Big Heart For A Small Town- The Next Move

Your life will change when you learn to receive each day as a blessing. So often, we wake up and bring the previous day's stress with us before we even get out of bed.

Guilty.

But then I stopped hiding from GOD and invited him back into my heart. I knew I couldn't keep going the way I was. I knew it wasn't fair to me or my family to be so angry, bitter, high-strung, and always on the brink of meltdown.

I didn't know how to help myself. I felt like I was in a vicious cycle of self-doubt and negative thoughts.

But even when you are hiding from GOD or not leaning on him, he's there. He is listening; he is working. But after I stopped hiding, I could see his work much clearer than ever before.

2017- We opened the boutique as an online-only presence.

2018- We opened our first brick-and-mortar location.

2019- We moved to a bigger location with our storefront.

2020- We opened a small shop in Havre De Grace/ closed after one year.

2021- We signed a lease to open a brand-new store in Forest Hill (It was all a dream)

2023- We take over a turn-key Boutique location in a small space in Rising Sun

2023- We close our first location in Elkton.

One year later-

2024- We close our dream location at Forest Hill.

It was a wild ride, with a lot of details between each item listed above. As I look back at the timeline, I find the courage to smile. The impact we have had at each one of these locations is something I can't put into words, and I am pretty good at words. One day, I'll summarize each year with full details and the ins and outs of the Teal Antler, maybe.

The most important thing I could ever highlight in all those years and details is the community behind TTA—the friends I've made, the families I've gained, the meaningful relationships I'll cherish for the rest of my life. The way people I've never met show up for me—endless support, love, patience, and so much more.

People always tell me I've built an amazing thing, but I wouldn't have been able to build anything without you all believing and trusting me!

It was all a dream.

And it was beautiful. I am very proud of all the things we accomplished in such a short amount of time with this dream.

But- the world has changed.

If you know me, and the Teal Antler- you know I'm the queen of pivot.

But, like, picture the scene in Friends with the sofa in the stairwell…… Pivots come from stress in a small business. Pivot can be driven by fear of failure. Pivots can be led by the consumer and not the business owner. Small pivots over time will still spin you in a circle until you spiral out of control. Once you come to a stop, your eyes are opened to the truth that the way you have been pivoting was on your own account. We can't ask for God to show up and then put him on a timeline. He doesn't care about our timeline.

So, a few months ago, I started asking God for some sort of direction. I needed to figure out what I was doing and which direction I would head in. How do I find the peace I so desperately desire?

I often had to remind myself that I can't expect a map to show up overnight and to have it all handled by COB the next day.

The map came to me though, and when I received the map in my heart, I knew I was going to have to be the one to take the first step so that I could get to the destination.

I'm just a small-town, simple life-girl.

I love people, listening to them, and making them smile. I love it when someone stops me in public to tell me something random and share a smile. I love helping my customers find the perfect outfit for all the big and small moments in life. I love connection and real-life, meaningful conversation.

This past year has reminded me that the simple small-town girl I've always been is the only girl I want to be.

The expansion of my vision and storefronts was the most amazing thing I've watched myself do—until now.

Now, I know that none of that defined me. You could give me a shoebox, and I'd make it pretty, but that's not my gift.

I can't be the small-town girl I've always been, trying to fulfill big-city dreams.

So, I'm allowing myself grace, and I'll get back to that girl.

The windshield and the rearview mirror-

At a recent Bible study, we discussed how what is behind us, even if we can still see it, is still in the past. If you are going in a direction away from it, keep your eyes forward.

At that moment, I closed my eyes and said, "Dear Jesus, give me the strength and courage to drop this shame weighing me down and help me not look back."

On my drive home that night, I let myself drop the dead weight. It's in the rearview now, and I'm not even looking up to watch it fade in the distance. It's done. And if I want to find peace, it's going to be around the bend ahead, not in the ditch behind me.

Deciding to downsize-

It wasn't easy. We even listed the biz for sale.

Now, I want nothing more than to get back to small.

I don't need a big, beautiful, new store. Sure, I desire one, but it's just not a need, and it's also not me.

Once I dropped the guilt of feeling like a failure, I told myself that there was a plan, and I had the map. Although I can't be sure where the map is taking me, I trust that it's somewhere amazing.

So, we will be slowly working to move out of our Forest Hill location. We do not have a date yet, but we are taking our staff with us!

I could blame a million things on the current state of my small business, but placing blame does not solve a problem or make any of the things I could list go away.

So, I'm going to keep it simple and work to make Rising Sun the best small-town shop in Cecil County.

I have some plans coming together, and I promise you'll be excited.

But- we can't talk about that now.

Thank you-

Thank you all for supporting my dreams and business at our Forest Hill location over the past three years. If you have never stepped foot in that store, please go see it before we leave! Get a picture with the bench (which will be for sale).

You'll see a lot more of me in Rising Sun. You'll also see a jam-packed store with gifts, décor, and clothing—including all the Judy Blue you desire! Yup, it's small in the Rising Sun store, so get cozy with us!

Love you all!