25 Vintage Deals Under $100 for April 2015

Five full years ago to the day, in one of the earliest editions of my Vintage Fashionista Friday post series, I dedicated a post to the fact that it was my dear mother’s birthday and selected pieces that reminded me of her elegant, classic style.

When thinking of a theme for this month's edition of 25 Vintage Deals Under $100, as I was planning it for April 2nd, it hit me that opting for items that related to my mom would be a really fun idea to go with. My mother adores history, but she isn't a vintage wearer or collector, so coming at things from that angle wouldn't have worked very well. I toyed with a few ideas and then it struck me, I'll shine the spotlight on 25 delightful vintage items that include (or are entirely comprised of) her very favourite colour in the whole wide world: purple!!!

As this is also one of the most perfect choices for springtime fashion, it makes all the more since to roundup a hefty handful of violet, lavender, plum, raisin, lilac, and other purple hued old school items that I suspect my mom would adore and that I hope you'll all delight in seeing, and possibly purchasing, too.

1. You would be hard pressed to find a more elegantly lovely, springtime perfect antique brooch than this turn of the beautiful, good sized, gold gilt edged and hand painted turn of the century stunner that is in terrific shape for its antique age and which is truly an instant heirloom piece. $40.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



2. If it wasn't for the fact that many of the tones in the light to mid-purple range of the purple spectrum can be tricky for my colouring to pull off in large volumes, I would have snapped up this reasonably priced, wonderful vintage 1950s patio/square dance set in a heartbeat. It's as pretty as the first lilac blooms of spring and the most dazzling lavender tinged sunsets of summer. Fits up to a 38" bust/29" waist. $65.00 from 58 Petticoats.



3. This 1940s long sleeved pastel purple blouse is so pretty and versatile! Wear it as stand alone piece now and layered under suits, vests, sweaters, cardigans, and jumper/pinafore dresses in the chillier months. Fits up to a 38" bust/36" waist. $39.00 from My Vintage Crush.



4. Tell me this sweet vintage Napco morning glory birthday girl figurine isn't spectacular From her flower trimmed dress to her sassy expression she's a kitschy, delightful charmer. $24.50 from Bichen Vintage.



5. When we think of leaf motif jewelry, autumn tones are often the first, completely understandably, that pop to mind, but as this delightfully pretty, splendidly fun 1950s thermoset necklace in a trio of attractive purple tones proves, leaves can look amazing for spring and summer, too! $26.00 from  Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



6. How fun and chic is this lovely 1950s hat with its swirling, candy cane-esque trim? This would make for a fantastic Easter or Mother's Day hat, while also partnering wonderfully with vintage suits and scores of other outfits. $30.00 from Midcentury One.



7. This one is for all of my talented sewing readers out there: a deadstock Dorothy B Lens sew-it-yourself kit complete with all of the original pieces needed to make a plum hued pencil skirt, dating from 1959. $20.00 from Kenton Collectibles.



8. How terrifically cool are these adorable 1950s - 60s era barrettes designed specifically for the well dressed dog? (Though they could certainly be worn by those who walk upright, too! :)) On sale at the time of writing for $14.40 (normally$18.00) from  Ms. Tips.



9. Cute, versatile, and super well suited to warmer half of the year that we're starting to embrace once again, this fun vintage purple, green and white novelty print wrap skirt is just the thing for a day at the beach, farmer's market, or sightseeing adventure. Fits between a 25" - 30" waist. $58.07 from Vera Mode.



10. Ooohh, how this gorgeous 1940s dark, inky purple velvet handbag makes my heart skip a beat! It's classic, alluring, and sure to garner scores of compliments thanks to its unexpected shade of midnight plum. $24.50 from Picking Pittsburgh.



11. Whether you can read French or not, you're bound to swoon over this classically gorgeous set of vintage French small paperback books that are more than lovely enough to use as decor pieces or give as gifts. $16.78 for five books from French KlimBim.




12. I absolutely adore big vintage square shaped scarves like this fun zigzag and floral print c. 1960s charmer! Not only do they look fabulous worn in various ways around the neck, but they're arguably the handiest style to use for 1940s "Rosie" inspired headscarf looks, as well as for wrapping over pin curls and rollers of all kinds at night or while doing housework/running errands. $17.50 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



13. Grapes are one of the first things that we generally associate with purple, so it's only fitting to add at least one old school grape themed item to your home or wardrobe. I love the design and classic colour palette of this charming vintage crochet doily. It would look so smile-inducingly pretty beneath your favourite bottle of vino! $8.00 from Misstiques.



14. I am seriously smitten with this enchantingly lovely 1950s embroidered purple flower short sleeve blouse. I can practically feel the comforting warm summer breeze blowing through its fabric as I look it. Swoon! Fits up to a 36" bust. $46.00 from 1919 Vintage.



15. Set an especially pretty springtime table with this great vintage deadstock linen set comprised of a lavender hued tablecloth and four floral print napkins, all of which are still in their original box. $26.00 from Revival Vintage ATX.



16. I am an absolutely massive fan of vintage Canadiana, so when I saw this fabulously cute 1940s souvenir pillow from Saskatchewan, I couldn't help but beam a megawatt smile and include it in today's purple themed post. $38.00 from Blackbird Antiques NC.




17. This serene, beautiful shade of reddish violet is amongst my favourite purple hues ever. I adore how sophisticated it looks in this big handmade raw silk scarf that can easily be worn as a belt, shawl, or head wrap, too, and which comes complete with a matching a matching belt to boot! $27.97 from Contrapunt.



18. Given that grapes are the most famous purple fruit (though plums, blackberries and a few others are certainly of note, too), I couldn't help but include a second vintage item featuring this scrumptious gift from Mother Nature. From classic, beloved ceramic collectibles brand Lefton comes this sophisticated c. 1950s purple grape wall pocket. $20.00 from Moonstruck Cottage.



19. Purple vintage shoes are something I've been trying to track down for years now in my size and price range. No luck yet, but should you happen to wear a size 7 and like pointy toed heels, than these fantastic 1950s/60s slubbed linen beauties are for you! $55.00 from Hot Rod Girl Vintage.



20. If you're a fan of purple in supporting roles than this fantastic Edwardian antique brass and glass bead skeleton key brooch is for you. Nestled between two emerald toned beads resides a single gorgeous amethyst hued one that plays off of the green and brass hues sublimely, while also helping to make for one head-turningly marvelous early 20th century novelty pin. $32.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



21. The colours - tranquil, yet sweepingly vivacious at the same time - at work in this great 1950s short sleeve floral print dress are nothing short of breathtaking beautiful! Fits up to a 27" waist (see listing for more sizing details). $52.90 from Mama Loves You Vintage.



22. How moo-valously kitschy-cute are these fun purple and white cow shaped c. 1940s salt and pepper shakers? They'd be just the thing to use on the table for your next barbeque, birthday bash, or tea party. $14.00 from Victorian to Vintage.



23. Maybe I'm a touch biased because my own current glasses are a plumy-burgundy hue, but I absolutely adore vintage purple frames like this classic, beautiful 1960s eggplant hued beauties. They’re a quasi-neutral that will go with a surprising number of outfits, hair colours and make-up looks (trust me, I speak from experience). $45.84 from Vera Mode.



24. Rich, regal, wonderful shades or red, pink and purple swirl though the candy-like round glass beads in this marvelous 1950s - 1960s necklace, which I can't help but think would look stunning with both crisp white and blue denim all spring and summer long. $25.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



25. Naturally I had to wrap up this post, spurred into creation by today's date and my mom's favourite colour, with a vintage item that paid homage to both things. Enter this wonderfully lovely 1950s scalloped edge "Happy Birthday" handkerchief. $10.00 from Our Vintage Favourites.

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After the long, often stressful month that was March, I'm thrilled that we can kick off April with something as gleeful and exciting as not just a birthday, but that of my beloved mother. She always says not to make a fuss about her b-day, but we – her nearest and dearest - don't listen very well there usually and love going all out to celebrate a day that means to very much to our family and the life of such a beautiful, caring, inspiring woman.

There's lots in the cards for today, so as dawn breaks across a damp early springtime sky, I'll wrap up here for now, and get ready to help make my mom's birthday every bit as special as she is!

25 Vintage Deals Under $100 for January 2015

Earlier this month, on January 15th to be precise, our American bullador dog, Annie (pictured below), turned two, and come the middle of March, we will have had her for full two years already as well. Oh, how time flies! Though she is still very much a youthful puppy in many respects, she has come a long way since those early days for sure and both Tony and I see her maturing and continuing to be a better behaved dog with each passing month.

{Annie in all her dog park loving glory and adorableness!}

Annie is sweet, smart as the day is long, endlessly energetic (she could wear the Energizer Battery bunny out no problem!), and absolutely gorgeous. I have no doubt that if dogs shopped for clothing, she was would be a total fashionista and were she a human, she's turn heads wherever she went. In fact, she does so now already in canine form.

Speaking of heads, I'd been scratching my own regarding what topic to place at the heart of this month's fun edition of 25 Vintage Deals Under $100 when it struck me that I could use Annie herself, in celebration of her second birthday, as inspiration and thus I decided to devote today's post to twenty-five delight dog related vintage and vintage appropriate items that are sure to have even the most ardent of cat people amongst us smiling! :)

1. Looking a bit like a Dalmatian thanks to the spots and somewhat like a hound with the face and body shape, this immensely cute dimensional 1980s does 1950s silver tone and black enamel dog brooch is bursting with cuteness and is such a versatile novelty brooch (colour and theme wise) for all kinds of old school and contemporary ensembles. $12.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



2. As with many of the items in today's canine centered post, it was all I could do not to squeal when I spotted this uber adorable, kitschy, and very practical upcycled (its base is a mid-century ceramic planter) dog pin cushion. $28.00 from Nevermore Vintage.



3. Whether you're a sewer, a knitter, a paper crafter, or a collector of vintage buttons, these precious little red and white 1940s celluloid Scottie dog buttons are sure to make you swoon and your next project something that's really worth barking about it! :) $12.75 for five buttons from Vintage Polka Dot.Com.



4. Match holders were a once commonplace home decor piece that have no all but gone the way of the dinosaur (due to people both using less candles to light their homes and also fewer folks smoking), save for those who purposefully collect them. I'd love to add one to my own home decor some day, to be used either as intended or for bobby pins in my powder room (they also make for handy toothpick containers). This charming circa 1930s carved wooden German made dog match holder is just the sort I'll be looking for when I do finally purchase one myself. This item is on sale at the time of writing for $38.53 from Townshends Emporium.



5. I absolutely adore vintage Napco figurines and have a few peppered around our bookshelves. I don't yet have one of these over-the-moon adorable parasol holding ladies with her two darling little white poodles though. If you're also keen on this style of 1950s figurines, then you'll want to snap up this darling Napco figure with her two sweet pets asap because they don’t tend to stick around for long. $25.00 from Diana Dwain Vintage.



6. Delight the youngest dog lovers in your family with this immensely charming 1940s set of children's sized napkins and a matching tablecloth, which of course us grownup puppy fans can certainly avail of as well (how cute would one of these be under a vintage glass jar filled with dog treats?). $16.50 for all five pieces from 42nd Avenue Vintage.



7. Using it to corral books pertaining to dogs is entirely up to you, but whatever you store between these two beautiful 1940s carved wooden spaniel bookends, your bookshelf will be sure to take best in show! $20.00 for the pair from Ginger Cat Design (who also has a very similar wooden spaniel pair of bookends available for sale right now, too).



8. This fun, super kitschy vintage black chalkware poodle with lovely silver sparkles is perfect for the living room, bedroom, kitchen, powder room - any room in the house. There's never a place (save for a kitty condo perhaps :D) where a great vintage chalkware dog like this doesn't make for a welcome addition. $15.00 from Urban Recycle.



9. Serve up some seriously charming mid-century puppy style with this great set of seven vintage drink coasters each depicting a different image. $10.00 for the set from Vintage Tab.



10. With it's super darling button hole adorned sailor's collar and endlessly cute fluffy dog print, this charming 1950s/early 60s sleeveless dress is just the thing to wear out and about in the warmer months when taking your favourite pooch for a stroll. This dress is an XXS or XS and fits up to a 30 inch bust and 29 inch waist (the hips are free). $56.00 from Chronically Vintage on Etsy.



11. You'd be hard pressed to find a more iconically 1950s handkerchief than this chic cotton square depicting both a grey and a black poodle. $14.00 from Geneva Vintage.



12. Two cheerful dogs (which, I admit, do look a bit like lambs as well) leap about on this immensely sweet little pair of 1950s children's gloves that would also make for a fun decor piece in child’s room as well. $16.00 from Kitschy Vintage.



13. Two wise eyes peer out at you from the husky (or wolf) on this fantastic mid-century knit Cowachin sweater and are sure to leave an impression all who happen to walk behind you while you're sporting it. Bust measures 41 inches/waist 40 inches. $50.00 from The Arbor Vitae.



14. From towels to clothing, hankies to placemats, there's no limit to the number of spots you could use these darling vintage day-of-the-week transfer patterns on! $6.99 from Hey Chica.



15. I'm not the first to make this point, but it warrants saying often because it's so true: vintage aprons are often an incredible way to get a big hit of mid-century novelty print fabric without the price tag of a dress or skirt. This endlessly cute vintage spaniel pup covered half apron is no exception there and would look marvelous layered over all kinds of 1950s ensembles. $15.60 from Cake Box Vintage.



16. Take one look at this sophisticated, strikingly beautiful 1950s beaded black poodle purse and tell me you don't love it something fierce! (Total vintage wishlist item right here!) $65.00 from Hook Snap Honey.



17. A dignified spaniel gazes out at you from this elegantly lovely vintage portrait cameo brooch and would be just the thing to adorn a suit, blouse, dress of even hat with. $12.00 from Nevermore Vintage.



18. Lovely pale grey and sweet, feminine pink combine with black and white in this classic 1950s felt circle skirt that depicts a poodle leashed to a lamppost. What a darling, classic slice of mid-century youth culture style! Fits up to a 26" waist. $23.00 from Found By Me Vintage.



19. I make no secret of the fact that I madly adore stuffed animals/plushies, so when you combine that with my love of dogs, you can imagine how saucer-like my eyes got when I spotted this endlessly cute mid-century vintage plush bulldog toy. $30.00 from Mod Pets.

20. Dogs have been a popular theme for Valentine's cards for nearly as long as they've been mass produced and some of the most darling on that front were created during the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, such as this smile-inducingly fun circa 1930s die cut gem. $7.49 from Grey Mountain Vintage.

21.Three stately Boxer dogs - mom and her two pups - are leashed together in this classic, wonderfully lovely vintage Lipper and Mann brand figurine set. I adore vintage leashed/chained animal sets like this and have a few in my own vintage decor collection. This great Boxer dog trio is $25.00 from The Bluest Sky.

22. I dare you to look at these vintage bulldog salt and pepper shakers, with their rather comical expressions, and not crack a smile! :) $14.00 for the pair from Lobster Bisque Vintage.

23. Believe it or not, I've never plaid bridge, but is is a game that I'd be happy to learn is anyone ever wants to teach me. If I was planning to that in the near future, I'd be very tempted to order this charming complete set of bridge cards from 1939 that feature not one, but two, playful dogs depicted on their backs. $12.00 from Bump Marie.

24.From that subtly untrusting expression to its lengthy tail, this wonderfully fun 1950s ceramic and metal coil letter holder is such a kitschy hoot! I'd be tempted to use it for storing napkins in, too. $12.00 from Mrs. Petunia.

25. And last, but certainly not least, in today's delightfully dog centered post, is this instant collection of mid-century vintage miniature dog figurines. Amongst the 15 here, you'll find ones that are bisque, ceramic, porcelain and metal. If you have a shelf or other corner of your room that could use a charming hit of canine whimsy, than this very well priced collection is just the ticket. $29.95 (for all the figurines shown) from SMN Antiques (who, at the time of writing, also has other similar vintage dog figurine lots available).

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Dogs have been an immensely popular motif and theme in fashion and accessories for many, many years now, with certain breeds such as poodles, Scotties, and Dalmatians being of particular interest (both as pets and as fashion muses) during the mid-twentieth century.

Interestingly, I've seen (and sold) poodle jewelry from the Victoria era and its highly possible that pieces featuring this beloved curly haired pup stretch further back in time still. Certainly dog themed accessories in general date back for millennia with examples being found amongst numerous ancient cultures, such as the Egyptians and Romans.

I've always been a dog (and animal in general) lover and really enjoy looking for charming vintage items of a puppy themed nature for my wardrobe and home alike ("chained" figurine sets from the 1950s are a particular favourite of mine). They can be fun, adorable, chic, artsy, elegant and many other positive things, much like our four legged canine companions themselves.

Join me then, won't you, in the spirit of pups we've known and loved (be they personal pets or simply favourite animals), currently own, or may be dreaming of brining into our lives one day and sport a delightful dog print or accessory this month in celebration of Annie's birthday. Not only will doing so be as cute as a button, but it's a great way to teach your old winter wardrobe some stylish new tricks! :)