Winners in the Grapevine contest

The winners of yesterday's Grapevine contest are Sandra Roche and Donna Sek.

They both received two entry tickets to the Kampong.

The question: The Bookstore in the Grove just won a "Best of" award from the Miami New Times. For what? The answer: For having the best Free Wifi in Miami.

The Bookstore will have ice cream and small burgers (sliders) starting today. And they have Kooky pens, Bakugan Deka items and the Twilight game.

Someone actually spilled coffee over a bunch of new books the other day and ran out, without saying a word. Now food and drinks are confined to the cafe area, which makes sense.

Thriller on Grand Avenue

Michael Jackson (Michael J. Greene) was walking all around the Grove today putting smiles on people's faces. I was tempted to drive him to the cemetery and take a picture with him there, but he had to beat it and so did I.

We need more coconuts painted!

Please bear with us -- one more coconut painting party is needed to get enough coconuts done by July 4th, for the Coconut Scavenger Hunt. It actually has turned into a new weekly tradition, but this will be the last one, although classes are being considered as a future thing.

And this one is now tomorrow, Saturday, June 27 at 7 pm, (not Friday like it usually is), at the Windisch-Hunt Gallery, 2911 Grand Avenue.

This one was done by talented Joe Harrison, who is making them much too nice to be put in the contest. Most of his actually end up in the front gallery window, under the spotlight.

Women's Int'l Film Festival presents "Rain" at Mutiny

If you missed "Rain" on June 6, there is one more showing this weekend.

"Rain," is a critically acclaimed award winning movie, about a teenager named Rain who has lived her entire life with her grandmother on a tiny rural island in the Bahamas. When here grandmother dies, Rain goes to Nassau to find her mother, Glory whom she has never met. It stars Ranel Brown, Niki Micheaux (Soul Food, Lincoln Heights) and Irma P. Hall (A Lesson Before Dying, Soul Food, Backdraft).

The movie will be shown tomorrow, Saturday, June 27, out by the pool at the Mutiny Hotel (2951 S. Bayshore Drive), under the stars. If it "rains," no pun intended, it will be shown inside.

Admission is $20 and includes food and drink, A 7 pm reception will precede the movie, which starts at 8 pm.For more info: www.womensfilmfest.com

Bracelet making featured at Blu Moon Art Happy Hour

Blu Moon Studio is having a pre-July 4th Happy Hour party tonight, June 26. They are teaching how to make a red, white and blue Swarovski crystal bracelet just in time to wear on Independence day.

$20.00 includes all materials and refreshments.

Join in for homemade apple pie, refreshments and listen to great live music among friends. Atena Komar will teach the skill of bracelet making.

Blue Moon is all the way on the top floor at 3444 Main Highway. Happy Hour is from 6 to 10 pm.

Registration is not required, however, to ensure enough bracelet beading kits, registered guests will have first pick of materials. Call 305-529-5006 or email sheri@blumoonstudio.com

Thriller filmed here or not?

Thelma Gibson, Grove historian, claimed on tv today that she witnessed the filming of Thriller at the Grove cemetery so many years ago. So make what you will about that. More here on that.

Did you see that deluge this morning?

It felt like a mini tropical storm around here this morning. Luckily it passed through fast. I almost got a great shot of lightning over the bay, but this is much nicer.

This is Jenny Nieto, who is working for her mom at Image Factory. She got lunch for the company.

Looks like it's clearing up now, just in time for lunch, but Johnny Rockets, Jenny? When there are fish tacos and Italian Beef sandwiches down the block?

The Miami New Times got tired of me raving about Chicago's Deli on Facebook and Twitter (and here) so they went out and tried it themselves. They loved it. Here is their review.

Photos by AnnaMaria Windisch-Hunt