Homemade ice cream at Area Four

With the last few weeks of summer fast approaching, our social calendars are more jam-packed than ever. Worth making room for is The Country Club at Area Four, which promise lawn games, cocktails, and old-fashioned ice cream in celebration of the spot’s one-year anniversary.   

Get a group together for a game of lawn darts, bocce, croquet, and more on the green at Technology Square. Afterward, try Area Four’s summer cocktails, such as the Vermont-made vodka, cranberry, and prosecco Cape Codder or the gin- and cucumber-based G & T. Don’t leave without a cone of homemade ice cream, served on the sidewalk patio between 2:30 and 5 PM, Monday through Saturday. Flavors to try are peanut butter and mixed berry sorbet twist, strawberry, and spearmint. 500 Technology Square, Cambridge, 617-758-4444

Yoga instructor Sadie Nardini

Yogis, get ready for a weekend of back bends and sun salutations. The first annual Nantucket Yoga Festival will take place at Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm from July 26 to 28, and will feature classes and workshops led by internationally acclaimed yoga teachers and specialists, such as instructor Sadie Nardini and Vaidya Jagdish Vaidya, an Ayurvedic Physician.

This community event will bring yoga-lovers and health enthusiasts together under one tent to enjoy educational lectures and delicious organic food by chef Peter Wallace. In addition to the inspiring classes and workshops available, the festival will feature aerial acrobat Michelle Dortignac, documentary film maker Suzanne Bryant, and spoken word artist Dreaming Bear. A vendor village including clothing, jewelry and craft booths will be open to the public. One-day ($125) or three-day ($295) can be purchased online advance.

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Spectators on the shores of Newport Harbor

 

The Moët Chandon Champagne lounge

 

The race into Newport Harbor

 

Oracle Team USA Spithill

 

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The America’s Cup Season Final returned to Newport, Rhode Island for a weekend of boating and Champagne-fueled fêtes. In the end, the title went to Oracle Team USA.

Celebrations began on Friday night (June 29) with the 18th America’s Cup Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony presented by title sponsor Louis Vuitton. Former racers Patrizio Bertelli, Jonathan Wright, and Gerard Lambert were inducted during a gala dinner at Newport’s Marble House mansion.

On Saturday, spectators either had VIP viewing passes at Club 45 or brought their chairs down to the lawn to watch the eight boats race in Newport Harbor. Refreshments were plenty with miniature bottles of bubbly from the Moët & Chandon Champagne lounge, Belgium beer from the Stella Artois biergarten, and Napa Valley wines.

That evening, Moët & Chandon held a cocktail party at The Breakers mansion before the America’s Cup Finals party. Ludovic du Plessis, the company’s vice president, opened bottles of Grand Vintage dating from 1983 to the last year the races were held in Newport.

Among those toasting were Newport mayor Stephen Waluk, America’s Cup Event Authority president Stephen Barclay, and racing legends Russell Coutts and Jimmy Spithill, who were the two skippers of the Oracle USA teams in the finals. The weather remained picture perfect until the awards ceremony, where Oracle Team USA Spithill was crowned the 2011-12 America’s Cup World Series Champion. The team also claimed the Fleeting Racing Championship for the season. Sweden’s Artemis Racing was the winner of the Match Racing Championship, conducted for the first time this year.

Steak and lobster at Del Frisco's

Few things pair more perfectly than a stiff bourbon and a juicy steak. Indulge a night of both at the Del Frisco’s Angel’s Envy Bourbon Dinner ($85 per person) on July 11. The evening will include a bourbon discussion and tasting led by Lincoln Henderson, an inaugural member of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame and the founder of Angel’s Envy Kentucky straight bourbon. The Angel’s Envy batch diners will taste, along with Del Frisco's dishes like smoked salmon belly, prime New York strip, filet mignon, and pineapple upside down cake, was finished in port wine barrels this past spring. (6:30 PM) 250 Northern Ave., 617-345-3941

Back Bay resident Christy Scott Cashman knows her way around a film set. Not only is she a founding partner of Boston's Saint Aire productions, Cashman has also written three feature-length film scripts, acted in more than 20 feature films, and executive produced 2010’s Oscar-nominated The Kids are All Right. With a busy schedule and new projects always looming, Cashman still makes time to support charities close to her heart, such as the American Red Cross and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, among others. This spring, Cashman was awarded Woman of the Year award by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and set the record for most money raised in Massachusetts. We talked to the Jill of all trades about her lead role in this month’s The Love Guide, a screenplay she penned that premieres in Boston today.

The Love Guide is about a woman who agrees to be on reality TV to try and save her chicken farm. What inspired the story?
CHRISTY SCOTT CASHMAN: It was from raising chickens with my kids; and my dad had chickens when I was growing up in Brevard, North Carolina.

Parker Posey plays the role of Angelica Lovecraft—the kooky lifestyle guru behind the reality show—to perfection. Did you write the part specifically for her? 
CSC: No, but Parker totally made Angelica her own!  

You’ve pledged 100 percent of the film’s premiere proceeds to Friends of Boston’s Homeless and The Farm at Boston’s Long Island Shelter. What made you choose those two organizations?
CSC: There isn’t a better fit for this film. I love John Rosenthal [founder and president of Friends of Boston’s Homeless] and I think very highly of him and Friends of Boston’s Homeless. The agricultural program at the Long Island Shelter is such a fantastic idea. Give a man an egg and you have fed him for the day, teach him to farm and you have fed him for life!

Now that the film is out, what are your plans for summer?
CSC: Relaxing on Strong Island with my kids and chickens and reading a lot! 

A classic mojito at RumBa

Experience the flavors of the Caribbean in the heart of Boston at RumBa, the InterContinetal hotel’s newly renovated waterfront bar. Tripled in size and sporting a new 360-degree outdoor bar—complete with lounge and cocktail seating—RumBa combines a classic Boston view and a festive escape. 

Tropical drinks run the gamut from tiki drinks to classic cocktails to RumBa signatures. Try one of the five flavors of mojitos, or opt for the refreshing cucumber martini, made with Hendrick’s Gin, Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka, muddled English cucumbers, and lime juice. You also can’t go wrong with the classic Hemingway Daiquiri, made with 10 Cane Rum, and the super-potent Zombie. 

In addition to upwards of 30 cocktails, RumBa also serves island-inspired bar bites. Notable dishes include tilapia fish tacos, pork belly sliders with pineapple-cilantro marmalade, and raw bar plates. Less Caribbean but equally delicious are the quail egg-topped steak tartare, truffled potato chips, and duck and goat cheese flatbread with fig balsamic and arugula.

Stop by for Mojito Mondays, happening every Monday from June 4 through September (4 PM–12 AM). A signature mojito menu and complimentary tastings will also be offered weekly in celebration of Bacardi’s 150th anniversary. 510 Atlantic Ave, 617-747-1000

Local interior design maven Jennifer Glickman scored a guest spot in HGTV’s new White Room Challenge series, and the episode airs tonight. The challenge? Glickman and her fellow contestants must transform stark white rooms using collectables and other décor, while incorporating unorthodox items like dog food. The owner of Glickman Designs, Glickman is known for her keen eye and design portfolio, which includes revamps of restaurants and venues such as Chez Henri, Alden Castle, and the State Room, as well elegant residential spaces. We caught up with the designer to talk about the challenge and her best summer décor tips.  

What did you take away from the show experience?
JENNIFER GLICKMAN: I have such a respect for the work involved in creating these shows. The networks make design more accessible and interesting to everyone.

In the last few years there has been an emerging eco-friendly trend in popular culture. How can people recycle or refurbish their furniture to add a trendy vibe to their home? 
JG: There are so many ways to reinvent your space with what you have. You can mix up your furniture plan and create a new layout with your existing furniture, or repurpose your pieces by applying new finishes to them. New finishes such as paint or fabric give tired pieces a whole new life. To keep it trendy, add patterns, colors, and textures that are new and current.

What are your tips for organizing random objects without making a space look cluttered or outdated? 
JG: I cannot stand random dust-collecting tchotchkes scattered around a room without a purpose. Grouping related items together will make your space seem less random and more intentionally designed. Repetition always makes a big impact in a space!

How can homeowners easily change-up their décor for summer?
JG: One of my new favorite trends is temporary wallpaper. You peel and stick. I mean, how much easier can that get? If you don't want to completely renovate your space, go for accessories. If you really want to make an impact, though, try to carry it across your entire space, not just one corner of a room.

Are you currently working on any local projects?
JG: Yes, I'm in the beginning stages of a great modern loft in the South End, just started a loft on Congress St, wrapped up Alden Castle, ongoing with a few houses in Nantucket, and Restaurant Dante’s outdoor bar.

Accessories designer Kara Ross is known for her transformative approach to jewelry, which often incorporates unconventional elements. Her hand-carved wood pieces, sold exclusively by private appointment, are perhaps the best example of her groundbreaking work. Now admirers who want to take a peek at this extraordinary jewelry can simply head to the Museum of Fine Arts, which recently acquired one of her showstoppers as part of its exhibition "Jewels, Gems, and Treasures: Ancient to Modern." "I use a lot of hand-carved wood in my fine jewelry line. It's an unexpected material, but when done in the right way, these pieces can sit beside any fine jewelry piece anywhere," says Ross.

Guy Bedarida

Stylishly dressed and sporting colorful bracelets from the John Hardy Naga collection, it’s impossible to miss Guy Bedarida when he enters a room. Formerly a designer for Van Cleef & Arpels—where he created custom pieces for celebrities—Bedarida paid John Hardy’s Bali-based studio a visit in 1999 and fell deeply in love with the island and the brand. Today, Bedarida serves as creative and head designer for John Hardy jewelry. We caught up with the worldly designer while he was in Boston previewing the Balinese brand’s unique Cinta collection at Saks Fifth Avenue.  

	Cinta Gold and Silver Naga cuff with yellow South Sea pearl set in pavé of yellow sapphire, tsavorite, and light brown diamond ($13,000)

Tell us about the Cinta collection. Where do you source those gorgeous stones?
GUY BEDARIDA: The Cinta collection starts with the stones I find all over the world from Brazil, Thailand, and Africa. I bring them back to Bali and sometimes they stay in the safe for five years. I only buy the stones for the beauty and color. Some of the stones don’t even have names.

Describe the type of woman you design for.
GA: She could be 35 or 65, and she is usually a mother. The John Hardy client is authentic and independent and buys the pieces for herself. She is also a woman who cares that the jewelry is made ethically.

How are your surroundings in Bali reflected in your work?
GA: The John Hardy collection is inspired by nature and ancient culture. Nature is all around us in Bali, but I travel the world regularly to beautiful places such as India, China, and Africa. Next fall we will reveal a collection that is heavily inspired by my travels to Morocco.

Preserving the environment is an integral part of the John Hardy brand. How important has that been to you?
GA: It is very important. We have a special collection called Bamboo, and for every piece that is purchased we are replanting real bamboo. The space that the 800,000 bamboo plants cover is four-and-a-half times the size of Central Park in New York.

Spa-loving Bostonians can now experience a one-hour Unlimited Age Control Facial inside the Natura Bisse Bubble. Popping up at Space NK April 27 and 28, the Pure Air 02 Bubble is a 99.9 percent oxygen environment that helps enhance the efficiency of Natura Bisse’s products and facial techniques.

The customized Unlimited Age Control Facial utilizes the NB.CEUTICAL collection and is popular among red-carpet celebrities for its skin rejuvenating and repairing effects. That’s a combination we can’t turn down.

Appointments for a facial in the bubble during its two-day stint are filling up fast. (We called today and only four spots were left.) A reservation fee of $100 is required and fully redeemable toward Space NK purchases on the day of the appointment. April 27–28; 10 AM – 6:30 PM. Bloomingdale’s Chestnut Hill, 225 Boylston St., Newton, 617.630.6768