Swine and Stein Oktoberfest

Pork and beans? More like pork and beer at the upcoming 7th Annual Swine and Stein Oktoberfest in Gardiner, Maine on October 8th. We love this clever festival name and all that comes along with it! It is the ultimate trifecta of beer, food, and music. And more specifically, the beer provided will showcase the incredible diversity and quality of Maine craft beers. What's better than that?

Fine restaurants and food vendors from Gardiner and across the state will serve up a variety of interesting culinary dishes featuring local pork along with other quality menu items that bring out the true celebration of Oktoberfest. Adding to the festivities, a line-up of favorite and emerging Maine bands will entertain throughout the day. A unique array of games and activities, with prizes will encourage mingling and general merriment. Don’t miss out on this outdoor, urban brew fest in the setting of one of Maine’s most charming main streets! Here's a recap of last year's events:

In addition to beer, pork, and music, there will be a number of ongoing activities, frozen T-shirt race, and the 5th annual Maine rock, paper, scissors championship (or as Chris calls it "roshambo"). Sounds like something we might be good at! The Annual Gardiner Beard & Mustache Competition will also be returning for its third year. Get your beards ready!

This family-friendly event offers all day activities for kids including a petting zoo and other children’s activities. Expect entertainment for all ages, music of all types while re-acquainting yourself with the beauty of and businesses throughout Gardiner's historic Downtown. Tickets are just $15 online or $20 day of. Don't miss out on your opportunity to devour the details of all that Maine has to offer and celebrate Oktoberfest like the Germans on October 8th!

Wedding Wednesdays: Five Fall Wedding Trends We Love

Just when you thought wedding season was slowing down, fall weddings are picking up and we couldn't be more excited for the trends on the horizon. Utilizing the colors, natural elements, and tastes of autumn, are making embracing the cooler weather a lot easier. So if you're looking for some last minute ideas for added details and personal touches that reflect the fall months, check out our five favorite trends that we just can't get enough of!

Candlelit Ceremony

A candlelit ceremony brings an element of natural light and warmth making for a truly beautiful wedding!

Bramble Flower Crown

Mimic the fall foliage with a bramble flower crown!

Deep Décor

Maroon and deep purples make an eye-catching display. Perfect fall colors!

Golden Display of Affection

These gold painted hanging leafs are a genius way to display your love for autumn. Fun and very fall!

Cider and Doughnuts for Dessert

We love cake, don't get us wrong, but for those brides who need an extra sweet treat, cider and doughnuts make a great pair for fall weddings. Be sure to try these out!

We hope you're feeling inspired and will devour the details of any last minute ideas by using our five favorite fall trends! Cheers to another season full of weddings!

Beauty Beyond the Bombings

Last May, Mayor Michael J. McGlynn of Medford, MA and his team thought they would honor Krystle Campbell, the Medford native taken during the Boston Marathon bombings in 2014, with a few park benches and a plaque bearing her name. But on Friday, September 23rd, an emotional McGlynn stood beside Krystle’s father, Bill, and announced a $1 million plan, kept secret for nearly a year, to build a peace garden honoring Krystle and the three other people, Lingzi Lu, Martin Richard, and Sean Collier, killed in the bombings and the tragic aftermath, the injured, and the race itself.

It will include five fountains, a flagpole symbolizing the Marathon starting line in Hopkinton, and milestones to denote landmarks along the race route. The focal point will be the fountains, one each to represent Krystle, Lingzi, Martin and Sean, and one representing the world and all who were injured in the lasting effects of the attacks. Each fountain will be marked with a bronze memorial plaque that will form compass points. The plaque for 29-year-old Krystle will point east because she lived east of the garden; Sean’s to the north because he hails from Wilmington; Martin’s to the south toward his home in Dorchester; and Lingzi’s to the west. The memorial plaques will include images or symbols reflecting each of the victims. a baseball, two bats, and home plate for Martin, who played Little League, for example, and a replica of Sean’s police badge. There is nothing more beautiful than the love and support that is evident in this garden.

The city hopes to continue developing the peace garden and making sure it has year-round upkeep. Seventeen of Krystle's friends and her family are running the Boston Marathon this year to honor her and raise awareness about her memorial fund, established at the Boston Foundation. The fund pays for scholarships at Krystle's alma mater, Medford High School, and supports the MSPCA-
Angell Animal Medical Center, and organizations that help autistic children. A softball tournament honoring Krystle will also take place in Medford, April 26 and 27 to raise money for her scholarship fund. Last year, the Medford High softball team dedicated its season to her, wearing black armbands in her honor and creating “Medford Strong” T-shirts. The community involvement in honoring Krystle, Lingzi, Martin and Sean, and remembering all of those effected by this tragedy shows how resilient people can be.

We can't wait to walk through this beautiful garden and enjoy the peace it has brought to Medford and Krystle's family and friends. Kudos to Mayor McGlynn and his team for devouring the details of this remarkable tribute!

Monday Mashups: The Most Popular Places to...Pick Apples in MA

Happy Monday Mashup! It's that time of year again. Fall is upon us and we're preparing our readers to pick the best apples in Massachusetts. Check out these popular places where the Granny Smiths, McIntoshes and Fujis are plentiful. You know what they say, an apple a day!

1. Honey Pot Hill Orchards
144 Sudbury Rd., Stow

2. Russell Orchards
143 Argilla Rd., Ipswich

3. Connors Farm
30 Valley Rd., Danvers

4. Tougas Family Farm
234 Ball St., Northborough

5. Smolak Farms
315 S Bradford St., North Andover

6. Lookout Farm
89 Pleasant St., Natick

7. Parlee Farms
95 Farwell Rd., Tyngsboro

8. Cider Hill Farm
45 Fern Ave., Amesbury

9. Shelburne Farm
106 W Acton Rd., Stow

10. The Big Apple Farm
207 Arnold St., Wrentham

We hope you turn these fresh fruits into a tasty treat and devour the details of the best apple-picking places in Massachusetts!

Don't Miss This at HUBweek 2016

HUBweek is a creative festival that celebrates innovation at the intersection of art, science, and technology. It is gearing up for its second edition from September 25 to October 2. This year, the festival has grown to more than 120 events and more than 250 speakers, covering everything from street art to anti-aging technology. The events will feature panelists who are luminaries in the fields of medicine and education, as well as top executives at major companies like Bank of America, HubSpot, Xerox, and GE Ventures. But what's one major HUBweek event Boston sports fans won't want to miss? The one dedicated to Big Papi himself!

We're talking about the GlobeDocs Documentary Film Festival, a five-day event featuring 15 films and a series of conversations built around their themes, ideas, and content, including the David Ortiz era. Kicking off the festival is the two-part screening of two films about Red Sox slugger David Ortiz. The first, David Ortiz: The Journey, debuted on NESN on September 16, while the second, The David Ortiz Era, will air on NESN following the Red Sox-Yankees game on September 28, the same night as its GlobeDocs debut.

So if you want to be a part of honoring this Boston legend, join us at Fenway Park, Wednesday, September 28 at 7pm! Tickets are just $10 and this event is open to all ages. For more information on the David Ortiz Era and HUBweek events, check out their online program guide. We can't wait to see how HUBweek devours the details of the this event and their entire 2016 festival!

Wedding Wednesdays: Far From A Floral Bouquet

We've given you ideas in the past for non-traditional bouquets but nothing ever like this. And honestly, this brilliant idea melts our hearts. We know you'll love this story too! At her September 10th wedding in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, Sarah Mallouk Crain, who works for the dog rescue organization Pitties Love Peace, asked her bridal party to put their bouquets down and hold rescue pups during their portrait session. The outcome: pure love and happiness in each photo!

The bride posed with a nine-week-old pit bull puppy, affectionately named Biggie Smalls, who was found on the streets of Brooklyn. The bridesmaids and groomsmen took turns cuddling with five boxer-coonhound sisters named Martha, Abigail, Dolley, Elizabeth, and Louisa after the original First Ladies of the United States. The newlyweds have three dogs of their own ― Mara, Leo and Atlas ― and also act as foster parents to pups who are still waiting to find their forever homes. It's evident that Sarah has a true passion for rescuing pups, and she now gets to share that with her husband Matt as they start their lives together, making life extra sweet (and furry)!

The Crains and entire wedding party looked phenomenal in every photo but we have to admit, the pups were definitely the shining stars in each shot! For the time being, the boxer-coonhound pups are living in separate foster homes. However, they will soon be ready for adoption. So if you've got a hearts as big as Sarah and Matt's, consider taking one of these beautiful pups home with you! We know we want to!

With that, we wish The Crains nothing but endless love and happiness with their fur-family and we hope their story inspires others to devour the details of their big day in a similar way!

What the...Fluff?

You read that right. What the Fluff? is an upcoming festival this Saturday, September 24th in Union Square, Somerville! The Fluff and fun-filled event takes place to honor the invention of Marshmallow Fluff and its birthplace, Union Square. Now in its 11th year, this festival draws over 12,000 people and is cited as one of the reasons why Lonely Planet named Somerville in the top 10 “Best In The US” travel destinations for 2016.

Join us and Union Square Main Streets for a celebration of the legend and genius Archibald Query, who invented Fluff right in Union Square in 1917. Artists, musicians, theatrical performers, culinary geniuses and the general public pay tribute to this great American creation in this zany, all-day festival. The 11th annual event features musical performances, a cooking contest, fluff-themed games, activities, antics and fun for every age, and Fluff treats of every sort. Yum!

With this year’s theme of “Fluff U: A Sweet Education”, they’re transforming the beloved Union Square into our very own sticky, sweet campus. Now available online is their Fluff University 2016 Course Catalog, listing they day's activities and events. This year they also have a number of vendors including The Popover Lady, Gracie's Ice Cream, Union Square Donuts, Marshfellows and many, many more!

Don't miss out on your chance to experiment and taste next level Fluff-creations from these marshmallow making machines in Union Square this Saturday! Devour the details of this classic treat and feel like a kid again at the 11th Annual What the Fluff? Festival!

Monday Mashups: Seven Standout Balloon Displays

These ain't your typical helium-filled globes gathered in bunches or shaped into arches. No, no. We're talking unique, one-of-a-kind displays of all shapes, sizes, heights and prints. You'll never go back to a dull, standard balloon again! Check out these seven standout balloon displays to use at your next event!

Bar Backdrop

Give the illusion the bar is floating with this backdrop balloon display. The backlight creates a glow that will make this a focal point in any space!

Make an Entrance

These printed balloons are perfect for an outdoor event. They remind us of beach balls but are a bit more elegant! Utilize them where guests come in for a grand entrance.

Turn Your World Upside Down

For a natural element, go green, and have a grass and roots experience on the ceiling! Your guests won't know which side is up (kidding, of course).

Balloon Billboard

This is the craziest thing we've seen done with balloons, and we absolutely love it. For its 20th birthday, Old Navy held a “selfiebration” in Times Square, complete with display. Covered with 1,000 custom balloons, the 15-foot billboard was created by Deeplocal, which referred to the creation as a “selfie machine”. The marketing agency’s software grabbed images from Twitter that had the “sefliebration” hashtag and rasterized the photos to display them on the billboard via inflated balloons. Ah-mazing!

Be Cool in the Pool

Nothing beats a floating masterpiece! Put together a fun display in any pool on a hot summer's day for added décor. We love how this looks!

Step-and-Repeat

For fun photo opps, create a step-and-repeat with eye-catching Mylar balloons. Your guests will love this feature and it will surely be a standout in all of the pictures from the night!

Larger Than Life

In this case, the bigger, the better! Make your display over-the-top with a larger than life balloon animal.

We hope this got your creative juices flowing! Don't waste time on those dated displays, get inflated and devour the details of these standouts today!

Seacoast Sweets: Your New Favorite Chocolate

Similar to that of Mark Zuckerberg, what started off as a dream in a college dorm room has now turned into a blooming production for Seacoast Sweets Founder, Kirstyn Pearl. Never did she imagine that her grandfather's recipe for peppermint patties and the demand for authentic New England chocolate would turn her into a full-fledged business owner practically overnight! After graduation, Kirstyn took on a full-time job in commercial real estate but the requests for her sweets kept pouring in. She continued making the confections, creating new flavors, pulling all-nighters in her family’s West Newbury kitchen and packaging boxes in her car during lunch breaks from her day job. From there, she decided to "go bigger or go home" and expanded to a year-round operation and in 2016 created a Kickstarter campaign to help contribute to the success of her growing company.

In a short amount of time, Seacoast Sweets was able to have their goal of $37,500 completely funded, making them the 5th (out of 613) “most funded” chocolate Kickstarter campaign of all time. In April, Kirstyn acquired some space in a factory that allowed for larger equipment and production and she has been able to hire a handful of employees that share in the same love of chocolate she has. With this funding, Seacoast Sweets has also been able to develop valuable relationships with various manufacturers in other countries, including China. In addition to that, a number of innovative firms have submitted visionary proposals and plans for social media exposure, branding, and marketing that are all being taken into consideration. However, treating people across the globe to her phenomenal chocolate patties and turning a profit isn't Kirstyn's only concerns. She has made it known that what drives her to do this is her passion to inspire and help others.

After recognizing that her company is a vehicle by which she could raise money and donate to some of her favorite charities, Kirstyn was more inspired than ever to ensure the success of Seacoast Sweets, not only as a business venture, but as a worthy philanthropic endeavor. Through her company and initiatives, Kirstyn hopes to inspire her younger siblings, embedding within them a strong work ethic. She also hopes to inspire women, proving to them that not only can we achieve success in the male-dominated corporate world, but as independent business owners as well. Kirstyn hopes to continue to inspire fellow entrepreneurs, serving as a poster-child for what happens when one follows his or her passion!

Currently, Seacoast Sweets donates $1 for every 12 patties sold to Dream Big!, an organization that works to empower girls from low-income situations by providing them with the basic items and fees needed to participate in sports and physical activities that contribute to their health, education, and overall well-being.

The going-rate for a box of 12 of Seacoast Sweet's infamous chocolate patties is $35. Flavor options include coconut, peanut butter, peppermint and my favorite, s'mores! You can purchase a box of these assorted flavors if you can't decide on just one. Seacoast Sweets also offers Caramel Almond & Sea Salt Bark for $35 and a sampler box of these confections for $14. I highly recommend treating yourself to a box today.

Seacoast Sweets are sold in a few locations across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. You may also see them at the Nantucket Wine Festival, Newburyport Farmers' Market and SoWa: Boston's South End Farmers' Market. Seacoast Sweets has options for wholesale and larger orders on their website for corporate gifts or wedding favors. Customers love their coastal look and local ties, making them a big hit across New England. Retailers have the option to sell Seacoast Sweets as individual patties or in box form and they will satisfy product reorders within 48 hours of submission.

Get to know more about Kirstyn, her journey and the future of Seacoast Sweets by following her Kickstarter campaign and updates. Then join us as we devour the details of this authentic New England chocolate one delicious pattie at a time!

Wedding Wednesdays: The Hitchhiking Bride

Would you hitchhike to your wedding? When things go awry, some brides decide to take matters into their own hands! Angelique Arsenault of New Hampshire, whom tied the knot this past Saturday, did just that. After waiting 11 years to marry her groom, a flat tire wasn’t going to stop this determined bride from walking down the aisle on her special day!

With her limo rendered inoperable along an infrequently traveled road in Brookline, New Hampshire, Angelique stuck out her thumb and hitchhiked to her wedding venue in nearby Milford. At first, her bridal party just laughed after receiving word of the flat tire from their driver but the fear of missing Angelique's big day and groom Jarrod Dunning patiently waiting and worrying set in. With confidence fueled by champagne, Angelique, in her white dress, veil and heels was able to flag down a passing motorist who gladly helped get her to the altar!

The driver who stopped was a man named Jay. He had a car full of kids but was determined to help. So he dropped them off, returned, and asked the bride, “where to?” Amazingly, she only arrived a half hour late despite this small hiccup. Angelique went on to say the rest of her wedding was “amazing” and she now has a story her family will remember forever. Now on her honeymoon, she realizes Jay didn’t just save her wedding, he was the punctuation. “It pretty much made the whole day,” Angelique said.

We fully support this bride doing whatever she could to get to her ceremony on time! And big shout out to Jay who was awesome enough to help this bridal party out. May this story devour the details of Angelique's wedding for years to come!

Ten Trendy Ideas for Ceiling Decor

Don't look down! You'll definitely miss these ten trendy ideas for ceiling décor if you do. Keep your focus to the sky by adding eye-catching designs to the top of any event space, whether inside or outside. Get inspired and try these out at your next function. Your guests will never forget it!

1. A Little Bubbly

At the House of Kim Crawford—a fashion-focused event on August 3 in New York—a golden balloon installation designed by Jessica Fels Event Production and Design and executed by Mixed Greens Events created an eye-catching focal point; a representation of the bubbles in Kim Crawford wines. This idea is perfect for a New Year's Eve or engagement party!

2. You Can Stand Under My Umbrella

Skincare brand La Roche-Posay's street promotion in 2013 brought a colorful suspended installation of branded parasols to New York's Madison Square Park. The message of protecting your skin from the harsh sun shone through in this display. We love this idea for outdoor events but would also consider it for something indoors where you could have a virtual rainstorm display for extra fun!

3. A Universal Display

For the Blaffer Art Museum’s annual gala in Houston in April, creative studio Matter designed a gilded meteor shower ceiling installation using NASA space blankets—an idea inspired by the event’s space theme. This is one of our favorite installations! We love the way the metallics bring an elegant tone to the event and how the hanging levels really make you feel like you're floating right there with them!

4. Cotton Canopy

More than 5,000 T-shirts created a colorful cotton canopy overhead at the Jewish Museum’s Purim Ball in 2014. The custom tees can pertain to the event you're hosting. They can also turn into giveaways at the end of the night!

5. Bring the Outside In

At Diffa Dining by Design in New York in 2015, Smartwater's space aimed to reflect the brand's natural water purification process, which is mirrored after rain clouds. The fluffy fixtures lit up like a storm above the simple table setting. Nothing makes for a unique installation quite like bringing the outdoors in. We love this display and how true it stays to reflecting the brand!

6. Macaron Mania

For the Food Network's 20th anniversary party in 2013, dozens of prop macarons made from Styrofoam were rigged to create a 10-foot-tall chandelier that hung over a dessert station. This makes us hungry! A display like this truly depicts the theme of the event and becomes a memorable focal point for all attendees. We want to try this one out at our next event!

7. Dream Big

Attendees won't be dozing off look at this décor! For a destination wedding in Big Sur, California, producer and designer Sterling Engagements suspended a 12-foot dream catcher installation above the dance floor, teaching us that anything can happen when you dream big! We would definitely want to take this focal piece home with us.

8. Your Name in Lights

For the Whitney Museum of American Art’s final gala in the historic Breuer Building in 2014, dining room décor included hanging paper lanterns with the names of honorees. This display is perfect for recognition of certain attendees. The lanterns can also be something the honorees get to take home with them as a token of the evening.

9. Bet on a Good Time

Designers of the 2009 Bell Gala in Toronto evoked a whimsical fairytale theme with oversize flowers and playing cards hung from the ceiling. For us, this can also be a fun way to denote a casino night theme or poker tournament. Anything oversized and hanging from the ceiling makes for an eye-catchin design and display!
 
10. We'll All Float On

At Diffa Dining by Design in Chicago in 2014, inner tubes suspended from the ceiling were one of many playful touches at the tropical cabana created by Kehoe Designs. This fun display will have everyone's inner child ready for a tropical vacay! We're totally onboard with this design for any luau, summer or pool themed party.

Tryout the trend that fits your theme and devour the details of ceiling décor at your next event! We'd also love to see how you turn the top of your space into a memorable focal point for attendees, so share your design ideas in our comments section!