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.

Book giveaway and review: A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

 It's a safe bet to say that the twentieth century decade that is on most people's lips these days in the 1920s, a fact that is spurred on largely by the latest film adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, The Great Gatsby, which recently hits theaters across the world. I've always been a Fitzgerald fan and looking forward to seeing this film asap; however the roaring twenties have been on my mind for months now, long before DiCaprio sashayed onto the big screen as Jay Gatsby.

The reason for this stems almost entirely from the fact that last year, as I mentioned in this post, Tony I finally started watching the show Boardwalk Empire, were instantly hooked, and promptly worked our way through every single episode that had been released up until that point.

There are many reasons to enjoy this show, but without a doubt one of the main ones for me has been the superb, detail oriented costuming. Unlike many shows and movies that have been set in the twenties over the years, Boardwalk Empire doesn't just focus on flapper fashions (though there are scads of those, too), but instead encompasses a wide range of clothing that women of various socioeconomic classes wore during the era.

It's refreshing to see such outfits, and to imagine what I would have been likely to have worn myself had I been alive at the time. Between the hair (including some longer, non-bobbed styles), make-up, and clothes presented on the show, a passion for the twenties was rekindled in a new way in my heart, and I've found myself more and more drawn towards the era ever since.

As such, when I was recently contacted by a lovely lady from Big Honcho Media on behalf of Harlequin Books who was curious to know if I'd like to review (and hold a giveaway for) a copy of New York Times best selling author Deanna Raybourn's latest release, A Spear of Summer Grass, which is set in the 1920s, I gladly jumped at the chance.

I tend to be much more of a non-fiction and classic lit reader, generally spending considerably less time with modern fiction than either of those two categories. As such, it was a refreshing change of pace to settle in with a hot-off-the-presses piece of contemporary fiction recently while I continued to recover from my surgery in April.

A Spear of Summer Grass tells the tale of a young woman named Delilah Drummond, who boasts both a checked past and a rather sorted present, and who finds herself fleeing her wild life in Paris, when a particular scandal (involving her recently deceased husband) begins taking up too much space in the gossip columns.

Leaving Europe and nearly everyone she knows (save for her cousin, Dodo) behind, Delilah embarks to Kenya, where she takes up residence in one of her ex-stepfather's (Delilah's mother doesn't exactly have a spotless record in the romance department herself) homes, which is called Fairlight. Gradually she finds herself falling for both the exotic landscape and a chap named Ryder White who acts as her guide in this foreign, exciting, beautiful - and at times dangerous - landscape.

Drama, seductive romance, intrigue and life lessons a plenty unfold for Delilah as her stay in Kenya continues, while Raybourn takes the reader on their own journey through this corner of the the Dark Continent, painting a vivid, engaging picture of a time and place that both seem wildly distant and close enough to reach out and touch. The plot, centered as it may be in the 1920s, could just as easily have taken place twenty, forty, or even some ninety years later, in the present day world, a trait which I didn't find off-putting in the slightest to the context of this tale.

The storyline moves along fluidly and enjoyably, and one finds themselves empathizing to a certain degree with each twist and plot turn that comes Ms. Drummond's way (some of which are, undoubtedly more than a little self-inflicted), as well how she often tries to make the best of the less than stellar situation she finds herself amply thrust into at Fairlight, where life is rarely a bed of African violets for her.

Delilah, like most memorable literary characters is rather far from perfect, but one finds in her a a certain reliability and the desire to see life ultimately work out for this enigmatic, troubled, adventurous young woman before the final chapter comes to a close.

This is the first book by Deanna Raybourn (who is well known for her Lady Julie Grey series) that I've ever read, and overall I quite enjoyed it. Raybourn shines as a writer when it comes to the lyrical, captivating way she describes the landscape of Kenya, and it was this element of the story that I found myself most enjoying as the book progressed. A Blade of Summer Grass was what I'd consider to be a light, enjoyable, easy read. The 1920s timeframe and African backdrop worked well together, and created an imaginary setting that one could easily picture themselves in, perhaps under different circumstances, too.

If, like me, you're in a 1920s mood these days or simply enjoy a good historical fiction read, then I've got great news for you, because this week we're giving away two paperback copies of A Spear of Summer Grass.

One copy will go to a reader in either Canada or America, and will be shipped out from the publisher. The other is up for grabs by one lucky reader from anywhere else in the whole wide world and will be sent to you from me directly (the books themselves that each reader will receive are identical, it's just that the only way I could open this giveaway up to readers around the world was to mail out that copy myself).

You can earn as many as six separate entries in this giveaway, by doing any (or all) of the following things.

1. Leave a comment in which you tell me one or more reasons, of any kind, why you like the 1920s.

2. Like Chronically Vintage on Facebook.

3. Post about this giveaway on Facebook, providing a link back to your post in your comment here.

4. Follow Chronically Vintage on Twitter.

5. Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, including a link back to this post in your tweet.

6. Write about this giveaway on your own site, including a link back to this post. Once you've done so, be sure to come back and leave a comment letting me know about your post.

Please make sure to leave a separate comment specifying each of the ways in which you entered this giveaway, so as to increase your odds of winning. 

This giveaway will run until 11:59 PST on Sunday May 26, 2013, and will, as detailed above, have two winners - one from either Canada or America, and one from any other country in the world. Both winners will be drawn using a random number generator and will be announced in a blog post here within 48 hours of the giveaway concluding.

I found Deanna Raybourn's latest offering to be precisely the kind of book that be perfect for a day of leisurely reading on the beach (where no doubt the sand beneath your toes would only help add further dimension to the author’s beautiful descriptions of Kenya) or anytime you're in the mood for a the kind of face paced, easy-to-get-through story that is packed with the promise of romance, excitement, and early twentieth century life.

Thank you very much in advance to all those who enter this giveaway for a chance to win your own copy of A Spear of Summer Grass. Best of luck to everyone!

Saturday Snapshots: May 18, 2013

{A range of expressions registers across the faces of these four lovely young women - identified as the Mishanec sisters -as they pose for an outdoor photo in 1937.}

{Paper moon fun abounds in this cute shot of three 1940s youngsters.}

{A well dressed middle aged couple from 1959. I adore her whisper pale lavender hued dress and complimentary purple corsage.}




{Studio (or perhaps school) portrait loveliness from the days of 1947. What a beautiful smile and twinkling eyes this young lass had.}




{1950s playsuit stylishness snapped at Wood Island Park, East Boston, Massachusetts. The woman in the photo is identified as "Dot", a name which I think suits her well.}




{It's shades of Sunday blue finery for this quartet of girls from 1949 (you've got to love the saddle shoes partnered with a fancy dress on the gal at the far right).}

{Could the 1940s lady on the right's look get any cooler? I rather think not.}

{A lovely young bride and (first lieutenant) groom on their wedding day at West Point Military Academy, 1952.}




{Fantastic patio/squaw dress style abounds in this charming 1956 snapshot of a woman posing in bedroom near an Oregon State pennant and a number of photos.}




{A cheerful looking, sharply dressed 1940s couple enjoying an afternoon at the seaside. Her whole outfit (hair flowers and headkerchief very much included) is elegantly lovely.}


{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}

♥ ♥ ♥


The concept of living in the moment is by no means a new one. It may have had its days in the limelight over the past few decades (especially during the peace-and-love 60s and the do-as-you-please 80s), but long before Thoreau said the beautiful words in today's quote, humans have oven striven to embrace, capture, and enjoy the essence of the moment that they were existing in as it transpired.

It is natural, human and completely normal to hope, dream and plan the future. However, it can become far too easy to build such a detailed pictured of what lies ahead, that you almost forget to stop and appreciate the majestic quality of the here and now.

Earlier this spring I began to think a lot about something that, while by no means a new realization for me, reminders of which kept being thrown my way. I say the following as matter-of-factly as though I were telling you the date or what colour the grass is. I do not see myself as a victim of these circumstances, merely a product of elements far beyond my control.

Due to the extremely unpredictable nature of battling multiple severe chronic illnesses, it is often very challenging for me to make plans ahead of time. To be more accurate, it's easy enough to make said plans, what is difficult is feeling well enough when the time comes to follow through with them. I could craft the most detailed travel itinerary in the world, plan a huge and elaborate party, promise to attend any event you could dream of, but the simple fact is that, until the moment of the particular going-on arose, I would almost no way of knowing if I'd feel well enough to be present.

Yes, sometimes, in the very immediate short-term I can try to predict, for example, how I might feel on an upcoming Sunday, based on how I'm doing health wise two days before hand, and there are various lifestyle and diet elements I can steer in certain directions to try and help my health as best as possible, but ultimately, there is really nothing I can do to guarantee I'll be able to attend any of the plans I make in advance.

There are, as I'm sure you can imagine, pros and cons to living a life like this day in and day out (my world has been this way for nearly eleven years now). On the one hand, it can be hard to constantly have to tell people "We'll see" or "I really hope I can make it" when invited out (and of course then there's the scenario in which, after a while, understandably enough, some folks just stop inviting you out at all, knowing how often you've not been able to attend their events), as well as to know that plans I make myself are, at best, lightly penciled in, ready to be erased at any moment by my health.

I would love beyond words to buy a concert ticket for, say, four months from now and know that I'll be able to plunk myself down in my seat come that night, but it would not be financially wise to do so because past experiences have taught me (many a time) that such will rarely actually be the case. I'd give my favourite vintage dress to promise a friend I'll be there at her birthday party, know I will be seated around the Christmas dinner table at my parents house, assure my husband we'll go out on our wedding anniversary night. But, if I'm being honest with myself and with those around me, I cannot, and at this point in my life, I've made about as much peace with this fact as I think one ever realistically can.

The flip side to living this kind of day-to-day existence is that it truly helps you to exist in the moment. To cherish the good times so incredibly much, those days when I wake up and feel well enough to leave the house, to don my vintage finery, to visit with loved ones, and to experience plans made, far more often than not, completely on the fly.

I have become far quite spontaneous (relatively speaking!), and by the same token, I never forget to stop and smell the roses. To savour the caress of a warm summer's breeze on my bare arms in the summer, the symphony of crunches under foot as I walk through a field of fallen autumn leaves, or the sound of rain pouncing on the car as we take a rare and wonderful springtime Sunday drive.

Mapping out my tomorrows would have its perks for sure, but being given the gift of today when you're chronically ill, is, quite frankly, immeasurably incredible in and of itself. I have learned, as Thoreau so wisely said, to find my eternity in each moment, and I could not ask for a richer life than that.