Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Blanket Buddies!

Introducing the newest addition to the Dragonfly's Hollow lineup...


Blanket Buddies!

These measure 12" by 12".  The blankets have a cotton velour back with a printed interlock knit front.

The bunny heads are made from velour fabric and are stuffed with pure, clean wool.  Their faces are hand embroidered.







This is our initial launch.  We are pretty excited and hope you are too.  

These are not MTO-able due to limited quantities of printed knit fabric.  However, they will be available in limited quantities, as an "As Is" purchase thru our mamas at their festival booths or in home parties so get with your Design Specialist....and book a party.


Sunday, October 26, 2014

Cinderella - by the Brother's Grimm


Cinderella



A rich man's wife became sick, and when she felt that her end was drawing near, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said, "Dear child, remain pious and good, and then our dear God will always protect you, and I will look down on you from heaven and be near you." With this she closed her eyes and died.

The girl went out to her mother's grave every day and wept, and she remained pious and good. When winter came the snow spread a white cloth over the grave, and when the spring sun had removed it again, the man took himself another wife.

This wife brought two daughters into the house with her. They were beautiful, with fair faces, but evil and dark hearts. Times soon grew very bad for the poor stepchild.

"Why should that stupid goose sit in the parlor with us?" they said. "If she wants to eat bread, then she will have to earn it. Out with this kitchen maid!"

They took her beautiful clothes away from her, dressed her in an old gray smock, and gave her wooden shoes. "Just look at the proud princess! How decked out she is!" they shouted and laughed as they led her into the kitchen.



There she had to do hard work from morning until evening, get up before daybreak, carry water, make the fires, cook, and wash. Besides this, the sisters did everything imaginable to hurt her. They made fun of her, scattered peas and lentils into the ashes for her, so that she had to sit and pick them out again. In the evening when she had worked herself weary, there was no bed for her. Instead she had to sleep by the hearth in the ashes. And because she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella.



One day it happened that the father was going to the fair, and he asked his two stepdaughters what he should bring back for them.

"Beautiful dresses," said the one.

"Pearls and jewels," said the other.

"And you, Cinderella," he said, "what do you want?"

"Father, break off for me the first twig that brushes against your hat on your way home."

So he bought beautiful dresses, pearls, and jewels for his two stepdaughters. On his way home, as he was riding through a green thicket, a hazel twig brushed against him and knocked off his hat. Then he broke off the twig and took it with him. Arriving home, he gave his stepdaughters the things that they had asked for, and he gave Cinderella the twig from the hazel bush.

Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother's grave, and planted the branch on it, and she wept so much that her tears fell upon it and watered it. It grew and became a beautiful tree.

Cinderella went to this tree three times every day, and beneath it she wept and prayed. A white bird came to the tree every time, and whenever she expressed a wish, the bird would throw down to her what she had wished for.



Now it happened that the king proclaimed a festival that was to last three days. All the beautiful young girls in the land were invited, so that his son could select a bride for himself. When the two stepsisters heard that they too had been invited, they were in high spirits.

They called Cinderella, saying, "Comb our hair for us. Brush our shoes and fasten our buckles. We are going to the festival at the king's castle."

Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she too would have liked to go to the dance with them. She begged her stepmother to allow her to go.

"You, Cinderella?" she said. "You, all covered with dust and dirt, and you want to go to the festival?. You have neither clothes nor shoes, and yet you want to dance!"

However, because Cinderella kept asking, the stepmother finally said, "I have scattered a bowl of lentils into the ashes for you. If you can pick them out again in two hours, then you may go with us."
The girl went through the back door into the garden, and called out, "You tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather:
The good ones go into the pot,
The bad ones go into your crop."
Two white pigeons came in through the kitchen window, and then the turtledoves, and finally all the birds beneath the sky came whirring and swarming in, and lit around the ashes. The pigeons nodded their heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick. And the others also began to pick, pick, pick, pick. They gathered all the good grains into the bowl. Hardly one hour had passed before they were finished, and they all flew out again.


The girl took the bowl to her stepmother, and was happy, thinking that now she would be allowed to go to the festival with them.

But the stepmother said, "No, Cinderella, you have no clothes, and you don't know how to dance. Everyone would only laugh at you."

Cinderella began to cry, and then the stepmother said, "You may go if you are able to pick two bowls of lentils out of the ashes for me in one hour," thinking to herself, "She will never be able to do that."
The girl went through the back door into the garden, and called out, "You tame pigeons, you turtledoves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to gather:
The good ones go into the pot,
The bad ones go into your crop."
Two white pigeons came in through the kitchen window, and then the turtledoves, and finally all the birds beneath the sky came whirring and swarming in, and lit around the ashes. The pigeons nodded their heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick. And the others also began to pick, pick, pick, pick. They gathered all the good grains into the bowls. Before a half hour had passed they were finished, and they all flew out again.


The girl took the bowls to her stepmother, and was happy, thinking that now she would be allowed to go to the festival with them.

But the stepmother said, "It's no use. You are not coming with us, for you have no clothes, and you don't know how to dance. We would be ashamed of you." With this she turned her back on Cinderella, and hurried away with her two proud daughters.

Now that no one else was at home, Cinderella went to her mother's grave beneath the hazel tree, and cried out:
Shake and quiver, little tree,
Throw gold and silver down to me.
Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She quickly put on the dress and went to the festival.


Her stepsisters and her stepmother did not recognize her. They thought she must be a foreign princess, for she looked so beautiful in the golden dress. They never once thought it was Cinderella, for they thought that she was sitting at home in the dirt, looking for lentils in the ashes.

The prince approached her, took her by the hand, and danced with her. Furthermore, he would dance with no one else. He never let go of her hand, and whenever anyone else came and asked her to dance, he would say, "She is my dance partner."

She danced until evening, and then she wanted to go home. But the prince said, "I will go along and escort you," for he wanted to see to whom the beautiful girl belonged. However, she eluded him and jumped into the pigeon coop. The prince waited until her father came, and then he told him that the unknown girl had jumped into the pigeon coop.

The old man thought, "Could it be Cinderella?"

He had them bring him an ax and a pick so that he could break the pigeon coop apart, but no one was inside. When they got home Cinderella was lying in the ashes, dressed in her dirty clothes. A dim little oil-lamp was burning in the fireplace. Cinderella had quickly jumped down from the back of the pigeon coop and had run to the hazel tree. There she had taken off her beautiful clothes and laid them on the grave, and the bird had taken them away again. Then, dressed in her gray smock, she had returned to the ashes in the kitchen.

The next day when the festival began anew, and her parents and her stepsisters had gone again, Cinderella went to the hazel tree and said:
Shake and quiver, little tree,
Throw gold and silver down to me.
Then the bird threw down an even more magnificent dress than on the preceding day. When Cinderella appeared at the festival in this dress, everyone was astonished at her beauty. The prince had waited until she came, then immediately took her by the hand, and danced only with her. When others came and asked her to dance with them, he said, "She is my dance partner."



When evening came she wanted to leave, and the prince followed her, wanting to see into which house she went. But she ran away from him and into the garden behind the house. A beautiful tall tree stood there, on which hung the most magnificent pears. She climbed as nimbly as a squirrel into the branches, and the prince did not know where she had gone. He waited until her father came, then said to him, "The unknown girl has eluded me, and I believe she has climbed up the pear tree.

The father thought, "Could it be Cinderella?" He had an ax brought to him and cut down the tree, but no one was in it. When they came to the kitchen, Cinderella was lying there in the ashes as usual, for she had jumped down from the other side of the tree, had taken the beautiful dress back to the bird in the hazel tree, and had put on her gray smock.

On the third day, when her parents and sisters had gone away, Cinderella went again to her mother's grave and said to the tree:
Shake and quiver, little tree,
Throw gold and silver down to me.
This time the bird threw down to her a dress that was more splendid and magnificent than any she had yet had, and the slippers were of pure gold. When she arrived at the festival in this dress, everyone was so astonished that they did not know what to say. The prince danced only with her, and whenever anyone else asked her to dance, he would say, "She is my dance partner."




When evening came Cinderella wanted to leave, and the prince tried to escort her, but she ran away from him so quickly that he could not follow her. The prince, however, had set a trap. He had had the entire stairway smeared with pitch. When she ran down the stairs, her left slipper stuck in the pitch. The prince picked it up. It was small and dainty, and of pure gold.

The next morning, he went with it to the man, and said to him, "No one shall be my wife except for the one whose foot fits this shoe."




Well now, we all know how this story ended...so I will leave it here :)  This sweet version of Cinderella will go live in the shop today by 10am central.  

If you would like to read the rest of the original story, then you can follow this link, the rest of the story is there :)   
Small warning....The Brother's Grimm were NOT Walt Disney....



Friday, October 24, 2014

6 Month Check In


It's been six months since we launched our MTO program.  I figured a little update would be good for you all to let you know how its going so far.

When we started out, our goal was simple, bring the DFH in shop experience to areas all over the US so people can order their special hand made OOAK doll or critter and help these sweet mamas to earn an income doing something they love and believe in.  

Its been a LOT of hard work on our part as well as our mamas.  Yes, there have indeed been a few glitches but we worked together and overcame them.  After all, its not easy being trail blazers :)

We were told we were crazy and that it would never work.  We are proving those folks wrong every day....and that makes me so proud.  After all, here we are at the six month mark and I am so excited to say that things are going amazingly well. 

Our Mamas are rocking' and rollin'!

I am so proud of them...they grabbed this opportunity and are running with it.  They are growing their own contacts, reaching out in their areas, educating folks about DFH.  They are earning an income while being at home with their babies.  It seriously does not get better than that.  I am so proud of the progress we have made and the direction DFH is heading in.

It's an exciting time for us.  There is no clear road for traveling, but we have a vision of where we will be one day.  We are just making our own trail as we go along.

It reminds me of my favorite quote of all time....

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." 
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

 I honestly would not have it any other way.

Our mamas are amazing ladies, each with her own unique way of doing things....I love that about them all.  They are all super mamas :)

We recently had a meeting and one of the subjects was regarding their title.  I mean what do you call a super woman who helps folks who are new to DFH, design their dream doll or critter?  These ladies are not merely taking orders, they are building relationships, sharing their expertise and knowledge to help folks make choices that will best work for their needs.  With all this in mind, we all agreed that Consultant or Representative just did not seem to fit.  They deserved a more accurate title for what it is they do.  So, after a small discussion and a vote by the ladies, we have decided to go with the title...

Design Specialist

You will see that title used to describe them going forward...I like it.  Its rather fitting for what they do...wouldn't you agree?

So...what does the future hold for us?  Well, our ladies will continue to grow.  We here at DFH headquarters in Denton will continue to support them and help them achieve their goals.  In short, we will keep on moving forward. Is it going to be easy?  I can say it is going to be easier than it was at first...but it still will be work for us all.  That's OK...I think we can handle it all :)  After all, nothing worthwhile has ever been easy.

I am so proud of how far we have come in such a short span of time.  I am proud of all our mamas who saw the opportunity we were offering and took the chance that it would be something wonderful for them and their families.  I am excited to see where we will be in 12 months.

If you haven't had a chance to get to know one of our amazing ladies, please take the time to do that.  You will be happy you did....seriously....our ladies rock :)

Find Your Design Specialist


Here's to the first six months of an amazing journey....we are looking forward to the months ahead...  there is no doubt in my mind that they will be even more awesome!




If you are reading this and are thinking you might be a good fit for our team of Design Specialists, then follow this link and drop us a line.  Robert will get back with you with more information.

Join Our Team

If your area is not listed on our ISO list, don't worry....send us an email anyway.  We might have an opening in your area already.











Thursday, October 16, 2014

Declan and Poe

Long ago there was a wild haired boy with bright blue eyes, named Declan who lived alone with his mother.  He was a very bright boy with an amazing imagination.  Unfortunately, he did not have many friends his own age, but that did not bother him too much, he loved to spend time alone reading or just chatting with the older folks he knew so well. 



Of course, Declan still dreamt of the day when he would find a friend with whom to share adventures.



One day, Declan was sitting by the seaside, drawing in his sketchbook.  The wind began to blow and the waves of the water began to churn.  As he looked on, something under the water seemed to be heading to the shore...right towards him!

As the waves were crashing on the shore, he thought he saw what appeared to be a hoof and a mane.  He strained his eyes to see if he could make out more details.


He stood up and stared in awe as he watched a creature come crashing thru the waves, landing on the beach.  This creature had a grey, green body, what seemed to be purple hued hooves and hair that looked just like seaweed in green, gold and purple.

The strange creature worked its way directly to him.  Now of course he was terrified, but his legs would not move.  

The creature came so close he could feel it's breath on his face.  Declan had a strange sensation that he was not in danger so he reached out and gently touched the snout of the strange animal.  It felt damp but fur like.  The creature leaned into his hand.  

Declan reached up and touched the mane.  It felt wet like the body but also kind of slick, like seaweed.

All of a sudden, the creature spoke.  "My name is Poe" he said.  "I, I am Declan" he responded in a semi state of shock.  Who would have ever thought such a creature existed let alone be able to speak.



After that, it was as though the flood gates had been open.  The two began to chat with one another.  They talked for hours and hours.  Declan told Poe all about his life and his dreams of adventure and Poe shared details about his life under the water and all the amazing things he had seen.  

They made a date to meet up the following day at the same time.  

Once again, as the day before, the two spent hours talking and playing.  

This went on for day and weeks.  The two became the best of friends.  



They spent many years by the lakeside talking and sharing.  They were inseparable.  

Many years had passed, and Declan had grown into a strong young man.  Gone was the little boy, he longed to venture out into the world and find his adventures.  He and Poe planned out that they would leave together and explore the world.  

On a bright autumn morning, Declan hugged his mom goodbye and carrying his backpack, he walked to seaside to meet Poe.  

The water churned and up from the waves rose Poe.  He waded up to the edge of the beach.  Declan reached into Poe's mane and held on tight.  Poe turned rapidly about and dove into the waves bringing Declan with him.  The two rode the waves together wind blowing their hair.  They headed off to points unknown off to whatever adventures the world had in store for them.  You could hear their shouts of joy as they swam away.

Now, of course this is not the end.  The two spent me nay years traveling the world, visiting many places.  They would return every few months or so with trinkets and stories to share with Declan's mom.  They would spend a few days at a time visiting and then they would head out again.

Always off on a new adventure, always off to see new things, always together.

It is said to this day that if you sit quietly by the seaside, when the wind begins to blow, if you look closely in the choppy waves, you just might see them riding together heading for another adventure.

Declan and Poe, best friends forever.



Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Autumn Faeries


It's that time of year again, when the faeries come out to play.


The weather is not too hot and not yet too cold....just right for running about for hours.


Some have sweet soft dresses made from the petals of a flower


Some have a bohemian style all their own 


...and others have a more formal attire, as if they were Faerie Princesses


Some are the colors of the forest floor


...and still others the very colors of Autumn


No matter what they are wearing or the colors they show off, they are only visible for a short period of time.  Once you see them, be sure to take a moment and enjoy what you see....all too soon they will be gone and out of sight for a long time.






Full previews of this gorgeous gang will be up later this afternoon on Flickr

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Meet Billie Irby - Our DFH Mama in Colorado Springs, CO

 We are a family of 7 and live in Woodland Park, near Colorado Springs. 


The loss of a Waldorf inspired doll brought me to Dragonfly's Hollow and their adorable dolls and critters. The lost doll still holds a special place in my sons heart, since it was made by his German Waldorf Preschool Teacher as a good bye gift, but to be able to pick a new one in the size and colors he likes, makes the loss a little easier. 





We are trying to combine Rudolf Steiner and his believes into our daily life and just mix it as it fits us; finding the right balance is not always easy. Growing up in a different country and in the countryside made me expect certain things for us as parents. I love to carry my children, before they decided to keep on going with their own little legs. Now they carry their dolls and other things around.









We had the pleasure of meeting Billie on our family road trip as we passed thru Colorado Springs.  I can tell you she is a joy to chat with.  She has her hands full with a crew   of little ones, but she handles it all so well.  

If you are in the Colorado Springs are, give her a call or drop her an email.  You will find out for yourself exactly how awesome she is.


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Familiars!


It's been a long time since we have seen Familiar sets around here.  Familiars are a set consisting of a sweet doll and a companion of some sort.

Never have we done so many at one time before.  It was pretty exciting getting it all together.

Here are the sets for this week.

A bunny, a kitten...



A wee brown bird and a garden snail


Two sweet girls and their wee dollies


...and of course a couple of mer-gals with their sea horse companions


even the babies got into the act this week


they have their snuggly blanket buddies



It was so much fun pulling these all together for you.

This adorable group will go live Thursday (10/9) at 4:00 pm 

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Trick or Treat!


On Halloween night, the children put on their costumes and headed out to Trick or Treat!

They were dressed as bat princesses, spider princesses a cat and a mouse.


  There was a pirate girl, a pirate boy and two witches with their pets.


One was a pink princess...


another was a ghost.  



Even the babies were able to be in on the fun, dressing up as a unicorn and a lion....rawr!


It was dark, but the moon lit up the night sky.  There was a slight chill in the air.  The children giggled and ran about as they crunched through the fallen leaves on the ground.

The neighborhood was alive with excitement.  Children were everywhere.



Once their sacks were full, they said goodnight to their friends and headed back home for the night.  

After sorting their candy, they were allowed to eat a few pieces then they brushed their teeth, put on their comfy PJ's and watched a movie.  

It was an exciting night full of fun and friends.  They went to bed that night thinking of all the fun they had and dreaming of what fun they will have next year.

Happy Halloween!



October is such a fun filled month around here...We hope you all are planning a lot of fun things.  I found this poem and figured I would share it with all of you...  


Halloween Wishes

Since this is the time for goblins and bats,
Halloween spirits, ghosts and cats,
Weird-happenings and witches brew,
These are the things I wish for you.
May the only spirit you chance to meet,
Be the spirit of love and warm friends sweet.
May the tricks that you are asked to do,
Be a trick to help you gain a friend or two.
So, by tomorrow, pick three friends sweet,
And give them all a Halloween treat.
You only have one day, so hurry!
Leave a treat on the doorstep, then flee in a hurry!



 Have an exciting, fun and memorable month of October everyone!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The Story of The Lost Kids...


There once was a small group of children who lived in the woods, who decided they never wanted to grow up.

  They wanted to live in a world filled with endless days playing in the sun, staying up late telling stories and taking long adventurous walks thru the woods.


They loved dressing up and pretending to be their favorite woodland creatures so much, that they decided that these would be the only clothes they would wear.  Good luck getting them to willingly put anything else on :)



Each child chose a different woodland creature....a bear, fox, rabbit, turtle, skunk, deer, wolf, hedgehog squirrel and field mouse.  



They come in all shapes and sizes....some are bigger and some are small.



They are Babies, Pixies, Sprites, Jewelwings and Imps




They are lighter skinned, darker skinned and all colors in between.





Some love to dig in the dirt, others love lounging in the meadow watching the clouds roll by.  Still others love to run as fast as they are able and of course, there are the ones who love to climb as high as they possibly can.  




Each one is very different from the other.  


After many weeks of play, they have all finally decided that it was time to find a home of their own.  A place where they can snuggle up at night with a best friend and have a story read to them as they drift off to sleep.  A place where they can have great adventures with their best friend...adventures they would never forget.


It is time for them to go home.  Their more detailed preview pics were posted in our Wednesday morning newsletter...and will be posted online on Wednesday at 5:00 pm central US time.


These cuties will be available for adoption on Thursday at 4:00 pm central US time.  Come join us and take one home....





Monday, September 22, 2014

Imps!

Introducing the newest members of our DFH family...


Imps!


I can say without a doubt they are truly adorable.

But don't take my word for it, let me show you their little details...

First up....they stand about 14 inches tall (give or take being handmade).  They are super slender....the same width around as our Sprites. 



They have long super slender legs with big feet that are roughly the size of our Jewelwings.  They also have our unique leg joints, so they can move freely.



Their arms are gangly and slender as well with fairly large hands.  They too have our joints for free movement.


Yes, your eyes are not playing tricks on you....they do indeed have ears


Oh and yes, a chin...and of course butt cheeks :)


There will be a few available each week (maybe 5 total) both randomly and in our themed RTG Thursday uploads....so keep an eye out for them.

Sorry, they are not available as MTO so when you see one you want, don't hesitate.

These guys are a LOT of fun....they are made with the 8-10 year old age group in mind.  They have been a HUGE hit with my two younger kiddos and their friends.

We hope you love them as much as we do...keep your eyes open for their debut this week :)