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Tag: Tiki

Happy New Year! The Vintage Inn’s 2015 Year in Review

What a year this has been and how fast it has gone as well. I literally feel like I just started 2015 and now it’s coming to an end. Well the one thing I do know is that 2015 was a busy and fun year and I would love to share with you some of the adventures I got into with you. Here is my 2015 in review.

January: Every year I attend a big German Karneval (mardi gras) function called GAMGA in Las Vegas. It’s 2 days of costume parties, after parties and then a big Gala. It’s super fun and something I have been doing with my parents since I was a kid.

German Mardi Gras in United States

February: I was lucky to be able to attend the premier of the 1940s new Canadian TV show called ‘X Company‘. I have never been part of a premier and it was a cool experience and we even got to meet the host of the event and get our pictures taken with the cast and producers.

X Company TV Show Premier in Toronto

I attend a 1920s Speakeasy party at the famous and beautiful Palais Royale in Toronto.

1920s Speakeasy Party at Palais Royale Toronto

AND I traveled to Seattle, Washington for a long weekend to visit a good friends parents and see uber cool Seattle. I did a blog post all about it HERE.

Seattle Washington first starbucks
In front of the first Starbucks

March: I did nothing really blog post worthy. WHAT?? lol

April: VIVA Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend! I did several posts on that big adventure which can be found HERE.

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend 18

May: Vintage Spectacular Dance with the GTA Swing Band. This was a super night of dancing, dressing up and great Big Band Music. The image below is some of the lovely ladies of TVS and the lead singer of the Band (she is soooo good).

vintage spectacular dance

I was very lucky to be part of a cool experience in May with a favorite Rockabilly band in Toronto called “The Millwinders“. Myself and few friends were filmed dancing in front of a green screen for use for future videos. Here are a couple of pictures from that day.

1950s vintage style
Credit: Kahlil Heslop

Lastly Toronto Lindy Hop (that I’m part of) put on a full weekend of Lindy hop, classes, history lessons and live music dances all weekend long called ‘Toronto World Lindy Hop Day’. I played host and it was such a good weekend 🙂

The images below are with 2 living legends in the Lindy Hop World. Chazz Young the son of one of the founders of Lindy Hop-Frankie Manning (and a talent as well) AND Dawn Hampton the Queen of the Cabaret and a little firecracker (her image is on the shirts we are wearing).

Dawn Hampton and Frankie Manning toronto lindy hop

Summer (June, July and August): I did a full blog post on all the events I attended (tiki party, UK Adventure, Horse race event plus much more), so check that out HERE.

hats and horseshoe event 2015 woodbine racetrack

September: Weekend visit to Havana, Cuba

This was not my first visit to Havana, but this was definitely the first time I visited areas outside of the Old part and it was fantastic. I still have to do a blog post on all the new things I saw but for now here is a collage of some of the highlights.

Havana Cuba

October: Halloween and a friend’s Wedding Reception Toga Party (yes a toga party). For Halloween the hubby and I went as Amazing Race Contestants. The outfits were big hits.

Amazing race costume idea

Toga Party!

toga party costume ideas

November: Swing Out To Victory’. Once again I helped my friend Dean with hosting duties as a third of the beautiful “Dominion Belles”.

Swing out to Victory-1940s vintage outfits
Credit: Kahlil Heslop

The throwing of the candies 🙂

Swing out to Victory-1940s vintage outfits
Credit: Kahlil Heslop

Here I am with 2 friends from the Toronto Vintage Society. Both created their outfits from scratch and Joy on the left, won the best dressed because she recreated the “Swing Time” outfit from the movie with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Toronto Vintage Society Swing out To Victory

Opening of Toronto’s first ‘Shameful Tiki Room‘ (literally around the corner from my apartment). Now one of my local hangouts.

Opening of Shameful Tiki Room Toronto

The official Tiki mug for Shameful. Very Canadian with the Beaver 🙂

Shameful Tiki Room Toronto

I dj’d my first Rock N Roll social dance night for my friends 50s dance studio ‘Soda Pop Hop‘. Such a fun night!

Soda Pop Hop Social Dance Night. Rock N Roll dancing

December: Toronto Vintage Society annual Kitschmas Party. I played host once again at the party and it was another huge success. Here are the winners of the title of Kitschmas King and Queen. Make sure you check out the blog called “Flipsville” because she made these outfits!

Toronto Vintage Society Kitschmas Party

And that my friends is a general overview of my 2015 year. I hope you had a wonderful year and I wish all of you a Happy 2016! Thank you so much for reading my blog and commenting and just being wonderful readers, I love and appreciate each and everyone of you.

Liz 🙂

 

 

“Vintage Tropical Travel Posters”-Time to dream of Hot Vacation Spots and Mai Tai’s

Vintage Travel Poster for a Vacation to the Caribbean from the Caribbean Tourist Association.

Vintage Travel Poster for a Vacation to the Caribbean from the Caribbean Tourist Association.

I have a cold, my office is cold, my apartment is cold and my feet are never warm…welcome to Canada in the winter time and I’m so over it…yup over it! I was actually working on another post for today but then after getting in my cold car in -20 degree (Farenheit) weather for what seems like the millionth time in a row, I realized I need a pick me up if I am to get thru another moment of this weather.

Vintage Photo of a Toronto Snowstorm in the 1950s or 1960s. Image features cars covered in snow and someone shoveling.
Sigh…….     Source: Toronto Archives

So I started dreaming of tropical vacations and drinking Mai Tai’s on a beach somewhere. I then put on Songza and the “Tropical Beach Vacation” station and began to flip thru pictures of places that are warm and sunny on the internet and within minutes I found my mood shifting and I had a smile on my face again. Imagine that!

1940s vintage image of women on a beach in 1940s swimsuits and 1940s hairstyles.
This is me in my head right now

Now I want to share that smile with you friends so here is what I found. Maybe it will help you get out of the winter blues or just put a smile on your face like sandy beaches and warm tropical breezes tend to do.

First up the soundtrack for this post….Harry Belafonte singing “Matilda”. Hit play and scan the images I have shared (and if you are not working, make yourself that tropical drink too). Enjoy!

Tropical Vintage Travel Posters

Hawaii

Ahhh Hawaii..YES PLEASE!

Vintage Hawaii United Air Lines Ad.

Vintage Hawaii United Air Lines Ad featuring a beautiful Hawaiian women illustration.

1960s Hawaii Travel Poster.

Well this looks like fun, I’m in for learning how to surf.

vintage hawaii poster featuring an illustration of a couple surfing.
Source-Poster Connection Blog

Adorable Bikini! But if she falls in that water, you can kiss that beautiful flower goodbye.

1950s vintage Hawaii travel ad for Northwest Airlines.

1950s vintage Hawaii travel ad for Northwest Airlines.
Source: The Simmonds Collections

Jamaica

Well this looks like a fun party in Jamaica!

Jamaica Vintage Travel poster
Source: defharo.com

Get to Jamaica via Delta Air Lines.

Vintage Travel Poster for Jamaica Delta Airlines

Fiji

Now it’s time for the heat of Fiji. “Visit fascinating Fiji..Fly Qantas”

Do you see me in one of those huts with my tiki drink? I do!

Vintage Fiji Travel Poster Ad-Quantas
Source: DP Vintage Posters

My dream destination since I was a little girl playing with Barbie’s was Tahiti. Don’t know why I chose this place, I don’t even know if I even knew what it looked like what I chose this as Barbie’s honeymoon location with Ken. BUT this island has stayed in my mind for so long and I look forward to the day when I do finally get to visit.

Vintage Travel Poster for Tahiti via the Oceanic Steamship Company.

Vintage Travel Poster for Tahiti via the Oceanic Steamship Company
Source: bora bora photos

“Tahiti – Isle of Paradise”.

Vintage Travel Poster for Tahiti
Source: Enjoy Art.com

Mexico

“Fly Easter Air Lines to Mexico”.

I have the perfect skirt for Mexico!

vintage mexico travel ad-Eastern Airlines
Source: defharo.com

Glorious tropical fruit in Mexico. Yummy!

vintage mexico travel poster featuring an illustration of a woman holding fruit and a parrot.
Source: Free vintage posters.com

Antigua, Trinidad and Barbados

“Fly TCA…Trans-Canada Air Lines / Air Canada.

Antigua, Trinidad and Barbados would all be amazing at this exact moment. Checking flight openings as we speak….

Barbados Antiqua Trindad Vintage Travel Poster
Source: phasesphrasesphotos.tumblr.com

Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic a favorite inexpensive travel destination for Canadians.

dominican republic vintage travel poster
I will take that beer..thank you.

Cuba

And last but not least another favorite of Canadians (and I think possibly soon Americans)..CUBA! My husband and I love Cuba (especially Havana) and have been multiple times.

Vintage Havana Cuba travel poster
Havana is the BEST!

The music is just fantastic in Cuba. In Havana my husband and I spent our whole time dancing and drinking but more dancing than drinking was had.

Cuba Vintage Travel Poster

Also if you still have not had enough of these fantastic photos then you can check out a blog post I did on Vintage Acapulco. It has some delightful tropical images as well.

Okay I’m off to go put my feet in hot water now…BRRR!

Stay warm friends! Or stay cool depending on where you live.

Liz

FURTHER READING: You can also check out my archived blog posts on all things Vintage Travel HERE.


Vintage Travel:

Would you like to see a tropical destination yourself? Viator is a TOUR company I have used on several of my trips and they have lots of fun tour options for these amazing cities Take a look at just SOME of the options below!

Note: Viator is an Affiliate Link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Thank you!