Feast your eyes on these

These beautiful specimens have been sitting in my friend Melissa’s closet since the eighties. And when clearing out her closet one day she thought of me (biggest compliment ever) and generously handed them over.

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Notice the pleats…observe the tapering…

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It’s almost too much to handle, isn’t it?

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I’m getting them tailored as I type and I am praying to MC Hammer that they turn into rad, wearable shorts. Will let you know how it goes.

Want to see some other hideous “before” shots? Take a look here. And here.

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April 11, 2010 by

Coachella Ella Ella Eh Eh Eh

Heading to Coachella this week to dance my face off under the desert sun. So. Freaking. Excited.

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Because it’s always draws the most stylish crowd, I thought I’d pull together some favourite looks from Coachellas past.

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Like Allesandra Ambrosio, who is gorgeous from head to pirate-bootied toe.

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And Sienna Miller, who actually makes effortless chic look effortless.

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And this couple, because their boots match.

First image found here. Second image found here. Third image found here. Fourth image found here.

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April 11, 2010 by

A Canadian in Paris

Wendy writes:

I stumbled upon your blog and I love perusing it! I’m in Paris just now and am staying for two months, and since you’ve been, I wanted to know some of your favourite places to shop (Printemps being one of them bien sur)?  Any good open markets for trinkets that are not overly touristy?

oneandonlyparis

Wendy, you lucky ducky! I am so envious of your two-month Parisian adventure. Now, I was there five long years ago so my shopping memories are limited — we did frequently frequent Printemps and the gorgeous Galeries Lafayette (our little atelier was near the Grand Magasins). I also remember loving the boutiques in le Marais.

But where do I dream of going in Paris? That, I can tell you:

There’s Colette, of course, whose artsy-fartsy funkiness is so irresistible, it would be my first stop.

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Then there’s the shop by Canadian designer Tara Jarmon, who Haute World introduced me to in a guest post she wrote for the Anthology.

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And there’s the brilliant Merci, where you can feel good about stocking up on everything from books to fine jewelry — profits benefit impoverished children in Madagascar.imgmerci1

And finalement, there is Laduree, whose macarons are so beautifully pastel-y, they inspired the colour palette for Sophia Copola’s gorgeous film Marie Antoinette.

Laduree Paris shop window

Hope this helps, Wendy!

So, mes amis, do you have any tips for a gal embarking on a Parisian adventure? Any Paris wishes? Share, please!

Paris image found here. Tara Jarmon photo by Haute World. Merci illustration found here. Colette image found here. Laduree image found here.

P.S. Add the Anthology on Facebook, mes chéris.

April 8, 2010 by

The more classic the look

the more fun it is to accessorize.

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Short shorts, long jacket and Frye boots? Sounds pretty classic to me. Which means it’s game on. Bonus points if the accessories hold memories.

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Take, for example, the gold bracelet I found during my recent trip to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It reminds me of sun, sand and, well, shopping.

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Then there’s the blue and gold bracelet I found at CRS Trading Post in Britannia Beach. Stopped there on our way to Whistler last weekend, which means it reminds me of sun, snow and, well, shopping.

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The Trading Post is also where I found my car’s newest accessory, the dream catcher. Which reminds me: I should start planning some dreamy roadtrips for the summer.

P.S. Follow the Anthology on Twitter. And get bonus bonus points.

April 7, 2010 by

It’s a Design Love Fest love fest

Design Love Fest is one of my favourite blogs on the whole worldwide web. Curated by California designer Bri Emery (wearing the hair bow in the photo below), it’s a virtually inexhaustable source of design and style inspiration.

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This shot of the blogger and her girlfriends was so gosh-darned cute I had to post it. Besides, I love Bri’s grey pumps.

April 6, 2010 by

La playa, oh, la playa

Wish I could spend all my days in Playa del Carmen.

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I could get used to a beachy-keen lifestyle.

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But my favourite spot to swim? It wasn’t the beach but a giant freshwater cenote (sinkhole doesn’t sound nearly as romantic, does it?). Cenote Ikil was cold, full of fish and dripping with Lost-style vines. Add to that the fact that it was a reported 54 metres(!) deep and you’ve got the coolest, spookiest swimming hole in the Yucatan.

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I’ve been back in Vancouver a few weeks now but I desperately want to head back to Mexico. Now.

My tangerine dress? It’s from Zara. My suitcase? It’s bulging full of ridiculously bulky sweaters and scarves.

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Seriously, who goes to a place like this and buys big woolly things?

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April 4, 2010 by

What’s more beautiful

than a handcrafted one-of-a-kind piece made of solid, responsibly harvested wood?

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Can’t think of anything right now.

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This little number? It’s the workmanship of Jeff Martin Joinery which I first discovered on Room 907. And one day my kitchen island will look just like it. Mark. My. Words.

April 4, 2010 by

A foolproof way to mix and match prints?

Look to Mother Nature. Because she know what she’s doing. And if a colour palette is good enough for her, then it’s good enough for me.

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Let’s take the peacock feather for example. The forest green, the deep purple, the navy blue and, when the light hits it right, the splash of yellow. (The peacock headpiece, by the way, is one of two custom pieces made for me by Vancouver’s Alice Hart.)

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Stripes, florals, miscellaneous geometric patterns — they all work together beautifully when Mama N picks the palette.

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She makes the potentially disastrous practice of print-mixing as foolproof as can be.

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In fact, I’d say she’s the best stylist a gal could ask for.

P.S. Follow the Anthology on Twitter, tweeps!

March 31, 2010 by

I’d like to imagine

that when my friends and I get together we’d play the tambourine, discuss philosophy and be all artsy.

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Instead we drink cheap beer and watch reruns of 30 Rock.

Image from Pandora.

March 31, 2010 by

In honour of Eva

Eva Markvoort, whose heartbreaking battle with cystic fibrosis was chronicled in the documentary 65_RedRoses, would have been 26 today.

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She lost her battle with the disease on Saturday. The legacy she leaves is one of hope. How many more people are organ donors because of the awareness she raised? How many more funds were raised? It would be impossible to measure because her impact was so widespread. Through her blog she touched people all over the world.

I never knew her, but like everyone who has seen 65_RedRoses, I fell in love with her charisma, her determination, her positivity.

65_RedRoses is returning to CBC’s Passionate Eye this Friday, April 2nd at 8pm (ET) / 5pm (PT). For those of you in the States, the directors are currently talking to broadcasters and will hopefully have an air date soon. For those of you in other parts of the world, I will let you know as soon as I do how you too can watch the film.

Want to honour Eva’s legacy? Become an organ donor (in BC visit British Columbia Transplant, in Ontario visit Ontario’s Organ and Tissue Donation Agency, in other provinces and states, Google “Organ Donation”), donate in Eva’s name to the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and join the Reddy for a Cure group on Facebook.

Photo by Cyrus McEachern.

March 31, 2010 by