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?

Girl... Where have you been?!

Living my life girl... That's where I've been!

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! After over a months hiatus I'm back to say hola... or holla.... or challah?

Wow... it feels weird to be typing here after the break, but really really good at the same time. Let's see what's been up over the past month?! I guess I left off last as we were going to the Bahamas... Well... We went! And it was nothing short of amazeballs!

Bahamas Trip 2012

While we were there I read 2 books in 3 days... Something I have never before accomplished - The Happiness Project and The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama. No I'm not getting all crazy or depressed... I just love reading stuff like that - Gives a good perspective on life! I also got a wicked case of sun poisoning.... But only on my arms? Oooookkkk?

I had close to a week and a half off and spent the days spring cleaning my house (as inspired by the Happiness Project) playing with my Etsy shop, thrifting with my mom, meeting friends for lunch and dinner, bringing Bella to my parents to run around the yard, doing yoga and anything else that might have fit my fancy. I loved having all that extra time... Sigh....

The Spring Break awesomeness ended with a night in my favorite South Florida spot, Wynwood! Us and the Edelman's headed down to eat at Joey's and take in the Art Walk. I have to say this place is becoming an absolute mad house now during Art Walk! If you're going to go and want to see everything, go early. You would think it was Mardi Gras or something! Best part of the night - Car-e-oke (Karaoke in a car) Or Cari-oke... Either way, laughs to be cherished forever.

Wynwood Highlights!

I even managed to accidentally take a video when we were trying to take a photo again - WTF is wrong with me?! Hilarious!!

In other fun news I had a fun time tweeting with Brad Wollack from Chelsea Lately - I offended him, which I was terribly sorry about! Though it did get his and Sarah Colonna's attention... Sorry Brad... You ARE a sensitive bunny - Love you!

Soooooo.... Since then I had an awesome time vending at Indie Craft Bazaar - Spring Fling. Cari and I set up shop right next to each other and did it for the first time without any manly, husbandly help. (Well... except for Keith coming in the beginning) The show was at Revolution Live and spilled out over into Green Room. I tell ya, the things you notice in there when you haven't had a couple cocktails... Like the entire place filled with Shepard Fairey artwork... Durrr!!!

Having fun at Indie Craft Bazaar!

After the show, we completed the puzzle of loading multiple tables and all of our work into one car and managed to make it to Dennis and Maria's house just in time for dinner and cocktails!

The past weekend we did the annual (or semi-annual) Fullone family garage sale. I never know where I accumulate so much crap! After the garage sale, Andy and I headed up to Sunfest with Dawn, Scott, Kayla and Tyler and had a blast. We were able to sit in the VIP section and see Michael Franti in all of his yumminess up close.

Sunfest fun!

Also in news this month, Andy and I booked a trip to Buffalo next month! For those that don't know - that's where I'm originally from and I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been back there in about 12 years. My husband doesn't know or hasn't seen where I've spent a little less than half of my life. How crazy is that?! I'm so excited to get back to my roots :)

So I guess that's all for now....(Like that's not enough) Going to get back on the wagon with this - Summer is a coming which is fun to be had!! What's new with you!?

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?

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.....