Thing of Beauty | The Oskar Humidifier

William Morris said “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” In The Anthology’s new Thing of Beauty column, we highlight the objects that check both boxes.

Ever since I read this post on Cup of Jo, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of getting a humidifier in a desperate attempt to improve our kids’ sleep. (Then again, I’m obsessed with any toddler/preschooler-related sleep hack.) But my kids’ rooms are in such a constant state of toys everywhere chaos, I didn’t want to add anything that felt like visual clutter.

Which is where the Oskar humidifier comes in.

This handsome piece doesn’t actually look like a humidifier at all — it could very well be a super sleek speaker or some sort of Apple product.

And it’s one of those pieces that’ll grow with a family. It’ll fit in with any light, bright kids’ room decor, just as easily as it could fit in with any calm, monochromatic bedroom. So you can rest easy knowing it’ll be with you for the long haul.

Thank you, Eco Brands Now, for sending it my way!

The Anthology | Now more beach-friendly!

If The Anthology looks a little bit different, it’s because it is. I finally got around to giving the cobbler’s kids some shoes and have made it more mobile-friendly.

And by “I” I mean my web guy. Thank you, Dana, as always, for all your web dev help!

 

Workspace | Publicist Carine Redmond’s Office Version 2.0

The Anthology’s Workspace column takes us inside the creative spaces of some very creative people.

Carine Redmond deserves full credit for bringing back The Anthology’s Workspace column. The Vancouver-based publicist’s gummy worm-covered desk was one of my favourite features back in the day. And when that Facebook memory popped up in my feed, I remembered how much I love creeping on people’s creative spaces.

So here we are! In Carine’s stunning new light-filled office. Shot by Vancouver-based photographer Whitney Krutzfeldt, the candy’s much fancier, the Kardashians are much more prominent, plus now there’s a puppy!

The Anthology: Wait. I recognize that globe.

Carine Redmond: It’s the same one! Jillian Harris used it for a shoot (I can’t remember what for) I was working on years ago and afterwards I went to Country Furniture and immediately purchased it like a little copycat. It’s my favourite item on my desk and has made it through many moves.

Working with Etsy, I spend a lot of days perusing product online. The ‘relationship status Avocado’ mug is so funny to me and all of my notebooks, cards, and most of my office accessories are from Etsy.

I still get my photos printed and like to keep recent ones on my desk – I switch them out periodically. I LOVE my white desk chair. An ex boyfriend bought it for me but I can’t part with it so I just tell myself it was a gift from my puppy.

TA: Do you seriously have that candy on your desk all day?

CR: I usually do, mostly because the Sugarfina stuff is so cute. I try to force it on visitors so that I don’t eat it. Often the girls who work for me.

TA: You read good ol’ fashioned printed magazines!

CR: I read books and magazines online like everybody else but still like to have hard copies – so if I really want to read something I buy a non digital version. I peruse magazines for pitch ideas and inspiration and tear sheets out for my vision boards (seriously).

TA: When are you most productive?

CR: I’m most productive work wise in the AM (7am-12pm). I try to do any real writing, editing and creative work before logging onto email. If I do that then I am able to spend the rest of the day in meetings and on calls and answering the flood of emails.

TA: How do you stay organized when you’re juggling a million clients and projects?

CR: By keeping a clean email inbox. I live and die by this rule. Keep what you need to tackle in your inbox and file everything else away. Clutter makes me crazy and that includes digital clutter.

TA: KKW! (I guess that’s more of a statement than a question!)

CR: Kim Kardashian has always done the best nude lip and I spent years trying to copy it and recreate it. Naturally, I had to get her KKW x Kylie Cosmetics nude lip kit. I love the Kardashians and still watch the show, not in an ironic way. Sorry guys!

TA: What’s the hardest thing about working for yourself?

CR: Managing other people, and all the accounting – my least favourite part of running a business.

TA: What are you most excited about right now work-wise?

CR: So much! Summer is fun for us because we have a lot of events. We’re helping Grey Goose with their Sunset Soiree events in Western Canada this August and as you can imagine, those are big and extravagant and include vodka so fun is had by all.

TA: Tell us about Tim Riggins: the man, the myth, the beagle!

CR: Tim Riggins spends his days trying to climb up on my desk and look out the window. Truth be told, it’s hard to get much work done with him around so I keep his social calendar packed during the week!

Carine Redmond handles the Western Canada PR for national and global lifestyle brands like Etsy, Parallel 49 Brewing Company, The Dailey Method, the Bentall Kennedy Group, India Rose Cosmeticary and the Chatters Style Happy tour. When she’s not at work, Carine’s usually watching reruns of Friday Night Lights, catching up on all things Kardashian or photographing her beagle pup Tim Riggins.

[Photos by Whitney Krutzfeldt]

P.S. Know someone (like, say…you!) who needs an excuse to tidy up their super stylish desk? Send a note to KDundon@TheAnthology.ca — we’d love to see your workspace!

Pinstagram | Life’s a beach

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).

Bedding by The Cross (one of the comfier projects I’ve worked on in my capacity as a copywriter lately) would look beautiful in any space.

I’ll take a West Coast summer day over a private palm-treed island, but that’s just me.

Art makes the space (and the not-so-candid photo at a special viewing at Rennie Collection).

An evening out at Kissa Tanto/stepping out.

Peonies: so basic, so beautiful.

P.S. There are more photos where these came from so follow @KelseyDundon on Instagram.

Meet Parallelograms

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Because I actually began a year and a half ago and have been toiling away on this ever since (in between my work with my Northill clients and wrangling two little redheads). But here we are (FINALLY!). And I could not be more excited.

Meet Parallelograms, themed art kits designed for you and yours to do alongside each other (in parallel!), delivered straight to your door (like telegrams!). Each series is available in two versions: one with artist-quality supplies, the other with kid-friendly supplies (ages 3+).

Our first series? Colourful cacti and fancy flamingos. Summer in a nutshell!

The concept behind Parallelograms was inspired by a table we have that’s devoted to art (in the sense that it’s covered in more art supplies than a Michael’s). I noticed whenever our friends came over — our friends, not our kids’ — they would plunk themselves down and start doodling and scribbling and painting and whatnot. And these weren’t our artsy fartsy friends either. In fact, they would probably tell you they don’t have a creative bone in their bodies.

Yet, they’d sit and make art while we hung out. My hunch is that it has something to do with how easily everything is laid out, how low the stakes are (the kid sitting beside you sure isn’t going to judge your work!) and how relaxing it can be to create something with your hands.

Then, when I was on the verge of serious burnout after I had my second baby (such exhausting times, those!), I bought myself some artist-quality supplies. I’d fill a sketchbook while my older daughter filled a colouring book right beside me. It’s as close as I ever get to meditating. And I swear it’s just as restorative. (It’s actually something I touched on in this post about creativity and burnout.)

I’m a writer and somehow creating visual art restored my ability to write. I figure if my friends and I were finding some magic in this, then hopefully others would too.

So here we are!

I would love, love, love your feedback on all things Parallelograms so please share. And thank you to every single one of you who helped me bring this to life. I am forever indebted to you!

[First and third photo by Hayley Hudson, second and fourth photo by Kelsey Dundon for @Parallelograms.co on Instagram]

P.S. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the concept and branding so I’m going to write a series of posts that will take you through exactly that: the naming, the branding, the logo (which was done by my frequent Northill collaborator Sonja Keserich — I love it more than I could tell you!), and all the other pieces it took to launch this thing.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go ship the first batch of Parallelograms orders. (Yay! THANK YOU!!!)

Workspace | We want to see your space!

I’ll admit it: I’m a creative creep. I love to see other people’s studios, offices, workspaces of any sort (like A Fabulous Fete‘s moodboard, pictured above). That’s why the Workspace column has long been one of my favourites (and one of The Anthology’s longtime readers’ favourites too!). In it, we showcased everything from home offices to corner offices to brand-new architectural wonders of corporate offices, in every industry you can think of. Everyone from beauty bloggers to advertising executives shared their analog to-do lists, their gummy worm obsessions and their favourite work-related reads.

And I want to do it all again. So I’m bringing the Workspace column back.

If you know someone (like, say…you!) who has a beautifully designed space, an interesting story behind the coffee mug that sits beside their laptop, or just needs some motivation to tidy up their desk (or not — we won’t judge!), send me a note at KDundon@TheAnthology.ca. I can’t wait to see these spaces!

[Image from A Fabulous Fete]

Food and Drink | Mothers’ Day in support of BC Women’s Hospital

Where are you taking your mom on Mothers’ Day? Haven’t quite decided yet? No worries: here are a few suggestions for you and your siblings to debate and discuss until the most enterprising one of you makes a reservation. On Sunday, May 14th, these Vancouver restaurants will donate 5% of their sales to fund the most urgent needs of BC Women’s Hospital:

Ask for Luigi
Bauhaus Restaurant (pictured)
Bella Gelateria
Go Fish
Juice Truck
La Mezcaleria
La Taqueria
Les Faux Bourgeois
Los Cuervos
Maenam
Merchants Oyster Bar
Pizzeria Bufala
Pizzeria Farina
Pourhouse
Sorella
The Sardine Can
H2 Rotisserie + Bar

So eat! Drink! Order dessert! It’ll be great for your mom, and a whole lot of other moms too.

Diary | Boobyball Mini Vancouver 2017

I’ve been to my fair share of fundraising events. Heck, I’ve thrown my fair share of fundraising events. But I’d never been to one geared specifically for kids. And I think the idea is genius.

Rethink Breast Cancer threw an enchanted forest-themed event for the Boobyball Mini, which is, as you guessed, geared to the minis. It had a magic wand-making station, a face painting station, a silent auction (whre I won a session with All City Athletics!) a dance floor that was packed with preschoolers bouncing around to Bruno Mars…

…and a reading corner that my baby bookworms got a real kick out of. It was quite the memorable way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.

And it raised more than $17,000, a huge amount for mini people.

Get Involved | Variety BC’s One Night in Monte Carlo Gala

When I was backpacking through Europe during undergrad, I tried to get into a very swanky casino in Monte Carlo. And was denied. The security guard looked my friend and I up and down, zeroed in on our flip flops (which had trod more hostel floors than he could have known) and gave us the boot.

A post shared by Kelsey Dundon (@kelseydundon) on

The folks at Variety BC’s One Night in Monte Carlo gala were much more welcoming.

The inaugural event — which featured dinner, dancing, and a casino of sorts — took place at the Pinnacle Harbourfront Hotel and raised $200,000 for the foundation’s mobility program.

And, to follow up on the Global Television segment I did to help promote the event, I wore this Halston Heritage gown. With Rebecca Minkoff heels instead of flip flops.