A much needed impromptu getaway!

Tony has been traveling up a storm this month for work, in fact, by the time November is over, he will have taken four separate business trips, including one (back to) San Francisco. Talk a busy month for my uber hardworking chap!

The last jaunt of the month is closer to home. In fact, it's to that most gorgeous of Pacific Coast cities, Vancouver. It’s a drivable journey of just 4.5 hours and as such Tony asked if I'd like to tag along with him. Umm, super-duper yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



{Vancouver always hums with excitement, energy and culture, points all captured in this wonderful nighttime shot from 1951 of Granville's theater district at the time, and I can hardly wait to get back and experience that sense of vitality again. Vintage image via Museum of Vancouver.}


We just made plans to travel together a few days ago (and it is fully a business trip for him) and will be leaving early tomorrow morning, so unlike usual I didn't have time to save up my pennies in advance like I usually do when we take trips. That means I won't be doing scads of buying, be it for myself or my Etsy shop, but it being Vancouver, there's no way I'll come home empty handed. There are too many cool shops, be they vintage or otherwise, in that thriving city not to pick up a few must-have goodies. :)

As Tony will be working most of the time that we're there - which is until November 30th December 1st (the final date of our stay was changed during the trip itself) - I'll be taking my laptop along and getting some work and usual blogging related activities in, too (including posting this month's new vintage blogger interview and 2015's Vintage Holiday Shopping Guide). Though I also hope to make/have time to sightsee, do a little of that aforementioned shopping, perhaps visit a museum and/or gallery, and perhaps most importantly, simply unwind and relax as well.

While this isn't a full on vacation for either of us, it is as close as I'll come to one this year and I need it something fierce. I haven't done any traveling since our trip to Vancouver Island at the start of fall 2014, and as someone with a perpetual sense of wanderlust, this is such an awesome way for me to (very nearly) wrap up a year of incredibly hard work and no (prior) getaways.

So my sweet dears, this very morning (originally we'd thought we'd be leaving on Tuesday, but another work event arose for Tony tomorrow, so we're leaving today on the 22nd instead), I'm off to one of my favourite cities on the face of the earth for a week of fun, productivity, moments of tranquility, and hopefully a great vintage treasure or two as well!

If you want to tag along with us on this trip, be sure to follow me on Instagram, where I'll be posting lots of delightful snaps from our travels to good, ol' Van!

Looking back at February 2013

The briefest month of the year wraps up today, yet there wasn't too much about this February that felt short to me. There were some lovely days for sure (such as Valentine's on which Tony gave me an adorable light pink Hello Kitty cupid plush, a darling card featuring two kisses bulldog puppies, and a gorgeous purple rose), but most followed in the same vein as January.

Then, as the month drew to a close, the inevitable happened, I came down with a nasty flu that Tony brought home last week. At first I thought maybe, just maybe, I'd bypassed contracting it, but when I woke up on Tuesday morning this week, I knew that such luck was not on my side.

Yesterday was especially unpleasant, as I duked it out with a 104F fever for most of the day (which, thankfully broke late in the evening). I don't tend to get over the flu very quickly, so I'll likely be a somewhat out of commission due to it for the next little while. Thankfully though, this was the first time either of us got the flu this winter, and we've been spared (knock wood) any colds this season. If I must get it, I'll take the flu at this late stage in the winter over getting it, say, during the Christmas holidays any year!

{We're ensuring especially brisk business for Kleenex this week at our house, as Tony and I slog our way through a rough flu. Image source.}


Also on the health front, and I will be posting more about this matter when the date draws nearer, I wanted to give you all a head's up that I'll be going in for surgery again in the not-too-distant future and that I'll need to take a small blogging break (likely about two weeks) while I recoup afterwards. Long time readers will recall that this isn't the first time I've had do just that before, but I've had a good surgery-free spell, going close to two years since the last one (which took place in the summer 2011).

That's looking ahead a touch however, and this post (the second in the end-of-the-month review series that launched last month) is about recapping some of the things, and blog posts, that have transpired since the beginning of the month, so let's take at gander at such things first.

As I wasn't feeling too swell throughout this whole month for various reasons, there weren't many outings, and I was grateful to have some vintage outfit photos taken in January to use throughout February, including a return to my beloved grey wall in Kelowna to shoot my 1940s Valentine's ensemble (a photo from which also appears below).





I always like to keep a rosy outlook, no matter what life throws my way or how I'm feeling, so we kicked off February with a super fun look at the history of Groundhog Day on February 2nd, then a couple of days later, I shared my awesome new mini pink Christmas tree (which, it was unanimously decided, I should leave out year round and decorate for each of the various major holidays).

In a rousing game of vintage blog tag, I shared 21 facts about myself pertaining to my passion for the past, personal style, and vintage filled life (I had such a blast writing this post!).

A few days later, the sharing continued when - in a nod to Valentine's Day - I posted about Ten things that make my heart beat faster (amongst which one will find everything from fiddle music to the thought of wearing a genuine Dior New Look ensemble).

The day after Valentine's, as per a request from a reader that came in a couple of months ago, I posted about something that has been incredibly near and dear to my heart for the better part of my life: writing poetry. In this post, I shared four of my own poems with you and touched on the profound importance poetry has had on me over the years.

As we cruised our way through the second half of February, topics as diverse as the history of maple syrup to a celebration of Greek culture as seen in various mid-century sources (fashion very much included) appeared. Sandwiched in amongst those two posts, I also wrote more about my love of Freddies of Pinewood's wonderful vintage reproduction denim offerings.

As well, later in the month we took a peak at Ten investment worthy vintage wardrobe items, any one of which I'd be pleased as punch to splurge on if circumstances permitted anytime. Then earlier this week, I was in the mood to discuss something pertaining to local history, so I shone the spotlight on Penticton born classic Hollywood actress Alexis Smith.

And for the very last post of the month - save for this one, yesterday I blogged about a rare day of glorious winter sunshine and also chatted about one of my beloved vintage Austrian fruit brooches, complete with a bevy of photos taken on one of my favourite places in town, my parents' deck.

There were other posts here as well in February, but these standout as some of my personal Favourites.
Elsewhere online, I was touched as can be to mentioned in a number of wonderful places across the web this month. On the 7th I was absolutely honoured to included amongst the terrific blog Vintage Frill's list of their Top 10 Vintage Blogs (sharing this post with some seriously venerable company!).

I was recently asked if I'd like to write about why I love Canada and what being a Canadian means to me for Vintage Lifestyle Magazine. I'm happy to announce that my little write-up on this subject appeared along side several other similar pieces from bloggers and other inspiring individuals around the world in the latest (free, online) issue of Vintage Lifestyle Magazine (you can see my piece on page 76). This is the second time I've been a part of this truly fantastic online fashion and vintage lifestyle magazine, and I want to thank the wonderful folks there again for including some of my thoughts on Canada in issue 14. 

As well, just last week, the immensely lovely Stephanie of The Girl with the Star-Spangled included me in her great post about vintage blogging ladies sporting trousers in her great photo filled post Vintage and Pants.

Gazing towards March on the blogging front, some of the topics that I'm planning to hopefully delve into here in the coming month include budget-friendly 1940s sewing patterns, a St. Patrick's Day meal, unexpected sources of vintage wardrobe inspiration, and an Easter related post or two.



{A beautiful 1940s magazine cover featuring actress Priscilla Lane - her dress is so lovely and filled with the spirit of vintage springtime glamour. Just the ticket to inspire all of us as we launch into March. Image source.} 


Here's to whatever March holds in store and the heartfelt hope that it will be a lovely, joyful month for all of us! 

Ohhhh, and last but not least, don't forget that March 10th marks the return of springtime daylight saving time (so remember to set your clocks ahead an hour, my sweet dears). 

Well we're moving on up

Or to be more accurate, we're technically moving down - to the ground floor that is. Oh, and in another city. In different a province.

That's right, sweet dears, for the inaugural Chronically Vintage post of 2012, I come bearing (what is for my family and I) extremely good news! In a matter of weeks, my husband and I will be leaving Toronto and heading to my home province of British Columbia.

The decision to make this move is a very multi-faceted one that was not, by any stretch of the imagination, reached lightly. For the last few weeks, the mister and I have debated, planned, and endlessly discussed the pros and cons of leaving Toronto, and ultimately decided that moving is the right thing for us at this point in our lives.

There is - as cross country moves by their very nature to involve - much work to be done between now and when we leave Ontario at the end of February, but that's more than okay, because I can't remember the last time we were looking so forward to a major life change.

{Moving nearly always entails a lot of work, planning and a dollop of luck, but it's worth it in the end if you get to end up someplace you love, as we'll be doing when we head out to B.C. in a few weeks. Charming 1940s moving day themed beer ad via paul.malon on Flickr.}

 

For the time being, things around these blogging parts will be much the same. With last year's Vintage 365 behind us, posts will likely appear here two to three (or more) times a week, right up until the final days that I'm in Toronto, and then they'll pick up again once we're settled into our new place in B.C. (it will take our furniture and belongings a couple of weeks to arrive on the moving truck, so I may be MIA around then, but I'll let you all know for sure as those days draw nearer and I better know how things are going to unfold).

So, while (in an admittedly retro nod) the Jeffersons we're moving on up, we're moving on down from our little high rise apartment to a ground floor condo, in a beautiful town, in my favourite Canadian province, and that really is a piece of the pie, in our books!