Sunday, April 5, 2009

• If you're looking to sell your high-end furniture and home decor items on consignment, look no further than Consignment on Southard.

The new store, which opened four weeks ago at 522 Southard St., between Simonton and Duval streets, will accept any used, upscale furniture. It currently offers a selection of couches, chairs, coffee and end tables, lamps, armoires and wall art. Prices range from $12 for a decorative fruit bowl to $2,000 for a designer dining table originally purchased in New York City for $12,000.

Owner Paul Gildea said he got the idea for the high-end consignment shop from his wife, Cory Held, a local Realtor. Held often deals with clients who need to get rid of their furniture when they are moving out of town since it doesn't fit the style of their new location. This provides a great option instead of hoping for a decent offer at a yard sale.

It also provides another option for people moving to town from up north who may find the furniture they brought with them doesn't mesh with the tropical style of the Florida Keys.

Gildea said the store gets in new items each week.

"We're not trying to compete with Rooms To Go or Fast Buck Freddie's," he said. "We take good, usable merchandise, and we split with the owners. We try to give everybody a good value.

"Everything has value. Everything has a story."

Consignment on Southard is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Call 305-292-5755.

• The Garden Cottage, a store for the gardener at heart, recently opened at 526 Southard St., also between Simonton and Duval streets.

The quaint shop carries a variety of items for the garden, sunroom or porch, including pots, benches, custom trellises, flower boxes, stands and vases. Other decor items such as lanterns, shell lamps and mirrors, ironwork, vintage items and natural soaps also are available.

Open for only a month, proprietor Dominique Barerra said she has had a great response from people who have wandered in.

The Garden Cottage is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Call 305-296-9840 for more information.

• Key West Kayak Adventures is now featuring a "Paddles, Pirates and Poltergeists Tour."

The two-hour tour begins an hour before sunset. Kayakers will enjoy scenes of nature as they depart from Cow Key Marina on Stock Island. Venturing into the mangroves as darkness falls, they will hear tales of pirates, shipwrecks and local ghost stories.

Proprietor Theo Glorie said the tour has been in the works for about a year. He said he didn't want to compete with other local tour companies, so he said he tried to create something new.

Tours are scheduled daily and reservations are required. The cost is $45 a person. A local discount is available. Call 305-304-3566.

• Key West Notary LLC now offers notary services, wedding and event planning, and officiating services in the Florida Keys. The business is located at 2409 N. Roosevelt Blvd., Suite 5.

The company's document services area includes translations, wills, letters, affidavits, contracts, leases, resumes and employment applications, among many others. Tax services, work permits and immigration paperwork also are available.

Owners Nika Stroble and Ana Aguiar also provide mobile notary services, and will come to your