Workspace | Publicist Carine Redmond

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

Being a publicist can be hectic. Between the event planning and the talent management and securing press for clients, it’s no wonder Carine Redmond fuels her days with hidden candy stashes.

In her own words the Vancouver-based publicist — whose clients include Rebecca Bree — takes us through her workspace, concert tickets, gummy worms and all…

1. I love this globe from Country Furniture (the blue is perfect) and I rotate my coffee table books depending on what I’m working on at the moment.

2. My vintage desk is my very favourite office piece, it’s mint green and spring-y and fresh and so cute. It is originally from the Sutton Place Hotel and was repurposed for auction at the Vancouver Home + Design Show this fall. [As part of the Upcycle Competition! A little disappointed to see you’re not working on top of my revamped kitchen stools, but I’ll forgive you, Carine — Kelsey]

3. This heart print by Vancouver-based artist Sarah Edmunds is from The Cross — I bought five to give out as gifts. I love hearts – I have two heart tattoos and love seeing this giant print at my workspace.

4. Staying current is part of my job. I’m never without an US or In Style magazine and am still addicted to magazine tear outs and mood boards. I’m also big on visuals so posting client coverage and favourite things as inspiration works for me.

5. To Do Folder and Organizer – I keep mail (think bills!), receipts (think invoicing!), names of contacts and clients and concert tickets (think Springsteen!) in one place so I can keep track of everything.

6. I love candy, I cant’t help it. I keep it at my desk, stash it in my purse and even store an emergency supply in my freezer (my good friend Libby taught me this trick and I’m addicted). Plus, milk duds and gummy bears come in very handy for hungry talent!

P.S. Get a peek at Carine’s latest projects here.

P.P.S. Creep the creative spaces of some very creative people, like Erica Lam of The Style Spy, Niki Blasina of A Haute Mess, and Anya Georgijevic of I’m the It Girl in The Anthology’s Workspace column.

November 28, 2012 by

The Smaller Things in Life

A post sponsored by MINI Richmond.

Ever since The Anthology teamed up with MINI Richmond to give you a MINI (click here to enter!), I’ve been test-driving the Roadster, which is, oh, about half the size of the car I usually drive (and yet still big enough to fit my lankiest friend). And it got me thinking about the smaller things in life. You know, the things that come in small packages yet have a big place in your heart.

Top of my list? My cat Estelle Getty. Underneath all that fluff (and pudge) is a tiny little creature who curls up on my lap and keeps me cozy all winter long. Kind of like a fur-covered hot water bottle. Except louder.

New nail colour. While lipstick is a go-to pick-me-up, you can’t see your bright red lips when you’re sitting at your desk. But you can see a rainbow at your fingertips.

Antique tins. I use them to hold pens, paperclips, pushpins — basically all my small, but key, office supplies.

Paperback books. I’ve been resisting the urge to get a Kindle or iPad because I like the feel of reading something real. I like that they get dog-eared. I like that you can share them. I like that they’re small enough to fit in your purse. And I like to think that if I write a book one day it’ll be made of paper too.

Handwritten notes. The more email I send and receive, the more I appreciate note-writing. Going to the mailbox seems so quaint, doesn’t it? Which reminds me of another one of the smaller things in life: postage stamps.

Want a MINI to be one of the smaller things in your life. (Obviously!) Click here to enter to win a MINI for a year plus a supersized MINI Adventure from MINI Richmond. Then up your chances by sharing your entry on  Facebook  and  Twitter @MINIRichmond (#MINIadventure). Contest ends November 30, 2012 so rev those entry engines.

Good luck!

November 27, 2012 by

Design | Minding my own business (cards)

When I first started Northill, my creative communications company, I cheaped out on printing my business cards. I was just starting out and I was in a rush to get them done so I had them printed digitally on flimsy stock (that’s paper, for those of you who don’t spend your days talking to designers). And I was never, ever proud to hand them out. I should have known better because I’ve spent years with graphic designers who are obsessed with printing techniques. (How many conversations have I had about the joys of embossing and debossing?)

So when it came time to reprint my cards I did it right.

I had them done the old-fashioned way — by letterpress printers Porchlight Press (which I first wrote about here).

And I love them.

Thanks, Sonja and Heather, for all your help!

November 26, 2012 by

Style | A Holiday Wish List

A post sponsored by MasterCard.

Black Friday has finally hit Canada. And in true Canadian style it’s very polite — no lines, no early mornings and no fist fights.

Some of the biggest American department stores like Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdale’s have teamed up with MasterCard to offer free shipping, duty-free shopping and deep discounts to those of us who live north of the border. You’ll find all the promo codes here.

What’s on my Black Friday wish list? A heckuva lot of accessories apparently…

1. Marni Metallic Heel Sandal 2. Marni Small Gusset Bag 3. Kate Spade New York Cluster Earrings 4. Marni Cap Toe Platform Pump 5. Marni Medium Felt Saddle Bag 6. Walter Stieger Side Cutout Platform Pump 7. Alexander Wang Trigone Wallet 8. Alexander Wang Kim Boot 9. Timothy Han Wild Rose Candle 10. Givenchy Wood, Strass and Chain Necklace

Happy Black Friday, Canada!

November 23, 2012 by

Pinstagram | Beachside, Poolside and Roadside Glamour

The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Instagram).

Don’t look down. Kauai’s Waimea Canyon is stunningly beautiful (if you’re not afraid of heights) + so is this model, who looks like she’s contemplating her own fear of heights.

Branch out. Trees lining one of Maui’s beaches (those are surfers in the distance) + trees lining a winter road (without any surfers for miles).

Nice weave. A woven beach bag my mom brought back from Mexico in the 1970’s + a woven hairdo that makes me want to grow my hair out.

Deluxe accommodations. When I went to summer camp in Maui as a teenager this was my cabin (which you can now rent) + what I remember most about those nights isn’t the midnight scuba dives (though they were wild) it was how starry the night sky was.

It’s a jungle out there. This was the trail leading through a bamboo forest in Haleakala National Park in Maui + and this appropriately illustrates how dense the forest was.

Birds on a wire. The sugar cane fields in Maui are the coolest + so are these birds.

Cool blues. I spent a day on a catamaran when I was in Maui + this is what I wore. <—That was a complete lie. I wore the dorkiest snorkel gear ever.

P.S. Follow Kelsey Dundon on Pinterest and Instagram, or if you prefer a more traditional route, add The Anthology on Facebook and Twitter.

November 22, 2012 by

Thank you | WE Vancouver

Thank you, WE Vancouver, for featuring this gal as your latest It Girl.

Read the interview to find out how I smell (like heaven), what I consider to be my most sentimental wardrobe item (my Justin Bieber concert tee is a close second) and what I like to drink on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings (here’s a hint: they’ll look at you like you’re crazy if you order one south of the border).

You’re the best, Kelsey Klassen!

[I’m wearing a Prada shirt, vintage belt and pants, M0851 tote, Elizabeth and James shoes.]

Photo by Doug Shanks for WE Vancouver

November 22, 2012 by

You Asked | How To Make Your Blog Look Better?

Tara writes:

I am your biggest word-of-mouth fan, and tell everyone about how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog. It masterfully combines, passion with personal pursuit, and what I like to call, intellectual fashion — fashion made smart! Fashion that is displayed in a unique, untouchable and lovable way!

Any advice you can give me as a blogger, in regard to ways to make my blog look better, I would truly appreciate…

This weekend I’ll be speaking all about these sorts of things at Simon Fraser University Continuing Studies Social Media Boot Camp. But in case you’re, ya know, not in Vancouver, here are a few dead-simple ways to make your blog look slick, even if especially if you’re not a designer.

Be judgmental. And figure out what you like about the look of your favourite blogs. The blogs I love — whether they’re about fashion (Garance Dore), interior design (The Selby) or DIY ideas (Adore More)– all have one thing in common: big, beautiful images and very little writing. (And this coming from a writer!) Then again, I also love xojane.com and it’s filled with tons of text and lacklustre images so every rule has its exception. But my point is: when you’re not Jane Pratt and you don’t yet have a built-in fan base and scores of talented writers spilling their most intimate thoughts for you, you’ll need to grab readers with your blog’s stunning good looks.

Keep it simple. With all the themes WordPress offers (and I do recommend WordPress over the other blogging platforms) it’s tempting to pick a jazzy one, but I’d opt to keep things simple. Why? None of those fancy themes were crafted for your brand, which means other blogs will have them too and that can get distracting. I find it’s best to keep the framework clean so it doesn’t detract from your brilliant content.

A picture is worth… The web is a visual medium — people have no time and zero patience which means they need to be captivated immediately. That’s why visuals are even more important than copy. (And this coming, once again, from a writer!) Crisp, clean, original images will do wonders for you. And photography is fun. Difficult, time-consuming fun. But the more you do it, the better you’ll get.

Break up. Like to write a lot? Make your longer posts easier to read by dividing up long chunks of copy with subheads, bullet points, images, screen grabs of other sites that illustrate your points, or whatever your heart desires.

Keep it consistent. I didn’t pick up on this when I first started The Anthology, but one of the easiest ways to make your blog look clean and tidy is to keep your text and images all one width (if you’re using a traditional column blog format, that is). The same goes for your sidebar — the cleaner the widgets look, the better. Less is more here too.

If all else fails, befriend an interactive designer and pray that she’ll take pity on you and revamp your blog for you. Or wait until you’re big enough to hire a designer to customize the look of your blog for you.

Hope this helps, Tara!

[Screen grabs from Garance Dore, The Selby and Adore More]

P.S. Take a look at a few of the other reader-submitted questions like Emilie’s How Do You Gain Exposure and Shona’s How Do You Do It?

P.P.S. Have a question you’d like an answer to? Send it to KDundon@TheAnthology.ca

P.P.P.S. Register for SFU’s Continuing Studies Social Media Boot Camp and I’ll see you on Saturday!

November 21, 2012 by

Diary | Vancouver From My Driver’s Seat

A sponsored post. 

Just like Oprah, The Anthology and MINI Richmond have teamed up to give you a car. And not just any car, but your favourite MINI. (Click here to enter to win!) My favourite MINI is the little Roadster pictured above, which I’m test driving before it ends up in one of your hands.

It’s a convertible so I’ve been doing a lot of driving with the top down lately. Roofs are so overrated.

These are a few shots I grabbed of my very pretty city (Vancouver!) as I was cruising around town (don’t worry, mom, I pulled over before I started snapping away).

I might love the beach on sunny fall days even more than during the summer. Kits, at least, is calm — quiet, even. And oh so pretty.

And with a MINI Roadster convertible, you can sunbathe without even leaving your car.

Want to win your own MINI for a year plus a supersized MINI adventure from MINI Richmond? (Of course!) Click here to enter. Then up your chances by sharing your entry on Facebook and Twitter @MINIRichmond (#MINIadventure). Good luck!

November 20, 2012 by

Style | Doing Pirouettes

Maybe it’s the icy blues and winter whites, maybe it’s the sequins, or maybe it’s the Nutcracker, but this time of year will forever be linked with ballet in my mind.

Soft cozy dance-inspired sweaters (bottom right), Degas-esque editorials for Harpers Bazaar (an oldie but a goodie, top left), dresses that look like they belong on stage (top right), holiday party-ready tops (bottom left) and the slippers that are the closest things to dance shoes I wear these days (Tieks foldable ballet flats in Ballerina Pink — thank you, Tieks, for sending me a pair!).

They all feel rather en pointe right about now.

November 19, 2012 by