Puttin' the "age" in "vintage", the "old" in "old navy", the "seasoning" in "Mrs. Dash".

In high school, I worked in the dining facilities of a retirement community. It was one of the most amazing job experiences I've ever had... First, there was Paul, who refused to show anyone his arms. I learned why when I delivered dinner to his room one night when he wasn't feeling well enough to come down to the dining room. He answered the door in his "underwear" (a wifebeater), because he was expecting the usual male food deliverer, and was completely mortified that I was exposed to all of the WWII pin-up girls tattooed all up and down his arms. Then there was Edith, who was charming, lighthearted, and of very simple tastes, and if you asked her to, even though she barely could, she would show you the Charleston that people in her neighborhood used to pay her to see. One of my very favorites, Bessie, celebrated her 111th birthday in the dining room with near the same number of close friends and relatives. Her mother had been a slave; a fact which both made Bessie seem extraordinarily old, but also made the barbarous practice seem extraordinarily recent.

So, when I found out about the blog Advanced Style, you can understand why I went completely over the moon for it. In pictures, the reasons why Advanced Style is lovely, amazing, the bees' knees and a complete inspiration (and the next recipient of B'love).