And I’m also blushing because Yaletown.ca wrote this feature on the Anthology/my face.
Thank you, Teresa!
My apologies to Fred Astaire, but I don’t remember where I found this image. If you know the photo credit, please send me a note.
It’s everyone’s favourite colour, isn’t it?
Love when tone on tone on tone comes across as anything but monotone. Like, say, with this dress.
‘Tis vintage. And pleated. (And belted.)
And my earrings. Those cheap, cheap, cheap (and cheerful) feather wonders from Forever 21.
And my go-to blue shoes. (Which I also wore lawn bowling. They may not be flats, but they’re wedges. Which means the bottom of them are flat. That’s allowed on the greens, right?)
It’s all perfect for a day when the sky is bluer than blue. (I love you, summer!)
P.S. Got a case of the Twitter blues? Follow the Anthology and cure ’em.
And only one thing every day for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
I’d opt for a saree.
It’s bright, it’s colourful, and it can be wrapped in a million different ways (if you know what you’re doing. I don’t. But I’d like to think I could learn).
Wore one as a bridesmaid for my ladyfriend’s wedding.
It, like Anji’s saree, earrings and necklace, was lovingly hand-picked in India.
As were all the bridesmaids’ sarees. (Not the dress on the right, mind you. That’s a Diane von Furstenberg beauty.)
Is seven metres of silk a bit much for casual Friday? I think not.
I haven’t been posting frequently because I’ve been here:
I’ll be back on the ol’ blogging wagon pronto. Promise.
In the meantime, follow me here.
Bard on the Beach being one of them.
Saw Falstaff with my most theatrical friend Katie, instead of my non-synopsis-reading husband. And had the best night ever.
Her favourite things about the play? Dean Paul Gibson, who played Falstaff, for one. “He was so on point with his comedy but also drew us in so well with his more dramatic speeches.” Such wise words from a theatre aficionado.
“And the barrels near the wine and beer,” she added, “Made me wish I lived on a winery in France.” That’s my girl.
My favourite things? The courtyard, the live music, the ambiance, the close-to-the-beach-ness. It’s such an amazing way to spend a midsummer’s night.
And Falstaff as a play is entertaining, accessible, and action-packed. In the photo above, Prince Hal (Alessandro Juliani), Bardolph (Bernard Cuffling), and Ned Poins (Kevin K. James) laugh with Falstaff (Dean Paul Gibson, centre). Shot by David Blue.
Wore a reworked vintage dress. (Remember this? Yeah, well, it was nothing a little tailoring couldn’t cure.)
Had it altered at Oakridge Tailors on Cambie. And now it’s perfect for events. Shakespearian and otherwise.
Earrings from Mexico.
Shoes are Marc by Marc Jacobs from Ogilvy in Montreal. Shoe shopping! Another thing that’s so much better with your girlfriends.
P.S. Want to support Cystic Fibrosis research? Watch this terribly embarrassing video by my lawn bowling team (so sorry I missed the recording). And pledge us here.
Montreal is easily the most vibrant city in Canada, non?
We arrived last week when Just for Laughs was in full swing (which, for the record, follows closely on the heels of the city’s outrageously huge Jazz Festival).
Out of more than 200 English performances, we caught only two. (We would have attended more had we figured out earlier that we actually like stand-up comedy.) The highlight? Mike Birbiglia’s one-man riot My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend.
I had been to Montreal before, but only in the dead of winter so it was a treat to be able to roam the streets in a vintage t-shirt (bonus points for coordinating with the graffiti!).
And the vintage belt that I wore all over Quebec.
Speaking of graffiti, I have no idea what the story is behind this tag (maybe it’s as straight forward as it looks) but I kept spotting it all over the city. And it hit close to home because there’s nothing I heart more than a slice of emmental.
And speaking of a nice slice, Marche de la Villette in old Montreal serves up cheap(ish) breakfasts and lunches with great cheeses. L’Express on Saint Denis lives up to its hype. And, across the street from the Opus Hotel where we stayed, is Tequila Taco House, which looks like a hole in the wall but serves up amazing Mexican food.
Ah, the Opus. It’s right smack dab between the shops and festival grounds of Saint Catherine and the funky boutiques, restaurants and bars of Saint Laurent and Saint Denis. Which makes its location pretty much perfect.
(Just make sure you book a room that’s not facing the hotel bar because its patio is as packed and party-full as the city itself.)
I knew Quebec City would be beautiful. But I never knew it would be that beautiful.
Cobblestone streets, acres and acres of parks, the dramatic Saint Lawrence River. It felt like another world and yet, my loonies and toonies were taken at par.
Attended the Festival d’Ete de Quebec, the 11-day showcase of Anglophone and Francophone artists. And were some of the few attendees to come from out of provice (only 5% according to the National Post).
Why is that the case, when you can buy beer from people roaming around with coolers and see acts like Arcade Fire, Black Eyed Peas, Santana and Passion Pit?
For only $50.
When we weren’t at the festival we explored the city on foot.
Grabbed some brie, baguettes and grapes from Epicerie Richard in the old town (42 Rue Des Jardins if you have a hankering).
And headed out to the historic Plains of Abraham for a pique-nique. (Wore my paint-splattered cutoffs and vintage belt.)
Oh Quebec, I miss you already. J’espere que I’ll be back soon! If only because I desperately need to improve my Francais.
P.S. Follow moi sur Twitter (and pardon my Frenglish, s’il vous plait).
Kind of. Lawn bowling is more about socializing, costuming and leisuring than it is about athleticizing. At least when you play it like we do.
The second annual Vancouver Leisure Society lawn bowling extravaganza kicked off this week at the Stanley Park Lawn Bowling Club (the world’s most beautiful venue).
In honour of Eva Markvoort, the month-long tournament benefits the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Last year, they raised $11,000. This year, we’re hoping to beat that.
My powerhouse team? The Bowlden Girls. (With Kim Bowie, Dana Rudelier, and Larissa Dundon.)
Headless wonders that we are.
Wore an asymmetrical jungle print dress.
‘Tis vintage and ’tis as close to a white dress as I have (unless you count my non-wedding wedding dress).
The night was packed with more prep than you can shake a polo mallet at. My favourite dude outfit? Cuffed pink pants and Toms. So stylin. So good for the world.
As the Leisure Society says, why club when you can country club?
P.S. Add The Anthology on Facebook for more photos and fun times!
Rihanna opened her “North American and Canadian” tour in Vancouver. And as part of their N97 Mini Tour, Nokia was there. Guess who they brought with them…
Heather of Urban Cowgirl, Sherry Lu and Michael Fashionista. And the Anthology!
Ke$ha opened. And I hate to admit it, but I love her. I mean, Tik Tok? It’s a classic.
Sherry wore the perfect shoes — Ke$ha’s Dinosaur is terrible, but terribly catchy.
Rihanna brought all her hits: Disturbia, Live Your Life, Umbrella (her encore). She sang live(!) at times. But it wasn’t her voice I was mesmerized by. She is freakishly gorgeous.
Wore a vintage dress, which is actually my sister’s (thanks Rissa!).
And a vintage necklace, which is the gaudiest fake gold, even by fake gold standards.
And my trusty Frye boots, I’d wear them every day if I could get away with it.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go try to figure out how to work my new N97 Mini.
The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is in full swing.
Went with my ladyfriends to see Vancouver’s Brasstronaut at the Commodore.
Which was like a reunion of sorts.
Because Laura, Ashley and I have known lead singer Edo Van Breemen since elementary school. We’ve been good friends with his sister since the first time scrunchies and spandex were cool. (Wish you were there, Elke!)
And I realize that I am completely biased, but Brasstronaut was absolutely amazing.
They were animated, they sounded even better than they do on their album, and they were downright fun to watch.
Wore a vintage dress that may very well have belonged to your Great Aunt Helga. And I’m not kidding. Just look at what it looked like before.
Wore it with flat boots. Always flat boots at concerts (dancing shoes, ya know?).
The Vancouver International Jazz Festival runs until July 4th. Go! Take your friends! Have fun!
P.S. Put your jazz hands to good use and follow The Anthology on Twitter.