I was trying to think of a clever title for this blog post, a play on words, but well, nothing came to mind but the words "social distancing spring cleaning checklist" because this post is exactly that, no need to add extra fluff I suppose! It is Monday, March 16th and for the past couple of days I have been habitually reading the news waiting for updates from Oregon's governor, Kate Brown, to pull the plug on all non essential shops/businesses to close. An announcement is suppose to be made today about bars and restaurants, not sure if that will include retail. ...

So much feminine style inspiration can be found from vintage photos of women and we're especially drawn to everyday style and clothing worn by women from the 1930s and the 1940s. The 1940s was a huge historical turning point for women's fashion. Women began to take on jobs that men traditionally held due to World War II and their garments both had to be functional and still be presentable. Perhaps this is the reason we are so drawn to this era for clothing. The women of the 1940s were spirited, resourceful, and still appeared feminine while honestly kicking major ass. These women are...

Could it really have been 12 years since you last saw your Aunt June? Over a decade ago you were still in middle school worrying about if anyone would notice your new pastel glitter nail polish. Walking up the white wooden steps to the front door of your aunt's house made those years so close and yet so faraway. Your eyes take in the wide sweeping front porch where a wicker table decorated with a faded peach floral tablecloth was dappled in sunshine and two matching wicker chairs with floral cushions that had seen better days rested, beckoning you to "Come, sit...

Whenever we do shoots at Adored Vintage, we always make a little time to snap a few quick photos out and about in Portland. Usually the shoots are just the model and myself and we hop into my car and drive through the streets of Portland looking for a pretty alley or street or door to perch in front of. Then snap, snap, snap...we out! These photos of Michaela was a day as I described above. I love spending time and getting to know all the different models we work with and Michaela has definitely become an extended member of the...

The oldest French perfume houses are that of Guerlain founded in 1828 by Pierre-Francois Guerlain and Molinard founded in 1848 and who had Queen Victoria as one of their devoted clients. Perfume and the use of essential oils dates as bar back to the ancient Egyptians who used it for religious rituals. In the 1650s, perfumed gloves became all the range in France probably due to the fact that Catherine Medici was quite a fan of them in her native Florence and brought them with her when she married the future king of France, Henry II.   France is known the world over...

Hello! Hello! C'est moi, Rodellee, owner and founder of Adored Vintage back again with another Shop Scenes post! This month has been a busy little month for us here at Adored Vintage so I'm glad I was able to squeeze in some photo taking at the shop this week. I've changed up the layout just a bit again because, truthfully, I get a bit bored with scenes and settings and I think changing up the shop often is a good way to ensure new energy flows in the space. Not to be too woo-woo or anything, but when things stay stagnant...

It will be no surprise to you that flowers is where I draw much of the inspiration for Adored Vintage as well as art and fashion history. I love paintings that depict flowers, women, landscapes, and interiors. So when any combination of these things are in a painting, I am instantly smitten.  Below are some beautiful paintings mostly from the 19th century of women florists or just women with flowers. As Christian Dior said, "After women, flowers are the most divine creations..."    Both paintings above are by French painter Victor Gabriel Gilbert who loved to paint market scenes and everyday life in Paris.  The Language...

A pleasure garden, in essence, is a place dedicated to the enjoyment of aesthetic beauty. Since ancient Rome, humans have understood the importance of experiencing nature and it's inherent link to one's health and happiness. The installment, or at simply preservation, of public parks in towns and cities has been a public need for many a millennia, though the celebration of the "pleasure garden" didn't see its full fruition until the 18th and 19th centuries.  During this time, the aristocracy throughout Europe luxuriated in their soaring wealth by designing elaborately planned, man-made gardens around the palaces, manors, villas and castles in...

Oh goodness, it's a brand spanking new year dearies and this is my very first blog post of a brand spanking new decade! I didn't really have any sort of plans on what to post, other than I felt like doing a blog post today of the happenings around the Adored Vintage brick & mortar shop here on a rainy, drizzly, grey January day. Maybe you're asking yourself how's our little vintage women's clothing boutique doing in Portland. Ahhh... time will tell. But so far, we're having a lot of fun as these photos may suggest. (Isn't this photo of me...

This week we've been doing a bit of light reading on gardening, tending to flowers and arranging bouquets, and were reminded of one surprising and inspiring individual named Constance Spry. Born in 1886 and raised in Ireland, young Constance grew to be an engaging, intelligent, boundary-pushing and accomplished woman with a distinctly creative eye for beauty.  Her Style Constance dressed the part of a typical, conservative mother and housewife of the 1920s, though she was anything but. Constance's clothing did evolve into more tailored and simply elegant outfits over the decades, yet it was in her artistic outlet, flower arranging,...

There is that specific week between Christmas and New Year Day when I don't know what day it is, the date, and I'm not keenly aware of the time. All I know is time is both passing quickly by and yet seemingly not passing at all.  This is the week where I spend many hours reflecting on the year that was. I think through each season, relive memories, recount the days and the lessons learned from mistakes. I think of the people I've crossed paths with, some just once, but it made an impact on my life.  I think of...

Ode To Virginia Intellectual, curious and entirely unique, Virginia pioneered a new age of modern literature in which women were to be respected and revered just as highly as their male contemporaries, if not more. Her best known works include "Mrs. Dalloway", "To The Lighthouse", and "Orlando". Perhaps more famously, she penned the feminist essay "A Room of One's Own" from which she is often quoted for the revolutionary opinion, "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.", thus sparking a idea for independence in her readers throughout the world for generations...