Story

Earth laughs in flowers
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

I

n 2014, I found myself entering my third act in life, but I hadn’t thought of it that way at the time. My marriage had abruptly ended, my kids were almost grown, and I had the unfortunate experience of being a victim of a horrible crime—one that set me on a journey to heal and ultimately re-create a different me.

My years of taking care of my kids holistically were lost when it came time for me to use those skills to take care of myself. Nights were fitful; I often woke up panicked that I did not have any goals for myself to improve my life. I moved through most days in a fugue-like state, bouncing from hotels to Airbnb’s, surprising myself that another day had ended, only to begin again like the movie, Groundhog Day.

A surprise offer to stay at my sister’s house soon broke me free from my pattern, where my only job was to listen to the inner me. Integrating small, nutritious meals, walking by the water, and journaling brought me closer to the home within myself.

A memory was ignited one night after watching a scene from the movie, Bright Star. One of the characters embroidered a tree on a silk pillowcase for her lover’s brother who had recently died. I recalled when I was young, my love of sewing, making shirts and things my own by sewing buttons, and making stitches and purposeful rips as I ran my hands through my thin hair.

Inspired by the movie and after doing a little investigative work, I found out that silk has qualities that could potentially help my frail hair and skin. Newly inspired, I set out to find myself a silk pillowcase, which seemed indulgent but necessary.

I discovered that not all silk pillowcases were even made of real silk. They were soft to the touch but made with synthetic material, mass-produced for cheaper prices and dyed with chemicals, which was horrible for the environment, my hair, skin, and breathing in.

One day, I bought some real silk at a small, upscale fabric store. Not long after, I sewed my first pillowcase in a class the store had offered. I was so excited to bring the finished piece home so that I could sleep on it and test it out for myself.

Indeed, the silk felt luxurious, soft on my skin, and itkept my hair from tangling. I knew that I would never sleep on a cotton pillowcase again.

In the next few years, I learned the history of silk, where it came from, and how it is made. I sourced an organic Peace silk that is sustainable, and employees are given a fair wage, and the hard-working silkwormsare free to live out their natural cycle, as I found out that most silk moths are boiled after making the silk threads. I settled on a pillowcase pattern that enveloped the pillow, and that included French seams, which increased the longevity, also giving a nod to the past when details mattered.

The next step was learning about the dyeing process in the textile industry, which was largely harmful to people and to the environment. Naturally dyeing silk, using botanicals and other organic matter, is an age-old practice, which allowed me to use my hands and imagination to make something useful and beautiful for others. My passion to create was real; I felt like I was moving on an upswing, ultimately setting out to create a line of luxury botanical silk pillowcases didn’t seem so far-fetched, keeping me from slipping into a “woe is me” mindset.

In 2021, I launched my healing product line which included herbal bundles and candles that would support others who want to slow down and create more rituals. In 2022, my organic silk pillowcases were introduced, that I named Dreamcycle’s,^® along with other products that I sourced from other women-owned businesses that shared my core beliefs: being well-made, having a purpose, sharing a story, protecting heritage, using a natural production process, and a reflection of something meaningful to our customers’ core.

For centuries, humans have shared a connection to nature, insects, and animals in life cycles. In addition,the moon and sun cycles give meaning to time, age, spiritual or healing practices, or astrology, to name a few. Without conscious intention, I found myself acquiring unusual upscale textiles from other artistic women-centered communities around the world that represent these themes.

Light, airy wall hangings that easily take up the space of a wall, created from hundreds of cocoons sewn together, masterfully dyed using natural indigo pigments that produce an array of colors from navy blue to aqua, similar to peacock feathers, to smaller scale pieces evoking serenity, such as a moon over water.

Elegant table linens made cleverly from the inner spun-like gold appearance; a part of the inner cocoon and hand block stamped raffia that exudes a casual ambiance to the table, to natural fibers hand-woven in classic motifs, botanically dyed in striking dye patterns, transforming rooms into a sanctuary for the soul.

It is my hope that people from all walks of life have access to well-made, luxurious soft goods and self-care to add meaning to their lives and homes. I picked the tagline “The key to a high vibrational life” for House of Kelleher because inner healing transforms, as you peel away the layers, shedding what no longer serves you so that you can become. When we take the time to heal, let go, and nourish ourselves, we have the power to change, raising our vibe to all those who we touch. I believe that what happens in our inner world is reflected in our outer world “home.”

Kelleher is my middle name and my grandmother’s maiden name, which means “lover of company.” Since my past and those of my ancestors are mixed with both light and dark, I wanted to transmute that energy by creating something that honored the mothers who lived before me and brings beauty to the new world, respecting the earth and all inhabitants, as I believe inbuilding a world that we all want to participate in.