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!