12/16/2025
And alas, I close this chapter.
Thank you to Georges on York BnB and The Reindollar Carriage House owners for helping me move out so last minute after delivering my twins early and being contained to the NICU, worrying if one of my boys was going to survive. You didn’t have to, but you showed up. 🙏🏼 No woman should be forced/threatened to do what I had to one week fresh from a c-section, and I couldn’t have done it without your help. ❤️🩹
When I first saw this building and space, I was filled with hopes, dreams, and endless possibilities.
Taneytown. Close to home, ghostly, but charming and so full of potential. I hoped to bring the intersection back to life. I decorated and lit my windows. I welcomed new customers and enjoyed hearing the stories of the old building and of the town. I made new friends and loved creating custom orders. I loved hearing that people were happy I was there and open.
But the longer I stayed, the more I learned of the corruption, the politics, and the battles being fought behind the scenes.
I came here with a light heart. This business isn’t what I do for a living. It’s what I do out of love and passion. It’s creativity and freedom. It’s been my outlet for nearly a decade and I wanted to share it with this old, beautiful town.
Instead, the heaviness in the atmosphere bogged it all down. The dreams were tied down by unsupportive, rejective leadership. A man who introduced himself to me and told me to my face “I don’t do color. I prefer a concrete jungle”. That was my introduction to the leadership of Taneytown. The town I chose to bring my color to. The tone had been set.
And in the face of my personal struggles: a furlough, emergency delivery that has me NICU bound with my twins (one still severely critical); a landlord who chose threats and greed over basic understanding and human empathy.
I closed my doors because I hope to find a town that supports small businesses and community. I didn’t feel that in Taneytown’s current climate. 😔
So, dear Taneytown, the place I chose to open my first physical location:
No matter how passionate you are, how loving you are, or how hard you work to progress, if you don’t have the support of your leadership, the courage to stand up for what you want and voice what you believe in, or the fight…..you will never see that change. Greedy landlords chase away potential business or simply keep their empty building rented out. Because who cares if it’s empty - as long as they’re getting a check. Good people are fired just before a holiday for their hard work and visions of revival, simply because they don’t believe in a concrete jungle.
There are a small handful of individuals who fight for Taneytown. I admire them. I am not a resident in your town and I no longer operate there, so this fight is no longer mine. But for the residents I have come to know and call friends, I urge you to please take back your beautiful town and not let it go to waste. The potential is there if you are willing to claim it.
Don’t let it be a ghostly “concrete jungle”. Breathe the beauty back into it and let it bloom. Only then will the residents truly profit and the town fully thrive.
With the new Economic Developer, Bob Jones, now fired for having visions of a revived town - it’s up to the people to take up the battle. I personally would like to thank Bob for his work on the Small Business Saturday event. And his behind the scenes work with landlords to open empty spaces for rent to new businesses. Yep - he did that. He had a vision similar to mine and I applaud his bravery for taking on the task as ED. As you see, that vision of prosperity isn’t welcome - “doesn’t align”, according to leadership.
So, be the voice and advocate for yourselves, your future, your home.
I send you all so many good wishes and blessings and pray everyone has a beautiful holiday season!
Thank you, Taneytown! 🙏🏼💕
