A true shopping experience is what Susan Callihan and her sister, Mary Kay McGinnis-Ruark, are hoping to bring back to downtown Ashland with their ladies’ clothing store, Dandelion Patch Boutique. “We want people to come in and shop and relax,” Callihan said. “It’s been fun trying to kind of create what we thought of as shopping when we were kids. I don’t know how much of that we’ve captured, but we’re trying to bring it back.”
When Callihan returned home to the Ashland area eight years ago, after decades of living away, she didn’t see many options for women’s clothing. So, the sisters decided to fill the need themselves and opened Dandelion Patch Boutique in downtown Russell in 2021. In February 2026, the shop moved to the Camayo Arcade in Ashland, allowing the sisters to expand their vision and carry more collections. Callihan said the shop specializes in classic, chic, and comfortable clothing for women ages 20 to 60, with pieces you can build your wardrobe on and more unique pieces. “We try so hard to never do a hard sale, because if you don’t love it here, you’re not going to wear it when you get home,” she said. “And sometimes we don’t have something that they’re looking for, and that’s okay, because they come back.”
Callihan loves meeting new people and hearing their stories, but she also enjoys spending more time with her sister. “Doing this with Mary Kay is really fun,” she said. “We’ve always been close and good friends, but this has made us even closer and better friends.” The sisters are excited about the bigger space at the Camayo Arcade, but they’re also proud to play a part in the revitalization of downtown Ashland. “My degree is in history. So, by trade, I’m a historian,” Callihan said. “I love gathering information and people’s stories and what they remember from when they were younger, what their grandparents or great-grandparents told them. And being in a historic place like the arcade? That just makes it a whole new adventure for me.”
Dandelion Patch Boutique is located at 1536 Winchester Ave. in Ashland. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can visit them on Facebook @DandelionPatchBoutique or online at www.dandelionpatchboutique.com