26 things that always make me smile

The world is a never-ending playground of possibility, and I for one have long been enticed by countless elements that it presents its inhabitants with. Not one to tunnel vision my way through life, I fall into the eclectic camp. Admiring, questioning, enveloping myself with, fantasizing about, falling head-over-heels in love with countless places, items, people, moments, creations, sounds, scents, tastes, thoughts.

While, naturally, certain things consistently rank highest on my list of favourites, it seems that each day a new fascination comes along that brings joy to heart, intrigues my intellect, makes me question past assumptions, gets me as revved up as a hummingbird, sooths my soul, spurs my creativity, or simply – and perhaps most importantly – makes me even more thankful that I’m alive.

Today in particular it’s easy to reflect on the fact that I’m a living, breathing member of society, for on this particular date 26 years ago, I entered the world.

In celebration of my birthday, I thought it would be delightfully fun to share with you all, twenty six (amongst the countless number of) random, wonderful things that have long been passions, interests, dreams, and favourites of mine. One entry for each year I’ve called this humble planet home.



~*~ 26 things that always make me smile ~*~


~*~ Creative individuals ~*~




~*~ Perfectly golden duchess potatoes ~*~





~*~ Rambling, charmingly aged British manor houses ~*~





~*~ Songs that have the power to instantly bring me right back to another time and place in my life ~*~




~*~ Kitchen items in my favourite colour (pink!) ~*~




~*~ Bing Crosby ~*~





~*~ The rich scent of chimney smoke drifting through the air on a bitingly cold day ~*~





~*~ Writing letters by hand ~*~





~*~ The strength and wisdom my mother has shown me ~*~





~*~ Wildly electric lightning storms ~*~





~*~ The feeling of fresh beginnings that comes with new school supplies ~*~





~*~ Baroque and Rococo art, decor, and fashion ~*~





~*~ Being BFFs with my husband ~*~





~*~ The almost haunting call I feel to travel to the Yukon (where I have ancestral roots) ~*~





~*~ Ultra feminine fashions ~*~





~*~ Pulling together a delicious meal on the fly when it appears that there’s “nothing to eat” ~*~





~*~ Splendidly pretty, crisp-as-Melba toast, jewel toned autumn leaves ~*~





~*~ Matryoshka dolls (and anything depicting them) ~*~




~*~ Sporting both ruby red lipstick and nail polish at the same time ~*~




~*~ The feeling that comes from holding a vintage item and sensing that a snippet of time is resting in your palms ~*~




~*~ Russian literature ~*~





~*~ Snuggling up with a ridiculously cozy blanket ~*~





~*~ Reaching for the stars ~*~





~*~ The incredibly tranquil sensation of a warm summer breeze ~*~





~*~ Drive-in movie theaters ~*~





~*~ All of you, my amazing vintage loving blog friends! ~*~




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


As another birthday morn commences, I am acutely aware that there will be events in the coming twelve months that will be anything but gorgeous at times, however it’s unrealistic to say expect life to always be a bed of roses (an ingrained truth that age seems to make one all the more attuned to).

Yet, am I as certain as the air I breathe, that more often than not, the entries above, plus many more new discoveries and favourites, and the mysterious promise of the very future itself will keep me smiling for another exhilarating year – and really, what more could any birthday girl possibly ask for? :)

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Feta Cheese and Mixed Spring Veggie Pilaff

Every season has its enduring qualities and charms, those things that make you wish, in certain ways, that it would linger on indefinitely so that you could continue to enjoy your favourite perks of that time of year. For me, one of my absolute most beloved elements of spring is the return of fresh, young produce at the grocery stores and outdoor markets alike.

Few things in the culinary realm can compare to the sweet, beautiful taste of new spring vegetables and this recipe – one I’ve been whipping up each April and May for at least five years now – positively teams with some of the loveliest vegetables this gentle season has to offer.


{Asparagus can be a tricky vegetable to make looking appealing when illustrated, but I think this charming vintage crate label does a great job of making it appear fresh and very inviting – just as it is in today’s rice pilaff recipe. Vintage illustration via Box of Apples.}


One of the beauties of this dish – as is often the case with pilaffs – is that you have quite a bit of creative freedom with what goes into it. You could, for example, swap out the basmati rice for brown, the asparagus for leaves from young artichokes, and the feta cheese with any variety of chèvre that you’d like.

While highly flavourful, this lovely rice pilaff is not the sort of dish that steals the show. It compliments a slew of foods such as chicken, lamb, baked fish, grilled shrimp, vegetable stews and even curries. Should you wish to make this recipe the centrepiece of your meal, I’d suggest following with a light fruit dessert (such as berry sorbet, poached pears in vanilla syrup, or simply a plate of your favourite spring/summer fruits and a bowl of whipped or clotted cream to dip slices into).

The season for early-in-the-year vegetables is all too short-lived, so while it’s still here, I plan to make this dish and others that burst with the verdant, flavourful goodness of the spring, as seasons – for better or worse – do not last forever.



Feta Cheese and Mixed Spring Veggie Pilaff


Ingredients

• 100 grams (3.5 oz) feta cheese (drained of any brine it may have come packaged in) cut into small cubes

• 300 grams (10 oz) basmati rice

• 700ml (1 ¼ pt) vegetable stock (preferably organic or homemade)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium sized white onion, peeled and finely chopped (or equal amounts of shallots or leeks)

• 100 grams (3.5 oz) white, green or purple thin-stalked asparagus, cleaned and cut into small (about 1 inch/2.5cm) pieces

• 1 yellow or green zucchini, cleaned and cut into thin disks (rounds)

• 100-300 grams (3.5-10 oz) of green peas (either fresh or frozen) or if you prefer you can use broad beans (or a mixture of both)

• 6 tbsp (or to taste) of fresh dill, finely chopped (or favourite herb of choice – tarragon and parsley are both wonderful here, too)

• Freshly ground salt and black pepper, to taste


Directions

Over medium heat place a deep, wide frying pan (skillet) or large heavy bottomed pot on your stove top (hob), to which you’ve added the olive oil. Let the oil heat up for a minute and then add in the chopped white onion; cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion has softened and turned slightly golden (but not brown!).

Next add in the basmati rice and vegetable stock, stir the contents of the pot, and increase the heat to medium-high. Allow the pot to come to gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook for 10-12 minutes (or until the rice has just cooked through).

Once the rice is cooked (sample a few grains to ensure it’s cooked to your desired consistency), add in all of the vegetables, stir the mixture well and continue cooking for 3-6 minutes, or until the asparagus and peas (or broad beans) are nicely tender, but not limp (if it’s looking like your pilaff is getting too dry before the veggies have cooked through, stir in a little more vegetable stock or some warm water).

After the vegetables have cooked, remove the pot from the stove top and set it aside (covered). If there is any remaining liquid, the rice should absorb it at this stage.

After five minutes, lift the lid and stir in the chopped fresh dill (or herb of choice) and the feta cheese cubes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (note that the feta will have its own natural saltiness, so you may find that you’d do not need to add any additional salt).

Bring to the table while warm, with extra chopped dill to sprinkle on individual servings, if desired – or you could top this delicious rice pilaff as I often do, with paper thin slices of tiny new spring radishes.


Serves four people as a side dish or two as a main course (this recipe can easily be multiplied if you’d like to serve more)

Bon appétit!

Happy 1st birthday Chronically Vintage!

On a day quite like many before it, something deep inside my soul stirred, a longing to put pen to paper (or in this case waltz my fingers across a keyboard) and share my lifelong adoration of all things vintage with the world.

While I’d like to regale you with an eventful tale of how Chronically Vintage came to be, its birth was really was rather on the quiet and unassuming side. Like a gentle breeze across the springtime landscape, this blog spun into existence softly, but with immense passion fuelling its creation onward.

Perhaps not all that surprisingly, I’ve always enjoyed reminiscing about the past – even when that past is, in this particular situation, only twelve months old. It’s fascinating to mark one’s life by the years created between various dates. As with most stretches of time, the span between this April and the last has been filled with its share of ups and downs, rough days and moments of unbridled joy. It’s created a year in which I feel I’ve found myself more at home with who I am – which I’m sure comes in part from getting old, but also from the comfort and courage that accompanies time spent amongst others who understand, care about and encourage you.

This blog would, unequivocally, not be what it is today without my amazing readers. There are scarcely words to thank all of visitors and blogging friends, not only for your comments, support, understanding and camaraderie, but for “getting” me. As many of you can no doubt relate to, it can be strange to be the only (or one of the only) vintage lovers in your family/social group/town!, and as such it means even more when through the powers of the internet you suddenly find yourself a new home brimming with fellow vintage fans.

Through your own sublime blogs I’ve learned enough in the last year to fill a small library! Your pages have given me a lifetime of inspiration and twelve months of splendid happiness. The thoughts you’ve written down, the images you’ve discovered, the outfits you’ve sported, the history you’ve preserved, all of these things have propelled my own thoughts in fantastically diverse and creative directions. You’ve influenced my wardrobe, make-up and hairstyles, my home decor, my collection of vintage items, and perhaps most of all, my blog writing.



{Adorable vintage birthday card via Vintage-Mouse’s Flickr stream.}

Thank you, everyone, for supporting Chronically Vintage both directly with your comments and behind the scenes with the inspiration I garner from your own marvellous posts. It’s been nothing short of a fabulous year on the blogging front, and one that I honestly cannot imagine having never taken place.

This blog came to be at a time when I really needed a creative outlet to get my mind off of countless pressing, uninspiring, downright heavy issues, and it has been a cathartic, artistic outpost of felicity for the past twelve months – just as I’m certain it will continue to be in the future.

To say I’m looking forward to Chronically Vintage’s second year of life would be a serious understatement! I’m positively bursting with excitement over what my second year of being a vintage blogger has in store, and can hardly wait to share each and every moment with you all!

Happy 1st birthday, Chronically Vintage, I love you!

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Parsnip, Potato and Caramelized Onion Mash

~ Parsnip, Potato and Caramelized Onion Mash ~
This recipe came about when I was living in Ireland, where humble root vegetables have long been amongst the strongest backbones of traditional local cuisine. It is an unpretentious, lovely dish that works wonders as either the star or as a supporting player at any cold weather meal. If you opt to use soy, instead of dairy, cream this dish – which is already vegetarian approved – becomes vegan.

A malleable recipe, you can add or subtract from it, swapping the potatoes for rutabagas or yams, if you prefer. Forgo the saffron and use mild, sweet chillies, grainy mustard, fresh or candied ginger, or a handful of your favourite herbs (whether I’m using the saffron or not, I nearly always toss fresh, marvelously soothing thyme into the mix or garnish the dish with it before bringing it, steaming warm and smelling of the inherent comfort that comes from Mother Earth’s bounty, to the table).


{Parsnips, which largely resemble a carrot in appearance and loosely in taste, are one of my absolute most favourite vegetables. Whether eaten on their own such as slow roasted with garlic and rosemary in the oven, or tossed into a hearty stew, I’m always looking for ways to incorporate these mild, versatile winter vegetables into my family’s menu. Antique parsnip seed package image via thelableman.com}


Serve this hearty root vegetable symphony with roast meats (it shines alongside duck and turkey or a lemony, slow cooked chicken), grilled seafood (particularly those with powerful flavours or seasonings), or, if you make this recipe the centerpiece of your meal, a light salad such as one encompassing other beloved winter tastes such as roasted beets, zesty citrus fruit, or glistening ruby red pomegranate seeds.

When I prepare this dish now in my cozy (re: matchbook sized) Canadian kitchen, I am reminded of wet Irish winters that set a chill into bones so far-reaching, it took a recipe comprised of piping hot starchy vegetables, faintly exotic seasonings and pleasingly sweet onions to work the warmth back into one’s very soul.


Ingredients

• 1lb 8oz (675 grams) of potatoes (I often use Yukon gold or Red Rose potatoes on this dish), peeled and cut into cubes

• 3 large parsnips, peeled and cut into cubes (cut the same size as the potatoes)

• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus an additional 3 tbsp to cook the onions in (6 tbsp in total)

• 2 ¼ cups (600ml/1 pint) of vegetable or chicken stock (preferably homemade or organic)

• 2/3 cup single cream (half and half) or soy cream (such as “Silk Creamer” or “Carnation Soy Creamy Cooking Milk”), heated to a gentle simmer directly before use

• 3 tbsp of saffron threads which have been lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle (or with a wooden mixing spoon in a bowl)

• 1 ½ tbsp soft (light or dark) brown sugar

• 1 large white onion (or equal amounts of shallots) peeled and finely sliced

• Kosher or sea salt to taste and freshly ground black pepper


Directions

In a large sauce pot over high heat place the stock, potatoes, parsnips and saffron and cover the pot with a lid. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-high, continue to simmer (covered) until all of the potatoes and parsnips are cooked (approximately 20-25 minutes, depending on how warm your stovetop/cooker is and how tender you like your vegetables to be).

Meanwhile heat 3tbsp of oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat and stir in the sliced onions. Cover and allow the onions to brown and absorb the oil. Once they’ve begun to turn a lovely fawny hue, reduce the heat a little and stir the onions occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the pan. They should be sufficiently, wonderfully tender, golden brown and naturally rolling around in their own juices after about ten to fifteen minutes.

Next add in the brown sugar and allow it to be absorbed fully by the onions. Stir for gently for a minute or two until all of the sugar has been dissolved by the onion and onions. Take the onion mixture off heat and set aside until the mashed vegetable portion of this dish is ready.

When the turnips and potatoes have fully cooked to the desired degree of tenderness, remove the pot from the heat and drain the vegetables in a colander (strainer). Reserve a little of the cooking liquid, in case you need to add some of it to the mash for a moister consistency later on.

If you’ve not already done so, heat your cream (or soy cream) in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat just until it comes to a mild simmer (you do not want a rolling boil, which is apt to scorch the cream). Once the cream has been warmed, turn off the burner, but allow the cream to remain in the pot (you’re going to use it momentarily)

Transfer the vegetables to a large mixing bowl and pour the cream and remaining three tablespoons of olive oil over top of them (you could skip the added oil here or use butter, if you wanted). Next mash everything with a vegetable masher (you can also do this in a food processor or stick blender, if you'd prefer) until the mixture is as soft and lump free as possible (alternatively, and this is how I generally mash all of my vegetable dishes, you can whip the lumps out and aerate the root veggies with a hand-held electric mixer/beater). If you feel the mixture is still a bit dry for your liking, add a little of the reserved cooking liquid, so that they end result is a creamy, fluffy mash.

Season to taste with salt and pepper (if you wanted to add fresh herbs, now is the time to include them) and transfer to a serving dish. Slide the warm caramelized onions on top, smile as you breathe in the scent of earthy goodness radiating from up from the serving bowl, and serve at once.

Any leftovers will keep, well covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Makes 4-5 side, or 2-3 main, dish sized portions.

Bon appétit!

Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Welsh Rarebit

For as long as I have memories stretching back, cooking and the realm of gastronomy has been a beloved passion of mine. Raised by a mother who likewise adored the culinary arts, I began learning how to cook from a very early age and haven’t stopped since then (nor do I plan to ever cease!).

While I would consider myself a foodie, I’m not a “food snob”. I love a tasty, rustic homemade dish as much as I do one from a swanky, multi-stared restaurant. I believe strongly that one gets that most out of eating when they’re able to appreciate the beauty and diversity of foods from all walks of life, at all price points, and encompassing a myriad of styles and ingredients.

Though two of my medical conditions have lessened the number of foods I’m able to eat rather significantly for the past several years (and baring the discovery of cures for said conditions, likely will for the rest of my life), I’ve tried never to let this point dampen my love of cooking. Instead of bemoaning those ingredients that were suddenly missing from my plate, I looked at the situation as a challenge to be even more inventive with those foods that I did still have my disposal.

Any time I start longing to toss together a dish I can’t eat (for I love the act of preparing food perhaps even more than actually eating it – or at least I adore the two equally), I just make it for my husband or serve it to dinner guests. Cooking for others is something I enjoy so deeply, I actually dreamed of becoming a professional chef all through my childhood, though (for better or worse) certain events that unfolded in my life meant that this dream didn’t quite come to fruition. Nevertheless, I don’t lament too much over this point, I still get to be a chef for my little family everyday and that brings me a profound sense of joy.

Why, you may ask, am I telling you all this? The reason is that for quite some time now I’ve been thinking about how much I wanted to start sharing some of my most treasured recipes with my readers. Thusly, henceforth from today onwards, every Wednesday (when circumstances permit) I plan on sharing a “Weekly Recipe” from my own personal collection with all of you.

Some of the recipes will be ones I’ve devised myself, others stem from repertoires of my mother and other relatives, while others still are the creations of fellow homecooks and professionals akike that I’ve gleaned over the years and come to count favourites of my own. I will strive to feature a diverse group of dishes that veer towards being both economical (aka, white truffle and foie gras pâté is not likely to crop up any time soon) and easy to prepare (though I do realize that different people have different definitions of what constitutes “easy” when it comes to cooking).

Each week one recipe will get the limelight, paired with a photo of the finished dish (if I happen to have one of my own) or, far more commonly, with a vintage image that relates to the recipe in some way (for example, if the recipe was for spaghetti sauce, I might show a vintage ad for canned tomatoes).

I know that many of my readers are avid cooks and food lovers, too, and really hope that everyone enjoys this delightful new weekly post. If you’d ever like to request the recipe for a particular food, please feel free to email me or leave a comment letting me know what you’ve got a hankering to whip up, and if I have a tried and true recipe for such a dish, I would be honoured to share it with you. (If you happen to try any of the recipes featured on Chronically Vintage, I would truly love to hear your thoughts on them.)

So without any further ado, it’s time to slip on a lovely vintage apron and dish up this Wednesday’s recipe!


Welsh Rarebit
One of the most popular dishes of the early to mid-twentieth century (and certainly one that I’ve seen in a myriad of vintage cookbooks and ladies magazines) was Welsh rarebit (sometimes simply called “rarebit” or “rarebit cheese”), a hearty, homey, wonderfully simple dish that in both comforting and energizing at the same time.

Comprised of a zippy cheese sauce poured over relatively thick slices of bread, this dish is close cousin to both grilled cheese sandwiches and croque-monsieur. It pairs wonderfully with soups (such as roasted red pepper or minestrone), salads, fresh fruit (especially apples, pears and figs), and light fair such as grilled vegetables or chicken.


{This charming vintage illustration, from Eudamonius’ Flickr stream dictates that Welsh Rarebit should always be paired with toast. Good advice, but if you’re in the mood for something a little different, this tasty, versatile cheese sauce also works terrifically over English muffins, crackers, or as a fondue style dip.}


This particular recipe is one I’ve tweaked over the years, sometimes adding fresh herbs such as basil or chives, or jazzed up further with the inclusion of (rehydrated) sundried (or oven roasted) tomatoes or pitted and sliced black olives. Some people like to include a little ale or even hot sauce in their recipes, but I’ve not tried such versions myself.

I don’t know where the original recipe came from, but a handwritten version the basis of this one appears in the first recipe collection I began (in a coiled school notebook) as a youngster, so it may have come from either my mom or one of her cookbooks. Wherever it hails from, this rarebit recipe is a wonderful dish that can be thrown together in a matter of minutes, making it perfect for meals on the go or times when unexpected lunch or dinner gets drop by.


Ingredients

• 6 slices white or brown bread of choice, provided the bread you use is somewhat sturdy (I like varieties such as ciabatta, French, and sourdough – or a luxurious spin, you can even brioche, if you fancy), cut about ¾ of an inch (2cm) thick

• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (Gruyere is also nice, if you prefer)

• 1/2 cup milk (or, if you’re feeling indulgent, cream)

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

• ½ tsp dry English mustard (such as Colman’s) or, alternatively, ½ tsp Hungarian paprika

• ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional, best omitted if using paprika)

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Directions

In a double boiler (or a heat resistant glass bowl over a saucepan partially filled with boiling water), first bring the water up to a boil and then reduce the heat (burner temperature) to medium. Melt the butter, add the flour and mustard (or paprika) and stir briskly for a few seconds to combine (thereby creating a pale roux).

Next gradually add the milk and Worcestershire sauce (if using), stirring as you add. Allow mixture to come to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) and thicken somewhat. Next add the shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper (now would also be the time to include ingredients such as herbs, if you were using them), stirring moderately until the cheese had melted and the sauce has thickened to a consistency reminiscent of hollandaise sauce.

Meanwhile as the cheese sauce is nearing completion, toast the six slices of bread. Once cheese sauce is ready and the bread is toasted, divide the toast between three plates (two slices per serving) and spoon (or ladle) the sauce equally over each portion of toast. Serve and enjoy immediately :)

Makes three servings (two slices of bread each), or however many you wish to divide up between the six slices of bread.

Bon appétit!

Six more sleeps until Christmas!

Growing up, perhaps as many other kids did, I measured the countdown until an important date not so much in terms of days, but by the number of night’s worth of sleep left until said exhilarating day arrived. Of course these numbers are usually one in the same, but as a child measuring “sleeps” somehow seemed to bring the highly anticipated date closer even faster than marking off dates on a calendar did. The funny thing was come December 24th I was usually so bubbly with excitement, sleep was the furthest possible thing from my mind!


{Visions of sugarplums are already dancing in my head, just as when I was a youngster, I can’t help but well up with excitement as Christmas Day draws nearer! Image via Estelle and Ivy’s Flickr stream.}


These days I usually have no problem grabbing a few winks on the Christmas Eve (or nodding off in a state of exhaustive stupor – same difference, right?), but I still find a nostalgic happiness in marking my countdown in terms of the numbers of “sleeps” left to go. And so on this bitingly cold Saturday morning, with Christmas less than a week away, the natural habit of counting “sleeps” resurfaces.

On a somewhat different note, I realize that I wasn’t able to update Chronically Vintage as often over the past few days as I generally do. Some of my medical conditions are flaring up at the moment and I’m afraid that I’m not well enough to spend nearly as much time on the computer as I’d like to. I’m looking at things optimistically though and hoping that I’ll be to get to all the last minute Christmas tasks that should be done this week (I’d practically have to be unconscious to skip baking holiday cookies and preparing Christmas supper!). Likewise I will try to add further editions of Chronically Vintage’s holiday gift guide and other festive posts in the coming days, too.

Thank you dearly to all those who have recently visited and left comments, I appreciate your words, friendship and support so very much! Similarly, I truly want to extend a heartfelt thank you to each and everybody who has ever visited Chronically Vintage, for this post marks my 200th on this blog, and this site would not be the same without you all!

It’s hard to believe a blog that began last spring, born of my lifelong love of all things vintage, has now amassed two hundred posts. Chronically Vintage simply would not be the same place with out each of my immensely dear visitors and fellow vintage adoring friends, and I thank you each for helping to make this site the wonderful place that it is! Here’s to the next 200 vintage filled entries and well beyond!

As these last few days (and sleeps!) until Christmas whiz by, what events and traditions, celebrations and going-ons are keeping you on your toes, fuelling your excitement for the beautiful wondrousness that is the 25th itself?

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!

A quick good morning wish & scores of thanks!

Happiest of Thursday greetings, my darling readers! I hope that your morning is off to a marvelous start!


{Ensure you begin your day off right with a big bowl of vintage goodness via this adorable 1940s Rice Krispies ad featuring Snap, Crackle and Pop :D Image from Saltycotton’s Flickr stream.}

♥ ♥ ♥

I just wanted to post a quick message to extend my utmost deepest of heartfelt thanks to everyone for your comments on my opera outfit post; you literally brought me to tears with your incredibly sweet, encoring, beautiful words. Thank you so much, everyone, for your phenomenally kind comments; to say they mean the world to me would be an understatement.

As I mentioned briefly on Monday, this week has been a bit of a chaotic one because there was some work being done on our apartment and we (and poor Stella, who we boarded at her vet’s, as tenants weren’t allowed to have animals on the premises while the work was being done due to some harsh chemicals being used) had to vacate the premise for a while (before which we had to pack up quite a lot of stuff so that it wouldn’t be in the way of the work that needed to be done). As such I haven’t been on the computer much in the past few days (I’m actually just logging in now for the first time since Tuesday), and am a bit behind in catching up with not only each of your wonderful comments, but also in visiting your gorgeous blogs. As things stand now my schedule is a little freer as we head into the later part of this week, so I’ll be doing my absolute best to catch up over the next few days.

I also have so much to write about just bursting to jump out of my head and onto this blog! In the very near future (aka, sometime in the next few days) I’m going to be announcing a brand new giveaway contest which will be open to all of my readers wherever you reside in the this world. As well, I want to start a series of posts devoted to vintage Christmas gifts for different types of vintage enthusiasts (think along the lines of those magazine articles that feature pages upon pages of gifts for different types of people on your holiday shopping list like “the avid golfer” or the “eco-chic gal”, neither of those will be categories in my holiday roundup, but I will feature gifts for lots of different kinds of vintage loving folks).
Several other post ideas are simmering on the burners of my mind, so I know that I’ll definitely be a busy blogger as we head into the tail-end of 2009.

Giant thanks again, everybody, for your fantastically sweet comments – not only on Tuesday, but for each post you share your thoughts with me on.

Wishing you all a delightfully terrific Thursday!

Come on everybody, let’s go trick-or-treating!

An eerie wind rustles through the leaves, a shiver crawls like a spider up your back. The moon hangs low and round, it’s pale buttermilk hued face almost seems to cackle at you. All around hobgoblins and fairies, vampires and werewolves run amuck, laughing as they clutch their plastic pales and pillowcases close. Once inviting houses suddenly seem as cozy as a mausoleum, their porches bedecked with glowing eyed gourds, front lawns scattered in tombstones and scarecrows. An electric energy pulses through the crisp air, there’s magic a foot, on this ancient eve of festivity mischief and grand fun, for all Hallows Eve has arrived!

Or, as is the case today, it soon will, and with it comes the marvelous tradition of trick-or-treating! Though it has evolved and changed over the centuries, the practise of dressing up (mask, costume, etc) and going door-to-door, appealing to your neighbours for food (in days of yore, the door knockers would offer up prayers for the deceased relatives of their community members on All Souls Day) has been going on since at least the middle ages in Europe (some sources say as far back as the ancient Celts).

Trick-or-treating as we know and recognize it today (an act carried out annually by youngsters on October 31st) is thought to have emerged in the early years of the twentieth century, and the 1930s its popularity had really begun to spread across North America. Though various treats ranging from home-baked goodies to candy apples, nuts in their shells to fresh fruit have been handed out to trick-or-treaters over the years, for decades now, I think it’s a safe bet to say that candy has been both the most common and most beloved of goodies that a costume clad child could find waiting for him or her at the next front door.

Candy spanning the gamut from loose "penny sweets" to homemade taffy (in the days before widespread fear of tainted/poised/razor blade laced Halloween treats) has been doled out at one point or another, but for decades now store bought goodies have been commonplace, and are what most trick-or-treaters receive these days.

Everyone it seems has a favourite Halloween candy or two! I know that I certainly look back with immense fondness on any house that offered up Butterfinger, Crispy Crunch, Crunchie or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, as well as “Dots” and Tootsie Pop lollipops. I was also eager to get Coffee Crisp bars which I would rush home at the end of the night to give my mother, for they were her favourite chocolate bar when I was growing up.

I can remember nearly every Halloween night I’ve had since I was three years old with vivid clarity. Some years we marched from house to house in the snow (this being Canada after all), others we slipped raincoats and rubber boats over our costumes to fend off chilly rain. A few however were not freezing cold, they were lit by stars that tumbled like tinsel across the raven black sky and brought with them the feeling that the night would stretch on forever – or at least until the last front light in our neighbourhood had been turned off.

Buzzing with excitement (and a wee bit of a sugar high) rush we would tromp home, to a friend’s house or onwards to a Halloween party (sometimes at the local community centre), our pails and sacks brimming with what seemed like a monumental volume of candy, ready to carry out the all important candy swap with our friends and siblings. I remember we executed this ritualistic act with negotiating skills the likes of which would make most seven-figure-a-year lawyers quake in their boots.

Halloween night was for me one of tremendous joy and merriment. It was the chance to escape into a world of make-believe, to feel independent (I can recall perfectly the first year we were allowed out without adult supervision), and to revel in the spooky, enchanted, incredible spirit that only Halloween could deliver.

It has, however, been a few years since I last trooped around the local streets, melodically chanting “trick-or-treat” as my knuckles rapt at a door, and I miss it something fierce! (I joke to my husband that since I’m petite and have a very young sounding voice, I should just don a costume with a mask and go out, even if I am 25! ;D) So I thought it would tons of fun if we took at a look at a mixture of vintage Halloween and more general (aka, not Halloween specific) vintage ads for candy together. Reliving as a collective group, the joys of seeing some of these scrumptious treats land in our pillowcases and then later poured out on our bedroom floors as we hunkered down, a mile-wide smile on our face, over the spoils that Halloween night had provided us with.

Come, one and all, even if you have never trick-or-treated before (perplexingly, some countries have yet to take up this tradition – if only such nations knew the fun they’re missing out on!), and join me as we, dressed in our Halloween night finest, parade around the block (errrr, blog) collecting sweet treats!




{A stylishly dressed woman hands out candy to a pair of adorable trick-or-treaters in this vintage ad for Baby Ruth and Butterfinger chocolate bars from the 1950s. Don’t you just love the little girl’s witch hat and both or their treat bags?}



{For the absolute bargain price of just a nickel during the 50s one could satisfy their sweet tooth a classic Hershey’s candy bar, such as Krackel (which had crispy rice cereal in it) or Mr. Goodbar (chocked full of peanuts). By and large Hershey’s products (with the notable exception of Kisses) have never been quite as common in Canada as they are in States, but I do still recall finding the occasional, delicious Hersey’s bar amongst my Halloween treats.}



{Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (as well as Reese’s Pieces) were highly sought after Halloween night treats when I was growing up and I remember they often commanded two or three “lesser” chocolate bars (or a handful of chewy candies) if you were swapping with a friend. This charming 1950s ad is rich with the colour orange, making it perfectly suited to October!}



{Black liquorice is a flavour I instantly and fondly associate with Halloween, particularly in the form of black jelly beans, lollipops, and jujubes, though it most certainly came via Good & Plenty candies, too.}



{Lovely artistry fills this delightful 1929 vintage ad for Wrigley’s Spearmint chewing gum with oodles of vintage Halloween appeal.}



{Hard, sweet and ever so slightly salty, Heath (toffee) bars were always marvelous on their own, enjoyed slowly over the course of a favourite TV program perhaps or, alternatively, crumbled and tossed in with a big bowl of warm popcorn for an easy-for-an-eight-year-to-make spin on caramel corn.}



{An ageless classic, the humble fruit flavoured Lifesavers candy was a frequent Halloween loot bag find, in both miniature roll size and in the form of Lifesavers lollipops, all throughout my childhood – just as they have been for those of trick-or-treaters for decades.}



{A rather solemn looking woman graced this 1955 ad for Aero bars, her expression in stark contrast with the pleasant fun that usually came from letting the Aero bubbles melt on your tongue as you nibbled your way through one of these light milk chocolate bars.}



{Tootsie rolls are a Halloween staple in my books, not only the delicious chewy chocolate variety, but also the Tootsie Fruit Rolls (which feature flavours such as vanilla, lemon, and cherry) which, in Canada at least, you can only ever seem to find in October (and thus I was extra cautious to ration the fruit flavoured Tootsie rolls for as long as I could each year).}



{Tropical beauty flows through this wonderful 1950s ad for Bounty bars, which are shows here with a deep almost red wine and white hued label, which is quite different than the blue, green and white variety that I recall seeing in my pile of Halloween candy. Pretty as the modern wrapper for this tasty coconut candy bar is, I think I prefer the vintage one shown here.}



{To this day Crunchie bars with their deep golden, intensely crisp – yet airy – sponge candy (aka, honeycomb or cinder toffee) centre and thin outer coating of milk chocolate remain one of my favourite sweet treats at Halloween – or any time I need a sugar rush.}



{A true chocolate classic, Cadbury milk chocolate (and Caramilk) bars always went head-to-head with Neilson's Jersey Milk, Nestle Aero, and Hersey’s Milk Chocolate bars when kids debated which “plain” chocolate bar was best.}



{If you were particularly lucky, each Halloween there would be a handful of houses that went above and beyond pint sized chocolate bars, candy corn, lollipops and bubble gum and handed out something extraordinary (by Halloween treat terms) like bags of potato chips or cheese puffs, cans of soda, or boxes of Cracker Jacks, as this fantastic 1950s ad suggests doing.}

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



Gosh, gang, wasn’t that that a swell time?! Did it call to mind happy memories of childhood Halloweens? I hope it did and that you enjoyed this make-believe trick-or-treating excursion (and that you didn’t get too spooked out! :D).

I had a terrific time putting this post together (not surprisingly, I’ve got a hankering for chocolate now!) and I would adore hearing about your favourite (or scariest!) Halloween night memories, what you loved to find in your pumpkin pail, and how you celebrate Halloween these days!