04/17/2026
I’ve been trying to find the right words to say this, and honestly… I’m not sure there are perfect ones.
As many of you have probably seen, Painted Tree has abruptly filed for bankruptcy. What we’ve learned in the days since has been incredibly difficult to process—years of mismanagement at the corporate level, missed payments to vendors and landlords, and decisions that ultimately left thousands of small business owners in an impossible position overnight.
There was no real warning. No transition plan. Just… doors closing.
Some locations have already been locked by landlords. Vendors have been given an unknown and limited amount of time to retrieve their inventory—if they even can. It’s chaotic, stressful, and honestly heartbreaking to watch unfold across a community of people who poured everything they had into their businesses.
For me personally, this week has been exhausting in every sense of the word. I’ve spent long days and sleepless nights traveling between three locations, trying to recover as much of my inventory as possible. Cary, NC is the last stop tomorrow.
And underneath all of that… is grief.
Painted Tree wasn’t just another place to sell for me. It was the final piece of what I thought would be Quirky’s next chapter. I had plans—real, tangible plans—to grow, to expand into new creative spaces, to build something different and exciting.
And just like that… it’s gone.
This is a devastating loss for my business and for my family. There’s no sugarcoating that. There are thousands of dollars tied up in inventory, fixtures, and investments that may never be recovered. But more than that—it’s the loss of momentum, of vision, of something I truly believed in.
Right now, I don’t have all the answers.
I don’t know if or when The Quirky Closet will return to an in-person shopping experience. Painted Tree was our last remaining space for that, and without it… the future looks very different than I imagined.
What I do know is that I’m not done.
For now, I’ll be moving inventory and continuing to show up the best way I can—through live sales. I’ll be selling the overflow of product on Whatnot, and I would truly love your support there if you’re not already following:
https://www.whatnot.com/user/quirky_confidence
This community has always been the heart of Quirky. Not a building. Not a booth. Not a platform.
You.
Thank you for sticking with me through the highs, the pivots, and now… one of the hardest moments yet. I’m taking it one day at a time, figuring out what comes next.
I’ll keep you with me as I do.
