Wedding Wednesdays: Always a Bridesmaid?

Happy #WeddingWednesday! Always a bridesmaid and never the bride? Don't sweat it! Your significant other will arrive in due time. At least while you wait at the alter, supporting your bestie that is, you can look fine as hell doing so in the new Paper Crown collection by Lauren Conrad. Check out the soft floral prints, textured lace, and new colors that L.C. is adding to her existing assortment of bridesmaids styles. Maybe your partner will appear sooner than you think (especially after seeing you in one of these gowns)!

Cassandra Dress ($268) in Honeymoon Floral

Peyton Dress ($258) in Rose

Heather Dress in Navy ($278), Tori Dress in Dove Grey ($298) & Margo Dress in Ash ($268)

 

Camilla Dress ($310) in Honeymoon Floral

Kelly Dress ($340), Michele Dress ($268) & Elana Dress ($310) in Claret

We hope you liked this chic-peek! With so many different textures and silhouettes there is sure to be a Paper Crown dress that works for everyone in your bridal party. Check out more of L.C.'s new collection and devour the details of always being a bridesmaid (and a fabulously dressed one at that)!

Take Your Summer Outings to New Heights

Planning some outings in Boston this summer? Whether for business or leisure, take your gathering to new heights with the help of these phenomenal rooftop restaurants and bars. From water views to city views, you'll be way up, feeling blessed. Check out our five favorite venues that'll have your head in the clouds all summer long!

Pier6 Boston
1 8th St.
Charlestown, MA

A waterfront restaurant destination with panoramic views of the city skyline and Boston Harbor. Their menu highlights many exciting flavors in some of their most classic New England dishes with a focus on fresh seafood and local ingredients.

Lookout Rooftop Bar
70 Sleeper St.
Boston, MA

The Envoy’s modern building is crowned by the Lookout Rooftop Bar. The panoramic views of the Boston skyline and Boston Harbor are unmatched in the Boston’s Innovation District. The uniquely-shaped bar is complimented by intimate seating arrangmenets and glowing fire pits. The covered seating areas have built-in ceiling mounted heaters for cool evenings. The bar also features unique house made craft cocktails, both the micro brews and wine by the glass collection compliment the innovative bar menu.

Legal Harborside
270 Northern Ave.
Boston, MA

Legal Harborside is Legal Sea Foods’ 20,000 square foot flagship property on the Boston Waterfront, comprising three floors and three different concepts under one roof. You’ll find a nod to their heritage on the first floor hull, with a casual menu of seafood favorites with a twist, an oyster bar and a market. The second floor dining room offers cuisine prepared with sensible creativity for celebratory eating and private dining events. And those that visit the third floor promenade deck will enjoy a four-season rooftop lounge with a retractable glass roof and walls for cocktails and bites.

The Revere Hotel
200 Stuart St.
Boston, MA

Sophisticated in ambiance, enchanting at every corner, this Boston rooftop pool invites you to the play at the top of the city. Seven stories above street level, enjoy a variety of carefully-crafted cocktails and seasonal snacks as you bask in the summer sun. Offering something for everyone, you’ll definitely quench your thirst and satisfy your palate at Rooftop@Revere.

The Colonnade Hotel
120 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA

Make a splash at The Colonnade this summer! Offering an exhilarating gathering place for family and friends to sip a carefully crafted cocktail after enjoying a dip in their sparkling rooftop pool. Outlined with billowing private cabanas and daybeds perfect for catching up with your closest gal pals whilst sipping from a pitcher of the hotel’s signature sangria, the RTP offers a beautiful 12-story buffer between you and the busy world below.

There's nothing better than exploring new venues throughout the city to host an event! Get acquainted and devour the details of taking your summer outing to new heights with the help of these amazing rooftop restaurants and bars!

Backyard BBQ at SoWa Open Market

Staying in the city for Memorial Day weekend? You won't want to miss this kickoff event! This Saturday and Sunday, SoWa Open Market will introduce its new series of food-centric block parties by hosting a backyard barbecue festival, at which more than 20 local food trucks will serve up barbecue and all the fixings. Yum!

For six more weekends after this one, the market will host a selection of food trucks and vendors as part of their SoWa Beer Garden and Food Truck Bazaar. Upcoming festival themes include a Boston lobster party and a sausage fest. So if you can't help but treat yourself, SoWa Market is the place to do so! Whether you're craving a burger, grilled cheese, or an ice cream sandwich, they've got you covered this summer.

Now in its 14th season, the award-winning SoWa Open Market is Boston's largest celebration of local artists, farmers, chefs, brewers and musicians. So if you didn't know, now you know! Driven by the goal of building community and supporting small businesses, the SoWa Open Market provides an opportunity for local artisans to share their products and passions. Each weekend, over 150 vendors and thousands of visitors from across New England converge in SoWa, amidst a vibrant landscape of artist studios, galleries, boutiques, and design showrooms. SoWa invites you to come and meet the makers, explore the neighborhood, and shop local!

For more information regarding their upcoming events, visit the SoWa website. The food-centric festivities are free to attend and bringing your appetitive in encouraged! Head to SoWa this weekend, next week, hell - every weekend, and devour the details of Boston's largest open market all summer long! See you at the BBQ!

There's Nothing to be Blue About When It Comes to Cake

If you plan to follow the old wedding tradition: "Something Old, Something New; Something Borrowed, Something Blue", and can't seem to find your something blue, we've got just the thing for you! Consider incorporating your 'something blue' as a design element of your wedding cake! Trust us, you won't be feeling blue for long. Check out these amazing 'something blue' cakes!

50 Shades of Blue

Don't just go with one 'something blue'! Explore all of the shades and how they compliment each other to make one stunning cake!

Blue Ombre

Not to be confused with Bad Hombre, this cake trumps all 'something blues' with its dazzling water color effect. Sure to be a YUUGGEE hit.

Alternating Blue Tiers

The darker blue against the clean white tiers really makes this cake pop!

Cinderella Inspired

If you're goal is to feel like a princess on your wedding day, then this cake display will truly make your dreams come true. Especially since this 'something blue' is the same shade as Cinderella's dress!

All Blue with Contrasting Florals

Utilize your floral arrangements to add contrast to a stunning blue cake! Pull your bouquet into the display with this sweet design.

Blue Floral Accents

Again, your floral arrangements can come into play with something like this cake display! If you choose to go with blue flowers, which we absolutely love, add them to your cake for the ultimate pop of color!

It doesn't get much sweeter than these stunning ideas! Devour the details of the 'something blue' tradition and remember, there's nothing to be blue about when it comes to cake!

Six Sides to Try on the Grill This Summer

Summer is so close, we can taste the salty air and feel the sand beneath our toes! One thing we've already noticed, especially as Memorial Day approaches, is the smell of some good old barbequing. Anything cooked on the grill accompanies the warm weather so well. That's why today, we're bringing you six sides you can char for that added sizzle to accompany any meal all summer long. Yum!

Avocados

These can be stuffed and served solo or diced and sprinkled on top of a salad, either way, you'll definitely add grilled avocado to your favorite meals all summer long!

Fruit

What's better than fresh fruit in the summer? Caramelized fresh fruit! The grill intensifies the natural sweetness while infusing an unexpected smoke flavor. Is you mouth watering yet?

Bacon

Sure, you may add bacon to your burger in the summer months, but have you actually tried scorching it a bit on the grill before using it as a topping? Make sure to use thick-cut bacon and grill the slices over a medium flame to slowly crisp them up without burning. Mmmm, bacon!

Cornbread

One of our favorite summertime accompaniments is cornbread! This unexpecting side can pack a whole lot of flavor. Turn cornbread into a sweet and smokey snack by charring it on the grill and slathering it with some chive butter!

Edamame

We've never seen edamame grilled before but we're dying to try it out! The saltiness of these gems intensifies when it meets the smokiness of the barbeque. A snack you won't be able to put down this summer!

Doughnuts

Serve these untraditional pastries with whipped cream and fresh berries for the perfect summertime dessert. Get the recipe here.

We hope these six sides have got you excited for grillin' season and you're getting ready to devour the details of every meal this summer!

Monday Mashups: Less Is More with Nestea

Over the last decade, minimalists have been able to follow their dreams when it comes to comfortable living at a condensed rate with the boom in tiny houses. This movement has shown the world how less can be so much more for people across the globe. Many companies have been inspired by this change, especially those in the food and beverage industry; utilizing only natural ingredients and keeping product recipes as simple and transparent as possible. Recently, Nestlé Water used a tiny-house activation to launch a line of Nestea drinks, emphasizing the idea of paring down to the bare essentials. The event supported the company’s new “less is more” slogan behind a group of reformulated teas that have been stripped of artificial ingredients.

Held Wednesday, May 17 in Herald Square Park, directly across the street from the flagship location of Macy’s, the event was expected to draw more than 10,000 passersby but attracted an additional 2,000 visitors thanks to free tea on the city’s hottest day of the year to date. Thank you Mother Nature! The tiny house included brand messaging such as Nestea’s logo on the doors and welcome mat, along with paintings of the tea-purveyor’s simplistic bottle design. The activation also included carts that held iced-tea bottles, large Adirondack chairs, and a topiary rendering of the Nestea name.

To design the house, Nestlé enlisted the help of personalities behind the lifestyle blogs Inspired By Charm, Southern Bite, and Hapa Time, which all exemplify the message of living a simpler life. We support the inclusion of these bloggers 100%! Brand activations become so much more successful when consumers can vouch for the product.

The event was staffed by a dozen brand ambassadors and featured an appearance by actress Anna Camp, whom Karen Ress, Vice President and General Manager of tea brands for Nestlé Waters, described as having a “less is more” lifestyle. Best known for her role in the movie Pitch Perfect, Camp “grew up in Georgia and drank iced tea on the porch with her mother and grandmother,” Ress said. Camp is also married to Pitch Perfect co-star Skylar Astin, whom we adore. We can totally picture this perfect couple indulging in Nestea's new ice teas this summer just as Camp did when she was growing up!

This brand activation was the first creation of its kind for Nestea but Manhattan won't be the only place you'll see their tiny house popping up. That's right! They're taking the portable space on the road and making stops in cities such as Boston and Chicago in the coming months. Keep your eyes peeled this summer for Nestea's reformulated beverages and stop by to devour the details of their minimalist experience in a city near you!

Spend Your Summer Glamping at Sandy Pines

Glamping, as defined by Urban Dictionary, is going camping, but with a touch of glamour; a combination of the two words. It's like regular camping, but with nicer things than usual, being warmer, and more comfortable. Glamping pivots on a high level of service that focuses on the complete ease of the guests. The amenities found at glamping destinations far exceed anything recreational campers experience. And Sandy Pines Campground in Kennebunkport, Maine knows how to provide just that! Perfect for a birthday getaway, girls night out or bachelorette party, you'll definitely want to book your glamping weekend at this campground!

Sandy Pines is a new 320-site campground with plenty of spaces for old-fashioned tent and RV camping, but for those who want to chic up their camping experience, there will be 12 glamp tents available all summer long (two to rent and 10 to buy)! The one-of-a-kind, 430-square-foot luxe tents will each include a bed, seating area, lights, a mini fridge, heaters, fans, a deck, sheets, towels, and access to a shared bathhouse. Each of the tents was furnished by an interior designer and has a theme, such as “Nomad: A Bohemian Retreat” and “Nautical Nights.” Inside the tents, visitors will find special touches, such as antique furnishings and a chandelier made of oyster shells, making the experience 'oh so glamorous'!

The campground opens June 24, and you can rent a tent for between $129 to $149 per night beginning July 3. Glampers using the tents must stay a minimum of three nights in the months of July and August. Not a bad price to split between a few people! Sandy Pines Campground, formerly known as Salty Acres Campground, was purchased by Kennebunkport hoteliers Tim Harrington and Debra Lennon last summer. The new owners poured $5 million into the camping facility, updating the entire infrastructure and adding upscale amenities such as the glamp tents.

Among the tall pine trees and saltwater marshes are the revamped campground amenities that include a general store, a farm stand, an old-fashioned ice cream cart, a heated saltwater pool, rentals for bikes, paddle boards, and kayaks, a playground, a craft tent for kids, and a lobster delivery service.
That’s right: The campground will deliver lobsters, either alive or precooked, right to your tent. What an accommodation! You can count us in on doing this! If you want some added fun to your trip, Sandy Pines Campground is just minutes from pristine Goose Rocks Beach and bustling Dock Square, filled with shopping, restaurants, and art galleries. Many places to explore!

Get ready to spend your summer glamping and devour the details of an outdoor experience unlike any other (including a lobster delivery service) at Sandy Pines Campground in Kennebunkport, Maine!

Wedding Wednesdays: A Big Bang NYC Ceremony

It only seems appropriate that actor Jim Parsons would marry longtime partner, Todd Spiewak, at such a 'big bang' of a wedding! You may recall, Parsons came out via a New York Times profile in 2012, which confirmed that he was in a committed 10-year relationship. In the fall, the four-time Emmy winner for lead actor in a comedy series posted a throwback Instagram photo commemorating the pair's 14th anniversary, featuring the couple at karaoke. It was about time they tied the knot! The beautiful ceremony was held Saturday at New York's legendary Rainbow Room, on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Elegance was clearly the theme. It all started with the grooms rocking matching classic black tuxes with millennial pink boutonnières for their vows, which were officiated by wedding planner and good friend Melissa McNeeley. After the 'I dos', Parsons and Spiewak worked in a wardrobe change ahead of their wedding reception. Parsons opted for a Tom Ford tux with a burgundy velvet jacket, while his new husband oozed Old Hollywood glamour in a white number from the same designer.The couple promised more pictures to come on Instagram!

If you're a fan of the show, you know that Parsons' weekend wedding allows the actor to have his metaphorical (wedding) cake and eat it too. "The Big Bang Theory" ended its 10th season on a cliffhanger with Parsons' character, Sheldon Cooper, proposing to his longtime girlfriend. We hope that that proposal will get a resolution as lovely as his real life relationship did. Definitely can't wait to find out!

We hope that Parsons and Spiewak's exuded elegance, with the help of Ms. McNeeley's planning, has inspired you to devour the details of your own beautiful wedding. A big congratulations to this amazing couple! Cheers to many more years of love, laughs and karaoke!

Track Down the Lululemon Test Truck!

When you hear 'Lululemon Test Truck' we're sure a lot of questions come to mind; are they collaborating with a food truck? Is it a mobile pop up shop? Are they going to yoga festivals and selling gear out of the back of a pick-up? It's actually none of those things. The popular athletic apparel brand is actually in the midst of a national activation tour to get runners to try out their gear in a tricked-out truck. Check it out!

Dubbed the "More Than Miles" tour, Lululemon will be crisscrossing the United States and Canada this year in its Test Truck—a flashy, chromed-out truck transporting a state-of-the-art treadmill. It’s essentially a mobile product-testing lab for the apparel brand’s running gear, since runners and passersby can jump onto the truck and put its tights and tees to the test. It has also become a meet-up for local runners to connect and train together.

The truck will pop up in 22 cities this year and sends out clues as to where it will pop up next in each city, and runners can share their experiences with the hashtag #thetesttruck. The tour comes with a sweet surprise: Runners get to keep the clothes they try on in the truck. Whether it’s popping up on a city street or at the Los Angeles and Boston marathons, the Test Truck is reaching runners where they are, and getting Lululemon running clothes into their hands. It really gets the brand outside the four walls of their stores to be with runners in their space, on their turf.

The Test Truck’s next U.S. stop is Minneapolis, and it will hit San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, and Philadelphia before wrapping up in New York this fall before the New York City Marathon. The tour also has a Canadian leg, with stops in seven cities including Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.

After dominating the yoga world and moving away from the "athleisure" market, it only makes sense that Lululemon add dressing marathoners to their repertoire. We love watching companies like this grow and can't wait to see how they devour the details of their consumer base over the coming years!

Monday Mashups: Brewin' Up a Prom

Member of the Fermentation District, Bone Up Brewing Company will be hosting a Friday night fling alongside local brewers, Night Shift Brewing and Short Path Distillery, May 19th. We promise, you won't want to miss this formal event! Prom attire is not required but highly recommended for a trip down memory lane (and a good laugh). Each location will have drink specials, and for those of you who don your best outfits and make your way to all three spots (getting your Fermentation District passport stamped along the way, of course) you'll be entered in a raffle of great gear from the crew!

Here's what's going down at Bone Up Brewing Company for this pay as you drink prom! Their beertail program is officially kicking off. You can come in and mix and match Bone Up beers for new and delightful flavor combinations including Naked Life, The Love Doctor and Go Home Kurt. To pair with these mad scientist creations, Daddy's Bonetown Burgers is truckin' in their juicy burgers and loaded tots for another condiment showdown! Bone Up will have groovin' warm weather music floating through the airwaves all evening. As an added bonus, they'll be kicking the price down on our popular Fermentation District t-shirts so you can show your support of the neighborhood!

At Night Shift Brewing, DJ-Wall will be spinnin' the raddest tunes imaginable for your dancing needs! The answer is yes, he will be taking requests. They will also have Henna Inspired: Artwork and Design by Karyn Alzayer set up to decorate you. Henna Inspired provides temporary designs drawn artfully by hand, made from safe, natural, homemade henna paste. We've never seen a henna artist at a prom before but we can't wait to try it out! Munch Mobile Kitchen will also be out on the patio serving their deliciously upscale dishes. The patio bar at Night Shift will be set up, so you won't have to leave the "great outdoors" to get another beer, and rumor has it they may just have something special on draft at the patio bar!

Whether your attending with friends, have a date or are going stag, the Fermentation District ensures you'll have a better time than you did in high school. Join these local brewers this Friday and devour the details of brew-tiful prom!

1st Annual Boston Pickle Fair!

Every time someone mentions pickles...

And trust us, we're crazy about them too! That's why today, we're bringing you, a whole event, dedicated to pickles. That's right! On June 17, you can join all the pickle lovers out there in celebrating the art of pickling at the Boston Pickle Fair. Yum!

Pickle and fermentation vendors will come together for a country fair held at the Innovation and Design Building in Boston, Saturday, June 17 from 11AM to 5PM. It's set to be a dill-lightful day of music, demonstrations, home pickling contests, games and samples from some all star pickle companies. Get your taste buds ready!

The Boston Pickle Fair has got us so excited, we thought we'd share some pickle facts  by MobileCuisine.com before attending!

• Pickles have been around since ancient times, although there is some disagreement as to when exactly in history people started eating them.  Some believe the first pickle was created in Mesopotamia in 2400 B.C.E. Others believe it was as early as 2030 B.C.E.
• The phrase “in a pickle” was first introduced by Shakespeare in his play, The Tempest. The quotes read, “How cam’st thou in this pickle?” and “I have been in such a pickle”
• November 14th is National Pickle Day.
• Cleopatra ate pickles because she believed they were one of the things that helped her stay beautiful.
• Approximately 100,000 to 125,000 acres are devoted to growing pickling cucumbers in the United States.
• In the U.S., pickles are made in 30 of the 50 states with Michigan and North Carolina making the most pickles.
• Kool-aid pickles are made by soaking dill pickles in strong kool-aid and are very popular in parts of Mississippi.
• A town in Michigan that claims to be the Christmas Pickle Capital of the World holds an annual pickle parade led by the Grand Dillmeister.
• You can hear the crunch of a good pickle at 10 paces.
• According to the U.S. Supreme Court, pickles are technically a “fruit” of the vine (like tomatoes), but they are generally known as a vegetable.
• During WWII the U.S. Government tagged 40 percent of all pickle production for the ration kits of the armed forces.
• Americans consume more than 9 pounds of pickles per person annually.1
• In Connecticut in order for a pickle to officially be considered a pickle, it must bounce. (provided by Austin Greenwood)

Can you believe some of those? So much we didn't know about pickles. We are definitely excited to learn more from the experts at the Boston Pickle Fair! Join us as we devour the details of the art of pickling June 17 at the Boston Innovation and Design building.

Wedding Wednesdays: Started From the Bottom

Now we here! Here as in the top of Mount Everest that is. Adventure-seeking couple, Ashley Schmeider and James Sisson, were both drawn to the idea of eloping during an incredible vacation. Little did they know just where that idea would take them. They researched and planned for a year and then schlepped everything they needed from California to get married on the infamous Nepal mountain.

The pair had previously climbed as high as 14,000 feet before. They spent three weeks trekking up to a Mount Everest base camp 17,000 feet above sea level, encountering altitude sickness and near-frost bite on this particular climb. The entire journey was documented by specialist adventure wedding photographer Charleton Churchill, who traveled with Schmeider and Sisson from California. And the photos? Absolutely stunning! The conditions behind the scenes were a little less than desirable, but that didn’t stop the pictures from coming out beautifully.

On the wedding day, the temperature ranged from minus 5 degrees to 5 degrees. Schmieder, in particular, had to focus on keeping warm in her strapless wedding dress. The couple wore boots, beanies and sunglasses with their black-tie attire, and Schmieder ultimately covered her arms with a wrap. The daring couple exchanged vows and rings at base camp and every moment was captured by Churchill. You can view photos from the whole adventure here.

Consider taking your wedding day to new heights like these newly weds and devour the details of an unforgettable start to your marriage! Cheers to Mr. and Mrs. Sisson!

Got It From My Momma: Handmade Gifts for Mom

We all love our moms! It's a fact; we wouldn't be here without them. Share in the celebration of recognizing them for all they do this Sunday with a handmade gift! Check out these DIYs perfect for all the moms in your life.

Rose and Lavender Bath Bombs

Baths are always a bit more magical when there's bubbles and fizz involved (and we're not just talking about a glass of champagne). Treat your mom to a relaxing day with a beautifully scented bath bomb. She might ask you for these year round!

Wine & Chocolate

We love everything pineapple and pineapple-inspired. This is definitely a fun way to dress up a wine bottle and include some chocolate! Perfect for any mom who could use a night to relax. Find out how to create this masterpiece here.

Crochet Market Tote

A fashion forward but durable, easy to make, bag for moms that frequent the market! Learn how to crochet this tote here.

Raspberry Lemon Sugar Scrub

Every mom likes to be pampered. Jar up that experience for your mom with this easy DIY sugar scrub!

Wine Rack

You've come a long way from the days of making Mother's Day gifts with elbow macaroni and glue. Show your mom just how handy you are with this beautiful wine rack! (It's easier to make than it looks!)

You got it from your Momma--now it's time to give a little back to her! We hope this has inspired you to devour the details of a handmade gift for all the moms in your life this Mother's Day. Love ya Mom!