I wanted to share this wonderful piece by a great Boston Designer, Cynthia Driscoll, who has done some incredible work over the years. She has just completed her big project on Nantucket. If you are in Boston stop by here store on Charles Street to say hello! Here is a piece written by Cynthia. Enjoy!

We love Nantucket! Every part of the island is great, but we especially like being near the town center where we can walk to restaurants, shops and beaches. There’s nothing like waking before everyone else and wandering to the nearest bakery for a cup of coffee and a freshly baked pastry. Sometimes I even return with a bag of goodies for the late sleepers.
After years of being renters, this winter we had the opportunity to purchase our own house. The place was a mess after seven years of being a “rental mill.” If you’re not sure of the term, it’s a house that’s rented out to anybody, any time, with few or no restrictions. We’ve had four months to restore the house and it’s looking pretty good. Exterior and interior paint, refinished floors, all new furniture and lighting are some of the improvements. One of our terms in the purchase agreement was to have every piece of furniture, every dish, every towel removed from the house. It was quite a nasty place.
As a designer, I wanted the house to look chic, but comfortable and livable. I decided to use some modern elements with clean lines, but also a bit of whimsy.
Here are some pics of our house:
The farmers porch is fabulous! I don’t know why and I almost don’t dare say it out loud, but we haven’t had any mosquitoes in the evening. There are eight Adirondacks, four rockers and four classics on the porch. And yes, tables beside each for our evening beverages.

Coming into the entry is a rustic white washed table that holds a giant clam shell as well as green and turquoise sea glass bottles. Yes, there are two bottles on the lucite brackets secretly held in place with mounting tape.

The next pic is of the living room. With tongue in cheek, I placed a coffee table between a sofa and two chairs. The table top is called cheese stone (Swiss, I assume) and has huge natural holes throughout. You need to be careful where you put your glass. It’s part of our sobriety test. The stone weighs about 400 pounds and is on a stainless steel base. The color theme is blue and turquoise and has other surprises on the wall that you’ll see in the next pic.
Silver leafed fish are swimming the walls of the living room. The big ones are chasing the small ones and the small ones are getting away…..so far. There are nine of these large specimens swimming around the room.

The dining room seats 10. The top is a huge, thick slab of wood. It’s irregular edges are a great contrast to the stainless steel base. The white chairs are copies of a mid-century Panton chair. They are funky looking, very comfortable and extremely durable. The lighting fixture is modern with lots of strands of crystals hanging from a stainless steel rod. I like to dim it and put lots of candles on the length of the table.

As you can see, I’ve had lots of fun with this project. It’s a great house with five bedrooms all with ensuite bathrooms. Everyone gets their own personal space. Some of the bedrooms have their own tv’s if one seeks alone time. There’s a family room tv and in the finished basement a 65″ television to be enjoyed from motorized recliners. OMG, this place sounds fabulous! And it is.
More pics later so stay tuned.

If you would like to rent a few weeks at this fabulous house reach out to: danielle@bostonchicblog.com

I’m stepping in and taking over today’s Boston Chic blog from my wife. I felt the need to write a short sports blog for all the sports fans out there, in order to add another dynamic to this already great site….shameless plug.

The sport of futball or football or soccer (Christ why are the so many names) has captivated the American public over the past month during this World Cup and as an avid sports enthusiast, I can only hope that it continues to grow here in the U.S. (I need something to fill the lull between NHL playoffs and the start of “American football”. And why shouldn’t it? It has all the key elements that make all sports great. Great rivalries? Check. Exceptional athletes. Check. Deep competitiveness. Check Overpaid primadonas? Double check. Said primadonas bitching about all their calls? Triple Check (Ronaldo), and last but not least…..flopping. I mean let’s be serious for a minute, some of these Nancy’s looked like they got sniped by a bee outta nowhere before they were touched by the opponent and then rolled around on the ground like it was fifth grade and the fire department was teaching the stop drop and roll routine. Just a pitiful display of sportsmanship. But………in the world of soccer or whatever you want to call it, it works. let’s be straight I am only talking about the rest of the world when I make these snide comments. The US made me proud and kept tha BS to an absolute minimum, and played a tournament they should be proud of.

So what is stopping soccer from catching on like the other big 4 sports? It can’t be the egregious flopping, we have that in extreme prevalence in the NBA (lebron) and in the NHL (all of Montreal……god I hate them) and both those sports are dominating in the US market. I thought it was lack of the superstar, jordanesqe status of the MLS players but Beckham proved that wasn’t the case either. This is a stumper.

I don’t know what it is, and welcome an open discussion in the comment section, but if the MLS can put out the kind of product I witnessed in the World Cup with all the competitiveness, blood, sweat, and tears. Sign me up. I had a great time watching our boys play on the world stage and even more so, Tim Howard putting on a clinic on what it is to carry your team on your back and put yourself in the record books at the same time. Bravo. Well done to the entire team. I can only hope MLS can now step up sustain this buzz because it would be a shame to let it go another four years to see some great soccer. Happy Fourth of July folks, while we didn’t win it all, it always good to be an American. God bless

Sorry, I have been MIA for quite a few days. I have this awful cold that I just can’t get rid of and its really put a damper on our time on the island this past week.  Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to do all the fun things that we like to do, but we are trying to make the best of it while I take it easy.

Taking it easy, meant let’s go grab some fresh strawberries at Bartlett farm in Nantucket. We were able to go out into the field and pick these wonderful fresh strawberries that were fantastic! I threw together this quick, easy and somewhat healthy a few nights ago. Strawberries with angel food cake and fresh whipped cream! Delightful!

Fresh Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

1 pt. whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar (confectioners) or Splenda or Stevia in the Raw
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Pour whipping cream into a medium to large sized bowl.

Beat the cream with an electric mixer, about 3 to 4 minutes, until it starts to become firm.

Then add the powdered sugar and continue beating.

Once the powdered sugar is mixed in add the vanilla.

Continue beating with electric mixer until your whipped cream is firm, but smooth. About another minute or two.

You don’t want to over beat it because it will turn to butter.

Let me know what you think of making your own Fresh Whipping Cream. It is so good, I love it. I always love hearing from you.

We tried out this recipe yesterday and woke up this morning to make it. The last time we had a fabulous cold brew was in Italy. They make ice coffee like this all the time. This is not only very strong but its delicious. I like to add almond milk and water to my batch to dilute it a bit more. Enjoy!

1. Grind 1/2 lb. of coffee beans to medium grind. Not too fine, not too coarse. We just used store bought coffee already ground and it worked perfectly.

2. Spoon coffee into a large jar or a pitcher.

3. Add 9 cups of room temperature filtered water.

4. Using a long wooden spoon, stir gently until the coffee grounds on top are incorporated into the water. Don’t stir again after this step.

5. Cover jar and let sit at room temperature, without stirring, for 12-16 hours.

6. Strain the cold brew through a chinois or fine mesh strainer set over a large measuring cup or bowl. If you don’t have one, then line a medium mesh strainer with 3-4 layers of damp cheesecloth or a damp kitchen towel. You’ll have about 8 cups of coffee. Then, transfer the coffee to a jar, seal, and keep in your refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. To serve, pour the coffee over ice. Add milk or water to dilute, if desired.

It’s right around the corner! I can’t believe how fast June flew by. I’m getting ready for the 4th already! Here are a few things I will be whipping up this year. These are easy to make and look very festive as well. Enjoy!

Red, White and Blue Strawberries
Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 30 mins Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 8+

Red, white and blue strawberries are a simple and festive way to celebrate the 4th of July.
Ingredients
Strawberries
White chocolate chips or Wilton white chocolate candy melts
Blue sugar sprinkles
Instructions
Wash the strawberries and let them dry completely. (If they are still wet, the chocolate will not stick to the berries.)
Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring it occasionally, until it is smooth and runny.
Pour blue sprinkles into another bowl.
Dip the strawberries in the white chocolate to cover roughly ⅔ of each berry with white chocolate.
Let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl and wipe away any globs of chocolate at the end of the berry.
Then dip the strawberry into the blue sprinkles to cover roughly the bottom ⅓ of the berry with a blue stripe.
Place the dipped strawberries on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper.
Place the berries, uncovered, in the refrigerator to harden.
Store leftover berries in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Chocolate-covered strawberries are best when eaten within 1 or 2 days of being made.

Born Free

1½ oz. SVEDKA Stars & Stripes
1 oz. watermelon schnapps
½ oz. cranberry juice
½ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. simple syrup
¼ oz. blue curacao
Soda water

To make simple syrup, mix equal oz. hot water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add watermelon schnapps and cranberry juice over ice. Carefully add lemon, simple syrup, and vodka as to layer the white layer, then very carefully layer the blue curacao to create the color separation, and gently top with soda.

Source: SVEDKA

It’s been a big baby year! I have been to so many wonderful baby showers over this past year. We just went to a Jack and Jill shower this weekend for a good friend of mine. Its always a great time with these two and we are looking forward to meeting their little one soon. I loved the baby desserts they had this weekend, so cute. These baby Nutter Butters are a great idea! Not only did they look cute but they were delish! I posted the recipe below, just in case you want to make your own! So cute!

We also, made it to the BAA 10k early Sunday morning. And boy oh boy were we not prepared for the heat! It was a hot one. All of us were happy to finish. It’s always nice to have a goal to do a few running events over the year. It’s fun to get together and it also keeps you motivated to keep training. At the end of the race we celebrate by heading to a great restaurant in Boston. I had to take everyone to my favorite spot Cinquecento in the South End. Not only is the dinner amazing, but the Brunch is also one of the best on  Sunday’s. Then we headed over to SOWA to do a little shopping. It was quite the weekend of fun!

Nutter Butter Babies (Baby Shower)

Total Time:
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
40 mins
40 mins
0 mins

4 ounces pink candy melts (I used white candy melts with pink food coloring)

4 ounces blue candy melts
16 round white chocolate candy melts, unmelted (faces)
black decorating gel (and a fine-tipped paint brush)
16 Nutter Butter sandwich cookies
wax paper
Directions:

1
In a small dish, microwave (50% power) the pink candy melts. Don’t over cook. If you do, add a small bit of vegetable shortening.
2
Pink Babies: Dip 8 Nutter Butter cookies into the pink candy, the place on wax paper to set up. Before the candy shell hardens, press a round white candy melt into the upper section of the cookie, creating the baby’s face. Allow to harden.
3
Blue Babies: Repeat the above directions. Allow to harden.
4
When the candy coating has hardened, squirt a little bit of black decorating gel onto the wax paper. Using a fine-tipped paint brush, draw the baby’s eyes, nose, and mouth on the white candy melt. You can also create those features by piping icing, but I find it easier to draw them.
5
Allow to harden, then serve.

Recipe: food.com

Since I have been on Nantucket for this past week, I am starting to revamp my summer wardrobe. That means a lot of my old outfits are off to be donated and a few things are heading to the consignment shop. I have been absolutely loving the fringe cross body bags found on the runway, fashion magazines and blogs. I have found a bunch on the island that are quite pricey and I know I will end up using the bag for one season.I found this one below! Its a great alternative to spending a whole bunch and using it for a short period of time, until the next fabulous piece comes out.

Most of you who know me best, know that I am a freak when it comes to the summer sun on my face. The last thing I want at my age is to look older. Every year, I like to invest in a sun friendly hat, one that doesn’t make me look like a Nana and a great face lotion. This primer and SPF from MAC is great. I use it daily before I put on any make up or powder.

Click on pics below to get yours! Enjoy the day!

Here is another one of my favorite summer time recipes and a great substitute to replace those “white carbs” and its really good!  This recipe is easy to make and its a great colorful dish to serve as a main course or as a side. You can even get creative and pop a fried egg on top.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 small sweet potatoes or yams, baked
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn*
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
For the Vinaigrette:
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a can of chipotles in adobo)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions

In a bowl, add the black beans, corn, onions, and cilantro. Stir to combine. In a smaller bowl, mix together the lime zest and juice, oil, honey, adobo, salt and pepper. Pour over the black bean mixture and toss to combine. Slice open the baked sweet potatoes ( you can put them in the microwave for 10 min. Make sure you poke them first so they don’t explode!). Stuff potatoes with the Chipotle Black Bean & Corn Salad. Serve.
Notes

*Fresh corn is best, but when out of season, frozen (thawed and cooked) or canned is fine. If using canned, be sure to rinse and drain thoroughly.

Serves: 4

by: Alaskafromscratch

Well, we had quite the fun filled day in Nantucket! I got this gorgeous bracelet! Yes, Nick has great taste! I absolutely love it and I have been wearing it since I opened it at midnight. I know I am beyond obsessed!  We also headed to SurfSide Beach to enjoy a great beach day as well as a bike ride to the Cisco Brewery. I think I found my favorite summer vino at Cisco, Nantucket Vineyards Blueberry Pinot Gris. It was so refreshing and great for a summer cocktail on a hot island day. It’s a must try. Next time you are on Nantucket you must head to the Cisco Brewery; great beers, vino and Triple 8 cocktails. Cisco even has live music at 4:30 that is great! We like to get there right at 4:30 to get a seat and grab some snacks from the food truck and raw bar. Fresh shrimp for 147 Raw and fried calamari from the food truck with Thai sauce, to die for!!! If you are looking for a great summer vacation or wedding anniversary celebration book your boat now and head to Nantucket. More to come!

It’s been three years since our big day! And what a BIG day it was. I absolutely loved our wedding in the city with all of our friends and family. I couldn’t ask for anything better than being married to my best friend. Let the adventures continue! xoxo D

Here are a few pics to remember that wonderful day!