FOUNDER | Jay ShapiroLuxury Chamber Media Group jay@southflorida.in
Fashion Editor | Juliana LaBonte juliana@southflorida.in
Travel Editor | Christina Ricci
Business Editor | Cindy Ragan
Joe Freer, Frank LoRe Jr, Roger Craft
PHOTOGRAPHER
Ilmar Saar
ADVERTISING
PleaseAdvertise@gmail.com
New beverage delivers breakthrough blend of electrolytes with 10 calories, natural flavors, no artificial sweeteners or colors as U.S. distribution expands
Following the official launch of Más+ by Messi in Miami this summer, the new hydration beverage from soccer star Lionel Messi is expanding distribution to deliver "positive hydration" in even more states across the country. Más+ by Messi is now available in California at the following retailers: Ralphs, Target, Vons, Safeway, Pavilions, Andronico's, Albertsons and Food 4 Less
Since selling out online in less than an hour at launch, fans across the globe have been buzzing with excitement to score their first taste of Más+ by Messi following its debut in June
Messi went to work on Más+ because he wanted a drink that had quality ingredients without compromising on flavor or taste. Más+ by Messi offers a breakthrough blend of electrolytes, vitamins* and antioxidants, with natural flavors, no artificial sweeteners or colors and no caffeine. With 10 calories and 1g of cane sugar per 16.9oz bottle, and 7 calories and less than 1g of cane sugar per 12oz can, Más+ is a beverage Messi is proud to share with his own family, friends and teammates
"The positive initial reaction to Más+ reinforces the consumer need for a hydration beverage that delivers more of the good with none of the bad," said Rishi Daing, Executive Vice President, Más+ Next Generation Beverage Co "Más+ by Messi is setting a new standard for the hydration category and is beloved by fans for its unrivaled taste, quality ingredients and sensational flavors, and we can't wait for even more fans to be able to try Más+ for themselves with our expanded distribution."
Más+ by Messi is available in four flavors in 16.9oz bottles and in four-flavor variety 12-packs of cans. The new drink comes in four sensational flavors, loved by Messi and named after inspirational milestones in his life:
Más+ by Messi Miami Punch: Inspired by the city where Messi and his family live, home of Messi's current and next chapter, Miami Punch has a balanced blend of berry flavors with a hint of pineapple for a refreshing fruit punch taste
Más+ by Messi Limón Lime League: Limón Lime League balances refreshingly sweet, fruity flavor and zesty citrus taste. It honors the time Messi spent playing in the UEFA Champions League, a cup he won three times.
Más+ by Messi Berry Copa Crush: Inspired by Messi's seven Copa del Rey titles with Barcelona and his Copa America and World Cup wins with Argentina, Berry Copa Crush has a refreshing blend of sweet and luscious berry and cherry flavors
Más+ by Messi Orange d'Or: Orange d'Or has a refreshing orange flavor with hints of tangerine flavor for a balanced citrus taste It's inspired by Messi's record eight wins of the Ballon d'Or ("Golden Ball" in French) Trophy
Más+ Next Generation Beverage Co. is a new, entrepreneurial liquid refreshment beverage company founded with sports icon Lionel Messi. For more information and nutrition facts go to masbymessi.com or follow @masbymessi on Instagram and TikTok.
WEAM is pleased to present a new, historic exhibition, Forbidden Fruit: The Art of Cuban Sexuality, which will open on December 2nd, 2024 to start off Miami Art Week.
Exhibition: Forbidden Fruit: The Art of Cuban Sexuality
Curated by: Antonio Permuy, joined by assistant curator Karina Sirven
Location: WEAM, 1205 Washington Avenue, Miami, FL
Dates: December 2, 2024 - July 2025
Opening: December 2nd, 6-7pm Press & VIP preview, 710pm public opening
WEAM is proud to present the museum's first-ever exhibition of Cuban art, a notable and historic exhibition, as it is the largest known exhibition dedicated to Cuban erotic art ever held, on-or-off the island. It spans more than 70 artists and over 150 works across painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography from the last 90 years. The featured works span from the legendary Cuban "Vanguardia" (Vanguard) generation, who are credited with creating modern Cuban art, up to contemporary artists, to bridge as well as contrast contemporary works with the works of previous decades, stretching back to the early 1930s.
Curator and collector Antonio Permuy standing in front of "Nocturno en el patio" (2018) by Miguel Fleitas
Forbidden Fruit is noted for its ambitious scale and taboo-breaking, genre-bending approach to curation. The fullest range of sexuality is showcased, from the subtle, lyrical, abstract, and symbolic to the palpable and explicit. Sexuality is explored through various themes, including spirituality, mythology, and nature, to the surprisingly dark landscapes of the psychological.
Curator, critic, collector, and art patron Antonio Permuy is donating more than 30 works by 26 artists spanning painting, drawing, sculpture and pyrography, primarily by Cuban artists. The collection includes work by several notable artists including Josigancio, Ramón Unzueta, Carlos Navarro, Ramón Alejandro, Adriano Nicot, Miguel Fleitas, Neith Nevelson, and AGalban. This generous gift marks the largest donation of art WEAM has ever received outside of the Wilzig family, and also marks the largest set of donations ever made by Permuy, who has previously donated works to the permanent collections of other prominent cultural and educational institutions, including the Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum at FIU. Most of the donated works by Cuban artists will also feature in the upcoming Forbidden Fruit: The Art of Cuban Sexuality exhibition, curated by Antonio Permuy, and joined by assistant curator Karina Sirven. Regarding the donation, the Director of WEAM, Helmut Schuster said, "It would be too easy to thank Antonio Permuy for his generous donation on behalf of the Wilzig family and the museum. His donation means much more- it is a gift to the residents of the city of Miami who will now call the donated works of art their own, and will include them in their collective memory for generations." In addition to the famed Vanguardia, the four generations represented in the exhibition include most members of the prominent "Grupo GALA" the first known Latin American artist association in Florida: Enrique Riverón, Rafael Soriano, José Mijares, and Baruj Salinas. Forbidden Fruit also marks Salinas' final career exhibition, as well as that of Margarita Cano, who both passed away in 2024 after selecting their works for this exhibition. Subsequent generational artists include global record-setting artist Josignacio, late Magical Realism painters Juan González and Ramón Unzueta, and Pop artist Carlos Navarro. Other notable featured artists include Servando Cabrera, Ramón Alejandro, Miguel Fleitas, Adriano Nicot, Pedro Hernández and AGalban.
Q: Can you tell our readers a little about yourself and your art business?
I’m a Florida native residing in Sebring with two children whom I homeschool. As a single mom with two boys, I had to figure out how to balance my priorities while also supporting us financially. My business has been a vital part of that success, alongside the support of friends and family.
In May 2022, my youngest son wanted a face painter for his birthday party, but I couldn’t afford one. So, I purchased a face painting kit from Amazon and ended up painting everyone at the party myself. We all had fun! By October 2022, my kids participated in a local children’s business fair as “Cookie Bots.” Their robot-themed company sold cookies, and I painted their faces to match the theme. Soon, other kids at the event were asking me to paint their faces too. Despite not having any professional setup, I painted as many as I could, and it was such a fun and rewarding experience that I realized this was the missing piece of my life puzzle. I decided to pursue face painting as a business and invested in a chair, canopy, insurance, and supplies. Initially, I wanted to name my business “Sweet Cheeks Face Painting,” but since a similar name already existed, I chose “Rosey Cheeks Face Painting” instead. As the business grew, I rebranded it to “Rosie’s Artistic Entertainment” to reflect a broader range of services. I didn’t want to be known solely as the “chief face painter in town” I wanted my company to be recognized for quality, value, and a stellar reputation.
While face painting is our most popular service, we also offer paint-and-sip parties, workshops, glitter tattoos, fairy hair, and other event-related services My first paid gig was in April 2023 with Champions for Children, supporting Child Abuse Prevention Month
Q: How do you feel that art projects are a healthy component for youth in modern society?
I’ve partnered with Hope for Highlands, who emphasized that kids have as much if not more mental health needs as adults Art can play a crucial role in addressing these needs
Q: Do you have any inspirations? My kids and my grandma!
Q: Do you like to collaborate with other artists or artistic events? Yes, I love collaborating with both artists and artistic events.
Q: How can our readers find out more about you and your services? You can connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, Google, or our website: funwithrosie.com
Dayllana Carrera Diaz is the Chief Officer of Operations of Vêtu, where she expertly leads the Boca store and oversees the company’s overall performance Her journey began in the fashion industry as a model, which sparked her passion for retail Dayllana worked her way up through the ranks, starting in the boutique, becoming a manager, and ultimately achieving her current role as COO Now, she collaborates closely with franchise owner Diana Alava to drive success and innovation within the business Vêtu is a women’s boutique which also offers alterations and is located in Royal Palm Plaza in Boca Raton, Florida.
Helping a Hero, a non-profit providing support for military personnel severely injured in the line of duty, Bass Pro Shops, and Lennar, one of the nation's leading homebuilders, today welcomed SGT Luis Rosa-Valentin, USA (Ret ), a triple amputee injured by an explosion while on duty in Iraq, to his new adapted Lennar home in South Miami-Dade County
The community came together to support and welcome SGT Luis Rosa-Valentin, USA (Ret ), to his new home SGT Rosa-Valentin and his family were greeted by special guests from Helping a Hero, including Founder Meredith Iler; country music singer Lee Greenwood; Fred Rothman, Lennar Chief Operating Officer; Phil Serrate, Lennar Southeast Florida Division President; and many proud Lennar Associates.
The home is part of Helping a Hero's 100 Homes Challenge, which was launched by Johnny Morris, Founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops In partnership with Helping A Hero, Lennar has completed eight homes for Veterans across the country and is committed to more homes
Lennar adapted the new home with features such as ADA appliances and cabinets in the kitchen and master bath, a pot filler, a roll in shower with added safety features, widened laundry area for ease of access, motorized blinds and much more to make daily life easier for the amputee Encompassing 2,806 square feet, the home contains five bedrooms, four-and-one-half baths, and a two-car garage, which is fully accessible
The home is in a stunning location situated near Route 1 offering easy access to downtown Miami, as well as the Florida Keys, offering the best of what South Florida has to offer – including sandy beaches, restaurants, nightlife, entertainment venues, and excellent ocean adventures on the Gulf Coast. The home is also in close proximity to VA services.
SGT Luis Rosa-Valentin's first day of basic training was September 11th, 2001. After basic training he went to Air-borne school and was sent to the 3rd Infantry Division where he participated in the invasion of Iraq in 2003 with the C-co 2/7 Infantry and fought as part of Task Force 3-69, which notably seized Saddam International Airport and Saddam's personal palace. On April 21, 2008, two days before SGT Rosa-Valentin's 25th birthday, he was part of the 4th Infantry Division, acting as a point man on a dismounted combat raid just outside of Baghdad During a firefight, SGT Rosa-Valentin was scanning for snipers when an IED exploded next to him He lost both legs, his left arm, sight in one eye and his hearing in the blast He was airlifted to Landstuhl, Germany and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he remained for a year and a half, in recovery
"Helping a Hero and Lennar met with me throughout the building of my home to make sure every adaptation worked the best for me in my new home," said SGT Luis Rosa-Valentin. "I can stop on a dime, turn around and do my thing. I am going to take this investment into my future and my children's future, and we are going to serve our community and nation. I am going to spend my life fighting for others."
"SGT Luis Rosa-Valentin is an eternal optimist," said Meredith Iler, Founder of Helping a Hero "He lights up a room and inspires joy in everyone he meets Seeing him roll through his house and dream of everything he will be able to do independently was very special Helping a Hero is grateful to Lennar and Bass Pro Shops for coming alongside us to serve these heroes "
"On behalf of Lennar and our business partners, it has been a privilege getting to know SGT Luis Rosa-Valentin and to have the opportunity to create this new home where he and his family can live comfortably and enjoy life together for years to come," said Carlos Gonzalez, Lennar Southeast Florida Regional President. "We are committed to giving back to the communities in which we build, and it is an honor to partner with Helping a Hero and honor those who have sacrificed so much for our country."
Cindy Ragan is a Professor of Economics at Broward College and the leading expert in the genre of CPA mergers Her speech: “Recent Valuation Trends of CPA Firms“ Received a 4.9 performance review based on feedback from the FICPA.
