POSTCARDS from emma

Lovely in Lisbon

This September we took a trip to Lisbon, Portugal. It was my first time visiting this interesting little city, and there is a lot to do see and do here.

As usual I always try to avoid what TripAdvisor recommends, and discover places either through my own research online, through social media and of course word-of-mouth (both from past visitors and locals).

This is my advice on what to see, eat, drink and do (and not do!) whilst visiting this colorful place:

First off, visiting in September was clutch. European summers can be manic in all major cities, but Lisbon was a lot more chilled at this time of the year. My brother has visited the city numerous times in the height of summer and told me that by comparison this was much more manageable.
At our time of booking flights TAP Air was the cheapest round-trip option, with direct flights from Miami to Lisbon. For various reasons we flew American Airlines which connected through Philadelphia and was a miserable old plane…avoid at all costs if possible.
For our first two nights we stayed in Bairro Alto which is the central district of the city of Lisbon. It is also a fun area with many bars and restaurants. The closer you can stay to this area the better for just about everything.
One of our two favorite restaurants we ate at on this holiday is called ‘Oficina do Duque’. It is located at Calçada do Duque 43, and can be seen on Instagram at @oficinadoduque. The staff here were extremely helpful, and the service was far better than in most places in Lisbon (service at restaurants in the city I did not find fantastic by any means). The restaurant is located on the cutest little cobblestone street in Bairro Alto neighborhood, is open from 12:00 – 23:00 (it doesn’t close in the middle of the day like a lot of places do) and serves absolutely excellent food for very reasonable prices. I ate the Codfish, Sprouts and Corn Bread dish for €12 which was delicious.
Be sure to try the traditional liqueur of Portugal called Ginja. It is made by infusing Ginja berries (sour cherries) in alcohol and adding sugar. It is served in a shot form, usually with a small piece of the fruit in the bottom of the cup. If you like dessert wines, or port, you will love this drink.
If you’re a photography enthusiast like me, be prepared to take 10,000 photos of beautiful doors and walls of buildings covered in colorful tiles. Also, be sure to warn your travel buddies as you’ll be stopping every two seconds to take photos (sorry to my family for that).
Walking the city is a great way to get see it but it is a city very much built on hills. Wear the appropriate shoes! Something I didn’t know before going was how slippery some of the cobblestones can be, so be sure that you have shoes with some grip or are at least cautious. The lighter white cobblestones are the very smooth and slippery ones!
Just down the street from Oficina do Duque is the cutest little square with an 18^th-century fountain called ‘Chafariz do Carmo’. The square is surrounded by historic buildings (including the Carmo Archaeological Museum) and jacaranda trees – my favorite trees which bloom bright purple around May in Europe. If you sit at one of the little courtyard cafés you can order local cheeses, sausages, olives and wines and listen to the live bands that play. Just stop and enjoy where you are!
The side street (Tv. Dom Pedro de Menezes) alongside the Carmo Archaeological Museum leads to a hidden local hot spot called Topo Chiado. There are many rooftop bars in Lisbon, but this one is a ‘place to be seen’ and a local favorite with spectacular views of the Santa Justa Lift and the Castelo de Sao Jorge. They have great cocktails here, and the backdrop is the enormous old museum you are now in front of. Definitely worth visiting, especially at night. Another cool rooftop bar we visited is called ‘Park’ because it is at the top of a parking lot – this one had amazing views of the city including the bridge.
The Santa Justa Lift is one of the major attractions in Lisbon for tourists. We didn’t go up the lift on this trip, but if you take it from the same level (above) as Topo bar you cut the line that is down on the street level and won’t have to wait nearly as long. It was designed by a man named Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard who people will tell you also worked on the Eiffel Tower, however that is a rumor and there are no proven records of that – he was however a student of Gustave Eiffel, the French engineer who did design the Eiffel Tower.
Castelo de Sao Jorge is the main castle inside the city of Lisbon. It sits over to the east side and has spectacular views. Even if you aren’t that into reading the entire history about the castle, it is a great place to take a tuk-tuk ride (haggle those guys to get the price down) up to and see the sights.
The neighborhood of Alfama in Lisbon was by far the most visually captivating for me. After touring the Castelo de Sao Jorge, we meandered down the mountain into the Alfama neighborhood. It is full of life and color, with a plethora of restaurants and bars to visit – just walk this part, it is too gorgeous to miss.
One of the days we took a very (very) long walk all the way from Rossio Square, up the entire Avenida da Liberdade (which is a big road with some high-end shopping and hotels), to Edward VII Park. The walk was not too hot due to the pretty, big trees shading the street and was well worth the hike. We went all the way to the Bandeira de Portugal at the top which is a historical landmark and allows to look back down over this entire park and towards the city.
Of course, what goes up must come back down, and I am happy to say on the way down was a very cool rooftop bar that I wanted to check out called Sky Bar which is at the Tivoli Hotel on Avenida da Liberdade. They had a DJ playing and make some awesome cocktails. Again, the view is really pretty, and we were parched by this point, so needless to say we stayed for a few.
I have this weird thing where I really enjoy taking public transportation. Not buses but trains. It’s probably because I lived in England and would take overland trains and the London Underground so often, and here in the States we don’t really do that so much as a way of life. The Metro in Lisbon is really cool, goes super deep down underground and is extremely affordable. It wasn’t too hot, wasn’t too crowded and was easy to understand. Buy a ticket when you arrive and hold on to it as you just keep topping it up with more credits every time. If you are travelling a fair distance and don’t feel like walking it’s a great option. Ubers are cheap in Lisbon too, but of course multiple €7 cars add up far quicker than €1.50 metro trips.
Time Out Market is a big food hall visited by tourists and locals alike. They have numerous food options here and it is a cool place to check out for a lunchtime visit. I’m a sucker for a good Regina pizza (ham & mushroom) which hardly ever exists in America, and the Zero Zero Pizza guys made a phenomenal one here – drooling at the thought of it right now. Wash it down with a local Sagres or Super Bock beer (for the win).
Not exactly a traditional Portuguese thing to eat (but to be honest I didn’t find the food in Lisbon to be fantastic at all) the Japanese/Asian Fusion restaurant called Yakuza First Floor will not disappoint. Located in a neighborhood called ‘Rato’ on Rua da Escola Politécnica 231, you will need to make a reservation to eat at this delicious restaurant run by chef Olivier Costa. When you walk up the stairs to the front entrance knock on the door to your left so that they can let you in. It is not a cheap dinner, but if you are a sushi lover you will adore this place and the food. We sat in the garden under the fairy lights which was adorable. If it is chilly you can request a blanket. In September the nights got quite fresh (for me) with the lows ranging in the 60’s – not warm for a girl living in Miami! The chef also has a few other restaurants in the city which the hostess was very kind to tell us about. Check out the cool glass cabinet in the entrance upstairs that holds celebrities own individual, customized chopsticks for them to use when visiting the restaurant.
LX Factory is located right by the base of the Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge (the bridge that looks like the Golden Date bridge, linking Lisbon and Almada). This historical complex houses an array of arty retailers and unique restaurants and is definitely worth checking out.
The highlight of our trip was visiting the incredibly beautiful mountain town of Sintra. Located about a 35-minute drive (without traffic) outside of Lisbon (to the northwest) this area is home to many old palaces and castles. A day trip here was not enough for me, and if I ever come back to Lisbon I would opt to stay a night or two in Sintra itself. The town was just too beautiful and in one day we only managed two palaces. Albeit they were absolutely exquisite. We visited the old ruins of Quinta da Regaleira and then the very popular (and magnificent) Palace of Pena. Give yourself a lot of time for these places, especially Pena Palace. The interior of the palace takes time to walk through and is worth doing completely. There are also lush, beautiful gardens to walk through all around the palace grounds which we did afterwards. It is cooler up in this mountain region, so make sure to bring a light sweater for in the wind of the shade.
Jerónimos Monastery is located over to the west of Lisbon (past the bridge) in an area called Belé The structure is breath-taking and well worth a visit if you can make it. Initiated in 1495, this remarkable building took until 1601 to be completed, and when you see the stonework you will understand why. Right next door is the original home of the Pasteis de Belém. The bakery here started making these delicious little pastries (like custard tarts and very popular in Lisbon) in 1837. It is said that the monastery would use egg whites to starch their clothes and give the bakery the yolks to use in their pasteis – one yolk per pasteis. The recipe is said to be ‘secret’ and has remained unchanged to the present day. Don’t let the line outside turn you away, it moves quickly. Grab a box of 6 of these little treats and take them across the street to the park to enjoy under the trees. They will give you powdered sugar and cinnamon to put on top, and it pairs very well with a strong coffee.
Of all the seafood we ordered and hoped would be delicious, of which most of it was not, we did visit an incredibly busy spot named ‘Ramiro’ on Avenida Almirante Reis. If you are craving fresh, simple shellfish, this is the place to try. Be warned, there will be a line out the door, it will be packed, they will hustle you in, and hustle you out. It is loud, the service is not fabulous although the staff are kind, but it is a local favorite and was recommended to us by many. Their king prawns in the butter and garlic were decent, and definitely the best we’d tried in Lisbon. Interestingly they are flown in fresh from Mozambique.
For the late-night party people looking for some solid house music! Try Europa Club (small venue) on Pink Street. It goes late night and has some solid DJ’s. Pink Street is a little manic and crazy with drunken people everywhere, but if you’re looking for a party spot, this is it. Apparently, the big club called LUX (further down, not on Pink Street) is a happening spot too, although we didn’t make it there this time.

If you are traveling to Lisbon in the future I hope you found this article helpful! You can follow my travels and recommendations on Instagram @postcardsfromemma

I love hearing from you, so please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions, and if you visit any of these places please tag me and let me know! Happy travels – Obrigado!

Fort Lauderdale’s New Kid On The Block Is Not Messing Around – Introducing ‘The Dalmar’

I have spent the last 16 months living in an apartment that faces south over my pool in Fort Lauderdale. One of my favorite things about this view was always the fact that I could see a few of the bigger downtown buildings that make up this little city’s central business district. I’ve watched cranes come and go, buildings get knocked down, and taller ones go up, but the most amazing one I’ve been lucky enough to witness is The Dalmar Hotel.

Through the eagerly growing palm trees just outside my window, I have watched these 25-floors go up and up, standing much taller than any of its neighbors around it. Nights out on the town at the moment consist of friends gossiping amongst themselves about the latest building going up, scheming about what news they’d read about it, and what they think it’s going to be. It is clear that Fort Lauderdale as a city is on the brink of something big, finally.

As luck would have it my work connected me to the Food & Beverage Manager at The Dalmar who was truly one of the nicest humans I’ve met, and more than accommodating in showing me around the building which is set to open in October/November 2018. Studying the renderings of this space, and seeing it in person were simply amazing, and not only is this going to be the most gorgeous hotel to hit the Fort Lauderdale scene, but I firmly believe is going to be the one of the best things to happen to our little town, ever.

The Dalmar consists of a multitude of restaurants, bars, yoga studio, coffee shop and of course ridiculous views of the city like you’ve never seen before. Oh yeah and very pretty rooms (it is a hotel after all).

Highlights of this gorgeous space will be ‘The Terrace’, a restaurant on the ground floor whose interior décor and design was inspired by Cecconi’s restaurants, with a strong British influence of high ceilings, and lots of very grand looking wood finishes. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a pretty easy, American-style menu, and will be an upmarket spot that is friendly for all, no matter whether it’s a Monday lunch meeting, or a Saturday night birthday dinner celebration.

On the sixth-floor guests will find the highly tropical check in area, with major influence from The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles. Terrazzo floors run throughout the hotel, set with beautiful brass in-lay details, marble and stone feature walls, even painted cinder block accent walls which create depth and pattern in large communal areas. This level is also going to be home to the gym, retail/merchandise area, and of course, the pool.

Strategically placed, the pool length runs along the south side of the building and is exposed to full sunlight all day (a huge issue in most apartments/homes in Fort Lauderdale, locals will get it). The space will offer cabanas, shaded loungers under awnings, an inside and outside bar, as well as food service with seating inside for those who prefer not to eat out in the heat. The sixth floor is special as it is the only level on which the outside balcony wraps all the way around the hotel, allowing guests to wander through the landscaped edges (my money is on this becoming one of the most Instagrammable places in town) and see Fort Lauderdale from a complete 360-degree view. The Dalmar will be a members-only hotel for certain spaces like the pool, and in my opinion will be worth every penny.

Finally, on the very top of the building at the 25^th floor, sits the appropriately named ‘Sparrow’. Fort Lauderdale, your moment has arrived. This bar is everything our city has needed. In true Dalmar style, the interior design is going to be done in luxurious finishes, with well thought out and changeable furniture plans, even window ledges inside to stand your cocktails on while you admire the view of this city like you’ve never seen it before. Rain is a non-issue at this venue with the majority of its space being inside, but still allowing guests to take in all of the outside feels through the floor to ceiling windows.

The DJ will play some tunes, while you wander outside onto the terracotta floored balcony, adorned in string lights. Order some light bites, enjoy cocktails created by the world-renowned artists at Death & Co. Two bars, a dedicated elevator to run guests from the ground floor to Sparrow, and even a private room which can be used for karaoke nights or events, The Dalmar spares nothing, and this is going to be the hottest spot in town to be seen at.

The Dalmar plans to open its doors to guests in October/November of 2018, with Sparrow to follow shortly after. Visit them online at www.thedalmar.com, or o IG: @the_dalmar

To follow me on my primary social media account for more recommendations and happenings in the Miami to Fort Lauderdale see @postcardsfromemma

Beach House

On Sunday, we took a drive up to have lunch at the new Beach House Restaurant in Pompano. Our good friend and awesome DJ Misha Samson had just played the opening party about a week prior, and showed us some of the photos of the build out which looked absolutely beautiful.

Pompano isn’t exactly the first place I would rush off to in a hurry, but arriving at the restaurant which is right on the beach, I was very pleasantly surprised.

The ‘house’ itself is a double story, ‘beach bungalow’ type building, positioned at the beginning of the sand. As you walk up the stairs you are greeted with gorgeous clusters of succulents, driftwood and air plants. The interior is magnificently rustic, with over sized wicker light shades, Spanish tiles, curtains blowing in the ocean breeze, and a warm wooden ceiling.

The restaurant has beautiful inside and outside bars with views of the beach as far as the eye can see, as well as a rooftop upstairs which features its own special menu. We requested a table outside on the balcony to enjoy the warm ocean air and some cocktails while soaking up the sights.

From what I could gauge, this is not a formal, bring-your-date-here-for-the-best-meal-of-her-life type of a venue. I ordered an ‘Ocean Breeze’ cocktail, a rum cocktail (rum, blue curacao and lemonade) which although was a pretty turquoise color due to the blue curacao, came with nothing but crushed ice, not even a cherry or an orange slice. As someone who has worked in the hospitality industry for many years, that was a pretty disappointing start.

The food was good. It definitely was not ground breaking. I ordered one of their fish specials, which was overpriced for what it was ($29 trout), although the ‘white cheddar grits’ and ‘peanut & ginger coleslaw’ sides were excellent. Am I painting a picture here yet?

In a couple of months time my brother and his girlfriend will be visiting me here from the UK. I would go back to Beach House to take them there for lunch because of the build out of the interior and the views that are offered, but this time will stick to ordering something more simple, like the shrimp tacos, or grilled artichokes.

The City of Pompano Beach itself is undergoing some major redevelopments. This area between Atlantic Boulevard to just north of Pompano Pier, is becoming a pedestrian friendly promenade, for visitors and residents to enjoy shopping, dining and the beach. The pier itself is undergoing major reconstruction, and they are cleaning up this area which had become pretty run down and derelict.

Through 2020, we can expect to see the openings of a Hilton Hotel (the first hotel to be built in the area since 1965!), Kilwins Ice Cream, BurgerFi, Beach Bar and Grill Concept, Oceanic (restaurant opening next door to Beach House), Surfside Subs, Pier Parking Garage, the new Pompano Beach Pier, as well as Harbor Promenade; a new upscale dining and retail complex.

All in all, a breathtakingly beautiful spot to go for a relatively casual lunch, and an area with a bright future ahead. We’ll be back for sure. For more info check out their website for yourself.

Slap and Tickle Records Premiere’s Santiago Caballero’s New Track ‘Cuatro’

Putting your creativity out there for the world to see (or in this case, hear) is a pretty daunting thing. Whether you are a writer, a musician, an artist or a designer – sharing your trade with humans can be terrifying as we all fear judgement, or as in this case, are our own harshest critics.

I’m so proud of this guy – who also happens to be my much more childish, but definitely better half – for putting his hard work into the world for everyone to hear (and hopefully freak the f*ck out and dance to).

Congratulations to Santiago Caballero, or @djsanticab, or just ‘Santi’ as most of us know him. Also to Slap and Tickle – a staple in the Miami music scene, for launching their own Slap and Tickle Records! Really excited to see what the future holds, and of course, for Santi to keep sharing the beats… xo

S3 on Fort Lauderdale Beach – Still a Local Favorite

I’ll have to be honest and say that I am not a major advocate for the restaurants in Fort Lauderdale. Although the dining scene has (and is continuing) to grow and improve, it is not really comparable with the vast, extravagant (and some simple but delicious) options in Miami.

Having said that, there are a hand full of fantastic places to eat in the city, that deserve credit for being consistent, delicious and not over priced.

One of these favorites of mine is ‘Sun, Surf, Sand’ – or locally better known as ‘S3’.

It is located right on A1A overlooking the beach, in the base of the Hilton hotel. The set up is comfortable, service is decent, cocktails around the fire pit excellent, and the food delicious.

The menu focuses on coastal cuisine mostly, to fit the beach vibe and views. On a nice day it is a great spot to have a work meeting, take family from out of town, or just meet up with friends for a casual lunch or dinner.

My all time favorite dish here used to be the grilled calamari (my favorite grilled calamari in town by far), however in the last year or so they updated the dish and it’s now a little on the spicier side for me.

Because they have so many good plates, I do recommend ordering a few and sharing them if you can. It’s the best way to get to taste a bit of everytrhing. Two things I absolutely have to order every time are the edamame (the preparation of these is next level – wok charred with soy, sesame and other crazy spices, they are ridiculously good. The second small plate is the goats cheese croquettes. These come with a spicy (not too spicy) red chili guava and are absolutely delicious.

Their specials are often really good, especially the sushi roll specials so be sure to ask about those. My favorite cocktail here is the frozen lychee mojito for what I feel like are obvious reasons. But they have some lovely wines as well, like Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay.

Next time you are looking for a spot to eat at on Fort Lauderdale Beach, be sure to remember S3, as it is in my opinion the best option down there.

This restaurant is owned by the infamous TRP, ‘The Restaurant People’, who own a number of outstanding local restaurants and bars such as Boatyard, Rooftop, YOLO, TRP Taste, and the anticipated (opening soon) Township (in the location of the old Tilted Kilt).

Fort Lauderdale is hungry – and more options are on the way…

Being called the “Las Olas Restaurant Renaissance,” Fort Lauderdale is ready and waiting to welcome some new options to our dining scene:

Red Door Asian Bistro – Scheduled to open April 23 (625 E. Las Olas Blvd – former site of Johnny V). This restaurant is owned by Tony Asta who runs a chain of Asian-fusion restaurants around the Hamptons and other cities on Long Island, N.Y. Red Door Asian Bistro will offer Japanese, Thai and Chinese cuisine, and will feature hibachi-grill dining in a separate room 🐲

The Balcony – Scheduled to open later this spring, next door to Rocco’s Taco’s, is a New Orleans-style eatery brought to us by the ex-Miami Dolphins player turned restauranter, Kim Bokamper (1309 E. Las Olas Blvd – former site of Whiskey Jack’s) 🎊

Del Frisco’s Grille – An upscale American chain steakhouse/grill (in the former SunTrust branch location) 🇺🇸

Vapiano’s – European chain that serves classic dishes with a modern twist (former Cafe de Paris location – which closed after 50 years in 2016) 🥘

Sushi Shack – California style Japanese restaurant (finally filling the space of the short lived Fork & Balls) 🍣

Talento – Modern Italian restaurant (a vacant space that once housed the Cathode Ray Club) 🍦

Las Olas has also had the recent re-launch of Mango’s, the opening of Delray’s Taco hot spot El Camino, and the opening of Boathouse which overlooks the New River at the Riverside Hotel 🌮

More than 80,000 residential units have opened in downtown Fort Lauderdale in recent years, with another 7,000 residential and 1,000 hotel rooms planned 🏗

The Standard Way

I finally visited The Standard for the first time a couple months ago with my boyfriend who is a member there. I was really curious to experience this place first hand after hearing and seeing so much about it. This hotel is a total shangri-la. An escape from the hustling and bustling world (and especially city). Lying poolside under the shade of my brand affirmating yellow and white umbrella, I people watched the shit out of that place. Models, no doubt some celebrities, actors, gay dudes with the cutest, fluffiest little purse dogs running around without leashes

in skimpy bathing suits- this spot was different to anywhere else, and I was digging it.

The hotel itself is situated on Belle Isle which is an ‘island’ of the Venetian Isles that are in the middle of Biscayne Bay. It is closer to the beach side than the mainland side, but is perched on the northwest corner of this island looking back across the bay at the mainland – a great sunset spot, a rarity on the east coast. Watching the boats and jetski’s going by, occassionally pulling up alongside the hotel to pop in for lunch, I thought to myself ‘I could get used to this’…(as I sipped on my rosé).

Their spa and pool are no joke either. You can book entire rooms for treatments, bathe in their (literal) bathtubs outside on the patio (naked if you like!), or walk slowly into their pool that gradually slopes deeper and deeper, luring you in like the ocean.

Another thing – FISH TACOS. I’m no expert but I did live in Jalisco, Mexico for three and a half years andfeel that maysomewhat validate my taco knowledge on what makes a good taco. These ones are delicious, and possibly my favorite in Miami ever (sorry Soho House – still a close second).

Their restaurant, Lido, is super cute and well laid out. It is obviously right on the water too, decorated with Acapulco chairs, essential fans and a gorgeous bar.

This Saturday, afforementioned boyfriend (*insert promo* Santiago Caballero, IG: @djsanticab) will be throwing down a four hour vinyl set from 4-8pm at the Lido restaurant. He is one of two parts of the well known Miami DJ’s who are Slap & Tickle (IG: @slapticklemiami), plays mostly house music (think, Chicago House/Disco), and is a damn good DJ (even if I do say so myself). Come by, say hi, it’s free to come in to the restaurant – no membership needed.

Also check out his first release on their Slap & Tickle record label, called “Cuatro”. It is available across all platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.

You can find him on Spotify here: http://bit.ly/SantiagoCaballeroSpotify

See you at pɹɐpuɐʇs ǝɥʇ!

Veza Sur Brewing Co.

I keep finding myself revisiting this little local spot in the artsy neighborhood of Wynwood. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to pass by Wynwood in the day and not visit Veza Sur. This weekend I was enticed to try their new Arroz con Mango beer, which was good, but sadly didn’t top my other favorites there.

My system when I arrive is usually to order a flight of beers and some bao buns. The flights are only $10 and you get to chose four of their beers. I love so many of their beers, but have been really enjoying their Lulo Sour, Mango Blonde Ale and Coffee Porter.

Veza Sur was smart about the setup at this venue when they opened their doors, pairing with Baja Bao Food Truck to supply tasty eats to the hungry clients. This food truck provides some of the best ceviche, poke and bao buns (duh) in town. After sampling all of the buns, I can firmly say that the absolute best ones are the crispy mahi…order them, trust me you won’t be disappointed.

DJ’s play in the afternoons/evenings and there is an awesome outdoor patio area with couches for lounging. They supply tons of card and board games (I got my ass handed to me in backgammon again this weekend, thanks Santi), as well as really cool cellphone charging blocks if you need them.

Don’t forget to spend a few minutes looking at beautifully designed beers boards and wall behind the bar full of loads of local trinkets from all over South America.

This awesome 10,000 square foot space includes a 15 barrel DME brewhouse and a 5,000 square foot taproom with terrace. It was founded by Bogota Beer Company’s Berny Silberwasser; Chris and Jeremy Cox of 10 Barrel Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon; and master brewer Asbjorn Gerlach – a German natie with more than 24 years of brewing experience. Gerlach also founded Kross Brewery, the second -largest brewery in Chile.

Veza Sur is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev. (But) go check it out, it won’t disappoint.

55 NW 25th St, Miami, FL 33127

IG: @vezasurbrewingco

Miami Record Fair @ Gramps, Wynwood

The sun is shining on another beautiful March morning, and the 2nd Miami Record Fair takes place at noon today at the legendary Gramps in Wynwood.

For this second edition, hosted by Terrestrial Funk and Gramps, 28 tables will be covered in records from a slew of vendors. Gramps was overflowing with vinyl in February and are going to squeeze in a little more this time around.

The event is free and open to everyone…children and pet friendly. Gramps’ will be offering up their infamous pizza slices, beers and cocktails, and if you fancy yourself as a bit of a DJ you can sign up and hop on the decks for a while too.

There’s something magical about crate digging through old vinyl. A medium that has survived the music evolution, and come back almost stronger than ever. And people think romance is dead…

Happy Saturday Miami and enjoy the fair! xo

Here Goes Nothin’…

Three and a half years ago I moved to terra firma, and left the impeccable world of superyachts behind. Since then I have really rooted myself in the South Florida ‘scene’. Not really purposefully, just because it’s who I am and what I enjoy.

By nature I am an extrovert, and this social nature has led me to meeting a lot of really cool people along the way. I enjoy checking out the latest restaurant opening, or new rooftop bar, visting art exhibitions and meeting new people. Music is my number one love – so naturally going to watch live music whether in concert at American Airlines Arena in Miami, or Coral Sky Amphitheater in West Palm Beach – if I’m into the band, I’m in. DJ sets where I can lose myself in the beat, dancing the night (or day) away are my all time. I live and breathe music. I’m always plugged in, always adding to my Spotify, always listening to the latest releases, and I’m always sharing my good finds with the whoever cares enough to listen.

I don’t do this because I make money off of it, or am promoting a brand or person for a cause. The reason I share these things is because when someone who listens to a track I posted sees me randomly one day and says “Hey, that track you put up by so and so was FIRE!!!” – THAT is what makes me so happy. To be able to connect on that special, music level with someone, that to me is all I could ever ask for. So I share, and I keep sharing, because I love watching people get as excited as I do.

So over time, people and friends have watched what I’ve been up to, mostly through my personal Instagram account. Often, no, more like weekly, almost DAILY, people text me and ask me what my plans are for that night, that week, that weekend etc. If someone needs a restaurant referral, or wants to know the best place to get their hair done even, they ask. This is not by any means to say I am so fantastic and know it all, but for whatever reason, people do seem to ask, a lot.

Eventually people started to nag. They told me to start a blog, start a ‘business’ Instagram page etc. Not being a very confident person, I just laughed it off. But now I have been laughing it off for about three years, and I thought it might be time to listen to them. Maybe.

My official job title (in real life – lol) is Public Relations Manager for a really well known yachting company. I run all their social media profiles for about 6 different account (excluding my own), as well as their marketing. Since diving head first into this world for the past year or so, I figured, why not start this blog? So here we are.

As a Cape Town girl, now living in Fort Lauderdale/Miami, I am here with my blog, to share all things that I enjoy and think are cool (you can be the judge), via this website and my new IG account also called @postcardsfromemma

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. Let’s see where the journey takes us.

As always, unapologetically me.

Besos xx

Emma

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