Exciting News

I have some exciting news. There are actually two parts to this. The first is that I am going to have a booth at the Palm Beach County Airboat and Swamp Buggy Festival this weekend. It's been a long time (years) since I've done any kind of show with my jewelry so I am pretty nervous (and maybe that's because I'm also still making preparations!). I've put a lot of thought into the presentation of the jewelry and the booth setup. I just hope it pays off. I'll be sure to take pictures and post them once I have a chance. This is a two day show, 10am-9pm Saturday, and 10am-5pm Sunday and its outdoors, so it may be a few days before I recover enough to post the pics.

Here's the second part and this is really the most exciting! Shelly's Stuff will be sharing the booth with our (as in, Dave and me) newest business venture. Announcing...





Dave and I are huge fans of mixed martial arts and all combat sports. We've always wanted to start a business that was built around something we are passionate about. This is definitely it. We are in what we're calling our "research and development" stage. We developed the logo with the help of our neighbor who is a graphic design artist, and currently have a line of shirts (sorry...no pics yet...the shirts just came in yesterday and we've been busy getting ready for this weekend). If we get a good response to the shirts (reading between the lines, that means if we get some cash flow!), we will further develop the line and will be adding more products including hoodies, beanies and shorts to name a few. We did manage to get the website up and going, although it is far from complete. We at least wanted to have something out there so people could find us and realize we are serious about this. You can check it out at http://str8jab.com. Also, we have a Facebook fan page which you can get to by clicking here. If any of you out there in Blogger land are mixed martial arts (ultimate fighting) fans or know people who are, we would greatly appreciate any help in getting our fan base on Facebook going so we can get a unique URL. I'm sure once we get through this initial product launch, we'll be holding some giveaways to show our appreciation for everyone's support. Wish us luck!!!

Wednesday Whispers

I Think I Found My Calling...LOL

Every year our local high school holds a fundraiser that includes a barbecque, car show and silent auction. Although we don't have any kids, we try to attend each year. After browsing the cars, we wandered over to the Palm Beach Sheriff's office display. They had two of their SWAT vehicles there. The first was their new multi-level assault van. This thing was tough (sorry...no pics...we only had the cell phone and the memory was full). This van actually had a ramp off the top of it that would allow the officers to enter buildings, homes, etc from 2nd and 3rd story windows or balconies. The other was their bullet-proof, bomb-proof, everything proof assault vehicle. The door alone weighed 800 pounds. The officer explained the vehicle cost $250,000 but the taxpayers didn't have to contribute a dime because it was paid for with money seized in drug raids. We were actually allowed inside this one. As you can see from the pictures, the officer manning the display and Dave thought it would be a good idea to dress me up in all the gear. I couldn't believe how heavy the helmet was...it must have weighed at least 15 pounds...seriously! I've always thought about a career in law enforcement, just never pursued it. Hhmmmmm.....

Favorite Things Friday

I receive a lot of jokes and videos via e-mail. This video of a Blaupunkt commerical is definitely one of my favorites. It depicts why you shouldn't leave stuffed animals in the back window of your car.

Wednesday Whispers

A New Twist on Braiding a Horse's Mane!

Someone had tweeted the link to a website where a hairdresser had taken styling a horse's mane to the extreme. I just had to post this picture. Is anyone else thinking Rick James?

Implosion of the 1515 Tower in Palm Beach

On Valentine's Day, Dave and I went to downtown Palm Beach to watch the implosion of the 1515 Tower. To some, that may not sound like the most romantic thing to do, but we really enjoyed it. Besides, Dave and I have a tendency to do things that are a little left or right of center (which is why life with him is SO exciting)!

Here's a little history on the tower. It was built in the mid 70's and is located on the Intracoastal Waterway. In 2004 it suffered insurmountable damage from the hurricanes that came through and residents were forced to leave...forever. This building has been an eyesore to residents of nearby condos since that time and considering the value of this waterfront property, they wanted something done about it. Finally, it was scheduled to be demolished. Nearby residents were concerned about the demolition as this tower stands 279 feet tall, and their residences are only 200 feet away! This demolition, handled by Advanced Explosives Demolition is the 3rd largest building imploded in U.S. history. I'm happy to report it went off with out a hitch, well, except for the delay in pushing the button at 9:00am as scheduled. The demolition crew found a man hiding within the blast area shortly before 9:00am and had to have him escorted from the premises!

A view of the tower from Flagler Dr the day before

A close-up of the tower the day before (the road was closed to traffic on Sunday)

Dave and I braving the cold (well, 42 degrees is cold by Florida standards!)


A shot of the tower from the other side of the Intracoastal Waterway (notice the small 4-5 story building to the left...this is just a parking lot away)

This was taken with my cell phone since Dave was taking the video. If you look very closely at the left side of the tower, you can see a couple of puffs of smoke...this is the start of the implosion

This was amazing to see, hear and actually feel live!

The cloud of dust...luckily the wind was pretty strong so it never reached us

A shot with a little wider of an angle

This is the video of the implosion that Dave took. For maximum effect, turn your volume up before starting the video and you'll be able to hear the first series of explosions. The implosion didn't actually start until about 9:06, and Dave's arm was getting tired holding the camera up, so he had turned it off. He turned it back on just in time to catch the first explosion! (And also, as a warning, I do believe the word "sh*t" may have been uttered once or twice out of sheer amazement. I do not nearly have the technical capabilites to figure out how to bleep it out!)

Bud Light Clothing Drive Commercial

This commercial was e-mailed to me from a friend yesterday. It should have been a Superbowl commercial. I about fell out of my chair during the part with the guy and the pen. Very funny!

Hot Off the Bench

I was able to find some time in the last few days to work on some new pieces. I'm hoping to be back to a regular schedule by the weekend! All of these pieces have been posted in my Etsy shop.

Bit O Honey Earrings - chinese crystal and oxidized copper

Crosses & Crystals Earrings - chinese crystal, lead free pewter cross charms & oxidized copper

Texturized Earrings - Faceted red agate, hammered and oxidized copper rectangles