On Monday I’ll be at CTV Morning Live talking about camping in style. (Set your PVR, mom!) In the meantime, enjoy two of my favourite camping shots — top one by Nick Meek, bottom one by Helmut Newton. And here are a few of my own.
UPDATE: Here’s a link to the segment. Enjoy!
In The Anthology’s A-list column (“A” stands for Anthology, in case you haven’t had your coffee yet) we tabulate a few of the very best things in life. Here, writer and actress Katie Burnett shares her favourite summer films…
I love the beach as much as the next person but I can’t do it every day (unless I was in Hawaii. Then I could do it every day. If you’re in Hawaii, go back to enjoying the beach). But when it’s boiling hot and you need an alternative, there’s nothing I love more than an afternoon at the movies. Thanks to crazy publicity and marketing, we know the usual ones that are coming out – Spiderman, Batman, Avengers but let’s not forget there are some brilliant indie movies out in theatres and on the horizon that are also worth your $10.
And hey, they’re usually only two hours, so you can still catch some rays after!
Wes Anderson delivers another classic film that is so beautiful, so entertaining, so heartfelt, so funny it is not to be missed. If you haven’t seen it, go now. Like right now. It’s a wonderful story of two 12 year olds who run away together, but it is so much more than that. If you know Wes Anderson, you know all his films are so detailed and artistic you want nothing more than to climb in and be a part of one. I’d personally like to climb into this one and hug Edward Norton. Just saying.
Need more Wes Anderson after seeing Moonrise Kingdom? Check out “The Darjeeling Limited”, “The Royal Tenenbaums” and “The Life Aquatic!”
Straight from France is The Intouchables. Based on a true story, it tells the tale of a paraplegic man and the unexpected friendship he forges with his live-in carer. Francois Cluzet, one of my French crushes (he joins Jean Dujardin, Guillaume Canet and Gilles Lellouche!) stars alongside Omar Sy (who beat out Jean Dujardin at last year’s prestigious Cesar awards) in this unforgettable film that is one of France’s most popular and most successful. You gotta trust a country that can give us Brie, L’aduree and Marion Cotillard, right?
Looking for more French cinema? Try “Tell No One”, “Little White Lies” or “2 Days in Paris!”
Come August, I’m really looking forward to seeing Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg as a divorcing couple who try to maintain their friendship while dating other people. Looks messy, looks funny, and it had great reviews coming out of Sundance. Who’s coming with me?
Okay, so it’s not an indie movie, but have you seen Magic Mike yet? Why not? Come on. Seriously. No, like go right now. DROP EVERYTHING AND GO RIGHT NOW. (And tell your boyfriend it’s because you love Steven Soderbergh.)
P.S. Catch up on Katie Burnett’s earlier dispatches, like her favourite spots in Paris, her list of must-reads, her East Coast nostalgia and her favourite ways to spend time in London — Sundays on Brick Lane, Saturdays in Camden Town, and Friday nights at the theatre.
I find fashion rules tedious — so many don’ts! But there’s one I always abide by: replace the belt a piece comes with. Swapping out the waist-cincher that’s included with your dress/coat/shorts/slacks/whatever lends a personal touch. Besides, the belt a piece comes with isn’t always of the highest quality.
So what do you do with the original belt after you’ve unbuckled it? Keep it!
The pink and black belt in the first few shots came with the vintage secretary dress above. When I reworked the dress as part of The Anthology’s Before and Afters, I cinched it with a vintage Yves Saint Laurent belt and stowed the original.
Until now. With its wonky graphic print, this black-and-white skirt called out for a zig-zag print belt in a bright hue. Just because they weren’t made for each other doesn’t mean they weren’t meant to be together!
[T-shirt c/o Simons. Braided sandals by Elizabeth and James. Coach briefcase. Vintage skirt, belt and necklace.]
Is there anything more fun than creative directing a fashion campaign? I’m going to go out on a limb (or should I say…out on a window sill?) and say no. Sterling Shoes has been one of my clients since I started Northill a year ago (love working with you guys!) and we just shot our fall/winter campaign a few weeks back.
Above, one of the models chills at photographer Evaan Kheraj’s studio before we went to the location.
In the spring we shot at Vancouver’s Waldorf Hotel — take a look at the behind-the-scenes shots and the finished products — so for this campaign we headed outside…
…to railroad tracks, which, we found out when a train came barrelling through, are still operational.
Then, to get some of that big-sky feel we trekked to wide-open fields in White Rock, which is 45 minutes outside of Vancouver. While a hang glider tried to get off the ground (above left), I was operating a leaf blower/wind machine. To blow a breeze through the model’s dress, that is, not to help the hang glider take flight.
Evaan Kheraj — that’s him in the tree — shot the campaign and Luisa Rino styled it (in the above shot she put the models in a sweater by Kersh, poncho by Press, toques by Lifetime Collective, scarf by Cecile Benac. In the second shot from the top, they’re both wearing sweaters by Press). Negar, who was our makeup and hair artist, created a custom-blended lip colour that was part plum, part blush and all stunning.
I just spent the day going through the photos so I’ll share the in-front-of-the-scenes shots as soon as I can. Man, I love projects that are this much fun to work on.
P.S. I tweet while I’m on location so follow @TheAnthology on Twitter.
I have to give props to my pops.
My dad has done the Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic a few years in a row. It’s a two-day event where thousands of hardcore cyclists peddle more than 200 miles (325 km) from the Emerald City to the City of Roses (he once rode the bike in the photo). There’s a camp at the mid-way point where they crash for a night. Except this year, my dad’s tent wasn’t at the campsite when he arrived so he kept going all the way to Portland. He completed the entire thing in one day — started the ride at 5:15 in the morning and finished it at 10:00 that night.
Did I mention he’s 65 years old?
The man has been making me look like a lazy bum my whole life, but I have to give him kudos.
The Anthology’s Workspace column takes us inside the creative spaces of some very creative people.
Kumiko Ide holds two distinguished titles: 1) Digital Strategist at Tribal DDB and 2) My First Virtual Friend. The former means she comes up with webtastic ideas for clients like the Canadian Tourism Commission, the latter means I met her through Twitter.
In her own words, Kumiko takes us through her workspace — sunsets, sentimentality and all…
1. Part of my job is to stay on top of emerging trends in the digital space. I try to do most of my reading electronically, but somehow there’s always a stack of new research and reports on my desk at any given time.
2. There’s a great little flower stand on West Pender – they had these beautiful pink peonies the other day, and I couldn’t resist. I also love Queensberry Flower Company, which is located in the Granville Skytrain Station; they make the most charming little arrangements and I never leave empty-handed.
3. Even before I worked at an advertising agency, I enjoyed going through typography and design books. Because DDB’s a full-service agency, I now have access to a large library of creative resources – not just digital. Kid. Candy Store.
4. On those crazy busy days when we don’t get a chance to eat lunch or have to stay late, it helps to have snacks around to tie us over. Also, I’m on a crazy mandarin orange kick right now.
5. I usually have at least one Moleskine on hand for sketching out ideas and jotting down notes in meetings. The red one here is my day planner (I’ve kept a day planner since I was in my early teens – I’m resisting the transition to an electronic calendar because I am an old lady and I am set in my ways).
6. I’m not a hugely sentimental person, but I love having this one framed photo on my desk. My boyfriend’s mum had just given me some waterskiing pointers, and I’d managed to stay up for more than two seconds (hence, my massive grin. Little did I know that my entire body would ache the following day).
7. I am the worst about sunset photos. I need to learn how to better enjoy the moment – instead of whipping out my iPhone. But when that’s my view at the office, can you blame me?
P.S. Whip out your iPhone and follow Kumiko on Twitter, Tumblr and probably some other social network you haven’t heard of yet.
P.P.S. Check out the first post in the Workspace column and find out how Niki Blasina of A Haute Mess smells when she blogs. And click through the second post to find out where Anya Georgijevic of I’m the It Girl started her footwear obsession.
Cat pictures, people. They make the world wide web go round.
This one of shelter kitty Marlowe is part of a project that captures the beautiful, quirky faces of animals in need of homes. When they’re willing to sit for the camera, that is. “We have a lot of photos of cats running away from us,” said Lisa Brideau, the volunteer who started the project. Her hope? That potential adopters will fall in love with the photogenic faces.
If you’re a photographer who wants to get involved, contact Lisa. And if you want to adopt one of the featured animals, contact the shelters. Who wouldn’t want to wake up every morning to a face like this?
[Photo by Cindy Hughes]
Hilary Banks would have loved this shirt. She probably would have worn it with pearls, a long-strap bag, pleated pants and some sort of sassy hat. It would have been one of her more conservative looks, but she would have rocked it.
I am not Hilary Banks.
Though I do find it interesting to see how different decades interpret the colour-blocked trend. I’m not convinced the ’90s did it very well.
I’m going to get this blouse altered in the hopes that I can actually wear it in this millenium. Stay tuned for the “after” shots!
P.S. Like The Anthology on Facebook and you’ll be the first to see the transformation.
P.P.S. Take a trip down The Anthology’s memory lane with these Before and Afters.
I camped a lot as a kid. Every summer my parents would pile us all into the minivan (my brother, sister and I had to sit side by side with our German Shepherd on our laps) and trek across North America. It’s how I did most of my early traveling — I saw two Provinces and countless States that way, ate a lot of hotdogs, drank a lot of hot cocoa and slurped back a lot of instant oatmeal. I loved it and to this day the smell of campfire instantly relaxes me.
I hadn’t been camping in 10 years so I figured it was about time I made my triumphant return to the tent. Turns out things have changed. We now needed to figure out how to charge a cell phone while in the middle of nowhere (I didn’t — I own my own business so I was in desperate need of a little unplugged time).
Figure out how to chop firewood (not my forte).
And re-learn how to build a campfire in crazy winds.
We stayed in Oregon’s Nehalem Bay State Park in a campground that itself is unremarkable — aside from the fact that you can rent horses — but whose beach is out of this world. White sand stretches for miles and there are very few people on it.
We went with friends who are real foodies so we treated this camping trip like a sleepover picnic. Instead of hitting up Fred Meyer for Ball Park Franks, we stocked up on farm-fresh groceries at the Portland State University Farmers Market (if you go, get the smoked salmon!) and made porcini and sage linguini with quinoa salad.
And spritzers in travel mugs.
That we took to the beach.
Which is also where we made ‘smores. Because some things should never change.
P.S. There ‘smore fun on Facebook so like The Anthology.
Pinstagram is a mashup of Kelsey Dundon’s Pinterest and Instagram feeds. In other words, the dream and the reality.
Sand on sand on sand & my trip to the beach in White Rock, just outside Vancouver (I was location scouting, which technically makes this work).
Smizing with Melissa Knight and Alicia Quan at the London Drugs Fall Beauty Preview + beautiful, beautiful nail polish polka dots.
A stunning all-white loft & lovely letters at Gastown’s new L’Atelier Home (which I wrote about right here).
My friend Nadia’s garden decor (these things really need to make a comeback) & a colourful little planter box.
The king of the jungle & the queen of my house, who just discovered my desk drawers.
A geometric terrarium at Old Faithful Shop & the coolest way to house an air plant.
P.S. Follow Kelsey Dundon on Pinterest and Instagram.