Vintage Tropical Delights

You know what I'm craving these days besides cute stuff?  
I'm craving warmth. I'm craving a warm sandy beach that I can stick my toes into. I'm craving blue ocean and warm breezes...... And palm trees and pink drinks with little umbrellas in them.

Instead I have this!

My backyard...

Here in the north, we still have snow, ice and subzero temperatures.  
While some of you may be escaping winter with a ticket to a tropical 
beach somewhere, others like me, are probably stuck here for the rest of winter!

What to do? 
Decorate like the tropics instead!
But first let's get you in the proper mood! 
Listen to Tony Bennett while your browse through this post. 
Just imagine, you're in the Middle of an Island....





You can still experience the relaxing sway of a palm tree 
and the beachy feel of the tropics by changing up your decor.

Start with something you love.  
Is it that colorful parrot you saw on Etsy?





Vintage Parrot Planter from LittleRedHenVINTAGE


Or maybe this pillow cover!!

 
Vintage Embroidered Pillow Cover from VintageHomeStories


Now Choose a Color Palette:
Pick a color from the item you love. The parrots above both have blue in them. The Parrot Planter has a softer more muted palette , while the Parrot Pillow Cover has a bolder theme.  The beauty is that you can go as bold and bright or as light and lively as you want! Tropical is all about fun!


Choose soothing colors from the ocean and sky with it's various shades of blue.  Throw in some cream and pink from the color of sands and shells.  Shades of teal, orange, yellow, pink, purple, green from the flowers, fruits, birds and fish will liven things up.


Still need some inspiration? 
Check out some of these fabulous decorating ideas I found on Pinterest as well as some fabulous Etsy finds.

 

 

Tropical Textiles:
Vintage textiles featuring bright botanical prints and luscious green palm fronds are just the ticket to your way out of a winter whiteout! 






 Vintage Tropical Barkcloth from Etsy shop OnePreciousThing




 

Vintage Tropical Print Cloth from Etsy shop AStringorTwo

Delightful Decor:
Other tropical delights include, birds (think parrot or macaws), sea creatures like seahorses, lobsters and seashells.  Tropical fruits and flowers such as pineapples, citrus, bird of paradise, orchids and hibiscus will add some cheery color as well.  

Check out some of the wonderful vintage items below!


 
Blue Crystal Fish from Etsy shop SunshineSurprises 






 

Lobster Dish from Etsy shop AtoZCherishedVintage







 

Flower Lamps from Etsy shop RetroDaisyGirl 





 

 Vintage Seascape from Etsy shop LoganAvenueVintage 

I hope you've been inspired to add some tropic flair to your ho-hum decor. 
Nothing beats the winter blahs like some of these vintage tropical delights!

Etsy items featured are from the Vintage Vertigo Team members. 
Click on the links to find out more about them. 

At the end of this post you'll find a treasury featuring more 
Tropical Delights from the Vintage Vertigo members. 

Thanks for joining me today!

See you all again soon,

Diane 

CraveCute

Tropical Inspiration

Sick of winter? Let these tropical lovelies inspire you! V2team

1950s Pepsi Advertisement McCall's Magazine Vintage Home Decor Wall Hanging DottieDigsVintage DottieDigsVintage $7.50	RHINESTONE PENDANT BROOCH-Beach/Resort Starfish Motif-Beautiful Hot & Light Pink Faceted Crystals-Nice Pewter Tone Setting-Great Sparkle Jewel2Jewel $10.00	Vintage Florida Tray Toleware Souvenir Tole Ware SnapshotsThroughTime $15.00	Vintage metal fish necklace MrsRshop $16.00
Vintage Kingswear Ivory Ceramic Mug w/Lobster (E327) LittleRedHenVINTAGE $10.99	70's Avon Parakeet Perfume Bottle Aqua Decanter Full Fragrance Vintage Blue Green Glass Bird Tropical Island Vacation Parakeet Collectible PopcornVintageByTann $14.50	Stained glass summer brown flipflop and sunhat suncatcher makes a great gift jpcountrymarket $31.50	Adventures of a Sailor - 1932 - Adventures of Seesick and Trampo - Leo Nowak - Superman illustrator wonderdiva $12.00
Gorgeous Vintage Robin's Egg Blue Clam Shell Trinket Box Salt and Pepper S & P Shakers Napco Kitsch Coastal / epsteam ivteam tvat wlv v2team SweetPeaVignettes $15.00	Sailboat Belt Buckle, Boat Belt Buckle, Vintage Men's Belt Buckle, Women's Belt Buckle, Unisex Buckle, Ocean Scene Buckle, Unique Design TREASUREandSUCH $20.00	Young Girls at the Seaside Book Plate Print Reproduction Print of 1879 Original Oil on Canvas Painting Vintage Wall Hanging Paper Ephemera AnnesAccumulations $10.68	Vintage buoy,lobster buoy,beach decor,red,yellow ,ocean,fishing,nautical decor,float, KarensChicNShabby $124.00
Izod Sunglasses, Oversized Brown, Designer Eyewear, Iconic Preppy Style, Beach, Ski WeeLambieVintage $18.90	Art Glass Whale Ronneby Sweden FM Kontsglas Paperweight Decor Emerald Green PlumsandHoney $55.00	Vintage Tommy Bahama Women's Aqua Blue 100% Silk Camp Shirt Size XL16 Extra Large Roomy Resort Cruise Wear Urban Classic Fashion Forward seasidecollectibles $36.90	Jasper Shell Necklace Hand Carved Pendant Sea Shell Jewelry Melon Bead Necklace Earthy Jewelry Natural Stone Jewelry Beach Hand Knotted HeyThatsAwesome $24.00

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Inamorata Amusment

Nuts About Love

Driving through Southern California, I stopped at a roadside stand that sold fruit, vegetables and crafts. As I went to pay, I noticed the young woman behind the counter was painting a sign. “Why the new sign?” I asked. “My boyfriend didn’t approve of the old one,” she said. When I glanced at what hung above the counter, I understood. It declared: “Local Honey Dates Nuts”

Mr. Peanut Snack Set

from...

CraveCute

Making the Grade

My high-school English teacher was well known for being a fair, but hard, grader. One day I received a B minus on a theme paper. In hopes of bettering my grade and in the spirit of the valentine season, I sent her an extravagant heart-shaped box of chocolates with the pre-printed inscription: “BE MINE.” The following day, I received in return a valentine from the teacher. It read: “Thank you, but it’s still BE MINE-US.”

"The School Friend" Annual 1953

from...

SeaSideCollectibles

Devoted and Determined

During World War II my parents had planned a romantic Valentine’s Day wedding. Suddenly my father, then stationed at Camp Edwards in Massachusetts, received orders to prepare to ship out, and all leaves were canceled. Being a young man in love, he went AWOL. He and my mother were married four days earlier than originally planned and he returned to base to an angry sergeant. After hearing the explanation, the sergeant understandingly replied, “Okay, okay!” Then, as an afterthought: “But don’t let it happen again!”

Irving Wallace Sheet Music 1942

found at...

QuinsippiMercantile

We hope you and your's enjoyed a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Fête de la Chandeleur

On February 2 crêpes are offered in France on the holiday known as Fête de la Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or “jour des crêpes”. 

 Part 1 : HISTORY

The word crêpe is French for pancake and is derived from the Latin crispus meaning “curled”. Crêpes originated in Brittany , in the northwest region of France,. Crêpes were originally called galettes, meaning flat cakes. 

Around the 12th century buckwheat was introduced in Brittany from the east. Buckwheat thrived on the desolate and rocky Breton moors and is called “sarrasin” or “blé noir” (black wheat) due to the dark specs that are often found in it. It is high in fiber and is an excellent plant source of easily digestive protein and contains all eight essential amino acids. Another benefit is that it is gluten free.

white flour « sweet » crêpes appeared early 20th century when white wheat flour which formerly had been as expensive as sugar, honey or meat, became affordable. White flour crêpes are more thin than buckwheat crêpes made of flour, eggs, sugar, milk, and butter of course ! :)

Crêpe making were cooked on large cast-iron hot plates heated over a wood fire in a fireplace to hot plates.

The batter is spread with a tool known as a rozel and flipped with a spatula. In Brittany, crêpes and galettes are traditionally served with cider.

To hold that cider, here's a lovely Carved Wood Breton Folk Shoe Bottle Holder

Not only do the French eat a lot of crêpes on this day, but they also do a bit of fortune telling while making them It is traditional to hold a coin in your writing hand and a crêpe pan in the other, and flip the crêpe into the air. If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year.

Part 2 : RECIPE

Ingredients :

• 5 cups cold water (1.25 liter - 1 cup equals 250 ml)

• 30 g salt

• 1 kg buckwheat flour

• 50 g melted salted butter

• butter, extra

• eggs (1 per galette)

• ham (1–2 slices per galette)

• 3 tbsp grated Swiss cheese (per galette)

Instructions :
Place most of the cold water and the salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add buckwheat flour and whisk until the texture of the batter is like a ribbon when you lift the whisk. If necessary, add a little extra water ( please note extra butter is essential ingedient for delicious flavor).

Mix in melted butter until well incorporated. Cover batter and rest in the fridge for about 4 hours.
Spread enough of the batter in a hot frying pan to cover the base very thinly. When the base is dry, lower heat and rub the top with a piece of extra butter.
Bread an egg in the centre and spread the white all over the pancake, keeping the yolk intact. Sprinkle the crêpe with grated cheese and top with a slice or two of ham.

Using a spatula, carefully fold the sides of the crêpe towards the yolk to form a square. Cook for an extra 1–2 minutes and serve.

Régalez vous et bonne fortune en 2015 ! :)

Written and Created by Veronique of Etsy shop VintageFindsFrance

Will You Be My Valentine?

Words to warm the heart and thaw even the worst February weather as we celebrate the gift of friendship, love and affection every February 14th.

Your first memory of the day may have begun as a child in the classroom when a flurry of valentine card exchanges were made with your school chums and teachers. Coming home, clutching a bag full of simple Valentine's cards with their red envelopes torn open (a couple possibly from a secret admirer), was the frosting on a Valentine cupcake!

These may bring back some sweet memories from the shop of  WonderDiva

Two Vintage Valentine's 1950's

But those same teachers would probably like to remind us, Valentine's Day has a long history. It began centuries ago with the Feast of Saint Valentine, a liturgical celebration of Valentinus, one of the early saints. Later, in the Middle Ages, the day became associated with romantic love.

Valentine's Day is for everyone, including the Newlyweds in this print from the shop of 

Plums and Honey

Harrison Fisher Print

Although it is not an official holiday, Valentine's Day is observed in many countries around the globe, many having their own folk lore to celebrate the day.

In 18th century England, the day grew into an occasion where lovers expressed their feelings for each other with flowers, confectionary and greeting cards.

WeeLambieVintage and MegsEndeavors share some idea's for Valentine's gift's with this

Sweet Hinged Candy Tin

and this Lovely

White Teapot Centerpiece

Since the 19th century, handwritten Valentine's Day cards have given way to mass produced greeting cards. Esther Howland of Worcester, Mass, began producing greeting cards in 1847 after being inspired by an English Valentine she received from a friend.

The American Greeting Cards Association estimates 190 million Valentines Day cards are exchanged every year,

not including handmade cards which increase the numbers to 1 billion.

Fast forward to today and Valentine's Day symbols include Heart Shaped Cards

like these from...

TreasuresFromTexas

Doves...

Like these from

CardNotions

and winged Cupids from

LisaLiYesterYears

Gifts have also evolved. Since the 1980s, diamonds have also become a popular gift.

These beautiful 14K Gold and Diamond Earrings from 

PoppyLesti

Are sure to make your Sweet Heart's day! 

So whether it is the gift of a simple card and sentiment or something with a bit more razzle dazzle sparkle, the questions is timeless...

Written and created by Amy of...  DottieDigsVintage