Massachusetts businesses shine with sparkly fashion and sweet macarons

TO THE NEXT LEVEL. SOME PEOPLE BAKE FOR FUN, BUT FOR BRISTOL, NILES, BAKING BECAME A CALLING. MY GRANDMOTHER WAS ACTUALLY A HOMEMAKER. I GREW UP WITH HER DOING THAT, AND SHE’S BEEN AN INSPIRATION. TAKING AFTER GRANDMA SALLY STYLE’S HYPERFIXATION WITH THE ELUSIVE FRENCH MACARON HAS TURNED INTO A FULL FLEDGED BUSINESS. I MADE THE COOKIES ONCE AND THEY CAME OUT PERFECT THE FIRST TIME, WHICH I’VE HEARD IS VERY RARE. SO THE HYPERFIXATION TURNED INTO GETTING MY RESIDENTIAL KITCHEN LICENSE AND GOING DOWN THAT PATH, AND THEN OPENING UP OFFICIALLY. AND THE MAC MAKER WAS BORN. IT’S JUST A VERY FANCY LITTLE COOKIE THAT’S VERY FINICKY MACARONS. NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR MACAROONS. I MAKE MACARONS AND THEY’RE THE LITTLE FRENCH SANDWICH COOKIES. A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL THEM MACAROONS, BUT THOSE ARE ACTUALLY THE COCONUT CLUSTERS. THEY REQUIRE PATIENCE, TECHNIQUE, AND JUST THE RIGHT TOUCH. IT’S A CHALLENGE. STILES HAS FULLY EMBRACED. IT’S VERY VISUAL. ONCE YOU’VE BEEN MAKING THEM FOR A LONG TIME, YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT THE INGREDIENTS WHEN IT’S TIME TO DO THE NEXT STEP. FROM WHISKING THE MERINGUE, I’M GOING TO TEST IT JUST TO SEE IF IT’S THICK. YOU WANT SOME RESISTANCE IN THE MERINGUE TO FOLDING IN THE ALMOND FLOUR AND SUGAR. IF IT BREAKS TOO MUCH, IT’S NOT QUITE READY. IF IT FLOWS TOO FAST, THEN YOU’VE GONE TOO FAR AND IT’S A LOST CAUSE. I ALWAYS ON THE SIDE OF UNDER MIXING THAN OVER MIXING AND PIPING OUT PERFECT CIRCLES. THE MAC MAKER HAS DEVELOPED MORE THAN 100 FLAVORS. I LOVE LOOKING AT ICE CREAM MENUS FOR INSPIRATION AND A NEW MENU ITEM THAT’S A TRUE EYE CATCHING SHOWSTOPPER. THE CAKES ARE NEW. I LEARNED ABOUT THEM THROUGH INSTAGRAM BECAUSE I’VE SEEN OTHER BAKERS DO IT. I JUST DECIDED, HEY, LET ME TRY THIS. ONCE I STARTED MAKING THEM, I JUST THOUGHT OF MY GRANDMOTHER A LOT BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I’M MAKING CAKES NOW TOO. THEY’RE NOT THE SAME, BUT I CAN SEE HOW THIS DEVELOPS. A TOWERING CREATION OF AIRY COOKIES AND SILKY FILLINGS. ALL ORDERS FOR THIS HOLDEN, MASSACHUSETTS BASED COMPANY ARE PLACED ONLINE, AND PICK UP HAPPENS RIGHT AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY. IT STARTED WITH A COOLER AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY, AND THAT’S WHAT I WOULD PUT PEOPLE’S ORDERS IN. AND THEN IT GREW TO BUILDING THIS PICKUP CART AND HAVING A MUCH LARGER COOLER AND ACTUALLY HAVING BRANDING ON IT AND SHELTER FROM THE RAIN. AND PEOPLE LOVE THE CART. LOYAL CUSTOMERS LIKE TANYA CAN’T WAIT TO GET THEIR HANDS ON STYLES. BEAUTIFUL CONFECTIONS. I ORDER PROBABLY A LITTLE TOO FREQUENTLY. WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL IS THE WORD CONSISTENCY. CONSISTENCY IN PRESENTATION, ESTHETICS, AND OF COURSE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHEN I TAKE A NICE BITE, THE FLAVOR IS VERY CONSISTENT. THESE ARE SO GOOD. MELISSA STERN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FASHION LOVER, THE KIND WHO BELIEVES LIFE’S TOO SHORT FOR BORING CLOTHES. I’VE ALWAYS GOTTEN TO THE BEAT OF MY OWN DRUM AND LIKED ECCENTRIC, COLORFUL CLOTHING AND ALWAYS SPARKLY CLOTHING. SHE DIDN’T GO TO FASHION SCHOOL. INSTEAD, SHE SIMPLY FOLLOWED HER INSTINCTS. I DIDN’T GO TO DESIGN SCHOOL, BUT I STARTED TOYING WITH THE IDEA BUT NEVER PULLED THE TRIGGER, AND I WORE AN OUTFIT TO NANTUCKET WINE FESTIVAL WITH A CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE. A LOT OF WOMEN CAME UP TO ME AND ASKED WHERE I GOT IT. THE ANSWER WAS SIMPLE. STERN MADE IT, AND AFTER THAT WEEKEND ON NANTUCKET STERN’S COMPANY, MEL, THE CLOTHING CAME TO LIFE. I HAVE NO SHORTAGE OF IDEAS. I LOVE CREATING, BUT HERE’S THE TWIST. NOT ONLY IS STERN A FASHIONISTA, SHE’S ALSO A DIEHARD BOSTON SPORTS FAN. BOSTON SPORTS ARE EVERYTHING TO ME, AND I COULD NEVER FIND PIECES TO WEAR TO THE GAMES THAT I LOVED. AND I ALWAYS WANTED TO WEAR SOMETHING SPARKLY. NOW SHE’S COMBINING HER TWO GREAT LOVES, FASHION AND FANDOM. I PRODUCED MY FIRST RED SOX INSPIRED SHIRT AND I HAVEN’T LOOKED BACK. AND THAT WAS ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO. FROM THE SEQUINED SOX TANKS, GLITTERY CELTICS T-SHIRTS, SPARKLY BRUINS BAGS, I GET A LOT OF REACTIONS FROM WOMEN AND MEN, TOO, THAT THEY’RE LIKE, FINALLY SOMETHING THAT’S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAT LETS MY PERSONALITY SHINE THROUGH. AND THAT’S EXCITING. THAT’S THE GOAL. TO THE CUSTOM JACKETS THAT SHINE BRIGHTER THAN THE WORLD SERIES TROPHY, I DO CUSTOM PIECES AND I’VE DONE A LOT OF PROJECTS FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY AND BEYOND, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE WHATEVER IS IMPORTANT TO THEM IN THEIR LIFE SPORTS OR CONCERTS OR ANYTHING LIKE. I LIKE TO BRING THEIR PASSION ALIVE AND SPARKLES. HER DESIGNS ARE LIGHTING UP PRO SHOPS FROM FENWAY TO THE GARDEN. IT’S BEEN REALLY EXCITING, BRANCHING INTO TEAM STORES AND GETTING MORE EXPOSURE BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT I NORMALLY WOULDN’T INTERACT WITH ARE, YOU KNOW, SEEING MY STUFF. SO WHEN THE CROWD STARTS TO SPARKLE AT THE NEXT GAME, IT MIGHT NOT BE THE LIGHTS, BUT THE SEQUINS THAT ARE SHINING BRIGHT. WHAT I LOVE TO ARTICULATE IN MY BRAIN IS HAPPINESS. AND THERE’S LIKE NOTHING GLOOMY. I DON’T WANT TO MAKE ANYONE FEEL ANYTHING OTHER THAN LIKE, HAPPY AND EXCITED AND FEEL LIKE THEIR BEST SELF. IT BRINGS A LOT OF COLOR INTO A WORLD WHERE THERE’S A LOT OF THINGS WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE A CONTROL OVER IT FOR NOW. WELL, AMONG ALL THAT COLLECTION, YOU MIGHT HAVE SAW TAYLOR, THAT TAYLOR SWIFT. INSPIRED DRESS. WELL, MEL SAYS DURING HER TOUR, SHE GOT SO MANY REQUESTS FOR BEDAZZLED BODYSUITS, SIMILAR TO THE ONES TAYLOR SWIFT WAS WEARING ON STAGE. SEE WHY? ALL RIGHT. AND BACK TO THE MAX. THE MACAROONS. REESE SAYS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE THAT YOU CAN MAKE WHEN YOU’RE MAKING THEM IS HAVING TOO MUCH FLOUR AND TOO MUCH OIL TOGETHER IN THE BATTER MIX. SO AS YOU START TO MIX THINGS IN WITH YOU, START TO BRING THE ALMOND FLOUR INTO THE BATTER. IF IT GETS TOO THICK