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.
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.
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).
Take a seat. The Bird’s Nest, one of my favourite underground restaurants, has the feel of a Parisian apartment. I would just as happily pull up a half-painted chair at Hally’s in London.
Florals and flourishes. A bouquet from the Flower Factory (thanks Alexa!) and a romantic Valentino dress.
Lovey dovey. A wall statement at The Cross Interior Design and a dove grey print by Ashely Goldberg.
Black and yellow. One of the cutest things I saw the other day at Metropolis at Metrotown and one of my favourite Alexander McQueen dresses of all time.
A walk in the park. The spot where the kid and I do our Fit for Two workouts and a pair of sandals which are also McQueen, because, well, heck. What’s the point of filling your imaginary closet if it’s not with beauties like these?
P.S. There are more photos where these came from so add The Anthology on Facebook.
Claire writes:
I am visiting Vancouver for a few days from Australia and I want to explore some gorgeous stylish boutiques. I like your style so thought you might be able to recommend some?
Why yes, yes I can. These 16 only-in-Vancouver shops are just a few of my many, many favourites.
Main Street
Vincent Park, it’s tiny and it’s packed with collections you don’t often see in Vancouver.
Umeboshi, a shoe box-sized shoe store.
Eugene Choo for clothes and their Annex for accessories.
Gastown
LYNNsteven, which has one of the coolest change rooms you’ve ever seen — made of books.
The Block, a cornerstone of the district for years.
Secret Location, where this photo was taken.
One of a Few, which you could say is one of a kind.
Charlie and Lee, the coolest!
Yaletown
The Cross, long one of my favourite decor stores (and now a client of mine).
Espace d., modern, minimalist home accessories.
Basquiat, for gorgeous clothes.
South Granville
Oliver and Lilly’s, where I interviewed designer Heidi Merrick.
Peridot, for homeware that probably won’t fit in your suitcase but is worth checking out anyway.
Kits and Point Grey
Rebecca Bree, who gave us this look inside her shop when it first opened.
Gravity Pope, which is packed with shoes galore.
Happy shopping!
P.S While you’re in Vancouver — or even if you live here — these 29 delightfully touristy things make for a fun weekend.
P.P.S. Find answers to your most burning questions like Shannon’s What to wear on TV? Meg’s How do you start out as a copywriter? Tara’s How do you make your blog look better? Emilie’s How do you gain exposure? And Shona’s How do you do it?
P.P.P.S. Have a question you’d like a reeeeeally long answer to? Send it to KDundon@TheAnthology.ca
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).
Blushing. A bouquet from the lovely folks at Talk Shop Media and a peek into Julian Schnabel’s colourful home.
Wrap it up. A gift for my bebe from my friends (and Northill clients) at The Cross Decor and Design and a brilliant lace and craft paper wrap job out of Sweet Paul Magazine.
A fresh take. I have yet to open Gwyneth Paltrow’s latest cookbook but I’m confident it’s packed with fruits and veg, not unlike this watermelon and leaves print, which you can order here.
18 karat. A view of a gold-banded sunset at Jericho Beach and gold-leaf cuffs.
P.S. There are more photos where these came from so add The Anthology on Facebook.
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).
Earned stripes. My favourite striped Topshop maternity dress and a shirt that would look great on my baby girl once she outgrows all her onesies.
Faster than a… The world’s speediest (and blurriest) Jack Russell Terrier puppy and another kind of speedy beast, this time in wallpaper form.
Good enough to eat. A gourmet bakery-made Pop-tart from Vancouver’s Bigsby the Bakehouse and gilt Oreos.
Mirror mirror. A quiet corner of my living room (lamp from Pottery Barn, mirror from The Cross in Vancouver) and stunning(ly expensive) mirrored pitchers.
Sunshine in a bucket. A bunch o’ daffodils outside Quince Fine Florals and a bushel o’ apples turned into sangria.
Flower power. An orchid fit for my desk (thanks Nick and Shevawn!) and a floral bikini fit for the beach.
P.S. There are more photos where these came from so add The Anthology on Facebook.
As far as I’m concerned it’s the bigger the better when it comes to photos. In fact, this one by British Columbian photographer Alison Francis would look amazing the size of a living room wall. As wallpaper, even.
Her work is on display at The Whip in Vancouver until May 29th and her prints are also available on Etsy. Happy viewing!
I met Shannon Rupp years ago when I was a young arts writer and since then she’s become a friend and a mentor. In this guest post, the culture critic shares the odd experience of watching an old friend portrayed on stage by a dashingly handsome actor.
As an arts journalist I’m used to interviewing performers who are nothing like the characters they play but I just had the reverse experience. Watching an actor play someone I know very well and sort of polish him up.
My old pal Mark Leiren-Young turned his Leacock Medal-winning memoir, Never Shoot a Stampede Queen, into a one-man show featuring Zachary Stevenson as him — a rookie reporter in his first job.
It’s just so weird hearing those funny stories I’ve heard forever coming out of some stranger’s mouth. Mark spent that first year of his career toiling at the Williams Lake Tribune and dined off the stories ever after.
It’s very funny. At 22, Mark was a naïf who was pranked by an editor trying to tease the gullible out of him and terrorized by beauty contestants known as Stampede Queens.
He thought he was going to a sleepy little town to earn his spurs as a reporter and he found he had landed in B.C.’s crime capital. He ended up covering stories he could sell all over the world. It’s a great story about growing up professionally, but a bit disconcerting for his pals because Zach and Mark look nothing alike.
And they sound nothing alike. And as Zach practically danced around the stage portraying a dozen characters in addition to Mark, I realized they dance nothing alike. Mark, whose two left-feet are legendary, would have tripped and fallen off the Granville Island Stage. So I asked him what it was like seeing someone else acting out his life and, in some ways, being a better him.
“Oh, so weird,” said the journo-turned-author. “I had trouble watching at first. But then I figured that it was like getting an extreme makeover: Zach is way cuter than ever was.”
Stampede Queen runs until May 25 at the Arts Club Granville Island Stage and readers of The Anthology get $10 off tickets(!) with the promo code “buddyholly.”
My walls are covered with massive photos. One that Vancouver-based photographer Braden Paul took at Sasquatch Music Festival, another Barry Gnyp took for the Freedman Shoes SS/12 campaign I directed, and some I took travelling.
If I were to add to my collection, Barbara Cole’s ethereal underwater prints would be a (wet) dream.
The Toronto-based photographer’s Underworld series will be showing at Bau-Xi Gallery in Vancouver, May 16th – June 1st.
[Images by Barbara Cole]
What does a newborn need a billion of? Diapers, obviously. And blankets.
Of the latter there are two kinds I love most — bamboo muslin swaddles by Aden and Anais and organic cotton blankets by Vonbon, a new line of luxury baby accessories handmade in Vancouver.
I love their prints, I love their soft durability and I love their brilliant burp bandanas. Spit up never looked so good.
Thank you, Lewis family, for introducing me!
[Images by Vonbon]