Embrace Your Inner-Nerd

© Flickr / Click Flash Photos / Nicki Varkevisser

We all know Miami is a great place to lie out in the sun, drink a café con leche, and party. A lot. After all, the Magic City is notorious for its club scene and not necessarily for being an intellectual mecca. However, this weekend calls for an array of events that cater to your mind. So embrace your inner nerd and don your smarty-pants, because you’re about to get schooled.

Friday: Hit the (Tobacco) Road

What: Tobacco Road Turns 98!
Where: Tobacco Road; 626 S Miami Ave
When: 6:00 p.m.

© Pleasure Doing Business, J Brand, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Diane von Furstenberg, MarniWhenever you see classy, intellectual people in old movies, they're inevitably listening to jazz. So celebrate the start of your mind-stimulating weekend and Tobacco Road’s 98th anniversary simultaneously this Friday night with Big Sam’s Funky Nation. As if that name wasn’t enticing enough, trumpeter Big Sam has played with the likes of Elvis Costello and the acclaimed Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

An eclectic mix of unique separates will give you the right sort of cutting-edge casual look for this laid-back place. Pair the J Brand High Rise Denim Pencil Skirt with a color-blocked Sweetheart Zip-back Corset top from Pleasure Doing Business - tuck it to look sleek, not sloppy. Friday’s forecast calls for a slight chill, so cover up with the Dee Dee Sequined Wool Bolero from Marc by Marc Jacobs. Your ankles and toes will stay warm in Diane von Furstenberg Lilly Kitten Heel Booties, made from deliciously rich black leather. An Alexander Wang Angela Small Patent Pouchette is cute and compact - just hang it from your wrist, right next to your chunky, red and black enamel MARNI Bracelet.

Saturday: Radicals on Film

What: Miami Short Film Festival
Where: Coral Gables Art Cinema; 260 Aragon Avenue
When: 6:45 to 8:00 p.m.

© Alice by Temperley, Ann Taylor, Alexander Wang, Moleskin, NADIA GRILLIAlright, it’s time to release your inner film critic, and those of you with limited attention spans will be pleased at the prospect of a festival of short films, taking place this Saturday at the Coral Gables Art Cinema. The Miami Short Film Festival presents an evening of seven short movies, running from two to twenty-three minutes. The theme of the evening is “The Revolutionary” and the films pay homage to free thinking-radicals, including Thoreaux-esque group living off the land in the middle of the woods, and a high-school boy faced with an unexpected change after his mother’s death.

Because the temperature of movie theaters is always hovering somewhere around sub-zero, the Alice by Temperley Black Ninette Oversize Tunic is sure to have you sittin’ pretty – and warm, too, especially when worn with substantial leggings, like the Knit Pull On Leggings from Ann Taylor. Adorn your toes in red-patent Ballet Flats by Nadia Grilli, and carry your things in the Alexander Wang Diego Bucket Bag, which is roomy enough for snacks (shhhh, don’t tell,) and even your Moleskin notebook, so you can take some notes if you feel so inclined. Studious and stylish.

Sunday: Book A'fair

What: Miami Book Fair International
Where: Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus; 300 NE Second Avenue
When: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

© 7 For All Mankind, Theory, Ray Ban, Alexander McQueen, MossimoAs real, paper books give way to e-books, Kindles, and online publications, it’s nice to see that a good old fashioned book fair can still draw a crowd. The Miami Book Fair International is the highlight of the year for some in our fair city, who consider it the Art Basel of the literary world. This weekend is the street fair, meaning all the book vendors will be out beneath their brightly colored tents so you can peruse and shop, discover a new read, and meet the author too. A schedule of readings and panel discussions talks can be found at the MBFI website.

Plain jeans and sneakers get a makeover for this casual weekend affair. High Waist Roxanne Jeans from 7 For All Mankind are formfitting and chic, much more so than your basic blues. Wear them with the graphic-printed LYNDLEY Top from Theory, and Mossimo Olga Canvas Flat Sneakers in black to ensure you’ll be comfortable and stylish while you walk around. Step it up with a pop of bright color, preferably with the Faithful Medium Satchel in bright Sunflower by Alexander McQueen. Protect your eyes – you’ll need them for all the reading we know you’ll be doing later – with Classic Ray-Ban Aviators. Don’t be ashamed of your bookishness - work it, because style is nothing without substance.