Clothing and handbags launch in my Etsy shop + a special coupon code discount

When this year kicked off, some eight months ago now (hard to believe, I know!), I wrote a post detailing many of the different things that I planned to do in 2014. Two-thirds of the way through the year, I can very happily and confidentially say that I've made progress on every front, very much including the sixth entry on the list: trying new things and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone.

One of the biggest happened just a few days ago, when I launched my YouTube channel and started sharing videos with all of you there (the feedback for which has been incredibly supportive and I really, sincerely want to thank everyone who has left me a comment or sent me an email about it - you guys have had some fabulous ideas for posts as well, which I also hugely appreciate!), and earlier this year, in May, another major new happening was when when my Etsy vintage shop opened its doors.

Now, nearly three months since that happened, I'm flat out giddy with excitement to share with you that, on top of vintage jewelry, hats, gloves, accessories, compacts, and ephemera, Chronically Vintage is now stocking vintage clothing, stockings, and handbags as well (and shoes will be following very, very soon, too!). Below are four of the garments and four of the handbags that are on the virtual shelves there as we speak!



From top left to bottom right: 1960s ladies plaid cotton blazer | Circa 1960s pink plus size dress with matching scarf | 1940s sheer ivory and gold tie neck blouse | 1950s green wool floral print wiggle dress





From top left to bottom right: Vintage black velvet 1940s/1950s box purse | Vintage black and gold metallic thread brocade purse | 1940s black crochet handbag | 1950s brown marble swirl lucite handbag



There isn't a time in my life, no joke, when I can't remember wanting to sell vintage items, especially clothing and accessories, so I'm over-the-moon elated that fashions have joined the team, so to speak, in the shop as well.

To celebrate this fact, I'm offering all my readers a special coupon code that will save you 15% off everything in my shop for the five days (today until the night of Friday August 8th). There's no minimum order and you apply this coupon code to absolutely anything you purchase from me between today and the 8th.

Use coupon code Fashionlaunch15 at checkout

to save 15% on everything in store!

The vintage fashions and handbags I’m selling have all been sourced from around my province of British Columbia are just some of the many I'll be continuing to list in the coming weeks and from here on out.

One point I want to mention is that I vow stock as wide a range of different sized clothing as possible. If, like most people, you have a waist size bigger the 23 inches, you're in luck, because my shop has, and will always have, a range of different sizes, from XS to plus size and everything in between. We, as the gorgeous ladies we are, come in all manner of shapes and sizes and it's deeply important to me that I provide fashions that as many people as possible can avail of and enjoy wearing.

A quick second point that I'd like to slip into this post, and this applies to everything in my shop, not just clothing, is that I offer super low combined shipping on order where two or more items are purchased at the same time. I can't do anything about the base postal rate, I'm afraid, as that's what Canada Post charges (I don't make a profit on my shipping at all), but I can offer you super low rates on each additional item you add to your order from me to give you the most bang for your shipping dollar buck.

Happy shopping and thank you, everyone, as always for sharing in all of the exciting beginnings I've been experiencing this year - very much including the launch of clothing and handbags in my Etsy shop. Here's to plenty more super cool firsts still to come in 2014 and beyond!

Gearing up for the Peachfest Square Dance Festival with 25 great vintage square dance photos

The Okanagan Valley, very much including Penticton, is renowned the world over for it's longstanding history of growing some of the most scrumptious fruit, particularly stone fruit, you could ever hope to sink your teeth into. Perhaps no other fruit crop from this area is better known than the tremendously tasty peaches that can be found in abundance all through the area, in orchards and residents' backyards alike.

In fact, it was the widespread growth of peaches, and the agriculture economy that it bolstered significantly, which lead to the choice of names back in 1947 of the town's annual summer celebration called none other than the Penticton Peach Festival (or as most locals refer to it, Peach Fest). Though some of the particulars of Peach Fest have grown and changed over the years, variously elements remain the same, such as a fun parade down Main Street that includes a float with the Peach Festival Royalty and also, during the same few days, a great square dance festival.

{A picture postcard view of the Penticton Peach Festival parade making its way down Main Street, back in August 1958.}

Originally, though the two took place at, or around, the same time each August, the Penticton Square Dance Jamboree as it used to be known, was a separate event, however the two merged nine years ago and the the dancing side of things was renamed as the Peachfest Square Dance Festival (which, if you add up its time known under each of the two names, is in its 59th year now).

When I was a youngster, the Square Dance Jamboree used to be held in an outdoor sports park called King's Park that was just a few blocks over from the first house my family lived in here in Penticton and we would always, without fail, walk over and watch some of the events (the calling for which could be heard over the loudspeakers it was transmitted on all the way to our home) in the deliciously warm early evening air. None of us ever participated, though I did do my best to put together the most square dance inspired attire from my little wardrobe that I could as a young girl in the spirit of the event, but we all enjoyed the toe tapping, pulse racing, rhythmic energy of the country music and the South twang of the announcers almost poetic sounding calls.

In the spirit of this delightful annual event, I though it would be oodles of fun to share a selection of 25 terrific vintage square dancing images, spanning the 1930s on through to the 1960s, with you today (note: these images are not from past Penticton square dance festivals, they've been gathered from events, ads and other sources from around the world).

Though I've long watched this annual event, I don't profess to be an expert on it by and means and as such will make no attempts to describe these photos and illustrations (while putting together today's post, I came across this lovely, informative article on the history of square dancing which is well worth reading if you're interested in learning more on the topic). They all speak for themselves and having view this selection of charming vintage dance photos, I bet most of you will suddenly have an urge to don an especially wide pettiskirt, a gingham dress or patio set, plus a pair of sensible heels and hit the dance floor yourselves.

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

♥ ♥ ♥

In recent years, the Peachfest Square Dance Festival has shifted from its longstanding King's Park location outside to the Penticton Senior's Centre on South Main Street. Though I feel it looses a bit of its endearing summertime magic by no longer being held in the open air, it still makes for a rollickingly terrific time and is something I aim to attend at least one evening of, as a spectator, each time Peach Fest rolls around.

With that rounding the bend soon, starting as it always does on the first Wednesday after the August Civic Holiday long weekend, on the 6th to be exact (which coincidentally, just happens to be Tony's 34th birthday), I'll definitely be trying take in a night of high paced, fabulously costumed, good, old-fashioned square dancing and round dancing at the Senior's Centre (now, as when I was a youngster, sporting attire that channels the spirit of the event).

Aside from just having fun as a youngster, both at school and home, I've never done any square or round dancing, and know that such is well beyond my the scope of my health these days. That doesn't faze me at all though, as I've got the better part of a lifetime of watching it each summer under my belt and can hardly wait to do so again in a few days.

I look forward to grabbing my partner (Tony) and do-si-doing our way downtown to pull up a seat, clap along to the music, and smile up a storm as the dancers, most of whom are fabulously attired seniors, sashay across the wooden dance floor into the wee hours of the night.

Tell me what you want, what you really, really want

...to see...


On my brand new Chronically Vintage YouTube channel.


Last weekend, I'm thrilled to say, we (Tony and I) created the first two little videos. The first is a welcome clip for my About page for the blog, the second a welcome to my YouTube channel. Here they both are:









Now, while I wouldn't say I'm entirely without ideas for videos, unlike when it comes to blog posts (which I, no word of a lie, have pages upon pages of possible topics for, most of which work best in the context of a written post), I do not yet have scads of ideas for specific YouTube videos and would truly welcome your impute here.

If there's any sort of vintage, product review, lifestyle, fashion, beauty, wig wearing, thrift store shopping, etc related subject that you'd like me to explore on YouTube, please let me know in the comments here, by email, or on YouTube itself and your suggestions may very well end up in a future video.

I would wholeheartedly appreciate it if you subscribed to my channel as well, as I'm creating it, my sweet dears, as another awesome avenue through which to share my love of, and knowledge on, vintage topics with all of you. If you could post about it on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, and anywhere else you'd fancy, that would be seriously fantastic, too.


Thank you all so much!!! Here's to this very cool new venture and all the exciting Chronically Vintage YouTube activity that lies ahead!