Hackney, Ehrisman open Bipsy & Bopsy Boutique

     The owners of Almost Famous Dance Studio have opened a new clothing and accessory boutique in Monticello.

     Amanda Hackney and Melissa Ehrisman are happy to show off Bipsy & Bopsy Boutique, located adjacent to Almost Famous on S. Cedar Street.

     The shop encompasses roughly 2,000 square feet, including dressing rooms.

     They opened on Dec. 10 and have had great support thus far.

     “This was something we’ve had on our back burner for the last five years or so,” said Hackney of the dream.

     Ehrisman added running their own shop was really something on their bucket list.

     “And we love to shop,” she laughed.

     Between Hackney and Ehrisman, they have five boys. Hackney said it’s a struggle to find cute clothes for little boys and girls, as well as moms.

     “We see it as a mommy and me store,” she explained of the concept.

     Hackney said they wanted to specialize in trendy clothes for women.

     “For people our age,” said Ehrisman, “we don’t have a place like this in Monticello to shop.”

     Bipsy & Bopsy Boutique, which was inspired by nicknames Hackney and Ehrisman gave themselves, offers kids clothing for sizes 0-8. They plan to expand that to size 14 very soon. Women’s sizes range from XS to 3XL.

     Aside from clothing, they also sell purses, scarves, hats, jewelry and other accessories.

     In order to find the right brands and styles, the owners attended a market and fashion show to get some ideas.

     “We wanted to get familiar with (clothing) lines we already knew and wanted to carry,” explained Hackney.

     Ehrisman said they knew they wanted to carry kids’ clothes, as well as casual and dressy attire for women.

     “And we wanted it to be something they could afford,” she said.

     So far, just over a week into the business, they said everything “is going well and has been well-received.”

     “This is a one-stop shop for every size and every age,” added Hackney.

     In addition, Bipsy & Bopsy Boutique also caters to local sports fans. Their hometown section features dressy attire emblazoned with the Monticello Panther logo, as well as other teams like the Hawkeyes and ISU Cyclones.

     Wanting to open before the Christmas holiday, it literally took three weeks to completely revamp the building before they opened on Dec. 10.

     “It was like a 12-hour flip,” said Hackney. “We should have been on HGTV.”

     Ehrisman said there were crews working left and right hours before the opening.

     “We can’t believe we did it,” she said.

     The boutique exposes the original cedar ceiling planks that were stained to show off a darker motif. Walls were enclosed, and granulated steel was added on the ceiling.

     “It just feels homey,” said Hackney as she looks around.

     Since opening Almost Famous in 2010, Hackney and Ehrisman said they’ve continued to bring people to Monticello seven days a week from Central City to Peosta and Dubuque. The boutique is a fun, new adventure for them.

     “Monticello people and businesses have been so supportive,” thanked Hackney. “This is why we love Monticello, because everyone supports each other.”

     Looking ahead to the New Year, Bipsy & Bopsy Boutique has a lot of new items in the works. Hackney said they do not plan to carry the same item more than once.

     “When it sells out,” she said, “we’ll bring in new items. We’re constantly changing.”

     After Jan. 1, the hours will be noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

     For New Year’s customers can cocktail any two items for a buy-one-get-one 50 percent off.

     Bipsy & Bopsy Boutique is located at 233 S. Cedar St.