Creating a Happy, Colorful, Handmade Home & life on the shores of lake superior

January 26, 2017

VQ Hepburn MK II: A Bluetooth Radio with Vintage Vibes

VQ Hepburn MK II: A Bluetooth Radio with Vintage Vibes

I've had a chance to review the VQ Hepburn MK II radio for the past few months and it is just the cutest thing ever!  I was expecting more of a turquoise, but the vintage-inspired teal green that came in the mail has definitely grown on me (it photographs much more blue). 

VQ Hepburn MK II: A Bluetooth Radio with Vintage Vibes

Even though Hubby and I both love music (really, though, is there anyone who doesn't?), we hadn't gotten around to buying a radio, even though it was on our wish list.  In the truck we splurge on an annual satellite radio membership because commercial-free music makes our hour long drive into town so much more fun.  In the lakehouse, though, we were listening to the commercial-free music channels on TV.  Those channels served the purpose for inside, but outside we were stuck with Hubby's old radio from 100 years ago.  Because the CD player was broken, we were limited to a few local radio stations and, frankly, silence is better than the jibber jabber and endless commercials - it's just not what we want to listen to when we're chilling out by the lake. 

We just couldn't decide what kind of radio to buy, because the options were dizzying.  We kept putting off the decision, as we too often do when we feel overwhelmed.  When VQ reached out, I was thrilled to discover a new-to-me brand offering a radio that ticked off all of the boxes for me:  easy to use, vintage styling, and great battery life - delivered right to my door! 

VQ Hepburn MK II: A Bluetooth Radio with Vintage Vibes

VQ makes different models with different features but the Hepburn MK II has been perfect for us.  It can play AM/FM stations - if I ever have an inexplicable urge to listen to an afternoon of Metallica while trying to win a cruise - but it also connects via Bluetooth to other devices, meaning we can easily access the playlists on our phones. 

VQ Hepburn MK II: A Bluetooth Radio with Vintage Vibes
 
I was really impressed with the Bluetooth connectivity - as opposed to a style that requires you to dock a phone - because it's great for parties.  After Hubby's holiday work party this year, some of his friends came over to our hotel room because we had the snazzy sunken living room.  Hubby's terrible music was immediately jettisoned and someone else quickly substituted their favorite playlist, without having to dock their phone - and risk leaving it behind by accident.  Better still, compatibility wasn't an issue - any phone with Bluetooth connects and the range is incredible.  I think the fact that we could easily connect a new device at 3am after imbibing way too much speaks volumes about the ease of use. 

VQ Hepburn MK II: A Bluetooth Radio with Vintage Vibes

Perhaps my only complaint is that the speakers could be louder.  You can definitely crank up the tunes inside - and when we're hanging out by the fire pit it's just right - but I was hoping for something with a little more oomph.  For a petite little radio the sound quality is amazing though, and because the battery lasts such a long time it's easily transportable.  But it's not the kind of radio you can drive away neighbors with - just saying.  If you're in the market for a cute little radio for home or the office and are after something that looks as good as it sounds, I recommend checking out VQ.  It's a UK company but they've moved into other countries, including Canada, and lots of retailers carry their products now - and you can even find it on Amazon!     

This post was sponsored by VQ but I was not encouraged or prompted to provide a positive review - all thoughts and opinions are my own. 
SHARE:

July 12, 2013

Zooey Deschanel in Person + Other Goodness

I've been a little stressed out about selling the townhouse and finishing up my dissertation but luckily, what seems like ages ago, Hubs and I bought wristbands for an outdoor music festival happening in Ottawa right now.  With the prospect of carrying two mortgages looming, we're in serious penny pinching mode so I'm so happy we had this little treat all paid for, just waiting for us.  Around here we often joke about Past-us looking out for Future-us, like the time we went away for a trip and I hid the key to the filing cabinet inside the spare toilet paper roll in the bathroom.  Past-me knew Future-me would forget where I put it, but knew that Future-me would eventually reach for the spare roll and, voila, the key!  Past-me somehow knew I'd need a little fun right now.  We've been going almost every night and it's been such a sweet way to cap off a day. 

The teenager that dwells within me is super excited I got to see Weezer (of course, I've only been a fan since I was 10).  We also saw The Black Keys, Dixie Chicks, and Mother Mother, in addition to Hub's favorites - what Jessica Day refers to as "computer music".  Speaking of New Girl, last Friday saw us ankle deep in mud to hear She & Him and they were fabulous.  I was wowed by how much energy Zooey has, plus her voice is so much more powerful live than in their music videos.  And she wore a pretty dress.

Photo from the Ottawa Sun
Photo from the Ottawa Sun
Photo from Ottawa Citizen Bluesfest Digital Lounge
Photo from Ottawa Citizen Bluesfest Digital Lounge

I actually bought a pretty dress of my own with the She & Him concert in mind.  When we last went to the States I bought a few dresses (I live in summer dresses), and when I bought this one I said to Hubby, "I'm totally wearing this for Zooey!"

Embroidered Dress

But then it rained and it was a muck-party by the time She & Him hit the stage.  I ended up wearing my weirdo-attracting orange dress (this one), not caring if I ruined it.  Of course it survived.  And it hasn't lost its mojo, Hubby is my witness.  The flats I wore serve as proof of my fandom.  I waded to the muckiest area to get super close, at which point my shoes ensured as much mud as possible gushed in.  Totally worth it.


Oh yeah, and on our way to Weezer, I spotted this lovely vintage chair curbside.  With a move looming, Hubby has been even more reluctant to facilitate my garbage-picking but I convinced him to help me shove this in the car and we made it to the concert only slightly dusty.  It's a project, for sure . . . 


Such a swell week.  I needed this.  Check here to see if you're having a swell week and are the winner of my giveaway with Olive Leaf Stencils.  Happy weekend!!
Read more »
SHARE:

March 22, 2013

Say it ain't so . . .

Google Reader is going the way of the dinosaursDo you use it?  How will you be following along with your favorite blogs?  Here are a few ideas, but is there anything I can do to make stopping by the townhouse a little simpler?  You can currently keep up with what's new a few different ways, including email subscription, linky followers, etc.  But let me know if there's something else!  I've heard bloglovin' is fabulous.  You can use it to follow your favorite blogs by clicking here.


I have to admit, Pinterest has become my first stop when I take my morning coffee break and troll the internet in search of eye candy.  I'm reading fewer blogs now than I used to (although I'm still reading lots!), and reliant on Pinterest for so much, from a daily giggle to crock pot recipes to decor inspiration.  I only washed our bedroom pillows recently because I read about it on Pinterest.  This is terrible, not just because our pillows had never previously been washed (I thought the stuffing would bunch!) but because Pinterest, as Emily pointed out, is an idea collector, not generator.  The idea generators need my support, and not just in the form of traffic from Pinterest.

Image Source

To ease the guilt, I'm going to start to clean up my Pinterest boards.  These days, most things I pin are from an original (or pretty good) source and I'm getting in the habit of checking the source before I repin too, but my Pinterest boards have lots of poorly pinned pics from when Pinterest was new(er) to me.  I'd like to tidy them up, so they all link back to original sources and give people credit where credit is due!  To help find the original source of an image, AV (from long distance loving) introduced me to this bookmarklet, which can track down the original source of an image.  Neat!

Image from Long Distance Loving

If you're going to spend a little time lazily ogling cleaning up your Pinterest account, here's a little mellow background music for you: an amazing cover of Weezer's Say it ain't so by Sarah Blackwood and Emily Bones.  These gals can sing!  I get goosebumps.   

 
Happy weekend!
Read more »
SHARE:
© Dans le Lakehouse | All rights reserved.
See What Inspires Me on Pinterest