A vintage image filled alphabet of fall favourites

My excitement over the fact that we are now, really and truly, into my favourite month of the entire year cannot be contained. I'm buzzing with more energy than if I just ate a semi-trailer truck's worth of the very sweetest Halloween candy (alas, I haven't had a single piece...yet!).

If you've been following my blog for a while now, a.) thank you immensely and b.) chances are you're well acquainted with how much I go utterly wild for all of autumn. Naturally including the gorgeous month of October, and its crowing glory, All Hallows' Eve, which will greet us again in about four weeks time.

To celebrate the start of the 10th month of the year - one of, if not often "the" busiest for our family, thanks to numerous events such as Canadian Thanksgiving, multiple family birthdays (including my sister and maternal grandma's), our wedding anniversary (Tony and I will be toasting twelve awesome years together on the 14th), and of course Halloween itself - I recently had the fun idea of listing some of my very favourite elements of the season.

I wanted to put a different spin on such however, to distinguish it from similar fall/Halloween centered lists, such as this one from 2013, and like a bolt of stormy fall time lightning, the idea struck me recently to do so by presenting such in the form of an alphabet.

This, in and of itself, tying into the start of the school year last month and the general air of all this academic that fills the early weeks of this season.

As it's Sunday and most of us are busy enjoying these final days of mild sunshine and accompanying warmth while they're still here, I didn't want this post to be a huge one by any means and have thus opted to list each entry - which speaks for itself, I feel - simply with with its name, a few further words at most, and an accompanying vintage image.

There are truly countless things to love about fall and this selection of twenty-six entries is the mere tip of the iceberg, but they're some of my perpetual favourites and one that I know are near and dear to many of hearts as well. So without further ado, may I present an alphabetical look at some of the best elements of fall.
 
1. Apples (especially candy and caramel ones!) 


2.Bats



3. Costume parties



4. Dinner, Thanksgiving (yum-yum!!!)


5. Eeriness (as in the general sense of mystery that fills the air as Halloween draws near) 


6. Fall leaves, in all their jewel toned splendor



7. Goblins, ghosts, and ghouls of every sort!



8. Harvest time



9. (The) Invisible Man



10. Jack-o-lanterns



11. Knits - sweaters, scarves, gloves, you name it!



12. Lighting candles on the nights grow longer once more



13. (The) Moon - crescent, harvest, full, any stage of this gorgeous heavenly element is all the more at home during autumn time



14. Nuts - very much including the seasonal gem that is acorns



15. (The colour) Orange



16. Popcorn being transformed into all kinds of sweet and savoury treats (very much including caramel corn and popcorn balls)



17. Queuing up on the first day back to school



18. (Hay) Rides in the crisp autumn air



19. Scarecrows



20. Trick-or-treating



21. (Carrying) UNICEF boxes to collect for charity on Halloween night



22. Vampires (and vampire movies)




23. Werewolves (and, likewise werewolf movies)

24. (The e)Xcitement of Halloween!




25. Yellow, orange and white - the traditional colours of that sweet fall time treat, candy corn!



26. Zombies

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

♥ ♥ ♥

Which of these autumnal favourites strikes a particular chord with you as well? Are there others that would have take top billing on a list like this of your own? (And, naturally, if you do want to follow my lead and create your own fall favourites alphabet, please, by all means go for it - I'd adore reading your selection as well anytime!)

In a way, I want to say that this week is like the calm before the storm of epic activity that will unfold throughout the month, but in reality, it's already hopping with excitement, full days, and plenty of festive happenings - and you know, I really wouldn't have it any other way.

From my earliest childhood memories onward, October has been a busy, exhilarating time of the year and as someone who really loves to focus on family, tradition, and holidays, this month and its festive happenings brings me an endless amount of happiness.

I hope that it does the same for you as well, no matter what's on your (slice-of-Halloween-cake topped) plate this month, and that you enjoyed this fun alphabet post.

It's a charming way to roundup some of the elements that one treasures the most about a given season and I'm now, quite literally as I type these very words, wondering if perhaps I should give one a go for winter/Christmastime, too. Definitely let me know in the comments below if you'd be keen to see such here as well.

My sweet and wonderful friends, from my heart to yours, I wish you each a gorgeous, thrilling and very merry month of October - which I can hardly wait to celebrate again with you from start to spooky costume clad finish!

Say Hello to September with Mid-Century Golden Harvest Pumpkin Pie

After one has been blogging for a number of years, there are certain things that you just naturally assumed you've covered on your site by this point in time. For example, I was shocked to recently discover (unless I've completely forgotten and now cannot find a post about such) the fact that I've never blogged a vintage recipe for a straight up classic pumpkin pie.

Seriously, how that can that be? Back in 2011 I did share a lovely mid-century recipe for Coconut Pumpkin Chiffon Pie (which is off-the-charts tasty!), but again, I can find no concrete evidence that I've shared a more traditional pumpkin pie recipe here.

Given my unending love of both autumn and pumpkin foods, that really is surprising, I know! As they say, no time like the present - and when the present just happens to me my first blog post of September, the month that ushers in fall's return, now seems like a thoroughly good moment to do so.

I know, believe me, I know - many of us are keen to savour these last final days (or weeks, if we're lucky) of summer weather are are still thinking "grill" not "casserole". While I do have one foot planted squarely in that camp for sure, the side of me that waits with boundless enthusiasm for autumn's return is already a.) decorating for the season and b.) gearing up in the kitchen for it.

I'm a huge fan of pie across the board. No matter the season, I'm there with pies aplenty and haven't let not being able to eat gluten (due to celiac disease) stop me from still whipping up plenty of pies the whole 'year round.

As much as there are varieties that make me go weak in the knees during winter, spring and summer, none quite do it for me like autumn's richly fragrant, earthy hued, gorgeously spiced versions - very much including apple, pear, sweet potato, and today's offering, Gold Harvest Pumpkin Pie (which is a classic single crust pumpkin pie with a charming ring of chopped nuts on top).




{Dessert fads may come and go, and plenty of variations exist out there on this dish, but at the end of the day (not to mention the end of the summer!), sometimes you simply can't beat the sublimely tasty treat that is a classic pumpkin pie like this fun 1950s version. Vintage recipe image source. Click here for a larger, easier to read version of this image.}


Growing up my mom made (and still makes to this day) an incredible pumpkin pie - think magazine cover worthy flaky crust, a creamy (but never runny) filling, and just the right amount of sweetness and heady spice. Her version has been the benchmark against which all other pumpkin pies, be they homemade, from a restaurant, or store bought have been judged.

Her classic version dates back to at least her own mom, my maternal grandma and is strikingly similar (minus the ring of chopped nuts) to this wonderful 1950s take on an incredible fall time treat.

We always had airy lashings of whipped cream (usually homemade, not in an aerosol can, though either does the trick fabulously!) and as such, I make a point to ensure that there's plenty on hand when I bake up a pumpkin pie, too, which is a beautiful fall time ritual unto itself for me.

 {1950s Reddi Wip ad image source}

I rarely stop at just one pie, but if that's all that happens in a given autumn, it's frequently for Canadian Thanksgiving in early October or Halloween at the end of the month.

No matter when it appears on the table, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will be there at some point - and unlike with most recipes, I rarely deviate much from the traditional iteration.

Like a great roast turkey - another much adored treat of the season - a marvelous pumpkin pie recipe needs little to enhance it. The combination of a buttery crust, satisfyingly squishy filling, and the unmistakable flavour of pumpkin + cinnamon and nutmeg is culinary perfection in my books.

If you do want to jazz things up a bit though, crumbled pralines in the filling is fabulous, as is a drizzle of caramel, butterscotch, or chocolate sauce on top, and whipped cream (as mentioned above) and vanilla, caramel, toffee crunch, apple, pear, or even pumpkin itself ice cream are delectable partners for this incredibly iconic fall time dessert.

And, as always, if shortening ("Fluffo" brand was used originally here in this recipe) isn't your cup of tea, then certainly feel free to swap in another suitable cooking fat, such as butter or coconut oil, instead.

I know that not everyone is a huge fan of this particular dessert, but if you are, I hope you'll join me in ushering in the return of fall - when it does actually arrive - with a slice of the age old classic that Pumpkin Pie.

{Fall themed 1930s magazine cover image source}

It is to our taste buds, what the spectrum of jewel tone fall autumn leaves is to the eyes - and both are elements of the season that I can never, ever get enough of.

Flickr Favourites: November 28, 2013

{Thanksgiving Cheer ~ The Paper Doll}


{Jay's of Regent Street advertisement ~ totallymystified}


{Furry Friends ~ hanthomas}


{Campanha publicitária Feno de Portugal ~ Biblioteca de Arte-Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian}


{B&W/Duotone Ads, 1953 ~ alsis35}


{Harvest ~ Georgia George}


{Fredric Varady ~ oldcarguy41}


{1940s Coca-Cola Thanksgiving advertisement ~ bergholm}


{Strand of flower fairy lights ~ Holly Pickering}


{Western Family, 1956 ~ alsis35}

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


♥ ♥ ♥

Thanksgiving falls late in the month for my wonderful neighbours to the south (much as our own Thanksgiving did here in Canada last month, making an appearance on October 14th, the furthest into the year it can ever be, as it falls on the second Monday in October), less than a month away from Christmas. Though, like many I'm sure, my mind is already racing with thoughts of of gingerbread men, holiday card lists, tinsel decked trees and stockings hung by the chimney with care, right here and now, like those in the US, I'm stopping to give thanks and appreciate the bounty of autumn while this beautiful season is still here.

Faster than Santa taking off from the North Pole, it will be winter again, and while the weather here has already mimicked it numerous times over the past few weeks, there are still a few lingering elements of fall, not the least of which is the seasonal produce that is so celebrated today. I'm grateful for each late season apple, pumpkin, and pear, as well as those foods - hearty root vegetables, for example - of the coming season that are starting to appear once more. They all factor into my feasts - be they quick snacks or dinner for ten - that appear, generally piping hot from the oven - during the final days of November.

The palette outside is tinged with dampness and sallow light, it hasn't faded to the degree of late January, but it's a far cry from mid-September, and soon it will be all but hidden under a a duvet of thick Canadian snow. November, a month that I actually quite like, is dark, but not bleak. It turns ones thoughts to the long season of chilliness ahead, yet still finds ways to remind us periodically that it is, every last day of it, wholly a part of fall - and one that is a reason to be thankful unto itself.

From the bottom of my heart, my dear friends, I wish all those celebrating the togetherness, delicious riches, and beauty of Thanksgiving a truly resplendent holiday, and hope that one and all the world over enjoy a beautiful last few days of the final full month of autumn.

The winner of the Road to Avonlea giveaway, I wrote a guest post on the colour purple, and other fun going ons this week

 This week was one of those where you feel like that for every step you take forward, you take several back. Nothing (thank goodness!) bad happened per se, though my darling chap is feeling under the weather with the flu (and I'm hoping to high heaven that it doesn't jump ship to me), it's mostly that I've been trudging away at the backlog of things that built up (and require I reply to/do them) while we were away last month. No worries though, I'm making lots of progress there and hope to be at least 75% caught up by the time this weekend is over.

Last week we launched a fabulously lovely Road to Avonlea gift pack giveaway here, which not only brought in 114 comments, but also lead me to discover that there are many, many fellow fans of Lucy Maud Montgomery's writings, and Sullivan Entertainment's products, amongst my wonderful readers.

I sincerely appreciate all those who participated in this giveaway, both here and across the social media spectrum. It was a joy to read each of your entry comments as the came in. The Road to Avonlea giveaway has now wrapped up and I am delighted to announce that the lucky winner has been drawn using a random number generator.

Happiest congrats to comment number 31, which belongs to rachlovespenguins! Please contact me anytime via email with your full name and mailing address, so that I can pass it along to the fantastic folks at Sullivan Entertainment, who will be shipping your prize pack out to you, my dear. I truly hope that you adore all of the lovely RTA offerings that are coming your way.

Recently I was touched when my lovely online friend, Tasha (who I know is also a household name for many of you who adore her stellar blog, By Gum, By Golly), asked me if I'd be interested in writing a guest post for her blog devoted to the colour purple.

I don't write a lot of guest posts, as a general rule, because of the wildly unpredictable nature of my health and that fact that I would never want to be unable to deliver by a given deadline and risk messing up someone's blogging schedule. Thankfully there was zero risk of that happening in this case, as Tasha very sweetly gave me ample time to write the post and then (she is such a dear) held off on posting it until we were back from Calgary and I'd recouped a bit from the trip.

Colour has always been a fundamental part of my wardrobe, and there's scarcely a hue alive I won't wax poetically about, so when I was tapped to discuss purple and the role it's played in women's fashion from the Victorian era up to the present day, I was nothing short of thrilled about this fun assignment. Once the wheels started turning, they weren't in a hurry to slow down, and my post ended up being longer than I'd imagined, but I was really happy with its size in the end, because I felt like I got a chance to really delve into the history and popularity of this regal hue.

My guest post went live today over at Tasha's and you can read all about it here. We may still have 2.5 months of the year to go, but I'm already dubbing purple my colour for 2014, a choice that was spurred on even more by getting the exciting opportunity to write this enjoyable piece all bout that hue this summer.

Elsewhere on the great, ol' interwebs, Chronically Vintage hit 1,500+ likes on Facebook earlier this week. Thank you so much to everyone who made that number possible! I love getting a chance to connect with many of you there as well. Who knows, maybe we'll reach 2,000 likes by the time Chronically Vintage hits its one year anniversary of being on Facebook in mid-December.

Last weekend I shared 31 of the things without which Halloween just wouldn't be the same for me, and one my lovely readers, Jennifer, who is also a longstanding online friend, was so inspired by my post, that she wrote an awesome list of her own here. Her list is so festively fabulous and includes some more of my favourite seasonal things that weren't on mine, such as making sure I set aside time to read Poe's spookiest works this month.

I'm always touched when readers are spurred on to write posts based on things I share, so if you do the same (with any post), please be sure to let me know so that I can share it here in a future post.

As you may recall from this post last May, I'm a big fan of earrings (so long as they're 100% nickel-free!). This rings especially true if they're vintage or look the part, and I always enjoy seeing examples of earrings from the past.

Usually the comes in the form of photographs, ads or while out shopping, but this week Joanna (another endlessly dear friend) from Dividing Vintage Moments shared three terrific old school fashion video clips, amongst which was one from the 1950s in which a model tries on earrings in a costume jewelry store. I really though this short little clip was cool, and so am taking Joanna's lead and sharing it here as well with all of you today.

Hopping subjects once more before this quick Friday afternoon post wraps up, I am super happy about the fact that Tony and I both found our Halloween costumes last weekend. I'm a big fan of surprise reveals, so I'm keeping mine under wraps until the 31st, but I'll give you a couple of hints beforehand.

One, it's someone I've wanted to dress as for Halloween ever since I was a little girl, and two, this person has been mentioned on my before. That's all I'm saying in advance though - you'll just have to wait until All Hallows Eve rolls around to find out more! :)

{Image source}

Have an beautiful mid-October weekend, my sweet dears - and may it be extra happy, bountiful, and very blessed Thanksgiving one to all my fellow Canucks.

Looking back at September 2013

In the wee hours of the morning two days ago, I sat there, kitty and husband sleeping like peaceful little angels beside me on the bed, and wondered just what exactly this month had been. At once it seemed agonizingly long and mind blowingly quick. I know the reasons for both: my dear mother-in-law's recent passing being the chief reason for the first, the whirlwind of activity and unbridled fun of our trip to Calgary explaining the latter.

Throughout September Tony and I rode a proverbial rollercoaster of emotions, bracing for tsunamis of sorrow, and yet also being reminded of the profound power of happiness, change (of pace and scenery, that is), and the importance of moving forward.

I am both worn out and uniquely uplifted as we peer towards October, but I believe that the happiness instilled in my soul from our time in Calgary will help set the coming month off on a good note, solid footing, and with plenty to feel excited amount as we barrel through the awesomeness that is autumn.



{No matter what may be transpiring in my life, autumn's return - and the cold weather fashions it entails - always brings me joy, makes me yearn to spend as much time outside as possible, and is cause for celebration in my books. Image source.} 



There are mountains of crispy, brittle leaves in a jewelry shop's worth of regal hues to kick merrily into the air and crunch on underfoot. Pumpkin pies, muffins, cakes, cookies, breads, and soups to whip up. Family gatherings to cherish and delight in, very much including Canadian Thanksgiving on the 14th, and of course my endlessly beloved Halloween to look forward to. In fact, ever since I was the tiniest of sprouts, October has been my favorite month of the year.

So much so, in fact, that I made sure it was the month Tony and I were married in, and this year, as it does every few years, our wedding anniversary, just happens to fall on the 14th. I can think of nothing in the world that I'm more grateful for than my husband and our incredible relationship, so when this occurs, it always feels especially fitting.

Though there was much turbulence in our life throughout September, I didn't waiver much from my usual course of posting here on the blog. There are times when life calls for such interruptions, certainly, but in my heart of hearts, I didn't feel like this month was, ultimately, one of them, and actually found quite a lot of solace, and I so often do, in writing posts recently and thinking ahead to those for October and autumn as a whole.

We launched September by taking an in depth look at the especially clean cut cousins of saddle shoes, white bucks, an image packed alphabet filled The ABCs of Vintage Fashion, then this month's edition of Flickr Favourites was all about the return of the school year, classic plaid, and the changing of the seasons, plus I reviewed the awe-inspiring tome that is 1940s Fashion: The Definitive Sourcebook by Emmanuelle Dirix.

As well the first comfort food recipe of autumn was dished up care of some delicious 1950s Zesty Baked Beans; we chatted about the importance of Sourcing blog post ideas and inspiration from those around you, celebrated the wondrous beauty of the harvest moon in September's edition of Vintage Fashionista Friday, I sang the praises of autumn's return, and was delighted to receive and continue passing along the Very Inspiring Blogger Award, amongst other fun posts this month.

On the vintage fashion front, there were three outfits to blogged about in September, all shot during the tail end of summer, when the light was golden, the days still toasty, and multiple layers hadn't become an absolute must again.




First off it was 1920s yellow, 1940s peach, and plenty of cute feathered friends at Lion's Park (a snap from which appears above here), followed by one of my absolute favourite 1940s housedresses (in an autumn perfect palette) partnered with a caramel hued snood, and most recently, I had the great pleasure of receiving, wearing, and reviewing an awesome rainbow crinoline from Pettiskirt Style (don't forget, my dears, you can save 20% off your entire purchase from Pettiskirt Style anytime up until October 30, 2013 when you use the coupon code Jessica20 at the checkout).

A big shout out and thank you to all those who sponsored Chronically Vintage in September. If you haven't swung by these marvelous sites and shops yet, be sure to do so, you won't be disappointed in the slightest!

-Blue Velvet Vintage

-Bloomers & Frocks

-Little Netties Vintage (new to CV sponsor family this month)

-Lucky Lucille

-Maejean Vintage

-Vintage Frills


This month also welcomed author Stephanie Lehmann and her latest, thoroughly engaging and highly enjoyable sounding (I haven't read it yet, so I can't review it personally at this stage) novel Astor Place Vintage, as a new sponsor.

Just as September itself wraps up today, so too did we recently (officially) say good bye to all the warmth and loveliness of summer. It seems, somewhat uncharacteristically for this neck of the woods, that summer couldn't make a beeline out of town fast enough here. Almost as though someone flicked a switch, summer disappeared and a rather chilly autumn rolled into town. I'm hoping that the temps perk back up a bit this month, as I'd like to feel like we had at least a few days between the extremes of summer and another long Canadian winter.

As I reflect back on the past month, I cannot help but also think about the entire season that just passed. The lofty highs and painful lows, the good and the not-so-good, the smiles, the memories and the things that didn't get to happen in the end. There were some posts, all relating to things that we did, that I didn't get a chance to write and which now seem as though the moment has long past and they'd be a bit out of place in October. I shall not forget them though, and chances are, at one point or another, I'll still get the opportunity to talk about them here (likely after visiting/doing said place/experience again next year).

The summer of 2013, as with the rest of the year so far, didn't play out (for the most part) how I'd envisioned it at all. Life rarely does though, I've long come to learn, and there's little sense in dwelling on the negatives or fretting about what didn't happen (or happen the way you wanted it to). There were some outstanding points throughout the season, don't get me wrong for a moment, undoubtedly the most awesome of which was our trip to Calgary this month. For a week we got to escape the daily grind, step away from our worries, and just have a blast in a different city.

Throughout October I'll be blogging multiple times about our trip (including where we went, what I bought, and all the cool dets about my first ever blogger meet-up!), as well as jumping head first in the all things Halloween (my very favourite holiday), rounding up a number of my must-have vintage fashion essentials, answering your questions about how Tony and I do outfit photo shoots, and bringing you a great new blog giveaway from beloved Canadian production company, Sullivan Entertainment - plus plenty of other diverse, enjoyable topics throughout the coming thirty-one days.



{Much like actress Pier Angeli in this charming 1950s photo, I get wide eyed with excitement and happiness about both October's return and All Hallow Eve, the star attraction for many of us in the coming month. Image source.} 


Yes, September was a strange month, filled as with its mix of snail and warp speed days, as well as summer's almost unbelievably quick departure. It was hard, it was fun, it saw tears, and it built character. It's not a month I'll soon forget, nor that I would want to, but ultimately, I'm relieved that it's wrapping up. Time feels like it needs to move on, and so do I, which is all the more reason I'm profoundly glad that October will be here tomorrow.

Whatever the coming month holds in store, I hope that it abounds with merriment, beauty, autumn time pleasures a plenty, and the start of a marvelous third season of the year for all of us.

Happy October, everyone!!!