I feel very fortunate to have clients in area as beautiful as Miami, especially when I get the opportunity to head over to South Beach. On a recent trip, a business associate took us to a somewhat new restaurant in the area started by renowned actor Danny DeVito, aptly named DeVito’s (www.devitosouthbeach.com).  Before heading over to the restaurant, I checked the internet to see what we were getting in to and what to expect.  The website was done well and got me excited about the meal I was about to have.  However, it did nothing to prepare me for the appetizer that I ordered.  Mr. DeVito comes from an Italian family, and as most Italian families pride themselves on their cooking expertise, here is no exception.  One dish that seems to always separate the men from the boys, is the meatball.  Such a simple dish, yet to master takes years and more than likely a lot longer.  DeVito’s has mastered the meatball.  The meatball appetizer comes in the dish it is cooked in, a small pot with handle and is covered in a great sauce they call Nonna’s Marzano gravy and is topped with a dollop of whipped ricotta.  Fantastic, the meal could have ended there. The next course was an excellent strip steak rolled around garlic cloves which penetrated the meat and added a new level of flavoring that complemented the steak well.  To end the evening, someone at the table ordered something I didn’t expect to see at such a fine dining establishment – cotton candy.  It was a great treat and was talked about throughout the evening.

The SEXY list…

1. Amanda LePore
2. Miami…South Beach
3. Naomi Campbell
4. Gold and Diamond Plated Mercedes, Lamborghini’s and Bentley’s
5. Leighton Meester “Somebody to Love”
6. Shakira “Did it Again”
7. Pierre Fitch…Gay Porn Star
8. Celebrity Sex Tapes
9. Bow Ties
10. Excessive Faux Fur
11. Christian Louboutin
12. Couture Hats
13. Vivienne Westwood
14. Enormous Gucci Purses
15. Fingerpainting
16. The first snow in the city
17. The Kindle II
18. The Guerlain $62,000 Lipstick
19. Diamond Lighter Necklace
20. The Smart Coffee Maker
21. The Dubai First Master Card…The most exclusive credit card in the world
22. Vintage Love Beads
23. “Snuff” by Chuck Palahniuk
24. “Tricks” by Ellen Hopkins
25. The Defaming of a beauty queen…The tragedy of Carrie Prejean
26. Porn Star/Lingerie Designer Tera Patrick
27. Genius Club Kid/Murderer Michael Alig

Eyes Open…We’re Watching!!!

Thanksgiving is in two days and if you are hosting a dinner and have just realized the little time you have to plan, never fear!  The Vibe Agency is here to give you a few quick tips to add to your festive dinner.

Each year on the fourth Thursday of November, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day.  It is a time for families, friends and relatives to gather for a grand dinner and give thanks for all of their blessings.  

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.   

Here are some last minute ideas:

Thanksgiving should reflect elegance.  Show off your style by adding arts and crafts to your table.  Print out these place cards and add a rustic touch by cutting slits into wine corks and wedging the place card into place.

For center pieces think autumn colors; orange, yellow, and brown.  Use whatever orange vegetables or fruits you can find; pumpkins, carrots, persimmons, oranges etc. Use a basket to hold fruits and veggies then add pinecones to complete rustic look.  Combine all elements and play with arrangement until you find the perfect fit for your center piece.  Add pumkin colored candles into a clear candle holder and place around your center piece.

Fast recipes:

Corn Bread Stuffing with Shrimp and Andouille

 50 Ways to make mashed potatoes!

Best wishes and a Happy Thanksgiving to all of our clients, friends and readers.

Following our previous post, ” Holiday Party? Do Not Forget Your Hard Workers This Holiday Season,” we recieved several requests for ideas under $5,000. 

As I researched ideas over the weekend I found a great article to include on our blog full of small incentives and rewards for staff members.

The workforce is usually a second home for many, which also creates a family enviornment.  Remind your staff that your company appreciates their hard work and dedication.  Read on for more ideas in this great article:

In a year of cutbacks and salary freezes, perhaps now more than ever, hard-working employees need to feel valued, even in small ways. Jennifer Savica, TD Bank’s vice president of event management, rewards her staff with little perks throughout the year, like taking everyone out for ice cream in the summer, treating people to their favorite drinks at Starbucks on a cold day, and occasionally allowing casual Fridays. “I try to show appreciation for my team every day by creating a true democracy—asking their opinions, including them in many of the department decisions, and empowering them to do their job,” she says.

Boston Beer Company has a gift policy that prevents employees from keeping items valued over $10 given to them by clients and event sponsors. “If someone gets something over that amount, we raffle it off to the office as a thank you,” says Kristen Smith, the company’s travel and event planner. Past items have included tickets to charity events the company has sponsored, movie screenings, and Red Sox tickets. “It’s nice to raffle these things off and make them available to anyone—and at no cost to the company,” says Smith.

Twice a year, Hillary Harris, director of special events for Warner Brothers, holds “PJ Friday,” when staffers can come to work in sweats or flannel pajamas. She has lunch delivered to the office, and everyone gathers in the conference room at 3:00 p.m. to watch a classic Warner Brothers movie. “My staff loves it, but they always bring work clothes as a back-up in case we need to take a meeting,” says Harris. “Believe it or not, we get a lot of work accomplished on PJ Friday. Everyone is in a great mood, laughing throughout the day.”

Advertising agency Leo Burnett is big on employee perks. In addition to rooms with Ping-Pong tables and popcorn machines, chair massages, and many other freebies, the company has an employee-only art gallery on the 21st floor of its Chicago headquarters. During a three-day exhibit called Gallery 21, Leo Burnett employees get to exhibit their work, which ranges from photography to glass sculptures to video art. “We do an open call throughout the agency and employees submit what they would like to exhibit. There are typically 20 artists represented, and gallery pieces are chosen based on their medium. We try to create a balanced selection of art work,” says Michelle Mahoney, Leo Burnett’s director of worklife. “The wine and cheese closing reception is always a hit. They get to mingle with the artists, learn something new about their co-workers and, most importantly, become inspired.”

Employee appreciation doesn’t have to cost any money at all. To celebrate promotions, corporate anniversaries, or even customer praise, employees at Lakeland, Florida-based Publix Super Markets, get letters of appreciation from company heads, including the president. This practice also extends to important happenings beyond the workplace. Employees can post messages on the company intranet to congratulate new parents or announce that an associate or associate’s family member has passed away or is ill. Maria Brous, Publix’s director of media and community relations says, “Our company has a family feel even at 139,000 associates.”

  —Lisa Cericola
Gallery 21, Leo Burnett’s employee art gallery
Photo: Courtesy of Leo Burnett

Condo resort hotels by Westgate can be found in premiere travel destinations throughout the United States!

• Explore world-class Orlando area theme parks in Orlando, Florida, at Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa, Westgate Vacation Villas, Westgate Palace, Westgate Blue Tree Resort, Westgate Leisure Resort, Westgate Town Center, Westgate Towers and Ramada Gateway.
• Ski down white-powder slopes at Westgate Park City Resort & Spa in Park City, Utah.
• Hike through Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, at Westgate Smoky Mountain Resort.
• Take an outdoor adventure at Westgate River Ranch, an authentic dude ranch near Lake Wales, Florida.
• Experience the world-famous Las Vegas Strip with its nonstop casino action in Las Vegas, Nevada, at Westgate Flamingo Bay Resort.
• Visit “The Live Entertainment Capital of the World,” Branson, Missouri, at Westgate Branson Woods Resort and Westgate Emerald Pointe Resort.
• Tee off at championship golf courses at Westgate Myrtle Beach Oceanfront Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Westgate Painted Mountain Country Club in Mesa, Arizona.
• Step back into the past at Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, at Westgate Historic Williamsburg.
• Relax on white-sand beaches at Westgate South Beach in Miami Beach, Florida, and Westgate Daytona Beach Resort in Daytona Beach, Florida.
• Enjoy convenient access to nonstop casino action in Tunica, Mississippi, at Westgate Tunica Resort.

For more information about Westgate Resorts, visit www.westgatedestinations.com.

I went to Mezcalitos in Oakhurst a while back and had the special, which was a chile relleno with chicken and mushrooms.  When it arrived, I was happy to see that the chile was roasted instead of battered and deep fried, which was never really a turn on to me.  I knew I could replicate it at home and make a pretty healthy dish.  This weekend I attempted it and was really happy with the results.  It was really flavorful and filling, but not heavy or greasy.  These could easily be made vegetarian by replacing the chicken with 2 cups white rice cooked in vegetable stock.  I served these with some refried beans and sauteed vegetables.  It’s a pretty easy recipe, but the peppers do take a bit of work to prepare.  If you have time, it’s worth it!  Serves 4-5.

Ingredients:

8 large poblano peppers

1-2 T vegetable oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 c rice cooked in vegetable broth

1 large package button mushrooms, sliced

2 t ground cumin

salt and pepper to taste

2 c shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Salsa for serving

Directions:

Rinse and dry peppers and roast them under the broiler until the skins blister (about 10-15 minutes).  Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel for 10 minutes to loosen the skins.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook through, about 5-7 minutes on each side.  Remove to a plate to let cool.  Place mushrooms in skillet and saute until softened, about 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper and cumin and stir to combine.

Shred chicken with two forks into 2 bite strips.  Add mushrooms and toss to combine.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, grease a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Prepare peppers for stuffing by gently removing the blistered skin.  Cut a slit the length of the pepper and gently open the pepper and remove the seeds, keeping the stem intact, if possible.  Repeat with all peppers.

Add 1 c shredded Monterrey jack cheese to chicken mixture and toss to combine.  Place about 1/2 c of the mixture in each pepper, and place stuffed pepper in baking dish, cut side down.  Repeat with remaining peppers until all the filling is used.

Place peppers in oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and peppers are heated through.  Serve with salsa.

Wondering where to gather to give thanks with friends and family next week? We’ve decided it’s better to share each moment of the holidays while in the same room with our clan rather than shuttling back and forth from stove top to table. That’s why smart South Floridians are making reservations NOW at Talula, a traditional American bistro where all the fuss of preparing the perfect Thanksgiving feast is a fête accomplie!

Select a seat in the spacious dining room or dine outside on the lovely garden patio and enjoy a succulent herb roasted turkey with homemade gravy, cranberry-balsamic marmalade and a selection of FIVE side dishes to share at the table. Husband and wife chefs Frank and Andrea Curto-Randazzo are crafting yukon gold mashed potatoes, Italian sausage and sweet onion stuffing, brown sugar bourbon sweet potatoes, cheesy broccoli casserole, almond studded green beans, roast brussels sprouts and a crisp and garlicky caesar salad to help fill your several starch requirement. Did we mention your table gets FIVE selections?!

Once you’ve feasted upon all the gourmet classics, share some pumpkin, chocolate pecan or Florida key lime pie topped with fresh berries. Talula provides a lot of delicious choices to help make guests feel thankful. Dinner service starts at 3pm through a very civilized 9pm so early birds and night owls can celebrate the best of the season in the warm embrace of the family… and nobody gets stuck doing the dishes.

We wish each of you every happiness of the holiday!

Talula Restaurant is located at 210 23 Street just across the street from the brand new W Hotel on South Beach. To reserve your spot at Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday November 26, call 305-672-0778

Here’s our little go to guide (Wish we had one when we went!)

Uzma Bawany/Thaakat Foundation/thaakat@gmail.com

Depends on what you want to do: North Miami Beach is rather quiet, basically any place you get in Miami beach will be on the ocean so you just need to decide on whether you want to party in south beach or relax on the sand on north beach. We split it up with half days on north and half on south

North Beach: $100 a night for a 2 bed suite, very nice!

Best western on 95^th and Collins, on the beach, free breakfast, a few blocks from Bal Harbour shops ( these have all the designer labels, can’t afford it but worth it to check it out) also a block from the grocery store (buying outside food gets expensive) and a block from the bus stop.

The bus WILL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND. It costs 1.25 for a one way ticket and this will take you to South Beach, the airport as well as downtown Miami. Call the bus number which is listed on the stop to find out  timings.

What you want to do in Miami:

• Visit Bal harbor shops
• Bayside marketplace near downtown Miami (ask the bus driver to stop at bayside)
• Boat tour of the bay
• South Beach- A must for shopping and good times
• Key Largo Island- A do-able drive that gives you the most picturesque getaway and a great time with water sports

South Beach: Don’t know if you all want to do the party scene, we weren’t too keen of the party scene but had to check out Mangos- it was a huge feature in the movie “Dostana”. It’s on 9^th and Ocean Dr. (South beach). With live salsa performances and a classy crowd, it’s only $5 cover a night and it gives you all the spice of Miami Beach.

For a more of a lounge around with current tunes you can head down the street to Clevelanders. More of a Hip Hop feel with a young crowd. This lounge area is outdoors so it can be good and bad. You work up a sweat just hanging out in the night of the Miami heat, but it’s fresh air and that always feels nice.

Unless you want to party, I Don’t know what else there is to do on South beach but we stayed at the Chesterfield hotel on 855 Collins. We went during hip hop week (which I btw do not recommend) and it was just tough to maneuver around the crowds. Ps. Hip Hop week takes place during Memorial day weekend.  The hotel looked a little uncertain from the outside but was amazing inside! It was $325 for 3 nights.

Key Largo: Best part of our trip hands down was our trip to the Islands. If you are going to be there for several days you MUST go out to the islands, the FloridaKkeys are 3 hours away but Key Largo is only an hour and half. We rented a 7 seater and went out there for 2 days. You can book snorkeling and parasailing for $40 a person for each activity. Totally worth the trip! We also had our hotel on the ocean and it was an amazing view. Book the 6 person suite on OceanPointe Suites Key Largo and it’ll be a dream! Do not pay more than $40 bucks per activity.

If you are not big on water activities or don’t know how to swim, I wouldn’t recommend going out to Key Largo for more than a few days as there isn’t much as to do on the island.

Summary:

• IF you like quiet, stay north beach and take the bus to everything.
• You must visit bayside marketplace (take a bus there for 1.25)
• You must take a boat ride on the bay usually $20 a person
• You must visit Key Largo for water sports
• And if you decide you want to do crazy one super fun night, go to Mangos—nice night out with the girls and the people are classy
• Ps. Be prepared for the rain, take an umbrella with you!

This is a guide to enjoying a vacation to Miami, Florida, without expending your entire savings.

Keep reading.

Lincoln Road, originally uploaded by miamism.

]]> http://miamismpix.com/2009/11/22/twins-or-what/ Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:40:27 +0000 miamism http://miamismpix.com/2009/11/22/twins-or-what/

Posted via web from Ines yet again

Posted via web from Ines yet again

Posted via web from Ines yet again

Posted via web from Ines yet again

As a Miami-based company we here at MixMyGranola are proud to be featured in the new edition of SoBeFit. Thanks to Sheah from the whole MixMyGranola team!

cute couple + amazing late afternoon light = pure awesomeness. seriously, it’s a winning combination. shruti and kevin are friends of priti and ketal, and were totally fabulous. they were totally adorable and just completely into each other. i loved the way they looked at each other – there was so much love between them! we meandered through the streets of south beach – we loved this place, as it offers SO much variety within one area. you’ve got the funky alleys, cool textures, empty gravel lots, a super cool bridge, and an amazing park and field that we just ended up stumbling upon. it seemed like everything came together that day – shruti and kevin were totally fun to work with, we hit the hour with the amazing, glowy late afternoon light, and the perfect shooting spot. it was the perfect combination.

i have WAY too many favorites from their shoot. i tried to narrow it down, but this is still going to end up being a very hefty post!

we were walking around and came across a fro-yo shop with these chairs. i knew we had to use them as props!

we walked across the bridge then came across this empty lot. i figured it would be a good spot to run around in! this is one of my favorite shots from their shoot, i love how they look like they’re walking into the sun!

oooooh, puddles!!

oooooh, glowy light!!!

i LOVE the way they’re looking at each other in this photo!

squeeee! adorableeeeee!!!

i was feeling the silhouettes:

thanks, shruti and kevin!! it’s completely obvious that you guys are so in love. i had a fabulous time with you!!!

The VIBE agency, in partnership with the Morgan’s Hotel Group, has created a special discount package for your next affair.

Come and experience Miami’s dashing nightlife and trendy accomodations for your upcoming group event.

Interested in an incentive program for your hard workers?

Contact our office for special offers.

We’re super proud of Izzy at Love Freo for winning Corbis’ Creatives Behind the Lens competition with her fantasitc photo of South Beach. To celebrate we’re giving away a set of our postcards Colour Freo and Breathe Freo which feature more beautiful examples of Izzy’s work.

To win, just email us at info@lovefreo.com with Postcard Competition in the subject field by 26th of November and we’ll put all the names in a hat.

Izzy will draw the winner

Our new website just went “live” this week, and XE is now officially blogging!  Here are a few great pictures from some of our October weddings. Stay tuned for more sophisticated entries!

 

Jeff Kolodny Photography

Jeff Kolodny Photography

Jeff Kolodny Photogrpahy

I have a lot of buyers looking to make a purchase in the next 12 months. Many of these buyers are relocating into the area. This is a promising sign for overall market recovery.

It also is testing my mettle in helping them choose an area to focus their search. Buyers have no problem rattling off a list of what they want in a home. It gets a lot fuzzier when they are challenged to think about where they want their home. Case in point:

I tell every seller this nugget of wisdom: Buyers have three concerns that we must market your home to. 1.) No buyer wants to pay too much for a home. 2.) All buyers are afraid something is wrong with the home. 3.) What if someone else gets the home? Fear 1 and Fear 2 CAN be controlled by a good listing agent. A properly priced home in-line with consumer expectations will get traffic. A well-staged and inspected home will overcome the fear of something being wrong with it. That places a buyer in the position of “what if someone else gets the home?”

I’ll admit, as a REALTOR, I like to sell in the areas that have more “what if someone else gets the home?” properties. This is not because I like inflicting psychological terror upon my buyers (it is fun, though!). It is because these are the properties that are more likely to appreciate, stand the test of time, and are in the “interesting” parts of town that are so unique to El Paso County.

There’s a temptation to think that “when the market comes back” that the old rules will apply. This tempting thought seems to extend out to properties rising in value, buyers preferring more house when they can get it, that more financing rather than smarter financing is all going to occur. To some of that, I say yes… properties will eventually start to rise in value by 4 and 7% a year, and buyers as they move “up” in life will probably want more, not less square footage, and there is a time and place for 10% secondary financing.

But who really believes that 40% of all home sales should be non-owner occupied units? Who thinks that it is a sign of a healthy market when the national residential renting rate is 11%… but 28% of all single family units sold were purchased as “investment property”? Can you find that missing 17% of the population who is supposed to “rent” these properties? These were the market conditions in the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2006. If you really uncork the math on that, inside that 40% number is a really terrifying number: 12% of all units sold were not even investment properties but “2nd homes”. And Nicolas Cage didn’t go on his buying binge until 2007. The raw aspects of that freakish lending means that one in eight people buying a house in 3rd or 4th quarter 2006 – nationwide -  did not have to show sufficient income to offset the cost of ownership. This would involve everything from a beach house on Anini Beach to a condo in Breckenridge to a patio home in Flying Horse to a high-rise condo in South Beach… maybe the latter two were acquired with the intention of the persistent run-up in new construction values, a builder-leveraged flip if you will. But 12% of the homes purchased quarter 3 and quarter 4 were purchased with the lender acknowledging… no one is planning on occupying this residence. Folks… those were the good old days. Return to that?

Yes, this is all the product of the Lehman Brothers subprime financing and we all know that these loans don’t exist anymore. Does that make the market safer? Does that make the market less prone to subprime thinking?

The answer to both, is no. Here is the advice of a CNBC commentator on how we ought to deal with our economic recovery. Who exactly does this benefit? How and where are the jobs being created? I mean, outside of the mortgage shops? The answer is more debt, re-fi’s to people upside down and greater negative liquidity?

If the idea of “greater negative liquidity” sounds like a bad idea, than would it not be wise to dial in on properties where the threat of “greater negative liquidity” is lower? Similarly, it seems to make sense that properties that encourage “greater positive liquidity” would be wise. Real Estate has a handy solution: the dirt matters.

Buyers are always attracted to the shiny and new. Apple is a great example of this. People will pay for style. If they did not, Apple would not exist. Apple World would not be the can’t miss event it is. The reality is, my MacBook Pro is heading on year three and just had it’s first major service: it needed a new battery because I exhausted the old one. The remarkable computing device just keeps plugging and multi-tasking and tweeting and I’m all the more efficient for it. There is no engineered obsolescence on this machine like there is inside my piece of junk desktop. Replacing my Mac would be foolhardy. The value is built right in and it is still there today. Yeah, it still looks good, but the functional value supersedes the style. What I bought then still works today.

This is directly similar to the 2010 Colorado Springs Real Estate Landscape. Buyers in 2010 have the opportunity to buy something now that will still work out well for them in three years, six years, 15 years. The common denominator is dirt.

Just as I have a computing tool in my possession that lets be more effective and more efficient, buyers in 2010 will have a landscape that is akin to a gambler’s dream: they can buy with the benefit of history on their side. Compare the November 1, 2002 market to the November 1, 2009 marketplace:

2002        2009

Active Listings               4218         4453

Sold October Units        756           773

Avg. Sales Price         $209,108 $213,352

Interest Rate                   5.88%     4.88%

The numbers look like a 2002 reset. The reality is that home values are really somewhere between 2000 and 2005 depending on the area and type of property (condos and townhomes have fallen faster and farther than single-family). The supply and demand ratios are extremely similar. The November, 2002 stats reflect a market right before the big wave of demand struck the marketplace. These conditions helped catalyze the four year run up in value (because our demand was somewhat strong and inventory high however, they also acted as a deterrent to the astronomical run-up more common in coastal markets). The number that stands out like a soar thumb: the present buying power a buyer enjoys at today’s near-record low interest rates give them the ability to buy 11% more property. Or better said… they can buy with 11% more affordability than they could in 2002. And do so with the power of knowledge that the city looks very different today than it did than.

Pinecliff is 11 minutes from downtown, offering 5400 square feet under $500K with D20 schools

That “foresight knowledge” of seven year’s of city growth is the really valuable commodity. Since 2002, 26,000 single family homes have been constructed. That’s approximately 30% of Fountain and Falcon, a large chunk of Pine Creek, all of Cordera and Wolf Ranch, Banning-Lewis, Stonecliff in the Spires, Cathedral Pines, half of High Forest Ranch, half of Jackson Creek and quite a bit of Monument. These places did not exist 7 years ago. They do now.

That means that a buyer now can actually see the city, not the master plan. Will there be views? Sort of. How are the roads? What are the commute times? Will there be a fire station? Where are the schools? Are they any good? Rather than rely on theory, they can go check out in person each of these key data-points. That means that a buyer can see and feel and touch and appreciate the historical ramifications of good buying decisions… and bad ones.

Within this marketplace there are enormous curves in supply and demand. High Forest Ranch for instance only has a year of inventory to sell through right now. That is similar to Flying Horse. Yet High Forest Ranch is an $800,000 neighborhood and for all their attempts to be uber-luxury, Flying Horse is really a $500,000 area so far. To have a year of inventory in 2009 is remarkable… that’s similar to what an $800,000 area enjoyed in the market boom year of 2005. When supply and demand approach balance, values cease declining and the ability to define a remarkable home on a remarkable parcel increases.

Tactically speaking, buying a home that is newer, with modern flair and “nothing wrong with it” is a good idea.

Strategically speaking, where such a home exists matters infinitely more. Right now there are areas in-balance, seeking balance and wildly out-of-balance. This week we will explore the markets in-balance. Next week, the markets seeking balance. After that: the markets that are still in trouble.