Heather Bailey, Tracy Wilson Mourning, Ayana Rodriguez, and Nadine Valme

By:  Mary Jo Almeida-Shore

 More than 500 of Miami’s leading ladies kept their hats on under the big top for the circus-themed Hats Off luncheon hosted by Tracy Wilson Mourning at Jungle Island on Tuesday, May 3, the Honey Shine Mentoring Program’s premier fundraising event.  Circus performers, colorful animal statues, a cotton candy vending machine, snow cones, circus fare and Grey Goose cocktails added excitement to the already whimsical afternoon, which began with a silent auction filled with so many name-brand and hand-crafted items that even Mourning delayed her entrance into the actual luncheon to bid on several terrific bargains. 

Once inside the main ballroom, guests delighted in the wall-to-wall circus décor: tabletops adorned with colorful linens, with centerpieces comprised of hand-painted hat boxes surrounded by circus treats including animal crackers, peanuts, and cracker jacks and a stuffed circus animal wearing a Honey Shine t-shirt on each chair.  Read the rest of this entry »