When we grow up, we want to be just like Dolly Parton. 

Dolly’s songs are storytelling gems. And, if anyone knows how to begin again, it’s Dolly. From the fog of her modest Tennessee mountain home to country icon, Dolly is the queen of second acts. 

Mandy’s childhood was intertwined with Dolly’s. Her rare childhood vacation led them to the Smoky Mountains. At Dollywood, she and her sisters rode rides to dizziness and feasted on Cinnamon bread. The real draw, though, was seeing Dolly and her siblings singing harmonies so beautiful it felt like the heavens had lowered over the park. 

As a kid, Mandy dreamed of a fancy job with a typewriter like Dolly in the movie 9 to 5. Mandy’s dad misted up every time The Coat of Many Colors came across the radio. Mandy and her sisters argued with any kid who dared suggest Whitney Houston’s version of I Will Always Love You was better than Dolly’s rendition. Mom was a fan of Dolly’s Life is like a Butterfly. She celebrated Dolly and that tune by replicating the signature butterfly into a classic 1970s hook rug. 

Mandy found the relic at the bottom of a box in her parents’ attic in 2022. Her mom had tossed it in the discard pile while cleaning. Mandy had other ideas: that rug would find new life in their tiny home. 

Sure, it’s a little outdated and ragged, but aren’t we all? It reminds Mandy that it’s never too late to find new purpose.

In honor of Dolly and fresh starts, come see us.