Saturday Snapshots: August 25, 2012

{There's happiness on their faces for sure, but given the date ('43) and his military uniform, one can't help but wonder what other emotions lurked under their smiling veneers.}






{Given the seats these sweet little girls - and their darling doll - are in, I'd venture to guess this image was snapped at a movie theater, but other spots such as a community centre or school auditorium are certainly possibilities too.}


The only information provided for this photo is, "Dorothy in Florida", which gives us a person and place - good starting points for sure - but beyond that, not being an expert on Florida's tourist attractions in the 50s, I'm not sure sure where this fun shot was captured. Any ideas?}




{The hardworking ladies and gents of the Long Beach Terminal, Fairbanks Yard, during the 1950s.}





{A young couple poses for a snap in their front yard, with mom-to-be on the right sporting a seriously cute polka dot scarf tied in a bow around her neck.}





{If toy dolls, like the one the girls in the photo earlier in this post, are symbolic of mid-century childhood for gals, then sci-fi inspired playthings like the ray gun this youngster is shooting speak volumes of the toys that little boys of the era played with day in and day out.}






{Sporting a lovely floral print short sleeved 1940s dress that I would wear in a heartbeat, a woman stands confidently and somewhat seriously for a portrait that may have been captured in a professional studio or at home with a cloth pinned up as a backdrop. Time however has lost such details, just as this lady remains nameless to us, though her beauty and powerful eyes live on and keep us wondering about who she was and what was on her mind that day.}





{Then as now, a wedding reception just wouldn't be a wedding reception if at least one silly dance didn't transpire! :)}




{Hugs, saddle shoes, cloth pegs, and a star sticker that someone applied on top of this photo at some point, jump out at you as you gaze at these 1940s sweethearts.}






{Four 1950s ladies try their hand at burro riding while on vacation (I'd venture to guess to Mexico). Save perhaps for the woman second from the left, none of the people or the animals seem to be having to fun of a time though. Nevertheless, it did make for a great holiday photo that we're still enjoying decades later.}

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

taken to its respective Flickr page.}

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Part dreamer, part realist, and often headstrong, I've long been a fan of starting new adventures, prospects, and opportunities, be they of the smallest scale or grander than one can even begin fathom at the time of starting out. There are countless things in the world just waiting for us to try them out, on, or for a spin for the very first time.

In striving for the new and unknown, or finally embarking on something familiar you've thought about for a good long while, you expand your horizon, your bank of memories, and ultimately change your life to some degree. Not everything that one attempts will be a ravishing success, nor will you necessarily end up loving or caring about it in the long run. That rarely matters, what counts is reaching, trying, attempting and hoping as you venture through your days.

Sometimes we overthink new beginnings - or the notion of even trying something unknown out for the first time. We may feel like the timing or other circumstances is wrong, and though such can certainly be the case at times, more often then not the hardest part lies not in the details of what is to come, but in having the courage, conviction, and optimism to simply start.

A little earlier this summer I made the decision to finally embark on a project that I'd been bouncing around in my head for nothing less than five years. Do I know if it will ultimately work out, be all that I hope it will be, and become a key part of my world? No, no one can possibly know for sure what the future has up its sleeve, but I'm hopeful and am taking plenty of steps to help this goal come to fruition and then, with plenty of elbow grease and luck, flourish. Though I'll remain tight-lipped about it at this stage as to just what that project is, I can tell you that you'll be hearing and seeing more about it here a little later in the year (if all goes as planned).

Summer has always seemed like an ideal time to start something new to me. Perhaps it's because wherever you look, the world just seems so fantastically alive, energetic, cheerful and hopeful. Whatever the case, if there's anything - be it something as a easy as a trying out a new restaurant you've been eyeing or as impactful as going back to school at the age of sixty - that you've been debating giving a shot lately, from the bottom of my heart I encourage you to take the plunge right along side me, as we enrich our lives together at the same time.


*PS*


As I know that - like myself - many of you love to pin, repost, use quotes on Tumblr or Facebook and the like, starting today (and for every future edition of Saturday Snapshots from here on out), all quotes that appear in Saturday Snapshots will be images that you can pin or download for your own use anywhere you'd like.

Saturday Snapshots: July 14, 2012

"Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." ~ Russell Baker

{Then as now, there are few ways more serene or enjoyable to spend a sunny afternoon then out on the water in a rowboat with someone special.} 







{This 1950s outdoor party photo is so fun and easy relate to, especially since me, my husband, and my little brother all have our birthdays falling on dates in June, July, and August. }
 





{I adore this 1940s snapshot, it reminds me of me a bit of my own maternal grandparents in a way, back when they were good looking youngsters, like this couple, with their whole lives ahead of them.}
 





{A small group of fifties folks, including at least two moms-to-be, gather in a parking lot in Long Beach, their eyes cast to the left at what exactly, we can only guess.}
 





{Two couples from Los Angles, the ladies in lovely summer dresses, relax in an attractive tree and flower lined backyard during the sizzling hot days of 1956.}
 





{It was the two peoples' poses, relaxed, spontaneous, and natural that drew me to this 1940s photo, the car, his pipe, her hairstyle and many elements more hold your attention there and having you smiling as much as they are in no time at all.}
 





{When one thinks of 1950s teenagers, there are certain iconic things that spring to mind: circle skirts, saddle shoes, bobby socks, and Coca-Cola, for example, all of which this charmingly delightful image of two young lasses is teams with.}
 

{This fantastic 50s photo speaks for itself: summer road trip!!!} 

 





{Three well dressed 1940s folks stand against a tranquil urban French background far off in the distance. Lovely and stylish as the grownups are, it's the super cute little girl with her hair bows and cross-body purse that steals your heart.}
 





{Muscles and aerobatics abound in this exciting, action packed 1950s beach shot of a scene that, past or present, one does not encounter every day.}


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



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Every time I encounter the quote above from American Pulitzer Prize winning writer Russell Baker, I cannot help but grin a little and nod. Summer is a season of extremes, and heat is generally one of the things that skyrockets well beyond the range of what we're comfortable with. Yet many people - myself included - actually rather love the sweltering, soul baking temperatures, the glaring sun, the pavement so warm you fry a thousand eggs on it.

Summer, like a vixenish woman is alluring, gorgeous, bold, and in control. It seems to know what it's doing at every moment, and is well aware of the fact that for much of the year, we pine for it to no end. When the mercury drops below freezing and the world is a drab palette of dirt stained grey and white, it's summer's sweet face, powerful embrace, and vibrant voice that we call out for in our souls.

While there are times when we all need respite from the dog days, there are plenty more, especially knowing how short lived the third season of the year can be in Canada, when I'm grateful for the crazy heat, the breezes so perfectly mellow and warm they make you feel as though you've died and gone to heaven, the foods and gardens that only exist from June through August, and the vintage wardrobe pieces I get to put into rotation during the summer.

Yes, summer can make us suffer - be it via weather, bugs, sand in our swimsuits, or myriad other ways - but it also endures itself to our hearts, crams in so many marvelous memories each time it visits that we can't help but adore it, and ensures that whether in November, January, or April, we'll still be thinking about its return and yearning for the days when we can once again suffer the sweet pleasures of its sun-kissed return.

Saturday Snapshots: June 23, 2012

 

"It is never too late to have a happy childhood." ~ Tom Robbins 

{Three fashionably attired 1940s ladies stand, charmingly, from shortest to tallest in front of a wonderful wood-paneled car.}

{The year was 1931 and this young gal (who's peplum blouse would be entirely in fashion this season) was all smiles as she posed with a roadside fruit stand in the shape of a big orange located in Placerville, California.}

{With summer now officially underway once more, I couldn't let the first Saturday Snapshots of the season roll past without including at least one fantastic vintage beach shot. This particular image was taken on the sandy shores of Rockaway Beach, New York, in 1950.}

{Looking, every one of them, as though they could have just walked off a Hollywood movie set, a beautiful couple and their new baby pose for a studio portrait in this captivating image from the 1930s.}

{Classic saddle shoes, a velvet collared coat, and a darling little dog all add extra interest to this lovely 1940s image.}

{Happy party goers dance the night away in fashionable dresses and smart suits. I wonder if there was a live band or if they were tapping their toes to some of the hottest records of the day?}

{A young 1940s gal stands in front of the open door of a sedan, her headscarf and classic attire - completely unbeknownst to her at the time - inspiring generations of vintage loving gals for the rest of time with her sweetly pretty look.}

{Like countless youngsters over the years, this darling little 1950s fellow and I both had red tricycles when we were growing up.}

 

{From the ruffled pinafore dress to her beautiful smile and sparking eyes, this 1940s gal is the kind of woman you just know you could have been close friends with.}

 

{While the photographer may not have intended such, there is an interesting quality to the way in which the two babies here are positioned directly in front of their grandparents, starkly highlighting the passing of time as one budding generation emerges and another takes quietly takes a backseat on the journey of life.}


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

Several years ago I stumbled upon today's quote by American novelist Tom Robbins and was instantly, soul-grabbingly impacted by how deeply it resonated with me. Like a good number of people, I find that my childhood was often a strange paradox of sorts. There were beautiful, happy times - moments that I look back on and wax poetically over, and then there was the other side of the coin. The dark, terrible, frightening, awful days that I wouldn't wish on my worse enemy, and which will linger with me like eerie specters for all of my days.

I do not like to dwell on negativity and sadness, and know that there are plenty of people out there who are also survivors of their own traumatic upbringings. In my early twenties I found myself drawn to elements that captured some of the youthful spirit of my long lost girlhood. I collected dolls and various other toys, coloured much of my world pink, and let a part of me that had grown old too soon experience youth once more.

This, I've come to learn, is by no means uncommon and many young women today, even those who had excellent, cheerful upbringings often enjoy reliving some of their childhood passions as they venture into adulthood.

While I still love toys and many of the things I did as a little girl, these days I no longer feel quite the same need to surround myself with a world focuses quite so much on these elements. I know that they are a part of me and who I am, no matter if I collect them still or not.

Recently I was setting up and organizing some craft supplies in my basement with my mom and in the course of our conversation, I said something along the lines of that, "while I'm an old soul in my ways, another part of me feels still feels like I'm 13". This was more confessional than I realized until the worlds left my lips, as I'd been thinking for many years that I was the odd (wo)man out for feeling this way. Much to my surprise and delight, my mother replied by saying, "that never goes away, I feel the same way, too".

I believe that through circumstance or choice, some people do loose touch with their inner child, but have come to realize over the years that many more - like myself and my mom - do not. I just didn't know for sure until that point that there were others adults who still felt like part of themselves had always remained a childlike in some ways.

Whether one is ten, thirty, sixty, or a hundred, I adamantly believe that it's a positive thing to keep our inner children alive and having a blast. This doesn't mean we should act immature of course, but rather that there is is no need to shake off ever last vestige our youth in order to thrive as adults. In fact, I'd say that retaining some of who were were as a children is an essential part of enjoying our grown-up years.

So, sweet friends, if your own youth was something quite distant from a bed of roses, and you've often wished such had not been the case, I encourage you to take Mr. Robbins' words to heart. Say hello to the kid still residing deep inside of you, and create the the kind of life for yourself nowadays that you would have loved to have lived as a child.

If you need any help, just come look me up, I'll be the adult on the swing set in the pink dress, reading an old Nancy Drew book.

Saturday Snapshots: May 19, 2012

 

"You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take." ~ Wayne Gretzky  

{Spring has sprung and this beautifully attired 1950s woman (identified as Sally Garnand Longmore) couldn't pass up the opportunity to pose with a lovely little blossoming bush rich in pretty pink buds.}


{Two Spanish fellows (Albino and Honorio Montes García) entertain a crowd with their musical abilities in this fun shot from 1957.}


{A pair of stylish 1930s gals (friends, sisters, classmates, cousins?) embrace against a backdrop of whispy trees, as their beautiful summer dresses flutter ever-so-slighyly in the wind.}


{A big smile - partly from enjoyment, and I suspect, partially from pride in herself - radiates from this darling little 1950s girl's face as she pedals her tricycle up and down the sidewalk in the winter. I love how her dark shadow falls right alongside her on the grass, almost as though an imaginary friend is riding alongside her.}


{This shot, though seemingly run-of-the-mills is terrific. I love how the pretty woman is resting her face on her hand, one finger nail grazing her lip. How the two chaps are all cheerful grins, and that we clearly make out the 7-Up labels on the bottles they were tossing back that evening.}


{Like a movie still come to life, this stellar 1930s photo is impossible to look at and not adore instantly. From his skinny suspenders to the fact that she's clutching a pipe in her teeth as she stands on the back bumper of a car, there is so much fabulous old school coolness at work here.}


{Four cute young gals (I'd guess friends or cousins, as they seem to be too close in age to all be sisters) gather 'round for a cute informal portrait shot that was snapped on October 9, 1942. }


{Beauty, elegance, and the spirit of youth radiate from the faces of this attractive 1940s couple, he in his military uniform, she in a smart dress and classic pearls. No information that would indicate such is provided by the original poster, but I can't help wondering if this was perhaps their wedding photo.}


{In an adorable novelty print dress featuring sunny lemons, a young lady relaxes on a plaid blanket at the beach in a photo that was captured back in 1947.}

{Two women ham it up for the camera as they pose behind a bride and groom's attire while at the Eaton County Fair during March of 1941. It definitely looks like they were having a great time!}

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

 

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Recently I had an encounter at the local grocery store wherein a lovely twenty-something year old woman complimented me on my vintage outfit. I was touched, as I always am when people say nice things about my style, and thought she seemed like someone who might enjoy knowing about Chronically Vintage.

Generally speaking, being extremely shy, I don't tell strangers about my site, but I took a stab and not only told her, but handed her one of my Chronically Vintage business cards (something I've never done before with a person who complimented me in public). Even though I wasn't pushy at all and just said something along the lines of "I blog about the 40s and 50s outfits I wear here, check it out, if you like", I sensed that she was a bit surprised by the fact that I gave her my card as I felt her demeanour changed the moment I started to talk about my site. She took my card, but quickly said "thanks" and went on her way.

To the average onlooker the whole (maybe 20 second long) encounter might seem completely fine, but I felt shaken by it (and I had certainly not wanted to make her feel uncomfortable in any way). You see, I am not usually the type to take (what is in my books) such a bold move. I'd love to tell the whole world about this blog and to chat about vintage fashion with everyone I meet, but that takes a certain degree of being comfortable with promoting yourself (in person), and also not having qualms with chatting to strangers. Two things that, sadly, I definitely lack.

I'd only popped into the store to see if they had a certain type of (delicious) mandarin orange in stock, and since they didn't, I couldn't beeline it back to the car after that experience fast enough. I told Tony about the tale, and he was very sweet and understanding. He said that he knew it took a lot for me to do something so outside of my comfort zone, and then reminded me of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's fantastic quote above.

Tony went on to say that the encounter could have played out very differently if the woman had seemed more enthused about my site, pointing out that any number of positive outcomes could have theoretically occurred. He's right, and in the uncomfortable aftermath of a seemingly innocent enough exchange that left me feeling rather shaken up, I'd failed to reflect on how things could have gone more positively. It's a poignant reminder, regardless of the situation, that for every encounter, there's at least two outcomes: a good and bad.

I wouldn't say what happened that day was bad necessarily, but it wasn't ideal either and, at least until Tony's comforting words, it left me feeling foolish for working up the nerve to tell a stranger about my site. While I might refrain from handing out a card so quickly again, I won't let this experience backtrack my attempt at being a little braver with strangers.

Life is too short not to take risks, no matter how big or small (and I'm the first to say that this was a pretty small risk, as far as risks go), because you truly never do know what's going to happen when you do. Sometimes the results might be horrible, scary, or negative, but more often than not, they stand to be positive - even life changing on certain occasions.

So the next time I feel my shyness creeping in, but I want to talk to a stranger (about any topic), I'll try to remember Wayne - and Tony's - wise words, and to take the shot.

Saturday Snapshots: April 28, 2012

 

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." ~ T.S. Eliot  

{Sunshine and lovely springtime frocks abounded on the day this group of ladies stopped by for a visit at Honey Bear Farms, Genoa City, WI in 1957.}

{Whether as part of a uniform or just to wishing to indulge in a spot of borrowing from the boys, I love that this chipper looking 1940s lady decided to sport a necktie as she stood on a rocky ledge above the frothy sea.}

{Jam packed with cars (of the sort I'd jump with joy to own!), this street scene of Cascade Avenue, in Banff, Alberta shows, in coloured detail, what the heart of this famous Canadian Rocky Mountain town looked like during the mid-twentieth century. }

{It's short hemlines and bobbed hair all around for these fashionable gals as they posed in a group embrace of sorts to have their photo snapped in 1928. No background information is provided for this image, leaving one to wonder if they were classmates, friends, relatives, neighbours, or perhaps just amongst the town's most stylish lasses.}

{A smartly dressed young couple beam smiles as they stand in front of a car (their own perhaps?) in this charming mid-century courtship image.}

{Like a lone rose emerging from a verdant garden, an elegantly attired woman (identified as Jeanne) posing on a hillside in an eye-catching red coat while at Mt. Tamalpais, California, during February of 1952.}

{A gang of young ladies and gents, decked out not swimwear, but their daily street attire, huddle round for a group portrait while at the beach on a sunny day in the 40s or early 50s.}

{An unidentified man and a darling little dog enjoy a moment of companionship in this heartwarming vintage image. I wonder if the pup was his loyal canine companion or merely a cute critter he felt drawn to say hello to. Whatever the case, the pair make for sweetly special photograph that is bound to appeal to animal lovers everywhere.}

{From her terrific curled half up, half down hairdo to her charming leaf and circle link necklace, there's much to enjoy and draw inspiration from in the outfit this pretty 1940s woman is sporting.}

{A trio of well dressed beach goers (I've venture to guess tourists) gather 'round for a snapshot that looks as though it could very well have come from the pages of a magazine, while at the beach in Caiscais, Portugal in 1962. I especially love the fact that the brunette gal on the right is holding a camera in her hands, almost as if to make us think she's taking a picture of this image's photographer at the same time.}

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

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In 1940 American novelist Thomas Wolfe's book You Can't Go Home again was published posthumously, and in doing so its title quickly became a common expression when referring to returning – or not returning - to a place called you once called your own.

Though at various points throughout my life, I've been more than able to relate directly to what Wolfe meant - there are homes, towns, and people that you far better off never returning to again - I have also found that in some instances all one needs is a bit of time and distance, a new set of memories and an increase in the number of shares you hold from the "lessons learned" stock in order to indeed return home once more.

For life, like T.S. Eliot so beautifully summed up in the quote featured at the top of is post, is all about exploration. Even the most ardent and adventurous amongst us needs at least one place, a singular, special corner of the world which will call home. A spot where after we have journey - be it for a day or a decade - we know that we can safely, securely, and happily return to.

In doing so, coming back to where we started (or at least where we once laid our hat) we often discover a newness to that very spot, no matter how well we thought we once knew it. For places, like people, change over the course of time. I've been experiencing this very situation myself recently, having moved back to a town where I spent a good portion of youth, some eight years after I last left.

The foundations - streets, parks, mountains, and lakes are still there, as are many of the homes and buildings I recall vividly from my youth, yet some of them are now long gone now. Their presence existing only in the shadow memories that fall over the new inhabitants that rest where they once stood.

There's a degree of melancholy as you watch your home town change (especially when vintage houses and shops get demolished), but at the same time I cannot help but feel a certain sense of happiness that stems from knowing that I got to experience, first hand, an older version of this city for a portion of my life.

Explore the near and the far, the familiar and the unknown, sweet friends. It is what has driven humanity since the dawn of time, and what will both simultaneously preserve the past and ensure we always have something to look forward to in the future.