Like most children, my daughter Carmen absolutely loves mermaids. I quickly realized, however, that there were pretty much zero mermaids who looked like Carmen featured in both the media and on the product market -- in regards to both toys and clothing. This summer, Carmen excitedly ran to a wall of plush mermaid dolls while on vacation only to scan the wall of fair-skinned, blonde-haired dolls and fail to find one that looked like her. That moment, watching her eyes as she failed to recognize herself in the wide array of plush mermaids, was my final straw.

I sent a quick "hey, what are your thoughts about this?" text to my talented artist friend, Christi, and over the span of the next few sleepless weeks, Of Waves and Whimsy was born with a mission to inspire all children. Representation matters and our goal is for children everywhere to see themselves in our brand.

All children should see themselves represented everywhere, from movie characters to toys to clothing. Mermaids are for everybody and we thank you for your support as we grow our little idea into a brand that helps all children see the magic within themselves.