Sometimes you don't know you need an antique pink piano until you find one (or, if you're inclined to believe in fate, until it finds you). At this shop in a coral-trimmed house in the Bird Road Arts District, each room is filled with a surprising amount of home decor and furnishings, everything from a chic wicker love seat for $550 to a brightly colored yellow campaign chest priced at $155. Casa Twice is an offshoot of married couple Gilberto Reyes and Carmen Franchi de Alfaro's first vintage shop, Twice, on South Red Road. The home-goods store is open daily except Monday and has a half-dozen parking spots out front so you don't have far to carry whatever goodies you take home. Don't forget to check out the patio out back for even more furniture and accoutrements — you never know which one will speak to you.

Straight talk: Shopping for your baby isn't like any other trip to the store. You might breeze through IKEA for living room furniture and slide through Publix for groceries, but this is your child we're talking about. That's why Give Wink in North Miami Beach takes children's shopping to the next level, including free nursery room consultations with members of the knowledgeable team. Founded by Colombia-born Francine Delarosa — who has dubbed herself "Miami's hippest mompreneur" — Give Wink has everything, whether you're looking for a sleek and modern crib like the Eicho model by Spot on Square ($690) or a baroque-inspired table lamp ($299) for your child's room. If more affordable gifts are more your MO, there are walls of books, toys, and bedding starting at $6.99. Give Wink specializes in more interesting and fashion-forward items than you'll find in a big-box store or national chain. Plus, Delarosa started a charity that provides an eye exam and pair of glasses to a child in Barranquilla for every $100 sale at the shop.

Antonio Del Moral, artist and owner of Galeria Adelmo, feels a strong connection with Changó, the Yoruban orisha who represents a passionate warrior spirit. It is no coincidence then that Santa Barbara, the saint syncretized with Changó, is also the name of the church that stands across the street from his Little Havana gallery. It's protected, he insists. But nearly every Saturday, Antonio opens this sacred space to students eager to learn his ways and to translate his spiritual energy to paint. Classes last five weeks and concentrate on acrylic painting. Antonio's own portfolio of vibrant work, with abstract and floral pieces, hangs along the intimate space's walls as he guides his students in acrylic and water-based painting. His own biography mirrors the fascinating works he paints: Born in Havana before the revolution, he moved to Miami at 20 years old. He spent years working as an interior designer at a Marriott in Washington, D.C., before returning to Miami in 2010. Del Moral, who never stopped painting during his corporate days in D.C., is not interested in teaching established artists. He wants to give opportunities to new artists from the community. Experience is not required — just passion. Classes cost $130 for five sessions and last three hours each.

Our sense of smell is a transformative power. One whiff of an old, familiar scent can whisk us away to a different time and place. For many Cuban-Americans, a hint of Carolina Herrera 212 perfume with its bittersweet and spicy aroma reminds them of the abuelas who wore it every day. For others, it's the rich cloud of cigar smoke that immediately brings back their grandfathers' smiling faces. At the Cigar Cellar in Coral Gables, a walk through the door into that robust redolence of dry brown leaves will churn your subconscious into a fury. Boxes upon boxes line the walls, and matching brown leather couches are scattered about, inviting relaxation. You can buy a box of 20 cigars starting around $160 or your choice from individually wrapped ones at an average of $7 each. You can pick any cigar off the wall, grab a domino table, and light up. You can even create some new memories with your grandparents by bringing them along for a puff of hand-rolled tobacco and a game.

Readers' choice: Little Havana Cigar Factory

From the outside, the Puerto Rican liquor store on NW Second Avenue is unassuming. A small sign reads "Ring the Bell" in red above a yellow stucco-and-stone exterior. Inside, the walls are wood-paneled. It's just a small rectangle of a space; a bullet-proof window separates customers from the wide array of bottles and backwoods rolling papers. But the truth is, this store has been a neighborhood staple for more than 20 years, selling affordable spirits of all kinds as Wynwood has transformed into a hipster paradise and a luxury mall has bloomed just a few blocks west in the Design District. A bottle of aguardiente still sells for the low price of $11.99, fueling neighborhood Colombian fiestas all night long. Ring the Bell has everything you need for a casual night out. And if you're staying in the neighborhood, you're in luck. You can grab that well-priced bottle of aguardiente and head right next door to eat homemade arroz con gandules at the similarly named restaurant owned by the same couple.

Readers' choice: Total Wine & More

You want two things from a pawnshop: honesty and expertise. You'll get both at Don Cash Inc., located just north of the Wynwood strip on NW Second Avenue. Elie R. Bunassar, a very cool, 61-year-old Lebanese-born jeweler has owned the store the past four years. Bunassar, though, has been in the jewelry business for 31 years and formerly worked at Mayors and Zales. The store doesn't have bikes, guitars, and all of the crap that fills up too many pawnshops. There's just jewelry here — high-class stuff. Prices go from $50 to $7,500. Watch broken? Bunassar will fix that too.

You're sick of working at home because the dog keeps pestering you to play or the hammering sounds of construction at the luxury high-rise going up next door are working your last nerve or, well, you keep walking back into your bedroom for what you promise is just a five-minute nap. The coffee shop is no good either. It's awkward, and who wants to have their work time punctuated with tourists yelling at baristas for not making their frappes correctly? But you can't go into the office because you're an ambitious, self-starting entrepreneur who doesn't actually have an office. What to do? Well, in the past few years, an explosion of co-working spots have popped up all over Miami. Büro is Miami-based and has four locations, in midtown, South Beach, the MiMo District, and Coconut Grove. Members get their own space in a clean, contemporary office starting at $249 a month. It has all the amenities of a modern office, and break rooms and social spaces give you a chance to network with other young self-starters. Larger spaces are also available for small teams. Oh, and there's artisanal coffee too, so you'll never have to set foot in a coffee shop or need a midday nap again.