I spent my Saturday working on the Amigos for Kids Celebrity Domino Night at Jungle Island. If you’ve never experienced this phenomenon, it’s about as Cuban as you can get without being in Little Havana’s Domino Park (or Cuba, of course). There were guayaberas galore as Miami’s elite gathered to benefit a cause dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect while sipping Bacardi rum and gnoshing on gastronomy from a slew of delectable eateries (Pasta Factory, your canolies were worth all the calories).

I admit my photography skills were not quite up to par (try running around for 8 hours while parrots incessantly squawk at you and see if your hands don’t shake – though you’re probably well-trained if you grew up with a Cuban mom), but I still wanted to share these with you. It’s not every day you get to experience tropical stilt walkers, salsa dancers, auctioned art, and a flash mob under the same roof. And if you do, let me know what the heck you’re doing for a living because that makes my life seem just a tad deprived.

By the way, major thanks to the ladies at Dior for the amazing five-minute makeover. It made all the difference in setting the tone for the rest of the night.

Enjoy the pics. You can hover over them for more info. (And, yes, I do have an unhealthy obsession with collecting event tags. I see it’s become a thing lately. Just let it be.) As for the critters all the way at the bottom, they’re just my favorite ones to come home to.

P.S. I’m now a new fan of Nicole Martinez. Anyone who can capture croqueta art is a winner in my book. Check out her site for some really fantastic prints. I hate that my iPhone skills don’t do her work any justice. But I HAD to share this with everyone.