Sweet Annie’s Cabin downtown Greenville marking its 30th anniversary

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GREENVILLE — Sweet Annie’s Cabin has been in business for 30 years this year, and to celebrate that anniversary owner Diane Billenstein is planning a two-day celebration, Friday, Oct. 7 and Saturday, Oct. 8, at the store on South Broadway.

“We will have cake and refreshments,” she said. “We will be open late during the First Friday downtown.”

Billenstein first opened such a store out of her home near North Star 30 years ago. It was known as Enchanted Cottage.

“I had crafts hand-made, starting with my own, then added consignment,” she said. “I was also going to a lot of craft shows mostly in Ohio and Indiana at the time and did that for probably 20 years.”

After having the shop in her home for five years, she decided to bring her store to Greenville and it was located in the 600 block, where Michael’s Fine Clocks and Jewelry is today. She and Karen Mescher were partners in the consignment business and, after five years, Billenstein decided to move her shop back home, once again for another five years.

The next move was to the building where Tangles is now on South Broadway in Greenville, and it then became Sweet Annie’s Cabin.

“It was time for a change,” Billenstein said, explaining the name change. “I took the Annie from an everlasting herb, and I always wanted a cabin, so I put the two together.”

Before moving to her current location 12 or 13 years ago, Billenstein packed up and moved her business to Dayton at the Towne and Country Shopping Center in Kettering.

“I was there three years as a seasonal store, from fall to January,” she said. “Ed Cornell came to Towne and Country and urged me to come to Greenville.”

She accepted the offer and moved into his building.

“This is the biggest store I’ve ever had,” she said. “We have a children’s boutique, mostly for infants and toddlers, complete with toys; a garden area featuring a lot of fairy gardens and miniature gardens; an inspirational area; and a kitchen gadget area. We added ladies fashions and accessories [purses and jewelry] about a year ago and it has taken off. We’re expanding more into that.”

The store, she said, also has candles, lodge or cabin decor, linens, curtains and teas and coffees.

“It’s like a miniature department store,” she said.

Working with her at the store are Donna Kreitzer, Annie Oiler and sometimes Billenstein’s niece, Debbie Shiverdecker. At one time, the owner’s daughter Kim Campbell worked at the store but now has her own massage therapy business.

Billenstein is a 1970 Greenville High School graduate and went to school for computer programming, a career she never pursued.

“I have been blessed with wonderful customers,” she said. “I have a lot of followers from Dayton come up here. I am appreciative of the past 30 years.”

Diane Billenstein shows off some of the ladies fashions available at her store in the 400 block of South Broadway. She said this department is popular and she has plans to expand that portion of it.
https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_sweetannieapparelPRINT.jpgDiane Billenstein shows off some of the ladies fashions available at her store in the 400 block of South Broadway. She said this department is popular and she has plans to expand that portion of it.

https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_sweetannieapparelWEB.jpg

By Linda Moody

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This writer may be reached at 937-569-4315. Follow her on Facebook and join the conversation and get updates on Facebook by searching Darke County Sports or Advocate 360. For more features online go to dailyadvocate.com.

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