s, a fact that is spurred on largely by the latest film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, The Great Gatsby, which recently hits theaters across the world. I've always been a Fitzgerald fan and looking forward to seeing this film asap; however the roaring twenties have been on my mind for months now, long before DiCaprio sashayed onto the big screen as Jay Gatsby.

The reason for this stems almost entirely from the fact that last year, as I mentioned in this post, Tony I finally started watching the show Boardwalk Empire, were instantly hooked, and promptly worked our way through every single episode that had been released up until that point.

There are many reasons to enjoy this show, but without a doubt one of the main ones for me has been the superb, detail oriented costuming. Unlike many shows and movies that have been set in the twenties over the years, Boardwalk Empire doesn't just focus on flapper fashions (though there are scads of those, too), but instead encompasses a wide range of clothing that women of various socioeconomic classes wore during the era.

It's refreshing to see such outfits, and to imagine what I would have been likely to have worn myself had I been alive at the time. Between the hair (including some longer, non-bobbed styles), make-up, and clothes presented on the show, a passion for the twenties was rekindled in a new way in my heart, and I've found myself more and more drawn towards the era ever since.

As such, when I was recently contacted by a lovely lady from Big Honcho Media on behalf of Harlequin Books who was curious to know if I'd like to review (and hold a giveaway for) a copy of New York Times best selling author Deanna Raybourn's latest release, A Spear of Summer Grass, which is set in the 1920s, I gladly jumped at the chance.

I tend to be much more of a non-fiction and classic lit reader, generally spending considerably less time with modern fiction than either of those two categories. As such, it was a refreshing change of pace to settle in with a hot-off-the-presses piece of contemporary fiction recently while I continued to recover from my surgery in April.

A Spear of Summer Grass tells the tale of a young woman named Delilah Drummond, who boasts both a checked past and a rather sorted present, and who finds herself fleeing her wild life in Paris, when a particular scandal (involving her recently deceased husband) begins taking up too much space in the gossip columns.

Leaving Europe and nearly everyone she knows (save for her cousin, Dodo) behind, Delilah embarks to Kenya, where she takes up residence in one of her ex-stepfather's (Delilah's mother doesn't exactly have a spotless record in the romance department herself) homes, which is called Fairlight. Gradually she finds herself falling for both the exotic landscape and a chap named Ryder White who acts as her guide in this foreign, exciting, beautiful - and at times dangerous - landscape.

Drama, seductive romance, intrigue and life lessons a plenty unfold for Delilah as her stay in Kenya continues, while Raybourn takes the reader on their own journey through this corner of the the Dark Continent, painting a vivid, engaging picture of a time and place that both seem wildly distant and close enough to reach out and touch. The plot, centered as it may be in the 1920s, could just as easily have taken place twenty, forty, or even some ninety years later, in the present day world, a trait which I didn't find off-putting in the slightest to the context of this tale.

The storyline moves along fluidly and enjoyably, and one finds themselves empathizing to a certain degree with each twist and plot turn that comes Ms. Drummond's way (some of which are, undoubtedly more than a little self-inflicted), as well how she often tries to make the best of the less than stellar situation she finds herself amply thrust into at Fairlight, where life is rarely a bed of African violets for her.

Delilah, like most memorable literary characters is rather far from perfect, but one finds in her a a certain reliability and the desire to see life ultimately work out for this enigmatic, troubled, adventurous young woman before the final chapter comes to a close.

This is the first book by Deanna Raybourn (who is well known for her Lady Julie Grey series) that I've ever read, and overall I quite enjoyed it. Raybourn shines as a writer when it comes to the lyrical, captivating way she describes the landscape of Kenya, and it was this element of the story that I found myself most enjoying as the book progressed. A Blade of Summer Grass was what I'd consider to be a light, enjoyable, easy read. The 1920s timeframe and African backdrop worked well together, and created an imaginary setting that one could easily picture themselves in, perhaps under different circumstances, too.

If, like me, you're in a 1920s mood these days or simply enjoy a good historical fiction read, then I've got great news for you, because this week we're giving away two paperback copies of A Spear of Summer Grass.

One copy will go to a reader in either Canada or America, and will be shipped out from the publisher. The other is up for grabs by one lucky reader from anywhere else in the whole wide world and will be sent to you from me directly (the books themselves that each reader will receive are identical, it's just that the only way I could open this giveaway up to readers around the world was to mail out that copy myself).

You can earn as many as six separate entries in this giveaway, by doing any (or all) of the following things.

1. Leave a comment in which you tell me one or more reasons, of any kind, why you like the 1920s.

2. Like Chronically Vintage on Facebook.

3. Post about this giveaway on Facebook, providing a link back to your post in your comment here.

4. Follow Chronically Vintage on Twitter.

5. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, including a link back to this post in your tweet.

6. Write about this giveaway on your own site, including a link back to this post. Once you've done so, be sure to come back and leave a comment letting me know about your post.

Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning. 

This giveaway will run until 11:59 PST on Sunday May 26, 2013, and will, as detailed above, have two winners - one from either Canada or America, and one from any other country in the world. Both winners will be drawn using a random number generator and will be announced in a blog post here within 48 hours of the giveaway concluding.

I found Deanna Raybourn's latest offering to be precisely the kind of book that be perfect for a day of leisurely reading on the beach (where no doubt the sand beneath your toes would only help add further dimension to the author’s beautiful descriptions of Kenya) or anytime you're in the mood for a the kind of face paced, easy-to-get-through story that is packed with the promise of romance, excitement, and early twentieth century life.

Thank you very much in advance to all those who enter this giveaway for a chance to win your own copy of A Spear of Summer Grass. Best of luck to everyone!