Fashion's Night Out South Florida Preview....

Tonight is Fashion's Night Out ya'll and I'm uber-excited!

This will be the fourth year of the event and I'm proud to say that I've been buzzed shopping at the last three! Who doesn't like free wine, samples, deep discounts and posing in front of step and repeats?! It is, however, the end of a mini 2 year era with Sara and I attending since she moved away. You'll be with us in spirit darling!!!

Sara and I at FNO 2010!

While we aren't quite the originating NYC, there are oh so many things to do in South Florida tonight. Below is just my sampling...

Aventura Mall -

This has been our go-to spot for the last 2 years. It has been host to everyone from Project Runway designers to Jill and Bobby Zarin to Steve Madden and this year is no exception. This year Macy's is hosting a fashion show with Real Housewives of NYC Luann de Lesseps and supermodel Niki Taylor. Spend $75 at Macy's and you can meet them too! In years past (I'm sure this year is the same) the entire mall turns into a party. Every store has free food and drinks and you can walk around from store to store eating and sipping. Buzzed purchase anyone? More on Aventura Mall's event offerings here.

Bobby Zarin with us at Macy's in 2011

Aren't we cute!

Lala Couture - The ultimate girly Fort Lauderdale shop in the amazing Gateway shops (my favorite place ever) is serving up free champagne and having a sneak peak of all the fall trends. DJ in the house? Check! Be sure to say hello to Molly, the shops owner. She's super nice and willing to help you put together your new fall wardrobe! You can find out more about this Lala event here.

Bal Harbour Shops - Saks Fifth Avenue at Bal Harbour shops is serving up free shakes, burgers and custard alongside a high tech photobooth for your social media fix. Accessories designer Nancy Gonzalez will also be making a personal appearance at Neiman Marcus. Sweet! There are so many store events going on here that I can't possibly list them all... Check them out here.

And finally..... The FNO Event that Cari and I are attending tonight:

The District Factory -

Our favorite South Florida Jewelry designer and friend Susie Rekechensky will be there with her Phairytale wares. Local designers and vintage in my favorite part of town... Hello!? I smell a purchase coming on! I've been meaning to make it down to the District Factory for the last few months... What a perfect excuse! There will be 30 brands of apparel, vintage, accessories and a Rock the Block party with live dance and DJ's. Yes please!

Soooooooo what are you going to do for Fashion's Night Out?

Deering Seafood Festival on Sunday....

This Sunday at the Deering Estate in Miami is the greatest seafood fest in South Florida - The Deering Seafood Festival. I'm SOOOOOOO excited that we are able to go this year!

We went in 2010, but in 2011 I had an art show. The art show was a flop, so I was cursing that we weren't able to make it. All the more reason to enjoy this one!

Cari, Casey, Maria and I in 2010

In 2010 we feasted on oysters, paella, stone crabs, mussels and anything you can possibly imagine. It was great - we set up our little blanketed area and camped out for the day. They have a mini art show, a rock climbing wall, a stage with live music and pontoon boat rides to entertain you for the day also.

If you're small enough, you can even enjoy the Uncle Andy ride!

The event features the best restaurants in South Florida and local celebrity chefs. Miami's winner of Food Networks Chopped, Giorgio Rapicavoli will be there preparing specialties and doing demonstrations. There will also be lots of other cooking demonstrations under the big tent. I have to be honest though.... We like to just park it and pig out.... maybe dance a little :)

If you're planning on going, you can buy your tickets in advance here. They are $10 off per ticket if you purchase before Sunday. So $15 in advance and $25 at the door. Seems a little steep, but once you get in the food and drink prices aren't bad.

I would also say that parking can be a bit of a hassle so get there early! If you come across a park and ride, definitely take advantage.

You can see my Yelp on Deering Seafood Fest here - Hope you can make it out!

Art Wynwood In Pictures and Video...

This past Monday I made the last stop on my art filled weekend and took a drive down to Art Wynwood. This was the first year of this awesome show in my favorite Miami neighborhood so I had to check it out...

Here goes....

Two tents were set up just south of the Shops at Midtown Miami and were chock full of the most amazing International Contemporary Artwork the world's artists have to offer.

One of the Art Wynwood tents

So now... I invite you to join me in my experience and take a look at what I found were the best pieces shown...

One of the highlights of the show were the special camo deer areas by Ron English. They were around the sides and in the walkways to get from one tent to the other. You may recognize the camo deer from one of my previous post on the Wynwood Walls. Very neat aesthetic, they were made to show different seasons as well.

Ron English - Camo Deer

When I first walked in I couldn't take my eyes off this awesome video piece by Daniel Cherbuin - Amazing!

 

 Amazing - Video Artwork by Daniel Cherbuin

On to the rest of the show....

Artwork by Hugo Lugo

Artwork by Heidi Popovic

Pit Stop! Time for lunch... The Art Wynwood cafe...

Cool artwork all over the walls in here too!

VIP Lounge with "The Flying Murals" of Wynwood

Artwork by Martin C Herbst

Artwork by Mel Bochner

Artwork by Robi Walters

I couldn't believe that this amazing piece (below) was made from Light Bright pegs! It consists of 55,000 pegs and 36 pegboards. Made to look like The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry hanging in Paris.Very cool!

Artwork by Joey Syta

Artwork by Arno Rafael Minkkinen

And so ends my day at Art Wynwood...

Bye bye Art Wynwood... Til next year!

Sooooo...... What did you think? Did it bring inspiration to your little computer or smartphone screen?

Saturday Coconut Grove Arts Festival....

We woke up bright and early on Saturday to make it down to the Coconut Grove Arts Festival before it got crazy busy!

We were on the road at 9:45am and before we knew it, were overheating the FL sunshine - it was so hot this year! We were talking about how in years past it was so cold. The cold would have been totally welcomed this year.

Entrance to Coconut Grove Art Show

Sooooooo we spent a few hours perusing the amazing artists that comprise the fest.

First, stopped and talked to Kimberly Willcox. She's an amazing artist from Gainesville, FL. I have a few of her pieces from way back when I worked at Seldom Seen Gallery, including my amazing jewelry holder. It has to be my most favorite art piece that I own - AND it's functional. She said she gets requests for them all the time, but doesn't make them anymore. I did a little celebration dance that I was able to get one.

My Kimberly Willcox Jewelry Stand

My next favorite stops are at Mullanium and Fobots by Amy Flynn - I love, love, love both of these artists.

We have a Mullanium mirror in our house, (again, back from Seldom Seen days)

Our Mullanium Go Fish Mirror

Along with the mirrors, I'm obsessed with the birds that they make. OBSESSED! The attention to detail on them is absolutely superb, but they are priiiiiiicey!! Woo! Someday, we will make a purchase... someday. The prices for the birds start at about $300 and go up from there.... Maybe when I turn 30.... hint hint, wink wink....

Beautiful Mullanium Bird

The second artist I mentioned is Fobots by Amy Flynn.

Amy is the first person I've seen making these robots going back for years. They are very often imitated (as I've seen at several other art shows), but never quite get the attention to detail that these Fobots (Found Object Robots) carry. Again, they are pretty pricey.... I would say again they start at about $250 and go up from there. 30th birthday again? ;)

Fobots by Amy Flynn Designs

After doing the first half of the show, we always check out the St. Stephen's Art Show. I applied to get into this show this year and wasn't accepted. Actually, they never notified me whether I was accepted or rejected. My application status on ZAPP still says Received. I think it's safe to say at this point, that I didn't get in. My mom bought a really cool metal flower at St. Stephens - pics to follow!

Every year it's an Ackerman family tradition to have lunch halfway through the show in Cocowalk at Cheesecake Factory. This helps to cool down before the second half of the show.... Much needed this time.

Starting the second half of the show...

For the second half of the show, the artist I was most excited to see was Ed King. Ed makes the most amazing pop art and lives right here in Miami. It's his 5th year doing the show and he says it's his fave. His artwork is so bright and cheerful... not to mention so is he. Just a wonderful experience in his booth. I'm totally eyeing this Garden of Ganish piece....

Ed King Pop Art - Garden of Ganish

So there it is.... My 2012 Coconut Grove Arts Festival experience. I'm off to Art Wynwood today, my last stop on this crazy art filled weekend - lots of more cool art to come!

Crazy Art Filled Weekend Ahead....

At the end of my last post, I spoke about the crazy amount of arty things to do this weekend... Can you believe there's even more than I originally anticipated? There's no better time to try out some of the awesome art events South Florida has to offer us!

So much to do.... it's like Art Shows A Go Go!

Here's a breakdown of the weekend....

Art Walk Las Olas -  Thursday, February 16th

Art Walk Las Olas is an arts driven, reoccurring event the Third Thursday monthly from 6-10pm on Las Olas Boulevard.   The participating galleries host exhibit openings, receptions, artists, and outdoor entertainment to combine for a truly memorable evening on the boulevard. 
Third Thursday Dates:  Feb 16th, March 15th, April 19th, May 17th


Art Wynwood - Thursday, February 16th - Monday, February 20th

Art Wynwood will feature paintings, photography, sculpture, art video and new media, conceptual art and urban street art by 500 artists from 13 countries: Argentina, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, the Netherlands, Venezuela, United Kingdom and the United States. With representation from 100 cities from around the world, including 50 across the U.S., Art Wynwood will further distinguish the Wynwood Arts District as a leading cultural destination for acquiring contemporary art. A VIP Private Preview will be held in celebration of the opening on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012.


Coconut Grove Art Festival - Saturday, February 18th - Monday, February 20th

Celebrating its 49th anniversary in 2012, the Coconut Grove Arts Festival® is the nation’s top outdoor fine arts festivals. The three-day festival showcases the works of over 360 of the finest artists and craftsmen in the world. A signature event of the South Florida cultural calendar, the Arts Festival is a true “Celebration of the Arts” offering visitors the opportunity to meet with exhibiting artists, sample fine cuisine, enjoy live entertainment and take in the tropical waterfront views of Coconut Grove.

Coral Ridge Home & Craft Show - Saturday, February 18th - Sunday, February 19th

 
A Fun and Unique Mall Experience this Weekend in Fort Lauderdale! Come on out Saturday February 18th from 9am-9pm ... and/or on Sunday February 19th from 12noon-6pm to the Coral Ridge Mall (Oakland Park Blvd & N. Federal Hwy - where Target and Publix are located) You will see a unique display of fashion, health, beauty, travel, home decor, garden and outdoor living, kitchens and baths, home improvements and much, much more. This is a show you won't want to miss! 


City-Wide Market - Saturday, February 18th

City-Wide Market is a huge MONTHLY garage sale, flea market, vintage and local product fair rolled into one fantastic INDOOR event!You’ll find tons of locals selling a wide range of items, including:
- Gently Used and Good Condition SecondHand Goods
- Vintage/Retro Items
- Collectibles and Novelties
- Locally Made Products and Crafts
Plus: Food, Drinks and Fresh Brewed Coffee, Music and More!
** FREE Goodie Bags for the FIRST 100 guests in line!!**
FREE Admission / FREE Parking!
This event is comprised of LOCALS selling their stuff! NO mass "made in China" merchandise, NO in-your-face perfume vendors, NO knockoff and bootleg sellers!



ArtiGras - Saturday, February 18th - Monday, February 20th

The ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival takes place Feb. 18 through Feb. 20 at Abacoa Town Center.
The festival is ranked as one of the top 50 art shows in the United States, with a juried exhibition of 280 artists from all over the country. The three-day event also features interactive art exhibits, music, and demonstrations. ArtiGras is produced by the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce and benefits over 60 school art programs and non-profit organizations.
Festival hours are Feb. 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Feb. 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A lot to do right!?

Our schedule is to go down to Coconut Grove Arts Festival Saturday morning and hit up City-Wide Market Saturday afternoon. Sunday we'll check out Coral Ridge Home and Craft Show - Cari will be there with Doopiemoos! On Monday, we'll head down to Art Wynwood. We probably won't make it up to Artigras, but figured I would share for those up in WPB. There's only so much driving a girl can take in one weekend!

Soooooooo which one(s) are you going to?

Saturday Night in Wynwood...

I seriously CAN NOT get enough of this place... I know to those that have been coming down here for years, the newbies can be a little frustrating. You have all that pomp because you've known about it for years and us freshies are just learning and learning and it's turning your cool underground world into something to be desired. Well I say, poo poo on you - Let this up and coming area shine!

Andy and I ventured down to Wynwood Saturday night for one of it's famous Art Walks. Art Walks are on the second Saturday of every month and include (but are not limited to) some of the freakiest shit you've ever seen. LOL good and bad! All of the galleries open their doors, serve drinks and food.

The food trucks also make their way down to Wynwood during Artwalk. There's an empty field that just gets PACKED with them... I'm talking there had to be 30 of them, and when that ran out of room, there was at least 15 more parked in the streets where ever they could. The food trucks... that will be next time!

This time, we went to Joey's

Teeny Tiny, but oh so yummy.....

I was SO excited to eat here having read all of the amazing reviews online. I made a reservation via opentable and we were set. I definitely recommend making a reservation here, we had one for 6:00pm and it was fairly busy. As we were done with dinner it definitely started to get crowded. Our waiter told us the later it gets you can't even move in there. With the bar so close to the door, I believe it... The place is so tiny! There is a small dining room, terrace and small tables in the front. Another perk of Joey's is the $5 valet. It can be kind of hard to find parking in Wynwood at night, so this is a major +!

The decor is very modern and cool. The back wall is amazing... There are pics of it on the website and you can kind of see it in the pic above, but I had no idea it was all mosaic. So cool!

Our food was excellent! Most of what we had were specials, so they aren't on the menu. We had an appetizer of scallops, shimp and sausage over polenta. So yummy... it had a sweet sauce over it. For dinner we ordered the Parma e Funghi Pizza (They are known for their pizzas, so had to try) and another special - the Funghi and Beef Lasagna. Our waiter told us it was the first time they served the lasagna and it didn't disappoint! All of this and a bottle of Bordeaux came to a total of about $80.00 - not terribly priced considering. We ate it all and even had some pizza to bring home.

Enough eating... Bring on the art!

The Space Invader Wall

Right next to Joey's are the Wynwood Walls... Right outside the walls and next to Joey's is the Space Invader wall. You can read more about the artist Invader here... Basically, he's a super cool guy that started out by traveling the world and placing his mosaic "Space Invaders" on public buildings and the like where ever he went. In Wynwood... He did an entire wall. Super cool - black palm trees (Miami inspiration) and the traditional red Space Invader.

Within the walls is the Wynwood Kitchen and Bar - Another stop to eat in the future, already bookmarked in Yelp! For now we just stopped in for drinks.



Bar back designed by Shepard Fairey



Also behind the bar... My favorite of his images

 Drinks here were also reasonably priced.... surprising for the proximity to South Beach where $20 a drink is usually the standard. We managed to escape with 2 drinks for $17 - again, not terrible! I was more anxious to go in to see all of the Shepard Fairey artwork. It's everywhere in this restaurant - to read more on Shepard see here. He also does my favorite wall in the Wynwood Walls....



Shepard's Wall - Tried to get the people in the shot for size proportion

 After lounging around for a little while we walked around the galleries... running into the art robot and such.

Unfortunately I didn't take many photos in the galleries in respect to the artists. I often feel a little queasy when people walk up and start taking pics of my stuff too. Like what are you going to do with that picture dude?

Most of the galleries have the artist on site so you can ask questions. Some of the galleries offer space for rent (for those of you aspiring artists at a reasonable $99) I should have looked into it further, maybe it was just $99 for the night. I did manage to snap a pic of a crystal on suede Beatles piece (Of course!)



The Beatles by Milani at Myra Galleries

 Sooooo as I said, I just can't get enough of this place. I definitely recommend the drive down be it for an Artwalk or just to check it out. You can get more info on the locations and artists by clicking the links within this post or check out my Yelp's on Second Saturday, Joey's and the Wynwood Walls - Enjoy!

Definitely feels that way sometimes.....

Anthropologie Lunch Run Fun....

I love doing this... It can be a little hectic and I don't do it too often, but I had a couple gift cards to splurge with from the holidays... So here we go!

Ahhhhhh behold the Anthropologie lunch run...

Anthropologie Aventura

Trying to make it from work to Aventura Mall, park, find clothes, try them on, check out and drive back to work all within an hour. Yes, it can be done! I've even managed to bring along my friend Sara before and we both made it out alive AND with purchases!

This time I had a mission. I knew exactly what I needed so I made a bee line for it!

My Selections....

I always do so much better at Anthropologie when I see what's online first and then go in... The clothes are always so smushed together - beautiful but smushed. Hey, when you only have an hour browsing is not really an option!

After trying on my online finds I committed to two pieces... Basics for Spring! A long white tee with fun pockets in the front and a tangerine fun top with a collar. Tangerine is THE color for Spring don't ya know. Refinery29 and Little Pink Book as well as numerous other sources are all screaming for tangerine!  I love both of my purchases so much I reviewed them on Anthropologie's website and they actually posted them.

You can find the reviews here: White Shirt & Tangerine Shirt - Woohoo! I'm famous :)

On the way out I had to drool over this bed.... Ahhhhhh Someday.....

Amazing Bed Display... Droooooooool

You can also find my Yelp! on this Anthro location here. - Hope you enjoyed coming with me to the mall ;)

Completely New in 2012....

Happy New Year!!! In an effort to become a complete and total social media nerd, I bring you tons and tons of changes for the year....

The first of which.... It looks a little different around here huh? Little cleaner, little different... Nice! Also with the changes comes a new name for my blog because let's face it... the last name of this blog was a little hard to figure out. I'm loving the new name.... Do you know what a Green Tara is?

Well, you know I love to read all that New Age stuff.... The Secret, Spirit Junkie, Chakras, etc.... Go ahead, call me a Hippie :) LOL Anyway, in my readings I came across the Green Tara...which hello, that's me! A Greenie and a Tara, but theres a deeper meaning. Rather than try to explain it all to you let me consult a little thing called the internet for some help:

Tara (Sanskrit, "star") is a Buddhist savior-goddess especially popular in Tibet, Nepal and Mongolia.The goddess of universal compassion, Tara represents virtuous and enlightened action. It is said that her compassion for living beings is stronger than a mother's love for her children. She also brings about longevity, protects earthly travel, and guards her followers on their spiritual journey to enlightenment. In Buddhist religious practice, Green Tara's primary role is as a savior. She is believed to help her followers overcome dangers, fears and anxieties, and she is especially worshiped for her ability to overcome the most difficult of situations. Green Tara is intensely compassionate and acts quickly to help those who call upon her.

Green Tara

There ya go... it had me at hello :) Of course the love part of the blog name is just that... Love!

So back to the changes.... I kicked around the idea of doing another blog about the places and faces I love here in South Florida and then realized I can't even maintain one blog let alone two... So here now we have the merging of the two. GCD and fun, all wrapped up into one cute little package.

You'll notice on the side a new Yelp! app... FUN!!! I created a yelp account oh about 2 years ago and never used it again until recently... I'm in love again. It's a great way to get and give reviews of your fave restaurants, shops, events and more. Since Andy and I like to eat, shop and play all around South Florida, I thought it would be fun to share the events and adventures we go on. Both of us love our city so much - art shows, concerts, restaurants... AND some reviews here and there. If there's an upcoming event you think we should know about or if you attended the same one we did - OR if you want to just scream "I like Potatoes!" feel free to post post post!

So that's all for today, I hope you had an amazing 2011 - here's to 2012! Cheers!

My Art Basel Experience...

Art Basel.... What an awesome experience!

First of all, after living in South Florida for over 10 years... wait... make it 15 years... and not making the trip down (how embarassing) it was well worth the wait. This will definitely become a staple in our calendar for many years to come. Though tickets to Basel are $40... each... yes, each....I must say it's so worth it for the experience!

From the Convention Center to Wynwood everything was so inspiring... Such a great event, my only regret is that I wish I could have done more!

Here are some pics of my favorite pieces - Let's start with the Convention Center....



The Entrance



It's so very Muppets isn't it?

The Andy Warhol Room.. Awesome!



There is Magic in All Things... Warhol



It Should... Shouldn't It?



This is a Bikini Contest in Fort Lauderdale in March of '83 (My Bday)

They were just plain cool....



You are encouraged to touch and run through.... GO!



Loved this.... I'll take it!

The newspaper from the day John Lennon died,
pictures removed to focus on the words



Me being silly in the mirror box


And now on to Wynwood....


The Wynwood Walls.... Finally got to see them!



Another one of the walls....



Just thought the juxtaposition of the deer being camo was cool



We do!



It took me a couple tries to read it... But it's great!



Random, but cool!


So that's it in a nutshell... An amazing art filled weekend with so many events, exhibitions, gatherings, concerts, food trucks and SO much more. Hope you enjoyed the pics - I can't wait til next year.... actually forget next year - I'll be down in Wynwood again ASAP!