Seriously. I wore a light blue sweatshirt with my elementary school’s name across the front. Over a turtleneck. Like every single day. Elementary school kids don’t dress that way any more. They’ve got style.
Case in point: these guys.
I stopped by CTV Morning Live with a busload of stylish students to talk back-to-school fashion. And it was cute overload. See for yourself! You’ll find the clip right here.
Between getting her own pound note and celebrating the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen is having a big year. The Jane Austen Marriage Manual is too. The book by best-selling author Kim Izzo is going to be made into a film (isn’t that every author’s dream?!). I caught up with the author and producer David Cormican to talk speed dating, Frankenstein, that diner scene from When Harry Met Sally and other things that would make Ms. Austen blush.
David, what attracted you to this novel and why did you think it would make a great film?
I know you’re never supposed to do this, but I always buy wine based on its label and a book is no different. The cover was really clever and inviting. Once I started reading it, I felt like I was reading a screenplay. The characters just leapt off the page and I could see the whole movie lay out before me. Kim’s writing is very cinematic and theatrical and the more I read, the more I wanted to explore and share this world with other people.
What did Kate learn from Jane Austen that we should all take note of?
Kim: She learned, to paraphrase Elizabeth Bennet, that only the most ardent love would and should entice her, and any woman, into matrimony.
David: I’m not sure if this is what Kate learns, or if I did as a reader through her eyes… but that romantic love is a privilege that most people never earn and we can only hope that we all have the foresight and courage to see it (and even more importantly accept and embrace it) when it is right in front of us!
If Jane Austen were to have actually written a marriage manual, what would she say to those navigating today’s speed-dating, “chivalry is dead” world?
Kim: Run, don’t walk, to the nearest exit.
David: Be discriminating. An attractive flirt is not necessarily the best relationship material. Take the time to see how compatible you are and don’t give in to desperation. Be brave enough to hold out for someone you can really love — and that also holds the door for you.
Some of the most brilliant, career-driven women I know (like Kate) are big Jane Austen fans. Why do you think her tales of unmarried sisters with inheritance anxiety endure?
Kim: I’m not sure its the anxiety bit that endures, but the romance. Austen’s novels are gorgeous romances filled to the brim with rogues and dark and brooding strangers. Most women are suckers for it. But, there is also a part of all of us, that wish for a home to call our own, and some security. The world is increasingly a harsh, cold place, having some protection from the “elements” is more than an Austen fantasy, it is a necessity.
David: I feel like I should step back and let Kim answer this one. But if I was forced to answer, I’d say because it is brilliant story telling that speaks to the human condition. Much the same that Shakespeare has endured the test of time.
The Jane Austen Marriage Manual has been called a great beach read. What’s in your beach bag?
Kim: I seem to be a year behind! I finally just read The American Heiress and The Chaperone, two of last summer’s big reads, and adored them. But I’ve got my hands on a copy of The Other Typist and can’t wait to dive into it next.
David: Right now, I’m reading High, by Brian O’Dea. It’s nothing short of gripping. Brian tells all about his life as one of the world’s largest drug smugglers. Once I finish those pages, I’ll be reading Julius Winsome by Gerard Donovan. It was passed on to me by my producing friend in Vienna (Austria).
The Jane Austen Marriage Manual movie has romantic comedy written all over it. If you could Frankenstein your favourite rom coms together, which films would you get the pieces from?
Kim: Good question. The overall tone would be Notting Hill meets Bridget Jones’ Diary, with costumes from The Tourist (yes, seriously, check out Angelina in those clothes!).
David: Oh boy! This is a fun exercise. I’m not sure what any movie would end up looking like with all these franken-elements, but here goes: I’ve always loved The soundtrack from High Fidelity, the cast from Bridget Jones’s Diary, the costumes from Moulin Rouge, the lesson learned in Click the muppets and marketing campaign of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the performances from Hitch, the dialogue and dance sequence from Silver Linings Playbook, the heartbreak from (500) Days of Summer, the honesty of Knocked Up, the evergreen nature of Love Actually, the playfulness of Pretty Woman, the design of Moonrise Kingdom, the quotability of The Princess Bride, the saturation of Amelie and the desserts/diner scene from When Harry Met Sally!
P.S. Follow @KimIzzo, @C0rmican and @TheAnthology on Twitter.
Camping is fun when you do it for real. (Especially if you’re on the stunningly beautiful Oregon Coast.) Turns out, camping’s also fun when you fake it in studio.
I loaded up my station wagon with luxe camping essentials (hello campfire waffle irons!) and camped out at CTV Morning Live. Watch the clip (or re-watch it, mom) right here.
P.S. Charge your iPhone on your camp stove and follow @KelseyDundon on Instagram.
Bright and early Thursday, August 8th I’ll be on CTV Morning Live discussing one of my favourite subjects: camping. But not the kind of instant oatmeal-eating camping you did as a kid. I’ll be armed with glamping necessities like a portable espresso machine, a hand-cranked blender and a stove that charges your iPhone. You know — for when you really want to unplug and get away from it all.
Don’t forget to set your PVR, mom!
I have a serious sweet tooth. How many times have I tried to cut sugar out of my diet? I don’t even want to count.
Thankfully I’m not attempting any of that nonsense at the moment. Made in small batches right here in Vancouver, 1UP Caramels look seriously delicious (shout out to the pear cardamom!) and they’ll be having a pop-up event at The Barefoot Contessa on Main Street every weekend in August. The thought gives me a big sweet-toothy grin.
You’ll find the details here.
The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Kelsey Dundon’s Instagram photos of places and faces in and around Vancouver).
Coulda woulda shoulda. An outfit I would wear and an outfit I did wear (with a bracelet c/o of Sarah Cameron and a clutch made of a vintage Bay blanket c/o Identity).
Hiking buddies. We couldn’t find hiking boots that fit feet that small, but she didn’t need ’em anyway. A lake that looks like it could be in British Columbia, but unlike the one I was trekking around, isn’t.
Green prints two ways. One a little more grown up than the other (from babyGap).
Signs of summer. The second-best berry (raspberries will forever have my heart) and summer blockbusters (which I never actually go to. Do you?).
Cups runneth over. A delicious beet and citrus palate cleanser at The Bird’s Nest and some palate-pleasing cocktails.
P.S. There are more photos where these came from so add The Anthology on Facebook.
Eye cream’s all about texture as far as I’m concerned. I’m not a fan of the ultra thick creams. And I’ve never tried an oil around my eyes but I can’t imagine loving it. Gels, though. Gels are where it’s at.
This one by Racinne feels like you’ve sat for 15 minutes with cucumbers over your eyes like I used to think people did at the spa. Does it make me look like I don’t have a baby girl waking me up all night? I’ll keep you posted.
When you have a new baby you spend a lot of time reading random articles at 4am. Or at least I do. So I thought I’d share a few of my favourite finds of (very, very) late.
Questlove on the games he plays: Salon.
And you thought you didn’t like eggplant: Allie’s Always Hungry.
Too embarrassed to ask your hairdresser for Hanson highlights? Into the Gloss.
The cardboard box crib and other details of the impending royal birth: The Cut.
I know, I know, you’re already on a million mailing lists but this sounds really cool: Daily Candy.
P.S. Rather look at pretty pictures? Follow @KelseyDundon on Instagram.
A post in collaboration with Superdry.
I don’t own a boat (because really, who does?) but every now and then friends of mine like to charter a yacht (okay fine: go on a boat cruise). Since every sailor should be well prepared, I picked eight sea-worthy pieces from Superdry that would work even if the yacht you’re chartering is the Explorer 200.
1. For your inspiration: a shot I took from the ferry as I was en route to a consulting gig on Vancouver Island.
2. Super sporty sunny G’s to protect your peepers.
3. A romper that I’d romp in all summer long. Even on dry land.
4. A dance dress, which has a slightly longer hem for a change of pace.
5. A catamaran where I spent the day in Maui.
6. A striped bag to tote all your sunscreen, magazines and other waterside essentials.
7. Sunset at Jericho Beach.
8. Boat shoes, duh.
9. My favourite picnic spot at Spanish Banks, where you can wave to all your seafaring friends.
10. A jacket because we all know how unpredictable the weather can be on the open seas.
11. A nautical striped tank with a sunshine-coloured pocket.
12. A top from Superdry women’s swimwear line, because a bikini is the perfect summer base layer.
