By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

After keeping millions of fans upbeat and entertained throughout the Heat’s championship season, Miami’s own DJ Irie hosted his 8th annual three-day action – packed charity weekend last weekend. The 2012 Irie Weekend began Thursday night with an exclusive Chambord vodka Carnaval themed kick-off event at a private residence on Star Island. The party was so big that the valet had to park the cars a few miles away- and was full to capacity by 10 p.m. -just an hour after the party started.  Guests enjoyed nibbles and cocktails throughout the sprawling, ocean-front property, dancing all night despite the sweltering heat.  Dennis Rodman, dressed with his typical flair, kept himself busy with the Brazilian showgirls as VIP guests gathered on the second floor to sing “Happy Birthday” to DJ Irie, who had celebrated his birthday on the night the Heat won the NBA Finals. 

On Friday, the New Era Celebrity Golf Tournament took place at the beautiful Melreese Country Club where Mayor Carlos Gimenez proclaimed June 29 “DJ Irie Day” and presented Irie with a proclamation amid cheers from the excited crowd. The golf tournament, which Irie admits is “90% party and 10% golf,” featured terrific food from food trucks including Palate Party and Monster Lobster and tastings from Hooters, Miami Subs, Epicure and The Soup Man (the Seinfeld off-shoot). On the green guests enjoyed great music, ice cold Heineken, Red Bull and cocktails. Read the rest of this entry »

Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, LeBron James photo courtesy Manny Hernandez

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

When our beloved Miami Heat finally won the NBA Championship, a victory more than two years in the making, Miami as a whole experienced the cathartic joy- as we are now all, on some level, champions. Nowhere was this more evident than at LIV at the Fontainebleau, just a few hours before dawn, on Friday morning, and on the streets during the championship parade and at the American Airlines Arena (AAA) for the championship celebration on Monday.

“We are the Champions” blared through the speakers at LIV nightclub at just before 3 a.m. on Friday morning, as the newly crowned, World Champions, Miami HEAT, fresh from winning the NBA championship entered the massive nightclub for their official victory party, to the ecstatic chants of thrilled fans, who shouted, “Let’s go Heat!”  The chanting changed to “MVP” shortly thereafter, as LeBron James made his way to the stage at the back of the club, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the “vampire image” of his face.   The music stopped for a bit as Heat owner Micky Arison and coach Eric Spoelstra were cheered on as they took to the stage to address the fans and thank them for their support. Read the rest of this entry »

Maria Jose Almeida, Maryanne Salvat, Marnie Howard, and Mary Jo Shore

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore 

Every now and then, all of the elements come together to create the perfect evening.  Such was the case last week when man-about-town Michael Leondas Kirkland and his handsome house-mate Rothsay “Roy” Playa welcomed guests into their home for an all-night birthday fete for yours truly.  We were overcome by Kirkland’s southern hospitality:  from the polished, Tiffany sterling to the perfectly pressed linen napkins (a rarity this far south) to the tantalizing aroma wafting from the giant black iron pot, once belonging to his great-grandmother. 

The mood was comfortable and jovial throughout the night, the din of laughter permeating the beautiful home which is filled with beautiful French antiques and mid-century Scandinavian pieces juxtaposed with paintings by Francisco Clemente Vikki Oglesby; photographs by Karl Lagerfeld, Herb Ritts and Miami’s own Iran Issa-Khan, to name a few. Read the rest of this entry »

Gabrielle Union hosts Hotel Noir presented by Grey Goose

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

Grey Goose Brings Hotel Noir to FDR

On Wednesday night, our favorite basement club, FDR at the Delano was transformed into “Hotel Noir,” for the launch of Grey Goose vodka’s latest flavor, Cherry Noir. To parallel the national television advertising campaign entitled “Hotel Noir,” the club was transformed into a seductive sanctuary draped in deep red hues and dim lights.  The best part was the library wall- complete with shelves lined with old hard-cover books-which was really a trap door leading to the clandestine back room.  The secret space took us back a decade to Liquid’s “Situation Room” where we spent many a night welcoming the sunrise- dancing to Old School Michael Jackson and Earth Wind and Fire.  We enjoyed the same type of music in the back room of FDR- which some partygoers dubbed- the “Harry Potter room.”     Read the rest of this entry »

H&M Pop Shop on Lincoln Road photo: Alex Tamargo

“Forget the rules, if it makes you happy, wear it!” reads the sign on the wall at the fantastic, brand new H&M pop-up shop just off of Lincoln Road.  It seemed like a delightful figment of our imagination as we approached the store last Thursday morning and saw the famed bright red letters “H & M” on the rooftop.  “Happy” was just the mood inside the store for the private preview- “ecstatic” actually. Partly because the select few who were invited to this “fashion field trip” for a sneak peek of Swedish global retailer  Hennes and Mauritz’s latest fashion forward outpost were among our most fashionable friends, who were like kids in a candy store, and also because we were drinking champagne at 11 a.m. on a stormy Thursday.  In case you didn’t notice, we used the word “fashion” three times in that last sentence- that’s because it’s all about trendy, affordable, fashion (there’s that word again) at H& M. Read the rest of this entry »

Juanes, Karen Martinez, Juan Luis Guerra , St. Jude Patients Victor, Stephan and Carlos

By: Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

The stars came out en masse for the tenth annual FedEx/St.Jude Angels & Stars Gala on Saturday, May 19. Actress/supermodel Daisy Fuentes, and Latin power-couple, Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Juanes and TV host/actress Karen Martinez, served as the celebrity chairs and were on-hand to mingle with guests at the JW Marriott Marquis in downtown Miami. More than 800 guests enjoyed a Grey Goose cocktail reception, seated dinner and live performances by gorgeous Spanish, Grammy Award-winner, David Bisbal and Vicente Garcia.

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra got a standing ovation when he was presented with the Al-Rashid Hope Award for his tireless commitment to providing resources for needy children in Dominican Republic and Latina America, particularly in the areas of health, sports and education.

“I am honored to receive this award during such a special year like the 50th anniversary celebration of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Guerra. “While I am passionate about music, I care even more about providing children with the best care, so they can live happy, healthy lives.”

Read the rest of this entry »