07/25/2026
Five years ago, I started Petals Tea Shop & Bookstore almost entirely on a whim.
I had no idea that little dream would grow into an award-winning tea shop and bookstore, introduce me to lifelong friends, have my products featured internationally, put me on television, connect me with incredible authors, or build a worldwide community of book-loving tea nerds.
This week, we also found out that—for the second year in a row—Petals has been named Best of South Carolina’s Specialty Retail Supply Store. 💛
There aren’t words big enough to thank every single one of you who nominated us, voted for us, shopped with us, and believed in us over the last five years.
And because I’ve always tried to be honest with this community...
I also want to share that Petals Tea Shop & Bookstore will be closing later this year. Our current plan is for our final day to be November 29th.
This isn’t a failure.
In fact, I think it’s quite the opposite.
Petals came into my life when I needed it most. It allowed me to recover from burnout after leaving the classroom, stay home with my children, homeschool, support my family, and discover strengths I never knew I had.
But life changes.
This year my youngest starts kindergarten, and during my transition into single motherhood, I unexpectedly discovered another calling while working part-time at our local library.
Beginning next month, I’ll be starting graduate school at LSU to earn my Master’s in Library and Information Science as I begin a new career as a librarian.
Petals did exactly what it was meant to do.
It gave me confidence.
It gave me friendships.
It gave me purpose during a season when I desperately needed it.
And perhaps most importantly, it gave me the courage to dream another dream.
We’re closing while we’re proud.
We’re closing on our own terms.
We’re closing after building something beautiful.
Thank you to every team member, customer, cheerleader, mentor, fellow small business owner, author, vendor, and event organizer who has been part of our journey. This shop may have started with me, but it was built by an entire community and we are so grateful for where it has taken us.
Stay tuned — We'll be sharing another post soon with all the details about our closing timeline, events, favorite tea restocks, and what the next few months will look like.
