Back from the Keys and Gettin' Ready for the Holidays!

We love this time of year!  I love turning on the radio the day of Thanksgiving and hearing classic Christmas tunes like Silent night, Baby It's Cold Outside, and Little Drummer Boy.  Sweet sounds to my ears!

Being in Florida gives a very different vibe than what we are used to growing up in Wisconsin.  We thought that Christmas wouldn't really feel like Christmas, but after being down here for 7 years, we have experienced something very different.  Being that it's warm, Christmas lights are much more extravagant, outdoor events are endless to choose from, and people are filled with cheer from all the natural Vitamin D. The sun is not in short supply through the Holidays. I know up north finding it on clearance is very rare, if impossible. Sure, we may not have a White Christmas, but soft white sand, is such a beautiful alternative and palm trees are pretty awesome when adorned with ornaments and lights.

We are excited to hang with family, eat amazing food and will try not to gain 10 pounds (of which we hope we don't have to include as part of our New Year's resolution).
Here's to wishing you a wonderful and safe holiday season.  Thanks for your support in so many ways. We are grateful for your business, friendship and support.

Feliz Navidad!

Peter & Erin Janus
Tropiki
http://www.tropikiwholesale.com/:  Wholesale Site
http://www.tropikiglobal.com/:  Retail Site
727.656.3395

Key West Has Been an Interesting Adventure So Far

We arrived in Key West yesterday, but not with some interesting hiccups along the way.  We took our not so trusty beast of a van with us, packed to the brim with tiki product for Parrothead (not a smart idea).  The van was good to us for the first day of travel.  She made a few weird noises, but we just assumed it was grumpy from the Florida down pours.  We made it through Key Largo (the very top of the Keys), and the van started rattling underneath really loudly until eventually we thought the whole van would collapse on the highway!

We pulled over at the Islamorada visitor center to figure out what to do next.  We just spent $600 on the van a few days before the trip, and we vowed that we wouldn't put one more dime into her, unless it was for gas.  So, Pete decied to call around to see if we could rent a van.  No vans available, but Uhaul had a 10 foot box truck.  It will cost approx $500 to take us to Key West and to drop off in St. Pete plus the cost of gas. 

So, we called a taxi to drop us off at Uhaul, mind you, the taxi driver seemed a bit drunk when he picked us up.  Something common you see with the folks that live in the keys.  Either that, or he was going through alcohol withdrawl. His face was red and his hands were shakey.  We asked him if he knew of anybody that needed a crappy van.  He said he has lots of latino customers that would be interested, but he didn't want to let them know because he would lose their business.  I was thinking in my head, "Umm....what?" 

The Uhaul clerk was really nice, he gave us a break on price and we were then off to unload our crappy white beast and load up the glorious Uhaul.  Oh...almost forgot, we called a scrap yard and the owner said he would buy the van outright for cash.  We knew that would help us pay for the Uhaul at least.

We felt a sense of relief by having a somewhat normal vehicle for the week, even if it meant it was a box truck. 

The loading went pretty smoothly and we were surprised how much we were able to fill the Uhaul.  This is the most product we have ever had and at that moment, I was not happy about it.  But...we kept a positive attitude and tried to whistle while we worked.

The scrap yard guy showed up with his tow truck.  Two heavy set, Italian guys came out.  First guys name was Jimmy and to my surprise, the second guys name was Jimmy too.  How does that happen outside of the movies?  Jimmy and Jimmy?  Are you serious?

They were swell guys, offered us $350 cash for the van.  We took it and were finally back on the road to Key West.

We are  here now, in a REALLY nice hotel for a really reasonable rate and will be unloading AGAIN in a few hours to get set-up for the show tomorrow.

More to report soon, hopefully not about a crappy white best of a Uhaul.

Tropiki Gettin' Ready to Party with the Parrot Heads

We are so thrilled to be vending at the Parrot Head convention down in beautiful Key West.  Whenever we head for Key West....work always feels more like pleasure. 

With just a little over a week left until the show,  Pete is working around the clock on new tiki carvings.  It's so neat looking outside each afternoon and seeing his new lamps, torches, masks and totem creations.  Sometimes I wonder how he can carve and create for over 12 hours a day.  I guess when you're doing what you love, it doesn't feel like work. 

We're also really excited about the new parrot line he has created.  When pete first started painting a few years back, he didn't start painting tiki's he actually started with parrots.  So we thought now would be the time to revive that initial interest and be more than appropriate for the upcoming show. The new line has been transposed onto coasters, magnets and even light switch plate covers.  Sample light switch plate to the right.

Our good friend Tiki Doug from Safety Harbor, FL will be there  selling his carved bone necklaces.  His art was just featured in the highly rated film, Dolphin Tale, with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd.  Doing shows along side Doug are always a pleasure.  His distinct laugh always brings us comfort and makes us feel at home.  You can view his amazing products online at  www.TikiDoug.com.

We'll be back the second week in November and will post some pictures of the event.  They say Jimmy Buffett may show up.  We hope that's true.  Life couldn't get much better if at the show we can listen to the song Margaritaville actually sung by Jimmy himself.  The show can't come fast enough.  More to report soon...

By:  Erin Janus