Home | Braden Paul Prints

Your living room is about to get a whole lot cooler. One of The Anthology’s favourite photographers, Braden Paul is selling prints of his photographs for a very limited time (only until January 20th) and these are just a few of my favourites. You’ll find plenty more on his website, like this one and this one, which would also make rad wall art.

I’m thinking of getting a big, glossy version of the second one above. You know, so sitting in my living room will feel like being at a concert. Also, I have to admit I’m inspired by the funky oversized photos in the van der Woodsen penthouse on Gossip Girl, but don’t tell anyone because that’s the most embarrassing inspiration ever.

8×12 prints start at $100. You can order directly from the photographer at braden@bradenpaulphotography.com

January 11, 2012 by

Trippin’ | Whistler

In my neck of the woods, winter doesn’t mean snow and ice and blizzards. It means rain and rain and rain. So, like a kid on a snow day, I get really excited about a few sparkly flakes.

And that, my friends, is why I love the mountains. Especially trudging from frozen lake to frozen lake on snowshoes, my absolute favourite winter workout.

It’s a lot like hiking. Except the bears are hibernating so you’re not as worried about being charged by one (I never want to experience that again).

But really, I’m just in it for the après.

Then again, aren’t we all into winter sports for the après?

He’d say yes.

[American Eagle sweater, vintage men’s plaid shirt, Cougar boots, Tubbs snowshoes.]

P.S. Add The Anthology to your circles on Google+

P.P.S. If you’re looking to beat the January blues in Vancouver, I’ve compiled a few ideas for ya.

January 10, 2012 by

Style | Graham & Spencer Top and Coloured AG Denim

Of all the colour combinations in the rainbow, there’s one that’s absolutely fool proof: black and white. Just try to give me one instance where you don’t love it. (Movies, you say? Well, then you’re clearly don’t love Audrey Hepburn flicks like I love Audrey Hepburn flicks.) And there’s another colour combination that I fall for every single time: red and purple. (Your 6-year-old niece loves it too, doesn’t she?)

Technically speaking, these Adriano Goldschmied jeans from Anthropologie are more of a faded red than a red red, but they still count. And they go beautifully with the woven rug in my dining room.

I made this black-and-white (and brown) necklace by weaving together an old chain whose clasp had broken with a silk scarf I picked up in Paris. C’est facile et chic.

Colour me happy!

[Graham & Spencer top, Adriano Goldschmied jeans, Max Studio shoes, my own necklace]

P.S. I’ll be even happier when you like The Anthology on Facebook.

January 7, 2012 by

London Town | Sundays at Spitalfields

In her latest dispatch from London, Katie Burnett, a friend, actress and writer, shares the secrets of Spitalfields Market…

Remember that adorable film with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts? Notting Hill was it? Loved it. So cute. Know it off by heart – “I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy” etc. And what huge attraction is in the London area of Notting Hill? The infamous Portobello Market, home of vintage things, antique things, expensive things. But what if you don’t have that much money to spend and are looking for something lesser known? Look no further than Old Spitalfields Market, located right by Liverpool Street.

On Sundays, hipsters, families and fashion editors alike converge down on the market, sorting through the rails of 5 pound dresses for a diamond in the rough, sampling the “best brownies in the world” and checking each other out for fashion inspirations. If you’re only in London for one Sunday and you need to pick your market, make it Spitalfields. While it’s still a very busy market, it’s one a lot of travellers don’t know about. And don’t we all want to return home with a one-of-a-kind item of clothing to make family and co-workers jealous?

For your hunger, try Androuet, the Parisian cheese shop where you can buy a few hunks of British and French cheese, or stay for a glass of wine.

And for those of us without a huge Benefit store in our cities, make sure to stop by and pick up some items you might not be able to get at home! Or for your sweet tooth, visit the rows of reasonably priced and delicious baked goods! The nearby Sunday Up Market will provide more vintage choices than you can handle, and if you haven’t filled up on food from Spitalfields, there will be more than enough choices from the food stalls with cuisine from around the world to tempt you!

It’s entirely possible to bring 20 pounds (roughly 31 CAD dollars) and walk away with an item of clothing, some funky jewellery and a very full belly!

[First photo found here, second photo found here, third photo found here.]

P.S. Want to keep adding to your “When I’m in London” list? Catch up on Katie Burnett’s earlier dispatches: Sundays on Brick Lane, Saturdays in Camden Town, Friday nights at the theatre, and her East Coast nostalgia.

January 5, 2012 by

Before | The Gigantic Printed Shorts

The Anthology’s before and afters are back, my friends! And because these vintage specimens are oh-so-special, I thought we’d take a look at them through the eyes of my pup.

“Oh hey! Those shorts are pretty fancy.”

“But there’s so much of them, they hurt my eyes.”

“Call me when you fix ’em. I’m out.”

Let’s face it — we’re all thinking the same thing. So I took these pleated, pocketed, printed wonders to my tailor to have them reworked. And what do you know, we turned them into something wearable. Stay tuned for the “after” reveal!

P.S. Join the twitterati — follow @TheAnthology.

January 4, 2012 by

Style | JNBY Pants and Vintage Scarf

After a lovely, lazy week off, it’s back to work for me. And this, my friends, is how I work it — in a vintage scarf, vintage jacket, vintage striped shirt, vintage eel skin purse.

And my new favourite pair of army-green slacks from JNBY. With their relaxed tapered fit, they have a similar silhouette to my grey JNBY slacks, which have been one of my staples since I first pulled them off the rack.

It’s a magic combination, really.

I figure after I spent the holidays wearing my dance pants, it’s about time I put on my work pants.

[JNBY pants, Matisse boots, Essie nail colour, vintage everything else]

P.S. Procrastinate from work for just a few more minutes — like The Anthology on Facebook.

January 3, 2012 by

Bon Appetit | Sawasdee Thai

It’s not new, it’s not trendy, and it’s not unusual to see my whole family seated at one of its tables. Main Street’s Sawasdee Thai is downright fantastic and my sister Larissa Dundon picks a few of the most delicious dishes…

Sawasdee’s spicy beef yum salad will tickle those taste buds at the back of your mouth, the ones you forgot you even had. Their cashew chicken stir fry rivals anything you’ll find in Thailand and their curries are downright delicious. If you like spice opt for medium, but if you like to murder your taste buds (like I do), venture for hot. It’s so fragrant, delicious and authentic, you can dream you’re actually in Thailand. Here, let this photo help…

[Photo found here.]

January 3, 2012 by

Here’s to new beginnings!

Here’s to popping champagne and balloons! Here’s to sparklers and sparkly dresses! Here’s to making — and breaking — New Year’s Resolutions! Happy 2012, mes amis!

[Photo found here.]

December 31, 2011 by

Number 1 | The Anthology’s Most Ridiculous Moment of 2011

The ball is about to drop! Which means two things: 2012 is upon us and The Anthology’s most ridiculous moment of the past year is too. So without further adieu I give you…

1. This. A “before” shot so hideous it needs no description (though, if you’d like one, you’ll find it here). It really is something, isn’t it? Let’s take a moment to wallow in its ridiculousness, let’s honour its florals, its frills, its potato sack-ness. And then, when you’ve had enough, take a look at its rather incredible transformation.

I don’t know how we’re going to top this in 2012, my friends, but you better believe I’m going to try.

December 31, 2011 by

Number 2 | The Anthology’s Most Ridiculous Moments of 2011

So far on The Anthology’s countdown we’ve got 10. an invisible man, 9. a friendly Sasquatch, 8. psychedelic pants, 7. alpine picnic 6. pompom-shaking, 5. fashion passion 4. my biggest fan 3. my male model entourage so that brings us to…

2. It was the question I assumed everyone would ask. When the unbelievably adorable Miss America walked the runway during the Joseph Ribkoff Show at Vancouver Fashion Week I saw an opportunity to live the dream. So my encounter with her after the show went a little something like this…

Miss America: “Wait, you want to try on my crown?” Me: “Yeah, I’m totally serious.”

Miss America: “Is she allowed to try on my crown?” Me: “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!”

The answer was no. But…

P.S. Take a closer look at the vintage dress I’m wearing before I reworked it and after.

December 31, 2011 by