The Road to Here!

Welcome to Angela's Bazaar . My name is Angela Kracht (the business is known under Angela Pless) I am located next to the shores of beautiful Lake Russell in the heart of SC. I am 50 and I  have been in business over half of my life (29yrs) I opened my 1st location in August of 1991 just up the street from my current location of 146 N. Cox Avenue Calhoun Falls, SC, 29628.

One of my teachers from CFHS had a vision of me that I didn't even have for myself. I had just finished college after 2 years at Anderson College and 2 years at the University Georgia where I studied Fashion Merchandising, Interior Design, Hotel Restaurant & Tourism as well as Business management . My husband had gotten a job at Calhoun Falls State Park, so I began to design and produce tie dye t-shirts and sneakers on my parents front porch and creating other accessories to match them. Mrs. Flo Leroy knew what I was doing due to the samples I had placed in my Mom's salon and offered to let me use her small commercial building on Savannah St in Calhoun Falls free for 3 months just to see what would happen. 

Having my own business location was so out of reach financially that it had literally never crossed my mind until she offered. I saw it as the Lord showing me favor through her, so I said yes. I had no inventory except what I was making, no money to buy any and no idea where to buy it if I did. During that same time I received a phone call (some would say coincidentally, I would say God)from vocational rehabilitation with whom I had been blessed by during college to see how things were going. I explained my new venture to my agent and GUESS WHAT? I qualified for a small grant. 

Everything happened super fast, but in an amazing way. I used the money to get the shop up and running while still designing and creating almost everything myself along with my Grandmother's beautiful crafts she made for me to sell. Things went well, but as the 90 days approached its end, I wasn't confident enough to go further and planned to take another route. Once again a life changing phone call but this time to my Daddy .

A life long friend from church had just found out he had cancer and wanted to get his affairs in order. One of those things included a large commercial building on the opposite end of the square from my little shop. He told my Daddy he was proud of what I was doing and would love to see me grow and be in his building.

AGAIN no method or means to make purchasing and stocking a business existed. We told him that and he said "what if we fix it so you can?" After some thinking, Daddy remembered the CD he had purchased for me when I was just a baby when he came home from Vietnam. He hadn't cashed one military check. He saved them all for me . 

Here I sat at 21 more blessed already than a soul could imagine, but bigger things were to come. When we checked the balance on the CD it was exactly enough to buy the building and stock it! God had a plan much bigger than mine.

I experienced many ups and downs personally and professionally the 1st 22 yrs. The town was changing around me and the business was suffering. In the Summer of 2013 I made the decision it was time to let it go and put it up for sale. From the second I told the 1st person, I felt so conflicted and started hearing in my mind "fix it don't sell it" . (a little pre-story, I had tile floors and slat wall stored that I had become too discouraged to use already) . After 3 days I talked it over with my Daddy and my husband. They both agreed they would help if I decided to heed the nudge that I truly felt the Lord was giving me not to give up yet.

I decided if I was going to fix it, then it was going to be "go big or go home". We gutted the entire building down to the walls and concrete floors . I took all of the merchandise outside and put it under tents with the plan of selling it off at yard sale prices one piece at a time to fund the remodel. After about 2 hours of things going well, a man I knew only as an acquaintance came by and asked what I was doing. I told him the plans and he says "what will you take for it all" yes ALL!We came up with a number, he wrote me a check and IT WAS DONE.  Once again it was as if God reached down, patted me on the back and said "I am here this blessing is yours." 

They completed the remodel and it was absolutely breathtaking the transformation that had taken place. When the doors reopened in November 2013 it was a whole new world . The page on FACEBOOK grew, the networking at the trunk shows and festivals I travelled to flourished and the store itself came to life right before my eyes. People came from all over strictly from word of mouth to see the shop and the online orders from FACEBOOK started to roll in.

That was 6 1/2 years ago to where we are now, walking through another door God has opened for me with this website. I have seen and felt so much good and been so blessed through all of the other avenues this business has taken me on, that I can't wait to see what awaits as I step into the world wide web. I hope you enjoy the ride with me . 

God Bless You All! Angela 

PS Thank you to my Parents Ronnie and Sherlyn York and Thank you in Heaven Mrs. Leroy and Mr. Harralson! I wouldn't be "HERE" without you.