Introducing a fun new post series: Links, Life, Love

 Soooooo, you guys remember back in early January when I decided to retire some of my long standing reoccurring blog post series? (As discussed in this post.) Though I've not yet regretted that decision for a moment and have greatly been enjoying exploring other writing channels in place of where they once occurred, the more time that goes on, the greater the sense of longing for some sort of regularly occurring link sharing post becomes.

I didn’t want to revive my "Vintage Link Love" series however, as I stand behind the reasons why it was handed a gold watch and sincerely thanked for its diligent years of loyal service. Instead I want to launch a new post right here, right now, that will combine elements of that past series with others topics that I often want to discuss with all of you, too, but don't always have the ability to set aside a whole post for right in the moment.

By the same token though, I don't want these posts to be a million miles long, nor will they necessarily be occurring here on a month-by-month basis. In fact, I want them to be as "on the fly” as possible.

They're going to combine a small smattering of (mostly vintage related) links from around the web that have caught my eye lately, include a (likely) brief look at some of what has been transpiring in my personal life lately, and also share some of things - online or off - that I've been loving and/or feeling deeply inspired by in recent weeks.

Generally speaking all of these are points that most of my readers really enjoy hearing about, so without further ado, may I present you to the first ever edition of Links, Life, Love.


Links:

I swear it was you, my dears, and your plethora of awesome posts in the first few weeks of 2016 that ultimately birthed this series. Try as I may, I couldn't stop bookmarking articles that spoke to me and that I, in turn, wanted to speak to each of you, my lovely readers, about. There's just too much awesomeness being created each day, week and month of the year online not to shine the spotlight on at least a wee fraction of it here.


-Detroit in the 1940s: Then as now, Detroit has not been without its highs and lows, struggles and beauties, as this striking photo filled piece from The Atlantic about the Motor City and its inhabitants during the mid-twentieth century heyday.


-The Ultimate List of Maternity Friendly Retro Clothing: Recently the immensely lovely Bethany from Miss Betty Doll gave birth to her second child, a gorgeous new daughter and little sister to her first sweet girl, and as she rocked vintage/repro/retro styles through her pregnancy, she decided to put together an excellent and very thorough list of some of the best sources for just such fashions when one is expecting. It's a must bookmark no matter if you ever plan to have wee ones of your own or not.


-Women of the Big Band era that everyone should know: My good friend - and fellow Canadian gal - Liz from Vintage Inn excels at penning informative, exciting, and just plain awesome history filled posts and one of her latest, which takes a gander at some of the female stars of the big band era, is no exception.


-Things Pale Girls are Sick of Hearing: Given that I've actually been called "a vampire" before in public by complete strangers, even when I wasn't wearing goth fashions or makeup, simply because of my light complexion, this great Forever Amber post hit home for me big time!


-How to alter clip-on earrings into post earrings: Let's face it, objectively, few people find clip-on earrings to be as comfortable as pierced styles, provided you have holes in your lobes, so if you've ever wished you could comfortably sport a pair of clip-ons without their pinchy pain, this wonderful DIY tutorial from Christina, that shows you how to convert clip-ons to post style earrings, is definitely for you!


-Vintage stocking guide: In need of a vintage stocking 101 class or just want to brush up on the details of sporting old school hosiery. Emeleigh to the rescue with this terrific entry on the subject.


-6 ways to temporarily trim a plain hat: Ever wanted to jazz up a ho-hum hat without permanently altering it? Enter these six stellar tips from endlessly talented milliner, my dear friend, and fellow vintage blogger Tanith Rowan to the rescue!


-And speaking of vintage hats (something that one should do often! :)), how fabulous is this detailed look at How to refresh vintage hats/veils from none other than the thoroughly lovely Emily from Emily's Vintage Visions. You'll never look at a bedraggled hat the same way again!


-And last, but definitely not least, a really sweet Facebook friend, and fellow old school adoring lady, of mine, Elizabeth, recently took the plunge and launched her own mid-century fashion blog called Gloriously Vintage. If you haven't caught wind of it already, I highly encourage you to go check Elizabeth's site out and shower her with love and comments as she begins her own exciting vintage blogging journey.

{Those hats though!!!}

Life:

First and foremost, thank you very, very much to all those who shared their thoughts with me in the comment section of last week's post about some of the substantial changes that Etsy has been making lately.

I won't lie, I was pretty shook up by the major overhaul of that site (chiefly in terms of how seller's shops now look) and am still battling some stress and anxiety from it, but being a glass half full kind of gal, I'm trying to just buck up and make the best of things, believing wholeheartedly that when the reno dust has finally settled (even if that takes a few months) things will largely get back to normal there and my shop and I will have weathered this suddenly storm intact.

Secondly, it's spring! I know, stop the presses! But seriously, it is and that has me beyond jazzed. Though I was going through a rather rough patch on the health front throughout all of March and very early April (I was only well enough to leave the house twice in six weeks and then only for a little while each time; this sort of thing is super common for me, so it didn’t phase me too much, but I was starting to get cabin fever a bit as the sunshine rolled back into town and I really hope that April will be kinder to me in so much as my health is concerned).

Things are well here in our wee abode. March 19th marked the three year anniversary of the day that we brought home our darling dog, Annie, and the following day marked the 12th anniversary of when my husband, Tony, and I first met back in 2004. How time massively flies!




Speaking of my Italian cutie pie, he's headed to Austin, Texas at the end of this month for a brief work trip. It's not possible for me to tag along with him (it just doesn’t make sense for us to spend several hundred dollars on a ticket for me when he’ll be there for such a short time), but I'll definitely be saying hello to the Lone Star state in spirit and can't wait to here his first impressions of this very famous corner of the U.S.A..

With spring's arrival, even in the face of not doing too well health wise in recent weeks, I've been in a very creative, energetic mindset lately and have been a seriously productive panda in many areas of my life and work. Trust me when I say that, thanks to such, there are so many fun new posts coming down the pipeline this spring and summer - and I can hardly wait to share all of them with you!



Love:

Before I go any further, I would be truly remiss if I didn't thoroughly thank my beautiful friend Vanessa, from the blog, Nessbow, for inspiring this portion of my latest blog post series care of her own terrific ongoing series called Things I Love Thursday (in which she details some of the various things that she's been wild about lately).

These posts of hers have long struck a chord with me and I always knew that it wasn't a matter of if, but when, I finally took her lead and implemented something similar here on my own site.

So far spring I've been seriously crushing on the following things:


-Purple - as in the colour: Suddenly, I can't get enough of it in any form. Clothes, flowers, desserts, craft supplies, home decor, you name it, violet is my new game!

-The fact that, for the first time ever, my Instagram account hit more than 5,000 followers. This has been a milestone number that I've been working diligently to reach for quite some time now and I can't thank every who follows me enough for making it happen.

-Baby/new potatoes: A timeless favourite, I've scarcely been going more than three or four days without serving these scrumptious little nuggets up garden grown goodness - often with fresh mint, dill, or chives, a ribbon of butter and a glorious springtime sunset cascading over our dinner table to help make things even more sublime.

-The smell of fresh cut grass wafting through the breeze again (it is, after all, one of my top ten favourite scents of all time).

-Fellow vintage blogger Sabrina’s super cool newly launched Etsy shop, Inky Notions, which abounds with her splendid hand drawn illustrations, many of which are thoroughly vintage focused (watch for a collab post between Sabrina and I a little later this year – it’s going to be a blast!).

-The latest season of House of Cards. Action packed, riveting, and so full of that characteristically conniving, brilliant, megalomaniacal Frank and Claire Underwood goodness that we all adore.

-My new oversized blank page notebook that I've been cramming full of hand written notes and simple sketches for blog, Etsy and crafting related ideas that have been flowing like a waterfall from my mind in recent weeks.

-The Daily Otter. No matter what life throws my way, this site never fails to perk my mood back up in 0.005 seconds flat.


{To learn more about a specific image used in today's post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

♥ ♥ ♥

So there you have it, sweet darling, links are back, you get to find out more about what's taking place in my life outside of the vintage realm, and I cap off the whole kit and caboodle by sharing a wee array of things that I'm crazy in love with right here and now. Delightfully fun, oui?

Again, I'm not setting a schedule for these posts. They'll appear here every so often, once I've built up at least a few entries for each of the three sections they entail and, you know, the fact that I have a place to share these things with you all again is my final "love entry" for this inaugural edition.

Have a marvelous Monday and gorgeous week ahead, everyone!

Pretty Link Roundup {November 3, 2009}

A smidgen of sun burst forth between the mashed potato like mounds of pewter clouds for a couple of hours late this afternoon, giving me a welcome jolt of energy and spurring me onwards to put together a post I’ve been meaning to get to for ages: a new edition of the Pretty Link Roundup. I must admit, it’s been about a month since the last such post, if I’m not mistaken, so we’re long overdue for another one!

For those who may be new to Chronically Vintage (first off, a super warm welcome to you!), the Pretty Link Roundup is a frequently occurring post in which I gather an assortment of posts from various blogs (and other websites) that have caught my attention lately and which (generally) pertain to a vintage related topic. As well I post a weekly vintage themed video clip (usually from Youtube) and also extend the “Your Blog is an Inspiration” award to one blogger whose site never fails to fill my heart and mind with vintage inspiration.

So without further ado, let’s get the show on the road and jump right into today’s fantastic array of links!


♥ ♥ ♥


* Vintage Vanities and Old Hollywood Glamour: Bonnie of Love Your Place peers into the beautiful, often ornate boudoirs and dressing rooms of some of Hollywood’s most famous leading ladies of yesteryear.


* Mint Green for Fall: If you’ve resigned the wearing of mint green to the spring fashion season alone, it may be time to rethink this gentle shade as a fall hue, too. As the wonderful examples of colder weather wear in mint green here show, this hue can work wonders all year round.


* Elizabeth Taylor’s Beautiful Short Hair 1950s: Over the decades Elizabeth Taylor has sported many looks and numerous hairstyles, here the blog Diizdixo takes a gander at some of the ways Ms. Taylor wore her hair short (think pixie cut length).


* What is Broderie Anglaise: Adore Vintage delves into the difference between Broderie Anglaise (a classic type of white needlework/stitchery) and eyelet lace, in this lovely, example filled post.


* Winter Coats from the 1950s: This post is the stuff vintage coat dreams are made of! Teaming with glamorous, sophisticated, gorgeous examples of 1950s winter coats, it's sure to make everyone who reads it suddenly wish they had a vintage topper like these gems!


* Ruffled headband tutorial: Though headbands have been having a fashion moment as of late, this classic accessory has a long history and can make for a beautiful addition to any outfit regardless of if they’re in vogue presently or not. If you’re a fan of DIY and would like to whip up your own (easy to make) ruffled headband, swing by Heart of Light and check out her step-by-step tutorial on how to so do.


* The Everlasting New Look: Iconic, revolutionary, stunning, timeless, the Dior’s New Look turned high end fashion on its head when it debuted following WW2 and has left a lasting impression on fashion ever since. Here Yesterday’s Girl explores the classic, feminine silhouette that made the New Look so desirable. (And for more on this beautiful style, be sure to check out A Vintage Revival’s post, Christian Dior then and now.)


* The Glamorous Days of Flight: Once long ago in a world where dressing up for seemingly commonplace events was still the norm, men and women alike donned elegant clothes when they took to the skies for an airplane trip, and similarly the airline hostesses (flight attendants) of yore also sported much more elegant uniforms, as highlighted by the examples in this fun post by Some Like It Vintage.


* Cary Grant is the epitome of classic style: The title of this post says it all. Cary Grant was a superb actor and a fantastically nice dresser. His sense of suave, refined, dapper style will forever hold the bar up for men – of both the famous and every day legions – to strive for with their own wardrobes.


* Raise your glasses: A guide to vintage glassware: Knowing how to make a mean martini or a great G&T is only half the battle when it comes to ensuring you get the most out of your tipples, the right glassware is an essential ingredient in the cocktail for any great drink. Here Queens of Vintage stirs up some great advice that's bound to help make sure you always know which type of glassware will work best for your favourite drinks.


* Never before published photos of Marilyn Monroe: Few actress have ever, or are likely to ever be, as hounded by cameras as Marilyn Monroe was, a point that resulted in scores of photographs of her being taken over the span of her legendary career. Most of these images have surfaced before, but occasionally some are discovered that have yet to be seen, such as the never before published images of Marilyn in this Life magazine article.


* Vintage Cars, parts and oddities at the Hershey Fall Meet: If the sights (and sounds!) of a gorgeous vintage car are just the thing to get your motor running, cruise on over to this New York Times article and feast your eyes on the bevy of amazing vintage automobiles that were seen at the Hershey Fall Meet this past October. (Big thanks to my wonderful husband for bringing this link to my attention!)


* Sensible Shoes: Wartime Footwear 1942-45: While these days the words “sensible shoes” might call to mind rather clucky, matronly or unattractive footwear, there was once a time when shoes readily had the ability to be moth comfortable and pretty at the same time, as highlighted this is terrific image filled post by Miss Rayne of Vintage Chick.


* Autumn colours: Sublimely lovely hues in deep jewel, earth and forest shades swirl through the marvelous vintage fashion photos in this beautiful (and very seasonally inspirational!) post from A Red Lipstick.

♥ ♥ ♥


Bursting with a highly appealing mix of posts pertaining to vintage topics, fashion, stunning photography finds, and personal musings, the pages of Miss Lillibug’s blog are a whimsical, artistic, engaging source of beauty and interest.



It’s my pleasure to extend today’s Your Blog is an Inspiration award to the wonderful Miss Lillibug! Thank you, sweet dear, for the splendid array of posts you share with us all and for being a fantastic source of vintage inspiration!

♥ ♥ ♥


This week’s video clip was uploaded recently by Glamourdaze and features a terrifically lovely group of women throwing one of their friends a bridal shower. I feel that this video is relevant to my life because my wedding anniversary took place on the 14th last month, and though it’s been over five years since I tied the knot, I still adore looking at and daydreaming over gorgeous matrimonial related images, magazines and videos – especially vintage ones! :)


{Vintage 1940s wedding shower make-up gifts}



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Yesterday I posted four images of myself from Halloween night. I was admittedly tremendously shy to do so, but if there’s any place I feel I can be myself online, it’s amongst you, my fellow vintage lovers, so I mustered the courage to share some photos here. The flood of staggeringly kind comments that poured in over those shots has shown me a valuable lesson: I really shouldn’t worry so much about silly hang-ups surrounding my appearance and that my shyness is entirely uncalled for when amongst good friends.

>
{Adorable vintage card image via Look Homeward, Harlot’s Flickr stream.}

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much, everybody, for your incredibly beautiful comments. Your words have bolstered my confidence and touched me to my core. I promise that I will be way more inclined to share snaps of myself and my outfits from now on!

Wishing you each a gorgeous, relaxing evening and fantastic Wednesday tomorrow!

Pretty Link Roundup {September 28, 2009}

Happy start of the week, sweet dears, how are you each on this last Monday in September. All is right as rain on this end, in fact it is raining, which often sets my moods off on a rather chipper note (I was born in Vancouver, what do you expect? ;D). I love a rainy day (or two, when it heads into twenty plus days of rain in a row like I experienced occasionally when I used to live in Ireland, well, that is something of another matter), the sound of falling precipitation, the cigarette ash hue the sky often takes on, the way the world seems to be given a good scrubbing for a little while, all of these things add up to more than enough reasons for me to extract joy from a rainy day



{This photo of Times Square in New York taken in the 1940s speaks directly to my love of a cityscape glistening with rain. The vibrancy and sense of motion in this shot is so intense you almost want to grab an umbrella - lest the drops starting hitting your head - just looking at it. Photo from the pages of Straatis' Flickr stream.}


Coolers days have always brought me greater mental clarity. In this sense I’ve come to learn I’m not alone, other too (including my husband) agree that they feel their brains function more sharply once summer has hightailed it out of town. When I lived in the western part of Canada, I can’t say as though I noticed this seasonal affect as deeply, but when the ravenous Ontario humidity came into the picture along with the toasty heat of summer, my mind suddenly felt as though it had turned into pabulum. It is not just the ol’ brain either, my entire body generally feels more up to snuff when the mercury refuses to climb above the low twenties. Anything between minus twenty and plus twenty five and I’m a pretty content camper, or should I say “blogger”.

I had a busy and wonderful weekend. My favourite part of it was on Saturday when we went to the Ontario Science Center for their 40th anniversary celebration bash, admission was free (hard to beat that price!) so naturally the place was crowded to the rafters, but we had a marvelous time despite the crowds and (among other activities) took in a screening of the IMAX film “Under the Sea”, which was narrated by Jim Carrey.

The entirely funny thing about our attendance that day though, was that we were planning to go to the Science Centre that day anyhow! We had wanted to go for some time, but various reasons had kept us away all summer long. Fortunately I wasn’t feeling too rough that day, so we figured we better jump on the chance to visit the Science Centre while we the opportunity to do so. We didn’t find out about the fact that a party was going on there until moments before we left the house (darling hubs wanted to check online how late they were open) – talk about a neat little slice of serendipity!

On the blogging front numerous interesting and exciting links have popped up lately – and much like our admission on Saturday, enjoying the afternoon with all of these stories is entirely free :)


♥ ♥ ♥


* Fashion Extremes: While fashion runaways often spill over with garments that are, in one way or another, excessive, this trend certainly didn’t start recently. Here Poke Salad Annie takes on a visual journey through some mid-twentieth century looks that veered towards the extreme, while still somehow managing to look infinitely more wearable than most of what comes down the catwalk today.


* What’s happened to our bodies?: Via the ever-wonderful Beauty is a thing of the past, an interesting article that compares the way women’s bodies have transformed in size and shape over the past six decades, from UK newspaper The Daily Mail, recently came to my attention. The piece looks at some of the medical, dietary and sociological reasons behind the change in body shape amongst British (and while not stated outright, American) woman and certainly provides some interesting food for thought.


* 1930s fashion plates: Sarai brings us a dose of visual loveliness via numerous (coloured) fashion plates from the 1930s. Each plate is a joy, but I especially like the one of the two women in navy blue dresses with coordinating jackets. Which look is your favourite?


* Betsy McCalls Paperdolls in publication from 1951-1961: While I was born decades too late to play with Betsy McCall paper dolls as a child, I’ve long admired the detailed beauty in these fragile paper gems. Here Alana takes us on a historical ride through the history of the Betsy McCall dolls, complete with several colour images of these adorable vintage playthings.


* A vintage kitchen cupboard medicinal: The dear soul behind A Stitch In Time is feeling a bit under the weather at the moment, but that didn’t stop her from putting together a thoroughly lovely – and useful – post highlighting several classic medicinal remedies such as baking soda, citrus juice, and salt for common ailments that have been plaguing humanity since the dawn of time. (Heartfelt wishes for a very speedy recovery to you, Analiebe!)


* The Value in Tailored Vintage: Melody from A Vintage Ramble raises some excellent points in favour of why tracking down vintage pieces that were once custom tailored can be well worth it (especially given the absurdly high prices modern hand-tailored pieces often fetch).


* Peter Pan Collars: Adore Vintage takes a quick peek at the adorable, rounded style of collar known by the name “Peter Pan”, which can look so lovely on a variety of vintage (and modern) styles.


* Retro Clocks at Target: Atomic Addiction corrals a list of some absolutely wonderful vintage/retro looking (think Atomic Era/Mad Men), reasonably priced wall clocks that are currently available from US retailer Target.


* Silver Screen Sunday {Pin-up Girl}: Recently Andi B. Goode began a weekly series of posts in which she highlights a vintage era movie and then rounds up fashion pieces that you can find today, to help you recreate the film’s iconic style. Most recently she shone the spotlight on Betty Grable’s classic “Pin-up Girl”, with fashion and hair ideas to help you recreate the curvy blonde starlet’s classic bombshell look.


* Beauty tips for red heads: Over at Time Machine to the Twenties, Amanda has been dishing up some fantastic old school Good Housekeeping beauty advise for redheaded gals this past week. A trio of posts on the subject cover skin care, lipstick, and what colours to wear, and are a wonderful read whether you were blessed with ruby locks or not.

♥ ♥ ♥

I wish to present this week’s Your Blog is an Inspiration award to my lovely, effervescent, delightfully creative friend, Maggi (~*Just Add Glitter and Stir*~). From the moment I encountered her wonderful site (seriously it’s bedecked with red sparkles and polka dots, what’s not to love?), I knew I had found a soul with which I had a lot in common. From a passion for vintage to an adoration of crating (she’s especially talented at scrapbooking), as well as a mutual love of Pullip dolls, I knew that she and I we would hit it off, and we certainly have.



Maggi, you and your site – and the marvelously cool creations you share with us – are a perpetual source of inspiration. I always leave your blog with a smile on my face and the urge to be intensely crafty all of a sudden in my heart. Thank you for being the amazing, artistic, friendly, caring, sweet person that you are!

♥ ♥ ♥

Inspired by a yummy Indian meal I cooked last week to celebrate autumn’s arrival (something about the saturated, earthly tones of many Indian spices and ingredients correlates with fall in my mind), I thought it would be fun to share a clip featuring numerous scenes of enchantingly pretty women from various vintage and retro Bollywood films with you. I admit to knowing little about specific Bollywood films and so cannot begin to tell you where the clips in this video hail from originally, but what I do know is that the ladies it features each possess a captivating and alluring sense of glamour that is as timeless as India itself.


{Beauties of Bollywood Past}



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I began this post much earlier in the day, since then night has rolled in, but the drizzling rain remains. As I type these words it occurs to me that this is the first night in many months I’ve felt the need to put on cozy autumn-appropriate socks and wrap myself up in a blanket. And so I did both things, Stella curled up in a state of feline slumber by my side, no doubt hoping for the return of her winter coat, and smiled even more than I had when I awoke this morning to rain. It’s the simple joys of the season that have the most impact on my soul.

May you each have countless reasons of your own to be happy this week!

Pretty Link Roundup {September 21, 2009}

Happy Monday, my wonderful dears, how are you each on this last day of summer 2009? I for one am counting down the seconds until autumn – my most beloved of all seasons – begins. Mother Nature has taken a decidedly low-key approach to things here today, gentle rain cascades against the bustling highway that’s visible from our living room window, large grey clouds like bunny tails fill the sky as evening rolls in. There is a sense that summer gearing up to leave, packing its bags (bedecked, I like to imagine, with stickers from the scores of tropical destinations it’s so keen on spending time at) and putting its affairs in order before bowing out gracefully to fall.

I am excited not only about the upcoming season, but about the upcoming blog posts I plan to write that will be focused around autumn; the return of hearty, soul soothing comfort food dishes cooked for long hours, shorter hours of daylight (call me mad, if you wish, but I don’t mind having the sun set earlier in the day because it means that it stays dark later in the morning, something that I’ve always been a fan of), and the cozy joy of being able to wear more than a handkerchief’s worth of fabric without collapsing from the sweltering heat - amongst many other lovely elements of the golden season.



{With the return of autumn comes the grand beauty of falling, rusty jewel toned leaves. Should you have a tree filled yard at your house, such as the one in this vintage 1953 photo from Time Life, that means chances are you’ll soon be raking up piles of leaves to bag – or jump into, as you desire :D}


Tonight however, it’s time for the latest edition of Pretty Link Roundup. I often publish this post on the weekend, but sometimes, such as today, it appears on Monday or some other time of the week. I like to average a link roundup about once a week, but the exact day of its appearance is far from written in stone. For the key element is that such a post gives me a chance to share with you all some of the delightful, fascinating, and often beautiful links that have sprung up on my radar over the past few days. I sincerely hope that you enjoy today’s offerings!

♥ ♥ ♥


* Repurposed vintage suitcases: The ever-amazing Karyn of French Charming shares several of her favourite pretty – and hugely creative – ideas for repurposing vintage suitcases, from turning them into pet beds to crafting one into a medicine cabinet.


* Nine reasons why we need to overdress: While not expressly focused on vintage wear, this post from Style Margarine is sure to strike a chord with fashionistas near and far who enjoy dressing lavishly and/or with a distinct personal style.



* Shopping the Old East London Way: The charming blog Polly Farthing Vintage explores some of London’s best shopping districts from days gone by, with the help of collages composed of some absolutely wonderful vintage photos.


* Vintage Coats: 1950s: A swoon-worthy selection of images of fantastically elegant coats from the fifties fills this wonderful post from Couture Allure.


* We’re sharing the best ever Forties beauty secrets: Feel like your beauty routine is in a rut? Need some time-honoured tips on how to look your best? Just love reading about beauty related topics from the past? If you answered yes to any of those points, this advice packed post from Queens of Vintage is definitely for you!


* 8 Ways to Wear Clip on Earrings: While I’d venture to guess that the majority of earring wearers these days have pierced ears (not everyone does though, my beloved mother has never pierced her ears and has always enjoyed wearing clip on), in days gone by clip on earrings were fairly popular, too. While those with pierced ears can certainly still wear clip ons still, too, this article suggests several other creative uses for turning these charming pieces in fashionable accessories such as a rings and ponytail decorations.


* Is applying liquid eyeliner your biggest beauty frustration?: For those who like to incorporate cosmetics into their vintage looks, eye make-up is one of the best ways to instantly convey a 1940s or 50s look – especially if you employ the use of eyeliner (especially classic black liner atop the upper eyelid). Mastering how to apply liquid eyeliner can be tricky to though, but fortunately there’s no need to shy away from using this classic cosmetic, especially when you have handy how-to tips like the ones in this article from Little Miss Make-Up at your disposal.


* Fashion Sneakers: I’m not an avid wearer of sneakers (minus, of course, when exercising), but I do think that with certain casual and/or summer vintage looks, the right type of old fashion looking sneakers can be adorable. In this image based post Millie Motts shares a small handful of vintage ads for deck shoe style sneakers that I certainly wouldn’t mind wearing.


* Ladies Home Journal, 1940: A marvelous assortment of pages scanned from a 1940 copy of Ladies Home Journal fill this post. They’re an awesome look back at the year, including the influence at the time of Gone With The Wind, ladies fashions, and home decor.


* The Depression blues – hard times & helpful hints: A Stitch in Time peers back at the tremendously difficult times faced during the Great Depression and parallels some of the steps people took back then (to survive and make ends meet) to those being adopted by people feeling the economic crunch these days.


* Letters of Note: My darling husband brought this link to my attention, and I’m ever so glad he did as I’ve always been immensely fascinated with genuine examples of antique and vintage letters, notes, postcards, telegraphs and other similar forms of written correspondence, such as those highlighted within the pages of this site.


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Luxurious, captivating and gorgeous are three words that spring to mind whenever I zip over to the chic pages of Blonde and Red. Merging a deep adoration for Marilyn Monroe with a trove of high end, often wonderfully sparkly accessory, jewelry and fashion finds, all the while wearing a vintage vibe through everything, this image focused blog is akin to strolling down a street chocked full of high end streets and a vintage photo gallery.



This week’s Your Blog is an Inspiration award goes to Red and Blonde's terrific site. Thank you B&R for the glam, glittery fabulousness you fill your pages with. I always end up lusting after some treasure you’ve highlighted, and am entranced by the myriad of Marilyn images that showcase each week. Thank you for creating the beautiful blog that you do, it is a wonderful source of inspiration.

♥ ♥ ♥

A charming little fashion clip from 1955 featuring a group of glamorously lovely, superbly well dressed women showcasing popular handbag styles takes the video spotlight this week. Which style is your favourite? I’m a fan of the classic doctor’s bag look myself.

{Vintage Handbags: 1955 Newsreel}




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The cloud covered sun has gone to bed for the day since I began writing this post, but the gentle rain and the whirl of water splashing up from countless tires rumbling over the pavement many floors below are both wonderfully audible still. These evening hours are peaceful, lovely moments that seem like the perfect way to usher in fall’s joyful return, setting off the next season on a serene note which I hope will carry through for the remainder of the year.

Wishing you each a splendid week and autumn ahead!

Five for Friday {September 18, 2009}

...Time for celebrating the big and the small in life. Sending enormous birthday wishes out across the vast Canadian miles to my step-dad, while on the home front delighting in the fact that the first autumn leaves, tinged the hue of a school bus, have begun to appear. Over the next two days I’ll be relaxing, creating, spending the weekend with an equal measure of serenity and vibrant, hopeful energy...


♥ ♥ ♥


{To meet fall head on in the most staggeringly beautiful fashion}


{If it is possible to fall in love with a photo, I have done so with this almost surreally sublime image of a vintage inspired young woman holding a huge floral print patio table style umbrella. Photo by Phillip Newton.}


{To embellish any surface with vintage charm, or more aptly, "with button" :) }


{Decorated and affixed with antique looking paper, these vintage ink bottles hold a mishmash of assorted old buttons, which you could certainly use or leave in the bottle for an adorable decorative conversation starter. 2” by 2.5” vintage ink bottles with buttons, $14.00 (US) each from Karla’s Cottage.}


{To inspire the most gorgeous, magical, amazing ice cream centered party of all time}


{If you only click through one link in this post, I implore you to make it this one. The photo above is but the tip of the ice(cream)berge. The page you’ll be taken to is chocked full of fantastically pretty photos of a decor and paper craft related ideas (including free template downloads for the labels and templates used throughout this magnificent post) to help you throw a pink, feminine, elegant, whimsical ice cream parlour themed party worthy of a princess! Image via Eat Drink Chic.}


{To carry the ethereal splendour of a summer bloom tucked into your hair any time of the year}


{Comprised of silken petals so delicate they nearly look like a genuine flower, this handmade bloom can be attached to a headband or comb and is made to order, ensuring you get exactly the kind of floral accessory you’re looking for. I can only imagine how enchanting this would look in person as part of a wedding ensemble. Custom made silk hair flower, $70.00 (US) from etsy seller Twigs and Honey.}


{To kick start the autumn crafting season off on an adorable note!}


{There is something so old fashioned and heart warming about the act of creating a stitchery by hand. I adore all manner of stitched arts and couldn’t help but share this free pattern for hand stitched wallet adorned with an immensely cute bird nestled amongst a sea of flowers. Image from, and pattern to create your own version available on, Cinderberry Stitches.}


Wishing you each a joyful, bright, wonderful weekend full of whatever you love to celebrate in this world!

Pretty Link Roundup {September 13, 2009}

Cheerful Sunday greetings, my sweet dears, how is this lovely September weekend treating you all? I sincerely hope the answer is “splendidly”. On this end I’m glad to report that I’m feeling a teensy bit better than I have been for past two weeks.

On Friday I briefly left the house for the first time in about sixteen days (I simply was too ill to do so before then). It was just a quick trip to the grocery store and pharmacy, but it was still marvelous to run a couple of quick errands. I’ve been resting for most of the weekend otherwise, but as I'm trying to make more time for my beloved passion, photography, I indulged in taking photos for a spell late Saturday afternoon.


{The cover of this 1942 edition of Popular Photography magazine is nothing short of stunningly pretty! It has inspired me to find or make myself a dainty red, bowed headband to wear as a means of ensuring my hair is out of my eyes while shooting, on the double. Image via StevenM’s Flickr stream.}


Between many reasons too numerous (and, I’m quite sure of no interest to anyone else) to list, the summer seems to have slipped by without allowing me to squeeze in time to shoot off nearly as many photos as I would have liked. Yet no sense in fretting about what’s past, as I always try to tell myself! Instead I’m just going to try doubly hard to be able ensure that I get to spend time every week behind the lens this autumn.

Linkwise (entirely homemade word), there's been oodles of terrific posts recently (it must be said, the vintage blogsphere is filled with continually amazing sites that deliver no shortage of stellar posts). From a novel solution to what to do when you’re short on a dancer partner, to a modern fashion designer’s alluring and creative vintage spin on autumn and winter wear for men, these links are hot off the presses and full of wonderful inspiration!


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* The Decade in Shoes: 1940s: The lovely Miss Rayne of Vintage Chic highlights a slew of fabulous footwear styles from the forties via an array of beautiful vintage shoe advertisements (most of which are in colour, to boot!).


* Inspiration Vintage Interiors: Melding a sense of almost fairytale-like wonderment with antique and vintage inspired elements, the interiors highlighted in this richly pretty post are sure to set many a daydream into motion.


* The GPO Telephone No.322: An informative post on an iconic mid-century British telephone appeared recently on the blog The Fab 50s, which includes helpful pointers on what to look for when buying one of these once widely found, now classic, rotary phones.


* Taxi Dancers: Have you ever heard of a “Taxi Dancers” before? No? Neither had I until I read this great post on Some Like it Vintage, which inform readers that Taxi Dancers where not Broadway hopefuls who moonlighted as cabbies, they were in fact people who one could hire (from the 1920s onward) to go dancing with, if a suitable partner wasn’t readily available. Such people were, as this article points out, “dancers for hire”, which seems like such a fantastic idea – especially if your significant other isn’t keen on hitting the dance floor very often.


* Fall Fashion Delights: The ever-gorgeous Jitterbug Doll shares some of the vintage fashion images that are fuelling her autumn wardrobe fires this season.


* Modern Boots with Vintage Style: As someone to whom the universe was not exactly kind when doling out feet, I was born with an odd shaped (they’re thick from top to bottom, if that makes any sense) and uneven sized pair of dogs. Thus finding shoes (let alone pretty footwear) can be something of a challenge for me! My owe saving grace since childhood however, has been boots, which tend to be cut more generously then shoes or sandals. Being a vintage loving gal, I’m naturally a fan of old fashioned styled boots and always enjoy spying modern versions that have a delightful vintage feel to them, such as the pairs in this post from Here’s Looking Like You Kid.


* Beauty Shops are in the Army, Too!: The always wonderfully informative blog Beauty is a thing of the past, share two pages from a vintage magazine that depict photos of the sort of on-base beauty shop options enlisted (US) women and military wives had available to them during WW2.


* Let’s do a little porch sitting: While front porches seem to be going the way of the dinosaur when it comes to modern home design, thankfully many older homes include these once commonplace front-of-abode features, and what better way to adorn your porch, if you have one, than with a vintage porch swing! Here Millie Motts shares colour images of vintage porch swings which would also look amazing in a backyard or anywhere outdoors you could find to place one :)


* Dolores del Río: In the latest edition of an ongoing series of posts devoted to glamorous, gorgeous and skilled Hollywood starlets of the past, Poke Salad Annie of Loose Leaf Tigers brings us interesting facts and many wonderful images of the irrefutably stunning, tremendously talented actress Delores Del Rio.


* Alexander McQueen Mens F/W 08/09: While I truly appreciate the time and artistry that goes into the creation of high end designer wear and haute couture, it’s rare that a fashion show steals my breath away entirely (due in no small part I’m sure, to the fact that I know I could never in a million years afford the pieces up for offer) and leaves me seriously impressed by the designer’s current offerings. However, over at Swing Fashionista I spied Alexander McQueen’s recent menswear collection and just about toppled off of my chair. Having nothing short of a full-fledged love affair with gentlemanly and dandy-ish fashions for men, I instantly became enamoured with the timelessly spectacular vintage inspired suits and separates McQueen is offering up for chaps this season. Though some of the garments are a tad over-the-top, many of the pieces speak of a nearly forgotten era of refinement and class that is sorely missing from almost all modern day men’s wear, and which I wish I could dress my own gentleman in every day for the rest of time.


Numerous wonderful blogs that I follow are currently holding giveaways at the moment. As nearly everyone loves the chance to win a splendid prize for free (especially during these budget weary times we’re living in), I wanted to share the following contests with you all:

* ~Welcome to Deluxville~ is extending readers the chance to win a thoroughly fantastic 1950s clock radio;

* Lemondrop Vintage is giving away an eclectically fabulous vintage charm bracelet;

* GypsyFox The Glamorous Housewife has some adorably festive Christmas themed wine charms up for grabs;

* Wasp Waist and Wiggle Skirts has a beautiful 1940s dress pattern that she’s offering up to one lucky reader.

If you’re also currently holding a giveaway on your site, please feel free to let me know in the comment section and I’d be delighted to add you to this list as well.

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As many a magazine editor and fashionista alike would be quick to point out, there seems to be a certain undeniably, virtually inherent fashion mindset that French women are blessed with that seems to elude ladies from other nations the world over. As a lover of French style (in everything from clothing to decor, food to films), I was smitten with the site Le blog du Stéphanie the moment I saw it. Sweet and gentle, sparked onward by vintage style and filled with wildly inspiration images, this blog is a true joy to behold.



Stéphanie dear, I adore your site and your amazing French style, which comes through in all you that you wear and post. Please except this week’s Your Blog is an Inspiration award with my heartfelt thanks for creating the splendidly beautiful site that you do! Your ethereal and charming pages have made me long to visit France even more than ever! :)

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Glimmering in the video spotlight this week is clip depicting a strikingly gorgeous fashion show from 1938, featuring the spring collection of English designer Norman Hartnell. Not only are the fashions themselves resplendently elegant, but the clip is in colour, making each expertly crafted outfit even more breath-taking to behold.

{Making Fashion (1938)}



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Sunday has all but come to a close, however I don’t want to say good-bye to it just yet. I think I’ll stay up a little longer and pursue some of my favourite blogs, perhaps gathering a few links already for next week’s Pretty Link Roundup post.

I hope that you each had a wonderful and serene weekend – did anyone do anything exciting or memorable? And that the coming week with grace you all with happiness and, if you’re in need of it, the onset of autumnal temperatures!

Receiving and passing along the You’re a Gem Award

Back during the swelteringly stuffy, meltingly hot dog days of August, a wonderfully dear online friend of mine, Kathie of My Net Finds, bestowed a gorgeous award upon Chronically Vintage, called “You’re a Gem!” that she created herself.

To quote Kathie herself, in terms of what inspired her to design this award, “I made this award for the special bloggers who take the time to not only read my posts, but also leave comments, respond to comments, form blog friendships with and support others, answer blogger questions, etc.....the ones who are a real "gem" in the bloggy world. The bloggy world wouldn't be the same without you!” What beautiful sentiments!

As I feel both Kathie and her site are sparkling gems, I was deeply delighted to receive this award from her. Thank you deeply – with huge hugs – Kathie honey, for dubbing my blog Gem worthy.

I am always touched to my core when I receive a blog award and try my best to pass along the accolades I receive to others as well, in the hopes that they’ll enjoy receiving an award as much as I do.



Unlike many blogging awards, you don’t have to do anything if you find yourself on the receiving end of this one. You are welcome to pass it along to other blogs that you feel are wonderful gems (and post the graphic on your blog, if you’d like), but really this award is just about my appreciate for your awesome site!

The following ten blogs are my award recipients today. Each one of them reminds me of a different rare and precious stone and thus I’ve assigned a gem to the ten blogs I selected, just for fun! As always if your name is not listed below, please, by all means feel free to bestow this accolade upon yourself, my dear!


The Cupcake Diary: Perpetually full of energy and life, this site is run by a lovely Italian gal with a passion for fashion and all things vintage. It continually strikes me as being so upbeat and sunny, yet also very serene at the same time – the same feelings that sapphires, like sparkling pools of water, often stir in me.


Queen of Dreamsz: With her weekly entry devoted to my all-time most favourite colour, pink, this creative, free-spirited outpost of a site calls to mind the sweet, energetic beauty of pink tourmaline.


Strawberry Koi: Timelessly classic, forever in style, and eternally gorgeous, all sentiments that ring true for both pearls and the wondrously pretty posts that fill Strawberry Koi’s blog.


~ *Just Add Glitter and Stir*~: Full of vibrant energy and sporting a page layout that glistens like gemstone dust, this scrapbook and craft centred blog makes me think of rubies every time I stop by.


Fashion After Forty: Dazzling her readers with exciting and beautiful outfits nearly every day, this fashion blogger is such a huge fan of all things turquoise that I now think of her whenever I spot this cheerful, lively hue - or the stone itself.


Lemondrop Vintage: Cheerful and wonderfully fun, this vintage blog pulls inspiration from a slew of decades and always seems so upbeat! Paired with Lemondrop’s name sake fruit and one of the key colours of her blog’s layout, it’s citrine all the way when I think of this site.


Kaleidoscopic Refrains: Much like the effect seen through a kaleidoscopic, opals create a prismastica rainbow effect as you peer at their surface. Thus this colourful stone reminds me of the variable feast of loveliness to be found on this blog.


Andi B. Goode: Telegraphing a sense of femininity and confidence, beauty and passion, amethysts are a gem that always look amazing, just like Andi, the immensely stylish gal behind this vintage centred blog.


Fashion Preserve: Sleek and chic, elegant and timeless, onyx is a mysterious stone that works well in countless stylish situations. It prompts me to think of the wise and wonderful woman behind Fashion preserve, herself a wealth of all manner of great wardrobe related knowledge.


A Vintage Spirit: So often it seems the lovely soul who runs A Vintage Spirit and I share various interests in common, so (and I’m just taking a stab here) I ventured to guess that perhaps she would also adore emeralds, much as I do. Serene and calm, but still full of radiant beauty, this verdant hue reflects the vibe I sense on this great blog.

{Credit for all of the gemstone images above goes to the superb online jewelry retailer - and great source for information regarding a myriad of different stones - Bernadine Fire Art Jewelry. To learn more about a specific stone, please click on the image of it to be taken to its respective page.}


I mean it with the utmost sincerity when I say that everyone who has ever visited, commented on, and been a part of my blog in any way is true, sparkling, priceless gem! To those I did not mention by name above (as well as those I did!), please consider yourself to all be the most brilliant and beautiful of diamonds in my books!

Thank you to everyone who is a part of Chronically Vintage, and huge thanks to Kathie for honouring me with a true gem of an award!

Pretty Link Roundup {September 6, 2009}

Sunday greetings, my lovely dears! I hope that the (long) weekend is being especially kind to each of you. On this end summer is holding on for all its worth, sun glittering against an almost pastel blue sky, the fan still very much in operation.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has so kindly wished me well this past week. To be honest I’m still quite under the weather – 'tis the nature of contending with chronic illnesses. Yet – and I mean this with the utmost sincerity – each one of your touchingly sweet comments really do lift my spirits. You are all an amazing group of blogging friends, and I am very grateful for the vintage loving camaraderie we share.

A diverse array of sites composes the roundup today, from what may be one of the season’s last posts on the topic of vintage bathing suits to a look at the once highly popular snood, tons of great posts have been popping up on the vintage front recently that I couldn’t wait to share with you all!


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* Gourmet’s Favourite Cookies 1940s: Join the wonderful folks over at Gourmet magazine as they bake their way through popular cookies from the past seven decades, in series of post featuring a different cookie recipe (complete with photos of every cookie featured) from 1940 right through to last year.


* Vintage Fashion Forward: “Oh Julia”: Also on the subject of culinary related vintage topics comes this post from Vintage Indie highlighting pieces that can help you achieve a similar wardrobe style to that of Julia Child.


* Turbans: A headwear mainstay for women during much of the mid-twentieth century, turban style hats and head scarves were both fashionable and often functional for those (such as women working in WW2 era factories) who needed to keep their hair under wraps – literally! Check out the numerous examples of turban styles in Greetz from Tiz’s picture filled post on the subject.


* Make-up guide: how to re-create a forties look: The immensely lovely Amanda Newsum (Jitterbug Doll) teams up with Queens of Vintage in this post, to bring you helpful tips on how to achieve an authentic 1940s make-up look of your own (including recommendations for her favourite products and brands to use).


* Vintage inspiration: Anne Miller: Diana features the immortally beautiful Anne Miller in this post, bustling with photos and video clips, about an actress who continually provides her with vintage inspiration.


* An Interview With Vintage Swimwear Collector Pam Fierro: Collectors Weekly interviews vintage swimwear collector and expert Pam Fierro (of Glamour Surf), who talks passionately about her love of old school bathing suits and the history behind twentieth century swimwear in general.


* Q&A with Vintage Fashion Historian Heather Vaughan: Another must-read interview that I’ve recently come across is this piece from Debutante Clothing. They sat down with a very knowledgeable fashion historian (Heather Vaughn), who discusses not only about her interest in period and vintage clothes but also about what a fashion historian’s job really entails.


* In the booth: If you haven’t chanced upon this site yet, you’re in for a huge treat! Laden with vintage snapshots (of everyday folks – much along the lines as those featured in my weekly Saturday Snapshots post) that are presented in a photo booth inspired style, it is truly worth devoting a few minutes (or hours!) to.


* Only Bad Witches Are Ugly: Being one of the biggest Halloween fans (and thus a fan of almost anything relating to spooky topics) to ever walk the face of the earth, I just about squealed with delight with I read this recent photo filled post from Miss Matilda about the Wicked Witch of the West (from The Wizard of Oz).


* Snoods: If you’ve ever wanted to whip up your own snood – a once commonplace and often very lovely hair accessory – be sure to swing by The Vintage Style Files for instructions on how to crochet one.

* Allee Willis launches kitsch museum: I was recently contacted by someone on behalf of famed kitsch collector, pop culture artist and songwriter Allee Willis, who informed me that if you happen to be the LA area starting on September 14th you can check out exhibits devoted to all manner of retro and kitsch items at the Ghettogloss art gallery on Melrose Avenue. For more information, please follow the link at the start of this entry.

* Who’s the cutest in the animal kingdom?: While the general theme of this weekly post does usually centre around all things vintage, every once in a while a “nonvintage” link comes along that is simply to wonderful for one reason or another not to share with you all. Case in point, this New York Daily News piece crammed full of incredibly, fantastically adorable photos of all manner of baby animals (warning: cute overload!).

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This week I would like to present the Your Blog is an Inspiration award to A Red Lipstick. Insightful, elegant and endearing, there is a gentle, reflective – even sagely - nature to this wonderful blogger that draws me into her beautiful site and holds me captivated.

Thank you ARL, for the personal stories (such as when you spoke of the wardrobe pieces that you had acquired from your grandmother) and streamlined, wonderfully presented vintage fashion posts you share with the world. Your Please accept this award – and feel free to pass it along to whomever you fancy, if you’d like – with my heartfelt thanks for the continual inspiration and serenity your excellent blog provides me with.

♥ ♥ ♥


Though the various fashion styles of the 1950s are very familiar to most of us, it’s still fun to see them presented on mainstream TV such as in this CBS video clip from The Early Show with Julie Chen, which highlight outfits for both guys and gals. I particularly like the navy blue polka dot dress that the first model sports, which look is your favourite?

{A Look Back At 1950s Style}



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From somewhere in the neighbourhood, as I type this, I can smell the intoxicating scent of food cooking on a barbeque – a luxury which the stringent (no bbqs on the balcony) rules of my apartment forbid me from being able to take part in, too. However, I don’t mind that much, just being able to enjoy that familiar smell on the long last weekend of the summer makes me smile, and calls to mind so many pleasant memories of childhood summers, barbeques and the bitter-sweetness that came with the very last weekend before a new school year commenced (in general I was a big fan of school, but really who in their right mind doesn’t love summer vacation? ;D).


{From the car’s tailfins to the plaid patterned beverage cooler, everything about this page from a vintage barbecue cookbook is pure fifties goodness, and definitely makes me yearn for a cookout picnic. Image via Eudaemonius on Flick.}


What are you each up on this lovely Sunday? Has autumn rolled into town or are you still feeling the toasty warmth of summer?

However you spend today, I hope that you have a marvelous Sunday – and wish all those who are observing it, a fantastic Labour Day tomorrow!

Pretty Link Roundup {August 31, 2009}

Good morning, my wonderful vintage dears, how was your weekend? Mine was well in general, but I’m afraid I’m a tad under the weather at the moment (nothing dire, just one of my conditions is flaring up for some inexplicable reason), so the Pretty Link Roundup is a tad late in getting out. Normally it appears on Saturday or Sunday, but this week it’s going to fill in for the Monday Muses segment.

For the above mentioned reason I’m going to jump right into the marvelous array of links that have been entertaining and inspiring me this past week. I hope you’ll all enjoy them as much as I did!


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* 1940s fashion – Women’s Dress Code: Glamour Daze highlights some of the wardrobe pieces and styles that were standard wear for women of the forties. A great list for anyone who loves to replicate WW2 and post-war era looks.


* 1950s hair – “The Roll”: The beautiful gal behind the blog You Were Never Lovelier takes us through a step-by-step tutorial on how she achieves an absolutely wonderful hairstyle featuring a bangs (fringe) roll and a hair doughnut (the type that can be used either as a straight “log” or curved into a doughnut shape). This seals it for me; I simply must get one of these handy-dandy hairstyling devices and then give “The Roll” a try myself.


* Top 5 vintage Hispanic silver screen stars: Queens of vintage shines the spotlight on five of vintage Hollywood’s loveliest Hispanic actresses, such as Rita Moreno and Carmen Miranda.


* Vintage inspiration - Scottie dogs: Last week I posted an entry devoted to all manner of vintage items featuring dogs, which inspired my dear friend Amanda (from Time Machine to the Twenties) to create a post of her own featuring one of the most loved mid-twentieth century dog breads: the adorable Scottie. She’s rounded up a slew of precious Scottie themed items that are not to be missed!


* Countdown: Vintage Clocks: Daisy Fairbanks Vintage corrals a fantastic handful of diverse vintage wall clocks in this post which I’m sure everyone can squeeze in the time to visit ;D (Sorry, couldn’t resist a clock/time pun.)


* Done and Dusted – A Quick Look At Duster Coats: Over at the Fashion Preserve, duster coats – which Christina informs us came about with the advent of automobiles and later morphed into more general wear, lightweight garments – and the history behind them are in the spotlight.


* Fancy cocktail hat: From the online pages of Craft magazine comes a wonderful step-by-step tutorial on how to make your own beautiful vintage looking “fancy cocktail hat”, complete with airy netting and a spry feather. The steps strike me as being easy to follow regardless of your millinery skill level.


* Suggestions and ideas from 1949 on how to wear your hair based on your face shape: Over at beauty is a thing of the past, Ricki has been posting some absolutely wonderful entries lately featuring images from a the 1949 book by the name of “A Girl and Her Hair”, that show suggestions on how to wear your hair based on your face shape. The illustrations – and the names given to faces shapes (such as “cherub” and “pixie”) are absolutely adorable.


* Looking into the past: Via the lovely pages of the blog Behind the Curtain, I recently discovered a fantastic Flickr stream devoted to a very neat way of celebrating vintage photos. This stream is bustling with shots that depict someone holding up a vintage photo in front of the same location where it was originally taken. Clever and beautiful these endearing photographss of photos are not to be missed.


* Lilyan Tashman: Allure blog routinely features wonderful, detailed, photo-filled posts about glamorous and talented silver screen starlets of yesteryear, and a recent entry about 1920s and early 30s actress platinum blonde haired actress Lilyan Tashman is a great example of why I’m hooked on this site!


* Andi B. Goode’s Debut Giveaway: Vintage fashionista and all-around truly lovely person, Andi (of her eponymous blog) is holding a delightful giveaway (her first ever!) in honour of reaching 100+ Google followers. If you’d like the chance to win a beautiful pair of flower shaped, screw-on earrings and an adorable wooden brooch in the shape of a surfboard, be sure to zip on over to Andi’s and enter her contest (plus, if you blog about it on your site and then return to comment about your post, you’ll receive a second entry!).





This week’s Blog Inspiration award goes to none other than Greetz from Tiz, the site of a beautiful and creative (she recently launched her own etsy store specializing in vintage inspired knitwear) Italian gal with a deeply rooted passion for all things vintage. With my husband hailing from Italy I feel like I have a special connection to this marvelous and historical country, and love when I find vintage themed blogs written in English by Italian ladies.

GFT, I am continually inspired by your posts (your journey through the Summer Jamboree with a joy to behold!), and adore everything about your style! Please accept this award with my heartfelt thanks for your superb contribution to the vintage blogging world.


On the video front, the clip of the week features lovely Youtube make-up/hair/beauty fan Carly (Glitterdollz7) as she takes us through the quick, easy to follow steps she uses to achieve a Dita Von Teese inspired hairstyle. A must-watch for anyone who wants to get wonderful, wavy, bouncy Dita inspired locks! I normally post (embed) the video of the week into my posts, but Carly has disabled this feature for her videos, so please follow this link to view her hairstyling tutorial.


How are things going with each of you? Did you have a lovely last weekend of August? I absolutely hope so! I certainly had a blast composing the second edition of Saturday Snapshots, and already looking forward to compiling the images for next week’s photo bedecked post.



{As the seasons teeter on the fence between the sultry heat of summer and the nippy golden light of autumn, one’s wardrobe calls for pieces that can carry you through from August into September. Take this this stunning brown dress with matching bolero dress that a stylish woman could have purchased in 1951, for example. Image from MyVintageVogue’s Flickr stream.}


Wishing everyone a splendid Monday and start of September! Here’s to the beginning of the last month of the summer and the beauteous onset of autumn it ushers in.

Five For Friday {August 28, 2009}

...The weekend draws near, August’s last for nearly twelve more months. Time to savour the best of summer while simultaneously sitting on the edge of your set in anticipation for autumn. Crystal blue skies that will soon house harvest moons, fresh picked berries give way to pumpkin pies, tumbling leaves take the place of end-of-summer roses. Celebrate the next few in-between weeks and all they hold, they’re the gentle parting kiss from summer that will help you forget just how wildly fierce it can be at times...


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{To ensure you wake up on time for everything from classes to craft fairs this fall}


{First spied on my lovely friend Trains and Sewing Machine’s creative blog, this delightful Crosley alarm clock is thoroughly modern (it boasts a plug for your MP3 playter), but looks fantastically vintage. Plastic and stainless steel alarm clock, $58.00 (US) from Urban Outfitters.}


{To ease you into "coat weather" in the prettiest of vintage styles}


{Darling with high waisted trousers, casual skirts or even atop dresses, this versatile hued topper would look marvelous – and help keep you warm – as we transition into autumn. Cocoa brown, faux fur trimmed coat with a 37” bust and 34” waist, $58.00 (US) from etsy seller The Greedy Seasgul.}


{To capture the essence of any season or scent your heart desires and relive it time and time again}


{From the pages of the stellar (and perpetually inspirational) blog Indie Fixx, comes a comprehensive, thoroughly well constructed article on how to make your own perfume. Sniff out all the beautiful details here.}


{To beat the sizzling summer heat while still cleverly ushering in one of autumn’s most iconic flavours}


{If you love your apple pie ala mode (and really, who doesn’t?), than this recipe, which combines flavours from both of these classic desserts into one, is definitely for you!! Photo from, and recipe for cinnamon apple ice cream on, Tarla Dalal.}


{To keep you cool on toasty nights and then to nestle beneath a glamorous vintage robe when the mercury dips}


{Lace, bows, a gorgeous pale turquoise hue, heart trimming at the hem, what’s not to adore about this absolutely lovely vintage slip that could easily double as a warm weather night gown? 1950s slip with a 42” bust and 30-36” waist, $37.00 (US) from etsy seller Shrinkle.}


Enjoy these final few days of August, my dear readers. Spend time immersed in those season specific pastimes you love, take photos illuminated by deeply golden light while it's still present, and embrace the tail-end of this last full month of summer. I know I certainly will!

Wishing you each a gorgeous and serene weekend!