Artsy Fartsy

Evo Love

What did you do this Monday? I glittered boobs... literally! Just one of my many fun tasks yesterday as a volunteer for the Fountain Miami 2010 Art Fair. As the opening day quickly approaches, there are many things yet to be finished for the grand opening this Thursday. Yesterday I worked with the wonderful Christina Ray Gallery from NYC to unwrap all their paintings and artwork and prepare them to hang. Then, I met with the performing artist sisters Ariele and Audina from the Alice Chilton Gallery of Brooklyn to help them prepare props for their acts. First mission, oddly enough, was to stuff boobs made out of nylon, and then glitter all of them. It was a surprisingly fun task that took a vast part of my day, with hundreds of boobs to create. I'm interested to see how they use them in their performance art acts. Artists and gallery owners are shuffling to get all the art and instillations hung up and presentable. The gallery space is starting to look amazing and I've already fallen in love with several artists' work. I'm really looking forward to whatever quirky assignments my volunteer work today brings me.

Shark Toof LA

Red Fish Grill Miami

Ceremony location... Look at Downtown Miami in the distance!

I suppose you can't plan a wedding without a few bumps in the road... I decided to kick our old venue in California to the curb and change our wedding location to the Red Fish Grill in Miami. After hearing about it from a socialite I sat next to on the plane ride to Miami, I decided we needed to eat there and scope it out. The seafood was delicious, service is impeccable, and the restaurant's outdoor patio has amazing views of the beach at Matheson Hammock Park. In the far distance beyond the water, you can see the city scape of downtown Miami. With the sunset's pink reflection on the glassy ocean and Miami's skyline vaguely present in the background, it's enough to take your breath away! It only took a brief discussion to determine that this would be the perfect place to host our wedding at sunset early next summer. Here are some photos of the charming Red Fish Grill and the incredible landscapes of the Matheson Hammock Park beach and marina. I couldn't be more excited to begin planning our new Miami wedding!

Front entrance of the Red Fish Grill

View from Red Fish Grill's patio

View of the restaurant from the beach

Beach behind the Red Fish Grill

Apartment Sneak Peek

It's only been one week since we moved into our beautiful apartment in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. While the apartment is nowhere near being finished, I'm really pleased with the outcome so far. Not too shabby for only a week of purchases since we started with a clean slate and no furniture! I'm not showing the bedroom yet because it's too huge and needs more furniture to fill it up. Keep tuning in for more decor updates!

1960's table from the Miami flea market

First brunch on the new table with Urban Outfitter doily placemats

Art Basel Prep

As an effort to get involved in the arts in Miami and meet new people while keeping busy, I opted to volunteer for Art Basel Miami Beach 2010. Art Basel is the creme de la creme of art fairs in the United States where curators, socialites, and artists all flock to Miami to view the premier artist of the world's work and party Miami style. The show opens December 2nd and runs through the 5th. There's tons of preparation needed to run such a grandiose art show, which is where my help comes in. Yesterday I spent the entire day painting the walls of the gallery stark white. It took a toll on my body, but will definitely look great when all the art is displayed on the walls next week. I can't wait to see the final product of the show since I've been slaving away behind the scenes. Here's a sneak peek, and the gallery cat who liked to follow me around!

Miami Antique Market

As obsessed with flea markets as I am, I was relieved to have an extremely pleasant first experience with the Miami antique world. I had heard about Miami's Antique Collectible Market on Lincoln Road and knew that I had to test it out to see if Miami had what it took to keep my vintage shopping hobby afloat. I was blown away at the amount of gorgeous furniture pieces I saw for sale, mainly ranging from the 50's and 60's, but of course with a Miami art deco flare thrown in every now and then. I found the perfect round dining table from the 1960's to put outside on our balcony. With a white lacquered top and stainless steel chic circular base, it's just stunning! There was also designer pieces such as a Philippe Starck chair that I was drooling over, all in perfect condition. Better yet, they have a vast assortment of vintage clothing, my favorite vendor selling all designer Pucci and Lanvin frocks, with retro print designs that could inspire me for weeks! With the sun shining and a warm breeze tossing the scattered palm trees, the Miami Antique Collectible Market is the perfect place to be inspired, vintage shop, and even grab a bite to eat or shop retail on the infamous Lincoln Road. A visit to this flea market is the perfect way to fritter a Sunday away, I just wish it didn't only happen every other weekend!

Philippe Starck chair I fell in love with!

One of many fabulous Pucci dresses

The vintage table I scored at the antique market

Walk Down Memory Lane

It has been a wild and crazy, fun adventure living in NYC for the past five years. I will always remember all the fun times in the city and will be forever grateful to my amazing friends who made my experience so unforgettable. You will all be missed so much! Here is a recap of some of my favorite photos and memories over the years.

My 21st Birthday

Random clubbing and bottle service!

The blonde roomies

New Years Eve Times Square 2009

The insane crowds of New Years Eve

Rach and I freezing our butts off... never again!

My favorite secret spot in Central Park at the reservoir

My appearance on Gap posters nationwide

Graduation from Fashion Institute of Technology May 2009

Birthday dinner at Stanton Social.. my fave!

Celebratory brunches... and brunch for no reason every weekend :)

To all my New York friends... I love you so much and will miss you all! Thanks for all the incredible moments. I look forward to visiting again soon!

xoxo Colleen

Limelight Marketplace

Limelight Marketplace has done the unexpected- it turned a grandiose church into a shopping mall full of specialty clothing and jewelry stores, restaurants, and vendors selling cakes, gelato, and chocolate. The real shocker is that this isn't the first time the church has been converted to something secular. Before the mall transformation, this church housed a crazy club in the 90's, Limelight, and then the club Avalon following this past decade. It's quite a sight to climb the three floors of this church and taking in the view of all the alcoves and floors of impressive architecture, still true to the original church design. Any time of day, this specialty mecca is buzzing with the excitement of shoppers. Exploring the Limelight Marketplace makes you wonder how so many years of crazy club happenings can be wiped away to create a clean slate for a shopping center. It's definitely worth checking out!

The Perfect Cup Of Joe

It seems fitting that I would discover something new and amazing about NYC in my last handful of days here. I have been popping into the new 50,000 square foot Italian food megastore and restaurant central Eataly, on 5th Ave and 23rd, as soon as it opened. I love that it reminds me just of being in the Mercato Centrale in Florence, Italy. The authenticity of all the Italian products for sale juxtaposed with pizzerias, bakeries, butchers, and restaurants makes Eataly the perfect place to find any Italian ingredient you could dream of, or the quintessential place to grab a tasty meal or glass of wine. This morning, I was in for a surprise when I stopped at Lavazza, the authentic Italian espresso cafe within this Italian haven. My first sip of coffee proved to be the most tasty and smooth coffee I have had since I lived in Italy. I am happy to have discovered the most amazing cup of coffee in the city, but only wish I found it sooner so I could have more days enjoying the perfectly brewed cup of joe. Luckily Lavazza is available for purchase, so I can break in my new espresso machine with some delicious Italian brew in Miami!

MET Addict

Over the years there have been some incredible exhibits that I've encountered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. My favorite by far though was the American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity that ended this past August. Each room of the exhibit represented the fashions and vibe of a different decade. Of course, the roaring 20's stole my heart. The beaded flapper gowns were even more fabulous in person that I could have ever imagined! Each one was beautifully draped and embellished in a demure pastel palette that was simply stunning. The immaculate craftmanship that went into each of these meticulously detailed dresses blows my mind, and I'm astonished at how well preserved they are for their age! I wish that I could own one myself!