Shopping

'It's the ultimate treasure hunt' at local flea markets

Angel McCurdy

Niche toys, knickknacks, piles of VHS movies and furniture from decades ago — flea markets offer items that shoppers never thought they would see again or will never see again. There are only a handful of flea markets in Okaloosa, Walton and S... Full story

Bad Girls Art Gallery offers unique experience (SLIDESHOW)

Angel McCurdy | Emerald Coast (dot) com

CINCO BAYOU — It’s never too late to start a bad habit. That’s the motto of the newest shop to hit the Emerald Coast, Bad Girls Art Gallery, which will open its doors next Wednesday morning. View a slideshow of the gallery »... Full story

The Skite: 'This is a practical way for women to look good'

Angel McCurdy

The biggest compliment Mary Jane Parrish can get on her clothing line is simply, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Parrish is the creator of the Skite, a combination of active wear skirts and tights that work for women on the go who p... Full story

Ethan Allen expected to open early summer

Matt Algarin \ Florida Freedom Newspapers

DESTIN — Ethan Allen Interiors Inc. is expanding its offerings of fine interior furnishings and design services into the Destin market. “I feel this is a wonderful fit for both the residents of Destin as well as Ethan Allen,” said ... Full story

Things go better with Coke: Gift shop specializes in memorabilia of the iconic soft drink

KATIE TAMMEN | Daily News

FORT WALTON BEACH — Sometimes it’s all about finding a niche. For siblings Jeff Ring and Cheryl Griffin, that meant maintaining the feel of a 1950s general store their father created while still appealing to locals and tourists. They se... Full story

Silver Sands is nation’s largest designer outlet center

Molly Mosher / Florida Freedom Newspapers

MIRAMAR BEACH — More than two decades ago, Keith Howard was lobbying for support of a designer outlet center near Sandestin. He proposed that the outlet center be put in an existing strip mall, which had been an eyesore for five years. Althou... Full story

Boutique ‘saving the earth one piece of furniture at a time’

Katy Houghton | Florida Freedom Newspapers

WALTON COUNTY — For the past two years, Tony and Marisol Gullo have been taking neglected chairs, headboards and dressers and giving them new life. “Nothing makes us happier than when we find a reclaimed piece of furniture and we turn it... Full story

'You knit, you purl and your troubles go away'

ANGEL McCURDY | Daily News

FORT WALTON BEACH — One knit, one purl and one bite of cake. It’s simple on “knit night.” Women 18 to 70 years old gather every first and third Wednesday to eat, drink and knit at the Unwind yarn store in downtown Fort Walton... Full story

'The world's best wine salesman': Chan Cox's world keeps growing

Thomas J. Monigan, Florida Freedom Newspapers

FORT WALTON BEACH, FL - Born in south Alabama, Chan Cox figured out pretty quickly what was most popular when he started working for Standard Distributing in the early 1970s. Jack Kugelman's liquor distributorship was a wholesale heavyweight based i... Full story

The 30A-Team

Shops band together to promote ‘buy local’ campaign.

Deborah Wheeler

SEASIDE — When you’re a small business owner, competing with “big box” stores can be challenging. That’s why stores along 30A have begun a grassroots “buy local” campaign. “It’s not a formal pro... Full story

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