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Mom and baby

Meet Parallelograms

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. Because I actually began a year and a half ago and have been toiling away on this ever since (in between my work with my Northill clients and wrangling two little redheads). But here we are (FINALLY!). And I could not be more excited.

Meet Parallelograms, themed art kits designed for you and yours to do alongside each other (in parallel!), delivered straight to your door (like telegrams!). Each series is available in two versions: one with artist-quality supplies, the other with kid-friendly supplies (ages 3+).

Our first series? Colourful cacti and fancy flamingos. Summer in a nutshell!

The concept behind Parallelograms was inspired by a table we have that’s devoted to art (in the sense that it’s covered in more art supplies than a Michael’s). I noticed whenever our friends came over — our friends, not our kids’ — they would plunk themselves down and start doodling and scribbling and painting and whatnot. And these weren’t our artsy fartsy friends either. In fact, they would probably tell you they don’t have a creative bone in their bodies.

Yet, they’d sit and make art while we hung out. My hunch is that it has something to do with how easily everything is laid out, how low the stakes are (the kid sitting beside you sure isn’t going to judge your work!) and how relaxing it can be to create something with your hands.

Then, when I was on the verge of serious burnout after I had my second baby (such exhausting times, those!), I bought myself some artist-quality supplies. I’d fill a sketchbook while my older daughter filled a colouring book right beside me. It’s as close as I ever get to meditating. And I swear it’s just as restorative. (It’s actually something I touched on in this post about creativity and burnout.)

I’m a writer and somehow creating visual art restored my ability to write. I figure if my friends and I were finding some magic in this, then hopefully others would too.

So here we are!

I would love, love, love your feedback on all things Parallelograms so please share. And thank you to every single one of you who helped me bring this to life. I am forever indebted to you!

[First and third photo by Hayley Hudson, second and fourth photo by Kelsey Dundon for @Parallelograms.co on Instagram]

P.S. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the concept and branding so I’m going to write a series of posts that will take you through exactly that: the naming, the branding, the logo (which was done by my frequent Northill collaborator Sonja Keserich — I love it more than I could tell you!), and all the other pieces it took to launch this thing.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to go ship the first batch of Parallelograms orders. (Yay! THANK YOU!!!)

Pinstagram | White dresses and watermelon onesies

The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Kelsey Dundon’s Instagram photos of places and faces in and around Vancouver).

Park and Fifth Co

Wear white. Trying on bridesmaids dresses at Park & Fifth Co. + a dress that would be like wearing a cloud.

Baby pink

Baby pink. Learning to crawl (on the kitchen floor, no less) + the sweetest, summery-est outfit ever.

Kissa Tanto

Brass tacks. The beautifully decorated Kissa Tanto + a set of lights I could see fitting in beautifully there.

Dining room

Dining set. Elsa and Anna joined us for my book club brunch + a loft where I wouldn’t mind hosting my own brunch.

Olive Oil Cake

Homemade. Quite proud of my olive oil cake (so easy! so delicious!) + a berry crumble I’d love to test.

North Shore and Mountains

Trail running. Racing through the North Shore Mountains as fast as her short legs would carry her + a mountain lake I’d love my legs to hike me to.

P.S. There are more photos where these came from so follow @KelseyDundon on Instagram and Snapchat.

Pinstagram | Wrap it up

The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Kelsey Dundon’s Instagram photos of places and faces in and around Vancouver).

Tshirt and jeans

Jeans and a tee. A graphic t-shirt designed for Easter Seals’ Woman 2 Warrior (which I’ve worked with many times before) + an even more casual take on the jeans a t-shirt look.

Castle

Hideaway. Her favourite spot + what would be my favourite spot to read and hang out.

Goop cookbooks

Goop read. My cookbook collection is rather embarrassing + a radish salad GP would totally approve of.

ornate

Wrought iron. A room divider at The Cross + ornate designs in Barcelona.

Wrapping and wallpaper

Paper party. A creative use of wrapping paper + a creative use of wallpaper.

P.S. There are more photos where these came from so follow @KelseyDundon on Instagram.

The Cool Kids | Minimocs

Rose gold minimocs

I just took an inventory. Turns out all my favourite kids’ shoes are from the west coast: cozy hand-knit slippers by Padraig Cottage for winter, cool water-friendly sneakers by Native Shoes for summer. And for little ones who are just learning to walk, these beauties by Minimoc.

Minimoc flat lay

They were a gift from my friend Surina and while I don’t want my littlest one to grow up too fast, I am looking forward to outfitting her in them. They’re the best of the best (coast).

[Photos by Hayley Hudson]

Pinstagram | Party time!

The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Kelsey Dundon’s Instagram photos of places and faces in and around Vancouver).

KD and WO

Family portrait. Me and my baby in black and white + a cute way to photograph a family.

Eco Fashion Week

Fashion Meet. The Eco Fashion Week press conference at the Fairmont Waterfront (read my piece on one of their most innovative shows here) + a workspace that looks like it would also have waterfront views.

Bunny Ears

Hop to it. My little Easter bunny + a hopscotched kids’ room.

Magnolias v2

In bloom. Magnolias are my favourite + this makes carnations look surprisingly cool too.

Dress forms

Dress forms. Three dress forms backstage before one of my segments on Global Television + three dressed-up models before the coolest party ever.

P.S. There are more photos where these came from so follow @KelseyDundon on Instagram.

The Cool Kids | Vancouver’s Own

WuChild Wrap

I never thought I’d have this much fun dressing my kids. I don’t have nieces or nephews to buy for, and my girlfriends didn’t start having kids until around same the time I did, so I never paid much attention to the kids’ department (unless I was doing a segment on the subject). As it turns out, Vancouver has some of the most amazing gear for little ones — colourful, adorable, and full of personality.

IMG_2234

Like Wuchild‘s geometric wrap (in the top photo) and their #parklife tees, which my kid often wears with some sort of brightly coloured poofy skirt (thank you, Wuchild!).

Redfish Onesie

And the beautifully designed, impeccably made pieces at Redfish Kids, whose babywear makes a unique gift (thank you, Team Hawksworth!).

Redfish Dress

Their clothes are a hit with my almost three year old and she is very particular about what she wears. It’s rare she’ll wear anything that isn’t pink or, you know, sparkly, but she loves this striped blue dress (she’s wearing it as a write this, in fact). Maybe because it’s so flowy, it feels like a princess dress even if it doesn’t look like a princess dress? Who knows.

Native Shoes

She wears it, as she does most things, with her pink Native shoes, her third pair of the things. They get mad props because they work at the waterpark, at the pool, and in this rainy city in general. Plus, even chubby uncoordinated toddler hands can get them on without a grownup’s help. Have they taken over playgrounds in other cities? Because boy, do they dominate here.

Want more of Vancouver’s stylish kids’ wear? You’ll find it here.

[First, third and fourth photos by Hayley Hudson, last photo from @KelseyDundon on Instagram]

Pinstagram | Bring your kid to work day

The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Kelsey Dundon’s Instagram photos of places and faces in and around Vancouver).

KD and office

Workspace. I brought my baby with me to do a pull for a segment, which technically makes that a bring-your-kid-to-work day + a home office I’d become a Kardashian for.

Necklace and Alexa

Colours of the year. A necklace (from LOFT) in serenity and rose quartz + Alexa Chung in similar Pantone-approved tones.

Hearts

I heart it. Valentine’s Day wins my heart every time + a print just dripping with pink.

Kids clothes

Like a hurricane. My toddler likes to dress herself + a kid’s wardrobe that’s neater than mine could ever be.

bed

Reading in bed. This is what she got all dressed up for + an adorable earthy kid’s room.

P.S. There are more photos where these came from so follow @KelseyDundon on Instagram.

Pinstagram | Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Pear?

The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Kelsey Dundon’s Instagram photos of places and faces in and around Vancouver).

juice and tart

Juicy. A thirst-quenching treat from Commodity Juicery + a pear tart.

Walls

Climbing the walls. My little monkey on the world’s coolest climbing wall + adorable wallpaper, which isn’t actually custom wallpaper made of that kid’s art, but the work of Gael Davrinche.

dog pic

Throwback. A print from a campaign I creative directed that hangs in my living room (read more about that campaign here) + a home so full of windows there would be no place to hang art at all.

office

The dream vs. the reality. My office always looks insane when I’m in the middle of a project + an office where everything is — enviably — in its place.

P.S. There are more photos where these came from so follow @KelseyDundon on Instagram.

Pinstagram | Art Supplied

The Anthology’s Pinstagram column marries the dream (Pinterest) and the reality (Kelsey Dundon’s Instagram photos of places and faces in and around Vancouver).

Florals

In a cinch. A #tbt to when I wore elastic-waisted pants because I wanted to and not because I had to (vest c/o Patagonia, jacket from Danier, pants from Anthropologie) + a floral dress with a cinched waist.

Paint and art

Artiste. A painter in her studio + a pop art print.

Usher

Yeah! The best wedding-themed card I’ve ever seen (at Front) + electric love.

Bioderma

No-makeup look. My favourite after-segment ritual is taking off my stage makeup (Bioderma is such a drugstore miracle!) + beautiful bottles.

tutu

Come as you are. A Halloween costume made entirely of my kid’s everyday wardrobe + a little one with similar fashion sense.

P.S. There are more photos where these came from so follow @KelseyDundon on Instagram.