In Love in Germany

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

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

A Lovely Weekend for a Wedding Shower

 ~~~~~~ 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!

Wanderlust

I have incurable Wanderlust; my heart longs to travel nearly everyday. My fiancé and I have a travel "bucket list" nearly a mile long! We love to showcase our adventures in our apartment through the use of globes, maps, souvenirs, and photos. With our impending road trip just hours away, I can't help but think on the adventures we have taken together and the gentle reminders of our memories throughout our apartment. 

We have hidden globes in every corner of our apartment, tilted to various geographic locations on our bucket list. Oh, and did I mention we got engaged in Paris?! Hence the overwhelming amount of French poetry books, Eiffel Towers, and overtly romantic pictures of us drinking champagne on the streets of Paris and biking along the French countryside in Versailles.

As a classical musician, I tend to look at life as art and what better way to capture pieces of life's happiness than through photos. I love the idea of being able the change out my photos and a have sense of déjà vu by hanging photos from tiny clothes pins!

And souvenirs, of course! We bought these from a painter outside of La Bohème du Tertre on Montmartre in Paris. 

Since moving to Connecticut, I have garnished a slight obsession with vintage globes and maps! Thank goodness we don't have much room in our apartment, otherwise I would have an entire living room full of globes if I could! 

And lastly, my favorite photo in our apartment: a 1950's painting of Notre-Dame de Paris and a view of the bridge where we were engaged.

I hope these inspire you to find a little wanderlust of your own. Life is about making memories and finding happiness, so go now and plan your next adventure!

Salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse

Weekly Playlist: The Vintage Road Trip

This week is Vintage Road Trip Week at The Vintage Chanteuse! My fiancé and I are road tripping from Connecticut to Nebraska and we are so excited! To get us in the traveling mood I've put together this Vintage Road Trip Playlist!  I can't wait to hit the open road with the windows down, music wafting from the speakers, and the sun warming our spirits. Look out, Nebraska, here we come! 

Salut!

The Vintage Chanteuse