So, we meet again, grey wall!

Outfit details

1940s dusty rose tilt hat: Gift from Tony ♥

Classic faux pearl stud earrings: Claire's

Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥

Fitted black velvet blazer: Smart Set

Gold coloured metal & rhinestone antique inspired brooch: eBay

Black velvet scarf: Zellers

Burgundy top: Thrifted

1950s light pink pencil skirt: eBay

Vintage Saks Fifth Avenue black patent purse: etsy seller MK Retro

Vintage maroon gloves with buttons: etsy seller Antiqueelegance

Black tights: Arden

Black 1940s style shoes: Thrifted

Lipstick colour: MAC Diva

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

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Last year on a breezy early spring day, in the nearby city of Kelowna, I just happened to encounter, and instantly fall head-over-vintage-heels in love with, a particular grey wall, as documented in this outfit post.

To the causal observer, and no doubt many of the thousands of people who drive past this wall everyday (it's located on a busy road that leads to the Kelowna airport and local college campus), this is just a wall like any other, and I'll grant you that there's nothing particularly extraordinary about it at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it's hard not to see its charm and allure.

Painted in a true medium hue, this concrete wall is just about the most perfect shade of grey. There is scarcely a skin tone or colour in the world this grey wouldn't compliment, wouldn't serve as the perfect backdrop for. It's a relatively strong colour, yet it stops short of overpowering those hues put in front of it. It has cool undertones, is not inherently modern looking (though it is, the wee little string of shops it connected to was only built a couple of years ago), and I'd be hard pressed to think of a single outfit in my whole closet, I wouldn't happily wear while standing in front of it. If we lived in Kelowna, I'd probably shot outfit snaps in front of this wall at least once a month.

Alas though, we do not, and so the wall becomes a special treat, offering up a certain peace of mind that no matter what, so long as Mother Nature wants to play nice, I can always rely on this particular wall to serve as a guaranteed (wonderful) backdrop if we're taking photos in Kelowna.

On this particular snowy day, I set out with February 14th in mind. I didn't want to go too twee (it's easy for red and pink to veer into saccharine territory far too quickly, especially when worn on someone my age), but I definitely wanted to imbue a sense of romance into my ensemble. To that end, I nixed red entirely, favouring instead a burgundy hued top, maroon gloves, and soft, bracingly lovely shades of pink. To offset the Valentine's Day card quality of those colours together, I kept the other key elements of this look to a palette of black.

However, I choice sumptuous velvet, a fabric that is as romantic and sensual as the day is long, for my black garments. Being petite and relatively curvy, I have a hard time finding blazers and suit jackets that fit, be they vintage or modern, but this particular jacket (bought years ago from Smart Set) fits me like a well-tailored glove, and gets worn more than any other blazer I own (it's a definite wardrobe staple for me). Though modern, it channels a timelessly classic feel and goes with more outfits than you could shake a stick pin at.

This hat - another much loved favourite of mine - was a gift from Tony, that I saw in a while back (just as with the navy blue 1940s hat seen in this outfit from last fall), and which he very, very sweetly bought for me. Given that my tilt hats are my favourite style of vintage topper and dusty rose is the hue I adore most, you can imagine how wild I am about this chapeau! It's a little worn in spots and the wide band of elastic could be tighter, but it still has a lot of life in it and will always standout as one of the most marvelous vintage hats I've ever owned or had the joy of wearing.

It was a nippy day indeed when we took these photographs (a few degrees below zero centigrade, snowing on and off), so a scarf was a must with a jacket and top that left a fair bit of my neck exposed. This black velvet scarf, purchased many years ago at Zellers, is just about the only cold weather scarf I wear. It's not terribly warm, I’m the first to admit, but darned if it doesn't go with everything and feel incredibly against my skin.

I have a couple of other winter scarves, but as with most years, to date this winter, I haven't even taken them out of the closet. I wear this scarf everywhere and with everything, so it's almost surprising that it took this long for it to make an appearance here on the blog. It matches this blazer so well that one could easily be forgiven for thinking the two had come as a set from the get-go. Though the did not, the fact that the coordinate so well makes me a very happy camper indeed given how frequently I wear both of these pieces.


I picked this light pink 1950s pencil skirt up last year on eBay and have been waiting for the perfect time to debut it here. Few holidays are better suited to pink than Valentine's Day, so this week really seemed like the ideal time. I'd been hankering for a pink pencil skirt for years and was delighted to find this mid-century gem for a relatively good price several months ago. It's made of a mildly nubby medium weight fabric and is one of those pieces that can really work for all four seasons, so long as hosiery is involved during the colder months.

I have a few brooches (some vintage, some vintage appropriate) which involve hearts, but I didn't feel pulled in that direction this year. Instead, I felt that burnished gold, AB finish rhinestones and an elegant clear crystal dangle attached to bow would suit this outfit better. Bows and crystals have always been romantic beings in their own right and go just as nicely with a St. Valentine's Day look as any heart would.

And speaking of the day of amour, though I didn't set out with the goal of taking snaps in front of this exact wall that afternoon, the moment we decided to do so, it seemed only natural that I partner the wall that I adore most in Kelowna with a vintage outfit geared towards Valentine's Day. Kismet that we should meet up again for just such a series of photos? I rather like to think so.

Who knew that cupid had fall-in-love-with-a-grey-wall arrows in his quiver too? :)

Ten things that make my heart beat faster

Last last November, the thoroughly wonderful Bunny Monroe of Bunny's Victory (whose blog, by the way, is a serious must read for all mid-century vintage and classic film fans out there), wrote a piece about Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Taylor's eleven year romance, which included many endearing photos of the couple during their happier days together.

In addition to said heartwarming snaps, she included two lists (part of an interview the couple did in 1956 for Good Housekeeping magazine), one each from Barbara and Robert, respectively, of then things that made each of their heartbeat faster.





I instantly swooned over the idea of putting together just such a list and know that I wanted to do a post about ten things that make my own heart race for February, as this is, naturally, a month that positively lends itself to romance and all the rapid pitter-patter of our hearts that feelings of amore can stir up.

Much as in Robert and Barbara's lists, I didn't stick with strictly romance filled reasons, but instead gave thought for a good long while about various positive experiences and elements of life that always pique my attention and set my heart aflutter.




~*~ Knowing that I'm going to, and then getting to, spend time around animals (especially ones I can pet!) ~*~

~*~ The smell of an excellent pipe tobacco (especially those with notes of vanilla) ~*~

~*~ Imagining wearing an original New Look era Dior garment ~*~

~*~ When someone does something sweet and thoughtful for you completely out of the blue ~*~

~*~ Fiddle music ~*~

~*~ The memory of the first time I heard my husband's voice on the phone (we meet and conversed online initially) ~*~

~*~ The start (and duration) of autumn ~*~

~*~ Setting to work on a new creative project ~*~

~*~ Attending an opera ~*~

~*~ Knowing that I found, and am blessed to be married to, my soul mate ~*~

{To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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Though I knew there was many, I wondered as I set out to create this post, if it would be tricky to come up with ten items to include here. In fact, quite the opposite situation occurred and I was hard pressed to cap my list as just ten things. Perhaps I'll have to turn this post in annual event, with ten new rapid heartbeat inducing entries every year around Valentine's Day.

As the day of passion, sweetness, and romance arises, what sorts of things - be they of a February 14th nature or not - are stirring your soul and setting your heart racing this month (or anytime of the year), my dears?

Less than two weeks to go until the big day!

Over the past several years there have been quite a few dates, known often weeks or even months in advance, that I was anything but eager about. Many were the sort of days that you try in vain to stare at the calendar and hope will somehow magically vanish before your eyes.

While I'm not certainly not saying every day was cringe worthy, it's been a rather long time since I was bursting at the seams with excitement and anticipation over a date's arrival. Our moving day, February 23rd, is just such a date – and I’m elated about that point.

Though it's fraught with things that I'm concerned about (our schedule that day is so astronomically tightly packed, you couldn't squeeze a pin into it anywhere if you tried!), such as the fact that our darling cat, Stella, will be flying on an airplane for the first time, the joy and eagerness that is accompanying this move go a long way towards pacifying such concerns.

The fact that my husband and I experiencing this move together, that we can comfort one another when worries crop up or lend a helping hand when the other person grows exhausted from packing or planning, is an important blessing unto itself, too.

As we cross more and more dates off of February's calendar this year, I know that these last few days (before the move) will likely be the busiest we've faced over the past couple of months.

{A sweetly charming vintage calendar page from February 1954 featuring an illustrated Victorian era couple. Image via cindyiscrafty on Flickr.}

 

I'll be posting here whenever I can, and (fear not!) certainly won't hop provinces without (very temporarily) saying goodbye to all of you. Your support and enthusiasm about this wonderful step in my life has really helped give me energy and comfort during this hectic, exciting time in my life.

I hope that your Sunday and Valentine's week ahead is one of loveliness and felicity, and that you'll join me, sweet dears, in continuing to count down the days until I get to once again call beautiful British Columbia home.

Vintage 365: Joyful Valentine’s Day wishes!

✯ Day 45 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

February 14th means a great many different things to each of us. Some people (*shots hand up in air*) revel in a merry celebration of love, whereas would prefer it if the calendar went from the 13th and 15th, leaving out today all together.

Whether you're head-over-heels for hearts or prefer to eschew the sugary-sweet side of this festive day, I hope dearly that today fills you with positive thoughts about all kinds of love. From romantic passion to the wonderful kinship between you and your bff, love is never trivial; it's a highly important component to life and one that, I firmly believe, deserves to be acknowledged and cheered - both today and always.

One thing I think we can all agree that we adore is the wonderful world of vintage images, such as this positively delightful Motorola ad from 1950, which features a love-struck couple who are clearly crazy for one another. I hope that it’s beautiful art and chipper hues bring a smile your way and helps make your morning extra bright.

Please know, dear friends, that I'm thinking of you today and sending out my deepest heartfelt wishes for a Valentine's Day that radiates with joy in whatever capacity you most desire.

Happiest Valentine's Day (with love and best wishes), everyone!

Vintage 365: Great 1930s Valentine’s Day party ideas

✯ Day 44 of Vintage 365 ✯

With just one more merry day to go until St. Valentine's Day whistles into town, cupid in tow, I thought it would fun to share a delightful vintage page from 1935 featuring an array of great party ideas that can easily be put into play at the last moment (aka, for a planned or impromptu party tomorrow).

Beautifully illustrated, this elegant page (which comes via Millie Mott's Flickr stream) features ideas for everything from Valentine's Day table decorations to party games, invitations to a festive menu (of minced ham sandwiches cut into heart shapes, raw carrot strips, party ice cream with peppermint stick sauce, heart cookies and fruit punch - yum-yum! I'd be happy to serve that easy, enjoyable sounding spread) and is the sort of wonderful glimpse into the past that instantly makes me smile.

Whatever you have planned for tomorrow, my dears, I hope that you have a marvelous day that's worthy of a great vintage inspired party! :)

Vintage Fashionista Friday: February 11, 2011 (Special Valentine's Day Edition)

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{Posh and engagingly smart looking, this simple - yet in no way boring - vintage hat, complete with black oven weave veil, s a true fashion classic that would definitely see you through a multitude of events and styles. Vintage velvet halo hat, $19.00 from etsy seller Tiddlywink Vintage.}  

{Packing a wallop of glamour, this all-natural mineral mascara is 100% handmade and completely vegan friendly. Available in either noir (black) or chocolate (brown), this vitamin B5 enriched mascara is sure to help you bat long, wonderfully pin-up worthy lashes wherever you go! Kookla mineral mascara, $18.00 from etsy seller Kookla Luxury Artisan Make-up.}

 

{Adorn your lobes with a fantastic hit of St. Valentine's Day spirit care of these silver tone, immensely pretty vintage cherub heart earrings. Cupid approved large silver heart earrings, $5.00, from etsy seller The Dancing Poodle.}

 

{This is the kind of treasure we can all dream of being handed by our grandmother one day. Made of sleek grey rhodium, pave rhinestones and a red glass crystal heart, this immensely pretty 1940s necklace in excellent condition (no dull or missing rhinestones) and would go radiantly with a wealth of evening and cocktail dresses, pretty twin sets, and feminine blouses. However, there’s no denying how much it would shine – and work superbly - on February 14th with any outfit! Vintage 17 inch necklace with red heart pendant, $66.00 from etsy seller ChezVous.}

 

{Fit for the likes of a Hollywood princess such as Grace Kelly, this staggeringly elegant black lace evening dress is wildly beautiful, yet in no way over-the-top. It's sort of truly timeless frock that you could slip into time and time again and never feel as though you were tired of wearing it, thanks to the impeccable cut, feminine detailing, and silk-satin fabric it's constructed from. Measuring in at a svelte 33/34" bust and 26" waist, this sublimely lovely midnight black 1950s cocktail dress is available for $325.00 from etsy seller Timeless Vixen Vintage.}

 

{Smashing as either a frock or a coat, this richly sophisticated red topper is styled like a beautiful 1950s dress, features 3/4 length sleeves, a sweeping portrait collar, and is made from a satin-esque stretch cotton that helps it hugs all of your curves in the right places. Courtney Coat Dress, available in ladies sizes 2 to 12, $159.00 from Trashy Diva.}

 

{This woven wicker handbag, gloriously bedecked in all-over white micro-beads festooned with a generously sized crimson rose and dainty matching rosebud, is a true work of mid-twentieth century handbag art. Hailing from the 1950s and made by Midas of Miami, this sweet little vintage purse measures 6 inches across by 7 inches tall, and sells $149.00 from etsy seller Patina Vintage.}

 

{Consider these passionately elegant satin peep toe pumps to be the new (and forever in style) LBD of your shoe wardrobe, thanks to their sweepingly curvaceous vamp cut, rich black colouring, and swish rhinestone adorned bow. Pleaser Women's Violette peep toe pumps, available in ladies sizes 6 to 12, $54.95 from Amazon.}

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My, here we are nearly in the middle of February and this is the first edition of Vintage Fashionista Friday that we've had this year (though to be fair, the last one was on Friday December 31st). With the timeless day of love and romance looming ever nearer, it only seemed fitting that this week's gorgeous vintage gal, Valentina (natch!), went to town on her outfit, ensuring it was chalk-a-block with oodles of vixenish red, chic black, sensual lace and other splendidly alluring touches.

While my own Valentine's Day ensemble won't be quite as luxurious as this, you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be decked out in vintage red and/or pink pieces (I've got a couple of floral print dresses that combine both, and I'm thinking I'll sport one of those along with a red bow in my hair and a pair of heart shaped earrings) to help celebrate this delightful day.

Have you planned your February 14th outfit yet, my beautiful fellow vintage fashionistas?

As another chilly, snow filled week winds down, I want to wish each of you the cheeriest of weekends ahead - and a truly wonderful countdown to Valentine's Day!