Cowboys & Angels Boutique

Cowboys and Angels Boutique sits quietly in between Dirty Gangsta Dogs and Botanigal, at 7552 Main Street. Crossing the threshold, I am greeted with the comforting smell of leather. Some people are soothed by the smell of fresh mowed grass or newly-fallen rain. I am soothed by the smell of genuine leather. I browse the shop while I wait for Annie Hamilton to finish chatting with customers and accepting deliveries. When she is finished, she sits down next to me and apologizes. “100% of my life goes into this business”, she says as she gestures toward the shop’s interior. We start the interview with a simple question “How long have you been open?” Annie replies, “we have been open since 2013. The Wine Festival was the first day that we opened. We sold out of boots that weekend.” She goes on to tell me about how her inventory has changed significantly since opening day. “Back then, I used to have relatives from Montana ship me gently-worn cowboy boots. And we sold them as gently-worn boots.” Annie has a special connection to western culture. She lived out west for many years. She still has family, including her daughter, Emily Marcellino, living in Montana. “We sold out that first weekend. My daughter said to me, ‘Mom, I think we’re onto something’.” The Sykesville location was destiny, says Annie. “Lauren, with Gypsy sisters, was doing a Christmas Show. We still do it. Twelve Hours of Christmas. There weren’t any businesses on this street, maybe two,” she recalls. “I walked out, and I said to my husband, ‘That’s my spot!’’ Annie describes herself as a spiritual person. She goes on to tell me about how she had been manifesting opening her own business since she was working in corporate America. She kept a sign on her desk that said, “I will own my own business.” She emphasizes, “not, I may, I might, I want. I WILL own my own business.” She maintained that determination. “It called me!” She left the store. A week later she received a phone call at work from Lauren, who was moving locations down the street. “Your name keeps coming to my mind. Would you like to open something?” Annie tells me she left work immediately to sign her lease with Fred Gossage. The inspiration for the name of the boutique is the song “Cowboys and Angels” by George Michaels. Her parents had recently passed and “they were my angels.” With no business experience, Annie rushed home and took a crash course on how to run a business and came up with a business plan. The Boutique’s inventory has grown. “The public loved this from the get-go,” she said. The store sets itself apart from other western style stores in the area. “What I really take a lot of pride in,” she goes on, “is that in Montana, My daughter Emily owns a ranch there called, Roaming Bird Ranch. My daughter started this business with me.” With a pairing like that, they are able to find pieces that suit every age demographic. “We take a lot of pride in that it is multi-generational.” They carry boots for all sizes and sell cute reasonably-priced dresses in the summer. “Our winter wear is total class!” she goes on, “We carry Ralph Laren’s designer, Tasha Polizzi. We carry Rhonda Stark out of Utah.” Annie knows who her customer is. “We’re not southern,” she reminds me. “We’re more like western chic.” Annie describes her clients to me: “Most of my clients, I am really proud to say, are professional women, retired women, students and of course our guys who shop our boutique as well! I have a great clientele! I love my people!” Annie also takes pride in the jewelry that she sells. “My daughter (Emily) is a jeweler. She makes one-of-a-kind pieces. She custom designs things. She is such an artist in that way.” Emily has an art degree from New York and uses her skills to hand draw hats for affordable prices. She does gorgeous work. Annie finishes by saying “It is amazing what has happened from having a dream.” Annie genuinely loves providing Sykesville and the surrounding areas with quality western chic wear at affordable prices. “In all the years we have been open, I have never once thought, ‘I don’t want to go to work today. I get up and I can’t wait to get there!” She gives credit to God for her opened door. “As long as God tells me to stay and I can keep serving the community, I am going to stay.”