25 Vintage Deals Under $100 for January 2015

Earlier this month, on January 15th to be precise, our American bullador dog, Annie (pictured below), turned two, and come the middle of March, we will have had her for full two years already as well. Oh, how time flies! Though she is still very much a youthful puppy in many respects, she has come a long way since those early days for sure and both Tony and I see her maturing and continuing to be a better behaved dog with each passing month.

{Annie in all her dog park loving glory and adorableness!}

Annie is sweet, smart as the day is long, endlessly energetic (she could wear the Energizer Battery bunny out no problem!), and absolutely gorgeous. I have no doubt that if dogs shopped for clothing, she was would be a total fashionista and were she a human, she's turn heads wherever she went. In fact, she does so now already in canine form.

Speaking of heads, I'd been scratching my own regarding what topic to place at the heart of this month's fun edition of 25 Vintage Deals Under $100 when it struck me that I could use Annie herself, in celebration of her second birthday, as inspiration and thus I decided to devote today's post to twenty-five delight dog related vintage and vintage appropriate items that are sure to have even the most ardent of cat people amongst us smiling! :)

1. Looking a bit like a Dalmatian thanks to the spots and somewhat like a hound with the face and body shape, this immensely cute dimensional 1980s does 1950s silver tone and black enamel dog brooch is bursting with cuteness and is such a versatile novelty brooch (colour and theme wise) for all kinds of old school and contemporary ensembles. $12.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



2. As with many of the items in today's canine centered post, it was all I could do not to squeal when I spotted this uber adorable, kitschy, and very practical upcycled (its base is a mid-century ceramic planter) dog pin cushion. $28.00 from Nevermore Vintage.



3. Whether you're a sewer, a knitter, a paper crafter, or a collector of vintage buttons, these precious little red and white 1940s celluloid Scottie dog buttons are sure to make you swoon and your next project something that's really worth barking about it! :) $12.75 for five buttons from Vintage Polka Dot.Com.



4. Match holders were a once commonplace home decor piece that have no all but gone the way of the dinosaur (due to people both using less candles to light their homes and also fewer folks smoking), save for those who purposefully collect them. I'd love to add one to my own home decor some day, to be used either as intended or for bobby pins in my powder room (they also make for handy toothpick containers). This charming circa 1930s carved wooden German made dog match holder is just the sort I'll be looking for when I do finally purchase one myself. This item is on sale at the time of writing for $38.53 from Townshends Emporium.



5. I absolutely adore vintage Napco figurines and have a few peppered around our bookshelves. I don't yet have one of these over-the-moon adorable parasol holding ladies with her two darling little white poodles though. If you're also keen on this style of 1950s figurines, then you'll want to snap up this darling Napco figure with her two sweet pets asap because they don’t tend to stick around for long. $25.00 from Diana Dwain Vintage.



6. Delight the youngest dog lovers in your family with this immensely charming 1940s set of children's sized napkins and a matching tablecloth, which of course us grownup puppy fans can certainly avail of as well (how cute would one of these be under a vintage glass jar filled with dog treats?). $16.50 for all five pieces from 42nd Avenue Vintage.



7. Using it to corral books pertaining to dogs is entirely up to you, but whatever you store between these two beautiful 1940s carved wooden spaniel bookends, your bookshelf will be sure to take best in show! $20.00 for the pair from Ginger Cat Design (who also has a very similar wooden spaniel pair of bookends available for sale right now, too).



8. This fun, super kitschy vintage black chalkware poodle with lovely silver sparkles is perfect for the living room, bedroom, kitchen, powder room - any room in the house. There's never a place (save for a kitty condo perhaps :D) where a great vintage chalkware dog like this doesn't make for a welcome addition. $15.00 from Urban Recycle.



9. Serve up some seriously charming mid-century puppy style with this great set of seven vintage drink coasters each depicting a different image. $10.00 for the set from Vintage Tab.



10. With it's super darling button hole adorned sailor's collar and endlessly cute fluffy dog print, this charming 1950s/early 60s sleeveless dress is just the thing to wear out and about in the warmer months when taking your favourite pooch for a stroll. This dress is an XXS or XS and fits up to a 30 inch bust and 29 inch waist (the hips are free). $56.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



11. You'd be hard pressed to find a more iconically 1950s handkerchief than this chic cotton square depicting both a grey and a black poodle. $14.00 from Geneva Vintage.



12. Two cheerful dogs (which, I admit, do look a bit like lambs as well) leap about on this immensely sweet little pair of 1950s children's gloves that would also make for a fun decor piece in child’s room as well. $16.00 from Kitschy Vintage.



13. Two wise eyes peer out at you from the husky (or wolf) on this fantastic mid-century knit Cowachin sweater and are sure to leave an impression all who happen to walk behind you while you're sporting it. Bust measures 41 inches/waist 40 inches. $50.00 from The Arbor Vitae.



14. From towels to clothing, hankies to placemats, there's no limit to the number of spots you could use these darling vintage day-of-the-week transfer patterns on! $6.99 from Hey Chica.



15. I'm not the first to make this point, but it warrants saying often because it's so true: vintage aprons are often an incredible way to get a big hit of mid-century novelty print fabric without the price tag of a dress or skirt. This endlessly cute vintage spaniel pup covered half apron is no exception there and would look marvelous layered over all kinds of 1950s ensembles. $15.60 from Cake Box Vintage.



16. Take one look at this sophisticated, strikingly beautiful 1950s beaded black poodle purse and tell me you don't love it something fierce! (Total vintage wishlist item right here!) $65.00 from Hook Snap Honey.



17. A dignified spaniel gazes out at you from this elegantly lovely vintage portrait cameo brooch and would be just the thing to adorn a suit, blouse, dress of even hat with. $12.00 from Nevermore Vintage.



18. Lovely pale grey and sweet, feminine pink combine with black and white in this classic 1950s felt circle skirt that depicts a poodle leashed to a lamppost. What a darling, classic slice of mid-century youth culture style! Fits up to a 26" waist. $23.00 from Found By Me Vintage.



19. I make no secret of the fact that I madly adore stuffed animals/plushies, so when you combine that with my love of dogs, you can imagine how saucer-like my eyes got when I spotted this endlessly cute mid-century vintage plush bulldog toy. $30.00 from Mod Pets.

20. Dogs have been a popular theme for Valentine's cards for nearly as long as they've been mass produced and some of the most darling on that front were created during the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, such as this smile-inducingly fun circa 1930s die cut gem. $7.49 from Grey Mountain Vintage.

21.Three stately Boxer dogs - mom and her two pups - are leashed together in this classic, wonderfully lovely vintage Lipper and Mann brand figurine set. I adore vintage leashed/chained animal sets like this and have a few in my own vintage decor collection. This great Boxer dog trio is $25.00 from The Bluest Sky.

22. I dare you to look at these vintage bulldog salt and pepper shakers, with their rather comical expressions, and not crack a smile! :) $14.00 for the pair from Lobster Bisque Vintage.

23. Believe it or not, I've never plaid bridge, but is is a game that I'd be happy to learn is anyone ever wants to teach me. If I was planning to that in the near future, I'd be very tempted to order this charming complete set of bridge cards from 1939 that feature not one, but two, playful dogs depicted on their backs. $12.00 from Bump Marie.

24.From that subtly untrusting expression to its lengthy tail, this wonderfully fun 1950s ceramic and metal coil letter holder is such a kitschy hoot! I'd be tempted to use it for storing napkins in, too. $12.00 from Mrs. Petunia.

25. And last, but certainly not least, in today's delightfully dog centered post, is this instant collection of mid-century vintage miniature dog figurines. Amongst the 15 here, you'll find ones that are bisque, ceramic, porcelain and metal. If you have a shelf or other corner of your room that could use a charming hit of canine whimsy, than this very well priced collection is just the ticket. $29.95 (for all the figurines shown) from SMN Antiques (who, at the time of writing, also has other similar vintage dog figurine lots available).

{Please click on a specific item, or the link in the description below it, to be taken to its respective listing.}
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Dogs have been an immensely popular motif and theme in fashion and accessories for many, many years now, with certain breeds such as poodles, Scotties, and Dalmatians being of particular interest (both as pets and as fashion muses) during the mid-twentieth century.

Interestingly, I've seen (and sold) poodle jewelry from the Victoria era and its highly possible that pieces featuring this beloved curly haired pup stretch further back in time still. Certainly dog themed accessories in general date back for millennia with examples being found amongst numerous ancient cultures, such as the Egyptians and Romans.

I've always been a dog (and animal in general) lover and really enjoy looking for charming vintage items of a puppy themed nature for my wardrobe and home alike ("chained" figurine sets from the 1950s are a particular favourite of mine). They can be fun, adorable, chic, artsy, elegant and many other positive things, much like our four legged canine companions themselves.

Join me then, won't you, in the spirit of pups we've known and loved (be they personal pets or simply favourite animals), currently own, or may be dreaming of brining into our lives one day and sport a delightful dog print or accessory this month in celebration of Annie's birthday. Not only will doing so be as cute as a button, but it's a great way to teach your old winter wardrobe some stylish new tricks! :)

   

Vintage Link Love: May 2014

One cannot help but look at the calendar with a certain sense of disbelief this week. Really, you ask yourself, shaking your head from side-to-side, really, have we made our way through an entire half of 2014? Can that be? Surely, it's still January and this is all but a dream? Alas, for better on worse depending on your personal take on things, it is not a dream, and we truly have made it through six full months (well, as of tomorrow, if we want to get uber technical) of the year. Amazing!!!

What an exciting, fun filled, sometimes stressful, never dull, and so often memorable ride it's been thus far. I usually save my recaps of how my life has been playing out lately until late December and this year is no exception, especially since I've already talked a fair bit here lately about what's been transpiring in my world at moment and in the very near future (such as going to Vancouver!).

As May draws its last few breaths for another year, it's once again time to take a gander at several diverse, engaging, entertaining and downright enjoyable blog posts and stories that have been catching my eye lately. Grab an ice cold drink (or conversely, a piping hot one should you happen to live south of the equator), kick up your heels (this is Saturday after all!), and have a blast clicking through this month's fabulous vintage related links.

♥ 8 reasons why collecting things is good for your brain: The title, and the ensuring body, of this post from Rewire Me made the perpetual collector in me smile with delight and a certain charming degree of satisfaction. The fact that I then "collected" think link to save for today's post bolstered my cheerful grin all the more.


♥ How to take great photos of vintage clothing: Whether on yourself, a mannequin, model, or even a hanger, this concise selection of how-to tips for photographing vintage fashions is a great read (and post to bookmark) for all those in our circle who do so, or work with someone (such as your significant other, if they're your personal photographer) who does.


♥ Millinery fashions at the start of the 1950s: I've said it before, and I'll say it again, as much as I adore all of the 1940s and 50s from a fashion standpoint, the ten years span covering 1947 to 1957, are my favourite of all time when it comes to clothing and accessories, hats being no exception, so it was with great joy that I lapped up every word and classic image (like the very pretty one pictured below) in talented milliner Tanith Rowan's recent post on hat styles of the early 1950s.




♥ Playsuit Patterns and Where to Find Them: By way of the always lovely Stephanie of Girl With The Star-Spangled Heart comes great roundup of several warm weather perfect vintage playsuit patterns that are to appeal to sewers far and wide as we head into the sweltering, gorgeous heat of summer once more.


♥Trusting my costuming instinct: Though a fairly short post, the message at the heart of this piece written by historical seamstress Aubry, is something that many of us who have been wearing vintage fashions for years, or even decades, now can wholeheartedly relate it and is a powerful reminder to "go with your gut" when it comes to making yesteryear related fashion choices.


♥ Popular dog breeds in America during the 1930s: Being a both a dog lover and owner myself, as well as a die hard vintage gal, I was especially taken with Kate's recent wonderful look at some of the most common and much adored breeds in America during the challenging years of the decade that housed the Great Depression.





♥ Seven tips for buying vintage eyeglass frames: Whether you're a fellow bespectacled lady or simply shopping for some new sunnies, all of the helpful points that Sarah has shared in this post are well worth reading before embarking on your next eyewear purchase.


♥ 1900 - 1910: The reign of the lingerie dress: Recently while doing some background research on a jewelry piece I was listing in my Etsy shop, I came across this terrific article from 2012 on the history of the Edwardian lingerie dress, a wardrobe staple that is as tied to the era in my mind as the cloche hat is to the 1920s or the circle skirt to 50s.


♥ Early Victorian family portraits and the disappearing mother: If you're a fan and/or scholar of Victorian imagery, chances are you've encountered not one, but many photographs from the era in which a child or multiple children are seated with a woman who herself is covered in a cloth, blanket or similar large swatch of fabric, thus rendering her identity a mystery.

To twenty-first century eyes, such photos can seem anywhere from curious to downright chilling at times, but they were once a rather commonplace occurrence and a select number of folks today now study and seek them out intentionally. This thought provoking article from UK newspaper The Telegraph delves into some of the proposed reasons as to why women went to such great lengths to hide themselves in these kinds of studio portraits and is a truly fascinating read for anyone with an interest in photography (of any era).




♥ Top 10 tips for finding the perfect vintage wedding outfit: Wedding season is full swing and much as I've been chatting about various topics pertaining to tying the knot here lately (such as the tradition of going away dress), so too has Queens of Vintage had all things bridal on the brain as of late, very much including the ten handy tips in this helpful post for soon-to-be-brides everywhere.


♥ 16 brilliant artists and their animal muses: Also on the cute critter front this month, I was captivated by BuzzFeed's roundup of sixteen world renowned and endlessly talented artists, including many vintage names, and their inspiring and immensely darling pets.


♥ What to wear Lindy Hopping - 1930s/1940s Real-Life Vintage Images: Throughout this month Liz has been shining the spotlight on the fabulous style of dance, and the eye-catching fashions associated with it, that is Lindy Hopping and this post in particular is a must read for anyone looking to emulate the swinging styles of the day themselves when cutting a rug nowadays.

{All images throughout the list of links above come by way of the post that they are displayed directly beneath the write up of here. Please follow the links provided to learn more about these images.}

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As we savour these final weeks of spring, it's natural to look ahead to summer and all that the second chapter of the year holds in store. Just what exactly it will deliver, only time will tell, but I have a deeply rooted and very positive feeling about it, and like to believe it may be better still than these last six months have been (not that I'm saying, in our case at least, that they were bad at all - they had their moments for sure, but overall 2014 has been, thankfully, a good year so far). Fingers crossed!!!


I hope that each of you has a fantastic, fun (and sunshine) filled June ahead and look forward to embarking on another summer here on the vintage blogging front together. Right now though, I'm off to start giving some serious thought to my outfits for our upcoming jaunt to Vancouver, hopefully hit a few yard sales today, and savour each and every last, sublimely lovely, minute of late spring while it's still here.

Celebrating Annie's 1st birthday with 25 darling black and white vintage dog photos

This past Wednesday, the 15th, marked Annie, our darling American Bullador’s first birthday. Small enough to sleep on our chests and be cradled in our hands when we first brought her home at the age of eight weeks, she's been with us now for ten of the twelve months of her young life and has impacted ours in countless ways over that time.

Incredibly smart, unendingly energetic, extremely destructive, as kindhearted as any animal who has ever lived, an amazing watchdog, and strong willed as the day is long, Annie is both a big handful and an incredible angel. Though she is very much still a puppy in certain ways, we're starting to see her mature more in recent weeks and hope that by this time next year, she'll be much closer to reaching her adult temperament and way of behaving (guided, of course, by our ongoing training, lots of exercise and affection).

Annie was the first dog either my husband or myself, whether in our years together or before we meet, ever had as an adult and raising her has certainly been an incredibly eye-opening experience. We've learned an encyclopedic amount about dog rearing and training over that the past ten months and while we didn't always get things 100% right (off the bat at least) with Annie, few new parents (be they of pets or human babies) can say that they did the first time around. Just as Annie has grown and matured, so too have we and though there have been moments since we brought Annie home when she frazzled my nerves to the point of tears, there have been countless more where she nearly made me cry from happiness, love and pride.

She is an awesome, inspiring, sweetheart of a dog and I feel honoured and blessed that we get to share our lives with her. In celebration of her first birthday (for which she was showered with an abundance of her favourite dog treats and a Kong filled with peanut butter, one of her all time favourite foods, as well as a gorgeous new pink leash that we bought her at the Home Hardware in Osoyoss last month), Annie and I have rounded up an endearingly sweet array of 25 black and white vintage real world photos of precious puppies and darling dogs, all of which are so cute and easy to relate to that they more than speak - or would that be bark - for themselves. :)

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

Gilda Radner once said, "I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive", a sentiment which Annie has brought to light in my life every day that we've had her.

Yes, she may be a handful and a half sometimes, but she is also inspiringly upbeat, happy-go-lucky, and caring (she has an uncanny ability to sense, if we're out in public around other people, and then make a beeline for anyone who has mental, emotional or physical special needs, or seems to really be in need of some companionship, and to then shower them with kisses and affection - it's humblingly beautiful to see, especially since we've never trained her to do so, it's simply something she's inherently knows to do on her own.

Annie is 60+ pounds of pure love wrapped in a silken black and white coat, always ready to bestow an unending amount of her time and affection on you. She derives joy for the littlest things, forgives and forgets in mere minutes, never sweats the small stuff, and is powerful reminder of how we should each strive to exist as often as possible. She is our baby, our dearest canine friend, and a truly phenomenal one year old dog that we love every bit as much as she adores us.