20 Below: DIY Tennis Dresses

April 9, 2013 | 1 Commentary

I started tennis lessons last night. Oh, what fun! I’ve played tennis before but I’ve only ever taken lessons once as a child. I was happy to discover that my moves on the tennis court are decent but I’m definitely looking forward to improving my backhand as it’s beyond weak at the moment.

So it may come as no surprise that last night’s tennis lesson has provided the inspiration for today’s post. Aren’t these vintage tennis dress patterns awesome? I spent more time than I meant to browsing the pattern selection on Etsy this morning. It’s so interesting to see how the styles change over the years. The white fabric options remain pretty consistent (woohoo!).

tennis dress pattern (1968), $7

tennis dress pattern (1960s), $12.55

vintage tennis dress pattern (1975), $4

retro tennis outfit pattern (1971), $4.50

vintage tennis dress pattern (1973), $5

tennis dress pattern (1970s), $6.25

tennis dress pattern (1978), $7

Let’s face it – half the fun of tennis is the outfits. Right?

Celebration: Happy Birthday Duke!

April 4, 2013 | Leave a Reply

Duke, my oldest nephew, turns 4 today. This little guy currently is fascinated by tornadoes…

via

and dinosaurs…

via Retronaut

Random fact – Duke thinks I am going to send him a tray of meatballs. Yes – quite the imagination at 4 years old! I’m not going to be the one to tell him that I’ve never actually made meatballs and I doubt Canada Post would mail them to NYC even if I did make them. The little cutie definitely keeps me entertained!

Happy Birthday Duke!

Marketplace: Fierce Deer

July 24, 2012 | 2 Commentaries

Last weekend I attended the Home County Folk Festival here in London. There’s a festival almost every weekend here in the city but I think Home County might just be my favourite. The music is great, the crowd is relaxed, and there are always some creative vendors. This year I was most attracted to the pretty jewelry and the lace and vintage window display at Fierce Deer, a Toronto-based shop owned by Kate Swan.

pretty white lace backdrops at Fierce Deer

the Fierce Deer earring collection displayed on lace-backed vintage windows

Fierce Deer necklace charms

pretty knobs (remember this post?) hold necklaces

silver-plated necklace

a cup full of charms that are used for custom design

a creative vintage display at Fierce Deer

it’s the details – like the consistent deer theme – that make this shop so charming

Kate’s white cat – brings the shop good luck!

what I walked away with – a tiny bear on a long chain necklace – a must for my menagerie

It was great to meet Kate and to explore her charming jewelry shop. If you’d like to see more – go on and visit Fierce Deer.

Photos by Jordana.

The Friday Five: French By Design

October 14, 2011 | 2 Commentaries

I am such a big fan of Si’s blog, French By Design. If you haven’t visited it – you must! Si also runs a very successful Etsy shop and I’m happy to feature some of her latest inventory on today’s Friday Five.

vintage street sign, $41

vintage band-aid tin box, $11

oversized French enamel sign, $240

porcelain glove mold, $40

vintage Detecto scale, $95

Marketplace: Olive Manna

August 29, 2011 | 2 Commentaries

The products in Natalie Jost’s textiles and paper goods shop, Olive Manna, are so beautifully styled and photographed. What a treat it is to visit her website.

milk glass bowls, $20