Ever been in a Goodwill for too long? Your eyes are red, your lungs are slowly filling with mold, and just when you feel like one more $10 rack will transform your nostrils into Niagara Falls, you happen upon the perfect vintage leather jacket. That's what Casa Bonita — a jewelry, belt, and handbag store in the heart of the Fashion Distict — is like. It's filled with buried cuteness and future compliments, minus that musky, icky secondhand feeling. And, okay, at Casa Bonita you're not going to stumble upon any labels that read Chanel or Louie Vuitton. Nor will you find a carbon copy of that drool-worthy Birkin bag you saw in the pages of Vogue. But you will find brands such as Bella Collection and Rina Rich, knockoffs of knockoffs, that sell for $20 to $35 a bag and $4 to $8 a wallet. They're not posh, but perfect for the thrifty fashionista who likes rare finds.

Nowadays many record shops are losing costumers and boarding up their doors. Music downloads and file sharing are rendering them obsolete. In spite of all this, the mighty Do-Re-Mi Music Center keeps attracting scores of clients. The reason: Well, Do-Re-Mi specializes in hard-to-find Latin music. Many of its albums are out-of-print gems that are not available on iTunes or anywhere else. The always-impressive selection includes rare albums from old-time, classic labels such as Alegre, Tico and Vaya. The large store also offers modern Latin music including reggaeton and rock en español, but the bulk is reserved for incomparable Latin music legends such as Sandro and Celia Cruz. A truly educated staff enhances the shopping experience, offering suggestions and help in finding those long-out-of-print, 1950s Celia Cruz Old Havana recordings. Do-Re-Mi also has a colossal selection of music DVDs, with classics such as The Fania All Stars in Yankee Stadium for $19.99. So the next time you can't find that special tune on the Internet, head to Do-Re-Mi, where the record store tradition lives on.

As we enter this little liquor store, we become mesmerized by the hundreds, if not thousands, of beautiful bottles on display. An entire wall of vodka takes up is the first aisle, where we grab our favorite: a liter of Ciroc ($42.99). Then we head over to the whiskey and bourbon aisle, where the fluorescent lights reflect off the myriad glass vessels. A 750-milliliter bottle of Gentleman Jack goes for $31.99. At the back of the store, we find the fridge. It's full of beer, energy drinks, and another fave: cold bottles of Hypnotiq ($13.99 each). We also come across those icy-cold little bottles of Alize for $13.99 apiece. And then we spot some fresh Phillies, not those dried-up pieces of crap that most liquor stores peddle. This shop is in Kendall, so these people know we need our blunts moist for our chronic. Cognac Phillies go for $1 each, so stock up. The location is in a nice little strip mall that also houses a Cuban bakery, a pizza place, and a convenience store. If you don't live in Kendall, take a drive through Miami's best burb, and be sure to stop at Demis.

Let's keep this short and sweet — just like the amount of time you'll spend at this tiny nail salon nestled in a nondescript Pinecrest shopping center. You enter, take a seat, get your hands soaked and your fingernails clipped, nipped, filed, and polished. Next, settle into a large leather massage chair and indulge in your choice of trashy celebrity rags as heavenly as the skilled fingers that buff your callused feet. The best part: This mani/pedi combo costs only $30 for women and $35 for men, plus pedicures last for an entire month. Full-service with a fabulous finale — now that's what we call a happy ending.

Uhma Spa combines a healthy environment and pure, decadent ecstasy for your mind, body, and spirit. The beautifully tranquil place is bedecked to resemble the interior of a tree; rounded wood corners, green accents, stone vases, and mossy walls add to the ambiance. You can have a waterless pedicure or an organic botanical facial. But what you really need is a massage. Uhma is amazing. Professional masseuses employ Thai, hot stone, and shiatsu techniques to exorcise the rock-hard knots in your shoulders, thighs, and lower back. The primal relaxation massage costs $110 for 60 minutes of bliss. It is worth every penny. The masseuse slathers on your choice of the in-house Uhma Nagri massage oil. Once the tension in your back and shoulders disappears, you'll likely drift off to Neverland. Don't feel bad — it's a compliment to their skills. Uhma also offers a variety of Asian and French wet and dry massage techniques. Other options on the menu include the Sabai Herbal Ball massage ($170 for 90 minutes), which involves the use of a warm — you guessed it — herbal ball, and the Tian Di Bamboo ($120 for an hour), which uses warm bamboo sticks to apply deep pressure and heat. The spa is part of the new Wellness on 6th mini shopping district of holistic and organic stores in Miami Beach, which all in all is pretty cool.

You might know about yerba mate via its recent desecration as the "maté latté." But before it was served in postconsumer recycled cardboard Starbucks cups, the South American herb was more typically imbibed through a silver straw stuck into a hollowed-out gourd filled with the bitter, naturally caffeinated herb. And it still is — drinking maté is a strong cultural tradition practiced in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil. You can cultivate the habit too — this is Miami, after all — but you'll need the right equipment. The Taystee Gourmet Deli and Bakery might not seem like the first choice of an aspiring matero, but don't be fooled: The back wall boasts an impressive collection of Argentine necessities, including matés, the hollow gourds that take the shredded leaves (ranging in price from about $5 to $7), and bombillas, the little metal straws that filter the drink and bring it piping-hot to your boca. Of course, the store sells the yerba maté itself, with a few brands to choose from; a pound of the stuff, plenty to get you started, won't cost more than $3 or $4.

It's amazing, but in a city with a Little Havana, a Little Haiti, a Little Buenos Aires, a Little Colombia, a Little Venezuela, and a Little Nicaragua, there aren't many places to fill that deeply felt American need for all things Mexican. But for you, our piñata-craving, taco-demanding, ranchera-howling friend, there is a spot to get all that you desire: Redland Market Village. Run largely by and for people born in Mexico, this weekend bazaar is a vibrant, bustling place filled with great food, cheerful live music, and a selection of produce, meats, and all manner of powder, spice, chilies, and beans. Best of all, it's located along the newly completed 22-mile bicycle path/Busway — which makes it a perfect lunch stop on a weekend bike ride to Florida City. Try the menudo — a stew made of pork, hominy, and a touch of amor, Mexican-style.

What do Jamie Foxx, Ray Charles, Alicia Keys, Tennessee Williams, Lauren Hill, Itzhak Perlman, Francis Ford Coppola, and Jackie Gleason have in common? They all bought pianos at Victor Pianos, that's what. The owner, Victor Tibaledo, is sitting behind the desk there today — right now, if it's Monday through Saturday from 9 to 5, or Sunday 12:30 to 5 — just as he was 50 years ago, when he started the business in a single building filled with pianos. Now there are five buildings — one for grand pianos, one for uprights, one for organs, one for keyboards, and one for the office, where Victor holds court and occasionally sells sheet music. He has plenty of everything at whatever price (within reason) you feel like paying. ("I just sold a piano to a truck driver," Victor's daughter Lisa told us when we visited.) Pianos range from $4,000 to $50,000, organs go for about $1,300 and up, and keyboards start at $500.

Vandas, ascocendas, and mericlones, oh my! R.F. Orchids, founded in 1970 by orchid wizard Robert Fuchs, is worth the journey down the Historic Redland Tropical Trail. There you'll find rows upon rows of orange, purple, yellow, and white floral beauties that dazzle and mystify. These gems have earned more than 800 awards from the American Orchid Society. The nursery is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and offers free tours — led by Fuchs himself — on weekends at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Enjoy the idyllic garden, where you can lounge in a hammock or chat near a fountain and pond with a complimentary cup of passion fruit juice. Don't worry — you won't wake up in Kansas.

In these uneasy economic times, it comes as no surprise that pawn shops are making record-breaking numbers of transactions. In Miami, especially, as the real estate bubble bursts, you can make some serious deals. And the definitive place to do business has to be Miami-Pawn, located smack in middle of bubble-bursting downtown. Open since the early Eighties, the place has clearly benefited from the condo boom. Fancy new buildings surround the shop, giving it an air of respectability and style sometimes absent from this sort of establishment. The entrance looks ultraclean, while the outside walls are painted white and blue, a nice contrast to typically dowdy colors. Inside you'll find top-quality flat-screen TV sets (a 32-inch Sony model was going for $500) along with plenty of bicycles, name-brand watches, and jewelry. There's also a varied collection of musical instruments such as Gibson guitars and Fender amps. Even better, the shop's employees are helpful and attentive, making the whole experience as pleasant as it can be.