By: Sarah Lozier & Contessa Hussong

Girl-boss energy must be a family trait! Running so much more than a keepsakes hobby-shop, Ashley Laurence and Gina Ruble of the Auburn Rose Boutique stand as community pillars, demonstrating a culture of strength and empowerment among the female business owners in Blackford County.

Auburn Rose Boutique is located in a lovely little brick and mortar on the Hartford City square. Inside, a bell announces the entrance of a new customer and soft music plays from a radio nearby. The walls are painted a dark blue and the floors are hardwood, but what really catches customers’ attention is the merchandise displayed on the walls and tables. 

Paintings and picture frames hang from old doors. What used to be spools of electrical wire are now painted bright colors, and hold items like pillows and home decor. Strings of twinkling lights decorate the walls and light up the space. The floor creaks in a way only the homiest of old shops seemingly can. Merchandise ranges from clothing to goat milk cosmetics, from art supplies to seasonal decor, and anything else under the sun. 

Gina Ruble started her company, Sunflower Hill Studio and Company through Facebook Marketplace during COVID. She would make the merchandise at home before dropping it off on the buyer’s porch. Praise for her homemade wares spread through word of mouth, from person to person, and the resulting business allowed her to support her family through the difficult time. 

“Just everyone, you know, spreads your name around, tells people to come here for gifts,” Ruble said.

Ruble has a passion for art and all things creative. Although she was making all of her merchandise out of her home, she had always wanted a brick and mortar to make it official. She originally started off in the storefront next door, which is now Cutters Salon – and owned by one of her daughters. When Common Grounds, a local coffee shop, moved to a new location, she bought the storefront that the boutique now calls home. 

Ruble and her daughter, Ashley Laurence, decided to open the shop together. Laurence runs the Auburn Rose Boutique and collaborates with the other small businesses inside. Ruble herself works on the art and home decor part. They chose the name “Auburn Rose” for their boutique to honor its feminine roots: auburn refers to Laurence’s fiery red hair, and Rose comes from the nickname of her grandmother. 

Inside, most of the merchandise is supplied by other women-owned small businesses in the surrounding area. Simple Goodness Soaps, made from goat milk, come from Elwood, IN. They also carry Dixie Belle Paints, and greeting cards made from scratch by artist Jen Winger. 

Hanna Hornbaker, a resident of Hartford City, makes candles which are also sold inside the shop. Laurence and Ruble also partner with Christine Norton and Angie Mendoza as they make custom accents. Lastly, Colleen Dickies works on the furniture makeovers for the ladies of the shop.

Laurence partners with other clothing and accessory shops to source the clothing side of the store, all of which are made with fabric from the United States. Each section of the store is labeled with the store name and some even have their social media platforms.

In a world of online shopping and the aftermath from COVID, Auburn Rose Boutique offers a unique retail experience. Over the pandemic, many people turned to supporting small businesses through the hard times. This shopping trend is especially important to boutiques like Auburn Rose which not only support their own small business, but also allow products sold and bought to help the other small businesses inside the shop. 

The store is special to both Laurence and Ruble, as they have put their hard work and effort into making it a blooming business. As an active part of Hartford City, they said they feel extremely thankful that their business has support from those of the community. 

Their whole family has put effort into the community as well. In addition to Ruble’s daughter, Kara, who owns the salon next door, Ruble’s husband owns the Hartford City Health Club, a local gym. The history of their family goes back further, as Ruble’s father, Ben Hodgin was the mayor for two terms before Mayor Eckstein, the current mayor of Hartford City, was elected.

This past Christmas, Hartford City held a Christmas Market in the empty lot across from their shop. Eleven different vendors from Blackford County sold their merchandise at this event, Ruble said, including the local deli, which gave out gift cards to Auburn Rose.

Community-wide events like this have a positive impact on smaller businesses and help spread the name and products from their store. This helped improve business for stores like theirs.

The ladies of Sunflower Hill Studio and the Auburn Rose Boutique plan to transplant their blossoming venture into a larger space in the future, with their recent purchase of the storefront that used to house Hartford Hardware. In the meantime, their beautiful store is located at 205 W Washington St, Hartford City, IN 47348. They are open 12-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday (closed Sunday) and would be happy to welcome new and returning customers.