Mary Engelbreit, You are Back!!

When we purchased Sweet Tooth in 1992, the store was sort of a hodge podge of candy, cards and gourmet cookware.  It was all rough hewn shelves, strangely understated and lodge-like.  Since we never had any retail experience, we just went along with the "decor"...that is until I went to a college reunion in St. Louis and friends took me shopping at the converted train depot.
There I found Mary Engelbreit!!  Well, not the person, but her glass-enclosed kiosk.  I was immedately taken in by the colors in her art, the bemused quotes and sayings on her cards and some of her small framed drawings.
When I came back to Tulsa, I was determined to put Mary Engelbreit in our store.  No other gift shop in Tulsa had discovered Mary and I felt confident that her gift items would really perk up our drab little shop.
Over the years, we became known as  the "Mary Engelbreit" store....sometimes I thought that Mary's followers did not even know the name Sweet Tooth.
I could spot Mary's artwork, ceramic pieces, calendars, mugs, greeting cards, etc. from a distance.  There was no denying that she had a special style and it was easily identifiable.  Even other artists and manufacturers began copying some her style.  You could find black and white checks, cherries, "flat" flowers creeping into other gift lines. 
None could truly compete with Mary Engelbreit...she was an original and always ahead of those who tried to copy her style.
A number of years ago, Mary began to disappear from the Gift Market and her Tulsa fans, who so loved the black and white, the bright reds, the whimsey of her art, were disappointed.  Sweet Tooth continued to search Mary out, but basically all that was left was her calendars and books.  Even her original card line from Sunrise Greetings was turned over to another card company.
Well, Mary is coming back...or at least some of us hope so.  Right Amy??  Today I just put out a new line of totes, iPad holders, placemats and laptop holders from a wonderful company called Suburban Silk.  Gone are the cherries and the black, white and red.  In their place is tangarine and olive green....but the fun and the whimsey of Mary Engelbreit is still alive. 
That saying, "What goes around, comes around" may just be true.  Or as Mary put it, "Wherever you go, there you are!" And Mary's art will brighten up any store and any home.  Thank goodness for artists like Mary Engelbreit.