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Vannia Enriquez

By Vannia Enriquez June 15, 2012 in All, Food

FAVORITE FOOD

If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose? My answer without a doubt is sushi!

I love sushi, and I’d like to think of myself as a Miami sushi connoisseur. ;) Since I’ve lived in Miami most of my life, I’ve tried quite a variety of local sushi restaurants. I normally stay away from all buffets, not usually a big fan. I find that quantity doesn’t always equate to quality. But today, I’ll share the ONE buffet I do trust…


POC American Fusion Buffet & Sushi

POC (short for Ports of Call) is located at 2121 Ponce de Leon in the heart of Coral Gables. POC isn’t just any kind of buffet, it’s a quality buffet dining experience near Miracle Mile. They offer a wide variety of options…

From your average Chinese buffet options…Lo mein, fried rice, honey chicken, etc… To a delicious meat carving station offering cuts of prime rib and churrasco. As well as grilled vegetables and sausages… And of course, my very favorite, tons and tons of sushi.

Over 20 selections of rolls to choose from… Including a raw bar with fresh oysters, clams, mussels, shrimp and even crab legs. Yum!

And what’s a buffet without a little sugar fix? Plenty of options to choose from.

Let’s not forget the salad bar, soup station and an ice cream area. Mmmmm, now I’m hungry, and I hope you are too.

POC offers a daily $12.69 lunch special Monday – Friday from 11am-3pm. A Saturday – Sunday brunch for $15.69. And a dinner buffet with extra goodies for $21.69. (Monday – Thursday 5pm-10pm & Friday – Sunday 5pm-11pm.)

PS: Stay tuned for more upcoming restaurant reviews. I’ve had quite a few complains from close friends, apparently I’m “not sharing my restaurant secrets.” I’ll do my best to write about my favorites, but I’d love your feedback. Don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think once you visit these places.

 

By Vannia Enriquez June 2, 2012 in All, Fashion

AND THE MIAMI H&M CRAZE BEGINS

As excited as I was to visit the new H&M store in Miami Beach, I was also scared of the lines and crowds.

Nevertheless, I enlisted another brave soul and took on the challenge. We got there at around 11:30 am. There was definitely a line, but luckily it wasn’t as long as I had expected. The first 200 people got a nice scratch-off incentive for patiently waiting. Some got $5, $10, $20, to even $50 off. (I only got $10. Boo!)

The store was scheduled to open its doors to the public at noon. But after talking to several shoppers, we  learned that some had been in line since 9am! Talk about a passion for fashion!

As expected, their merchandise was fashionable and affordable.

And as always, I went a little crazy when I saw the fun accessories and bikinis! Some tops were as low as $4.95!

I tried to not have shoppers remorse after the fact, and to not be selfish with the limited XS sizes.

And this was the damage. Summer here we come!

Still haven’t gotten a chance to go visit?  The shop is located at 1669 Meridian Avenue. The store hours are Monday – Thursday 11 am to 10 pm, Friday – Saturday 11 am to midnight and Sunday noon to 10pm. Check it out!

PS: Have you been wondering why H&M doesn’t offer online shopping? Wonder no more. The company is currently working on it… I’ll be sure to keep you posted when it becomes available. Yeay H&M!

By Vannia Enriquez May 31, 2012 in All, Fashion

H&M HITS MIAMI BEACH

The wait is finally over! Miami’s frugal fashionistas can now rejoice. We officially have our very own H&M! The store is located at 1669 Meridian Avenue and is scheduled to open its doors to the public June 1st at noon. You better believe I’ll be there – line and all! Today, the store had a press sneak peek, but unfortunately I was swamped at work and couldn’t attend. Not sure if reporters, photographers, and bloggers were able to shop just yet, but there’s no question about that tomorrow.

This specific location is only a pop-up shop scheduled to be here until September 2012. As the official home for the long-awaited H&M store will be the theater in Lincoln Road. According to Marybeth Schmitt, U.S. Spokesperson for H&M, the long-time requests of Miami fans is what encouraged them to open a few months in advance. The pop-up store is approximately 3,800 square feet, while the Lincoln Road location will be over 20,000 square feet. Can’t wait till that baby opens. Well, at least this is way closer than the Palm Beach Gardens location. If you plan on attending the grand opening, be sure to get there early. Oh, and don’t worry about them running out of stock. I hear that they’ll be more than prepared, as they’ve scheduled a re-stock delivery every day…

By Vannia Enriquez May 27, 2012 in All, Fun

ST. VINCENT TAKES THE STAGE

Do you have plans for May 31? Now you do!

Come check out Annie Erin Clark, better known as St. Vincent in the music world. St. Vincent will take “The Stage” (voted Miami’s Best Bar) this Thursday, May 31st as she performs in our city for the very first time.

Clark’s love and passion for music began at the young age of 12 when she learned to play guitar. Over the years, she has been a part of The Polyphonic Spree and was also a member of Sufjan Stevens’ touring band. Shortly after in 2006, Clark decided to start her own band and she released her debut album Marry Me in 2007.

Over the years, Clark has been touring across the United States and Europe gaining fans of all ages and stages. Just last month she made headlines in the LA Times after her great performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Clark’s music is known for its wide array of arrangements and instruments, and her lyrics are said to have double meanings. Her musical style is a blend of indie rock, pop, and jazz. Are you excited to see her? I am! Here’s a little preview…

The evening is brought to you by Mute Miami, a young local production company striving to un-mute great music and expose artists who have never visited our city. Can’t wait to hear of who they’ll bring next… Tickets are still available for $25 or $30 at the door. For more info visit stagemiami.com.

 

 

By Vannia Enriquez May 20, 2012 in All

WHAT THE FLAIR?

Who am I?

My name is Vannia Giacoman Enriquez. I was born in Cochabamba, Bolivia, but have lived in Miami for most of my life. I graduated from Florida International University with a Bachelor of Science in Communication. I began my communications/journalism career in 2006 by working with Mun2, where I regularly wrote scripts for their weekly shows.

From there, I began working at MTV Latin America. My time there was cut short when the entire department was relocated to Argentina. At the time, I was newly engaged and moving abroad wasn’t really on my radar. Therefore, it was time to try something new. Hello, local news!

I worked with WSVN Channel 7 as an online journalist for about a year. During my time there, I wrote and published about 7-10 news articles on a day-to-day basis. I learned a lot while working there, but I also realized that sitting in front of a computer and writing about all the things that went wrong throughout the day wasn’t really my cup of tea.

So what do I do now you ask? I work at a local church in Coral Gables called Christ Journey Church. I help people connect! My official title is Connect Director, which basically means I’m a people-person who plans and promotes events and environments! I love my job. I’ve been here for about 4 years and oh, how my “communication” skills have come in handy. I’ve become quite a skilled event planner and public speaker, and I can deal with just about any personality type. (Well, if I can say so myself.) ;)

OLD NAVY blouse
H&M shorts
SHOEDAZZLE shoes

Photography by: Katie Mokher Lopez 


What’s with the website? And how does it all tie in?

As you get to know me, you’ll soon learn that I’m pretty driven and determined. Which means when I have an idea, I run with it. You’ll also learn that I’m married to a wonderful man who is a gifted deep-thinker. One day we were chatting about our dreams, goals, and gifts. He loves art, and has a passion for good design; hence, he’s an architect. I, on the other hand, love many things.

First things first, I was created to love God and love others, but what does that look like and what about all the other things that I’m passionate about?  “Figure out what you love, and do that,” said my husband.

So what are some of my other passions? I love fashion, fitness, food, and fun! No really, I do. It’s just a fun coincidence that they’re all F’s but… I love getting dolled-up and going in search of frugal finds. I love working out, eating healthy, and helping motivate others to do the same. I love finding hole-in-the-wall restaurants that serve scrumptious meals and sharing the experience with others. And last, but definitely not least, I love having fun around this city.

There is always something fun and new to do in Miami. Don’t agree with me? Stick around and hopefully soon you will. Hope you’ll learn to love Miami and all its flair!

**A special thanks to ME Design Unlimited (concept), Katie Mokher Lopez (photography), Adam Balding (logo), and Prototytype Syndicate (web-design), for their amazing artistic contributions.**

Feature Image Photo Credit: Jorinde Photography

By Vannia Enriquez May 17, 2012 in All, Food

NO-BAKE ENERGY BITES

Under the food category of this blog, you can expect to find healthy recipes, local restaurant reviews, and maybe even happy hour specials. I may be petite, but don’t be fooled… I loooove food! Luckily, I don’t really have a sweet tooth, so I’d rather stuff my face with food and skip dessert.

But for all you sweet lovers, here’s a healthy snack alternative… Try this simple recipe below made with all natural ingredients.

Yields:  20-25 No-bake Energy Bites

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of oats
  • 1/2 cup of peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup of honey
  • 1/2 cup of ground flax seed
  • 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
    (optional extras: 1/2 cup of ground coconut, pecans, or raisins)

Directions:

  1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. (I accidentally purchased whole flax seeds, so I had to put them through the food processor first.)
  2. Grab a handful of the mixture and begin shaping them into balls. (Spraying cooking spray into your palms may help during the ball-making process.)
  3. Refrigerate or freeze for about an hour and you’re done!
  4. Enjoy!

 

By Vannia Enriquez May 16, 2012 in All, Fitness, Fun

FIERCE FITNESS

Under the FITNESS section you’ll be able to find quite a variety of fitness and health related posts. Sometimes, I’ll share my workout of the day. Other times I may give you my take on a gym, box, or class I visited. Once in a while, I’ll post updates on researched nutritional advice, while other times I may have free giveaways to local gyms…

Now you’re probably thinking, what makes you an expert? Truth is, I am by no means a trained professional. I may have taken a college course here and there (nutrition, weight-training and even yoga). But I’m definitely not a fitness guru. What I can tell you is that I love working out and I’ve tried just about everything. Over the years,  I’ve experimented with weight-lifting, taking yoga and pilates classes, crossfit/interval training, and even working out at home doing P90x & Insanity. I’ve done my share of marathons and soon I’ll have to start training for a full. (I’d also like to do a triathlon sometime, but I’m afraid I may disappear after so much cardio.) All in all, I love working out and eating healthy. It’s a daily choice and it’s a big part of my life. Please hear me when I say, I don’t have an ideal image that I think everyone should attain. I just think YOU should be the BEST YOU that you can be! While it definitely helps me stay fit and lean, I workout because it gives me energy and keeps me happy. Some people can’t live without their cup of coffee, I can’t live without my daily dose of “natural endorphin-high.”

 So, if you’re looking to start a fierce fitness journey, come along and enjoy the ride. Start here: (I found this on Pinterest, and I think it’s great! It pretty much sums up what I do on a regular basis.)

Eat less CRAP:

Carbonated Drinks

Refined Sugars

Artificial Sweeteners & Colors

Processed Meats

Eat more FOOD

Fruit & Veggies

Organic Lean Proteins

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Drink lots of water

By Vannia Enriquez May 11, 2012 in All, Fun

FREE FUN

Have you ever had one of those nights where you have no idea what to do, or where to go? Or perhaps, you just want to have a fun night out without spending hundreds of dollars… You’re not alone! It happens to the best of us, even here in Miami. But we’ll try our best to not let it happen again. From now on, under our FUN section you’ll be able to find several local happenings and sometimes even free events. Here’s our first one:

The DWNTN Miami Concert Series is offering free concerts. This Summer you and your friends can enjoy free shows at the Olympia Theater in the Gusman Center for Performing Arts. Be sure to mark your calendars for June 8th, as Eric Hutchinson and the Jacob Jeffires Band take the stage.

This is not only a fun way to hang with friends, it’s also a great way to find out about up-and-coming new artists!

Doors open at 7pm and the concert is scheduled to begin by 8pm. Don’t forget, it’s first come, first serve and seating is limited. Be sure to arrive early.

Feature Image Credit: Dan Forer

By Vannia Enriquez April 26, 2012 in All, Fashion

FABULOUS FASHION

I attended my very first blogger’s event!!!  Woo hoo! Can you tell I’m excited? I am ecstatic. Today is April 26th and as I write this post, my site is nowhere near finished. But by the time you read it, I’m sure it will look fabulous. :) Well, needless to say, I feel very excited and honored to have been invited to the Neiman Marcus Fashion Bloggers Night Out. Not only because it’s my first official event, but because right now all I have is a twitter account saying that I’m an aspiring blogger — soon to launch. I can’t wait to see how many doors will open once I officially launch! Now, back to the event…

Miami’s Fashion Poet, Annie Vazquez hosted the evening that was held at Neiman Marcus in Coral Gables. Ladies, and of course a few gentlemen arrived rockin’ their best outfits. As expected, everyone was dressed to impress. A panel comprised of Miami’s top stylists kicked-off the night by sharing some helpful insights. Local fashion bloggers wasted no time, as they tweeted and snapped photos of the event.

The evening closed with a fabulous fashion show featuring pieces from the 2012 Spring Collection of Alice + Olivia, Winter Kate, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang and many more.

So, if you’ve been wondering what to wear this season? Here’s your answer: colors, print patterns and more colors! Not sure if you can pull-off the look? Try pairing neutral bottoms with a bright neon top. And if you feel daring, swap the look with bright bottoms and a neutral top. (Once you ditch black you’ll never go back! ;) ) I tend to have a strong inclination toward bright colors anyway, hope you do too!

Here are a few of the looks for this season. I call it, “colors with a splash of pattern.”

 

 

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