Coming Home: My First Markets Back in Washington

Coming Home: My First Markets Back in Washington

There’s something I’ve never fully shared—what it felt like to return to Washington after almost three years away. When I left, The Willow Tree Co. was blossoming. I had wholesale accounts across the state, consignment partners who championed my work, and customers who looked for my booth at every “regular” market. My name, my face, my biggest dream… it was becoming a familiar part of so many homes here.

And then life shifted, and I had to leave all of that behind.

Texas was supposed to be a quiet season—just a pause. But somewhere along the way, it became a different kind of growth. I watched one daughter leave for college, prepared another for her senior year, and spent countless evenings and weekends driving my youngest between dance rehearsals, competitions, and gymnastics. I invested in myself for the first time in years—biweekly facials, a skincare routine that felt like a love letter to my own reflection, rowing classes three times a week, Pilates every single day. I walked five miles through the trails near my home every single morning, feeling my body get healthier, stronger, and softer all at once.

For the first time in a long time… I felt beautiful again.

So when the time came to leave, I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to go. And yet—on that long road trip back to Washington—something shifted. With every mile, the fear softened and the excitement grew. By the time we crossed into the state, it felt like my heart was syncing back into place. I was home.

But coming home also meant facing the quiet fears no one sees:

Would anyone still remember me?

Was there still room for me here?

Could I rebuild what I once had?

Last month, I did my first markets since being back. And darlings… it felt like stepping into sunlight after a long winter. People stopped by to welcome me home. Some recognized me. Some discovered me for the first time. And the love, the kindness, the excitement—they were overwhelming in the best way.

Sales were incredible. In just one month, I made more than some people make in a year. But even more than that, it was the feeling. The confirmation. The whisper that maybe—just maybe—I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

I don’t know what the future holds for me or for The Willow Tree Co., but for the first time in a long time, I’m not afraid of the unknown. I’m excited. I’m hopeful. And I’m ready to see where this next chapter leads.

Here’s to coming home.

Here’s to starting again.

Here’s to becoming myself again—one candle, one story, one beautiful moment at a time.

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