Dream Pillow and Shelter Cat Dolls + a Giveaway!

Do you believe in serendipity? The human dictionary Merriam-Webster says that serendipity is “luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for.”
My human says that was serendipity that brought her to meet Ms. Darlene Margeta of Dream Pillow and to discover her work.

While she was wandering around the East Village in Manhattan a few weeks before we moved, she saw something that caught her attention in the window of a little herb store called Flower Power. There were artisan-made cat dolls with different faces! She entered the store to ask for information, and was given the name of the company that make them: Dream Pillow. She was also told that part of the profits for the sales of these dolls benefit an animal shelter. My human had to learn more! She contacted the furry nice lady at Dream Pillow to discuss her products and they met at the French Market on Broadway and 36th St.

Dream Pillow at the French Market on Broadway - July 2013

Dream Pillow at the French Market on Broadway – July 2013

Dream Pillow

Dream Pillow

Dream Pillow

Dream Pillow makes products entirely handcrafted in New York: pillows, sachets, and cat dolls, that are filled with herbs and flowers, and they smell sooo good according to my human. Among other herbs, they contain lavender that comes from France! The pictures on each product are pictures taken by Ms. Margeta or pictures sent from clients for a customized work. Ms. Margeta has been making these products with the help of a herbalist for about 20 years.

Dream Pillow

They also make catnip sticks that we tried and loved!

Dream Pillow

Dream Pillow

Dream Pillow

What about my favorite product, the shelter cat doll? Here’s the description from the Dream Pillow website:

Our new cat dolls are not for cats, but for people.

They are replicas of actual stray and abandoned cats rescued by City Critters, a local rescue shelter and adoption organization. We donate $3 to City Critters for each doll we sell.
The dolls contain lavender and fiberfill. Fabrics used for the coverings are assorted. Like cats.

Dimensions: 15 inches tall, with long tails.

Shelter Cat Dolls

Shelter Cat Dolls

Dream Pillow

Wouldn’t it make the purrfect gift (hint: Christmas is in 1 month!) for your human or a human’s friend, and for the kitties it may help?

Ms. Margeta, which my human really enjoyed meeting, has loved animals for as long as she can remember. She was raised with lots of animals around. Her grandmother had barn cats that would wait besides her when the cows were being milked.

Of cats, she says they are like “a piece of art” that are very beautiful, have a sense of humor and enable you to relax. As an artist, she obviously connects with us kitties!

The idea of the cat dolls came when she was taking care of several stray cats in the East Village of Manhattan. She was feeding them and caring for them, until the day they were not welcome in the area anymore. City Critters came to the rescue. She herself kept a couple of kitties. With the dolls, she wanted to help City Critters in return.

The faces of the dolls are of shelter cats and dogs and can be customized with a picture of a kitty in your family (or a doggie…).

Of course, she is owned by several kitties: 11 rescue cats live in her studio, 3 in her apartment and she also feeds feral cats outside. A calico kitty is her artist cat too! You can see pictures of the kitties here.

Now in order to help the kitties too, my human has bought two dolls, one of which one of you will be able to win. Another doll has been generously given by Ms. Darlene Margeta. Yes, two shelter cat dolls will find a home among you, my readers.

[Click on the pictures to enlarge]

Dream Pillow

What do you have to do to win one?
1. Go visit Dream Pillow’s website here and tell me, in a comment below, which of their products – rescue dolls excepted – you prefer. This cannot be the doll, this must be another product.
2. For an extra chance to win, share this giveaway and post in a separate comment the link(s) to where you shared.
You have until Sunday, November 24, 11.59 pm central time to enter!

The winners will be drawn thanks to random.org and will be announced on November 26! The first person drawn will be able to choose which one of the two this person prefers.

Dream Pillow

If you cannot wait, or are not one of our lucky winners, you can visit Dream Pillow’s website and order the products you like by emailing them. Their contact information can be found here. If you live in the NY area, you can buy Dream Pillow products at the Broadway French Market (information here).

We really like their products and we are delighted to share and think it would make an original and furry nice idea of gift for humans!

Disclosure: We did not receive a compensation for this post. Opinions are our own. We were offered a sachet, as well as 2 catnip sticks, to test the products. Dream Pillow generously donated one rescue cat doll for the giveaway.

63 thoughts on “Dream Pillow and Shelter Cat Dolls + a Giveaway!

  1. I know my fur-baby would love the Yempi stick. She’s not one to ignore cat-nip like some cats. I love seeing pictures of Texas and Kitshka…they’re such great buddies!
    Hugs,
    JuneK

  2. I love the Yempi Sticks!! Our new kitty, Emmie, LOVES sticks. Our old boy, Thomas, never learned to play because he was on his own as a little one, but Emmie is teaching him, and he is best with sticks! They would love to win one to share (they learned to like each other when bonding with a stick!).

    Great contest, Texas! Thank you!!!

  3. We like the Yempi sticks, of course. Please enter us in your giveaway. Mom thinks these little kitty dolls are so cute, and she is always impressed when part of the profit goes to a really good cause, especially one for animals! Ho to Kitschka and Texas! Purrs and hugs, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
    Kitties Blue recently posted…WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: LION IN THE LOUVREMy Profile

  4. I think MomKatt would like a “dream pillow” with a picture of us blackies on it (though Bast knows it’d be so hard getting us ALL in one picture, let alone getting all of us LOOKING at her at the same time! MOL) Maybe just ME on the pillow, eh?

    Also a sachet for her dresser drawers.

    So there’s our entry, Texas!

    Good luck to all!

    Purrz!
    Selina
    Selina recently posted…Wordless Wednesday – Surveying a Kitten’s KingdomMy Profile

  5. I love everything at Dream Pillow! Thank you for sharing their wonderful site. Besides the Shelter Cat Dolls, I really like the silk Eye Pillows. I am sure they smell so good – I am thinking about putting an order together.

    Please put me in the drawing for a Shelter Cat Doll.

    Thanks!
    Susan

  6. What a great idea that Mageta came up with and for a good cause too! Our Mama loves the little dream pillows…especially the botanical one with the image of tulips which reminds her of angel Tulip :)
    We cats love the yempi sticks since we love organic catnip!
    So kind of you to do the giveaway. And yes Kitshka , there is room for you next to Queen Mitalee on the radiators…but we know LP would indulge you anything!

    the critters in the cottage xo
    LP recently posted…No New Tale to Tell.My Profile

  7. best fishes two everee one enterin de contest…way awesum oh ewe ta due this texas….N we love milou’s face…him loves de “herbs” two !! :)

  8. What a nice idea!! I cannot participate for I live in France, but It was very pleasant to visit the website, very beautiful! There are so many attractive products, it’s really difficult to choose. I like the eye pillows in violet silk. I even shared them on Pinterest with a link to FB for my American Friends, Cat lovers! Congratulations to Ms. Darlene Margeta, and big hugs to you, Kitshka and Milou, and of course your Human :-)
    Janina recently posted…la pomme s’unit au fenouil dans un verre / Apple meets fennel in a glassMy Profile

  9. Oh, hai! I love the dolls and I love the idea and now I’m thinking I will make some dolls to support our no kill shelters here. This is the time of the year when people move or go home for holiday and so many kittehs suddenly find themselves homeless, left on the side of the road to fend for themselves.

    Thanks for visiting Pattyskypants & Bhu! We are following you now! xxoo

    • If you have read my post, you know that the nice woman behind the dolls is not unfamiliar with caring for forgotten kitties. That is also why I wanted to feature her talent and creativity on my bloggie.

  10. WE KNOW THESE PEOPLE!!! Well, not personally but TW has their Peace Cats sachet and one year bought all her Christmas gifts from them. She couldn’t decide which to get. She liked the Obama pillows and the Beatles pillows, in addition to the cat pillows. They have a stand at Grand Central during the holidays. Now she’s anxiousl to go back there and talk to the woman. TW would love to get a pillow to match the Peace Cats sachet. What a wonderful idea the shelter dolls are. Their lavender is intoxicating and TW uses the sachet to help her when she can’t sleep. I’d love to enter the giveaway.
    Cathy Keisha recently posted…Are You A Ghetto Cat?My Profile

  11. Pingback: Kitshka Friday: We Want the Sun Back! | Texas, a cat in... Austin

  12. I am a HUGE believer in serendipity and in fact have blogged about it a couple of times. There are no coincidences! Love those dolls!
    I visited the site and the John Lennon sachet pillow is my absolute FAVE!! LOVE IT! I am a Sachet and John Lennon freak!
    I am not sharing because I don’t want more people to enter! lol!!!
    xoxoxo
    cgittleman at mi dot rr dot com
    Caren Gittleman recently posted…A Cat Chat With Caren and Cody holiday give-away! Enter to win Kitty Kick Stix!!My Profile

  13. Gosh the Yempi sticks sound rather intriguing – I’d like to sink my teefies into one of those!! The doll is too cute……very huggable (like me).

    Kitty Hugs, Sammy

  14. Texas, sorry I got here late but at least now I know about the products. The catnip sticks sound yummy! Thank your human for letting us little kitties know.

    Foxie

  15. Pingback: And the Winners of the Shelter Cat Dolls Are… | Texas, a cat in... Austin

  16. I saw these at the Grand Central Holiday Market in 2011 and bought a cat doll and a cat dream pillow to give to a friend for Christmas. Would love to see these again, but their website does not list any December holiday markets and they are not listed on the Grand Central holiday market list.

  17. I bought one of these cat dolls and “Cats for Peace” pillow (made by same person) at the Grand Central holiday market in 2011 and gave to a friend for Christmas. Wish I had bought for myself as well, because I don’t think they make them any more. The website is gone.

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