In anticipation of an exciting year in 2010, Joann and I set out on a mission to find new and interesting pet themed merchandise for Silly Willie’s. We packed our bags, dropped my dog, Abby, off at Grandma’s (she was in for a long weekend with not one miniature schnauzer but two)
and left New Smyrna Beach heading north. It was Atlanta or bust! As we drove out of Florida we knew we were headed for some of the coldest weather on record for Atlanta. There was even talk of snow…

The talk of snow soon became a reality. After a few unplanned stops and delays, treats for Grandma (for dog sitting), Georgia pecans from a place that had a sign on the door which read; “We’re Nuts!’ a quick movie “It’s Complicated” dinner with a cousin in Macon, and we were, as they say,”on the road again”.

Low and behold there it was, hitting us smack on the windshield…something Joann and I haven’t had the
pleasure of driving in since we moved to Florida from Michigan, snow! Now you might think…why that’s no
big deal, and normally I would agree, but the closer we got to the city the harder it snowed, and after the
third time around the block, in the dark of night, we realized… no amount of map quest print-outs, or Georga maps from the welcome center could keep us from getting lost in the big city. Yes-sir-reee! Maps or not, we were officially, LOST!

 The snow was coming down harder and faster. Our tire tracks marking each lovely trip around the block were quickly and magically erased by the beauty of the freshly fallen snow. Yikes! 

Don’t fret…we eventually found our hotel, and after parking my jeep, we opted to use the bus for transportation to the gift and home show for the duration of the weekend. It may not look like much in the picture but keep in mind they don’t have equipment to handle the snow and ice. We found it a little comical that they were trying to mop up the icy slushy mess, in front of AmericasMart, with kitchen mops.

Once safely inside the mart, after getting our bearings, we took out our list and began our treasure hunt. We hit the jackpot in the first showroom discovering some very cute pet lover gifts. After placing our first order and feeling pretty confident, we visited showroom after showroom, floor after floor (18 in one building) and building after building. We included some of the pictures. so that you could see how dedicated we are to finding you wonderful and exciting dog and cat products. We made some animal friends along the way and when the going got tough, I decided to ask a bear for a lift. He wasn’t too agreeable at first. It was a bit of a bear fight to convince him but after Joann stepped in to help, the bear quickly gave in. Now, with the help of the bear I was able to cover even more territory. We left no stone unturned in our quest for you. We even ventured into the garden center to find pet themed garden gifts.

A plethora of new merchandise for the pet boutique was virtually right under our cold little noses. Some of the items we found were, breed specific gifts, thank-you gifts for your pet sitter, beautiful collars for dogs and cats, and wonderful breed specific Christmas ornaments, which you will have to wait until next November to see. The new items have already begun arriving at Silly Willie’s. Be sure to stop by soon to see all the new additions to the store.