Orange you glad we got these birthday photos?

Outfit details

Orange hair flower: Ardene
Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12
Peach rose earrings: Handmade by me
White cardigan: Suzy Sheir
1950s silver coloured poodle brooch: Gift from Tony ♥ White vintage slip: eBay
Cobalt blue wrap top: Smart Set
Orange vintage a-line skirt: etsy seller Lady Kitschener's Vintage
Orange bangle bracelet: Forever 21
All blue bangles: Thrifted/second hand
White bangle: Me She Designs Striped bow adorned sling-back wedges: Payless
Lip Colour: Red Apple Lipstick's Almost Red lip liner

Photos of me and the dining room by Antonio Cangiano, photos of the two of us together, taken by my mom with Tony's camera.   ♥ ♥ ♥
                                          ♥ ♥ ♥  

For years Tony has maintained that we do not have enough photos of the two of us together, and he's completely right. I've always agreed, yet year after year, it seemed we'd be lucky if we got even so many as a few snaps of the two of in the same shot. In part this was because our social circle wasn't always huge, and also due to the fact that I was/am often not feeling well enough to accompany him when he goes someplace.

Fortunately however, since moving to Penticton and suddenly having lots of more friends and family members around, we now often have people at the ready for those times when we want a photo of the two of us together. Few times of the year lend themselves as naturally to the act of taking pictures then holidays and birthdays, and it was precisely the latter which we celebrated last month when Tony turned 32 years old.

Far and above Tony's favourite colour is orange, so ahead of time my mom and I decided that we'd adorn her dining room (pictured above, where we celebrated his birthday) with orange birthday decorations, and to keep the colour theme going, I slipped into one of the few orange pieces in my closest. This was going to be a day dedicated to both Tony and his most beloved hue.

As we all know, orange can be a tricky colour to wear. It's very easy to unintentionally veer into Halloween territory if you partner it with black, brown, grey, or even green sometimes, or to look a bit like you got attacked by a highlighter if you opt for head-to-toe bright orange. This punchy colour also looks better on some people than others, and certainly not every shade works on me (so hence the scarcity of it in my wardrobe).

I have a few orange pieces however, chief amongst which is this fun skirt. Knowing that I definitely did not look like I was ready to celebrate All Hallow's Eve, I opted to pair it with crisp white and a shot of upbeat cobalt blue (which, ultimately, is only one colour off of the classic red, white and blue nautical palette).

I liked how this outfit came together and would definitely sport these three colours together again. Had I not gone white blue, beige or pink might have worked, too. I don't wear this skirt all that often though (it will definitely need to get more play next summer), so it was a treat to bring it out for this wonderful occasion.

I'm happy to report that the birthday boy had a marvelous celebration from sun up (in the morning he and my parents went fishing at Skaha Lake where he was greeted by a lovely peachy-orange sunrise that he grabbed a snap of, pictured above, with his iPhone) to sun down (we shared a scrumptious bbq dinner with family at my parent's house where he opened his gifts - including fishing related ones from me), and that this was the most orange he'd ever been surrounded with on his special day.

Mission successfully accomplished - complete, finally (!), with photos to document this awesome birthday celebration.

Happy birthday, sweetheart!

✯ Day 218 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

As with all days of the year, today has played host to a great many people's birthdays over the centuries. From famed British poet Tennyson (b. 1809) to pop culture artist Andy Warhol (b. 1928), Noble laureate Sir Alexander Fleming (b. 1881) to beloved actress Lucile Ball (b. 1911), quite a few well-known folks have made their debut into life on August 6th.

While I certainly love Lucy, enjoy Andy's vibrant art, lap up Tennyson's words, and am very thankful for the work Fleming contributed to the world of science and medicine, the person whose birthday falls today that matters most to me is that of my beloved husband, Tony.

As he turns a spritely 31 this sizzling hot August morn, today will be the seventh of his birthday I've gotten to celebrate with him, and I could not be more elated about that fact.

Tony and I are both "summer babies" (with my birthday falling in July), and we love the fact that there's less than a month separating our special days. The time between the two seems to hold a special sort of excitement and anticipation, fuelled on my birthday first and the lead up to his today.

There's a cake to be baked, meals to prep, gifts lay out, and myriad other birthday details to tend to, so today's post won't be a giant one.

Instead, as the searing golden sun cuts a path across the sleepy horizon, I'll cheerfully send all those - who like me - are fans not only of your loved ones' birthdays, but b-days in general, to cheek out not one, not two, but three different delightful Flickr groups devoted solely to vintage birthdays!

-Vintage Birthday Parties

-Birthday Cakes of the Past

-Happy Vintage Birthday to You

{This sweet little dark eyed tot from the 1940s, whom I discovered in the Happy Vintage Birthday to You Flickr group, reminds me in many ways of my husband in his baby pictures from the same age. Both were so cute and eager to dig into their birthday treats! Image via Zellaby on Flickr.}

I feel honoured and blessed to share in this special day with Tony. He's an wonderful, intelligent, caring, sweet, funny, loving man and I am truly grateful that I can to spend my life with him - and celebrate his today! (Wearing my very favourite vintage party dress, natch!)

Happiest birthday, my darling, here's to countless more August sixths together!

Chronically Vintage turns two years old!

It was a Saturday like so many before it, and yet singularly different, for it was the day I decided to create a blog devoted to my lifelong love of all things vintage. The date in question was April 18, 2009, precisely two years ago today, and on it Chronically Vintage was born.

In the wee hours of the morning (perpetual night owl that I am, I often write pieces for this blog while most off the world is fast asleep - and CV's first post was no exception), consumed by a desire to corral the massive bounty of vintage items, images, and fellow old school loving souls I was encountering online, I launched this site.

Two years - a period that at once seems like the blink of an eye and yet also as though it stretched on for eons, as time so often has a way of doing - have passed since that night, and much has transpired in my life since. There have been times when, due to my health, I didn't know if it would be possible for me to keep Chronically Vintage alive and kicking, and yet (aided immeasurably by the support and friendship of many of my readers), here we sit today still going strong.

Over this pair of years CV has introduced (and in some cases gracefully retired) various reoccurring posts, covered a wonderfully diverse range of topics (I'm far too eclectic a soul to tie my posts down to just a few subjects, preferring instead to write about topics spanning a hefty slice of the vintage spectrum), held fun giveaways, talked about the lightest of subjects, some incredibly personal issues, and a great many things in between.

This blog has proven to be a cathartic creative outlet that I didn't even know I was lacking in my life prior to its conception, and yet now can scarcely imagine what these past two years would have been like without it. Amongst the image filled entries in this blog, I've gathered and shared many vintage topics that impacted me on some level for a multitude of different reasons.

Sometimes posts have centred on such light-hearted subjects as vintage dresses that captured my eye, other times they've delved into impactful historical events, scrumptious yesteryear recipes, people whose work spoke to me, or items that I felt would be of interest to my fellow vintage loving souls.

I'd venture to guess that the total word count of all my posts at this stage would equate to that of a (perhaps modest sized) book, which is a fascinating thought, as one of the key ways in which I've viewed Chronically Vintage from the very get-go is as an online scrapbook of the plethora of vintage topics that inspire and continue to fuel my unceasing love of the past.

Without the slightest shadow of a doubt, this blog would not be where - or what - it is today, if not for all of you, my terrific readers and online friends who have supported CV and shared in my adoration of vintage topics throughout every day of the last two years. The words "thank you" seem insufficient when it comes to expressing my gratitude for the relationship and trove of memories we've shared.

Lacking a crystal ball, I cannot say what the future holds in store for this blog, where Chronically Vintage will be at in 2013, two years from now. What I do know though is that no matter what paths CV may follow, what topics are covered, what images are posted, which events we experience together, I will never stop loving the golden years of the mid-twentieth century and sharing that passion for as long as I possibly can with all of you.

{Heartwarmingly adorably vintage second birthday party photo via sarahblascovich on Flickr.}

Happiest 2nd birthday, Chronically Vintage! Let us all raise our glasses - and birthday cake filled forks - in wishing you many more stellar years to come!