What have you always loved?

The recent events surrounding our cross country move have had me reflecting lately on an interesting topic: what are some of the things (not people, that’s an entirely different subject unto itself) that I've loved throughout all of my life?

You may wonder how moving ties into this topic, so I'll happily dish the details. Two things in particular have brought this thought to the forefront of my mind. For starters, in the weeks immediately before we hopped from Ontario to B.C., I made the decision to sell off most of two collections of items (Japanese Re-Ment brand miniatures and Pullip dolls, respectively) that I'd been amassing for nearly five years.

The key reasons why I decided to do so were to a.) raise additional funds for the move and the expansion of my wardrobe (which, as you may recall, was/is one of my goals for 2012), and b.) because it meant that there would be a little less to pack with us (an important point when you dealing with movers who charge you both on distance traveled and the weight of your belongings).

These two collections - one (Re-Ment miniatures) much larger than the other - were no less important to, or beloved by, me than ever. Rather, I believed (correctly, I'm glad to report) that the money I knew I could get for selling them could be put to better use right here and now at this stage in my life. I'll always adore Japanese toys and dolls, but my interests at the moment aren't focused on those areas of collecting, so it didn’t make a world of sense to hold onto these items any longer.

The second reason that I've been reflecting on the subject of lifelong loves is because the town that Tony and I moved to, just happens to be one of the two in which I spent a solid chunk of my youth. For several years of my childhood and teenage years, the charming city of Penticton (located a few hours north east of Vancouver, in the gloriously sun-kissed Okanagan Valley) was my home.

From classrooms to skating rinks, quaint back allies to the bustle of main street, through some of the best and worst moments of my formative years, I lived, breathed, and walked amongst the buildings and landscapes of a town that now, for the first time, my husband and I get to experience together.

With so many thoughts pertaining to, and a solid knowledge of, the area, I've naturally been taking a long distance run down memory lane as of late. Starting many a conversation and observation with phrases like "Oh, I remember", "We used to", "Back when I was growing up", and other similar sentiments.

These sprints through the halls of time cannot help but make me take stock of what elements in my life I've loved, cherished, and held a vested interest in since I was a little girl (we moved to Penticton about a month before my 9th birthday).


{Life is abundantly peppered with all kinds of loves. Some are short lived, whereas others stick with us throughout all of our days and never fail to garner revisiting time and time again. Charmingly pretty vintage postcard image via Jerub Baal on Flickr.}


It's entirely normal like or love tons of things throughout your lifetime that only end being a part of your world for a while. From passing fashion trends to TV shows, childhood hobbies to food crazes, there's something downright wonderful about getting to experience new likes that eventually make way for others. Yet few amongst us are without a solid list of things that we've loved since we were little kids.

As someone whose tastes have always veered on the eclectic, varied, and abundant (as in I have scads of interests) side of things, I'd imagine that a complete list - if such a thing were possible - of things I've always adored would run well into the hundreds – or more!

It's easy to pick out some however, and I plan on doing just that in a future post. Today though, what I'm curious about, sweet friends, are some of things - they can be anything from a brand of soap to a breed of cats, vintage shoes to a sports team - that, for just about as far back in the pages of your own life's history, you can remember loving and which you still have a passion for today?

I believe that such ongoing interests shape and help define who we are. They can lead to careers, possibly contribute to how we meet our significant others, take us to foreign lands, bring us both joy and sorrow, and are amongst the topics we turn to first when carrying on a conversation. They've been with us so long as it's as though they've become an invisible part of our DNA. Always there, constantly important, and perpetually meaningful.

What have you always loved? Let me know in the comments below and next Friday (one week from now), I'll randomly select one person who leaves a comment as the winner of a little surprise gift pack of assorted items (think items pertaining to crafting, vintage fashion, etc) that tie into some of the things I've adored throughout the course of my own life.

A fabulously easy, festively fun 1950s Easter Cake recipe

With such a hectic whirlwind of activity going on recently due to the move/unpacking/sudden return to having more of a social life, it feels like Easter really snuck up on me this year (or perhaps, more aptly, silently hopped into town like a darling little bunny).

Fortunately however, I didn't forget about it entirely, and have a small but rather enjoyable collection of vintage Easter recipes I've collected (be it in real life online) over the years to turn from, no matter how last minute a meal, dessert, or sweet snack I might need to whip up just happens to be.

Though I don't have the slightest bit of talent (at all!) when it comes to cake decorating, one does not have to a TV reality show in which they run a cake shop to be able to put together today's thoroughly adorable 1950s Easter themed dessert. So long as you can find your way to the shredded coconut and jelly bean aisles at the grocery store, you'll likely come out in top form.

Hailing originally from the April 1953 edition of Household magazine, this festively charming Easter Glory Cake is made all the more simple and quick by the use of a cake mix. Though of course you can always create a white or golden cake from scratch as well, if you like (and for an extra fun Eastertime idea, you could also try making this recipe with carrot cake - something Peter Cottontail would no doubt thoroughly approve of!).

{Colourful jelly beans mimic the look of candy eggs in this cheerful double layer Easter cake from the 1950s, while the shredded coconut calls to mind the ultra soft fur of an April born baby rabbit. Vintage recipe image via saltycotton on Flickr.}

There's nothing stopping you either from tinting the coconut, frosting and/or cake itself any number of pastel hues. I think that a pale pink or robin's egg blue, either inside or out, would look so sweetly pretty and also really help drive home the 1950s vibe of this terrific dessert.

While tried-and-true treats like hot cross buns and chocolate eggs are springtime classics that will never go out of style, I think a springy, lightheartedly cute cake - like today's vintage example - is every bit as much a Easter staple, too - and one that all of your holiday guests are bound to be thrilled with.

Though time may be winding down, luckily I have a box of Betty Crocker's gluten-free yellow cake mix in the cupboard (the mister and I both agree that it's the best GF cake mix we've tried yet here in Canada - by far!), as well as plenty of coconut on hand. All I need then is some jelly beans and come this weekend, we'll be tucking into sweet, smile-inducingly fun slices of this wonderful vintage Easter cake.

Sporting the palette of early spring

Though the area of B.C. that we now call home is renowned for its sublime weather (for most of the year, at least), spring has been a bit late in arriving this year. Snow appeared well into March and few buds, flowers, or signs of greenery (save for pussy willows and the occasional crocus) have yet to even attempt to reappear. That said, as we all know, spring always returns, back from the other side of the world, to grace us with its sweet, elegant warmth and sense of renewal.

Recently however, while things were still on the washed out, grey, subtly wintry side, I donned one of my favourite 1950s dresses and partnered it with hues that made it fairly easy to camouflage in with last week's end of March colour scheme.

Outfit details:

Brown velvet Frank Palma vintage hat: etsy seller Nostalgia Vintage

Pearl necklace: Birthday gift from my husband ♥

1950s Mocha and maroon floral print dress: etsy seller The Vintage Studio

Olive green cotton cardigan: a little mall boutique in Scarborough, ON, that’s no longer in business

Creamy ivory hued lace hemmed crinoline: Pettiskirt Style

Vintage maroon gloves with buttons: etsy seller Antiqueelegance

Faux pearl stretch bracelets: Real Canadian Superstore

Nude seamed stockings: eBay

1950s corduroy bucket purse: etsy seller Rue 23 Vintage Clothing

Straw hued heels: Anne Klein

Lip colour: MAC Diva

Photography by Antonio Cangiano 

My hair - bone straight, ultra fine, thin creature that it is - has never, not for one single day of my life, taken well to being heat set in any way. After dozens of attempts during my high school years in which I'd spend sixty, sometimes even ninety minutes trying to coax my hair into conforming to the shape a curling iron barrel (getting frustrated at the results to the point of tears), I accepted the fact that I'm just not one of those people who can get beautiful, bouncy, totally 1980s worthy curls from a heated source. No, I need to start with damp hair, curl tightly (be it with rags, curls, foam rollers, etc), and wait several hours for my hair to dry naturally (as I don't have a bonnet dryer).

That said, however, some days I still bust out the hot rollers and let the (subtle) waves fall where they may. The morning of these shots were taken was one such day. While not curly or even super wavy, I do like the sense of body and movement that hot rollers impart to my hair, as well as how easy it is to get a nice swooping piece to drape over across my forehead.

I knew I was going to add a cute little cocoa brown hued hat to my outfit, so I was fine with the causal, gamine feel of my hair. It's nice to have made peace some years back with the fact that my hair will likely never fully curl with a curling iron or hot rollers. It will get gently wavy, tousled, and feminine however - and creates a look that my husband fancies, so we both end up being happy campers.

An interesting titbit of information relating to this dress. One day my mother was looking at my vintage frocks and I asked her which one she'd pick if she wanted to wear one for a day of running errands or having a causal get together at home. After a bit of consideration, out of all of my dresses, she selected this one, which instantly endeared it to my heart even more. Naturally, it's hers to borrow should she ever want to give a vintage look a spin.

Before we know it, spring proper will show up and one's wardrobe palette - as well as mother nature's attire - will naturally shift back towards lighter, fresh, brighter hues. There's something to be said for the muted tones of the colder months, too, though - especially for those with red hair and/or fair colouring, for whom some of the bolder, punchier hues can sometimes wash us out.

Luckily though, we can always sport such shades in the form of embellishments and accessories, much like the (beloved) vintage crimsony-maroon gloves - with their darling little buttons - in this ensemble.
Happy start of April wishes, sweet friends - here's to the riot of chipper hues that will soon fill our worlds once more.