Have a great eggnog-drinking, present-unwrapping, pancake-making, gingerbread-eating day, friends!
[Photo found here.]
My dinner guests are lucky if I don’t make them set the table themselves. But some of you are far more organized. And crafty.
So for all you hostesses with the mostesses, my friend Maxine of Tulle Box Designs shares a DIY so simple even I could D it. Inspired by paillette-adorned clutches, these favour boxes will make your guests feel loved, whether you’re hosting a holiday dinner party, New Year’s soiree or fêting a January baby.
They couldn’t be easier to make: place round gold label stickers (available at just about any office store) onto your favour box of choice, fill with something delicious, and voilà!
Now let’s see that one more time in slow motion:
Brilliant. And brilliantly simple! And you know what? They’d work wonders for a winter wedding too.
I’d still like your help setting the table though.
Want to D more Y? There are tons of ideas on Tulle Box Design’s site.
[Photos supplied by Tulle Box]
A post created in partnership with Caya
You know what the holidays are? Major gift-giving pressure. How do you surprise and — more importantly — delight your girlfriends, boyfriends and dog-walker friends? These unexpected finds scouted at Caya should do the trick.
1. Fuji Finepix XF1 ($449.99) Think I take all the photos for The Anthology on my phone? Heck no. You need a proper camera to get proper photos. And here’s a bonus: the Fuji Finepix FX1 looks as sharp as its shots.
2. Diana F+ Camera ($89.99) A modern take on the lo-fi camera Andy Warhol used, the Diana F+ uses real film, which means you’ll actually end up with real prints.
3. PKG Black Crown Collection Case Your laptop deserves better treatment. And so does your iPad. This handmade-in-Canada leather case (available in several sizes, from $124.99) ensconces your gadgets in cushy comfort.
4. X-mini Speakers ($29.99) When I was in New York with my girlfriends we spent our pre-party time in the hotel room sipping champagne and listening to Paul Simon (who knows why) through portable speakers. These X-minis produce a lot of volume for their size so they’re essential for anyone who loves music and traveling (read: everyone).
5. Urbanears headphones A cool, colourful upgrade to the earbuds that come with your mp3 player. I actually have two pairs of Urbanears: the Plattan (pictured, $69.99), which I use when I’m working at a café and trying to tune out those around me, and the Medis (which Caya also carries) that fit snugly in your ear.
6. Jack Spade Computer bags Sure, Jack Spade is the mantastic answer to Kate Spade, but a rugged computer bag like this (from $122.49) will be appreciated by ladies and gents alike.
You’ll find all these picks at Caya. Happy giving, friends!
Maybe it’s the long nights but lately I’ve been wanting to do nothing but bunk at home. And you know what comes with that? An intense need to re-do everything in my space. I’m not talking about just putting up a new mirror or moving a couch.
I’m talking about getting right down to the details — tossing out all my old Tupperware and replacing it with quality glassware, that sort of thing.
Thankfully West Elm has opened its second Market and you’ll never guess where they put it. Okay, yes you will — you read the headline: Vancouver! 2915 Granville Street to be exact.
It’s like a modern general store stocked with what West Elm VP Abigail Jacobs calls “products with soul”: goods sourced everywhere from the Brooklyn Flea Market (where I found this necklace)…
…to Berea, Kentucky (where these brooms are made by college students as a way to supplement their tuition)…
…to Portland, where these Egg Press cards are made.
There’s lots to stock up on. And to stuff stockings with. Sayonara Tupperware!
P.S. Stock your virtual shelves — add The Anthology on Facebook.
The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Instagram).
Seeing patterns. A casual look comprised of a Gap shirt, vintage bag and shoes Structured 65 c/o Ecco + a pretty entryway (those things need more love).
I’m lovin it. With hosts Jillian Harris and Todd Talbot at the Love It or List It Vancouver launch + a home that, if it were mine, I would never, ever list.
Bursts of colour. Candy-coloured Native Shoes for the wee ones and big ones + a colourful kitchen carpet.
Sand and paint. Gastown’s Union Wood Co. + a painting in all the colours of love.
Shirting the issue. Men’s shirts by Minimum (launching in Canada spring 2013) + a little pastel prep.
Golden oldies. The classic apple cider is reinvented with whipped cream and caramel at Bel Cafe + a vintage YSL necklace.
Eye of the mini tiger. My fluffy beast Estelle Getty + another cat-eyed beauty (whose newest movie baffles and amazes me).
Pretty in… Making macarons at Simply French, such a wholesome stagette activity (congratulations, Kara!) + the most rock ‘n roll pink outfit I I’ve ever seen.
Auditoriums and aquariums. A lecture hall early in the morning before a talk I gave at Simon Fraser University’s Continuing Studies + a school of jellyfish.
P.S. There are more photos where these came from so follow Kelsey Dundon on Instagram and add The Anthology on Facebook.
Kelly green is one of my absolute favourite colours. It can be so spring-y in the spring, so warm and cozy in winter. And right now it’s very festive. (Especially when you wear it with red nail polish, which I swear I didn’t do on purpose.) As much as this season is about holiday parties, it’s also about holiday luncheons and bruncheons and I’ve been getting a lot of mileage out of this Kelly green sweater by JNBY. Its material is light but its shape is billowy, a twist on the traditional cardigan.
I suppose you could say it’s my Christmas sweater.
[Sweater c/o JNBY, Loeffler Randall flats, Topshop pants, vintage accessories.]
P.S. Before you head out for lunch follow The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter.
The printed book/e-reader debate can get heated. Those in the pro e-reader camp point to, oh, I don’t know…size or something? Those in the pro-printed book camp, on the other hand, need only point to Penguin’s beautiful covers (which make lovely post cards) and voila! Debate won: people will be turning real pages forever.
Penguin just unveiled their most recent collectible hardcover classics: Penguin Drop Caps, a collaboration with graphic design superstar Jessica Hische (of Daily Drop Cap) beautiful enough to build bookcases around. (Hello Christmas present!)
And you know what? They want to give you the first three of what will be a 26-letter alphabet: Austen, Jane – Pride and Prejudice, Brontë, Charlotte – Jane Eyre, and Cather, Willa – My Ántonia!
How do you enter?
For one entry: Comment on this post and tell us why you love printed books. (Because you can’t take an e-reader into the bath?)
For two entries: Write on The Anthology’s Facebook wall.
For three entries: Holler @TheAnthology on Twitter.
UPDATE: Contest closed. Congratulations Shannon!
Thank you, Wantering, for featuring my bloggy self as your latest tastemaker. And thanks, xojane, for spreading the love. I heart you both! You can read the complete feature and interview here, mom.
That photo? It was taken by Trevor Brady at Secret Location.
In The Anthology’s Bookmark column we explore some of the most inspiring places on the wild, wild web.
Clearly I have a thing for blogs based in South Africa. First Miss Moss and now another Cape Town-based lifestyle blog Size Too Small.
It’s edited by Mariah Brightenberg, who runs the stationery and odds and ends shop Selah.
And it’s filled with her favourite new collections, look book excerpts and home decor picks.
Plus bits and pieces from her own lovely life on the other side of the world. So bookmark Size Too Small already and bookmark The Anthology while you’re at it.
[Images from Size Too Small, naturally.]
Sure you scour Pinterest for ideas, but how often do you actually try them? In The Anthology’s brand new Pin Test column, my sister Larissa takes her pins for a spin.
I spend hours perusing Pinterest for home decorating ideas, fun crafts and more recently, hair and beauty. So I’ve decided that instead of just looking at these pretty pictures, I’d actually put some of the tips and tricks to the test.
First up, the wraparound braid pinned from the ladies who run the blog Oh so Pretty The Diaries. On the left is their result, on the right is mine.
Turns out this ‘do is simple. Perfect for holiday parties, destination weddings, and a dead-easy way to work with second-day hair. Even though my braid didn’t turn out perfectly the first time, that’s part of the charm (it helps if your hair is a little wavy).
Want to test it out yourself? You’ll find the tutorial here.