EPHRATA — When you walk into The Bluebird Boutique in downtown Ephrata, the variety of products offered is immediately apparent. Shop owner BreAnna Bridges said that’s because it’s a reflection of her own tastes and several vendors she works with and everyone brings something unique into the mix. 

“I have a great group of women who are in here helping me, and they have their goods in here — whether they be homemade sauces and jams and soaps or candles,” Bridges said. 

The variety is fairly eclectic with Bridges’ own fascination with glassware scattered among quilts, antique toys, bits of decor, vintage clothing and a touch of farmhouse or shabby chic knickknacks. The shop began with her love of collecting old things or unique items and grew into a shop that reflected her tastes and the tastes of the ladies who sell their wares through the shop. Having partnerships with friends helps her add a wider inventory for shoppers.

“I do a lot of antiques and vintage stuff, so I just wanted to throw in some other things for people,” she said.

Antiques and vintage are what drew her into the business and gave her a passion that led to the shop opening, she said. Her favorite vintage era is the 1960s and 1970s and she started decorating her home with it. 

“I enjoyed it for my own house, and it was just really good for my mental health to get out there and find things,” Bridges said.

Over time, rearranging her house to fit the collection and storing things became a bit too much, so she opted to turn her hobby into a business. She opened stalls at two locations, one at a co-op in Cle Elum and another in Thorp.

“And from there, I got into more like the refurb, from refurbished furniture and farmhouse type stuff, just home decor. So then from there, we just started incorporating a little bit of everything and called it a boutique. Just very eclectic things; just a mixture of everything,” she said. Eventually, the travel became a bit much and Bridges said she started looking for something a bit closer to home than the two stalls she had. Tracking down a place took some time, but she stopped in at Windermere Real Estate in Ephrata to ask if they had any business locations available. They didn’t, but pointed her toward a cute blue building that used to be occupied by the Post 5 Cattle Company. The “for lease” sign in the window didn’t have a lot of contact info, but she was determined and eventually tracked down the right person to talk to. The lease cost was in her price range, and she took a look at the property. 

“I asked to look at it, and I walked in and knew immediately that this was it, and it was going to work, and everything was going to be good, that I wasn't going to have to give up on my passion, that it was still going to be able to happen and I was going to be able to share it with this community,” she said.

Finding a new space also helped accommodate the shop’s growth. She’d started with antiques and smaller things, but after adjusting to make sure she offered treasures customers were interested in, the new space was a needed thing as the shift from her own tastes to her customers’ tastes kicked in.

The business has become a fun thing for the family as well, she said. Bridges has eight children and going out searching for the various treasures to put in the shop has become a family activity. 

Having her vendors help at the shop lets her take that time and keep a family focus as well. Those partnerships and shared passion for the shop’s success have been a godsend.

“Working with these other women, they were willing to spend their days off in here, or a couple are in retirement and they’re willing to spend some of their retirement time in here, just because this is all of our passion,” Bridges said. “So, we’re doing what we can to be available and be open.”

R. Hans “Rob” Miller may be reached at editor@columbiabasinherald.com. 

Bluebird partners: 

The crafters and collectors below sell items in partnership with The Bluebird Boutique.

Aubree Rehaume
Jenna McCabe
Bri Reed
Shari Forssman
Bonnie Dirk
Stephanie Perez

The Bluebird Boutique
61 Basin St. NW
Ephrata, WA 98823
Facebook.com/shopthebluebirdboutique
shopthebluebird@outlook.com
Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

    A wide variety of vintage glassware is available at The Bluebird Boutique. Owner Breanna Bridges said glassware is one of her favorite items.
  

    The Bluebird Boutique owner BreAnna Bridges stops for a photo in front of one of the home decor displays at the shop. Patriotic items are highlighted as the Independence Day holiday approaches.
  

    Eclectic is a good word to describe the inventory at The Bluebird Boutique. From tribal statues to globes to vintage lamps, a touch of everything is on display and available for purchase. A copy of “Trees and Shrubs of the Pacific Northwest” is even available under the cornucopia figurine shown here.
  

    A porcelain figure gives a mischievous wink on the shelves at The Bluebird Boutique.

    Howdy Doody and Raggedy Ann and Andy each had their own adventures back in the day and saw a variety of vintage fashion before they ever got to The Bluebird Boutique.