Dolly meant a great deal to me, as I am sure she has meant so much to so many people. There are certain people who enter our lives without ever knowing us personally yet somehow leave an imprint on who we become. Dolly Parton is one of those people for me.
Many years ago, I watched her interview with Barbara Walters, and something she said stayed with me throughout my life. She was speaking about her unmistakable appearance, her individuality, and the choices she made to become exactly who she wanted to be. She said:
“It's certainly a choice. I don't like to be like everybody else. I've often made the statement that I would never stoop so low as to be fashionable. That's the easiest thing in the world to do. So, I just decided that I would do something that would at least get the attention. Once they got past the shock of the ridiculous way I looked and all that, then they would see there was parts of me to be appreciated. I am very real where it counts, and that's inside and as far as my outlook on life and the way I care about people and the way I care about myself.”
I never forgot those words.
What resonated with me wasn't simply her willingness to look different. It was the deeper message underneath it: be yourself, be real where it counts, care about people, and don't be afraid to use what makes you different as a way to connect with the world.
Dolly has always seemed to understand something that I believe deeply myself: that the things we create can be about far more than ourselves. They can become vehicles for generosity, connection, opportunity, and change.
That is the spirit behind The Dolly Collection.
This collection is my personal homage to Dolly, her extraordinary legacy, and the values she has represented throughout her life. It is also my small contribution to something much bigger—the belief that it takes a village to build a healthy, thriving community.
For more than twenty years, I have built my career outside of entrepreneurship within the field of education. Education has shaped so much of my life, and through that work I have seen firsthand how important it is to give children opportunities to learn, imagine, dream, and simply know that someone believes in their future.
I believe in philanthropy.
I believe in service to others.
And I believe that sometimes the smallest things—a book, a story, a moment of encouragement, a handmade gift—can become something much bigger in a child's life.
That is why I chose Dolly Parton's Imagination Library as the beneficiary of this collection.
The Light Blue Rose
The Dolly Collection will consist of my handmade light blue rose hair flowers, inspired by the iconic flower Dolly wore during her interview with Barbara Walters.
The rose is more than an aesthetic detail. For me, it represents individuality, beauty, nostalgia, femininity, and the courage to embrace what makes us unmistakably ourselves.
Each flower is handmade with the intention that it carry a little bit of that spirit forward.
When you purchase one, you aren't simply purchasing a hair flower. You are participating in a larger story—one about creativity, education, generosity, and the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to discover the magic of books.
$31 = A Year of Books
The base cost of the collection is $31.
That amount represents approximately $2.50–$2.60 per month for a child—or roughly $31 for a full year of books and shipping through the Imagination Library.
And because I want the greatest possible portion of your purchase to go toward the children this collection is intended to support, I will personally cover the shipping.
That means your $31 purchase is simply $31 toward this cause.
Most importantly, 100% of the proceeds from The Dolly Collection will be donated to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
I am creating these flowers because I love what they represent, but I am offering them because I believe we can turn that love into something useful.
Something that reaches a child.
Something that opens a book.
Something that sparks imagination.
Something that reminds a child that their world can be bigger than what they see today.
Dolly once said, “You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children.”
I couldn't agree more.
So, this is my little piece of the village.
A handmade flower inspired by a woman who taught generations of people to embrace who they are, care about others, and give back.
A flower for Dolly.
A book for a child.
A little more imagination for the world.
And perhaps most importantly, a reminder that we don't have to do something enormous to make a difference.
We simply have to do our part.
Thank you for being part of mine.