ANNIE WILLIAMS – LIMITED NATURAL

I always love seeing what Nashville designer Annie Williams will come up with next. I’ve been a big fan of her work ever since her collaborator and my good friend Nicole Irene first introduced me to her beautiful leather goods. I’ve been following her work throughout the years and have always fallen in love with what ever she creates – from the home line to her early collections.

Of course, finding out that she has a new collection just in time for autumn featuring the natural essex hide. This leather wears well and she even gives her own testimonial of using the tin cloth tote as a diaper bag for the past couple of months, which gets me pretty excited about picking out my own diaper bag in the near future. This new collection looks soft, timeless and understated; totes and clutches that can effortlessly become season-less in your wardrobe.

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collection by annie williams

photography by nicole irene

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RETRO EXERCISE OF THE WEEK: HULA HOOPING

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Looking to whittle down that mid-section this summer? Being mid-August you might have already missed the prime of bikini season, but this is Calgary after all, so you’re likely already planning your first tropical getaway of the dreary season. Picking up a hula hoop is one of the easiest ways to start trimming down the waistline. If we are  [featuring Mat Plendl], multi-tasking while hooping was perfectly acceptable behaviour. Forget trying to waitress or fix your car at the same time—modern hooping deserves your undivided attention! It may take you awhile to get a hang of the technique, but once your hips start swaying in the right direction you will be slimming down in no time. I can’t tell who is cooler really? Is it the 1950s greaser combing his hair while hooping? Or perhaps the shaggy-haired ‘70s teen whose hooping skills rival the best at Shambhala? He may look like the kid from Almost Famous, but I would almost bet he was one of the leaders of the ‘90s rave scene.

 

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10 BOOKS TO READ THIS FALL

I always seem to have endless stack of books next to my bed. I’ve either got a mind that cannot be satiated by one or two good books per year or I have a serious book buying addiction. It is actually a combination between the two. I’ve always been a bit of a bookstore junkie and I can blame this trait completely on my book-loving parents. My Mom and Dad have always expressed the importance of a well-rounded home library and I’ve since curated my own to be a reflection of my personality and interests.

As much as I love a good used book (finding the previous owner’s margin notes are one of my favourite things about picking up a pre-loved book) there seems to be all sorts of amazing authors launching new books all of the time – essentially forcing me to add them to my Chapters shopping cart and wait patiently for that new book smell to arrive on my doorstep.

As my third trimester will be taking up the entire fall, I’m designating my spare time to spent indulging in some great new books as opposed to the Netflix marathons I’ve been subjecting myself to all summer. I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of different categories so I can keep things interesting in case non-fiction or fiction isn’t doing it for me 100% of the time. To be honest, I always have a couple of those books on my bedside table bookmarked or dog-eared – I am terrible for starting a new book before I’ve finished the last one.

My list is lengthy but a worthy one, full of precious literary gems (and some serious pop culture thrown in there for good measure) that will keep both you and I busy and away from the TV. Any books I should be adding to my stack? Please send me any recommendations! Like I said, I have an addiction, so please feed it!

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Creative Block by Danielle Krysa (aka The Jealous Curator)

Rookie Yearbook Two by Tavi Gavinson

Creative Confidence by David and Tom Kelley

The Wes Anderson Collection by Matt Zoller Seitz

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The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Friendship: A Novel by Emily Gould

One More Thing: Stories & Other Stories by BJ Novak

Sister Mother Husband Dog by Delia Ephron

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The Mr Porter Paperback by Jeremy Langmead

Mastering the Art of French Eating by Ann Mah

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COMING THIS FALL: Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

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