I”ll never be preppy like someone from Connecticut, though I tried in college by wearing lots of corduroy and argyle socks, but it just wasn’t me. Like many in my hometown Miami, I don’t like to miss a fashion trend, even when I’m a little slow to catch on. Better late than never was my thought about this generation of topsiders. I couldn’t wait to bring the little bit of prep all over fashionable New York feet into my life. Women of all ages were wearing Sperry topsiders and I was clearly missing the boat shoe.

One of the best things about living in Miami is being able to drive ten minutes from home and immerse myself in another culture. When I head to historic 8th Street, I start fantasizing about communicating in fluent Spanish, calling everyone m’ija and mami. I never do, but recently I managed to do well enough to get a great $40 haircut which was exactly what I wanted at Marina’s, across from Domino’s Pizza.

Miami Food Tours may be a bit of a misnomer. Don’t get me wrong – you will definitely eat lots of tasty food during your tour – but you’ll also get lots of Miami Beach history and a lesson on art deco architecture. From the sophisticated fare of “Jewban” Bernie Matz at the Cafe at Books and Books to the healthy locally sourced food of three Italian newcomers, at Amami, Kelly Woodward tells Miami stories through food, history and architecture.

Monogrammed clothing or large logos aren’t for me, but put initials or words on home accessories and I want them badly.

In my 1600 square foot house, I’ve managed to overdo the word thing. I have CB2 sheets that say hello gorgeous, love the way you laugh & let’s get lost. I have the CB2 Lean on Me & Laughter pillows. CB2 really gets the word thing. I can always count on them to have something I don’t need and can’t use but want anyway, just because of the words.