TIM MCGRAW, LADY A, and LOVE & THEFT on May 7th!!

Just come on in...it's that easy!!! 

May 1st we will launch or web store! We are so excited for this after so much anticipation from people all over the country! 

Follow us on FACEBOOK to get involved in FaCeBoOk FrIdaY's! Every Friday we will post a GIFT from us to you on Facebook! Follow us to receive it! Facebook.com/keyscountry

We can't thank all of you enough for being some of our first customers at Keys Country! On May 15th we will be having a One Year Anniversary Party! We are planning big things and are super excited! Some things planned out already are a trunk show from FRYE and TOLANI! Our rep's will have so many options for you to choose from!! Live Music, Food and Drinks on us!! 

Summer Country Concert Series at the Ford Amp is almost here! We have picked up amazing outfits for all ages to sport! First concert is Tim Mcgraw, Lady Antebellum, and Love & Theft on May 7! Keys Country will have the truck out there handing out all sorts of goodies!! 

Get exactly what you want this VaLeNtInE's dAy! Send in your man and we'll help him do the rest! 

ADD A LITTLE FLUTTER TO YOUR FLIRT

We have a large selection of PiNk'S aNd ReD's for your big DaTE nIgHt! 

In OtHEr NewS:

Summer concert series has been announced, so stick to US 103.5 for all your info! We will have your chance to win tickets throughout the summer and we will be there to tailgate with all of our greatest customers! 

Stay tuned for more info regarding our HUGE sale next week where we will also introduce our new SPRING INVENTORY! 

Winner will be announced February 6th so get your pics in after the parade!

We have a great selection of handmade item's by  local artist Sarah V....Going fast so get in ASAP!  Our skull jewelry is awesome for not only Gasparilla, but every day as well!

Be sure to take advantage of our SALE on November 21 and get a jump start on Christmas shopping! Great gifts at Keys Country! 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Register to win TwO sUgArLaNd TICKETS and an autographed acoustic GuItaR here in

KeYS cOuNtRY!!!

Register Saturday September 19th - Friday September 25th

Winner will be announced

Friday, September 25th at 12:00 pm!

Here's a sneak peek of our specialty webstore:

Huge Sale! Summer inventory marked 15% off! Look for the red stickers! 

We will have boots and great school jeans marked down as well! 

More details to come! Check your e-mails! 

MAKE IT A GREAT  DAY YALL! 

Keys graduated from UT in May 2008 and told her family she was looking for work. But what she really wanted to do was open a boutique.

"I had a year to put all my eggs in a basket and plan," Keys said. "I didn't tell my dad I was even doing it. I kept it a secret. Then I put together a 50-page business plan. I handed it to him and said, 'I have a job.' "

That job is president, CEO and chief boots-buffer of Keys Country, a new retail shop Keys opened in May at 1910 S Dale Mabry. The funky, Western-style boutique stands out among the shops in Carriage Trade Plaza, a strip center where boutiques trend more toward the preppy side.

The main attraction are the super-trendy cowboy boots, some colorful, some patent leather and some costing as much as $600 a pair. They've been fast sellers even in a down economy, Keys said.

"I just think Tampa needed it," she said. "There's no place (else) to get good funky boots."

Keys grew up outside Tarpon Springs on property big enough for a barn and some horses. The Berkeley Prep graduate thought the University of Alabama would be a good place to go country, but ultimately transferred back home to UT.

While in college, she became "obsessed" with fashion and accessories, she said. Her aim with Keys Country is to appeal to both fashion-conscious moms and their daughters, so the store is a mix of styles and prices (from somewhat upscale to very upscale). Shirts range from about $50 to $240 and jeans from about $80 to $400.

"I love to take something you'd never see together" and make it an outfit, Keys said. "That's why we say we're a shot of country and a shot of rock 'n' roll.' "

It's intimidating to open a store in a recession, she said, but "I thought it would be an easy way to ease into a business" and learn how to run a shop.

Hours at Keys Country are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 to 5 on Saturday. The store's Web site is keys country.com.

By Sharon Ginn, Times Correspondent 
In Print: Friday, July 3, 2009

COPY:

Hold on to your pistols and pearls, ladies! There’s a new “fashion sheriff” in town! And she’s kick’n style and taking brand-names with her new trendy store, Keys Country!  Located just South of Kennedy at 1910 South Dale Mabry, women are coming from all over the Tampa Bay area to check out a  unique collection of  fashionable clothes, boots and accessories.

There are good reasons why women are coming from far and wide. KEYS COUNTRY is where classic meets cutting edge. One Texas two-step inside of the store  and it is obvious to any visitor that this is one Florida location that can actually keep or make a woman “cool”. These boots are made for “talking” and will keep women  talking, after they are seen around town. This is country casual elegance, at it's best.

The myriad of styles are creatively displayed throughout the spacious store, with a kaleidoscopic feeling of designs and colors..

Owner and operator Kalen Keys, 23, is a native Floridian. Born and raised in Tarpon Springs, she is the middle child, or as she describes herself, “the rebel child” of Jimmy and Debbie Keys. After receiving her Communications degree from the University of Tampa, she found the job market in the mass media industry difficult but was always interested in fashion. So with support from her family and a little guidance from dear ‘ol dad, Keys Country was born.

Since opening Keys Country’s doors on May 15^th, 2009, Kalen believes she has tapped into a “niche” market in the Tampa Bay area that other boutiques did not fill; that was a little bit of country and a little bit of rock n’ roll all rolled-up into an edgy vibe and a cool, laid back atmosphere. Think rocking tattoo skulls meets wild, wild west boots!

The logo itself for Keys Country, a skull, roses and a cowboy boot, tells you a little something about what you can expect. It screams, “I want my cowboy boot lifestyle, but I also want my rocking attitude and a dainty strand of pearls to please mom and dad!”

As a young entrepreneur, Kalen says of the merchandise in the store, “I’m not going to carry if I wouldn’t buy it for myself.” And being that she is fashionista, the store has something to offer to almost every woman no matter what the age range. Whether it is a pair of Old Gringo cowboy boots, a maxi sundress or Miss Me jeans, Kalen believes women in their 20s and into their 40s  will find something that they can wear. Kalen’s mom went along with her to the first buying trip for Keys Country and helped select pieces that set the tone of the store. Even if you don’t find at least one item for yourself, Keys is the ultimate store to find a gift that will stand-out and make an impression.

Besides advertising on the radio with US 103.5, Keys has had women from all over Florida and of all ages who have heard about Keys just by word-of-mouth. Kalens says, “The response since we’ve opened has been enormous and very supportive”. If Keys continues to go well, she would like to franchise into other parts of Florida, such as Orlando.

Cowboy boots are essential at Keys Country. Kalen believes what makes her boutique unique from others is the idea of pairing cowboy boots with anything, really. Such as a girly, casual dress and turning it up a notch country style with a pair of studded Old Gringo boots and a strand of pearls. After all, one of her mottos is, “it’s not just a boot, it’s a lifestyle”.

The core of Keys Country is of course, the cowboy boot. One of the largest selections in Florida of the cult-classic, Old Gringo boots are made of soft leather with an “broken-into” look, amazing colors and designs and some even with Swarovski stones.

And it seems that her laidback “boots and pearls” attitude is rubbing-off on her customers. Kalen says of the 35 to 40 pairs of kick’n-style cowboy boot selection, “we find that people who have never worn a pair of cowboy boots, are buying them, wearing them and coming back to buy more”.

Unlike some boutiques that have new shipments once every week or every other week, Keys has new arrivals everyday. Keys prices begin at $50 and even with the slowed down economy, customers are buying at least 2 to 3 items every time they visit.

Customers will find cutting-edge accessory designers such as Kippys and B. B. Simon that offer funky clutches, fabulous leather cuffs and stunning studded belts accented with Swarovski stones.

Designer staples at Keys Country include Frankie B. Jeans, rocking Lyric Culture T-shirts, an assortment of Gypsy Sole flip flops with the ever popular “skull” that gives them an edgy, feminine look and handmade Shady Brady hats that look hip no matter if you’re wearing them on a boat or on a ranch.

Even though Keys has a large array of boots, it’s not all about them. They have a unique and exclusive collection of jewelry such as handcrafted pieces from Suzan Wightman made from authentic Arizona rocks and “Mad Cow” necklaces with handmade, rustic one-of-a-kind shapes such as a Gator and will soon create exclusively for Keys, Florida university and high school mascots!

Kalen knows that fashion is great, but the customer comes first. By listening to her customers’ requests of what they would like to see in Keys Country, she is adding new merchandise to her inventory. Here’s what’s coming next to Keys: kids’ boots, men’s boots, custom made pearl selection, larger selection of custom made jewelry, form-fitting and full-figure apparel for women, respectively, more of the Florida lifestyle everyday basics such as T-shirts and tanks as well as belts and exclusive-to-Tampa accessories and handbags.

In addition to an expanded inventory, moms will be able to keep their little ones entertained when Keys adds a “Kids Corner”. Children will be able to watch TV and play while mom picks-out her next pair of boots, a pair of jeans and a little sundress to wear to a concert or a night-out on the town.

And speaking of concerts, you can find the Keys Country truck tailgating this summer’s hottest concerts like, Aerosmith and ZZ Top and Rascal Flatts and Darius Rucker where Kalen and the Keys girls will be handing out Keys Country T-shirts. Mention the blog from the Keys website and receive 10% off of any single item in the store. For more dates and events of where they’ll be next, visit www.keyscountry.com.

In addition to an ongoing list of event dates, brand names and promotions on their website, Kalen says boots and exclusive pieces will be available for purchase online through the Keys site by the end of July.

Kalen’s love of the laidback, casually edgy, rockabilly style all boils down to one motto she lives by, “I am fairly certain that given a new pair of boots and a string of pearls, I could rule the world!” And she probably will!