Paradoxical though it may seem, this month was at once both incredibly long and immensely quick at the same time. A jam packed, nearly non-stop schedule of events (the biggest positive highlights of which were my mom's birthday, Easter, and a one day local classic car swap meet in the middle of the month at which I set up a good sized stall and peddled some of my vintage wares), along with some major points of stress, such as my grandma's breast cancer surgery (for which I cannot begin to thank all of you who sent caring words and prayers my family's way deeply enough for), worked to create an April that was a strange mix of highs and lows.
My dear friend Cherry from the blog She Knits in Purls recently pointed out that despite all of the newness, rebirth and beauty of spring, it can often be a trying season for many and I think she's spot on. The moment I read her words to that extent, I was struck, almost overwhelmingly, by how many challenging springs I've had in my life. In fact, I'd almost go so far as to say that if I made a pie chart of all the seasons and assigned slices to those that have been the most difficult over the years, spring would get the biggest piece by far.
I'm not bemoaning this season though, not in the slightest. Nor am I feeling sorry for myself (that's something I try never, ever to do - it serves zero purpose!), I just like to look at things objectively and I really do think that Cherry nailed it when she said that spring can be a hard time of the year in some ways, despite its gloriously pretty appearance. Proof positive that one can never judge a book, or a season, by its cover.
Fortunately, my grandma is slowly starting down the path to recovery following her recent cancer surgery (though it is far too soon to assess her long term prognosis), our schedule has slowed down a little in May, and despite all the ups and downs of this month, my health didn't take a massive nosedive, as it frequently would have in these circumstances (yippee!). For the most part actually, I'm not sure what's on the agenda for May, save for a couple of exciting events and the Victoria Day long weekend, which serves me just fine.
I've got oodles of new items - from mid-century scarves to Victorian greeting cards, tons of vintage jewelry and some great new (old) clothes - to photograph and add to my Etsy shop's ever-expanding inventory (which saw over 120 new additions in April), and I know that will be keeping me on my toes big time in May.
Before then though, whether your April was hard as nails or as easygoing as a lamb frolicking in a green meadow, let's all take a well deserved breather, sit back for a few minutes and delve into a selection of some of the most engaging, enjoyable, and inspiring online stories and posts I've encountered throughout April in this month's new edition of Vintage Link Love.
♥ 11 Things Women Who Wear Vintage Clothing Might Be Tired Of Hearing: Oh, how I was smiling and nodding my way through this recent Bustle post, as I'm sure you're apt to as well. You might not encounter each of these eleven comments yourself, but chances are, if you wear vintage on a regular basis, you can certainly relate to the spirit behind each of them.
♥ DIY cherry print gloves: My love of vintage gloves is anything but a state secret, yet I must admit, being the sort who is very leery of altering vintage garments, I've never jazzed up any of the pairs I own. This wonderful guest entry on The Vintage Post from Va Voom Vintage's own Brittany Sherman has me seriously contemplating doing so though, as her cherry print gloves are some of the cutest "handware" I've ever seen!
♥ Be Lovely In The Audrey Hepburn Way: This Lifehack post shines the spotlight on number quotes, packed full of smart advice that we can all be served well by, from the perpetually lovely Ms. Hepburn and partners them with beautiful photographs of this most iconic of actresses.
♥ Inside the house that was trapped in time: Electric fires, retro food tins and snaps of friends lost in the war give a glimpse into lives of unmarried sisters who shared a bedroom for 27 years: A hefty title for this Daily Mail article, yes, but an accurate one that instantly pulls the reader in. Like many vintage lovers, I am always in awe of "time warp" homes, especially those from the mid-twentieth century like the one featured in this photo filled piece that helps give us a glimpse into the lives of two British sisters.
♥ Baby, it's cold outside! A brief history of winter fashion in Edmonton: If you know me, then you're likely aware of the fact that there are few things I love more than my beautiful country of Canada. Partner anything Canadian with an element of the past and I'm beyond enamored, which exactly why I adored my good friend Laurie, from the blog Retro Reporter's, terrific recent piece for the Edmonton City as a Museum Project on the history of winter fashion in her fair city (that anyone from, or who has lived in, a snowy climate will be able to relate to).
♥ The Edwardian Sartorialist: One of neatest things about having a large audience is that my lovely readers, often folks whom I've never interacted with before, will sometimes see a link that they think I'd be apt to enjoy and then email it to me. This great piece from Mashable/Retronaut recently came my way via just that manner and I really want to thank the sender again, because these awesome Edwardian street (fashion) photos from photographer Edward Linley Sambourne were to inspiring and beautiful to risk going unshared here with all of you.
♥ DIY: Retro Felt Leaf Half-Hat: Not only is the beautiful Bianca from The Closet Historian an accomplished sewer, highly knowledgeable fashion historian, talented nail artist, stylish dresser, and super lovely person, but she also rocks it out with her millinery skills, too, some of which she shares with all of us in this fantastic post that guides you how to make a 1950s style felt leaf hat yourself. Even if you've never so much as debated creating a hat from scratch before, this post will make you feel like you not only want to, but that you'd be able to pull it off swimmingly.
♥ Shopping repro: Collectif - how it fits / what to buy / when to buy: CiCi from the splendid blog CiCi Marie recently launched a new post series in which she thoroughly guides readers through the ins and outs of a particular repro/vintage inspired brand's offerings (brilliant!). This first addition shines the limelight on Collectif, a UK based company I've not yet tried myself, but which I've been swooning over for years and hope to be able to add - with a far greater degree of confidence now thanks to CiCi's post - to my closet one of these days.
♥ How to Do a Burn Test for Fiber Content: Whether you wear, collect, sew, and/or sell vintage clothing and other fabric items, chances are that at some point, you're going to encounter a piece for which you can only hazard a guess at the fabric content. Knowing what an item is really comprised of can be extremely important in terms of cleaning, caring for, wearing, and listing (if selling) it, so trying to determine the true fabric content is very helpful. This handy post from Craftsy guides you through the steps of doing so with a burn test and leave you feeling more informed and ready to determine just what that latest thrift store find or hand-me-down from great-aunt Gladys is really made of.
♥ Search for Blogging Men: Jessie Diamond from the great blog Lonely Hepcat recently delved into a topic that I've thought about before myself, but haven't really chatted about too much here over the years: how the vintage and rockabilly blogging world is predominately a female domain. Thankfully though there are some chaps in our online realm, much as there offline, too, and in this post Jessie rounds up some of her favourite rockabilly and vintage related blogging gentleman, all of whom would make great additions to your blogroll or daily feeds.
♥ Making (Vintage Style) Belts: If you've ever wanted to whip up vintage style belts to match your sewing projects or compliment an existing garment, than this fantastic how-to post from Esther is definitely for you. It's chalked full of photos and beautiful examples, along with easy to follow instructions, that are bound to leave you in the mood to whip up a whole bundle of new (old school looking) belts yourself.
♥ Four 1940s Wardrobes: From the marvelous blog The Boyer Family Singers comes this delightful post featuring an article that first appeared in a 1946 edition of Seventeen magazine. It takes readers through a look at the pieces needed to create four different wardrobes and even tells you (in 1940s dollars, which the sisters have kindly computed into 2015 dollars as well) how much they would cost today. It's a fun, lovely read for any and all vintage fashion fans!
{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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May, the fifth month of the year is arguably amongst the most beautiful. The weather is usually that perfect Goldilocks temperature of being neither too hot nor too cold, the birds are putting on a veritable opera, the world is awash with colour again, and one has the peace of mind that comes from knowing we've got ages to go (in the Western Hemisphere) before snow returns. I could happily experience May all year round, if such were possible - though, I would miss my beloved autumn a fair bit, if I did.
Here's to the hope that it proves to be a fun filled, exciting, beautiful month for all of us. I've got a lot of great things planned for the blog and shop (which hits its first birthday in a week) lined up and can hardly wait to share them with each of you.
{Enchantingly sweet May 1st vintage Mary Blare illustration via Amor de Columbina.}
And last, but certainly not least, let me wrap up this post, by wishing everyone a truly fantastic, fun filled Beltane/May Day tomorrow.
Let's all get out, enjoy the sun, forget our worries for a little while, and celebrate everything that makes spring a terrific season, no matter if it's sometimes a bit hard on us or not. The year just would not be the the same without it and that’s worth dancing around a maypole for any day of the week!
