The Vintage Chanteuse

A Vintage Travel Love Affair: The Ceremony

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Feb 2016 20:02:00 +0000

"I was entirely happy. Perhaps we feel like that when we die and become a part of something entire, whether it is sun and air, or goodness and knowledge. At any rate, that is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great. When it comes to one, it comes as naturally as sleep.”
― Willa Cather, My Ántonia

New England really is most charming in autumn and we wanted our guests to be welcomed to our wedding in the sweetest way: with lots of love, bright gold and yellow mums, ripe pumpkins, vintage maps, and vibrant autumn leaves.

Instead of the typical wedding flowers, we opted for flowers to make ours from vintage maps. For our family: the men received matching bow ties and the ladies received vintage globe brooches.
Jerron and I really wanted everyone to feel a part of our vintage themed ceremony so we invited all the guests to wear vintage hats, gloves, bow ties, and pocket squares. Boy did they deliver! One guest, dear Helga, even wore her vintage dirndl!
Our ceremony was filled with details from our life together: the first duet we sang together, love locks and french music that played as Jerron proposed to me in Paris, vintage globes, Willa Cather, vintage dresses, and lots of singing.

Willa Cather was known to say "I must have music!" My sentiments exactly, Ms. Cather, as this was the most important aspect of our wedding ceremony. We basically created a ceremony around singing and it was heavenly!

My husband, Jerron, arranged a stunning piece for violin, organ, and piano which still makes me cry! You can hear Dubois' trio "Hymne Nuptial" below.

When it came to the vows, we decided to write our own and we did not discuss or share our thoughts with each other until the ceremony, as we wanted to save this gift for our wedding day. It was challenging to write our own vows and a little scary but in the end it is the thing I cherish most about our wedding. Without knowing, we both ended our vows with different quotes from Willa Cather's "My Ántonia."

“I'd have liked to have you for a sweetheart, or a wife, or my mother or my sister--anything a woman can be to a man. The idea of you is part of my mind; you influence my likes and dislikes, all my tastes, hundreds of times when I don't realize it. You really are a part of me.”
― Willa Cather, My Ántonia

Our nephews, the ring bearers, brought us our vintage rings on an old french lock, just as Jerron used when he proposed.

As we exited the sanctuary, our sweet friend play "Autumn Leaves" on the piano. This was the exact song that was being played on an accordion while Jerron proposed on the Pont de l'Archevêché (the love lock bridge just behind Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris).

And finally, as we made our way out of the church our guest threw vintage map paper airplanes, which created a whimsical exit into the perfect autumn afternoon.

In Love in Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 01:38:00 +0000

As I look out my frosted windows over cold and desolate Hartford, I am finding myself longing for summer.

This past summer was magical for us. As classical artists, my husband and I feel a bit like fish out of water here in the states. That isn't to say there isn't amazing art happening in the states or there aren't incredibly talent musicians hidden in every tiny town and big city, but our art form comes alive in Europe.

To walk the streets Mozart and Beethoven did, see the town where Goethe wrote his poetry, or sit at a café Puccini frequented is to gain a deeper understanding of our art form and life. I know, spoken like a true artist, right?

Jerron and I traveled to Saarburg, Germany where we spent two wonderful weeks full of rehearsing and practicing and evenings performing for the most appreciative German audiences.

I was given the most fabulous 1960's wiggle dress to perform in. The German audiences loved it; I was actually asked if I was a movie star when I wore it! Yesterday's Lady knew exactly which dress would travel well, fit perfectly, and steal the stage!

We lived those two weeks.

We ate rich and delicious food, drank world famous wine, danced in the streets, sang for hours, walked cobblestone streets, biked winding roads and hiked among grape vines. Just like I said, it was a magical summer.

Here are a few of our favorite moments!

Vespa, anyone?

On the way up to ride the Rodelbahn!

The sweetest corner of Saarburg, The biergarten at the Hotel-Villa Keller!

Top of an old castle with Saarburg in the background.

Little Italy in the middle of Saarburg

The Saar river in the heart of Riesling country

A Vintage Travel Love Affair: The Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Jan 2016 21:04:00 +0000

It's been too long, my vintagistas! A lot has happened since we last met here: I am now a married woman! I have been meaning to share all my wedding plans along the way and it just never happened. *sigh* As they say, better late than never. So, I thought "why not start now?" And here it is folks: A Vintage Travel Love Affair.

The Dress

To be perfectly honest, I had no idea where to begin to find the illusive "perfect" dress. I scoured pinterest, etsy, and 5th St Vintage to no avail. I felt lost, chunky, and broke. It was as if every dress I was drawn to was too fancy, too small, or too expense. Then my mom, Yesterday's Lady, worked her magic and found the perfect dress.

The dress is a beautiful vintage lace cocktail dress worn by my grandmother on her wedding day. I had only seen photos of the dress and wasn't sure in what condition it was or what size it was, but with my whole I wanted wear that dress.

And sure enough, it was in great condition (albeit a bit dirty from 60 years in a closet)! I wore my husband's grandmother's crystal earrings and necklace from the 1950s and paired them coral colored gloves, a birdcage veil, and stilettos.

My "something borrowed" was a gorgeous nude silk clutch that my sister picked up from a flea market in Connecticut and a vintage fur wrap from my mom that has a label from Hovlin-Swanson in Lincoln, NE. It seems as if once I found the dress, everything fell into place!

Up next: The Ceremony!

Salut,

The Vintage Chanteuse

Wedding Planning: Invitations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 16 Jul 2015 01:07:00 +0000

We are just three short months from our New England wedding! Time has absolutely flown by and wedding planning has taken a backseat to our performing. Jerron and I both opened showed and closed shows in May and June and now we are preparing for our European adventure next week! In the meantime we are busy digging into the details of our wedding.

Jerron and I are on the tightest of budgets for our wedding so by necessity it has become a DIY wedding and I wouldn't have it any other way! Since we have found that our lives have been filled with travel, we've decided to make our wedding vintage travel themed. Here is our Save the Date video that Jerron made for all of our out of town guests.

Tonight we finally finished our invitations! A bottle of wine and a little jazz can really get you through almost anything!

I am so in love with the invitations Jerron designed for us!

Up next...Cocktail Party Etiquette 101!

Salut-

The Vintage Chanteuse

A Lovely Weekend for a Wedding Shower

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 00:50:00 +0000

~~~~~~ This post is best enjoyed with "Only a Paper Moon" by Ella Fitzgerald ~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a lovely weekend full of family, friends, vintage frocks, thrifting, and celebrating love! Here's a peak at Yesterday's Lady 's trip to New England!

We managed to find a bit of Nebraska in New England.

The best weekends begin with a bit of bubble and vintage pocket squares!

Miss Eleanor wore the sweetest vintage pink dress with ruffled bottoms.

We had the most beautiful wedding shower with vintage dresses, cherished advice, and decadent food!

Even Miss Eleanor wore her best vintage dress to the affair!

It doesn't matter where you're going

it's who you have beside you.

Up next....A very vintage wedding!

Salut!

Gallery Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 01:24:00 +0000

We've moved...and created our first gallery wall! Ever since I spied this awesome gallery wall on ABM years ago, I have been collecting fun prints and frames just waiting for the perfect space! Here's everything you need to know about creating your own gallery wall.

I was a bit overwhelmed when we first started to lay out our photos and prints, but as I began to style this small corner of our new apartment I found it to be so much fun! It quickly became my favorite corner, housing the liquor and motivation quotes!

Our first step was to lay out all of our prints on the floor and tinker with their placement until we found an arrangement that we felt was perfect. One of the most important aspects of a gallery wall is to make sure every piece is spaced equally across the whole wall. You can measure it precisely, but we found it was much easier to find a small object to use a spacer and stick with it. For this, we used our Apple TV remote!

After settling on a layout, we flipped every item over and cut paper precisely to fit the size of each piece. Once the paper was cut, we poked a whole where the nail was supposed to be placed, and then replaced the picture with the newly cut piece of paper.

After each piece was complete, began with the biggest central piece as an "anchor" and taped each piece of paper to the wall precisely where we wanted it. After the whole wall was assembled, we drived the nails into the proper places, tore down the pieces of paper, and replaced them with the real frames!

You may notice that we changed our mind on one of the pieces once we got it on the wall. It's important to remember that you do not need to stick to your original plan if you don't want to. Anything goes!

This project's theme song is Michael Kiwanuka's Home Again.

Salut!

-The Vintage Chanteuse

December in Snapshots

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 11:00:00 +0000

December is almost over and it was a whirlwind! From operas to recitals to concerts and church services, December is the month of music. Something magical happens in December: music drifts out from schools and churches onto busy street corners, white twinkling lights glow from the windows, and greet cards fill our mailboxes.

Here's a look at The Vintage Chanteuse's December snapshots.

Christmas isn't complete without a trip into the City!

My fiancé and I sang 8 concerts and 12 church services! Tis' the season!

I said goodbye to Marianne as I closed Der Rosenkavalier with Connecticut Lyric Opera.

You know what they say: "Behind every successful woman is a coffee!"

We celebrated my birthday by taking a painting class together! It was terrifying and a really great time!

This year marks my first year with a real Christmas tree and it was pretty spectacular. I can't bring myself to take it down. Maybe next week....

Salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse

A Very Retro New Year's Eve

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 11:00:00 +0000

New Year's Eve is one of my favorite evenings out of the year! I love the traditions, the glamour, the memories shared with friends and family, a promise to live the next year as fully alive as possible. It is pretty incredible to think of the happiness and love that fills the air as one year ends and the next begins. In honor of this coming eve, here is The Vintage Chanteuse's list of musts for a very retro NYE:

1. Auld Lang Syne

2. Red Lipstick

3. Vintage Costume Jewelry

4. Champagne in vintage glasses

5. The perfect cocktail dress

6. Resolutions

7. Kiss at Midnight

8. A Date (even if it is just a bottle of champagne)

9. Streamers and Confetti

10. An excellent watch for the count down to midnight

And now, the final question....

Happy New Year!

Salut,

The Vintage Chanteuse

Remembrance Jar

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 17:51:00 +0000

As I prepare to ring in the new year, I am faced with the sobering memory of last year's uncompleted resolutions. Ugh! Depressing. Then I remembered all of the amazing things I did do in the last year and it made me so excited for year ahead! So I thought, why not create a jar to keep all of my wonderful memories, accomplishments, and happy moments to help reminisce and celebrate the end of 2015 instead of creating unrealistic resolutions that leave me feeling uninspired and unfulfilled?

This is the simplest little project and will only take 5-10 min to create but will deliver very special mementos for 2015.
Supplies:

Vintage or repurposed Jar
Pretty Paper
Scissors
Double Stick Sheets
String

Simply print a special photo, quote, drawing or image on a 4x6 photo paper or print it up at you local photo printer. I love my canon printer for these small projects! Think of vintage family photos or quotes like this one by Dr. Seuss.

I then simply used double sided tacky paper -- you can get it here -- to adhere your print to the jar. Just be sure to measure your paper to be sure it will fit your jar.

To add a little extra color to my jar I added vintage blue baker's twine I picked up from a local flea market. Feel free to use a vintage ribbon, hanky, or scarf. Whatever makes you happy!

And that's that! It is just as easy as I promised. I put my first memory in a bit early....

Here's to another new year! This time my resolution is to celebrate life's small accomplishments.

Until next time!

Salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse

My week in snapshots

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 24 Oct 2014 00:14:00 +0000

Hello, Vintage-istas! I've missed you all so much :-) Here's what I have been up to this week....

It's time to let my summer blonde turn to a warm autumnal glow.

"And if we wrapped up against the cold, we wouldn't feel other things, like the bright tingle of the stars, or the music of the Aurora, of best of all the silky feeling of moonlight on our skin. It's worth being cold for that." --Serafina Pekkala (Northern Lights, by Phillip Pullman)

My happy place.

"The end is nothing; the road is all."

--Willa Cather

Ludwig's Halloween costume! I have to say, it is the perfect costume for a wiener dog!

We've started wedding planning! The theme is I'll follow you anywhere...

Staging. staging. staging. Lots and lots of staging rehearsals!

Thirsty Thursday: Essential Bar Tools

noreply@blogger.com (jerron.jorgensen) — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 13:53:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-istas!

For this week's Thirsty Thursday installment, instead of looking at a new recipe we are going to look briefly at some of the most important tools with which any well-stocked home bar should be equipped!

If you are just starting out, a bar tools set may be a quick and easy purchase to help bring your bar up to speed. These kits vary slightly, but in general they all likely include a few of the following key instruments:

Bar Spoon
Hawthorn Strainer
Jigger
Muddler
Bottle Opener
Ice Bucket/Tongs

Top Left | Top Right | Bottom Left | Bottom Right

Above are links to four various vintage accessories and sets found on Etsy. The advantage to purchasing some vintage tools is that not only do they have a lot of character, but often you will find cocktail shakers that come with classic cocktail recipes listed right on the side!

In addition to these tools, there are a few peripheral tools you ought to search for (in addition to the above tools) in order to enhance your accessory holdings. These would include:

Cocktail Shaker
Citrus Zester
Paring Knife

The above tools I would all list under "essential." With them, you will be prepared to make an overwhelming majority of cocktail recipes (just add alcohol, of course!) From here, let's look at a few more accessories that might be a good idea (but not necessary) to eventually keep on hand in your home bar:

Bartending Guide
Bottle Pouring Spouts
Toothpicks
Stir Sticks
Cocktail Straws
Cocktail Napkins
Small Cutting Board
Serving Tray/Drink Caddy
Selzter Bottle

Well, that does it for this week's Thirsty Thursday. Next week we'll be back with another cocktail, but keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming post about different types of glassware and which kinds are essential to starting your home bar!

Until next drink,

Jerron J.

Over the weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 02:11:00 +0000

Here are a few lovely and inspiring things I found over the weekend!

JJ and I don't see much of each other these days. When we do see each other, it is usually in passing or while shoveling dinner down at ten o'clock at night. We joke, that some day we will look back at this time in our lives with fondness. But in all seriousness, this has been the happiest year of my life. Almost as happy as these sweet dachshund nuptials! Eek!

Before my Grandfather, Harold Bernt, passed away he wanted to visit Ellis Island. This was the place his mother, my grand grandmother, entered the United States through. Sadly, he never made it to Ellis Island, he did however, have a memorial brick placed with her name, Anna Korger, on the island. After my Grandfather passed, my family journeyed to this iconic piece of American history. We walked through the doors my great grandmother walked through. The story of Ellis Island is our history and sadly it is quickly deteriorating. As part of a revitalization project, the Save Ellis Island initiative created an art exhibit titled "Unframed-Ellis Island" featuring the works of artist JR. Find out more information here.

PBS released the season 5 trailer of Downton Abbey! This is season is going to be incredible...

These gold leaf brooches from A Beautiful Mess are a must-try on my next free weekend! They are so adorable!

And finally, I begin rehearsals this week for Connecticut Lyric Opera's production of Der Rosenkavalier. This music is so divine and magical.

Thirsty Thursday: The Champagne Cocktail

noreply@blogger.com (jerron.jorgensen) — Thu, 25 Sep 2014 10:00:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-istas!

We're back after an unplanned two-week hiatus. Sometimes, life has a way of moving incredibly slow for perceived periods of eternity and then suddenly piling a lifetime's worth of obligations on you over the period of a week! Well, back to the cocktails! For this Thirsty Thursday installment, we're concluding out champagne series with perhaps the oldest and simplest of champagne-inspired mixes: The Champagne Cocktail.

The "Champagne Cocktail" likely originated in the 19th century and largely has gone unchanged since. After all, it is difficult (and unnecessary) to alter something so simple as the Champagne Cocktail! Since then, it has made many pop culture appearances, including Casablanca! Here are our ingredients:

1 cube sugar
2 dashes Bitters
Champagne or sparkling wine
Lemon twist for garnish

Preparation: In a champagne flute, soak sugar cube in bitters and allow a moment to dissolve. Next, top off glass with chilled champagne or sparkling wine, garnish with a lemon twist, and enjoy!

Recommended accompaniment:

To accompany this drink, we recommend a tune straight from the film Casablanca to put you in the mood: "As Time Goes By," recorded here by Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole.

Until next drink!

Jerron J.

my week in snapshots: week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 22:58:00 +0000

Hi! It's The Vintage Chanteuse here and it has been a long time (too long, much too long). My small corner of the world has been in complete upheaval. I've spent the last month trying to settle into two new jobs and it hasn't been easy. Actually, its been a staggering experience to say the least and I have completely lost control of my personal life because of it! Alas, I am beginning to find my place, the dust is starting to settle, and the ground doesn't feel so shaky. And now here I am! I'm back and even more excited to share my vintage inspired life with you all! Oh, and did I mention I am wedding planning also?! More to come on this topic at a later date...

Here's my week in snapshots!

We have been searching far and wide for the perfect venue to host our reception. We found it this morning peaking through the fog as we reach the top of rolling and winding road. This beautiful historic 1756 barn at Holcomb Farm in Granby, CT is going to be the perfect backdrop for our vintage inspired wedding!

Just in case we forgot it is still summer for another 6 glorious hours.

My favorite time of the year begins tomorrow! We will be celebrating the return of fall with roasted butternut squash, pumpkin pizzas, and apple ciders!

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

Over the Weekend!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:42:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-ista's!

It has been very long time. When life hits, it hits hard. I have been busy doing completely unglamorous things like signing contracts, training for new jobs, sitting in music practice rooms, and dealing with the idea of change--as daunting and intimidating as it is!

After too many weeks away, here we are again, over the weekend! Here are a few awesome things I have found during my late-night-can't-make-my-brain-stop-thinking sessions.

1. These color photos of real Rosie the Riveters are incredibly inspiring.

2. Here is a glimpse into the world's oldest surviving music hall, Wiltons. This place is simply magical and is at the top of my list the next time I am in London!

3. This is exactly how I felt yesterday morning as I watched my coffee steaming as I walked to work.

4. This book! Every free moment I can find is spent with this book!

5. Wedding planning has officially begun for me. Before anything is booked (besides the groom!) I am pouring through vintage etiquette guides for ideas. Like this guide from The Retro Housewife.

Thirsty Thursday: The Brandy Fizz

noreply@blogger.com (jerron.jorgensen) — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 23:31:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-istas!

Since we cracked open a bottle of sparkling wine last week for our Thirsty Thirsday, we decided we would do a whole series of champagne-inclusive cocktails to use up the rest of the bottle! This week, we're going to take a look at a slightly modernized (and more alcoholic!) take on the classic Brandy Fizz:

A "Fizz" is a family of cocktails containing a spirit, some kind of citric juice, and-you guessed it-something carbonated. Typically, Fizz cocktails contain club soda or seltzer, but we here at The Vintage Chanteuse prefer to substitute champagne or sparkling wine as a way of giving a classic cocktail a contemporary kick! We first stumbled upon this recipe listed as a "Cognac Fizz" in Here's How: The Home Bartender's Mixing Guide, a small booklet printed by the Schieffelin & Co. liquor importing company in the 1940s. Let's take a look at our Brandy Fizz's ingredients:

Juice of 1/2 lime
1 sugar cube
1.5 oz brandy or cognac
Sparkling wine to top off
Lime twist for garnish

Preparation:

In a cocktail shaker, pour lime juice and brandy over sugar cube and allow to dissolve (if you grow impatient, you may gently muddle to encourage the process to speed up). Next, add ice and shake well until ice crystals begin to form around exterior of shaker.

Then, strain into a highball glass, top with sparkling wine, garnish with a lemon twist, and enjoy responsibly!

Recommended accompaniment:

Our version of the Cognac Fizz is steeped in Francophilia (ignoring that we used brandy instead of cognac and sparkling wine instead of champagne!), so we recommend you accompany your fizz with Paris Combo's "Fibre de Verre." Paris Combo is a contemporary Parisian ensemble blending classic French styles with American jazz and swing, amongst many others and is sure to compliment your fizz perfectly!

Until next drink!

Jerron J.

Retro Rehab: Mid Century Modern Chairs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:00:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-istas!

This is the first of what we hope will be many posts titled Retro Rehab, a series showing you some of the great finds we've come across at flea markets and tag sales and have given them a second life by refurbishing, refinishing, or repurposing them! To start out, we're going to look at a set of aqua Mid-Century Modern chairs we happened upon at a tag sale two weeks ago:

Here you can see the chairs have great seats and backs, but the copper structure really needed some work.

Yikes!

After a bit of work with the drill, we got the chairs apart and simply masked the wonderful aqua covers using tape and newspaper. After applying a bit of metallic copper spray paint, they look as good as new!

Once the pieces were dried, there was some minor re-assembly required and then they were ready to be reintroduced back into the world!

The first chair is being utilized as much-needed seating near our front door.

The other is perhaps the most important seat in the house: our new piano bench!

Well, we hope you enjoyed our first installment of Retro Rehab (Herr Beethoven approves, and he is not an easy critic to please!) Who knows, maybe it'll be just the thing to inspire you finally finish that retro restoration project you've been putting aside all these years!

Salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse

Thirsty Thursday: The Champagne Julep

noreply@blogger.com (jerron.jorgensen) — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 21:29:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-istas!

This week warmed up again in New England, so we're milking this warm weather summer feeling for all it's worth! Thinking of some of the most refreshing cocktails I know, the classic Champagne Julep immediately come to mind; let's take a look!

The "julep" is a family of cocktails which entails mixing a spirit with sugar, citrus, and some kind of herb or fruit via the process of muddling. Most commonly, juleps are made with mint leaves, hence the name of the most popular julep, the Mint Julep! The Mint Julep, which is the mainstay of the Kentucky Derby because of its inclusion of Kentucky Bourbon, is both the reigning king and grandfather of the julep family. Our version, the Champagne Julep, started to become especially popular throughout the Jazz Age, and hit its peak in the 1940s (think The Great Gatsby). Let's take a look at our ingredients:

1 tbsp simple syrup
7-8 mint leaves
Splash of fresh lime juice
Champagne, chilled
Sprint of mint leaves for garnish

Preparation:

Begin by muddling mint leaves, simple syrup, and a splash of fresh lime juice in the bottom of a glass. Remember, you only need to muddle hard enough to release the oils from the mint leaves; we do not want to pulverize them into a pulp! Transfer muddled mixture into a Collins or cocktail glass of choice, add ice, top off with champagne, and garnish with a sprig of mint leaves for extra measure! It is important to note that you may need to use a bar spoon to effectively combine champagne with muddled ingredients. Oh, and don't forget to enjoy!

Recommended accompaniment:

For your listening pleasure, we recommend Milton Ager's "Ain't She Sweet." Featured in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, this song was originally released in 1927 and became one of the anthems of the "Roaring Twenties!"

Until next week!

Jerron J.

my week in snapshots: week 4

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 13:36:00 +0000

Sometimes life throws you curve balls and suddenly big, seemingly life changing decisions must be made immediately. Well, that was my week...hopefully the decisions I made were right. Because of this, I've had a week of new beginnings and goodbyes. Moving forward in life is scary and hard but I am focusing on one day at a time--living life slowly and intentionally.

My favorite thing about living in a really old apartment building? The details! I love finding the most interesting details in my apartment; like this art deco thermostat.

The most important life decisions should be made over drinks and sunshine.

This little girl always wants to help....I am pretty sure she thinks she is a human.

I broke my vegetarianism and had an amazing burger this week. It was so worth it!

My score finally arrived and now this is my life...

Yesterday we received a bag full of beautiful peaches! So what better to make than gluten-free peach crisp?!

Here's to a living a life full of intention and vintage-inspiration!

Salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse

Thirsty Thursday: The Classic Daiquiri

noreply@blogger.com (jerron.jorgensen) — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 00:07:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-istas!

We're nearing the end of summer; school is around the corner and we can feel the days already starting to shorten! It's that time when you begin to desperately search for things to do and foods to eat that are so iconic they seem to actually stretch out these last waning weeks of summer. Because of this, we're bringing you a cocktail this week that screams summer on the beach in paradise: The Classic Daiquiri!

A "daiquiri" is actually a family of drinks which entails nearly any rum-based concoction mixed with citrus juice and some kind of sweetener. Order a daiquiri in a bar today and you're likely to get something like a strawberry daiquiri, a mix resembling more of a glorified sugar slushie than a cocktail, but traditionally this drink is sweet and simple. In it's original form, the cocktail likely originated in Havana around the turn of the 20th century and is best when made with uncomplicated and fresh ingredients:

2oz light rum
1oz lime juice
.5oz simple syrup

Preparation:

In a shaker, combine rum, freshly squeezed lime juice and simple syrup (or a couple teaspoons of sugar) and shake vigorously until ice crystals begin to form on exterior of shaker. Then, strain into a cocktail glass and, if desired, garnish with a lime wedge!

Recommended accompaniment:

To accompany your drink, we recommend the Cuban "Queen of Bolero" Olga Guillot, singing "Qué sabes tú." Olga's sultry voice and distinct style made her a sensation in the Latin American music throughout much of the mid 20th century, making for a uniquely authentic accompaniment to your Classic Daiquiri!

Until next drink,

Jerron J.

A Ladies' Guide to Back-to-School Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:48:00 +0000

It's back-to-school time! I love this time of year. There's a new crispness that appears in the air, freshly sharpened pencils fill book bags, and Friday nights are no longer for dates but football games. My most favorite part of back-to-school is the shopping! And why should it be only for students?! Here is my Ladies' Guide to Back-to-School Shopping!

From Left to Right: Botanical Breakfast Dress, Bookstore Browsing Dress, Address the Room Dress, Weekend Folk Festival Jeans, On Rotation Sweater, Paris Cafe Sweater

From Left to Right: Fashion Takes Flight Watch, Seen and Be Seine, Stationery of the Art Pencil Set, Thoughts on Flying Journal, Perks and Recreation Bag, Just Like Honey Heel

Over the Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 19:09:00 +0000

We are Summering hard over here at The Vintage Chanteuse: Early morning runs, fresh sweet corn with every meal, ice cream for dinner, and lots of sunshine. This weekend we focused on slow living. We have a huge list of to-dos before schools starts again and rehearsals begin to fill our evenings and weekends. We worked hard but we also focused on quality time together before the madness starts. My mind is filled with day dreams of projects to complete in the next two weeks. Here are some awesome things I found over the weekend...

Hidden 40 feet below the M. Steinert & Sons Piano Sellers in downtown Boston is a 120 year-old Renaissance-style concert hall!

This beautiful hall has been hidden away for nearly 70 years and used a storage space for 60 of those years. Here's a video showing the poor state of the mysterious concert hall!

Ben Wu and David Usui, of Lost & Found Films, have created this awesome series called "This Must Be The Place" which explores the idea of home. This is their newest video about a silent movie house, OLD TOWN, which a gentleman has lovingly restored and night-after-night plays an incredible Wurlitzer organ. I wish I lived closer to this place!

After reading this article I am dying to get my hands on some vintage prints!

I have been searching every tag sales and flea market looking for the perfect lipstick holder. I am smitten with this one from Anthropology!

Here's to working hard and living slowly,

The Vintage Chanteuse

My Week in Snapshots: Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 00:16:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-istas!

This week has been a week of jumping back into real life. After blissfully running away from all my responsibilities, I am getting back into the practice room, hitting the pavement with my half-marathon training and preparing my music curriculum for the Fall. I am feeling refreshed and have found a renewed passion for my art form, but goodness, it is exhausting!

Here are a few snapshots:

We found this beautiful Fall leaf on our run this week! I am so not ready for Summer to be over....

The sunflowers are in full bloom right now! Ah, a sunflower will forever remind me of my dear late aunt, Lori McLain, who grew the most beautiful sunflower in her backyard.

We happened across these awesome retro chairs at a tag sale! I am not sure where they will even go in our apartment, but I couldn't leave without them.

Well, it is Summer and Connecticut really does have the BEST ice cream!

Soooo much German is being shoved in my head right now! I am preparing a role in Der Rosenkavalier in November, so the practice room is becoming my second home.

Here's a little love, just because the world is scary right now and I don't think too much of it could be spread. A man holding a sign in West Hartford Center said it best: BRAHMS NOT BOMBS.

Leonard Bernstein said, "This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before."

Here's a little Brahms' Requiem to help soothe your soul this week. If you jump to 40:01 you can hear me as the soprano soloist with the Arizona State University Symphony and Choruses.

Salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse

The Vintage Chanteuse's Favorite Retro Rom-Coms!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 16:00:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-ista's! Every now-and-again I want nothing more than to pour myself a glass of wine, put on my favorite baby doll nightie, and curl up for an evening full of old movies. Here are just a few of my favorite mid-century romantic comedies (it was hard even narrowing it down to 10)!

1. Doris Day will always be one of my favorite singers and actresses! She is the queen of rom-coms! However, I think my favorite has to be Pillow Talk.

"Rock Hudson and Doris Day, two of the screen's most popular and enduring stars, are together for the very first time! When Jan Morrow (Day), uptight interior decorator, is forced to share a party line with carefree playboy Brad Allen (Hudson), there's no connection between them. But when the two accidentally meet, the smitten Brad pretends to be a wealthy Texan, wooing Jan with seductive late-night calls. Their phone line is sizzling until Jan discovers her caller's true identity and calls his bluff. Winner of an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, this delicious romp co-stars Tony Randall and Thelma Ritter."

2. The Reluctant Debutant is delicious! Sandra Dee, Rex Harrison, and Angela Lansbury are so fabulous together. The fashions are divine and the comedic timing is perfect. This film is a very close second only to, well, any Doris Day movie!

"It's social season in London, and amid the swirl of coming-out balls the aristocratic Broadbents (real-life marrieds Rex Harrison and Kay Kendall) are intent on giving their American-educated 17-year-old daughter Jane (Sandra Dee) the right entry into society and a proper upper-class beau. One complication: flighty Mabel Claremont (Angela Lansbury) is eager to match that same beau with her daughter. And another: Jane, of course, has her own ideas about these matters - and an eye for a guy (John Saxon) who's a drummer in the dance band. Comedy is in season for The Reluctant Debutante, a rib-tickler of societal foibles and follies given spirited direction by Vincente Minnelli and featuring a full dance card of deft badinage."

3. Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable, Laren Bacall, and 1950's New York City all in one film?! How to Marry a Millionaire is classic old Hollywood cinema from the orchestral suites to the beautiful cinematography of mid-century NYC. I think this is Marilyn Monroe's best film!

"They're three beautiful models, looking for the man and the money of their dreams! Almost broke, they pool their funds to rent a posh Manhattan penthouse in which they plan to lure their victims. But the gold digger's plans suddenly go awry when two of them fall for men who appear to be poor! Trying to stop each other from marrying the wrong guy, Monroe, Grable, Bacall deliver the finest comedic performances of their careers. And they learn that a rich man is actually worthless- unless you're in love with him!"

4. "Tammy, Tammy, Tammy's in love..." Debbie Reynolds glows in as the title character in Tammy and the Bachelor. This is the first of a series of Tammy Movies which later stars the sweet and fiery Sandra Dee. This film co-stars a young and dashing Leslie Nielsen as well and includes one of my favorite scenes in all of the Tammy movies.

"Tammy and the Bachelor: Academy Award nominee Debbie Reynolds stars in this romantic comedy, the first feature in the delightful Tammy series. Meet young Tammy, a homespun Mississippi gal who, in the course of her first extraordinary adventure, teaches a sophisticated bachelor (Leslie Nielsen) about love, an uptight Southern town about fun, and a modern family about happiness."

5. Sandra Dee is delightful as the spirited and opinionated Gidget. This is another first in a series of Gidget movies and later television show, of which my favorite in the series has to be Gidget Goes Hawaiian!

"The original surfer girl gets her own three-film DVD collection, dippy fun from a more innocent time. 1959's Gidget made real surfers nauseated, but it's a kicky movie with some great lounge-era lingo. Sandra Dee, perkiness personified, plays the curious teen who breaks the gender line in surfing. She's also got the attention of surf-happy Moondoggie (James Darren) and the big Kahuna (Cliff Robertson), the latter the prototype of the surf bum who roams the globe in search of the endless summer. The film actually kicked off the great boom in surfing popularity (the Beach Boys and the Beach Party movies followed), much to the chagrin of purists. It was based on a novel by Frederick Kohner, who was inspired by his daughter's experiences."

6. That Funny Feeling is the film in which Bobby Darin (of Beyond the Sea fame) met his future wife Sandra Dee. This is an adorable romantic comedy about a typical case of mistaken identity!

"Sandra Dee stars as Joan Howell, a young and pretty maid-for-hire, who meets and begins dating wealthy New York City businessman Tom Milford (Bobby Darin). Embarrassed about taking him home to her tiny apartment, Joan brings Tom to a swanky apartment she cleans - not knowing it's really his place. Tom carries on the deception until Joan discovers who he really is and sets out to exact sweet feminine revenge in this madcap romantic comedy of mistaken identity."

7. An Affair to Remember is a classic and a must on any romantic comedy list. It's one of the McLain girl's favorites. There is a reason why this movie is quoted and emulated by so many other films! You just have to see it to understand. Oh, and don't forget the tissues!

"In this poignant and humorous love story nominated for four Academy Awards, Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr meet on an ocean liner and fall deeply in love. Though each is engaged to someone else, they agree to meet six months later at the Empire State Building if they still feel the same way about each other. But a tragic accident prevents their rendezvous and the lover's future takes an emotional and uncertain turn."

8. I'm a sucker for a good murder mystery and who does them better than Alfred Hitchcock? Rear Window, with Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart, is at the top of my murder mystery list. I know this is supposed to be a rom-com list but there is a little romance in there too! And, Grace Kelly's style is impeccable!

"Directed by the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is an edge-of-your-seat classic starring two of Hollywood’s most popular stars. When a professional photographer (James Stewart) is confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg, he becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors play out across the courtyard. When he suspects his neighbor of murdering his nagging wife, he enlists his socialite girlfriend (Grace Kelly) to help investigate the suspicious chain of events, leading to one of the most memorable and gripping endings in all of film history."

9. So, I am not a fan of westerns, but John Wayne's McLintock is just so fun and I cannot resist Maureen O'Hara! Ever since watching her in The Parent Trap as a little girl I have loved her as an actress.

"Cattle baron George Washington McLintock fights his wife, his daughter, and political land-grabbers, finally "taming" them all in this Western comedy with Taming of the Shrew overtones."

10. Ah, and finally, Sabrina. I fell in love with Paris before even stepping foot in the city because of this movie. This quote says it all: "I have learned how to live, how to be IN the world and OF the world, and not just to stand aside and watch. And I will never, never again run away from life. Or from love, either."

"Bogie and Holden are the mega-rich Larrabee brothers of Long Island. Bogie's all work, Holden's all playboy. But when Sabrina, daughter of the family's chauffeur, returns from Paris all grown up and glamorous, the stage is set for some family fireworks as the brothers fall under the spell of Hepburn's delightful charms."

Well, there you have it! What are your must watch retro movies when you are home alone on those rare Saturday nights? I would love to expand my film collection!

Happy Watching!

The Vintage Chanteuse

Thirsty Thursday: The Coco Chanel

noreply@blogger.com (jerron.jorgensen) — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 21:23:00 +0000

Hello Vintage-istas!

We're officially in the "Dog Days" of Summer, but today marks the opening of our vintage clothing shop, 5th Street Vintage, in Beatrice, Nebraska! The shop is hosting a "Little Black Dress" party as part of its grand opening, so what better cocktail to choose for this evening than a drink named after the inventress of the great LBD: Coco Chanel!

It's no secret that Coco Chanel's favorite drink was champagne, but because there isn't much mixing involved in whipping up a flute of champagne we had to do a bit of online searching for Coco-tails! There are a number of cocktails named after Coco, but we chose a somewhat obscure version for our series this week. This particular recipe hasn't much of a history to it, but its simple yet decadent nature matches perfectly the character of such a simple woman who led an elegant but complicated life. Coco was not a lady to shy away from adding flair and decadence to everyday life, yet understood when an occasion called for something simple and understated.

With this in mind, let's take a look at our ingredients:

1.5 oz gin
1.5 oz coffee liqueur
1.5 oz half-and-half
Costume jewelry for garnish (yes, you read that correctly!)

Preparation:

Begin by combining gin, a coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua), and half-and-half cream in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously until ice crystals begin to form around the exterior of the shaker. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a piece of costume jewelry! Coco Chanel was a champion of costume jewelry as an affordable substitute for the real thing, so we thought it would be a fitting tribute! If you're not feeling so adventurous, opt for a cherry or a couple of raspberries skewered on a toothpick instead.

Recommended accompaniment:

To accompany your Coco, we recommend "La Javanaise" by contemporary French Singer/Songwriter Madeleine Peyroux. We can't be sure, but something tells us Peyroux's distinctly French, dégager style would have appealed to Coco; it certainly makes us miss France! So enjoy this decadent cocktail and we'll see you again next week!

Until next drink,

Jerron J.