Hello Beautiful Boutique owner Judy Burks is no stranger to the retail industry. Before opening the women’s boutique off Hwy. 105 in Conroe in January 2013, Burks owned a successful home goods store, Silks ‘N’ Twigs, for 38 years in Conroe. Hello Beautiful Boutique sells a variety of women’s apparel, jewelry, candles, home decor and gift items, along with well-known jewelry and apparel brands and local accessory brands, such as Makeup Junkie tote bags. During the holiday season, the boutique also brings in a plethora of festive Christmas gifts, accessories and wine-related items. Burks said she shops for new brands at retail markets four or five times a year, where she and her team select unique seasonal items. “If we bring in apparel, it’s only one run—so once it’s gone, something new is going to be on the horizon,” Burks said. “There’s always something unique … we try to find things that hopefully not everyone will have.” Burks initially opened the Silks ‘N’ Twigs storefront because she needed warehouse space to build flower arrangements and silk trees that she started out selling from her van in the ’70s. After several relocations around Conroe, Burks closed the store in late 2012 to open Hello Beautiful Boutique. Now after 42 years in the retail industry, Burks said a lot has changed—such as what fashion is in style and the ever-evolving world of social media. But Burks said her beginnings at Silks ‘N’ Twigs are never forgotten. “If you look at the sign, it does say ‘Hello Beautiful Boutique by Silks ‘N’ Twigs.’ I’ll never give that up because our customers were so loyal over there,” Burks said. “I really believe as a small retailer, the only thing that we have left is our customer service, so our customers are like family to us.” Office manager Michelle Williams has worked with Burks—first at Silks ‘N’ Twigs and now at Hello Beautiful Boutique—for eight years. She said all four of her daughters have also worked with Burks, making it a family affair. “A lot of us have been here for a long time, so it’s kind of like family,” Williams said. “When people come in they get customer service here that they won’t get going into a department store.”