Story and photos by Brooke Johnson
Opening a business can be hard, but opening one in a “small town” can be even harder.
With a common dream of wanting their own business, mother and daughter Alison Dwyer and Anne White decided to open Anne’s Boutique Unique to incorporate boutique-like products with handmade jewelry and art.
White started school to work in healthcare, but she fell into a depression. Both Dwyer and White’s husband, whom she married in June, encouraged her to put a hold on healthcare and pursue a career in art instead.
“They really supported my business,” White said. “We had enough money to start one, so my mom and I went on it together, and we started building up from there.”
After opening on Oct. 10, 2025, Dwyer and White continued to prepare the store for customers, hoping to bring in more people. Over the course of two days, the store attracted just one customer. Dwyer spent those two days doing the store’s inventory, from counting mugs to building racks with her best friend, Carol Riley.
“Anne’s not a professional artist,” Dwyer said. “She hasn’t been to school for it, but she loves to paint.”
White spends her time at the shop finishing up projects like painting lamp shades and organizing beads for her jewelry.
“Her goal is to just offer space for people who say they can’t paint, to come in and have fun,” Dwyer said.