Nothing 'bare' about Bare Bones Boutique

Bare Bones Boutique is back in business.

"As of now, yes we are," volunteer Ellen Jo Kraemer said.

Wednesday at noon, she rang in the first purchase, a rug, bought by volunteer Wendy Jessen.
Bare Bones Boutique, a thrift store that benefits the Watauga Humane Society (WHS), closed after three years in operation.

"We couldn't make enough money because we had a paid manager," WHS' Dee Dundon said.
This time around, things will be different. "It's all going to be run by volunteers," she said.

And those volunteers have been hard at work over the past few months restoring the building on Old U.S. 421.

"We had the bases," Dundon said. "We just wanted to clean it up."

Clean it up they did, and the final result promises great finds for bargain hunters.

Along with books (everything from John Milton to Barack Obama), kitchen supplies (including French pottery) and clothes, you'll make a few unique discoveries. Take the 54" by 54" wooden frame at the back wall, for example.

"It was sent over here to Blowing Rock to fit an $18,000 picture," Dundon said. "Apparently, they didn't like it ... so they sent it over here. It's really interesting."

On a shelf nestled next to a mirror and some well-kept board games, you'll find something a lot of thrift stores don't carry: plants.

"Ellen Jo [Kraemer] grows them herself," Dundon said.

The Boutique is open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.

More good news for WHS: last Saturday's Shag n' Wag fundraiser was a complete success. While totals aren't yet in, just less than 100 people came to swing to the beat and help a good cause.

For more information on the Watauga Humane Society, visit http://www.wataugahumanesociety.org.