The Little Cottage that Grew Up!

Ruth showing off Fall 2009 vive les fleurs overalls

Ruth Hickman wanted to create something special…so eleven years ago, after realizing that her two daughters could not find the clothing they sought for their children, she decided to open a very unique children’s clothing store.  The store was located in a quaint little cottage that was over 100 years old – beautiful, but too small to house the vast array of merchandise for which the The Little Cottage is now known.

One of the things that Ruth loves about her thriving boutique is where the store is now located – The Factory – a unique retail environment with strong historical roots in the community.  Built in 1929, The Factory has been home to Dortch Stove Works, Magic Chef and Jamison Bedding. Calvin Lehew, a unique individual, bought the sprawling complex seven years ago and, after an environmental clean-up, began opening the facility in sections. Today, The Factory at Franklin has 83 tenants.  Calvin’s philosophy is simple: “The Factory is for artists and creative folks. What I want to do is bring out more of the artist in people. I want an environment here that is conducive to creativity. To be able to open a place in The Factory it either has to be creative, unique, artistic, musical or food.”  The Little Cottage Children’s Shoppe fits the bill!

This beautiful store is a family business, known for the extensive selection of top drawer merchandise, and excellent service.  Ruth’s two daughters, Julie Craig and Elizabeth Martin are there in the store to be sure that everyone has a positive experience while shopping.  Customers love spreading the word about Little Cottage’s attributes:

“This is a great store! …The staff is very friendly and helpful in both stores. If you are looking for upscale children’s clothing I highly recommend The Little Cottage!”

“This is a wonderful, wonderful store! …Very friendly staff. I can’t wait to go back after I know if I’m having a boy or a girl.”

Located near The Grand Ole Opry the store has attracted many celebrity customers, including Billy Ray Cyrus and his daughter Miley (a customer since she was a baby,) Reese Witherspoon and Brad and Kimberly Williams-Paisley.  Ruth says it doesn’t matter if they are celebrities, because everyone gets the best service!

The Little Cottage is open 7 days a week.  They have an informational website and love taking phone orders!

The Little Cottage Children’s Shoppe
230 Franklin Rd # 11R
Franklin, TN 37064-2278
(615) 595-7874

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Back to School – with all the “Right Stuff!”

Houston…we have a problem.”

Americans are GREAT at solving problems!  Remember the triumphant safe return of our Astronauts?  Right now there is a big problem with one of our most vulnerable groups of citizens – disadvantaged and homeless children.  These children are approaching Back to School, just like millions of children across the United States – but have a problem…a lack of the basic necessities needed to start school off on the right foot. 

A Backpack Filled with all The Right Stuff

Fortunately there is a group of heroes out there ready to help!  Julie, a member of our Inside Sales Team and outstanding mother of five, brought our attention to a program near and dear to her heart. Volunteers of America, a non-profit organization in the Sacramento/Yolo County area, administer a program called Operation Backpack that offers services to local disadvantaged families.   One of the key services at this time of year is supplying backpacks filled with school supplies to give children all the advantages they deserve to start the school year on a positive note.  After hearing about this praiseworthy project I couldn’t help but get involved… I have a passion for kids and a soft spot in my heart for those that have the will to learn, but lack the means to easily navigate the educational process.

Kristin Sporting Her Donated Backpack

I jumped at the opportunity to work with Volunteers of America – and honestly had a blast roaming through the aisles of our local retailer, picking out the perfect Hannah Montana backpack, then filling it with a binder, super cool markers, crayons, pens, pencils, etc.  It was all the fun of school shopping without the stress of going to class! Julie and I filled up several backpacks for the kids, and had a ball doing it.  Julie’s son asked where his backpack was…and he’s 23!  We can’t wait until next year when we do this again…although we shouldn’t wait, since Volunteers of America collects backpacks throughout the entire year. 

Operation Backpack has collected 2,938 backpacks so far this year – double the donations from last year!  Even in a tough economy people see the importance of investing in our children’s future.  If you have a desire to help our country’s children get a head start on a valuable and needed education, please contact Volunteers of America to see how you can assist.  The children will thank you!

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100% Spoiled by Grandma

Miranda in Bloomin' Beauty. (Click on the image to see more from this le•top collection.)

After a day spent with Grandma, I picked up my daughter to find this bright pink and purple hair attachment clamped to the back of my daughter’s head. “What in the heck is that?!” My mom replied, “Well, we were at the mall, and she saw a girl wearing it, and we asked where she got it from, and well, Miranda really liked it, so I bought it for her.”

Other things that my mom has gotten for my daughter are:

• Hannah Montana crayons
• High School Musical pens
• Letting her get her nails done (in very light pink so I wouldn’t see it right away… sneaky!)
• DVDs (claiming that she doesn’t have DVDs at home)
• Sugary snacks such as chocolate covered pretzels, Dora yogurt and Hello Kitty cookies (claiming that mommy doesn’t get her good snacks)

I rolled my eyes and sighed, and thought about the days when I was a little girl and my mom refused to buy such sassy things. She always gave me the response, “If your friend jumped off a cliff, would you jump off, too?” Of course, now that she has a granddaughter who wants all these trendy things, my mom doesn’t even bat an eye. She gets it for her in a snap!

I wonder if I’ll be doing the same when I have grandkids. Probably. I guess it’s easy to spoil grandchildren than it is your own children.

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