I have a smile on my face this morning. I am very tired - working long hours getting ready for this weekends Sweet South Cottage French Country Flea Market, but energized nonetheless. Its all adrenaline I suppose. But tomorrow October 21is the third year anniversary of our store opening. I looked at the Sweet South Cottage Facebook Fan Counter and we are at 7,999 Likes. This weekend we will have 90 vendors at our market. At the first market two years ago, I was begging for vendors and hoping people would show up. That first year we had 22 vendors and around 2,000 people came. Starting a store from scratch, learning about retail and retail marketing have been harder than I ever thought. Many, many long days. But in spite of the busyness of this week. I wanted to stop a moment to acknowledge some people. 1. I am nothing and could accomplish nothing without the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior - none of this matters without that. I often fail as a Christian, but with the Lords help, I endeavor to do better the next day. 2. My wonderful husband Jeff, who has moved literally hundreds of pieces of furniture in the past three years and fixed every wonky drawer and loose drawer slide without complaint. I love you truly, madly, deeply. 3. My sister Cyndee Sams, who came along on this crazy ride with me. And has been my partner in crime. I love you even when we argue over what color a piece of furniture should be painted. 4. Krista Collier - who I knew from our boys playing baseball together years ago, showed up to buy paint and basically never left me. She has taught me so much about decorative painting and just honors me with her friendship every day. And Donna Randolph - who sat in my barn and painted furniture before we opened, just because she is my friend. 5. Debby Brienen of Brienenart who showed up when I had nothing on the walls of the shop and brought beautiful paintings for us to display. And then she sent her friend Carla Parris to do the same. These ladies have blessed me over and over in the past three years. 6. Two great shop girls - Kara Tuttle, who got me started and sat the shop in the early days when sometimes no one would come in. And then my special Lizzie Pie McKiernan, who believed in my dreams as much as I did. 7. Michelle Dean, who was my very first customer, before we even opened. And who during our first conversation said Im going to have to call you back, my goat is loose and I have to go catch it. And Delores Bembry, who was my second customer, whom I over-charged. And the Kelly Pettit, my third customer- another brilliant decorative painter, who has done things with Chalk Paint® that I never dreamed. There are so many others - too numerous to name. But each of you has been a partner in our journey. You have bought paint and lots of other things, you have cheered us on, sometimes we have cried together, but oh how we have laughed too. My life is so much better with all of you in it. I dont ever want to forget to be grateful for it all - So Thank You So Much! Now onto the MARKET!!!!
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 12:43:32 +0000