I Love... Retro Lamps

One of my favourite obsessions? Retro lamps of course! Whether it's 50's, 60's, 70's or even modern with a vintage twist, I can't get enough of a room with awesome, eye-catching lighting.

Here are a few gorgeous lamps I would love in my own home. Which is your favourite?

1. A truly Mad Men-worthy atomic lamp.

2. A multifaceted retro table lamp.

3. This quintessentially "atomic era" lamp with starburst shade.

4. A bright and fun aqua rocket lamp.

5. So cute for a side table! This Gooseneck-style double lamp with fibreglass shades.

6. A funky and oh so Sixties, mod orange ceiling light fixture.

7. A retro-lovers dream: A Floral Lamp with 2 tier fibreglass shade.

8. The prettiest light I've ever seen. A luxurious Gold/Lucite Starburst Wall Fixture.

9. So dreamy. This Set of 2 Pastel Blue Midcentury Lamps.

10. Picture this above your bed, all lit up for night time! A Vintage Pink Headboard Lamp.

All these finds are from Etsy! 

And believe me, there are so many more styles. 

I could go on and on, but these ones are keepers for sure. 

Have a happy Tuesday my darlings!

Marissa

CharmingShop

My July in Photos Continued

So the other day I told you a little about how summer has been treating me, and the post got so long and filled with tonnes of photos, I decided to break it up into two parts. The first section was more about special events this month has brought. Today is more of lifestyle oriented. Summer always brings changes.

Summer always makes me want to go thrifting. As soon as warm weather hits, Garage Sales are open for business every weekend. I don't get out as often as I'd like to, but the finds I've come across these past few times were so lovely it more than makes up for my poor attendance lately. But you know what? Things are about to change, and my retro bargain hunting is in for quite the shift. I have special shop plans in the works. A vintage addition to CharmingShop?! Yes, please!

Taking it easy has been so important to me. Yes, I'm rushing around trying to make my Shop just perfect for it's Farmers Market debut this weekend, but I still take time to breathe and get outside. Winnipeg summers don't stick around for very long. You can blink and BAM, it's Fall again. I like to be outside when the sun is setting. My mom and I put these lights up at her house this year, and sitting underneath them just before dark is such a treat. I hope you're all relaxing too.

I told myself I would wear dresses this summer, and I definitely have been. I bought a few in the spring that I knew would carry me through a few seasons, and I just adore how easy they are to wear. Sometimes when you're working from home it's hard to pull yourself together. It's easy to spend the whole day in pjs or just not put your makeup on one day (or maybe a whole week.) I've been trying so hard to really discover my style this summer. I don't want to feel like I wasted my warm weather clothing, and be disappointed when Fall and Winter roll around and I have to break out the parka. 

I've been eating a lot of salads this summer, and I'm totally okay with that! Heat can make you sluggish, but I find a good variety of vegetables in your meals gives you an awesome energy boost. I need it to stay awake and active, because my days are long and filled with a million things to do. Have you been eating any yummy dishes?

Thanks for reading, and I hope you've had a good start to the week!

Marissa

CharmingShop

New CharmingShop Prints Available Now!

Thanks for being so patient with me these past few months. It's been a rough road, but receiving sweet comments about how adorable the prints are really pushed me along! So thank you to everyone who left me little notes of love. And even if you didn't and you secretly loved them, thanks to you too! No need to wait for one more second though. They're finally here! All of my prints are now available in my Etsy shop, CharmingShop. I'm so thrilled to be able to bring these to you. I'm planning on hanging each one up in my own home, because I'm just so in love with how "charming" they are. Which one is your favourite? Do you like the Fashion Collection or the Retro Home Collection?

 I hope you love them, my dears! Goodnight!

Marissa

CharmingShop

My July in Photos

Hey guys, I haven't been posting as much lately, but I hope you're really enjoying your summer. I bet you've been just as busy as I have. Yes it's true I haven't gone anywhere special this year, but I've been keeping busy here in Winnipeg. Here is the story of my July through photos.

The first real marker of July for me is my Mom's birthday. Yeah I know, Canada Day on July 1st should be, but I didn't do anything this year, so three days later, my mom's birthday came around and we definitely celebrated! I spent the day with her at the English Gardens at our local park. It was a beautiful, boiling hot day. Later we went out for dinner and ate incredible food, and then went home for a quiet summer evening of cake and visiting. (No pictures of Mom, sorry! I like to keep some things a tad private. I hope you understand.)

The next big thing in my life right now is my artwork. I've been working so hard to finish everything up for you guys. I have a five week spot in the Farmers Market coming up on July 27th, so I've been preparing down to the last detail. And not just my artwork - my jewellery and little crafty extra too. The good news is I'm essentially ready for CharmingShop's big public debut, and I will be adding all my prints to the shop TODAY, so I'll make a big announcement on the blog later on in the day.

To get the full effect, I've added a couple of my boyfriends photos for this next section. Hooray, It's Wai's Birthday party and our Five Year Anniversary. Yes, we started dating five years ago on his 29th birthday. We went to the movies for our very first date. We saw Get Smart. Ever since then we've been inseparable. I'm lucky to be sharing my life with this man. He's amazing, talented and thoughtful. Our life together is more than I every could've hoped for. This year we celebrated him turning 34 and us being together for another year by going out for a sushi date and seeing Despicable Me 2. It was hard to choose a movie, because there are so many good ones out right now, but we were in the mood for easy laughs. Sometimes that's really all you need. He's had 3 birthday parties in the last couple of weeks. One with his family at the park, one with mine and of course our own family bday (us two and our little cats.) We certainly make sure we milk the Birthday spirit in our family. We like to keep the party going!

Now I have noticed I have way too many photos to share with you lovelies, so I'm going to continue the summer stories another day. Maybe I'll have more to share by then!
How is your summer going? Did you go on any awesome road trips? Have you headed to the beach yet?

See you in a while for an update on my Print when they go up in the Shop!
Lot's of Love!


Marissa
CharmingShop

Great Summer Sales - Fashion I'm Obsessing Over!

I am so obsessed with summer fashion lately. The prints this year are seriously out of control in a great way! I would love to add each and every one of these pieces to my closet. Oh yes! 

Okay I know, I know. I ended on unlucky number 13. Sorry guys. But what if I told you absolutely ALL of these items are on sale right now? And not just a "few dollars off" pitiful sale. They're way cheaper than normal! I thought I'd pass on these great deals, because I love you guys so much.

Which one is your fav? I'm totally drooling over that ModCloth 50s inspired shell crop top. Just incredible!

1. Dani in Black by B.A.I.T. Footwear

2. ASOS Hanging Spike Head Band

3. Constance Dress in Peach/Mint by Dear Creatures

4. Light the Way Dress from Modcloth

5. Queen for a Day Dress from Modcloth

6. Seashell of the Ball Top from Modcloth

7. Nana in Blush by B.A.I.T. Footwear

8. Glass Half Full Wallet from Modcloth

9. Friend of Mine Dress by Finders Keepers

10. Venture Dress by Dear Creatures

11. Static and Apartment Dress from Modcloth

12. ASOS Bra Top In Retro Daisy Print

13. Know What I Mean Flat in Pink from Modcloth

See, that wasn't unlucky AT ALL. Happy shopping ladies! While you're on the web, check out my Instagram (link button on the side of my blog.) I'm getting prepared to make my 6 Retro Collection art pieces into prints! I'm way too excited to see how they turn out! Are you? Give me a shout and let me know which one is your favourite! I need to know how many to make, and you know... there are some contests in the works!

Marissa xo

CharmingShop

A Quick Shop Update

Hello everyone, just checking in on this regular ol' Monday. I've been busy working online today, doing some tidying up around CharmingShop. I thought I'd let you know what's going on around the shop, before I get back to my market plans. (Have you seen my recent Instagram posts on the prints that will soon be available? If not, head on over there!) I just went through my shipping prices and did some well overdue price-chopping for your benefit. I want you guys to enjoy my work and if I can lower my prices just a tad, I will. Plus all my CharmingShop stock will be coming with me to my upcoming markets, so if there's something you've been eyeing, buy it now while you still can! Or if you're local, give me a shout and you can come down and see your favourites in person on those sale days. Yay! Get over to CharmingShop straight away while those items are still available. I see that jewellery and artwork of mine moving out and new rolling in, in the coming months. Get em while you still can!

Lots of Love as always!

Marissa

CharmingShop

I Love... Retro Snack Containers!

It's so hot here in Winnipeg lately. Too hot to cook, so tonight we're just having a vegetable tray and snacks for dinner. Thinking about what to serve tonight really put me in the mood to share a vintage love of mine with you. Can you guess? Oh, I see you already spotted that title at the top. Well yes, it's RETRO CONTAINERS! Oh how they hold a special place in my heart. These are a few gems I stumbled upon recently on Etsy. Pretty amazing, right?

1. The cutest Numbered Snack Bowl.

2. I am totally in love with this bright orange-red Mod Bowl Set.

3. Funky Olive Green Stacked Snack Container. I need this in my life for sure.

4. These sweet Tiki-esque Hawaiian Flower Cup Holders have a snack dish attached!

5. The ultimate Anchor Hocking Chip and Dip Bowl Set. My favourite!

6. A Retro Stacked Snack Container to hold four kinds of treats to nibble on. Yum!

7. These wooden bowls are always a classic staple! 

Too bad these ones are spoken for, but don't worry. Similar styles are easy to find. 

My family always had a set out, filled with assorted nuts and homemade trail mix.

8. This aqua pear-shaped dish would look lovely sitting out for your next party. Don't you think?

9. I'd be one happy camper to have my glass sit in one of these floral personal snack trays. You can rest your snacks around your drink! So smart. 

Alright fancy ladies and gentlemen! Now that you know all about awesome partywear from the 50s through the 70s, you're probably itching to host your own summer-worthy backyard barbeque or poolside picnic. Invest in some cute party dishes to make your get-together the party no one could ever forget! You won't be able to stop people from inviting themselves over this season when you've got a pantry packed with retro containers and summer snacks. 

I hope you enjoyed these finds as much as I do. Have a fabulous weekend, friends!

Marissa xo

CharmingShop