Shop till you dRoP!!!

So, if any of you have never experience the Houston Nutcracker Market in Houston, Texas then you are missing out! The who's who of vendors are juried into their show annually and have 100's of Fabulous vendors!!!! This is our fifth year to attend the show and boy is it crazy.  These ladies wrap around Reliant Center in order to get in and shop during this one time of year! You can enjoy a nice adult beverage while shopping in some of the trendiest boutiques in the US! That's right, vendors from all over the US come to participate in this event.  They have a wide variety as well from the latest styles in Christmas decorating, to home, entertaining, clothing, accessories, minks and more! You can also come with your girlfriends and tailgate in the parking lot with the best of em! It's like football for girls. This years market dates are November 8-11 and admission is $13 per person.  I will attach a link below so you can go and get all of the specifics online! Be sure to come by and see us if you happen to make the haul! XOXO, Megan

http://www.houstonballet.org/Nutcracker_Market/Nutcracker_Market_Overview/

DIY Bohemian Bangles

Well, yesterday my creative juices were going and I just had to release them somehow! The monotany of uploading items to the website was killing me and I just needed some happy time! So I walked into the warehouse and found a set of cheap bracelets we had laying around along with a serape scarf and some old pom pom trim pieces. I thought this combo would make some killer boho bangles! Right?! So I thought this would be fun to make and could show step by step so all of you would be able to make your own or get encouraged to put your own crafty touch on it! So here is how I made these particular bracelets set by step! Enjoy :):

Step 1: Get together all of your materials! I am using some scrap serape facric and pom pom trims.  I also have a set of 12 bangles. Cut your material into approximately 3/4 yd. sections then group your bangles into 3 sets.

Step 2: Tie a knot around the first group of bangles then begin wrapping it in and out around the entire set overlapping each time.

Step 3: Once you get to the original knot tie another knot beside it and cut the remaining fabric off and Voila! You now have a set of fabulous bohemian bangles!

Good Luck!

The Celeb Scarf CrAzE!

So, for those of you who do not know, I have a SERIOUS scarf fetish! Here in Houston, Texas it is typically hot as hell year around, leaving me very little window of opportunity to wear ALL of my scarves! :(  Therefore, when the spring and fall transition scarves started popping up everywhere I was totally stoked! Now I wouldn't look like the crazy, scarf lady in town wearing a scarf in 90 degree weather because DUH! that's the style! So for those of you who have tons of scarves like myself here are a few fabulous ways to wear them as modeled by some of Hollywood's hottest celebs:

OMG! Wear it in your hair?!!! Why haven't I been doing this all along? Don't worry I will definitely be rockin' this look!

Loving Rhinana's tassel scarf we actually have some similar on www.annettestouchofclass.com! I like all of the different prints and textures! It can really set off just a simple outfit! Well girls, that's my spill for the day! Until Wednesday you better dig in drawers, pull out those scarves and get creative in wearing them because I know I will! :) XOXO, Meg

Spice Village

So for those of you who are not from Waco, Texas there is a great little gem called, "Spice Village." Spice is a collection of boutiques under one roof.  We have had the pleasure this past month of joining their collection and are featuring several custom items exclusive to our Spice location!  If you are ever near Waco you have got to stop and enjoy lunch and shopping! I travel all over the U.S. setting up for shows and at markets etc. and have to say that this shopping venue has a great variety of shopping for everyone! Here is a sample of our space there and what we have to offer!

We were able to get a little creative on our displays since we wouldn't be lugging it around like we typically have to do! :) Until next time XOXO, Megan!

Music to my ears!

I often wonder how certain environments make you feel a certain way? So after asking myself that same question in regards to different settings and senerios I often find the common mood changer is MUSIC! It's crazy how music can make you happy, sad, pumped up, or even mad! It's really weird when you start to think about it. I stream Pandora most of the day while I'm working and listen to a variety of music and as I sit here.  Sometimes I find myself emotionally envolved in a song, it either reminds me of a time in my life, a person I know, a feeling I once felt you name it and song can pretty much some it up! That's why at funerals they typically play slow sad songs, at weddings they play love songs, and at parties pumped up party songs.  I'm just sayin' you need to put on some good, old, happy music that makes you smile and it will help you to have a great day! I love music so much that sometimes it feels like it is speaking to my soul to where I smile rhythms and bleed beats.  I know in another life I was probably a hippie that twirled in the sun to Bob Dylan, Janice Joplin, and a few others while wearing flowers in my hair and peace sign paintings on my arms LOL!!! Or drove a long pink Cadillac with huge fins on the back while jamming out to "Long Cool Woman," by The Hollies while wearing a tight dress with a scarf tied around my pin curls and cat eye glasses. I have obviously put a little thought in to my past lives :) haha! Whatever it may be music speaks when sometimes there are no words to describe your emotions and can be a very powerful thing! So now go turn on the radio put it on a really good station that you like and turn it up as loud as you can and let the music consume you! Sing like no one can hear or see you dance around like you never have and enjoy life we only get one shot so better enjoy it while we can! Until next time Rock ON!!!! ;) XOXO Megan

How to be a multi-functioning mother on the Road

So for those of you who do not know by now I have two beautiful little girls, Cansas and Sailor. Cansas is 2 1/2 and Sailor is 1 1/2, they are only 11 months apart and a handful to say the least!  I often wonder if I am scaring them for life with our road schedule and traveling all over the USA?! Thankfully enough God blessed me with a wonderful husband who does a fabulous job at playing mom when I am gone!  So many people have NO idea what it takes to be a stay at home mom, who still works full time from her home, while raising 2 kiddos and trying to keep a happy husband all while traveling at least one week out of the month.  Sheeeewww I get exhausted just thinking about it. My typical daily schedule consist of: getting up with the girls around 7-8am getting everyone ready for the day (that's typically why I look like a hot mess while running errands, etc. Its a chore to get two little girls hair fixed, clothes, shoes, bows, all while they run around  aggrevagting each other and melt-downs and who can forget a diaper bag with juice cups, babies, and whatever else u need) we will run and get breakfast and me a large Coke from Sonic (*Can't live without that*), I will then take them to the park or some sort of facility or activity where they are free to be kids! My kids do not like being indoors especially in our house on a regular basis they are bored to tears. I don't know why??? We have hundreds of toys, a swing set, life size play house, motorized vehicles and everything else under the sun that they never play with so I just quit buying them.  So, after our morning adventure we come home a little before lunch so I can make lunch and then we start whinding down for nap.  I will put them on a movie and then it's nap time. If I'm lucky I can get 2-3 hours kids free to work.  I cram as much as I can in that 3 hour period to keep up with my work and sometimes that doesn't work out either.  My goal is to work at least 5 hours a day M-TH and all day Friday since my mom watches the girls for me so I can get caught up.  Whatever I don't finish up with on a daily basis to get my hours in I have to complete at night after the girls go to bed at 8:30.  So say I only worked 2 hours during the day I will then need to work 4 hours at night to stay caught up and to get my hours. It's a chore but I love spending quality time with the girls and who needs sleep anyways right?!?! So as I sit here and blog at 9pm while still having a mound of work to do I better get busy and get to work :) Until next time pray for my sanity :)))) J/K XOXO Megan

Can you say HOT!

So this past weekend in Canton was our semi-annual sale month. We only do this twice a year in January and July at Canton, TX.  We have been a vendor in Canton, one of the world's largest flea markets, for over 8 years now. If you have never gone and love digging, and searching for fabulous junk to repurpose or even collect it is a must do! Anyways back to the sale this past weekend, it was soooooo HOT I don't mean a little hot, I mean 107 degrees and humid as heck.  However, all of our loyal, fabulous customers who came out and braved the weather got some steals! All jewelry was 75% off and tees $10!!! How do you get on the VIP list for savings you ask? Just register on our website: http://www.annettestouchofclass.com/ at the top left corner under the big 18 wheeler sign OR follow us on facebook. Registering online is probably one of the best ways for sale notifications since it will go directly to your email sometimes on social networks it can get a little lost in the news feed! With that being said you better go register now so you won't miss out next time! XOXO
Meg

Market Time

We are gearing up for market and that means cRaZy hours, lots of boxes, and even more tees!!! We have been working hard for the past few months to create something fresh and fun for our Summer line.  We have some of our favorite tees yet! Lots of bright colors, elaborate graphics and just overall fresh, new, tees! We are really excited to get to share them with you after market. We also have a new upcycle t-shirt dress with a little 80's vibe to it, which is one of the many newest trends on the market!  Who could forget our new pearl snaps that we will also be debuting at market made with vintage belt straps and tribal trims!!! I.........CAN'T........WAIT!!! We will be set-up over at F!nds Cash & Carry in Market Hall in Dallas!

The hardest thing for us at Market is trying to figure out what the best seller is going to be.  Just when you think you have it figured out your entire reasoning goes out the window when the one you thought was gonna be great flops and the other one that was a shoo in flies out! It's just the nature of the business and can be very stressful when investing alot of time and money into a product in the hopes that it's going to sell.

With that being said we shall see!!! Fingers Crossed it's the best one yet!

Flea Market Madness!

As I walked through the fields of junk in Canton this month  I saw lots of goods just waiting to be picked and revamped into something fabulous.  It made me wonder why I am so drawn to the mounds of worn, dinged up, beaten up goods that are surrounding me? I then realized I love the rush of finding a piece of junk and repurposing it into something fabulous that can be used now.  I'm able to use my creative juices to transform it into something spectacular!  If only I had endless hours to spend creating all of the ideas I have in my head! I do love seeing other peoples art of recrafting as well! Like these below:

I love the repurposed tanks and car parts to put together this upcycled, steel frame!

or these old springs repurposed into bar stools! Can you say cOoL!!!

Take your old suitcases and revamp them into a little chair such as this one.

The possibilities are endless!!! Just put a little thought into what you are looking at and think what else could I use this for? There is always at least one other purpose for it and your job as a salvager is to figure out what that purpose is and how it can suit you!

So dig deep and find some good stuff and until next time keep on shopping!

XOXO,

Megan

The B!G one!!!!!!!

As part of our latest marketing campaign, "Give and Take," we are offering gobs of deals and steals!!!

Through out the summer we will be generating a weekly special online. This will feature different products at a value price for a limited time only. You will be notified of the weekly savings if you are registered on our website.

We will also be doing daily specials on our social media outlet 3 days a week! Monday and Friday will be a single item feature at a rock bottom price for that day only! Wednesday's we will feature items that are limited stock at a STEAL of a price!!!!

We hope everyone will enjoy the summer savings and always be sure to see what are show specials are as well!!!! Happy Shopping! :)
Xoxo,
Megan

Day 2 VSA Giveaway!!!!

Today's VSA giveaway!!!! Go claim your prize on FB!!!! Good Luck!!!!

VSA a day Giveaway!!!!!

Doing a VSA a day GiVeAwaY!!! Today Win a FREE Virgin, Saints and Angels Paloma Cross Necklace. $225 Value! Just go to our FB page or @Annettes_TOC on Twitter to find out how!!!! Good Luck!

BIG News!!!

Posting BIG news tomorrow!!!!!

Mama's Day

Well Ladies,
 I hope you all had a wonderful mothers day! I know I sure did! We had a large family luncheon at my mothers home in honor of all of the wonderful ladies in our lives! It was a beautiful setting of bright spring flowers, lemon pitchers full of lemonade, bohemian embroidered patio furniture and most importantly our beautiful family.  We kicked back watched the kiddos swim, we all got to caught up, laughed, and enjoyed the gorgeous weather and company! Times like that remind me of how truly lucky and close of a family we are. In case you didn't know we are all family owned and operated.  My aunt, Laura, runs the office. My uncle, Ross, prints tees. My Nonnie (grandmother),Connie (A bit of a tongue twister I know :)), prices all of our goods. My claimed sister, Shannon, crystals all of the tees. Our traveling show family consist of Shelly and Kim who most of you have met! And last but not least me and mom! Even though we all work together day in and out I always find it interested how we still have stuff to talk about! You know how with some people you are conversing and then find yourself running out of things to discuss and it's kind like you keep asking questions just to make conversation? That NEVER happens with us! We ALWAYS have something to talk about, laugh about, sometimes even gripe about LOL, but needless to say there is always that unspoken bond between us all.  For those of you who wonder do we ever get on each others nerves? OF COURSE!!! We are not always happy, we have our break downs, and most of all our dis-agreements! There was a time when we were in a huge growth spurt in our business and the stress was just too much and I quit to get a REAL job which was good for me at the time.  I went into land-man work (oil leasing) was based out of Ft. Worth which meant I was away from my family a good bit, my mom and I were not on the best of terms but she went on with out me and I went on with out her.  Once that gig was up I was able to build a home and mom and I reconciled and picked right up where we left off.  I needed to grow up some and find my place in this world without the help of my family and to prove not only to myself but to my family that I can do it on my own. During that process I matured and was able to get a better perspective of what reality was and not take everything so personal in our business.  Now looking back I think that was Gods way of making this work and creating balance for everyone involved.  I am not kidding when I say that during this growing spell my moms house was engulfed in painted shoes, there were racks in our living room and dining room of shoes, we crystalled camo in the kitchen, the office was in the guest bedroom. It was nuts! My mom would work like 20 hrs a day. I am not exaggerating she would have to stay up till the wee hours in the morning to converse with China because of the time zones. Research, Research and did I mention, Research for new products. While that was one of the hardest times it makes us appreciate now and how far we have come and we are all still a team and that's what makes us who we are and defines our company and how we conduct business! We are all anxious for the next stage and look forward to what God's big plan is! I just want other people to realize this business does not come easy, free, or without lots of sacrifices! We have missed lots, had to juggle even more and have had to put a lot on the line but it has all been worth it! Some have no idea what all goes into it and how much you have to eat, sleep and breath your business to make it what it is! Call it a drive, determination, or just plain will but you gotta have it succeed!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and stay tuned for some BREAKING news on Wednesday!
Until then,
XOXO
Megan

Canton Weekend!

We are loading up for Canton this weekend! For those of you who have never been it is definitely something to see! It is miles of great antiques, shopping and more! Be sure to come stop by and see us! Arbor 2 Booth 163! Xoxo, Meg

Top 5 Summer Trends Daily Feature- Friday

To wrap up our Top 5 summer trends is the hippie headband! These are elastic bands that wrap around your forehead and or tie on the side.  They come in a variety of designs and colors and add that extra touch!

Here are a few examples! 

Now, if you don't want to go out and buy one and just want to make do with something you have lying around the house scrounge up a long piece of leather or ribbon. You can either just tie the single piece around, braid several pieces together or add some beads on the end for a little extra touch.  Below is an example of one you could make with a black piece of elastic and flower pin.

Get creative and see what you can come up with!

Thanks for following me during this trendy trip of fashion! Until next week! XOXO, Megan

Top 5 Trends of Summer Daily Feature- Thursday

Today's daily feature is the ever so fabulous braid!  Up-grade your pony tail to a traditional braid to add that extra lush look!  

If you are a really talented braider here's a couple other great styles:

These braids are great, fresh new ways to keep your hair out of your face and still look good!

For those of you who are not an experienced braider and are curious how to even begin to braid your own hair just follow the tutorial below:

Style the front of your hair, including bangs, wisps and tendrils, before you begin your hair braid. Divide tangle-free hair into three even sections.

Lift your left elbow to shoulder height and make a thumbs-down fist around the left portion of hair. Do the same on the right side, letting the middle portion lie against your spine.

Extend your left index finger and hook the right section of hair. Pull it in front of the middle section, letting it slip completely out of the right hand. Grab the middle section of hair with your right hand, pull it to the right side, then resume the thumbs-down fist position with both hands.

Extend your right index finger, hook the far left portion of hair and let it slip completely out of the left hand. Shift the portion of hair in your left hand into a thumbs-down fist, then free up the left index finger. Make a thumbs-down fist with your right hand, then use your left index finger to hook the far right portion. Try and keep the tension on each section of your hair braid as even as possible for best results.

Continue the process until the braid is complete. To braid very long hair, you may have to free a hand to pull the portions through. Secure the developing braid by pressing your knuckles into it as you shift your hands for the next cross.

If you are already familiar with braiding, jazz it up a bit by braiding a piece of leather or ribbon in your hair. This will add a little dimension and texture to your do! Until tomorrow final feature XOXO, Megan

Top 5 Summer Trends Daily Feature- Wednesday

This Wednesday's feature is Western Chic (pronounced sheek not chick)! I am in love with all of the indian beading, moccasins, cowboy boots, denim, I could go on and on but will stop there to spare you!  What I mean by western chic is implementing all sorts of different elements of western and pairing it will something a little more modern like dressy casual with a little western funk!

The serape prints, concho belts, turquoise, leather, fringe, oh my! My head is spinning just thinking of all the fabulous things I love in this trend category!

These are some of our retro, pearl snap, western shirts that are great paired up with denim shorts, and gobs of jewelry!

In order to achieve this look all you need is a cute sun dress, shorts paired with a tank and old western mens shirt, a pair of worn out cowboy boots or moccasins, and a gaudy concho belt with some turquoise jewelry!

Or wear a casual outfit and add a small western bandana scarf tied around your neck to set off your western cowgirl vibe! 

I love worn-out western bandana scarves! I actually collect them! But if you can't find one in your closet, keep sakes, or at a local thrift store then you can make one by purchasing a bandana at your local craft store like Hobby Lobby or Michael's (they normally cost like 25 cents or something cheap like that) and making it vintage. To make it look vintage you need to either sun bleach it (let the sun fade it out) or wash multiple times in hot water to try to get the color to fade! You just don't want your bandana to be real bright and stiff! 

Once you have perfected your bandana you can then wear it multiple ways to add your western flair to any outfit! Here's a few examples:

In your hair as an added retro headband!

As a bracelet or scarf! Just be creative and wear it with confidence!

Go get 'em cowgirl!

XOXO,

Megan

Top 5 Summer Trends Daily Feature- Tuesday

Today's feature is NeOn! The brighter the better, right?! 

While neon is a reminder of the 80's that doesn't mean we need to start fixing our hair like it! OMG just thinking of those teased bangs, perms, and cans of RAVE hairspray crack me up! So add a little touch of 80's but don't go overboard!  Pair up a simple denim long sleeve top with a tank and neon shorts or skinny jeans.  Wear a traditional outfit accented with a neon belt, bag, or bangles.  Here's a few examples of what I'm talking about!

 So while you might not wear blue hair or a sparkly, see through dress if you look closely you will notice her neon yellow nails. Adding a little touch of neon will make you look flashy and in style!

So you ask, that's cute how do I get that look??? Today's tutorial is how to make a neon accessory using nothing better than some good ol' spray paint! Yep! It's that simple. 

We are going to re-invent your wardrobe this week by up-cycling some of those old, boring, items into something one-of-a-kind! So go dig in your closet and find either an old pair of heels, cowboy boots, belt, purse, bangles, whatever ya got to work with. Get something that is not of value to you since this is just a trendy, fun, little craft. 

Now that you have found that item you are going to transform into a masterpiece, you need to prep it to paint. Clean it of any oils, dirt, debris, so on and so forth. If you wipe down leather with a wet cloth allow to dry fully before proceeding.  

Then, spray paint the item with a primer spray paint. It's typically grey and that's fine since it is just going to help the neon adhere and be a little more durable. Once you have applied the primer and it is completely dry  then apply a thin coat of the neon spray paint, color of your choice.  Be sure to shake the can well before applying and do a thin coat so you don't get any runs in the paint! That's very important. Apply about 3 thin coats of the neon allowing it to dry completely between each coat. Then....wallah!!!

Now you have a new, hot, neon accessory that you can implement into your wardrobe for the summer! Go rock it and be bright until tomorrow! XOXO, Megan

Top 5 Summer Trends Daily Feature- Monday

This week I am going to be featuring the Top 5 SuMmEr TrEnDs!!! Along with an easy how to get that look tutorial, so you can join in on the trends while stashing cash in your wallet!

To start of our count I am featuring the cut-off, denim, short! They are a must-have staple in your wardrobe this summer! Don't fret if you feel you are too old (which your not) to pull this trend off! The good thing is at the end of this feature I will give you step by step instructions on how to create your own, so instead of a cut-off mini short you can make a cut-off board short which is great for any age or size!

Here's a little preview of how the celebs are rocking this killer look!

So if you are thinking you might want to participate in this new, rockin', fad but not quiet sure how to make a pair of cut-offs let me tell ya how to go about creating this look on your own!

First things first, you need to raid your closet or local thrift store for a pair of old, worn-out, denim, jeans. Try them on and make sure they fit just like you like 'em!

Once you have found THE jeans, put them on and mark with a safety pin where exactly you would like the length to be on the outside and inside seam. Now that you have determined the length take the jeans of and lay them out flat. If they are super wrinkled you might want to run over them with an iron to knock out the wrinkles. 

Now take a ruler and pencil (in case you mess up it will wash out) and mark a straight line using your ruler and pencil from the outer seam pin to the inner seam pin. For the other leg just measure the distance on the outer seam from the top of the jean to the line and the inner seam and repeat this step to insure a straight cut. Once you are through drawing your lines on both legs of the jeans try them on one last time to make certain of the length. (If by some chance you want to change the line just remark and repeat the above steps. The pencil mark will wash out once you wash them.)

Finally, take three safety pins per leg and pin just above the pencil line. This will ensure while cutting that the jeans won't move and mess up the cut.  Now it's time to cut across the pencil line.  Once you have completed cutting throw in the washer to fray.  Now you have your own pair of cut-off shorts! 

For those of you who are extra crafty and like to live on the edge a little such as myself here's a few other things you can do to your cut-offs to add a little umph!

Add studs or bling to accent your jeans and give that little extra touch!

You can also mix up different color fabric dyes or bleach and spray them on to make a GrOoVy pair of tye-dye Shorts!

So this is today's feature trend now go rummage through your old jeans and get started!!! Until tomorrow...XOXO Megan

The Long Road to Somewhere...

   So for those of you who do not know the real story on how we began let me share it with you! We started this adventure when I was 15 and in high school. My mother, Annette, worked for an oil company in Houston.  She got the bright idea that we should start selling jewelry at little, local, craft fairs in order to force me to spend time with her.  You know as a teenager the last place on earth you want to be is with your parents. LOL! So this was her way of convincing me to be with her while earning some spending money. 
   She invested her own money into purchasing some sterling jewelry and some cheap fashion jewelry for us to sell. At one particular time we sold the little flip flop necklaces on the fishing string necklace (which was a home run at all the beach shows) and these cheap two for $10 stretch bracelets.  I'm sure you know what I'm talking about if you were living in the early 2000's they were typically in themes like one would be all sports stuff anther might be all summer stuff.  Anyways, we sold the fire out of those things. We would pitch a tent in the middle of the road or beach at these little shows and throw out some fold-up tables with a sheet on them and just lay them on the table. I'm literally laughing as I am telling this just visioning how tacky it looked!!!!!! Oh no, it does not end there....
   I want to elaborate a little on the shows that we did because we often laugh so hard at some of the things we have done that I almost pee in my pants! One show is the Gator Fest near Beaumont I believe, at that particular show we sweated our butts off from Thursday-Sunday and ONLY sold 1 PAIR of SHOES!!!!! That means we only made $40!!! Let me take that back we didn't even make $40 by the time we paid for our booth, hotel, food, gas, etc!  They were rangling alligators while we were trying to sell our goods! I'm not knocking any of you gator wrestlers out there, we are from the country and I have some redneck family but geez I have NEVER seen anything like it! LOL so that was just one of the 100's of horrible shows we have done! Another was Dickens on the Strand in Galveston. This show fell on my birthday EVERY YEAR! I turned 16 and 18 there in the freezing rain under a tent dressed in victorian attire (Required) and selling 2 for $10  bracelets! LOL! One year it rained so bad, mind you it's in the middle of December, that we had to go to the laundry mat at like midnight to dry all of our clothes because we were drinched! There was also another show we did in Port A where we got robbed that night and they stole almost all of our jewelry out of our booth! I felt so bad for my mom. As a child you dont really understand how much hard work goes into making a dollar! Well by this time I had a pretty good idea, but I still felt sooooo bad! I think my mom might have even cried now thinking back! But what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! I guess the good the was we had already got our palms read and our henna tattoos before they took us for everything! LMBO!!!! Needless to say we have PAID our dues!!!!
   Our big break was when we got into the hand-painted leather products! We were importing them from China and had great success with it! It was different, unique, and really set us apart from our competitors.  We then were able to upgrade to better trade shows that were INDOORS! Where the customers actually came to shop and not wrestle gators, get drunk, or build sand castles.  We were then introduced to the wholesale aspect of our business that helped us grow even more.  There were still some serious growing pains through this time, my mother was still working full time, I was still in school and we were gone all the time! The only way to get your name out there was to put it out there and the only way to do that was to hit the road, so we did! My freshman year of college we did like 40 something shows! There are only 52 weeks in a year and 40 of those weekends we were gone! CrAzY, I know! Not to mention the fact that we drove this old Dodge truck that was constantly breaking down or in need of some sort of maintenance! 
    Once the painted leather started to fade we had pretty much hit our stride. We had a good following, we had pretty much figured out our niche and place in this big, crazy world of retail.  While we accomplished so many goals and overcome so many hurdles there are still have goals that we are striving for, like our store, which we are in the process of getting financed now, we know that we will just have to do what we have to in order to get it!  Sometimes mom gets a little discouraged but we didn't come this FAR to stop here!  We know what it takes since we have just about done it all! We have been on top and knocked down to only go up again! All things are possible with the good man upstairs and if there is a will there is a way!
    So don't get discouraged if your dreams aren't quiet going as planned it never does, and when it's a passion and there's a fire that burns deep, you will not allow it to fail! Failing is not an option it's just sometimes an obstacle to overcome! Until Friday, live your dreams!!!

A note to my mother:  In telling our story today, which wasn't even scratching the surface, I want you to know that I am so eternally grateful for you making me travel with you!  You added and continue to add so much joy, laughter, and quirkiness to my life! While sometimes we are so bogged down you are always the sun in my sky! I have enjoyed this wild, hard, ride and can't wait for it to make a full circle someday! When you are 80 and I am 58 and you are serving ice cream in the store and I am telling you how your supposed to do it and making up stuff for you to do while keeping you focused... I want you to know that I will be just as happy then as I am now! I love you! XOXO :*) Meg

ReAdy, SeT, Go!

So here goes nothing!!! I'm fixing to start my blogging journey!:) I hope in creating this blog to inspire others to be creative, embrace their imaginations and most of all enjoy life to fullest while trying to make a living! For those of you who are stumbling across this blog you might want a little back story of who I am and who we at Annette's are. In a nut shell I am Megan, the daughter of Annette, we own Annette's Touch of Class which we started together when I was 15 (2001), we have been in business ever since growing each year. We travel all over the nation marketing and selling our products to stores and individuals.
  Through out this blog journey I hope to enlighten you with some of our struggles as individuals, family, and our business ventures. We are constantly evolving and looking forward to the next chapter God has in store for us! I'm going to touch a little bit on everything from home decorating, my struggles as a mother, our CrAzY lives, Booth and prop displays, fashion trends and pretty much anything that pops in my head...LOL! This is for our following who never really gets to see all the behind the scenes chaos! I'm looking forward to this adventure and sharing it with all of you!
   XOXO!