Vintage Link Love for March 2015

Oh March, what can I say about you this time around, as we reach your final day, toes teetering on the edge of April. It seemed to be one of those months that was long and stressful, where few things went as planned (including the weather - though, really, that can only ever be hoped for), and nothing happened as quickly as desired. 

Still, of course, there were perks and positives, including the official start of spring, an antiques auction that yielded a couple of small lots (the contents of which will land in my Etsy shop a little later this year), and, certainly most poignantly to me personally, the 11th anniversary of the day that Tony and I first met back in 2004, which we celebrated - coincidentally - on the very first day of spring: March 20th (if that isn't an auspicious start to the season, I don't know what was!).

I think that March very represented the end of winter and the rebirth of a new season, beyond the fact that it literally is as much. By that I mean, it had some strong parting words, a trying labour, and plenty of early growing pains to contend with - all backed by a near constant slate grey sky and plethora of raindrops. Yet, lest you think I'm bemoaning March, even with the massive headache that was suddenly having to do my business taxes at the speed of light, I'm not.

There were subtle signs of the new season, no snow (here in Penticton) all month, a gradual hibernation of certain winter garments, the very first new produce of spring in our local markets, and - gloriously - the return of local garage sales, all of which conspired to ensure that my mood stayed chipper and my hopes high.

In the midst of this long, busy month, as always I was cheered further, as well as inspired, entertained, and informed by many of my fellow bloggers and today I'm pleased as springtime punch to bring you another edition of Vintage Link Love, complete with twelve exciting stories that I hope will help wrap up this month on an extra enjoyable note for all of us.






♥ How to pose for photos for blogs: Unless you're a natural born model (and even then!) few amongst us nail posing for photos right out of the gate of even after years of experience. This thorough, image filled, marvelous post from CiCi will help you navigate these choppy waters and provide scores of smart, practical to try ideas for looking more natural and at ease in your blog photos.


♥ A guide to making a vintage style whimsy: Have you ever seen those charming 1950s/1960s all (or nearly all) net "hats" and wondered what they were called and what their history was? They're called whimsies and my good friend - and mind-blowingly talented milliner - Tanith Rowan is on a mission to educate and inspire all of us about whimsies through a series of posts and a campaign to bring them back, including this great entry that will show you how to make your very own whimsy.


♥ Vintage images of 1940s Canadian war brides: Fellow Canadian vintage loving lady Liz never fails to deliver when it comes to penning fantastic history filled posts and one her latest, a look Canadian war brides (English women who married Canadian soldiers and returned with them to live in Canada following WW2) is a touching, important reminder of this slice of our country's - and UK's - past.




♥ A Shock of Schiaparelli: The Surreal Provocateur Who Forever Altered Fashion: Whether you're a fan of her designs or not, there's no denying the Elsa Schiaparelli knew how to shock, awe, and delight her legions of fans around the world. A fierce rival of Chanel's, Schiaparelli was bold, creative, and never one to shy away from an OTT look, all points that are touched on in this engrossing look from Collector's Weekly at the designer and her work.


♥ What it's really like to be a full-time fashion blogger: I love, and found myself frequently, zealously nodding in an agreement with many of the points this terrific post from Catherine Summers of the great fashion blog Not Dressed as a Lamb, which delves into some of the down-to-earth realities that full-time/professional fashion bloggers often encounter.


♥ 10 style lessons from Marilyn Monroe: Arguably more iconic than any other woman of the 1950s, if not the entire 20th century, Marilyn Monroe's had a look that - especially once she started to to really hit it big professionally - was calculated, chic, and gorgeous. So much so, that many folks still turn to it for serious style inspiration to this day. Brittany's wonderfully fun post will help guide you through 10 important style lessons that will help you nail MM-esque signature style to a tee.




♥ A Cool Trick To Hull Strawberries: I love, love, love strawberries and eat them in copious quantities all year round, but especially when they're in season during the spring and summer. Bethany from the The Glamorous Housewife is a huge fan too and recently shared this delightfully easy how-to that will enable you to haul them in a flash with a basic item that we almost all have on hand at anytime.


♥ 5 typography tips for bloggers: I'm a huge believer in continually looking for ways to better and/or jazz up your blog and the use of a good font or combination of fonts - be it for your design, your posts, social media graphics, you name it! - is one often overlooked way to do just that, as this great post from The Boyer Family Singers highlights.


♥ Young, black, and Victorian: Wonderful photographs of Victorian women of colour: Discovered via my dear friend Jessica's awesome blog, Zella Maybe, this roundup of antique photos of women of colour - many of whom, sadly, have had their names lost to history - is too inspiring, beautiful, and important not to spend some time visiting.




♥ How to make a 130s style handkerchief style halter top: With the warmer half of the year starting to slowly shift into gear again, this excellent tutorial from The Dreamstress blog that guides you through the steps involved with making a 1930s style handkerchief halter top couldn't be more seasonally appropriate.


♥ How Did Edwardian Ladies Become Frivolous Flappers In Just 1 Decade?: Mary from We Heart Vintage delves into this fascinating topic and examines some of the many (many!) reasons how and why the old guard, so to speak, of the Victorian and Edwardian eras gave way to the modernity of the 1920s and the more liberated women, such as those who identified as flappers, that we now associate with this decade.


♥ A Guide To All Things Lipstick: Natalie has knocked it out of the ballpark again with another thorough, image filled, in-depth look at an engaging topic that most of us are bound to enjoy: the ins and outs, history, and appeal of lipstick throughout the decades.

{All images throughout the list of links above come by way of the post that they are displayed directly beneath the write up of here. Please follow the links provided to learn more about these images.}

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April is up next and with it comes plenty of reasons to smile! Soon, I hope, we'll have warm, sublimely sun-kissed weather again and that alone is enough to have us all floating on cloud nine. It also houses Easter and my mom's birthday (in just two days!), as well as plenty of seasonal fun and fashions that can't get here quickly enough for me.

On the blogging front, there's oodles that I'm looking forward to as well, next month, including a post about my signature (wardrobe) colour, Chronically Vintage's sixth blogging anniversary, and an exciting giveaway from The Best Vintage Clothing right near the end of the month that I'm sure will appeal to scores of you.

Here's to the first full month of spring and all the loveliness and promises of warmer days, lighter fashions, and fabulous foods that it houses!