provided to The Santiva Chronicle
The latest boutique opening at Heart of the Islands brings serenity, connection, and creativity to Sanibel Island. The SanCap Chamber celebrated Serenity on Sanibel’s opening Nov. 5 with a ribbon-cutting at 1620B Periwinkle Way.
“The chill vibe is palpable as soon as you enter Serenity on Sanibel,” said John Lai, SanCap Chamber president and chief executive officer. “It’s a perfect addition to the island retail landscape, and I urge the community to get involved with a shop that goes beyond buying to actively participating and learning.”
Owner Shannon Gafgen and her husband Gary began the transition exactly six years earlier on Nov. 5, 2020, from farming lavender in New Jersey, after falling in love with Sanibel’s natural beauty, plants, and conservation ethic.
“It felt like a natural transition,” said Gafgen. “Shortly after purchasing land to build a home, Hurricane Ian hit. Our hearts were broken for Sanibel, and we told our realtor we wanted to be here to help with the recovery. She found us a house, and we made the move in July 2023.”
Gafgen spent 18 months working as the children’s librarian at the Sanibel Public Library and later in the gift shop at Tarpon Bay Explorers, while her husband worked remotely.
“On New Year’s Day of this year, we decided it was time to bring our worlds together,” Gafgen said. “We missed the creativity, the connection with people, and the joy of sharing what we loved at our lavender farm. Serenity on Sanibel is our way of bringing those experiences to Sanibel. Our shop brings together so many things we love—lavender, herbs, tea, natural ingredients, and making things by hand.”
Serenity offers handmade products, teas, herbs, and supplies for creating products at home. Most popular products from the Gafgen’s farm were soaps, calm balm, lavender-mint lip balm, sachets, and Sleepy spray.
The shop will also host hands-on workshops where adults and children can learn, experiment, and make something of their own, including a playdough bar. Gafgen has created a space to slow down and connect with others through regular weekly workshops and daily drop-in experiences. Starting in December, Little Seedlings programs will take place every Wednesday morning and Junior Makers on Thursday afternoon, plus at least one weekly evening workshop for ages 16 and up and other seasonal events.
“The community has shown us so much love,” Gafgen said. “I can’t say enough about our small-business community, especially our neighbors at Heart of the Islands. We are also very thankful for the support and encouragement from the city of Sanibel. The chamber of commerce, too, has been extremely helpful in giving us great ideas to help promote our business.”
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