The weather really doesn't get any better than this

Outfit details

Hair flowers: Arden

Red knit shrug: Fairweather

Marcasite and blue rhinestone floral brooch: eBay

1980s does 1950s floral print dress: eBay

Lilac belt: From a different vintage dress

1950s white gloves: Gift from a dear vintage friend ♥

Blue and yellow bangle bracelets: Forever 21

Vintage red and green twist bangle bracelets: eBay

Red vintage purse: etsy seller I Love Vintage Stuff

Nude on nude seemed stockings: eBay

White pumps: Payless

Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano











{Tony snapping me taking iPhone photos, including this one of the gorgeous blue sky and calm waters of Osoyoos Lake.}

♥ ♥ ♥

There are some days when the weather is so gloriously, all-encompassing, almost devastatingly gorgeous that even as you're living them, your mind has a tricky time taking in just how marvelous what you're experiencing actually is. The day - Easter Sunday, to be exact - on which these photos were taken was one such a time.

Unseasonably warm, drenched in sunshine, and filled with skies so blue they would have dulled sapphires by comparison, I honestly believe this might have been the most beautiful (and certainly the toastiest) last day of March I've ever had the good fortune to enjoy, and that's precisely what we did.

Roughly the same distance away from Penticton as the city of Kelowna, but in the opposite direction, one finds the charming little town of Osoyoos, British Columbia, which is the last staging post in that direction before one runs smack-dab into the Canadian/US border.

Since moving back to the area last year, Tony and I have made our way down to Osoyoos several times, however on each occasion - no matter how pleasant the weather was when we left home, once we got there, we'd be hit with either a massive rain or snow storm, and thus had never gotten the chance to take any outfit photos on our travels.

It had become something of a running joke actually, and we'd nearly begun to wonder if we'd ever find ourselves there on day when sunny weather was plentiful (a fact that's made all the more humorous - and a touch ironic - by the fact that Osoyoos often gets some the warmest summer temperatures in all of Canada). Fortunately however, the gods of sunshine were on our side at long last on Easter Sunday and we managed to not only soak up the stunning weather, but also take some lovely pictures in the gazebo that's situated down by one of the beaches on Osoyoos Lake.

I'd spotted this quaint, romantic little gazebo while passing through town on previous visits and had tucked it away in my mind as a great spot to use for a future photo shoot. So warm was it that day (+25C at a time of the year when the average temperature would usually be about half that) that I didn't even realize until sorting through these snaps afterwards that my cheeks had picked up a little bit of a flush from the sun - that's certainly not something that happens every day this early in the year, let me tell you!

In celebration of Easter and the joyful mood I was in that day, I selected of my very favourite and most jubilantly hued (1980s does 1950s) floral dresses. The frock itself is bold and clearly the star of the show, so I kept my accessories fairly low key, opting for my trusty red vintage handbag, white gloves, white heels, four bangle bracelets, an elegant floral brooch, and a few flowers nestled into my hair. A light weight red shrug helped keep my arms warm, though as the temperature kept skyrocketing, I almost became tempted to slip it off.

I loved everything about this day. Not just the sublime weather, but the leisurely Sunday drive we took, the conversations Tony and I shared, the stroll around town, the fun photo shoot location (these are my first snaps to date which have been taken in a gazebo), and the fact that we finally beat the curse of the Osoyoos storm.

It was, in every sense of the word, a perfect Easter and the sort of magnificent springtime afternoon that one will treasure in their heart (especially when winter's icy wrath returns) for the rest of time.


(*PS* I am thrilled to say that a photo from this shot also appears in the latest fabulous digital edition of Hey Doll magazine in the reader vintage outfit gallery. In the same edition, you'll also find an article by yours truly, that first appeared here on Chronically Vintage last November, all about how to store vintage gloves.)

A summery watermelon skirt and a cute little snail

Outfit details

Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12
White hair flower: Ardene
Red plastic rose stud earrings: Claire's
Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from Tony ♥
Red ruched neckline t-shirt: Forever 21
Black thin knit shrug: Fairweather
Bangle bracelets: assorted sources (Forever 21, Claire's, thrifted, etc)
Green faux leather skinny belt: eBay
1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing
Vintage watermelon pocket a-line skirt: etsy seller Cricketcapers
Red and white stripped wedge sandals: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano
♥ ♥ ♥

Earlier this summer, on a very rainy day, Tony and I stopped by to visit my sister in Kelowna for a little while. We didn't know in advance that her boyfriend (the two live together) was quite ill, but when we found out we opted not to pop into their apartment (lest either or us should catch what he had), instead we visited with my sis for a few minutes in the very, very dimly lighted - but chicly decorated - lobby of her apartment.

 We'd hoped to get in a proper photo shoot that day, but the rain ruled that out in an outdoor environment and then when we didn't hang out in my sister's place, we lost that setting, too. Not to be detoured though, Tony grabbed a few quick iPhone photos of me, which, given the massive lack of light, still managed to turn out alright. I'm very glad they did, as this adorable a-line skirt with its darling watermelon pocket is one I've been eager to share with all of you since the moment I got it several months ago.

 I'm sure you'll see it again in future warm weather outfit posts, but as we're heading in fall and winter pretty soon, in case it doesn't get worn again this year, I thought I better post these pics now, two days shy of the end of the season.

As we were making our back out to the car, I spotted a sweet little snail on a fence and asked Tony if I could borrow his phone to take a quick photo of it. One doesn't encounter all that many snails (especially if you don't have a garden) in this part of the province (unlike in the Lower Mainland, where snails and slugs alike often abound), so - as a lifelong fan of snails - when I do see one here, it's cause for momentary celebration.

 On a different note, though we're not been able to get to very many of them this season and I've only unearthed a tiny handful of vintage pieces over the course of the summer at the ones we did visit, as many of you have expressed an interest in seeing a "best of the summer" yard sale find post (akin to my best of the spring one from last June), I plan on putting together one in the near future.

 We're having particularly lovely weather this September and as a result, yard sale season is still going relatively strong. In years past I've seen it stretch into October, and I'm hoping such will be the case in 2012, too, as it may mean that (assuming I'm feeling well enough to hit them up) that there are still a few more weekends this year in which to potentially find some wonderful old school pieces.

 When it finally looks like the locals have packed it in for the season (quite literally) and there aren't likely to be more yard sales this year, a "best vintage finds of the summer" post will appear here. I really appreciate the enthusiasm that guys you had for the spring one and am super excited to share my summer finds with you, too, even if their numbers pale in comparison to the especially good spring garage sale run we had.

 So while it will likely soon be time to wave good bye to watermelon skirts, sizzling rain storms (and the cute little snails they bring out), and yard sales, I'm not too blue about the fact that summer is wrapping up. Despite being very ill for August and much of September, this was still, bar none, one of the best - and happiest - summers I've experienced as an adult and I'm extremely grateful for that.

 The memories and smiles gleaned from this season will stay with me for the rest of my life, and - I truly hope - stand to indicate how future summers may be often be from here on out now that we're in beautiful British Columbia.

The sort of outfit I usually wear to go yard saling

   

   

Outfit details

Blue stretch headband: Ardene
Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12
Adorable sterling silver and Swarovski crystal kitty necklace: gift from Tony ♥
Green cardigan: Old Navy
Purple plaid shirt: Warehouse One
1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing
Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore
Denim capri pants: Nine West White skinny belt: eBay
Black bow sling-back flats: Payless
Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano   ♥ ♥ ♥

Earlier this year I shared an example of the type of outfit I typically wear for a day spent hitting the thrift stores, and before this summer wraps up completely, I really wanted to show you an example of what I commonly sport while out garage saling.

It had almost became a running joke. Each Saturday morning when we'd (by which I mean myself, my mom, and Tony) head out and I'd make a point of saying (to Tony) that we needed to grab some wardrobe snaps that day. Yet time after time, for whatever reason, it failed to happen. Finally, after one of our more recent yard saling excursions, as we returned home, I all but insisted he stop and grab at least a couple of photos (in this case, on his iPhone) of me in our own yard.

There's nothing really fancy about this outfit, but that's the whole point. One doesn't want to have to worry about dust and dirt while out garage saling, and you want something that will stand up to  hours of wear. Comfortable shoes are important, too, and I usually opt for flats or a very walkable, sturdy heel. Generally, depending on the weather, I'll either wear these denim capris, my Freddie's jeans, or an a-line button front skirt (such as this one) that has pockets (very important for having cash at the ready!).

I'll usually wear a necklace and bracelet or two, but generally opt for stretch or tighter fitting bangles, as I don't want to risk losing a bracelet or having them bang into (and potentially break) anything I'm reaching for in the midst of my yard sale rummaging.

As one can never be entirely certain of what the weather will do, I tend to opt for at least two light layers (in this case a short sleeve button up plaid skirt and a thin knit green cardigan), that way I can button up or slip one off, just depending on what kind of mood Mother Nature is in that day.

Just as pockets are important, so too, I find, is a purse that I can easily get into. This way, if an item costs more than I have in my pocket (or I've depleted my stash of coins), I can quickly grab my wallet and start negotiating the price (I pretty much always bargain for a lower price at garage sales and flea markets).

This 1950s bucket purse is one you've seen before (such as in this post), and that's because it gets more use during the summer months than probably any other purse I have. It's versatile hue, decent size, and weight (empty, it's quite light) means I reach for it all season long (during the winter though, one usually doesn't want an open top purse when it's snowing, so this bag usually gets a breather until the following spring arrives).

So there you - and I (finally!) - have it, a look at the kind of outfit I generally wear when sourcing every yard and garage in town I possibly can for vintage treasures. I suspect it's akin to what many of you also don for these kinds of days, whether your yard sale season is just a few months long (as it is up here in Canada) or something you get to enjoy all year long (lucky you!).

Pink on the Penticton Pier

 

 

Outfit details
Prescription eyeglasses: (frames) Venus Eye Design V-12 White hair flower: Arden Cherry print hoop earrings: Claire's Grey crochet shrug: Walmart (it's identical - save for the colour - twins with the turquoise one I wore in these Kelowna photos) Pink lace trimmed t-shirt: Guess Jeans Rhinestone swallow brooch: eBay UK  Pink faux alligator bag: Sears Darker grey vintage bangle bracelet: etsy seller RecycleBuyVintage Pink, white, and light grey vintage bangle bracelets: etsy seller MeShe Designs Vintage style side button jeans: Freddies of Pinewood Black peek-a-boo wedges: Walmart Toenail polish colour: MAC Rougemarie Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace
Photography by Antonio Cangiano 

♥ ♥ ♥

 

Ever since I saw the perpetually stylish Andi B. Good sporting braided pigtails this past March (with a super cute hair bow and a fantastic vintage plaid dress), I've been enamoured with this look, and now wear my hair this way at least once a week.

As my locks are ultra fine and straight as a rod, I need some body and texture to be able to create braids (that have even a snowball's chance of not quickly falling apart in a mess of random sections), so I usually wear my hair this way a day or two after I've done a cold (rag, pin curl, etc) or hot (hot rollers) set. Once the best of the girl has diminished, but my hair still looks clean and has plenty of body to it.

Given how often I've been wearing my hair like this as of late, I'm surprised it took as long as it did to capture me on film with braided pigtails. No matter though, I'm delighted that it finally happened - and on the picturesquely gorgeous Penticton Pier to boot.

This pier (know officially as the Kiwanis Walking Pier) is a beloved local spot, where one is as likely to encounter people dangling a fishing rod off the side as you are to see newly married couples posing for their wedding pictures.

Though as dusk began to sunk in, it wasn't particularly warm on the day these images were captured (theme of the season, let me tell you!), the sunlight was sublime. Soft, creamy and tinged with shimmering bands of buttercup yellow and dusty blue, that jived well with my Freddies jeans and girly carnation pink top.

 

 

                

 

This was the first time I'd been back to the pier since returning to town, but I can assure you it certainly won't be last - especially during the toasty summer months that lie ahead.

Sometimes black and blue can be a very good thing

When it comes to fashion, that is.

Like many of us, my wardrobe has a decent sized chunk of black pieces in it, but I'm certainly not a colour shy person and can happily report that you'll find also veritable rainbow of hues on my hangers, too.

Perhaps it harkens back to the colours of my little brother's nursery when he was a wee newborn whippersnapper, or perhaps it's the association with a clear sky. Whatever the reason I've always been a big fan of shades that fall on the pale to bright baby blue side of the spectrum.

There's something so fresh, upbeat and timeless about a chipper, feminine shade of blue, so when I spied the 1950s skirt (in the images below) earlier this year (while in the midst of shopping to fill in some of my wardrobe gaps) on etsy, I just knew it was destined for my closet.

Though various boxes of clothing and accessories (so hence the lack of gloves and/or a hat and/or a handbag in these shots) still remain to be unpacked, I've pulled out enough items to have the basis of a good, workable vintage wardrobe while I plug away at getting to the others.

Last Thursday I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting my maternal grandma, Bernice Schill, while she was briefly in town. This was, mind boggling as this fact is (for me), the first time we'd had the pleasure of seeing each other since my wedding back in October 2004, and I wanted to wear something sweet, girly, and not too formal (she was just popping in for a casual afternoon visit), so I decided it was high time I broke out my new (to me) baby blue skirt.

I've always enjoyed pairing pale blue with black, so that's the colour combo I went for with this outfit. Incidentally, I think it's a great set of hues for this time of the year, as we straddle the changing of the seasons - winter with its sombre, dark shades and spring with its airy, gentle colours.

Outfit details:

Blue hair flower: Ardene

Tiny black ribbon hair bow barrette (worn in the back): Dollar store

Black rhinestone earrings: Payless Shoes

Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from my husband ♥

Black cotton and lace top (worn under cardigan): Suzy Shier

Black cotton dolman sleeve cropped cardigan: Freddies of Pinewood

Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore

Deadstock blue 1950s buckle waist skirt: etsy seller Garnet Vintage

Seamed stockings: eBay

Black pumps: Payless Shoes

Lipstick colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

As avid readers may recall from the post about my four fun goals for 2012 back in early January, I vowed to try and share more "what I wore" pictures with all of you once we moved into our new home in British Columbia (while I have technically posted a few outfit images over the last three years, they've been rather few and far between).

Now that we're beginning to settle in and those aforementioned boxes of vintage clothes are getting unpacked, I can begin to make good on my promise - a point which I'm pretty much giddy with excitement about.

These photos were taken in front of our new house (the porch railing needs a paint job, I know; come slightly better weather, it's going to get one), so you can expect to see many others featuring this location as their backdrop over time.

Earlier this month I announced that the mister and I recently purchased our first car ever, and as some of you expressed interest in knowing what kind it was, I couldn't help but include a shot of our gorgeous new four wheeled baby here (it's a Jaguar that Tony found for a truly stellar deal down in the Lower Mainland...yes, I am still pinching myself in disbelief over the fact that we own a Jag!).

I'm constantly, perpetually inspired, impressed, and encouraged by the photos of the outfits that many of you ultra stylish vintage fashionistas post on your blogs, and wholeheartedly hope that from here on out I'll be able to do the same with my fashion shots for you gals, too.

Have a richly beautiful Monday and week ahead, sweet friends!

Found: a rainbow of snoods for just $5 each

✯ Day 219 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

It's summer, you're feeling so hot you wouldn't surprised if eggs could fry on your forehead, and anything that can possibly shave a few degrees off seems like a godsend. Enter the snood.

I know, I know, I see your right eyebrow darting upwards, but hear me out. As gal whose had medium or long hair pretty much all her life, I know firsthand the notable difference in temperature one can feel when their hair is worn up out of their face and not matted to their shoulders.

I love (pin) curled locks cascading down my back as much as the next gal, but sometimes you want a hairstyle that's clearly vintage, yet is able to be put together quickly and that allows your hair to be worn up, and that is precisely where the snood comes in.

Snoods are unique in many ways. They're both practical (women who went off to work in the factories of WW2 commonly sported snoods), yet can be surprisingly elegant, too.

You can wear your hair as fancily or plainly in the front as you like (I like a small victory roll or two nestled against the top edge of the snood; curled bangs are another favourite), and sweep the rest (whether you have a few inches or your hair grazes your belt) up into the snood, where it will be kept neat and tidy, resting against the base of your neck.

If you're a fan of snoods, too, then you'll jump for joy over the bevy of lovely snoods I spotted recently over at vintage reproduction seller Red Dress Shoppe.

These wonderful, very vintage inspired snoods are available in a delightful range of 18 different hues (six of which can be seen in the image below), meaning you can find one to go with just about any garment in your wardrobe.

 

Retailing at the very reasonable rate of $5.00 (US) each, these crochet snoods are also easy on the pocketbook. If you're new to wearing snoods, I suggest you pick up a couple in more neutral hues like black and white or grey, and see how you like the look of them paired with your favourite 1940s and 50 outfits.

If you enjoy sporting a snood, especially during these sweltering days of summer when you want a lovely vintage updo that gets your hair out of your face, then branch out and add more colours to your snood collection.

Snoods are a lot of fun, quick to attach (a few bobby pins or hair clips should do the trick), add instant old school charm to any ensemble, and are an affordable fashion accessory that, in my opinion, will never lose its feminine elegance, classic beauty or practical handiness as way of corralling and chicly styling your hair.

Vintage 365: CV post inspires vintage blogger's beautiful 1940s looped braid hairstyle

✯ Day 20 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

The response to the Vintage 365 daily post here on CV has been tremendously positive so far, and I believe that as the year progresses things will continue to shine. Though the project is less than a month old at this point, I've already had a some people contact me to say that they blogged about one of the Vintage 365 posts that really caught their eye (thank you, sweet dears!).

One such person is the immensely lovely Tasha of By gum by golly! , a delightful vintage and craft centred blog, who wrote to say that the vintage magazine cover image I used for the January 13th Vintage 365 post Slide show celebrates 125 years of Ladies Home Journal magazine, inspired her to recreate the darling 1940s looped braid pigtails the the mother and daughter are sporting on that cover.

Not only did Tasha recreate this charming, seriously adorable hairstyle with immense success (see image above), she detailed the steps she took to do so on her blog, so that she could inspire her readers to try this playful style on their own locks.

For me one of the best elements of being a vintage blogger is the continual inspiration I gather from both yesteryear images and my fellow old school bloggers, and I was touched deeply to know that Tasha drew such stylish inspiration from one of my posts. Though my own hair is far to thin to pull off this immensely cute 1940s hairdo with any degree of success, I adore the how Tasha tied cheerful ruby hued ribbons around the tops of her pigtail braids, and I'm now inspired to dig into my craft stash and start wearing more ribbons in my hair (and should I have ever a daughter one day, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be trying the looped pigtail look on her!).

Thank you very much, Tasha, for sharing how an edition of Vintage 365 inspired you; I absolutely loved seeing your wonderful hairstyle and am sure you'll inspire scores of vintage loving gals to copy this super fun look!