CV + The Curious Professor Z team up for a fabulous Etsy shop giveaway and excusive coupon code on her blog

This week, on none other than Friday the 13th (which, as a bit of a side note, has actually, historically, been a day of good luck for me, not the other way around), I teamed up with my wonderful friend Franny from the blog The Curious Professor Z for a giveaway and limited time coupon code for my Etsy shop.

Swing on by Franny's seriously lovely (she says the nicest things about me - aww!) giveaway post to enter for your chance to win a $50.00 store credit for my Etsy shop and to take advantage of the exclusive 25% off coupon code that I've created just for this exciting post.

The giveaway is open to entrants worldwide and likewise, as I ship to every country, the coupon code can be used by customers anywhere to save a big on purchases made between now and March 31, 2015.

In unrelated news, it was with a heavy heart that I read this week of the recent passing of one of Flickr's greatest vintage image uploaders, Paul Malon.

James Vaughan, aka X-Ray Delta One, kindly took it upon himself to announce the passing at the end of January of his friend Paul, whose chock-a-block vintage photo and illustration filled stream had been a constant companion and source of many images used here in various Chronically Vintage for years now.

Mr. Malon’s tireless passion for sharing old school images was hugely appreciated by myself and many others and he will be greatly missed. At present his Flickr stream, with over 24,600 images is still online and is beyond well worth spending some time with (especially since it's hard to say how long it will continue to remain in place).

This is actually the third person in less than three weeks that I was either acquainted with or who was very close to someone that I knew and am friends with (but hadn't interacted with deceased personally myself) who has departed from this world and I must say, it's making for a rather somber March. Thankfully in the case of Paul's life though, we can continue to celebrate it and his massive love for yesteryear art, photos, and history - something that so many of us here can relate to - through his Flickr stream.



{Just one of the tens of thousands of images that avid Flickr user Paul Malon posted in his incredible, immensely history rich stream over the years. Thank you, Mr. Malon, for the inspiration and images alike. I always loved visiting and checking out what you'd so diligently shared with us there. Flickr won't be the same without you..}


In other recent happenings, the week solid of almost no sleep + around the clock work to get my business taxes in order (last week) really did a number on me. Instead of slowly bouncing back this week, I've almost gotten weaker and more unwell feeling with each passing day, so I'm going to be taking things mighty easy this weekend and hopefully in a few more days I'll have a bit of pep in my step, so to speak, once more.

Aside from those things though, all is well and I'm grateful that spring is a mere week away. Though the weather here is still (somewhat) playing for team winter, the first gentle signs of the new season are beginning to emerge and each one fills me with joy and excitement.

Also firing up my cylinders at the moment is the giveaway over at Franny's terrific blog. Again, my lovely dears, be sure to pop on over and enter for your chance to win a $50.00 store credit for my Etsy vintage shop and to pick up the off coupon code there that will save you 25% off on anything in my store until the end of March.

Wishing you each a beautiful, (hopefully) sun-kissed weekend!!!

Filing taxes and thinking of Susan Hayward

Happy Saturday, dear vintage lovers!

The temps here are climbing (24°C already!) and it’s shaping up to be a lovely day, well aside from the fact that assuming I can drag darling hubby away from work related tasks, we simply must go file our (2008) income taxes. I’ve never left it so close to the must-file-before date before (and leaving it for so long goes against every fiber in my punctual, generally on "top of things the moment they need to be done" body), but hubby was waiting for some documents that took their sweet time to arrive in the mail. As they've shown up, we can now proceed with the cross-you-fingers-and-pray task of filing one’s taxes and hoping to the moon and back that we don’t owe anything.

I’ve got everything sorted, paper clipped (with pink clips) and ready to head out the door for when we hoof it over to the tax ma. Still even being as prepared than a Girl Scout doesn’t make the task of doing your taxes any more glamorous.

And glamorous is how one should feel on a Saturday afternoon, if you ask me. It’s a day for relaxing and pampering, painting your nails (perhaps in any one of the beautiful shades from OPI’s La Collection De France), setting, curling or blowing out your hair (as per your own look), reading glossy magazines or a really good book, and perhaps dressing up for a smashing night out on the town. If I was headed to just such an event, one that called for panache and grace, I would try my darnedest to emulate the insatiable style and jaw-dropping beauty of one of my favourite silver screen actresses, the timeless, auburn haired Susan Hayward.


{Image found via myvintagevogue's sublime Flickr stream - which I hugely recommended bookmarking.}

I'm not sure what film that photo is from (if anyone does, please let me know, I'd love to watch it!), but my stars, just look at her, that plunging yet still classier-than-can be neckline, those layers of organza draped nonchalantly over her arm, that head of superbly well coiffed hair, it all adds up to pure vintage elegance. I fear though that I would look just a wee bit over-dressed if I sauntered into the tax man's office decked out to the nines like that - than again, it might not hurt ;)