Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Everybody's Business

Friends share a vintage vision

By SHARON GINN
Published July 7, 2006

Jill Wax's vintage clothing shop, La France, is an Ybor City institution. But after 32 years of running it, Wax has decided it is time to branch out. Sort of.

Wax and her longtime friend, Audrie Ranon, the former owner of collectibles store Late Bloomers on S MacDill Avenue, have rented a space at 20th Street and Seventh Avenue in Ybor, where they plan to sell just about everything else vintage that you won't find at La France.

Wax said she and Ranon will spend the summer going on buying sprees. She hopes the 2,300-square-foot store will be ready by the end of September.

"The vision is to have a fine collection of antiques and collectibles that will be from all over," Wax said. "Hopefully we'll have about 20 vendors besides ourselves in the space. You'll have a great selection of home furnishings, from tea towels to 1930s couches."

The store will be called Jezebels and Her Wandering Gypsies, Wax said.

Ranon, who owned the former Late Bloomers on MacDill Avenue, and Wax will merge their respective collections and add to them. "I'm purging from my house, too," Wax said. "I have stuff I can't even see because there are three things in front of it." Items will range from the 1800s to the 1980s.

In addition, Wax said she wants the store to be a community gathering spot where groups can meet. She also hopes to hold frequent flea markets in the patio space next to the building and offer arts and crafts classes. "Not only will we have incredible stuff, but we want to teach things," Wax said.

THRILL OF THE GRILL: Meanwhile, in the former home of Late Bloomers, the focus has changed from old and patinaed to new and shiny.

All About Grills, an outdoor kitchen store based on Starkey Road in Largo, will open its second location in early to mid-August at 1908 S MacDill Ave.

"It's taken us quite some time to find the right place in the right location," said Brian Parisey, president of All About Grills. "We've put a lot of time and effort into getting (the building) the way we wanted."

The store will be more of a showroom, Parisey said, as most of the items will be available only by special order. The company focuses on designing and installing custom outdoor kitchens for people who want to "create an outdoor living environment," sometimes within a limited space, he said. All About Grills does a lot of its own designs and hires electricians, plumbers and other subcontractors to get the job done.

"We consider ourselves turnkey, from design to completion," Parisey said.

Planned hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Mondays by appointment.

GO AHEAD, EAT THE FLOWERS: The last available storefront in the Publix shopping center on S Dale Mabry Highway will be filled soon. Edible Arrangements, a company with more than 500 franchises nationwide, will open between Publix and Eddie's Custom Cleaners, probably in late summer or early fall, said Kristy Ferguson, the company's vice president of marketing.

Edible Arrangements specializes in designing fruit bouquets for all occasions, Ferguson said. "The fresh fruit is hand sculpted to look like flowers." The stores also are known for dipping fruit into chocolate and selling it by the piece, by the box, or as part of an arrangement.

Customers can pick up arrangements or have them delivered. Online ordering also will be available. This will be the company's first franchise in Tampa but a second one is set to open in Carrollwood later in the fall.

Do you know something that should be everybody's business? E-mail Sharonlginn@yahoo.com or call 226-3394.

Face pot

Meet Lucy, a bodacious terra cotta glazed planter with a colorful ceramic bandana and dangling earrings. No two pots are exactly alike at the Potting Shed, 4127 S MacDill Ave. Lucy sells for $18. Larger pots are available for $28. A 14-inch tabletop fountain sells for $125. (Flowers not included). Call 831-1969.

- AMY SCHERZER

[Last modified July 6, 2006, 12:25:46]