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Diary

Diary | Happily Sipping my Way Through the Kelowna Wine Trails

Oooooooh boy. I can barely contain my excitement. A few weeks ago I trekked to BC’s Okanagan to host a series for Tourism Kelowna and Vitamin Daily. (You’ll find a behind-the-scenes recap here.)

My task? To sip my way along the Kelowna Wine Trails.

First stop: Summerhill Pyramid Winery where I wined and dined with the best of them. (Despite what it looks like, I’m not blowing a kiss to the chef.) Take a look…

Thanks for having me, Tourism Kelowna, Vitamin Daily and Summerhill Pyramid Winery! Thanks again, Bent Matter Productions! Can’t wait for the next instalment!

P.S. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter.

July 26, 2012 by

Style | Behind the Scenes of the Sterling Shoes FW/12 Campaign Shoot

Is there anything more fun than creative directing a fashion campaign? I’m going to go out on a limb (or should I say…out on a window sill?) and say no. Sterling Shoes has been one of my clients since I started Northill a year ago (love working with you guys!) and we just shot our fall/winter campaign a few weeks back.

Above, one of the models chills at photographer Evaan Kheraj’s studio before we went to the location.

In the spring we shot at Vancouver’s Waldorf Hotel — take a look at the behind-the-scenes shots and the finished products — so for this campaign we headed outside…

…to railroad tracks, which, we found out when a train came barrelling through, are still operational.

Then, to get some of that big-sky feel we trekked to wide-open fields in White Rock, which is 45 minutes outside of Vancouver. While a hang glider tried to get off the ground (above left), I was operating a leaf blower/wind machine. To blow a breeze through the model’s dress, that is, not to help the hang glider take flight.

Evaan Kheraj — that’s him in the tree — shot the campaign and Luisa Rino styled it (in the above shot she put the models in a sweater by Kersh, poncho by Press, toques by Lifetime Collective, scarf by Cecile Benac. In the second shot from the top, they’re both wearing sweaters by Press). Negar, who was our makeup and hair artist, created a custom-blended lip colour that was part plum, part blush and all stunning.

I just spent the day going through the photos so I’ll share the in-front-of-the-scenes shots as soon as I can. Man, I love projects that are this much fun to work on.

P.S. I tweet while I’m on location so follow @TheAnthology on Twitter.

July 16, 2012 by

Pinstagram | The lion, the loft and the location

Pinstagram is a mashup of Kelsey Dundon’s Pinterest and Instagram feeds. In other words, the dream and the reality.

Sand on sand on sand & my trip to the beach in White Rock, just outside Vancouver (I was location scouting, which technically makes this work).

Smizing with Melissa Knight and Alicia Quan at the London Drugs Fall Beauty Preview + beautiful, beautiful nail polish polka dots.

A stunning all-white loft & lovely letters at Gastown’s new L’Atelier Home (which I wrote about right here).

My friend Nadia’s garden decor (these things really need to make a comeback) & a colourful little planter box.

The king of the jungle & the queen of my house, who just discovered my desk drawers.

A geometric terrarium at Old Faithful Shop & the coolest way to house an air plant.

P.S. Follow Kelsey Dundon on Pinterest and Instagram.

July 4, 2012 by

Diary | Snapshots and Snippets

Have I ever told you about the time I got an iPhone? It was many, many, many years coming and last week I finally pitched my Blackberry and entered the iWorld. Has my life changed significantly? Well, typing got a tad more difficult, but Instagram entered my life. And that makes me very, very happy. Here’s why.

1. Every cloud has a silver lining. Or so says my favourite new umbrella by Lulu Guinness for Fulton. (Thank you, Fulton!)

2. Meet my two beasts, or at least part of them. She was keeping warm by laying on the heating vent in my office, he was just being a brat.

3. A vintage necklace I got from my sister. Or maybe she got it for herself and I just took it from her. My memory’s a bit hazy.

4. My family’s dog Bear, who stole a head of lettuce right out of the garden and went on the lam.

5. That’s me, learning to use my iPhone.

6. Gorgeous handmade gold cuffs at Frey Wille. (Did you know Vancouver is home to one of only three Frey Wille locations in North America? Neither did I.)

7. As I was scouting locations for a campaign I’m working on, I stumbled upon these beauties in the forest.

8. That time I went on a boat cruise chartered a yacht.

P.S. For pretty things, fun things and behind-the-scenes things, follow Kelsey Dundon on Instagram.

June 19, 2012 by

Diary | Cento Notti Spring Menu Tasting

A few weeks ago my girlfriends and I made ravioli by hand. Have you ever? With all the rolling and filling and mixing, it is the tastiest thing in the world, but very, very time-consuming. I find it’s much easier to have someone else prepare Italian food for you. Especially when that someone else is Paul Marshall, executive chef of Cento Notti.

I went to the spring menu tasting at proprietor John Evans’s home (not pictured: his trillion dollar view of Coal Harbour) and as much as I loved the ahi tuna carpaccio and pan-seared halibut, it reminded me why caprese salad is the best. And it’s hardly time-consuming at all.

May 17, 2012 by

Diary | “My Fat Little Rule Book” Pre-launch Party

It’s been a while since I last attended a reading. In fact, I don’t think I’ve attended one since Roddy Doyle shared a few passages from The Dead Republic, which was so long ago (two years) the book he read from was the old-fashioned kind. You know…made from trees.

But these are different times. Vancouver author Jacquie Somerville (on the right) will soon be releasing My Fat Little Rule Book as an ebook (how techtastic!) and she threw a party in a penthouse suite at the Hotel Georgia to celebrate.

Chic, non? Not unlike her dress, which Roddy Doyle could never pull off.

Clockwise from the top left: my just-back-from-NYC friend Laura, PR pro Lisa Kwong, and fashionistas Alicia Quan, Melissa Knight and Jen Pistor.

[First photo by Rick Chung. (Thanks, Rick!) You’ll find plenty more in his Vancouver Daze column.]

P.S. Join the party — follow @TheAnthology on Twitter!

March 27, 2012 by

Diary | Social Feed x The Anthology + You!

Vancouver’s the biggest small town in the world. And you don’t have to take my word for it — one of the Real Housewives of Vancouver said — and I quote — “Six degrees of separation? In Vancouver it’s, like, two. And it should be legal to marry a first cousin here.”

Ummmm…anyway…Thursday’s Social Feed x The Anthology was proof that everybody in this city knows everybody in this city. Tickets for the dinner hosted by yours truly at the Irish Heather sold out faster than any Social Feed event to date (LOVE you guys!) and it was packed with creative types, design enthusiasts and fashion lovers like (clockwise from top left) Style Council’s Sam Baxter, Jon Becker (with whom I lecture at SFU’s Continuing Studies Program), articling student Annie Stewart, Dave Waterman, Aritzia’s Kelly Moss, AG Hair’s Sam Shamash, Larissa Dundon (my sis), and Bryce Dundon (my bro).

And the bloggarazzi! Clockwise from top left: Edelman PR’s Ashley Walden, A Fashion Love Affair’s Cara Jourdan, Miss Melissa’s Melissa Knight, A Beautiful Life’s Liv Hung, Jugni Style’s Manjot Bains, co-curator of the Museum of Vancouver’s exhibit BhangraMe Naveen Girn, photographer Maurice Li, Anthology contributor Erika Renfrew and Alicia Fashionista’s Alicia Quan.

I loved seeing all of your beautiful faces! Clockwise from top left: Art Institute student Marina Fernandes, Lyndsay Tilston of Tonic Apparel, in the black on the second photo from the top is HootSuite’s Ashley Jane Brookes, and that’s Dress For Success Vancouver board member Liz Sperandeo beside me in the picture on the bottom left. (Eep! I know I’m missing a few of your names — send me an email and I’ll post them promptly!)

I wore a dress by Parker and a vintage necklace I found at the Brooklyn Flea when I was in NYC — I’m told it’s a sample that was made in the 1960s but was never widely launched because it was so difficult to reproduce, which makes it extra special in my eyes. Was it made around the time Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra came out in 1963? I don’t know, but it definitely has an Egyptian influence.

We went a little giveaway crazy! Everyone went home with AG Hair’s Organic Extra Virgin Argan Miracle Oil (love the stuff!), one lucky guest slipped on a sterling silver ring by Vancouver jewelry designer Justine Brooks’ (was tempted to keep it for myself!) and a couple ladies went home with some Jason Wu for Target goodies. Speaking of which, Liz Sperandeo picked the winner of The Anthology’s Jason Wu for Target giveaway and it was…Katya P.! Congratulations!

The best part of the night? A portion of the ticket proceeds went to Dress For Success Vancouver. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Let’s do this again, friends. ‘Twas fun!

P.S. I’ll be posting more photos on The Anthology’s Facebook Diary so give it the old thumbs up!

March 5, 2012 by

Diary | Social Feed x The Anthology

A few shots Vancouver-based travel and lifestyle photographer Maurice Li took at last night’s Social Feed x The Anthology. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for making it such a fun night! I’ll post more pics as soon as I’m back from the board meeting I have to attend first thing this morning (I really should have planned that better).

Thanks, Maurice! Your shots are always my favourite.

P.S. I’ll be posting photos to The Anthology’s Facebook diary too so get your like on.

P.P.S. How many bonus points do I get for matching the ladder, door and dolly in that first picture?

March 2, 2012 by

Diary | Vancouver Fashion Showcase Wrap-Up

By Erika Renfrew

What’d you do on Sunday?  Sip pretty cocktails?  Sample mini cakes?  Or did you perform acrobatics while hanging from the ceiling?  I could never do that last one, but two out of three isn’t bad.

This weekend wrapped up the Vancouver Fashion Showcase, an event spotlighting 30 of the city’s top boutiques and retailers.  This four-day extravaganza began with a gala and runway show at the Vancouver Art Gallery. What comes after the pre-party?  More parties of course. Vancouver Fashion Showcase hosted three days of shopping with styling competitions, industry talks and exclusive discounts.

Sadly, no shopping for me!  I did attend the official wrap-up party at Canvas Lounge.  With giveaways and great music it was a night to mingle with the inspiring individuals involved, like Amy Podrasky (far left) and Marina Fernandes (centre) who volunteered to help plan the fashion shows and dress the models.

Now for the acrobatics.  I watched a strong, elastic-y woman perform an aerial dance.  She was all-smiles as she twirled mid-air; I was holding my breath that she didn’t fall.

Take part in any of the fun this weekend?  If you missed it this time around, consider this an ever-so-gentle nudge.

December 7, 2011 by