Serenity sought, and found, while wearing my beloved Freddies jeans, at Yellow Lake

Outfit details

Royal blue floral print scarf: eBay
White rose stud earrings: Claire's
Emerald green camisole: Ricki's
Mustard yellow cardigan: Loft by Ann Taylor (bought on eBay)
Pink rhinestone rose brooch: eBay
Bangle bracelets: Assorted sources
1940s style side button jeans: Freddies of Pinewood
1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing
1940s style black shoes: Thrifted (Salvation Army)
Lip colour: Clinique Raspberry Glace


Photography by Tony Cangiano

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Relatively few of us live out in the wilds of nature any more. Most, it's fair to say, return home to an address that is either located smack, dab inside of a town or city, or which can reach one in a matter of minutes. Even those who have opted to live far further from the hustle and bustle of a community are rarely without at least a few of signs, stresses, and sounds of modern city life (such as visible traffic, telephone poles, and airplanes flying overhead).

I love city and town living, don't get me wrong. In fact, given the option between living in the backwoods or on the main street of a pulsating metropolis, the city option will nearly always win out for me (I was born a stone's throw away from Vancouver and have adored big cities since the youngest of ages), but sometimes one needs - really and truly needs in the pit of their soul to head as far away from an urban center as possible.

As awesome as a week in the country may be, if that's not in the cards (and it rarely is!), I'm grateful to have a few locations around our part of the province where I can retreat and quietly collect my thoughts, skip some of my worries out into the water along with smooth rocks, and breath in hearty lungfuls of pure, fresh, glorious Canadian air.

Three Mile Beach in Naramata, which I blogged about last summer is one such spot, another is Yellow Lake, located between Penticton and the small community of Keremeos (which houses Bear's Farm produce market). Though a leg of British Columbia Highway 3A runs directly past it, with cars buzzing all the while, there is still a tremendous sense of tranquility to this small, beautiful lake.

In the summer, Tony adores heading here after work or on the weekends to cast his line and whittle away the hours, and I'm fond of visiting it not only to accompany him while he fishes, but to simply decompress and be at one with nature. Something that we all, at times desperately, need to do far more often than we're prone to. An hour or two spent outdoors probably won't erase all of your troubles, but it can usually help send at least a couple packing and give you a renewed sense of energy to help tackle many of the others.

For this overcast afternoon of wilderness zen seeking, I opted to wear my massively adored Freddies vintage style side button jeans and mustard yellow Loft by Ann Taylor cardigan (last seen here), an emerald green lace trimmed camisole, a beautiful floral print scarf in shades of royal blue, green, yellow, pink and white; a sparkling pink rhinestone rose brooch, a stack of bangles, and my trusty 1950s corduroy bucket bag to create a casual, colourful chilly weather ensemble.

In the warmer months, one sees tiny turtles swimming in the water, fish leaping out (especially in the very early morning hours), along with myriad birds soaring overhead or resting amongst the tall grass of the shoreline. Shimmering winged dragonflies rest leisurely on the lake's surface, an occasional fox darts out of the woods, and even a snake or two - hopefully of the non-rattle tailed variety - can be spotted every now and then. It's a slice of the woods, of mother nature's backyard, and of calmness that takes less than half an hour to reach and which never fails to sooth and rejuvenate weary spirits.

With spring not that terribly far off, I'm sure we'll soon start heading down that way more often again, be it for fishing, settling frazzled nerves, or simply sitting on a wooden dock and basking in the sunshine. For while I do love cities and towns, there's a part of me that will always crave the great outdoors as well, especially when my mind needs to unwind and get away from the daily grind for a spell.

Savouring spring at Skaha Bluffs (in my Freddies overalls)

Outfit details

Floral print scarf: L.C. Fashions consignment store

White plastic rose stud earrings: Claire's

Pink button front shirt: Costco

Vintage reproduction overalls (dungarees): Freddies of Pinewood

Wee little yellow wildflower tucked in my pocket: Mother Nature :)

Pink beaded stretch bracelets: Forever 21

Striped purse: Jones New York

Black 1940s style shoes: Thrifted (Salvation Army)

Lip colour: MAC Russian Red

Photography by Antonio Cangiano

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Last summer, in a post entitled The Intrepid Urban Explorer, I touched on the fact that I truly love to investigate and enjoy as much of the surrounding area as I possibly can. This hasn't been the only post in which this subject was raised, nor will today's be the last, I'm sure - especially when you're blessed to live a part of the world that is nothing short of breath-takingly beautiful and which always seems to offer up a new corner to explorer.

On a gloriously sunny Saturday a few days before I went in for my surgery (yes, I know, I've said almost the same thing in my last two outfit posts, too, but as I knew it would be several weeks afterwards before I'd be well enough to leave the house and take such snaps, I made sure to have a few, like today's photos, waiting in the wings to use in the weeks to follow), after a morning of garage saling both in Penticton and Kelowna, Tony and I decided to cap off the day by venturing to the outskirts of town and up a rather traitorous stretch of road.

If you've ever seen the TV show Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads, picture the mind-blowingly narrow, straggly, precipice banked roads they traversed and you'll get a picture of just how dangerous the path we were on is. Lest you think I'm kidding, we have a medium sized sedan (not a huge car by any stretch of the imagination) and we could scarcely fit on the road, which I kid you not, is designed to somehow (miraculously) allow for two cars to inch past each other, one coming in either direction.

Not since I was a backseat passenger in my parents minivan on snowy winter evening trips up and down the Coquihalla Highway have I been so on the edge of my seat, muttering silent prayers of safety under my breath the whole time, as I was while we made our way up the road that one has to take if they want to go see the Skaha Bluffs.

Fortunately, it's not a terribly long road and once you reach the top, there's ample parking spot and a view of all of Penticton that is so majestic, you'd happily return again on a camel, if you had to.

Despite being a 489 hectare provincial park located just a few minutes away from town, this was the first time I'd ever been up to the Bluffs in all the many years I've lived in the area, and we couldn't have asked for nicer weather on the day when we bravely headed up that way (we had no idea beforehand that the road was so frighteningly narrow).

The warm-as-melted-butter sunshine had drawn plenty of other outdoor enthusiasts that day, some of whom had come to hike, rock climb, or bird watch, and others (like us) who just wanted to soak up fresh air and savour the view - and of course, if you happen to be a vintage fashion blogger, take some outfit snaps.

Having a new puppy in the house, my Freddies jeans and overalls have been getting more wear over the past couple of months than in all the time I'd owned them previously up until this point, as one does not want to risk having a very rambunctious dog accidentally damage a less durable item of vintage or repro clothing.

These overalls are also a great go-to piece for days when I'm yard saling (warm, comfy, sturdy, pockets - what's not to love!), and the two reasons combined is why I was sporting them that Saturday. We'd not begun the day knowing that we'd be headed up to the Bluffs, but the fact that we did added a third reason why they were the perfect thing to wear for a spot of wilderness fun.

A woven raffia bag, pink button front shirt, pair of iridescent pale pink stretch bracelets, cute floral print scarf, and my endlessly reliable 1940s style black shoes rounded out the look.

I love the fact that even though Penticton isn't terribly large, it - and it’s many surrounding towns, communities and off-the-beaten-path locations - offer up such an abundance of things to do and see - not to mention serve as fantastic photographic backdrops.

I'm really looking forward to the coming summer weather months and the numerous local places, new and old alike, that I hope we'll get to explore - trusty camera in hand every step (and steep mountain curve) of the way.

Photographic proof that own more than one pair of pants

It's scarcely a secret that I'm not a big trouser wearer. I don't inherently have anything against pants, it's just that - whether we're talking vintage, repro, or modern - I tend to have a really tricky time finding any that fit even remotely well. Add to that the fact that (due to medical) reasons it's almost always hard for me to wear anything tight and/or heavy (as I find the waist bands on many pants to be) around my midsection and there's a reason tumble weeds blow through the area of closet reserved for trousers.

Throughout 2012, when I appeared here in pants, it was always either my beloved Freddies of Pinewood side button jeans (as seen in outfits like this one) or my equally cherished Nine West denim capris (a summer wardrobe staple for days like this one spent yard saling). The only other pair of pants I've ever worn on camera to date here, have been my cute Freddie's overalls (dungarees), which tend to be reserved for especially outdoorsy days.

There are a couple of other pairs of pants in my wardrobe, but they very rarely see the light of day, because (and I do apologize if this is a tad frank) I have to be extremely un-bloated (aka, not bloated) and to have my pain levels at a certain spot for me to even contemplate slipping into them. For the first time in months, I recently had one cold winter evening like that, so I jumped on the chance instantly to wear the third pair of Freddies of Pinewood pants that I own: their Classic Pedal Pushers.

Now, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in this post, the lighting - especially during the winter and in the evening - in our darling little house is anything but stellar. We don't get very much natural light at the best of times and there's a shortage of overhead lightning on the main floor, so top-notch results one is not likely to achieve (without the addition of studio lighting) anytime soon, especially when shooting - as in the case of the photos in today's post - when an iPhone. Nevertheless, it's such a rare and wonderful occasion when I get to wear these pedal pusher jeans, that I couldn't let the night slip past without grabbing a few quick shots.

Outfit details

Gingham hair wrap/scarf: eBay

Silver hued star burst earrings: Dollar store in Kelowna

Sterling silver & Swarovski crystal cherry pendant necklace: a beautiful gift from Tony ♥

Red ruched neck tee: Mariposa 

Grey dolman sleeve cardigan: Freddies of Pinewood

Cherry print bangle: etsy seller Faux Flowers

Other bangle bracelets: Assorted sources

Denim pedal pushers: Freddies of Pinewood

Black 1940s style shoes: Thrifted
Lip colour: Red Apple Lipstick's Red Lipstick

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


Photography by Antonio Cangiano   ♥ ♥ ♥

Now, generally speaking, pedal pushers are supposed to stop (or be cuffed so that they hit) about mid-way down a person's calf. On someone like me however, who is 5'2" and by no means leggy, most pedal pushers hit me at ankle height. This could be seen as a negative, but I actually see it as a positive, because it means that it's like I get two pairs of pants in one out of my pedal pushers. I can either wear them as is (as I did on the very cold and snowy evening when these pictures were taken) or roll them up a bit in the warmer months so that they look like pedal pushers instead of tapered jeans.

I love Freddies of Pinewood. Aside from the fact that I was once hit with a large courier fee bill (on top of the usual Canadian customs fees) - much as like what happened to me when I ordered from eshakti last December - I have had zero qualms with this company (and to be fair, that's more the courier's fault than Freddies). I know a couple of people in our vintage circle who've had rough experiences with Freddie's customer service team, but thankfully I've not run into such issues myself and found them to be very pleasant to deal with the one time I emailed them back and forth about sizing.

To date I own four pairs of pants (my side button jeans, overalls, front pocket jeans, and these cute, classic denim pedal pushers), as well as a small number of tops (including the grey one in today's post) from them. I really hope that over time further Freddies products, especially their jeans, will make it into my wardrobe, as theirs are the only vintage reproduction pants that fit me well (I've bought other brands over the years and had zero success in terms of finding a good fit) .

For those shopping outside of the UK in particular, Freddes can be a touch pricy (their prices are in UK pounds), but I can attest to the fact that they're very well made and durable. I've probably worn my side button jeans at least 30 times, and they look as crisp and fresh as the day the arrived in the mail. The same goes for all of the other items I own from Freddies, and I consider my jeans to be one of the best wardrobe investments I've made in recent years.

As you can see here, my wig (Pin Up from the brand Jon Renau) is holding up well so far. The curl has dropped a little in spots, but over all, I'm really impressed with the quality and durability of this inexpensive synthetic wig. As you know, I hope to buy a good quality real hair wig one day, but that's just a dream for the time being (especially after the string of super big expenses - from taxes to car repair bills - that we've been hit with already this year). In the interim, I'm very happy to stick with Pinup (and/or other similarly styled and prices synthetic wigs) while I work towards the (very) long-term goal of saving up for a really nice real hair (or alternatively a super high end, heat resistant custom made synthetic) wig.

I adore wearing this wig with bows (the Bettie bangs and flowing curls just look so cute, if I may say so myself, with it), be they wee little ones or great big vintage inspired bowed hair wraps like this fun black and white gingham one (which, interestingly, I believe was last seen here on the blog in another series of grainy evening shots during a night of fishing, however the weather then and the weather now couldn't further apart from each other!).

So, while my collection is pretty darn slim at best, I'm not completely without a pair or two of jeans to slip into on those days when durable trousers are called for or simply desired. A closet full of pants might be nice, but so long as I have a couple of pairs that I can rely on, I'm a happy (Freddies jeans wearing) camper. :)

Wearing dusty rose to sweeten a rainy summer day

 


 








  


Outfit details

Floral print vintage cotton scarf: etsy seller I Love Vintage Stuff  Pink cupcake earrings: Claire's Pink bow sweater: eBay Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore Vintage style side button jeans: Freddies of Pinewood Pink and white argyle pattern socks: Ralph Lauren bought at Winners (aside from perfume, the only Ralph Lauren item I've owned to date) Lip colour: Covergirl Outlast Lipstain in 440 (Wild Berry Wink)

Photography by Antonio Cangiano 

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Don't get me wrong, by and large, I'm actually quite fond of a rainy day or two (unless, of course, it's raining when I want to go out thrifting on the weekend!). They can inject a breather into a hectic week, month or even season and help you slow down for a touch - or at least focus more on getting indoor activities completed. Rainy days often mean cooler temps, gentle light, and the need for slightly heavier garments, often even during the summertime.

This spring and summer have seen their fair share of rainy days so far - not monsoon level by any means, but certainly more than during many years in my younger days spent in this neck of the Okanagan woods.

On days when the sun is nowhere in sight and it's clear that the temps won't climb above 20C, I find myself feeling a bit happy because I know it means I can easily wear a lightweight sweater without the risk of wilting like a lettuce leaf under a heat lamp, before summer's sweltering temperatures return in a day or two.

It's a scarcely a secret that pink is my favourite colour, but did you know that my very favourite shade of this feminine hue is dusty rose? It's true, for as far back as I can recall, this delicate, soulful pink has been my most beloved colour, and I'm always on the prowl for vintage or vintage appropriate wardrobe pieces in it to add to my closet.

This darling little sweater - with it's super cute bow - is a relatively recent purchase, picked up last winter along with a few other pieces from eBay seller Glamshell Store, who sell an array of reasonably priced vintage/pinup girl inspired garments (chiefly sweaters, shirts, and bustiers). It quickly became one of my most frequently worn knit tops and I'd been missing it since the mercury shot up, so it was with great delight that I slipped into it again not too long ago for a lovely little photo shoot out out on our front deck.

We were not entirely alone as the camera snapped away. A moth with beautiful earthy hued wings, who lived on our deck for at least a week, and which I named Marvin the Moth, hung out with us, as did a small, spindly legged spider. I love how verdant the grass looks here thanks to the rain, as well as that you can see our hanging flower basket (our first ever - a gift from my paternal grandparents) in the background in some shots.

I've been more than a little obsessed with headscarves and using scarves as headbands since about May onward (though I've always loved them and worn them often over the years), and have been wearing a scarf or two in my hair several times a week for the past couple of months (with no sign of that trend halting any time soon).

I adore how cool they help my head feel when the sun is blaring down, as well as the endless array of fun ways you can style them. This particular vintage scarf, which features flowers in hues of pink and burgundy is my favourite scarf in my modest sized collection, and the one that I sport most often - especially when wearing this dusty rose sweater, as I really like how well the two compliment one another.

Given that we're only a third of the way through July (tomorrow is my birthday, yay!), summer is certainly not at any risk of coming to an end for quite some time still, and these unseasonably grey days probably won't stick around too much longer. Or at least I'm hoping so, because though I do love a tranquil, damp afternoon periodically, I really need my sizzling hot summer fix while I can still get it!

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 

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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.