attorney told her: Get a therapist, or get a dog.
Gardner, a marketing director from Oregon, opted
English bulldog she named Zelda. Gardner had always
wanted to use a bulldog in an advertising campaign, so,
deciding humor was the best medicine for her emotional
state, she dressed Zelda up in a Santa hat and sent the
overwhelming, and Gardner knew she was on to something
big (and huggable).
cards and gifts--motivated her to launch Zelda Wisdom,
an endearing line of calendars, cards, books, mouse pads,
bank checks, cookies, and more that bear the image of
Zelda adorned in various costumes. Photographer Shane
Young takes the pictures of Zelda all dressed up, while
Gardner writes the motivational captions that correspond
with the pictures. "One of my favorites is of Zelda dressed
in her boxing outfit, with the caption, `Tough times never
last... tough people do,'" says Gardner, who also likes the
Zelda maxim, "Humor Heals."
cheered up fans from around the world. "I once received
a note from a high school dancer who broke her leg and
couldn't dance anymore. She went through a rough time,"
recalls Gardner. "The book Zelda Wisdom, in which Zelda
shares life advice while in costume, of course inspired the
dressed as the Dalai Lama, and inside she shares some
worldly advice with her fans. In conjunction with the
theme, fans can sign up online for Zelda's Day to Day
Dogmas. "There is a levity to Zelda's positive affirmations;
I just come up with the phrases and Zelda adds the visual
humor," explains Gardner.