Around Town-Cherry Blossoms in Newark's Branch Brook Park

This Sunday we took a little trip to a park thats a short drive from our home.  Branch Brook park in Newark, New Jersey is a large urban park that is known for  its Cherry Blossoms.  I had never been their before but I love Cherry Blossoms and we usually visit the Brooklyn Botanical garden for the Cherry Blossom festival each spring.  However, the botanical garden is farther from our home, charges to get in, and worst of all, does not allow dogs.  So this year we decided to go to Branch Brook  instead.  Sadly the weird weather, first warm, then cold, meant that the cherry trees where not in peak bloom.  The park was still packed to the gills though and we weren't even able to see the main expanse of cherry trees because I felt it was just too crowded for the dogs.  We had brought Weasley, Fry, and Tuvok, feeling it be too far and too crowded for Bob and Ping.  Even though it was crowded and the blooms weren't in full splendor, it was still a very nice day and a lovely park.  Im sure we will return next year, hopefully on a less busy day.

Note: We also discovered that our dogs HATE motorcycles.  We passed a large group of motorcyclers and they went absolutely bonkers.   We have passed one or two cycles before and they barked, but this time was bad.  They are never perfect in the car but I've also never seen them get this crazy.  Do your dogs hate motorcycles?

Ten Vintage Items I'm Dreaming of For Spring

Technically I'm still without a computer, but I really miss blogging, so I'm borrowing one to write this post.  Hopefully I will have my computer back and fixed or I will have an I-Pad to blog with by this weekend.   I apologize if I haven't been getting around to all your blogs.

So are you sick of winter yet?  If you live anywhere in the eastern or midwestern United States then I'm guessing your answer is yes.  I really can't remember a colder, slushier, or more generally miserable February.  We have been spending most of our time bundled up indoors:

and I'm beginning to get a bit stir crazy.   While I look out the window at the mounting piles of snow and slush and ice I find myself day dreaming of beautiful vintage items to wear when Spring finally makes its much longed for appearance:
                            

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So with February finally over I decided to make a list of the ten vintage, or vintage inspired items that I find myself most lusting after for this Spring, I certainly won't be getting everything on this list, but a girl can dream right?  

1) Hey Day Vintage's Mary Dress in Let's Polka:  

Of course technically Spring doesn't begin until March 21, but we all know that St. Patrick's day is the first Holliday with a bit of Spring in the air (even if its slush and snow outside).   

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and what could look better on St. Patty's day then Hey Day's 1940s inspired dress in gorgeous green and white polka dot.

Image Source: Hey Day Online

Hey Day is a fantastic company and their Mary dresses are my favorite of all their offerings.  Comfortable, period appropriate, and flattering these are easy wear 1940s dresses that can go from casual to dressy events.  They are also not to extreme in design and thus a perfect choice for the vintage newbie.

2) Hey Day Mary Dress in Butterfly Two Tone

Image Source Hey Day Online

 

See I really love those Mary Dresses!  This is the one I plan to wear myself this Spring, particularly for the New York Easter Parade. 

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 The combination of grey and blue seems very Springy to me and I think it will pair nicely with a 1940s floral hat.  Also while its a very different style dress something about it reminds me of the one worn by Judy Garland in 1948's classic film Easter Parade.  

3) Nudee Dudee Overalls-  I just love overalls.  There such a practical, comfortable article of clothing, perfect for gardening, biking, dog walking, or just loafing around.  After all Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer wore overalls and surely they new how to relax.

Overalls were worn by working women in the 1940s for practical reasons:

Image Source-Vintage Dancer

but as you can see in the image above, they were flattering too.  Nudee Dudee's Rosie Overalls in Chambray Denim are a pretty much perfect copy of the 1940s originals.

Image Source-Nudee Dudee

4) Nudee Dudee's 1940's style Sophie Blouse-This beautiful lavender colored flower sprigged blouse is the essence of Spring and it would pair beautifully with casual overalls or a dressier skirt.

Image Source-Nudee Dudee

5) 1930s Bias Cut Lime Green Dress with Studded Belt from Fab Gabs-Have a fancy Spring time even to attend like a wedding.  This bright Springy dress would be perfect.  It may be a bit out of most people's price range, but its a gorgeous vintage original in pristine condition:

Image Source-Fab Gabs

6) Antique Edwardian Blouse in Powder Pink from Fab Gabs-Want to explore an even earlier decade through vintage?  This gorgeous pale pink Edwardian blouse is perfect.  Its such a pretty color and those amazing sleeves!   I can see this being worn period appropriate, as it is below, or more casually with jeans:

Image Source-Fab Gabs

7) 1920s Style Wide Brimmed Cloche from Lady Eve's Millinery-Want to shield your complexion from the Springtime sunshine?  You couldn't do it more prettily then this gorgeous wide brimmed cloche in beautiful pinks and greens:

Image Source Lady Eve's Millinery

I have a number of Lady Eve hats and they are all gorgeous and wonderfully authentic with the added bonus of being far sturdier then actual vintage.

8) Vintage Pink and Navy 1950s hat with Curled Feathers from Adeline's Attic-Speaking of Vintage Hats this veiled 1950s number is a real stunner, and offered at a bargain price for a genuine vintage hat.   I think it would look gorgeous paired with pink gloves and a navy dress:

Image Source Adeline's Attic

You won't get to wear it with the pretty crochet gloves pictured above because lucky me I snagged them from Adeline's Attic a few months ago.  


9) 1940s or 50s  Pink Nylon Gloves from Chronically Vintage Speaking of vintage gloves this pretty pink pair from Chronically Vintage's Etsy shop is perfect for Easter and reasonably priced.

Image Source Chronically Vintage

10) Pastel Floral Crown from Chatter Blossom Spring of course is time for flowers and you couldn't find a prettier way to wear some spring blooms then this beautiful crown made from 1950s millinery flowers by Chatter Blossom.

 

Here's to wishing for a lovely Spring right around the corner:

Easter Parade

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it,
You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.
I'll be all in clover and when they look you over,
I'll be the proudest fellow in the Easter parade.
On the avenue, fifth avenue, the photographers will snap us,
And you'll find that you're in the rotogravure.
Oh, I could write a sonnet about your Easter bonnet,
And of the girl I'm taking to the Easter parade.

                                     Irving Berlin

 

 

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The Manhattan 5th Avenue Easter Parade has been going on a long time.  it started in the 1800s, at least  70 years before Irving Berlins popular 1933 song that later became the basis for the classic musical staring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland.

 

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The tradition of dressing up for Easter has deep routes in Christian tradition, Roman Emperors in the early days of the Catholic Church instructed their followers to wear their best clothes on Easter in celebration of Christ's resurrection.  However, by the early 1900s fashion has surpassed the religious content of the parade, which caused some critics to deride it as an unchristian display of wealth.    Milliners where taking orders months before the parade and crowds where lining up to watch the parade and see what was current in fashion.

 

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The popularity of the parade reached its apex in the mid century, with the 1947 parade drew a crowd of over a million.

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However it has been on the decline since the 1960s. Never the less it still remains a New York tradition with each year a large crowd attired in outrageous hats gathering between 47th and 59th streets to pay tribute to an era when people took the time dress up and hats and gloves where an essential component of ever ladies outfit.   

Considering that I'm a vintage lover  who lives right outside New York you would think I made a yearly pilgrimage to the event, but in fact this was the first year I decided to attend.  First of all I knew I needed a marvelous hat.  I didn't want a hat that was to gigantic because I wanted something I would be able to wear again and  I knew I wanted a 1940s style hat since I am a big fan of the 1948 film.  (The film was ostensibly set in the 1900s but the costumes where decidedly forties).  For my Easter Parade outfit I choose a 1940s style dress from Hey Day Vintage and a beautiful reproduction hat from Lady Eve's Millinery on Etsy.

The dress, like all Hey Day items, represents the best of vintage reproduction.  Its period accurate and figure flattering, but also super comfortable and very easy care. Made from modern fabrics it is machine washable and there is no need to iron it. 

The hat meanwhile, has fast become my favorite hat, which is saying something since I  have quite a few.  Made from an original 1940s pattern it looks just like 40s hat but in perfect condition.

 

 

I didn't want to hog all the dressing up for myself, and luckily thanks to Matti Online and Pug Possessed on Etsy, I didn't have too. 

 

 

 

We packed Ping and Weasley into their stroller and took the train into Manhattan.  The firth avenue parade is much smaller then it used to be, but it is still impressive.  My lovely friend Sara helped us take some pictures:

 

 

 

Weasley and Ping were not the only dressed up dogs, there were quite a few:

 

Unfortunately despite the dozens of pictures taken of them Ping and Weasley did not make the Daily News.  Here is a link to the slide show of dogs and hats that did make the paper: link.

 

It was a wonderful event and we will definitely be back next year.

 

 

Today I am participating in the Thoughtless Thursday blog hop hosted by Ruckus the Eskie: