Saying hello to autumn's return with a beautiful retro frock from Dressific

Outfit details

C. 1930s/1940s black felt and cream faux pearl hat: Unknown, had for many years
Sparkly gold ribbon bow earrings: Claire's
Vintage style Elegant Me Floral Retro: c/o Dressific
C. 1960s - 1970s Victorian revival gold tone metal and amber hued plastic bow dangle brooch: Unknown, has for years (probably thrifted from Value Village)
C. 1980s does 1950s wide woven black bet: Unknown, has for years (probably thrifted from Value Village)
C. 1950s white gloves: Unknown, had for years (possibly a gift)
Vintage style molded black plastic rose bead stretch bracelet: Thrifted (Value Village)
Gold tone metal bangle bracelet: Payless
Mid-century black faux patent leather handbag: A Vintage Revival
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
1940s style black faux suede round toe pumps: Walmart (which, yes, I was actually wearing here - the tall grass obscured them)
Lip colour: MAC Partyline

Photography by Tony Cangiano

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Ooohh, you guys, am I tickled pink about today's vintage outfit post, as it is not only the very first (of several) that happened while on our recent holiday to Edmonton, but it's also the first of this autumn, and it stars one seriously charming vintage appropriate frock from Australia based online retailer Dressific.

I'm a huge fan of visiting new-to-me destinations, which Edmonton most certainly was, however one of the challenges of such can be finding locations to shoot in when you don't know much about the town/city and its layout. Add in the often very damp, cold and windy weather that accompanied us throughout our travels this time around and things got even more tricky for us on that front.

Fortunately though, in this day and age, between smart phones and GPS systems, shoot locations can be found on the fly, and the fenced field (attached to a park) that we took these photos in before it started to pour again late one windy afternoon (so hence the squinting) was just such a spot.

Earlier in the day we'd been doing a lot of exploring around town, though mostly to shops and downtown areas, few of which would have worked well, IMO, to highlight a retro style dress like this gorgeous offering from Dressific in.

I've had the pleasure of working with Dressific as a sidebar sponsor at various points over the years, but this is the first garment that I've received from them and I sincerely want to thank the fine folks at this thriving online retailer for the thoughtful review gift.

Dressific was launched by fellow vintage fashion adoring gal (and oldest of nine siblings!) Elena Sheen, who had a strong desire to combine what she saw as the best of both vintage and modern fashion, and to then deliver such in an affordable and highly accessible manner.

While Dressific's offerings are available "off the rack" in a wide range of sizes, awesomely - much like companies such as eShakti, Bow & Drape, and Black Lapel - they also provide a custom fit service, for no additional charge, on some of their special occasion dresses.

As so many of us fall between sizes or have specific areas that can be tricky to dress in the most flattering way possible, I know that I won't be alone in appreciating and applauding Dressific for offering this option to their customers.

Dressific is based out of Australia, with fulfillment centers both there and in China. Their listings are frequently updated, reasonably priced (if you signup for their email newsletter, you can ever receive a coupon code that will save you 10% off on your first order, thus making their prices even more inviting), fun and charming - plus, they have a 100% no knockoff garment guarantee, which is incredibly positive and inspiring to see these days.

I feel that Elena nailed things squarely on the head in terms of marrying old and new sartorial elements, as many of Dressific's products do indeed have the sort of yesteryear styling that instantly appeals to scores of vintage and repro wearers the world over.

I knew that my Dressific review item would be arriving around the start of the fall, so I opted to select a garment with a cut and colour palette that suited this time of the year really nicely: the Elegant Me Floral Retro Dress, which currently retails for $74.50 AUD.

It should be noted that this dress comes with a cute black faux leather and gold tone metal bow skinny belt, however I didn't feel like such was quite what I wanted for the over all scope of the outfit I created around the dress that day, so I went with a different (wider) belt of my own instead.

This dress is made from a medium weight stretch cotton that has a little bit of sheen to it. Elbow - 3/4 length sleeves (depending on the length and size of your arms), a side zipper, a becoming collar neckline, cute wooden buttons, poufy shoulders, and an eye-catchingly terrific floral pattern in tawny brown, white and black (or is it navy blue – honestly, it looks like both in different lights) add up to one seriously lovely garment.

Though I found this dress to be a little restrictive in the shoulder and underarm area (a true rarity for me, as I have tiny shoulders and usually garments have way too much excess material in that area for me), that is the only teeny point regarding that fit that arose for me.

I would note that I'm wearing a size medium here, which fits like a small (or even, these days, sometimes, an XS) in many other brands, so if you're between sizes or want a roomier garment, please keep in mind that this dress' sizing may run a little small and that you might want to size up.

Dressific provides easy to read size charts for all of their products though, so hopefully by referring to the chart for a given item, you can find the best fit for your body based on the measurements listed (personally I never give a toss about the number on a label, favouring an accurate fit a billion times over!).

I really like this dress. Its sleeve length makes it a great piece for the brief summer-into-fall weeks, whereas the fitted fabric enables you to easily layer this piece as the temperature plummets further. The fairly full skirt, inclusion of pockets, and arrestingly elegant floral print in a great autumnal colour palette all appeal to me immensely and ensure that this is a dress I'll wear many more times this year and beyond.

So while this shoot might not show you too much of Edmonton, others that follow will, and the park field here - with its lush green grass - provided a really nice neutral background against which to photograph this stylish, autumn perfect Dressific frock in. Thus making it a background location win in my books.


*PS* I should mention that I'm not blogging the shoots that we did in Edmonton in 100% sequential order and that they'll also be interspersed here and there with other newer shoots, particularly those starting festive fall/Thanksgiving/Halloween related outfits. They will, however, all be blogged and I can hardly wait to keep sharing more about our travels with all of you.

It took 32 to years to happen, but at long last…

I am finally going to visit Edmonton, Alberta for the first time ever!!!

Must remember to breath...so incredibly happy + excited...

Okay, as you guys know, I'm over-the-moon wild about our whole stunning country of Canada and love few things more in this life than getting to explore it.

As such, it has long irked me that I'd not yet had a chance to visit Alberta's capital city of Edmonton, despite that fact that I've resided in BC (Alberta and BC share are neighbouring provinces, sharing the Rocky Mountains along their breathtaking border) for much of my life and even lived in Calgary, Alberta for over two years in my late teens.

Always, Edmonton - so close, and yet so far off in the middle of the province - had eluded me. Soon though, much to my unending delight, I will no longer be able to say as much and I genuinely giddy beyond measure about that the fact.

As many of you may recall, earlier this year, back in April, Tony and I were able to get away for a super fun "homemade long weekend" to the Kootenay region of British Columbia.

On the heels of that adventure, we'd been thinking about taking two small road trips at different points in the summer, however, ultimately we decided that for various reasons, it would most likely be smarter to combine the days involved with two getaways into one and have a proper length summer holiday.

We gave a lot of thought to where in Western Canada or the closest US states we might want to go and kept coming back, in the course of our discussions on such, to Edmonton. As, again, I'd long wanted - but had never been - to that city and Tony had only been there once very briefly for work a couple of years ago.




{Located approximately 10.5 hours, by car, from our home in Penticton, Edmonton is a bustling city of some 1.33 million people located in the heart of Alberta. 

It is famous for many things, spanning oil to hockey (legendary Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky was on the Edmonton Oilers during some of the best years of his career), West Edmonton Mall to its stunning river valley park system, and so much more. It's going to be amazing to finally get to experience much of that in person come the start of September. Vintage decal image source.}


The destination having been greed upon, we next looked at our schedules and quickly realized that, for various reasons (including the fact that today, as mentioned in my previous post, I'm having a routine medical procedure done at the hospital), we wouldn't be able to take a chunk of consecutive days off until late in the summer.

Thus, we decided that early September, to tie into the Labour Day long weekend, would be an awesome time and booked our hotel right away.

We'll be leaving bright and early on the morning of August 31st and returning on the evening of September 10th, which gives us about 1.5 weeks of holiday time (my sweet mom will be very kindly house and pet sitting for us while we’re away).

We're both elated about this upcoming trip and hope it will be one of the best and most enjoyable we have ever taken together.

Interestingly, unlike the other places we've gone on holiday over the course of my blog's life, as this is my first time visiting Edmonton, everything there will be new to me and I don't have any past memories of it to weave into today's post.

Part of me really loves that fact, and I know that I'll soon be making oodles of such to share with you here in future posts.

I'll have my cell phone and laptop both with me while we're gone and am sure I'll be online periodically throughout our trip. Not as much as when we're at home though of course, so during that time the blog will be filled with a blend of my own posts (that I'll pen and schedule in advance) as well as some really exciting guest posts from fellow vintage bloggers.

Then, if all goes to plan, I'll pick up as usual from September 12th onward (and have scores of fun filled fall related posts in the works to share with all of you).

If you should happen to live in/around Edmonton and/or have spent time there before and have any vintage/antique related shops, museums (we’re definitely going to try to make it to nearby Drumheller and the world famous Royal Tyrrell Dinosaur Museum), sites or other cool places you think we'd enjoy seeing - or if you might like to try and meet up with us - please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments below or privately by email, if you prefer.

Naturally, as usual when we travel, you can bank on a slew of Instagram photos, and multiple blog posts pertaining to our journey to follow once we're back home.

There's just over two weeks to go until we embark for Edmonton and I honestly think I'm going to have a hard time sleeping between then and now, because I'm as hopped up on excitement as a hummingbird at a candy factory!

It will have taken more than three decades to happen, but at long last, we’re headed to Edmonton and I cannot wait to finally see this dynamic city and all the history, natural beauty and vintage fun that it holds in store for us with my own two eyes!

Saying good bye to Vancouver Island all over again

Outfit details

1940s/1950s black hat with red fabric rosettes: Etsy (the shop that I got it from is no longer in business)
Red plastic rose earrings: Claire's
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
Fitted black cotton blazer: Banana Republic
Fitted red top: Urban Planet (I think - bought it years ago)
Black cotton cami: Real Canadian Superstore
c. 1940s plastic novelty binoculars brooch: eBay
1950s seashell novelty print skirt: eBay
Black cinch belt: Hip Hop 50s Style
Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore
Vintage bangle bracelets: Assorted sources
Black crocheted purse: Thrifted (Value Village)
Black seamed nude stockings: eBay
Black pumps: Payless Shoes
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red
Photography by Tony Cangiano  

♥ ♥ ♥

By complete and total coincidence, today marks exactly five months since these photos were taken on the very last day of our awesome two week long trip to Vancouver Island. It's genuinely hard to believe that so much time has passed since then. It feels like mere moments ago that I was standing out there on the deck of the ferry, wee rain drops dancing around us as icy winds blew over the Pacific and rippled my skin with goose bumps.

As with most final days of vacations that you've adored, this one had a note of bitter sweetness to it. Tony and I both enjoyed our time on the Island immensely and I personally found a certain kinship with it that I've almost rarely discovered elsewhere in my travels. Yet, we were starting to miss our comfortable bed at home, having more than one bathroom, and most of all, our darling pets. Thus, with misty eyes we said goodbye with love in our hearts for this stunning part of Canada, vowing to return again as soon as possible.

The weather wasn't in any kind of mood to cooperate, so we didn't get a lot of photos that day (and it was impossible for me not to squint up a storm in those that we did due to the wind), but thankfully we have a few to remember it by.

I'd purchased this darling 1950s novelty skirt on eBay a few months prior, once it was locked down for certain that our 2014 holiday destination was going to be Vancouver Island, which floats merrily in the Pacific. I didn't get a chance to wear it earlier in the trip, so I made sure to sport it on the last day - not knowing when I'd be anywhere in the vicinity of an honest-to-goodness ocean again next.

Its smile-inducingly sweet pattern of shells, seaweed and triangles is super fun and stands amongst one of my favourite novelty prints in my whole wardrobe. It will definitely be coming with me on future trips to the sea (and the beaches here in the Okanagan).




I've said it before and I'll say it here again today, we had an amazing, action packed time on Vancouver Island. From the charming little private mid-century house (pictured above) that we rented on Airbnb to stay in, to the many fabulous experiences (several of which, such as going whale watching and feeding a little herd of seals, were complete firsts for both of us), to simply getting away from the daily grind for a while, this vacation stands as one of the most memorable and enjoyable of my life.

Though I was knackered to the nth degree by the end (I can so see it in my face here), I was also deeply happy and filled with that certain nameless sense of deeply rooted contentment that comes from getting to experience a truly fantastic - and much needed - holiday for a few days.

As things stand now, Tony and I don't have any set plans in place for a trip in 2015. Given our shared passion for traveling though, it's highly likely that we will be hitting the highway (or high seas!) again, if only for a weekend or two here and there as this year progresses, the weather improves, and our wanderlust reaches a tipping point.

I truly loved sharing about our trip both during the fact (on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter) and here on my blog in the weeks and now months since we’ve returned home. Wherever we venture next, you can rest assured that we'll have a camera in hand and that there will be lots more fun travel related posts to follow. I can hardly wait!

A hearty, classic meatloaf recipe - plus just one more day until we go to Vancouver Island!

Travel has always been incredibly important to me, just as it is for many folks the world over, but the older I get the stronger I feel a powerful pull to venture forth and see more and more of the world, be it new destinations or returning favourites. Tomorrow, as we head off for two weeks spent savouring beautiful Vancouver Island, the latter will be the case.

As I haven't been there since I was 14 and my darling Tony has never set foot on the Island, there will certainly be an element of newness and discover to the journey for both of us. We hope to balance "doing" with relaxing, as we're both been working exceptionally hard this year and massively need some genuine R&R of the sort that our lovely fortnight on British Columbia's largest island will hopefully deliver.

Before we tuck the last suitcase in the case however, I wanted to take a quick moment and share a delicious, stick to your ribs kind of recipe that is so awesomely well suited to these early (very nearly!) days of fall: Vegetable Beef Loaf.
 
A few simple, relatively low cost ingredients, many (if not all) of which you may have to hand already, are all it takes to create this filling, taste bud pleasing take on one of the most classic dishes of all time. I love a hearty meatloaf like this, but as red meat and some my GI conditions are anything but BBFs, I always make mine with ground turkey or chicken and both do a wonderful job here. You could of course, if you like, create this dish with your favourite meat alternative crumble, thus making it vegetarian or vegan, just depending on what substitute you used (and if you forgo the eggs and use a vegan type of fat).

I make this with gluten-free bread that I dry out for a few hours on the counter first and enjoy playing around with the seasoning and vegetables, just depending on my mood and what's kicking around in the kitchen on a given day. It both reheats and freezes very well, and can also easily be multiplied many times over, depending on how big the hungry crowd you're planning to feed might be.

Just as when I was a little girl, my favourite way to serve meatloaf is with extra fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes and fresh carrot sticks (a little homemade cinnamon apple sauce on the side never hurt either), and that is how I generally serve it, but a nice rice pilaf, quinoa dish, big green salad, roasted root veggies, or any number of other sides also compliment this vintage meatloaf's juicy, wonderful flavour very well. This is definitely one of those dishes you'll soon find yourself weaving into your dinner rotation often during the coming chilly months as we part ways with summer once again.

{From potlucks to weekday dinners to Halloween party spreads, this timeless, budget friendly, easy to prepare 1950s vegetable meatloaf recipe is sure to be a big hit all through the fall and winter, when comfort food is a culinary must! Image source.}

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While I won't be blogging from the road (I will have my laptop with me though, but doubt I'll be on it all that much), I will be posting oodles of snaps and updates about our exciting adventures on Instagram and Twitter, if you want to follow along with our trip there.

Last year's travels to Calgary, Alberta proved to be one of the most poignant and important experiences of my adult life (as I detailed in this deeply personal post after we returned home) and while I'm not necessarily expecting this jaunt to Victoria to have quite such a profound impact, one never knows how travel will affect, better and alter their lives and I am 100% open to whatever Vancouver Island brings my way.

I love to grow and expand as a person, to broaden my horizons, to learn and to be reminded of just how much there is always is still to discover in the world, and travel excels on all those fronts - and so many more, too!

Until we chat again here, my dears, have a truly fabulous start of autumn and please enjoy (and be sure to leave comments on) all of the wonderful guests posts from the awesome group of vintage bloggers that I have lined up for you while we're off gazing out at the stunning Pacific Ocean for the next couple of weeks.