Giving away a $75 gift certificate from CollectibleSpectacle!

Vintage eyewear, the very words conjure up instant thoughts of everything from 1950s teenagers in winged cat eye frames to the thick black, and tortoise shelled, rims of the beat generation. For some this fabulous genre of accessories may invoke images of finely constructed early twentieth century wire frames, to others it may mean an oversized pair of mod 60s sunglasses or the understated cool of a sleek set of browline glasses, but no matter what the words vintage eyewear spark in your imagination, there’s no denying that old school specs are works of art.

Long before my eyesight decided to head south in a hurry (about 3.5 years ago, thank you very much, myopia!), I’d adored vintage glasses. Their sleek – at times almost sensuous – curves, iconic shapes, perfectly aged colours, and overall allure beckoning my vintage loving soul to their ascetic splendour. Judging by the trove of fellow vintage aficionados, as well as those with a penchant for great style in general, that embrace classic frames as well, it’s clear I’m far from alone in my passion for gorgeous vintage glasses.

One needn’t actually be afflicted by eye woes to sport vintage eyeglasses, and therein lies so much of their charm. You can turn a pair of frames into sunglasses or have plain glass (lenses) put into them, if you’d like to use them as a charming accessory, instead of as a vision aid. If you do sport specs for medical reasons, it’s usually very easy to have a professional put in your prescription strength lenses, thereby allowing you to wear most any vintage pair of glasses your heart desires.

If you’re a fan of vintage eyewear, then this post is for you, because I’m thrilled to announce that Chronically Vintage has teamed up with the fabulous etsy seller CollectibleSpectacle, to offer readers of this blog the chance to win a $75.00 gift certificate† to put towards whatever your heart desires from CollectibleSpectacle’s delightful array of vintage frames.

Founded by a lovely woman with two generations of optometrists in her family tree, and a deeply rooted passion for amazing vintage eyewear, CollectibleSpectacle offers customers a skilfully hand-selected assortment of eyeglass frames that span the decades of the 1950s through to the 1980s (with an emphasis on stunning 1950s styles). The frames that they offer are bursting with charm, character and timeless appeal. Many are highly sought after collector pieces, yet the price tags that CollectibleSpectacle puts on their offerings are entirely reasonable, thus allowing fans of vintage eyewear to easily add a piece of the past to their wardrobe.

The image below shows a sampling of some of my favourite frames that CollectibleSpectacle currently has in stock (they rotate in new frames frequently, and are also happy to take requests if you’re hunting for something in particle, making this etsy seller one to bookmark for sure!) – talk about dreamy vintage glasses if ever there were!




Giveaway details

This wonderful giveaway will run between today (July 5th) and Monday July 12, 2010 (contest closes at 11:59pm EST), and is open to Chronically Vintage readers from around the globe. One lucky winner will be drawn at random on July 13th, and announced here in a blog post (I will also contact the winner directly to let them know that they’ve won).

I want my readers to have as many chances as possible to win this marvellous prize from CollectibleSpectacle, so there are five ways for you to earn as many as five entries in this giveaway.


1.) Post a comment below about your favourite pair of frames from CollectibleSpectacle’s etsy shop, and/or tell me about anything you’d like regarding vintage eyeglasses (e.g., if you wear them, why you love them, how big your collection is!).

2.) Post about this giveaway, including a link back to this announcement post on Chronically Vintage, on your own blog, telling your readers about this contest (if you'd like to use the photo collage I created above, just right click on it to save it to your desktop). Once you’ve written about the giveaway, come back here and let me know you’ve done so by leaving a comment with a link back to your post.

3.) Add Chronically Vintage to your blog roll (or other area of your site/blog where you list some of your favourite blogs) – or inform me if you’re already doing so. Stop by to let me know in the comment section that CV’s on your blog roll, and you’ll gain another entry for the contest.

4.) Become (or let me know if you already are) a Google Follower of Chronically Vintage (see the right hand side bar to join), then take a moment and leave a comment saying so.

5.) Spread the good word about this contest via Twitter or Facebook (you can find CollectableSpectacle on Twitter and on Facebook, the latter of which they’ve recently created a fan page for). Again, be sure to jot down a comment letting me know you’ve done so.


Everybody is welcome to enter in however many of the five ways they wish, just be sure that you let me know about each entry in a separate comment, to better enhance your chances of winning (four comments for example, would give you four entries into the contest, thus four potential chances to win!). Please remember to post a separate comment for each entry!


I wish everyone who participates the absolute best of luck and thank you all in advance for taking part in this exciting vintage eyewear giveaway!





† Note that etsy does not issue site wide gift certificates, instead CollectibleSpectacle will issue you a credit from their shop for $75.00 (US) that you can use towards the purchase of whatever you like from their stock. Please email if you'd like further details about about this point.

Announcing the winner of the $100 LA Vintage online shopping spree

This month Chronically Vintage had the pleasure of teaming up with one of the hottest online retro and vintage sellers, LA Vintage, to bring you a wonderfully fun giveaway for a $100 online shopping spree on their site.

Scores of entry poured in over the two weeks that this contest, which wrapped up at 11:59pm EST last night, was going on, and today I have the absolute joy of announcing the lucky winner (whose comment number was drawn using an online random number generator).

Without further ado, the winner is comment number 5, which just happens to belong to none other than the phenomenally gorgeous and talented, Mary Van Notes.


{Mary’s impeccable vintage style, intelligent whit, adorable cartoon drawings, and entertaining blog entries are endlessly interesting and inspiring. If you don’t already count her amongst your friends, hop on over to Mary’s blog and check out the world of vintage wonder this fantastic gal has created!}


Huge congratulations, Mary, I’m so thrilled for you and hope you have an absolute blast picking up a new vintage treasure or two for yourself amongst the wonderful wears that LA Vintage offers. Please contact me via email whenever you like, sweet dear, with your name and the email address you’d like to receive your $100 coupon code from LA Vintage at.

Scores of thanks go out to each and every one of you who participated in this contest (you left a combined total of 84 comments!); I sincerely appreciate you doing so and loved reading each of your comments. Fear not, even if you didn’t win this time around, there will be plenty of other contests held on Chronically Vintage in the future (I already have another one in the works for later this spring).

You’re all the greatest, thanks again for entering this lovely giveaway. I really hope you each have a gorgeous Monday and week ahead, my darlings!

Today’s Vintage Treasure: March 11, 2010

{The moment my eyes laid sight on this unbelievably adorable coin purse, I knew I share all of its vintage-meets-kawaii goodness with you! Bedecked with a darling Hawaiian hula girl, this festively cute little bag (it measures 2.5 inches in diameter) would be the perfect thing to use as a tiny carry-all come summer, any time you’re sporting a tiki themed ensemble, or whenever you’d like to infuse a darling dose of Polynesian style into your look. This sweet-as-a-tropical-drink coin purse (which is made from vegan faux leather with a screen printed design and metal snap closure) can be had for $14.00 from a brand called Fluff and is available on Amazon.com.}


Speaking of fashionably cute things, I want to thank everyone who’s entered Chronically Vintage’s latest giveaway so far. If you’ve not done so already, be sure to swing by Monday’s post and enter for your chance to win a $100.00 online shopping spree from LA Vintage (they have some really fun pieces, so be sure that you try your luck at winning this fantastic contest).

Giant wishes for a blissful Thursday, to one and all!

Giving away a $100 online shopping spree from LA Vintage

As the plethora of photos and posts on many of the wonderful vintage blogs in our community attests to, as a collective group, we are an immensely stylish bunch. Our tastes veer not to the “it” trend of the moment, but to the alluring, sometimes elegant, sometimes wonderfully playful world of vintage clothing – and the fact that wearing such pieces immediately helps to elevate our look above the cookie cutter styles sported by so many these days.

I know that like myself, many of you are massive fans of fashion, too, and I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re rather keen on fantastic blog giveaways (really, who isn’t?). Put those two interests together and you have the recipe for Chronically Vintage’s brand new blog contest!

This week I’ve teamed up with a stellar US site by the name of LA Vintage, in order to offer you, my amazing readers, the chance to win a $100.00 online shopping spree from this sleek, vibrant shop.

For those who may not have had the joy of exploring LA Vintage’s site yet, let me tell you a tad about this lovely online vintage clothing shop. With an eclectic mix of pieces spanning the 1950s to the 80s, this easy-to-navigated site is filled with excellent photos (of real live models – so you can get a sense of how a garment will actually look on a real person) sporting the terrific range of constantly revolving items LA Vintage stocks.

One of the things that endears me to this great vintage clothing site is that they have a wide selection of pieces (think adorable dresses, versatile separates, mod boots, timelessly lovely accessories) in both average and plus sizes (I adamantly believe that everyone should have the chance to rock vintage fashions, no matter their size!), as well as an array of menswear items (an area that far too many online vintage sellers overlook).

LA Vintage stocks a diverse assortment of items, from flashy disco era dresses to adorable full skirts from the 80s that could very easily be worked into a beautiful 1950s inspired outfit. Amongst the slightly more modern pieces, one can sometimes find vintage items hailing from the 50s. Each item LA Vintage stocks is unique (in other words, each garment or accessory is vintage/retro and generally the only one of its kind being offered amongst the sites wares).



{A sampling of some of the pieces that really caught my eye on LA Vintage’s website, aren’t their photos wonderfully redolent of those from the pages of a glossy fashion magazine?}


LA Vintage recently celebrated their first anniversary of being online (with roots stretching back to the early 90s), and I must say, they’ve built up a really great site in the span of just one year. I was tickled pink when LA Vintage offered me the chance to extend a $100.00 shopping spree to one of my readers, and really want to thank them for doing so!

Now, when I say “shopping spree”, what I mean is that the lucky winner will receive a coupon code from LA Vintage which will enable them to save $100.00 upon checkout. You do not have to purchase anything else or be a pre-existing customer. This coupon code is the online equivalent of a $100.00 gift certificate that you’re free to spend on whatever item(s) you’d like from this stylish site.

Today marks the first day of the giveaway, which is going run until 11:59pm on Sunday March 21, 2010. LA Vintage ships internationally, so I’m positively delighted to say that this contest is open to all of my readers worldwide. On March 22nd, I’ll randomly draw one lucky winner and announce that person’s name in a post. From there whoever wins will need to zip an email my way with their name and email address, which I will pass along to the folks at LA Vintage who will provide you with your coupon code so you can get start shopping! :)

I want you all to have as many chances as possible to win this great prize from LA Vintage, so there are five ways for you to earn as many as five entries in this giveaway.


-Post a comment below telling me your favourite item from LA Vintage’s site, or what kind of item you’d like to find there if you’re the lucky winner.

-Post about this giveaway, including a link back to this announcement post on Chronically Vintage, on your own blog, telling your readers about this contest (if you'd like to use the photo collage I created above, just right click on it to save it to your desktop). Once you’ve written about the giveaway, come back here and let me know you’ve done so by leaving a comment with a link back to your post.

-Spread the good word about this contest via Twitter. Leave a comment here letting me know you’ve done so (this is also a great way for us to follow each other on Twitter, if we’re not already doing so!)

-Add Chronically Vintage to your blog roll (or other area of your site/blog where you list some of your favourite blogs) – or let me know if you’re already doing so. Stop by to let me know in the comment section that CV’s on your blog roll, and you’ll gain another entry for the contest.

-Become (or let me know if you already are) a Google Follower of Chronically Vintage (see the right hand side bar to join). Again, be sure to jot down a comment letting me know you’ve done so.


Everybody is welcome to enter in however many of the five ways they wish, just be sure that you let me know about each entry in a separate comment, to better enhance your chances of winning (four comments for example, would give you four entries into the contest, thus four potential chances to win!). Please remember to post a separate comment for each entry!

I wish everyone who participates the absolute best of luck and thank you all in advance for taking part in this marvellous, vintage fashion filled blog giveaway!

Today’s Vintage Treasure: March 7, 2010

{Perhaps it’s the fact that the temperature here is sitting at a very pleasant (well at least when compared with the fiercely snowy days we had just a couple of weeks ago!) 10°(C), or the wonderful thought that before the month is up, spring will have sprung once again, whatever the case may be, my mind has already turned to thoughts of summer.

With such daydreams comes the reality that our little apartment sorely lacks air conditioning! Naturally this means that once the temps begin skyrocketing, we start flicking on the fans in a hurry. Whether you have (the luxurious joy of) AC or not, this strikingly lovely vintage industrial fan would look just as gorgeous as an objet d’art as it would as a means of beating the heat. This sturdy industrial tabletop fan is fully operational and can be had for $68.00 (US) – which is surely less than the cost of the all ice cream you’d have to eat to stay cold without it :D – from etsy seller Lucky Little Dot.}


How are your weekends going, my sweet dears? I have joyful news to let you in on a smidge in advance of the actual announcement post...tomorrow I’m going to be kicking off the start of a new (and if I may say so myself, absolutely awesome!) blog giveaway contest. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but I will give you a hint by mentioning that the prize relates to vintage fashion.

February was a bit of a touch month for me as I sought solace and time to sort my thoughts out during a mini blogcation, and a great many of you were there for me every step of the way, roviding me immensely helpful comments, caring words and excellent suggestions. For both that and all of the terrific comments you’ve left lately on various posts, I felt the least I could do was hold a new blog giveaway as a way of expressing my sincere thanks to all of you.

Wishing you each a blissful (Oscar night) evening and a week ahead that bursts with an abundance of sunshine and serenity!

And the winner of the vintage art giveaway is...

Comment number 23, which just happens to belong to none other than Amy of The Bargain Hunter Extraordinaire!


{Here’s the gorgeous winner herself, if you haven’t visited Amy splendid site before, be sure to pay her a visit - you'll be thrilled that you did! Her outfit posts, centred around incredible deals and are a marvelous blend of modern pieces and vintage style.}

Huge congratulations, Amy! You left such sweet comments and were so thoughtful to spread the word about this giveaway on your fantastic blog. Please email me any time with your complete mailing address and I will get the gorgeous set of Jessie Willcox Smith prints out to you right away!

Thank you dearly to absolutely everyone who left comments (and blogged about the contest on your own sites) for this giveaway, which received over 60 terrific comments. I definitely plan to offer many further giveaways in the future, so please stay tuned, you never know when you might end up winning a little something lovely from Chronically Vintage ♥

Chronically Vintage is giving away a gorgeous set of Jessie Willcox Smith vintage art prints

The walls in my apartment are, by and large, on the bare side. So much so that when my mom came to visit last spring she asked me why that was the case (curiously, not judgmentally, I should point out). The reason is twofold: artwork, even prints often cost a pretty penny, and secondly, I haven’t chanced upon too many shops selling pieces that spoke to my personal decor style and taste in art.

It was with absolute elation then that I read a recent email from a Canadian company called TJ Whitneys Traditional Toys that recently arrived in my in-box. The message asked if I’d like to review one of their products, a timelessly elegant set of art cards featuring vintage images of children in various scenes, and offer a second set to my readers. I jumped at the opportunity, because, the moment I saw the charmingly beautiful cards in question, they captured my vintage loving heart.

Strung on cheerfully colourful organza ribbon in various hues, the set of eight art cards I received in the post this past week are immensely lovely. Coming in at 8.5 by 8.5 inches, each card features a different vintage image by a talented artist named Jessie Willcox-Smith.

Born in 1863, Smith, who grew up in Pennsylvania where she attended the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, was revered in her day and has long been celebrated beyond her lifetime for the engaging, beautiful American artwork she created for many publications (such as Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Collier’s Weekly, Harper’s, and McClures). Though she passed away in the 1930s, Smith’s work continues to be appreciated and sought after by many who treasure the carefree elegance and honest simplicity of childhood she so resplendently captured in her beautiful illustrations.

As you can see in the photo below (which comes from the Traditional Toys website), these cards are amazing. One print on its own would be a wonderful treat, but eight cards combined create a masterpiece of a set that has instantaneously enlivened one of my bedroom walls and brought a great deal of effervescent cheer to my home’s decor.



Anytime I’m asked to review a product I do so sincerely and without bias, but the simple truth is I adore these cards! They’re well printed on sturdy paper and strung with pretty ribbon – just the type of artwork I would love to give many of my vintage adoring friends as gifts (they’d be amazing as baby shower presents for a nursery, but work equally well in a home with older children or no kids at all, such as my own house). They feature engaging, classically enjoyable images from the last 19th and early 20th century that are bound to appeal to vintage art enthusiasts, and really do liven up any room.

I feel honoured to adorn my walls with these beautiful cards and am very thankful to Traditional Toys for allowing me the chance to review and giveaway one of their fine products.

Starting today and running until Monday November 30, 2009 at 11:59pm (EST), I’m delighted to offer you, my fantastic readers (who are an integral part of helping to make Chronically Vintage what it is) a chance to win your own set (identical to the ones pictured above) of eight Jessie Willcox Smith vintage art cards, which retail for $48.00, from Traditional Toys.

To enter for your chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. If you write about this giveaway on your own blog/site and then come back and tell me about it, you’ll automatically be entered a second time. That’s it! I’m not a fan of elaborate blog giveaway rules that want you to jump through hoops, instead I’d much rather ensure this contest is open to every single one of my amazing readers who leave a comment.

This giveaway is open to Chronically Vintage readers worldwide, so no matter where you live, please don’t hesitate to enter. One lucky winner will be drawn at random on December 1st, and announced via a blog post that same day. Best of luck to all who enter!

And the winner of the Alessi kitchen timer from AllModern.com is...

A wonderful response followed the announcement of Chronically Vintage’s first ever giveaway, over twenty people entered for a chance to take home a chic Alessi kitchen timer. Your comments were each terrific! It was marvelous to read what you’d use this darling vintage looking timer for, and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everybody who took the time to enter.



{The immortally beautiful Grace Kelly holds up the Oscar she won for best actress in 1955. Via Hollywood Golden Guy.}


Using a random number generator I imputed the number of comments that the giveaway post received, calling the first comment "number one" and so one (there were 24 comments from readers so the winning number was generated from between the numbers 1 and 24), and I’m super delighted to report that the entirely random winner is...

Comment number seven, which belongs to Tracey of At Home on the Ridge! Tracey left the following lovely comment as her entry.

“Looks great,, I love how retro it is. I have to say my favorite recipe really doesn't need a timer, but I'd still like to have one! It's called an Icebox Cake. My mom used to make it for our family and it's very easy. The hardest part is finding sponge cake! I can't seem to find it anywhere, it I guess I'll have to break down and bake one when the weather gets cooler! Looking forward to 100 more!”

Huge congrats, Tracey, I’m delighted for you! Please contact me any time via email with your full mailing address and selection of timer colour (red, blue, or black), so that I can pass along this information to the fine folks over at AllModern.com who will be mailing out "Anna" the Alessi kitchen timer (shown below) directly to you.

Many thanks to everyone who entered this contest. Each of your comments and feedback was greatly appreciated. Sincere thanks also to AllModern.com for pairing up with me to help make my first blog contest such a shinning success!

I plan to hold many other contests on this site in the future, so please stay tuned for your chance to win the next Chronically Vintage giveaway!

Win a chic Alessi kitchen timer from AllModern.com and Chronically Vintage!

To celebrate the fact that Chronically Vintage hit its 100th post yesterday, I’ve decided to hold my first giveaway ever on this site!

The fine folks over at home decor specialists AllModern.com have a super cute, mid-century modern inspired kitchen timer (valued at $68 US) to give away to one lucky reader of this blog. If you’ve never heard of All Modern before, let me tell you a bit about the company in their own words, “All Modern has a fantastic selection of modern furniture and home accessories from many leading designers. Part of CSN Stores, All Modern is just one of over 260 retail sites that offer a diverse array of products from Herman Miller’s popular Aeron Chair to cookware by Rachael Ray.”

I’ve been a fan of this site, which while teaming with very modern pieces (as one might gather from the name), also offers a range of retro and vintage looking pieces, for some time now and was thrilled to no end when they contact me wanting to know if my readers would interested in winning one of their wonderful products. Naturally I knew my lovely readers would be, so I jumped at the chance to offer you an opportunity to win an All Modern product.

Crafted by well-known Italian designer and architect Alessando Mendini, the sleek, whimsical timer that’s up for grabs here would be perfect not only in the kitchen but for any number of timed tasks around the house. I use my kitchen timer (which is nowhere even remotely as nice looking as this one) at least once a day, especially because the one on my stove doesn’t work any longer. This timer would also look beautiful simply as an object d’art in your kitchen or any other room of the house.

The timer (pictured above) is made of chrome-plated Zamak and ABS plastic, it’s a little under 5 inches tall and about 4 inches wide. It comes in blue, red or black and the winner will be able to pick which of those three colours they’d like to receive.

Please note, this contest will be open to US and Canadian residents, as the timer is being shipped directly from All Modern, and they do not currently ship beyond North America. I sincerely apologize about this to my international readers.

The contest will run until Tuesday August 25th at 11:59pm EST. One lucky winner will selected entirely at random the following day, and will be announced in a blog post here on the 26th. The lucky winner will then need to email me with their name and shipping address (and what colour timer you’d like to receive) so that I can pass your info along to All Modern, who will ship out your Alessi timer directly to you.

If you’d like to try your luck at winning this cool Timer (whose named is Anna, by the way), all you have to do is comment on this post and tell me your favourite recipe (vintage or modern) that you’d use this timer to help you cook, of if you prefer, your favourite use for a timer in general.

Good luck to everyone who enters - and thank you to all my amazing readers for helping Chronically Vintage to reach its 100th post. This blog would not be the same without you!

Vixen Vintage is giving away a gorgeous hat!

By now I know that many of you have already read about the fantastic giveaway contest that’s going on at this very moment over at Vixen Vintage, but in case you hadn’t yet, I simply had to tell you about it.

Known the web over for her impeccable vintage style (and her adoration of headwear), Solanah herself has handcrafted a charming chapeau that is sure sway even the most steadfast of “I’m not a hat person” fans into entering, whilst making those of us who love vintage hats jump for joy over the chance to win this fantastic creation.


{Solanah modeling her lovely handmade hat. Can't you just imagine how much fun it would be to wear?}

If you’d like to enter for your chance to call this hat your own, pop by Vixen Vintage before August 18th and leave a comment on the post about the contest. If you create a post on your own site/blog about the giveaway and then return to let Solanah know you’ve done so, your name will be entitled to a second entry in the draw.

Best of luck to everyone who enters, and thank you so much to Solanah for creating this lovely cherry bedecked hat, it’s timelessly beautiful!

Are you Mad Men material?

That’s the question Banana Republic, in conjunction with AMC, is asking fans of this popular (and wildly stylish) show. If you feel like you were born to roam the halls of Sterling Cooper, you're invited to swing by your nearest Banana Republic location (between July 21st and August 11th) to pick up an application for your chance to score a “walk on” part on an episode of Man Men.



Along with your entry form, applicants need to submit a photo of themselves – but not just any ol’ snapshot, you need to show the good folks at AMC you very best Mad Man inspired outfit! Tell me, does it get any more thrilling for a fan of this awesome TV programme than to have a chance to show off your impeccable vintage fashion skills?

Whether your inner Mad Man (or woman!) channels the sultry vixen-esque look of Joan, the prim and proper mother next-door style of Betty, or the sweet but ever so slightly flirtatious look that Peggy sports, it’s time to dig into your closet for your best early 1960s pieces and get those camera lenses clicking!



The incredibly lucky winner of this (potentially once in a lifetime) contest will be handpicked by Man Men creator Matthew Weiner himself, and will receive, along with their immortal spot on television, a $1,000 Banana Republic gift certificate. (Please do note though that the contest is only open to residents of America and Canada.)

If you need some style pointers when it comes to nailing the Mad Men era look to a tee, I highly recommend checking out Super Kawaii Mama’s series of posts that cover this very topic. (Should you be looking for a gorgeous pen on a chain such as the one Joan is rarely seen without, be sure to check out the link to just such an item I mentioned in a post last May.)

What do you think, my wonderful readers, would you want to enter this contest? Do you think you have what it takes to land a role on the coolest show to ever pay homage to the sixties? While I don’t think I’ll be entering myself, I will certainly be following the results closely online and plan to post information on the winner once it becomes available.

To everyone who participates in this fantastic contest, I whole heartedly wish you the very best of luck! Have a blast dressing up in your favourite Mad Men look, and be sure to flash the sort of confident smile that might just land you the chance to rub elbows with the Drapers!


{*Both images in this post via AMC*}