- August 5, 2026
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Move over, pink Cadillac. One of Longboat Key's most recognizable cars is a pink Mini Cooper limo that is anything but small.
One of the best places to spot the eye-catching vehicle is near the Centre Shops during season. Resident Christy James owns both the limo and the plaza's Longboat Key Flower Shop.
James opened the original Longboat shop in April 2024, and she said her Cooper has been a fitting flagship car for the colorful local business.
Cruising down Gulf of Mexico Drive with palm trees passing by, the windows rolled down, and the classic round dashboard panel housing all the indicator dials, James caught the attention of several passersby who couldn't help but smile at the sight of the whimsical car.
"People will even get their cameras out at stop lights," she said. "I've seen them with the big cameras too, not just the phone cameras."
Every detail has character. The hood is fittingly decorated with flower decals. A pair of floral Barbie rugs cover the floor for the back seats. The "LAD1ES" license plate has a pink ribbon and benefits the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust. Even the black leather seats have pink and white trim.
When she first saw last year that the car was for sale online from a second-hand buyer of unique vehicles, she quickly signed up to take it for a test drive.
"Right when he brought it, I knew I wanted it," she said. "There were only seven made in the United States."
He brought it to her flower shop in Bloomington, Indiana, for the final exchange.
"It started to storm, and he left. I was standing there, looking at the car, and said, 'Lord, there is a purpose for this car. I don't know yet what it is or even where it's going to go.' ... I walked up to the car and took hold of the handle, and I prayed to God. ... I had my hand on it, and lightning struck like you wouldn't believe."
James is from a farm in Indiana, and she has been working in the floral business for the past 40 years.
She moved to Siesta Key about seven years before moving to Longboat Key three years ago. She still frequents Indiana, but she said the Florida coastal community has been a meaningful place of healing for her after losing her husband.
During the first few years of business, James said she has been delighted to supply flowers for weddings, holidays and more for Longboaters. She takes requests by appointment.
"People window shop all the time," she said of customers at the Centre Shops. "I become more like your private florist. I have the shop open by appointment, but people can call me at any time."
Business has been booming. She said she filled about 150 orders for the last Mother's Day.
"You don't sleep for the three days before the holiday," she said. "You need to be prepared. I've always had great delivery drivers who get that these are my babies."
Normally, she will get half her orders from Siesta and half from Longboat, but this year, it was a 20-80 split. Though she loves her Siesta Key clientele, James said she has appreciated getting to better know the Longboat Key community, a place she fell in love with after she started supplying flowers for the Coquina Beach Market.
While tastes are individual, she said some of the most popular flowers Longboat residents order are hydrangeas and lilies. Shoppers don't tend to be rose buyers, she said, but they do appreciate a full bouquet with complimentary greenery to make the flowers pop.
What sets local boutiques apart from larger chain stores that also carry flowers is the time and care invested in crafting arrangements and helping the blooms flourish, she said.
"None of them take care of their babies," she said. "We baby them. We preserve them."
It's not always easy keeping up with the demands of delicate buds, from refreshing all their water every few days to keeping the holding temperatures just right, but it's work she enjoys doing.
James said some exciting developments may be in store at the plaza.
She leased her first unit in 2024 and added the neighboring unit at 103 last autumn.
James envisions adding a tea room, along with a potential consignment shopping space for higher-end clothing, a jewelry shop, and some beauty services like a blowout station and nail bar.
"If I could do it all from one chair, it would be like a personal spa day," she said.
At the tea room, patrons could choose from a selection of brews, finger sandwiches and treats. She hopes to help build community and faith at the space through "Teacups with Jesus," where patrons could learn about flower arrangement while enjoying the tea room.
She plans to make a decision about the future of the space by November. She likes the direction Centre Shops is heading, especially with the recent additions of Longboat Key Provisions, the recently rebranded M & W Sweet Spot ice cream shop, and Paradise Pilates.
"She has one of my first orchids right there in her window from one of my customers," James said of Julia Yesler, who redeveloped Paradise Pilates and opened earlier this summer.
While James appreciates the success she's found working in the Longboat Key market, she said she is mindful of not wanting to grow too quickly all at once, ensuring she still has time to curate and care for her bouquets.
"I will only grow with grace when I have the proper help," she said, crediting her team of local floral designers and deliverers.
