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Dreams to Treasures • Taylor

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By Suzanne Haberman Friday, 12 June 2009

For Samantha Mundkowsky, the ties that bound beads, ironworks and paintings to dreams were faith and family. She built up the boutique Dreams to Treasures with encouragement from her husband, Ronald, the steadfastness of her mother-in-law, Shirley, and in memory of her father-in-law.

Owner Samantha Mundkowsky and mother-in-law Shirley Mundkowsky • photo by Suzanne Haberman

“It’s been a lifelong dream of mine,” Mundkowsky said.

Mundkowsky has always been crafty. As a stay-at-home mother of three children on a farm in Taylor, she nurtured her talent by creating necklaces, earrings and flower arrangements and teaching herself to paint.

Her early works sold at craft shows all over Texas and on consignment at local shops. The reputation she earned as a local craftswoman landed her an invitation to sell merchandise in teachers’ lounges at Taylor and Pflugerville schools.

“It was between the craft shows and all the schools that I built up my clientele,” Mundkowsky said, noting she would not have opened the store without that base.

Then she started getting calls at home. Instead of filling occasional special orders for last-minute gifts, she opted to open her doors to the community. In October 2004, she put all her works on display in her first shop at Hwy. 95 and Sixth Street, a space measuring 150 sq. ft. Now, she operates a larger shop filled to the brim with her own crafts, works of local artists, woodcrafters and iron décor vendors.

Mundkowsky researches suppliers to find the products that fill her customers’ demands at the right price. The effort has helped her achieve her sales goals.

“I’d rather sell in more quantity,” she said, as opposed to selling fewer expensive items.

Over the past five years, Mundkowsky has leaned on her family. Shirley works at the store and arrives early each day to make coffee.

“She has been my rock,” Mundkowsky said.

Over the coffee, Shirley has had the opportunity to remind Mundkowsky why they are successful.

“Without faith in God,” Shirley said, “it would have never worked.”

Faith carried the Mundkowskys through rough times that threatened their progress. Shirley’s husband died in a house fire in September 2004, just one month before the family planned to open Dreams to Treasures. They considered postponing the opening, but decided against it.

“We knew if we didn’t,” Mundkowsky said, “he would have been disappointed.”

Ronald had faith in his wife’s ability to manage the store. He encouraged her to try it for a year and contributed by making decorative metal cutouts. He even thought of the boutique’s name.

Mundkowsky said she remembered going out to the garage at her in-laws’ house where Ronald crafted metal into crosses and angels. She told him they needed a name to put on the tax forms.

“We’re dreaming about this,” he said, “What about ‘Dreams to Treasures’? The things we make become someone else’s treasures.”