iLoveShelling Captiva golf cart parade “float”
The First Annual Captiva Holiday Village golf cart parade was a HUGE success! Captiva has really pulled together this holiday to make this season so crazy fun. There were over 30 golf carts decorated to the nines for the holidays and iLoveShelling was right there in the midst of it all covered with SAND DOLLARS, STARFISH, SCALLOP SHELLS, CONCHS and a kooky humongo JUNONIA right smack on top.
Painting a Junonia
I started with a big sheet of plywood, cut it to the shape of the junonia then started painting the spots. Okay, I didn’t find the junonia I used as the model, we bought it years ago…. as you might already know, I’m still looking, and looking and looking for my very own real junonia.
Seashell Christmas tree on golf cart
We borrowed a golf cart from our friends Paul and Vera who helped us dress it up with a Christmas tree, lots of green garland and aqua gift boxes tied with gold ribbon. I wrapped the tree and the green garland with the seashells that I strung last week on my post Seashell Christmas then put the final touch of the Santa hat (lined with shells of course) on the monster JUNONIA.
Our float team Paul Vera, me and Clark
I even trimmed my Santa hat with shells.
Seashell Santa hat
Then we were off to the races!
Here comes the junonia
Our float with Clark at the helm
Wanna see the other carts??? They were outstanding! Here are a few photos but don’t miss the video at the end thanks to Les Pendleton from American Realty of Captiva…
Golf cart parade winners!
My girlfriends won a trophy for best golf cart! Congratulations Shirley, Janice, Bonnie, Liddy, Merrill and Nanelle!
Parade winner
Congratulations to American Realty ! They won a trophy for best cart too.
Yolo Holiday cart
Yolo Watersport‘s cart was really cute.
Kingfisher Vacations holiday cart
I also thought Kingfisher Vacations had a show stopping cart. Great job!
Jensen’s golf cart after dark
Thank you to Denice Beggs (go, girl!) of Beggs Realtors and Paul McCarthy of Captiva Cruises for spear heading Captiva Holiday Village parade. Such a fun event for all of us!
I guess we have to step it up for next year if we want to win a prize. We even gave the judges a “bribe” of the sand dollar cookies and that still didn’t work ;) LOL. I’m hearing buzz around town that people are already brainstorming for next years decorations. Wow! Okay, I think we’ll need help. If you’ll be in the area next year, come help and cheer us on.
Captiva Luminary
After the parade, luminary bags line the village streets for a cozy holiday glow. The businesses brighten with Christmas lights to serve free beverages and goodies for good tidings and cheer . It’s so beautiful! Clark and I set up a table at The Mucky Duck (Thank you Victor!) as the sun was setting on the beach right behind us. We gave away lots of seashells and over 100 sand dollar cookies. The cookies were a big hit!
Your float is fabulous! Wish I could have been there!
What fun! I love your shelling float!
Very cool. Great photos. Looks like you had an amazing time.
I loved your decorated golf cart! It looks like the parade was a success. I can’t believe how many participated – looks like a fun time. So nice of you to give out shells & cookies too!
Pam, you did a great job on your ILoveShelling float. Thanks for sharing the information and pictures.
So that’s where all the sand dollar coolies went!! Love, love your giant junonia…., and may your wish for a real one come true!!!!!!!
sand dollar cookies -of course!!!!!!!!!!
I loved your float!!! That picture of you and clark with the sunset in background looks like you’re in hawaii!!!!!!!!
Wow!!! I’ve never seen a golf cart parade before! This was a whole lotta fun to see, thanks for the video! It all went by so fast, I could barely catch all the wonderful details so I was glad for the still shots in the earlier part of your post!
Too bad about those sand dollar cookies not quite coaxing the coaches enough toward a win.
Congratulations, anyway, on a wonderful cart and I hope you get your real juononia (sp?) someday.
Becky (at beachsnaps)
awesome pam!
So much fun! Thanks to Denice and Paul for all their hard work! Next year should be even better! I bet people are working on their golf cart ideas for 2011 righat now!
Elaine (at American Realty)
I loved the golf cart parade. Thanks for sharing – what a cute idea. And I loved your decorated santa hat!
Hi Pam,
The picture of you and Clark outside of Mucky Duck is such a good photo of both of you with a beautiful setting ! I’m totally impressed with your plywood Junonia! It looked real! Great artistic talent!
You had a fantastic “float”. I am surprised you didn’t place. I’d love to see a better shot of that t-shirt you are a-wearing. I aslo agree, that is a wonderful shot of you and Clark. I bet you had a fabulous time!.
Looked like alot of fun! Loved your cart. Your table at the Mucky Duck…is that an “I Love Shelling” striped bag I see?? Happy Shelling!
Looks like you & Clark had a marvelous time. Love that Junonia on your golf cart!
Thanks for sharing.
Lee
As far as I’m concerned, your cart was the big winner! Go Junonias!! I have been going to Sanibel since the 60’s – have been a real sheller since the 80’s and I have yet to find my first Junonia also. I will be looking next week – the race is on. Love you pics of Blind Pass – will be there also.
Let the Good Times roll…Hope it turns into an annual event,
I caught Luminary Night at Sanibel the night before, but I had to fly home on Saturday, so I’m SO sorry to have missed this! It looks like such fun! Your golf cart float is awesome! ~ Maria
Absolutely adorable and brilliant, your cart wins my vote—–
will you have a booth set up this weekend?
LOVE LOVE LOVE the t-shirt!!!!!!!!!!!! A beautiful design :). CAN’T WAIT TO OWN ONE-OR TWO- OR THREE!! Do I have to wait until the next time I come to Sanibel?
You’ll always be a winner by your blog fans. Maybe we’ll be able to stay next year for all of the events. Great job!
Love your golf cart! Gosh, I’d pull a fast one on your friends and drive it around all year! AND, because I’m running so far behind on everything, I just saw those photos of the shell mountain! Boy, did Karen and come at the wrong time or what?
PLUS, I received the cards from you and they are fabulous, I especially love the Christmas card you sent. You are so talented my dear, so talented. I want to move to Sanibel, so I can participate in the parade next year!
Thank you so much for the cards love, love, LOVE them!
Thanks for all of your kindness on my cart! Yes, it was a lot of fun and it was a great time to shout out the love of shelling. You guys spotted my new shirt! Yes, it’s a tee shirt that says “i Love Shelling” and underneath says ” finding seashells by the seashore” with a line of shells across the chest. I’ll show you the shirts (and bags- good eye Christine) soon! xoxo
Congratulation! It is a really huge success! You are so talented! I love your craft!
What a great time…even though I missed the Parade I did enjoy walking around with my girlfriends and my puppy (Sanibella)…I did enoy the carts that I did get to see (next year I am not missing it!) the luminaries was really enjoyable too!!
It really started off my evening….
PS
You should have won…your golf cart was very creative!!!!
Loved your cart, Pam. it looks like a great time. I’ll be there next year.
Sanibel/Captiva Islands. The parade shows how much Christmas spirit resides in the South – particularly Sanibel and Captiva !! I loved Jensen’s golf cart. The others were beautiful and creative, too.
Miss all these wonderful festivities, having moved to the North (Lockport, NY)
Living in Fort Myers and working on Captiva was truly one of the happiest times of my life.