It was hailing in Vancouver today

But I’m going to ignore that fact and reminisce about California.

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Because I left my heart in the desert.

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I love that it can be 8 billion degrees but there will still be snow on the mountains.

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Another place I’d like to reminisce about? Turkey.

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That’s where I found this shirt/dress (what is with all the hippy dippy clothes I bought in Turkey? I must have been having a moment.)

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But back to California. Palm Springs (where we stayed during Coachella) was far quirkier than I imagined it would be — more art galleries, more midcentury modern architecture, more aging hippies. I can’t wait to go back. Especially because I miss the palm trees.

P.S. I like when you like the Anthology on Facebook.

April 27, 2010 by

At the Opera

And yes, I am blogging in the foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. We’re about to go backstage but before we do, I’ve been reading the synopsis and here’s the story in a simplified nutshell: Figaro and Susanna are engaged.

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One problem though: he’s a valet and she’s a maid. Which would be fine except that their master, the lecherous Count, has a thing for Susanna and intends to claim his feudal right to take a manservant’s place on his wedding night.

Oh dear.

But this being opera there are love triangles a-plenty and Figaro and Susanna are only one of the many would-be couples facing drama trauma. Who will outwit whom? Who will disguise himself as a woman to learn dirty secrets? Who will end up in a much older suitor’s bed?

I can’t wait to find out. To read the full Manga, click here.

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Update: After heading backstage for a pre-show talk (see my friend Briony exploring above), we’re sitting front row, which is fantastic (unless you want to read the surtitles) but we get to see the opera the way the conductor sees the opera, which means we have a clear view of all the sweat and the spit.

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And this is how polluted my brain is: I’m watching Mozart’s masterpiece and I can’t help but think of Gossip Girl. Figaro and Susanna = Dorota and Vanya. I mean, really.

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But the Marriage of Figaro is to the opera world what the Nutcracker is to the ballet world: it is accessible, popular, and full of melodies anyone would recognize. Which is why Briony and I are having an absolute blast.

April 24, 2010 by

Let’s head back to the sun, shall we?

It’s so heartbreaking to think that the insanity of Coachella took place this time last week. Even more heartbreaking to think that it’s 350-something days until the next one.

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But at least there’s the summer to look forward to. And although it won’t hit 96 degrees in Vancouver (mostly because we measure temperature in Celsius), it will soon be hippy-dippy clothes weather.

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And it doesn’t get more hippy-dippy than the tie-dyed shirt/dress I found in Turkey, the beaded belt I got in Mexico, and the boots I scored at Umeboshi in Vancouver (close-up here).

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Are any of you heading to Sasquatch? I’m trying to figure out if I can make it work. Would love to pull out my two festival staples again: earth-friendly water bottle (how many times did I stand in line to refill that thing?) and the cross body purse my sister had made on one of her many travels.

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But until I can figure out how to head back to the sunshine I’m going to have to sit back, relax and wait for the sun to come to us.

P.S. Add the Anthology on Facebook for more photos, more social networking, and more ridiculousity.

April 22, 2010 by

Let’s say you were going to the opera

And let’s say that opera was the Marriage of Figaro. What would you wear?

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A wedding dress? Of course you would.

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I found this beauty at a vintage shop and even though I’m already hitched I had to have it.

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I’m getting it shortened so it will be more of a ballet length as opposed to an I’m-going-to-the-chapel length. (I’ll post the “after” shot along with the big reveal of my Hammer pants post-makeover.)

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I’m guessing the dress is from the sixties. But the spookiest part about it? The initials sewn inside — they’re mine.

P.S. Add the Anthology on Twitter.

April 21, 2010 by

Coachella is more than a music festival

It is also a learning experience. And because this was my first year attending the music and arts festival in the desert, I thought I’d compile a list of the top 10 things I learned at Coachella 2010.

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1. The desert is hot.

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2. A little barf won’t ruin a Phoenix concert. (After the guy next to me leaned over in the middle of the show and puked his guts outs, I contemplated leaving. But, like a true fan, he kept on rockin’ so I did too.)

3. Tweeting about that barf will get you written up in LA Weekly.

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4. Major Lazer can hype a crowd like no other. See exhibit A, which, I should warn you, isn’t exactly suitable for work.

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5. Icelandic is the world’s prettiest language. It doesn’t matter if you can’t understand a word of it, when it’s sung by Jón Birgisson of Jonsi, it’s like watching doves fly under a rainbow on a summer morning.

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6. Wearing a New Kids on the Block t-shirt will make you new friends.

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7. Some bands will blow you away live. (I’ll see you in Vancouver, Temper Trap.)

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8. Others won’t. (Sorry, XX, I’ll buy your next album, but I’ll pass on your next show.)

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9. Canadian flags look out of place among palm trees.

10. Paris and Nicky Hilton are much prettier in person.

Have you been to Coachella? Are you going? 2011, anyone?

April 19, 2010 by

I was naive about Palm Springs

I had no idea how beautiful the landscape would be. What was I picturing? Flat lands and a million swimming pools. But now that I’m here, I’m in love. The desert, the mountains, the colour of the sky at sunset — it is so beautiful.

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Which is why I am even more excited about Coachella.

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So what did I bring with me? This vintage, floral, fluttery number. Perfect for the desert, but it wasn’t always this way. Back in the day it was long. Like Rachel Zoe long. And it was gorgeous, but just too heavy to wear.

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But back to Coachella. Lexie, you were wondering which bands I am dying to see (and re-see)? Today it’s Yeasayer (who will be playing in Vancouver on April 21), Passion Pit (even though I just saw them on Sunday), the dance-tastic LCD Soundsystem, the one and only Jay Z and my boy Erlend of the Whitest Boy Alive.

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And because my husband loves them, we’re also going to see the way-too-heavy-for-my-taste Dillinger Escape Plan. But we won’t go anywhere near the front of the stage for this reason.

Man, I cannot wait.

First photo found here.

P.S. Add the Anthology on Facebook.

April 16, 2010 by

Miike Snow

Oh! Miike Snow. Their show the other night in Vancouver was so gat dang fantastic, they have me seriously considering re-seeing them at Coachella this weekend. Even though their set time conflicts with Phoenix.

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And you know how much I really,  really,  really,  really,  really,  really,  really,  really,  really love Phoenix. (Coachella, you are cruel for pitting these two against each other.)

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But Swedish pop powerhouse Miike Snow put on the second-best show I’ve ever seen. (What was the best show, you ask? It’s a tie between !!! (Chk Chk Chk) and that Britney Spears show where she threw a tantrum and stormed off the stage.)

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So what do I do? Stand by my old love, Phoenix? Or ditch them for my new love? Help!

P.S. I’ll be tweeting my face off from Coachella. So follow me.

April 13, 2010 by

Beautiful baggage

Melissa writes:

I know you love to travel and you love your accessories, so I am wondering what you use to hold/organize your accessories when you are on the go!

We are going on a cruise at the end of this month, and one of my biggest challenges when packing has been my accessories (as well as over packing, but that is an entirely different battle). By the time they get to the hotel room they are disorganized so I get frustrated and leave them in the suitcase. If you have any thoughts or suggestions i’d really appreciate it.

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Well, Melissa, if I were as organized as, say, my sister-in-law Jaclyn, I would buy a travel organizer (amazon.com has every type imaginable). Instead, I take a Ukrainian doll approach to packing.

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I start with sturdy jewelry (I leave fragile and valuable pieces at home), which I wrap in scarves (just make sure they’re not delicate or easily snagged).

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Then I pack these scarf-wrapped piece in the clutches I’m bringing with me. And then I stash those clutches in my luggage. So I put to use everything I plan on wearing when I arrive.

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If a piece is too small to wrap in a scarf (earrings, rings and delicate necklaces) I store those in drawstring pouches. Most bead shops will sell them in all materials, colours and sizes. Luckily enough, my Alkemie fox ring (from Vincent Park in Vancouver) came in its own pouch so it’ll travel that way with me to Coachella.

But truth be told, I don’t bring many accessories with me because I like to stock up while on vacation. Accessories make the best souvenirs, don’t they?

Hope this helps, Melissa. Have such an amazing time on your cruise and let me know how it goes!

P.S. Follow the Anthology on Twitter.

April 13, 2010 by

Celebrate Transplant

A guest post by Dan Fumano.

Celebrate Transplant is an upcoming event aiming to raise funds for transplant research and promote awareness of the need for increased donor registration in BC (only 17% of British Columbians are registered donors).  It takes place Saturday, April 17 at the Medical Student & Alumni Centre near Vancouver General Hospital.

This second annual Celebrate Transplant event has been in the works for months, and this year it is dedicated to Eva Markvoort for all she has done for transplant awareness.  Sadly, Eva passed away last month just before her 26th birthday, ending her life-long battle with Cystic Fibrosis.  She was a remarkable young woman who touched thousands of lives, first through her blog 65_RedRoses, then through the documentary film of the same name.

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Eva’s hope was to increase awareness about organ donation, encouraging more people to become registered donors. Reportedly, after the broadcast of 65_RedRoses, the rate of new registered donors in Canada tripled.

Celebrate Transplant is also an opportunity to appreciate Eva’s brilliant artistic and creative side.  The night will be the first public exhibition of a photographic collaboration with her friend Cyrus McEachern, a Vancouver photographer and medical student who helped organize this year’s Celebrate Transplant event alongside Joscelyn Carthy, a nursing student and board member of the Transplant Research Foundation of BC.

Although Eva will surely be in everyone’s hearts and minds, this isn’t meant to be a sombre event; rather, it should be a celebration of the beauty of transplant and the lives that it prolongs. Event details can be found here and tickets bought online here.

April 13, 2010 by