Taking a trip from Longboat Key up to the unspoilt and unbelievably charming, Anna Marie Island, we fell upon Relish, a boutique selling unusual vintage and artisan treasures. The owner, Rhona N. Grote, is clearly a guru of all things thrifting so the vintage range of evening bags, cowboys boots, typewriters and ‘80s jean jackets perfectly complement the wacky jewellery and homemade candles and restyled broaches. Even Rhona’s story is a quirky one, having originally come from Ohio until she fell in love with an islander who insisted she join him in ‘paradise’.
Rhona’s site www.reallyrelish.com has been around much longer than the shop (505 Pine Ave) which only opened in the Spring of this year. She proudly told me how ultra-green her business is (typical of Anna Maria) as she recycles, repurposes and reclaims the broad range of items on sale and even makes the ribbon for her bags from the hems of rejected garments. A true upcycling business as it renews and improves the old turning them into eye-catching booty.
So, did I buy? The desperate housewife in me spotted a gem. A 1950s apron. Move over Bree Van de Kamp.
