this is a braggy post.

WARNING: This is long.

But i'm not bragging about me.  I'll be bragging on my friend, Mrs. Sandi H. McClain.  You might know her from her blog Life is Sweet. 

Sweet describes two things about Sandi.  Her character and her boutique.  Sandi is one of the sweetest people you will EVER meet.  And her boutique, sugar, is obviously a sweet name.

Let me give you some background, Sandi and I met in high school, she was in the 8th grade and I was in the 9th grade.  I could write a whole blog on the shenanigans we used to get into back in those days. 

Then I graduated and started college at the University of South Carolina.  Sandi was there to help my mother help me move in to my freshman dorm.  Then a year later, Sandi started her freshman year at USC and I was there to welcome her on move in day.  Now, THOSE years we spent in Columbia together could fill up 4 Breaking Dawn sized books of shenans.

We both moved out of Columbia and back home to our parents.  I got a job in Greenville and she started working as a online sales rep for local newspaper.  Then I can remember in late 2007 she called me to tell me she was quitting her job to start her own boutique.

When Sandi and I were college, I can remember we both dreamed of  opening our own store together.  But Sandi's dreams were MUCH bigger than my own. 

After her fiance's (at the time) cousin, Drew, was killed in a tragic car accident, she decided that life was too short not to pursue what she's always wanted to do.  Drew had lived out his dream of snowboarding in Colorado for a period of time.  So why shouldn't she live out her dream while she was still alive?

In April of 2008, while still planning her dream wedding for August, she opened the doors to her designer women's boutique, sugar.

Only 3 months later, he father passed away suddenly, a month before her wedding. 

And now, 4 years later, she's married

with a sweet new baby boy

and her store is still one of the most successful women's boutiques in the upstate of South Carolina.

Now to the point of this post.  Sandi, was named the Young Entrepuener of the Year in SC and the Southeast Region.  That's HUGE!  I know the hard work, dedication, sweat, blood and tears she's put into her business and no one deserves this award more than her.

I'm just blessed to have such an inspiring woman in my life and to be able to call the woman my friend.  And not just any friend...my BEST friend.  I'm not sure how she has time to be a wife, mother, business owner, and still have a life to include social activities like meeting me for dinner and movies on occassion. 

I've told her this time and time again but she's my hero.

Oh and have I mentioned she just happens to dabble in photography? 

There is nothing she can't do.  The sky is the limit with this one.

Sandi with the all famous Lilly Pulitzer...just a perk of the job.

And if you aren't familiar, please check out her store either in person in Greenwood, SC, on Facebook (sugar boutique) or online (you can shop there).   She has SUCH cute stuff!

And you can read a post about starting her business in her own words here. Truly an inspiration.