Either way, we decided to make it a one-day adventure. We’d wake up early, drive up, pick up our desk and then spend the rest of the day exploring as much as possible before starting our trek back home. A really amazing bartender we met at The Imperial in Washburn Imports during our last visit gave us a list of must-do’s, so we pulled it out and started choosing. We ultimately selected East End Market, and I am SO glad we did.

East End Market reminded me of something you would find on the west coast – think the Ferry Building in San Francisco – only bite-sized. A bunch of quality, locally sourced products all in one adorable little space. Fresh herbs could be found out front with picnic benches sprawled for customers to enjoy the beautiful Florida sunshine. A number one highlight for me was my completely gluten-free & vegan lunch from Skyebird. I had this great taco salad (with mushrooms as a meat substitute) and delicious tropical kale juice in an adorable mason jar.

For people with food allergies like myself, knowing that you can eat safely (and deliciously) means so, so much. The fact that Miami is so far behind the game makes me very upset, and has literally left me feeling like I cannot go out to enjoy a meal with my husband or friends. Take note, Miami. You have a very long way to go. Again, if you have any suggestions for great places that I may have missed here in the Magic City, please let me know!

Even though I only featured one of the shops, check out all the rest of East End Market’s merchants here.
I can’t wait to visit again the next time I am in Otown!

1. Comicbookgirl19; My husband turned me on to this incredible chick, and I am so glad he did. As her name suggests, she covers all things comics, as well as pop culture, but in such a relatable and fun way. I mean, she has a robot sidekick and bright pink hair. Shall I say more? No, but seriously, she has turned us on to a lot of new geeky stuff and has a killer Game of Thrones series. Check it out fellow fangirls (& boys).

2. Fabulous folding chairs; You know you have some scrubby ass folding chair buried somewhere in your house. It’s embarrassing, dirty and definitely not worthy of your kick ass decor. Well, this DIY is sure to change that! With a little patience, determination and a staple gun, you will be well on your way to making dem chairs fancy, gurl.

3. Yellow skirt; Another Pinterest ghost. I’m featuring way too many of these and it’s just not fair to you or to me, quite honestly, but I can’t help myself. I mean, look at that skirt. Look at that color pop! The scalloped slit! The amazing fit! How could any red-blooded girl resist? To me, it screams J.Crew. What do you Pinterest sleuths determine?

4. Omission gluten free beer; Let me get real for a second. Gluten free beer? It tastes disgusting. Real talk, people. Most of the time, I can stomach it, but this really unappetizing after taste remains. For awhile. An uncomfortable while. For that reason, I have stuck to wine for a long time now. But every now and then, I can’t handle everyone holding frosty beer mugs around me. The peer pressure is too strong and I want to be holding an ice cold beer myself. Well, those days are over. Omission gluten free beer is a craft beer – that’s right. I said BEER. It is made with all the stuff regular beer is made of: barley, hops, water and yeast. EXCEPT, it is brewed in such a way that it REMOVES all gluten making it safe for glutards like myself. This beer tastes like any craft beer should, and for that, I am thankful. Pick it up at Total Wine!

5. Kitty bangle; This precious kitty bangle is as adorable as it is overpriced! Despite it’s exaggerated price tag, I find myself needing it in the worst way. Have I mentioned I don’t particularly like cats (I’m actually super allergic)? Why am I drawn to this damn thing? Definite first world problems.

I’m not a star in the kitchen by any means, but since adhering to my gluten free/dairy free diet more strictly, I’ve had to come to terms with cooking. And you know what? I’ve had fun! Pinterest is a great resource for recipes for those of us with dietary restrictions, and this particular recipe for pizza bites really stood out. Not only are they safe, but also healthy! Six of these babies are only approximately 265 calories. So binge away, readers!

All you need is a box of uncooked quinoa. I use Nature’s Earthly Choice, a quick grab at your local Publix Greenwise aisle. Go ahead, and follow the directions on the box. While it’s cooking, you are going to need the following ingredients:

All of these ingredients are going to be combined. You can do this anyway you like, but I prefer my kick ass Cuisinart Smart Stick. It does the job in a couple of seconds! Also, for all you lactards out there, Daiya is a great cheese alternative. I actually can’t live without it. I eat it every day with something. No joke.

1. Castle bed linens; these bed linens couldn’t be cuter if they tried. The Australia based company prides themselves on providing quality hand made products, specifically stark white linens with perfectly flouro pillowcases in fun designs. It’s times like these were I start to curse the existence of international shipping.

2. Mini cacti garden; I’ve developed a deep love of succulents. I don’t know if it’s because they are easier to care for (& I have a black thumb) or if they are just more aesthetically pleasing to me, but I can’t get enough of them. This adorable mini garden would make the perfect centerpiece for your coffee table or outdoor patio. Plus is that these little cuties can even be found at your local CVS for less than $2 a pop!

3. DIY envelopes; this blogger stated that she may be crazy. I personally think she’s a genius. I love looking through those huge scrapbook paper pads whenever I am at Joann’s or Michael’s, so the thought of making adorable custom envelopes with them make my heart flutter. I also enjoy Friday night crafting while watching rom-coms. I think this may be love, guys.

4. Flower pops; file this under, “too pretty to eat.” Well, maybe. These would be the perfect addition to a summer pool party, bridal or baby shower. Just make sure the flowers you choose are edible or you may be in for a not-so-tasty surprise(did I mention that one time my hubs ate his wedding boutineer? Yikes).

5. DIY outdoor bar; although this will surely prove to be one hell of an undertaking, I am willing to man up for the challenge. I’ve always wanted to have a bar in our backyard, since it is the perfect space for summer pool parties, but I don’t really have the room (or extra budget) to get one. In comes this amazing compact bar! Now…to make it hurricane proof….

1. Boo, You Whorecrux tee
Oh my Potter! I can’t even handle the amazingness of this tee right now. I love not only that it is a great Potter reference, but also an equally fantastic Mean Girls one. The two melded together might quite possibly be the best pairing ever. I obviously need this shirt for my next Wizarding World visit. Am I right, Potterheads??

2. Elvish Insult Cards
Do you show your affection by hurling geeky insults at your friends? Whew. Glad I’m not the only one. These Elvish insult cards are hilarious and kind of the perfect gift for those Lord of the Rings obsessed fans in your life (cough cough, like me!). Or they may be exactly what you want to send your super cool bro cousin just to confuse.

3. Instagram Photo Frames
I can’t get over how fantastic these look! Blogger, Daffodil Design, put together one of my favorite Instagram DIY’s a few months back. She collected all her favorite Insta’s from the year, created a collage, printed them at poster size and put them in affordable IKEA frames. Somehow, those 4 easy steps resulted in this amazing creation! The hubs and I have already started compiling our favorites to do the same. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

4. Jackalope Jewelry Holder
We are going to remodel our bedroom in a couple months to fit our style a little better, so out with the dark furniture and in with a more light, vintage and quirky feel. One of those new additions clearly has to be this amazing jewelry holder. I mean, just look at it! It’s going to look perfect perched on top our new blue dresser, don’t you think?

5. Pixel Cake
Unfortunately, I don’t know who to credit for this work of art, but isn’t it just gorgeous?? It would be perfect for a grooms cake or a bridal shower. I absolutely love it and kind of need to have it for our next celebration. Gluten free please.

In an attempt to be more candid and bring a little more ME to Melificent (see what I did there?), I will be starting to post entries regularly about things that are going on in my personal life, beliefs, advice or just what’s cluttering my brain at the moment. What can I say? I was a Livejournal kid. It’s my natural tendency to want to bear my soul.

Naturally, my first post would be about some Miami gripes (another post coming about the city in general soon), but do not shun me, Miami lovers. There is most definitely a silver lining to this tale. You see, despite Miami being labeled as a “big city,” we do not have the usual amenities that others do. Unfortunately for me, this means a very small market for my gluten free needs. Sure, I could head to Whole Foods and spend half my paycheck on things I may need to cook myself some safe meals, but I realized how we were truly lacking in this department when I visited other big cities as a Celiac. First off, everyone is aware of the allergy and very willing to accommodate, while in Miami, I often get blank stares or even worse, people that just shrug it off. I find myself having to explain what that means to chefs or managers, which more often than not leads to me having to endure the pain of a very empty stomach or a very angry stomach. Neither very fun at all, I can promise you. Second, almost 70% of eateries in other big cities have some sort of gluten free option on their menu or can at least inform you if there is a chance of cross contamination.

I know, this isn’t sounding very positive on the Miami tip, so I guess now is the time to bring in the silver lining. I have noticed a huge improvement over the past couple of months in our dear little city in regards to catering to individuals with special diets. And I want to share them with you, in case you are, too, struggling with a similar dilemma here in Miami or in another city. For starters, Target now carries an array of gluten free foods, which is amazing!

Annie’s gluten free mac ‘n cheese, Archer Farms gluten free pasta, Amy’s gluten free burrito (!!!!) and my personal favorite, GoPicnic quick gluten free meals. I can’t tell you how these have completely changed my life. Seriously. Not even joking. Since I am on the road all day, every day, I would find myself tempted regularly to stop at a fast food joint (I’m looking at you, Taco Bell) and cheat on my diet (after popping some gluten enzymes, of course). Now on my extra long days, I carry one of these GoPicnic meals and know my snacking is completely safe! Plus, they are delicious, keep me full and were 2 for $7 last week! Score!

These selections are not only wonderful and convenient (I go to Target once a week anyways), but they are also so much more affordable than going to Whole Foods or even Publix! Thank you so much, Target, for getting on the ball and thinking of all the Celiacs in the world! Finally, Miami is also getting more health conscious grocery stores, such as our newly opened Fresh Market and the-soon-to-come-but-never-soon-enough, Trader Joes, which is set to open in February of next year. Looks like Miami is ready to play with the big boys after all!

Do any of my local readers have recommendations on any other great gluten free suppliers in the area?

I had a thing for Stitch for a very long time (OK, I still do). My 21st family birthday cake had his face on it (my friends got me one with Elijah Wood’s face on it – ha), and I basically had every single piece of Stitch-related paraphernalia available. People even state that my dogs are very Stitch-like (they are), so naturally I NEED THIS CASE. Did I make myself clear?

I love snow cones (remember the Snoopy Sno Cone Maker?) and I love cupcakes, so these snow cone cupcakes truly spoke to my heart. They would look absolutely adorable for a bridal or baby shower, or even just for a girly GTG – which reminds me, I need to plan one soon!

Ok, so I gave up on shorts. I know that. But LOOK AT THESE. Aren’t they the cutest? Can you imagine serving those snow cone cupcakes with a pair of these shorts on? I mean, cuteness overload. Plus, being from romwe, they are so affordably priced and are available sans shipping! Very tempting, I must say.

Some people know how to throw a party. And those people had a wedding at Palm Springs. And it was magnificent. Seriously, there is not one detail that didn’t make me squee throughout this entire photo essay. Colorful feathers, gold unicorns, lots of glitter? It’s all good to me. Plus, the couple rented out the entire Ace Hotel for 4 whole days to host all sorts of pre-parties, including an epic pool party. Can they adopt me?

This is the first hair bow tutorial that looks doable. Granted, I have not tried it yet, so it could be another hoax, but it seems easily replicable. How cute is this? Now imagine serving those snow cone cupcakes in those shorts with this hair do! Noting a theme? Maybe.

I am very late to this pop culture train, but the hubs and I are certifiably obsessed with HBO’s Girls. The best way to describe it is a hipster/quirky version of Sex and the City. The writing is genius and I absolutely have grown attached to all the characters. I see a little piece of myself in each one of them, and I think the topics they touch on are spot on for our generation. Basically, the exact qualities that made SATC the mega hit it became. Definitely check it out!

The Romwe blog is slowly becoming my favorite spot to find beautiful things (barely behind The Glitter Guide, which means a lot if you know me and my Glitter Guide obsession), and this ridiculously hot manicure was one of the many. Isn’t it lovely?? I don’t even know how I would approach something like this, but oh-my-lord is it pretty to look at! Who needs a lava lamp with this on your finger tips??

I love drinks, whether they are alcoholic or non. I think it has something to do with living in Miami – we are constantly in the heat and in turn, constantly seeking relief. I’ve always been one of those people that adores water (& have never understood people that hate it), so the whole idea of tinting water with different fruity flavors sounds perfect! Doesn’t it sound like something Sookie Stackhouse would do while sunbathing outside? Now if I could only invite Alcide….

Speaking of drinks, I can’t even handle the cuteness that is HELLO KITTY WINE. Ladies, please join me in a communal squeal. I mean, really. I want to say that I would not drink it because it’s so adorable, but I’m not fooling anyone. I would definitely use the empty bottle as decoration though (my poor husband). According to the Internets, these fabulous little pink bottles of squee are only available on the west coast, but that will not stop me from visiting Total Wine and fully embarrassing myself by asking employees. Anyone care to join me?

DIY projects are always so enticing! Honestly my gal pals and I are ridiculously overdue for another craft and cocktails date, and this little one looks like it would be so much fun and perfect! Even though all those knots look like they would be daunting after a few glasses of Hello Kitty wine (ha), I think they could be doable. And look how cute an arm party full of them looks! I may have to schedule one very very soon! Has anyone tried this one?

It’s no secret that I love coconut water. I became hooked last summer, and haven’t been able to kick the habit. Nor do I want to. It’s so good for you and your body. That’s why I was really excited to get some Taste Nirvana coconut water to try and review. The family-owned company boasts an all natural product, complete with eco-friendly glass bottle and no sugar or preservatives added. Something I noticed right away while drinking it was that it did not have a tart after taste like most other coconut waters. Reason being that these come from the coconut plantations of Thailand, not Brazil where the majority of coconut waters do, making it naturally sweeter with more fragrant coconut nose. And it is good. It is beyond refreshing – perfect for a trip to the beach or just relaxing by the pool (honestly, I don’t even need a reason). Plus, how could you deny a bottle of this stuff when it is branded as “happiness in a bottle?”

Melificent disclosure: Company provided me with the product in return for review above. However, all opinions are my own.

As most of you know, I was diagnosed as being gluten intolerant last January. It has been a very hard year trying to change my eating habits, and unfortunately, I feel like it is only getting worse. I would go on “wheat benders” as I refer to them as, where I would gorge on as many gluten-filled items as possible, only to feel horrible for weeks to come. This would prompt me to go very strict, only to find that a little gluten had slipped in unknowingly, making me ill again. The constant struggle and discomfort was just too much for me, so I decided to go both gluten and lactose free at the beginning of this month. In addition, I started a food diary to track my daily intake and how I felt afterwards. I hope this will help me see exactly what I can and cannot eat and prevent further poisoning.

Unfortunately, it’s been a bumpy road. I’ve noticed I can’t really eat out (which breaks my heart), and that dairy definitely effects me just as bad, if not worse, than gluten. Not a very easy reality to adjust to. If any of you readers have any advice to dish out, I am all ears. I miss living a life without any stomach pain.