These, I love. When a real celebration is in order there’s nothing better than a bouquet of balloons. Or, in this case, a single, gigantic, tassel-tastic balloon hand-decorated by Vancouverite (and a former colleague of mine) Amy Cheung of Confetti and Co.
Sure beats the ones you get at the grocery store.
[Photos from Confetti and Co. and Amy Cheung’s Instagram]
Does hanging out with someone as enlightened as author and speaker Gabrielle Bernstein rub off on you? I don’t know, but I figured it was worth a shot.
You can find my interview with the New York native here.
[Photo from Kelsey Dundon’s Instagram]
The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Kelsey Dundon’s Instagram photos of the best places and faces in and around Vancouver).
Visions in black and white. Kendra Hagerman, Mana Mansour, May Globus and Sunny Shum at Holt Renfrew’s spring trend presentation + a look from Carolina Herrera’s pre-fall 2013 presentation.
Colour pops. A few of MAC’s many lip colours + one of Inaluxe’s vibrant prints.
A (class)room with a view. Spaceship-like windows at Simon Fraser University where I lecture on Digital Communications + a very dramatic lighting fixture.
A case of the pinks and blues. A nameless new shop on Vancouver’s Main Street (which I wrote about here) + a detail from Kenzo’s fall 2012 collection.
Not-so-pink panther. My favourite desk accessory + Cartier’s killer cat ring (which costs as much as a mid-sized sedan but is totally worth it, I’m sure).
P.S. There are more photos where these came from so add The Anthology on Facebook.
I’ve been in the market for baby gear lately (more on that here) and of all the online boutiques I’ve found, Vancouver’s Leuie is one that has me under its spell. Its look is dreamy, its nursery decor is fairytale-worthy and I love its minimal, whimsical, handmade aesthetic.
I have yet to visit the shop in person (they just opened one in South Granville) but these are a few highlights from their online boutique. From the top:
A dapper little gent: Chapeau Haut et Cravate.
Bowing out gracefully: L’Timide Queen mobile.
Five-star luxury: the cinq d’etoiles garland.
A bonus? The little bunny-shaped bone china lamp I wrote about on Vitamin Daily.
[All photos from Leuie]
If MAC’s entire collection is essentially your makeup drawer, which five products would you consider essential? I met up with MAC Pro Team Senior Artist Caitlin Callahan at Metropolis at Metrotown to ask her exactly that. Turns out one of her favourites is the plumping lipgloss Plushglass and you’ll find the other four on MetropolisAtMetrotown.com.
P.S. I posted a shot of my favourite new MAC lipstick colour on The Anthology’s Facebook page.
If you sat down with Chatelaine’s Editor-in-Chief Jane Francisco, you’d ask her what’s in her medicine cabinet, right? Riiiiiiight?
Well, I did and she told me.
Between the masks and the BB creams, hair care is looking an awful lot like skin care these days.
Enter AG Hair’s new Keratin Repair Serum. It’s like a light leave-on conditioner that’s made with keratin protein, not unlike your hair come to think of it. Meant to repair the damage you do to your mane by, you know, living (weather, etc.) and styling (guilty), I like it because it adds moisture without weight. Its texture is lightly creamy — not oily — so it doesn’t weigh down hair, and it doesn’t look heavy even when layered on top of conditioner.
In fact, you’d never guess there’s product in it. Which means it’ll give you the no-makeup makeup look for hair.
P.S. Go get your hair did, then like The Anthology on Facebook.
I haven’t yet caught up on Mad Men’s latest season. But Banana Republic’s latest Mad Men collection? That I’m up on. It’s the third of its kind and it’s inspired by the look of the new Mrs. Draper (who’s played by a Canadian actress, btw). Earlier this week I stopped by CTV Morning Live to talk all things Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce and spring.
But first, a little pre-show war paint (you’ll find my dissertation on what to wear and how to paint your face for television here.)
Let’s talk about these pants for a second. I can’t wait for real sunshine, but in the meantime cropped lemon-yellow trousers will brighten up days filled with spring showers.
And menswear. I’ve always loved it because the silhouettes change subtly each season and the tailoring remains classic, so the focus tends to be on texture and fabric. Two things I adore.
Then there’s this dress. It’s one of my favourite dresses from the Mad Men-inspired collection and it looks an awful lot like one worn by the new Mrs. Draper. The model also bears a striking resemblance to the new Mrs. D., doesn’t she?
And for something a little Mr. Draper-inspired, a skinny tie and slim-fitting textured cardigan. A look that’s as dapper as Draper can be.
Missed the morning segment, sleepyhead? Catch it online here. Thanks for having me, CTV, Banana Republic and Tara Parker Tait PR!
[I’m wearing a JNBY sweater, Joe Fresh tanktop, Topshop jeans and Elizabeth and James shoes.]
P.S. Get your mod on — like The Anthology on Facebook.
Second only to cooking with a personal chef is grocery shopping with a personal dietician. While I’ve never had a chef (because, I mean, come on), for an all-too-brief moment I went grocery shopping with dietician Melodie Yong.
It’s National Nutrition Month, you see, and Healthy Families BC has just launched their Shopping Sense tool. I’ve worked with Healthy Families BC through my former agency (skip 30 seconds into this behind-the-scenes video and I’ll tell you all about that) and through my own creative consulting company Northill.
Plus, I love me some healthy eating so I wanted to know what I didn’t know, ya know?
These nine grocery-shopping tips stood out.
1. Shop with a list. It’ll cut down on impulse purchases (like Swedish Berries — those little gummies get me every time.) Need a little help with prepping and planning? You’ll find a few helpful tools here.
2. Eat your veggies. “It’s a boring message,” Melodie says. “But no one wants to hear what they can’t eat — they don’t want to hear they can’t eat cookies — they want to know what they can eat more of.” Besides, you feel like a superfood hero when you actually eat your greens and purples and yellows.
3. Colour your plate. Speaking of greens and purples and yellows, eat a rainbow of vibrantly coloured veggies. Melodie recommends putting at least three colours on every plate.
4. Eat something orange every day. Because beta carotene is good for you.
5. Go easy on yourself. It’s okay to have a couple nights during the week of less-than-perfect meals as long as most of what you’re eating is nutritionally balanced. It’s about balance, people. Balance.
6. Can’t pronounce an ingredient? That’s probably not a good sign. While reading the label is key, understanding what’s on it is just as important. But you don’t have to take our word for it: The New York Times has a fascinating — and frightening — article on the science of processed food.
7. Opt for plain yogurt. Avoid the sugary kind and flavour it yourself. Easy peasy. Greek-style will often — though not always — have more protein so compare labels.
8. Go Mediterranean. Comprised predominantly of olive oil, nuts, lean fish, fruit and veggies, a Mediterranean diet is great for preventing heart disease. Also, it’s delicious.
9. Shop the outside of the grocery store. That’s where the produce aisle, freshly baked goods and dairy are located. It’s also where the heavily processed foods aren’t.
Want to tour the grocery store with Melodie? Or at least her virtual self? Then click on over to Healthy Families BC’s Shopping Sense.
Bright and early tomorrow (Tuesday) morning I’ll be on CTV Morning Live talking spring style for ladies like Coco (above) and gentlemen like Jon Hamm.
Set your PVR, mom!
[Pictured: Canadian supermodel Coco Rocha in Banana Republic’s Mad Men campaign]