04/18/2026
I’ve sat down to write this a few times, always with tears in my eyes.
While most of you know me as a realtor, I’m also the owner of Blue Lily Boutique, a passion project I’ve built with so much heart over the years.
Blue Lily Boutique started online in 2020 during the pandemic. In 2022, we opened our first physical location inside Painted Tree Boutiques in Cary. Within a year, we grew into multiple locations in Raleigh, Matthews, NC, and even Virginia Beach, VA. This was something I never imagined when I first started this little online shop.
Three days ago, I received an email announcing that Painted Tree Boutiques is shutting down all 60+ locations nationwide and ceasing operations. Vendors were given just days to move everything out as the company filed for bankruptcy and the buildings would soon be locked by the landlords.
I was stunned. I had to read the email twice just to fully process what I was seeing.
Within minutes, I was in my car heading to the stores to prioritize pulling out my merchandise before anything could be locked and before the rush from other vendors began.
My adrenaline was pumping as I went from one location to the next, packing, lifting, loading my car, and driving straight to the next store to do it all over again. I didn’t even have time to think about retrieving my store fixtures or furniture. My only focus was getting my inventory out.
As I was doing this, I saw so many other vendors doing the exact same thing. It was heartbreaking. Everyone was rushing around in a panic, not fully processing what was happening, just in survival mode trying to get whatever they could out of their spaces.
At the end of the day, when the adrenaline wore off, I broke down. I cried until there were no more tears left.
My fellow vendors and I trusted Painted Tree. We believed in the vision of having a physical space to grow our small businesses, to show up, and to build something meaningful. For many, this wasn’t just a business, it was their life savings. And in the end, that trust was not honored. Not even giving vendors the opportunity to properly close out, to run a sale, or to try and recover even a portion of what was invested…that is what makes this especially hard to accept. In many ways, it feels like a betrayal, and that is a hard pill to swallow.
I do not like holding onto anger. It is not who I am. But this one feels different for me. I am deeply saddened by what has been done to so many people.
Still, I am choosing to move forward with grace and to rebuild. And I truly believe that God has a way of redirecting me, even when I don’t understand it in the moment.
And in a way, this is bringing Blue Lily back to where it all began -- online. 💙
We’ll be reviving our online store and creating something more intentional, more curated, and something I can continue to pour love into.
If you’ve supported Blue Lily in any way, whether you’ve shopped, shared, or simply followed along, THANK YOU. 💙 It truly means more than you know.
Please stay tuned for updates as we relaunch online soon. And if you haven’t already, you can download our app to stay connected and be the first to see what’s coming next.
Over the next few days, I’ll also be sharing an online sale as I work to move remaining inventory. If you’ve ever wanted to support Blue Lily, this would truly mean so much. 💙
More to come soon. 💙
