Monday, February 29, 2016

Dress Over Jeans





Dress: Forever 21 | Flared Jeans: Joe's | Heels: Banana Republic | Blazer: Nordstrom | Bag: Kate Spade | Necklace: J.Crew |

***
Hope you all had an amazing weekend! Did anyone watch the Oscars? Any fave dresses??

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Baked Oatmeal

Happy Thursday! Thank goodness it's Friday Eve!!

I made this delicious baked oatmeal for SH and I last Saturday. I wish I had taken photos but honestly sometimes I just get caught up in the kitchen and don't take step by step photos of what I'm doing!

If you love oatmeal and also want something that tastes like a treat, this is a great recipe for you :)
SH doesn't really like oatmeal and he loved this! I suggest eating it with some milk!

My friend Angela introduced me to this recipe on Allrecipes.com. Go here for the original recipe!

This makes 8 servings.

What you'll need:
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar*
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
sprinkle in some cashews too**

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries and cashews. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes.

It's that easy!

Serve hot or let it cool and then serve! We ate it hot with milk and then I let it cool for a while and cut it into squares which I put away in baggies and popped in the fridge. Makes an easy to-go oatmeal square.

*I will probably use less sugar the next time I make this. It was almost a little TOO sweet. It really did taste like a dessert. (Didn't stop me from eating it for breakfast, though. :)
**I love cashews! You could also add almonds or any other yummy mixins. Also great as toppings once it's come out!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Wednesday Wishlist


I can't get enough of blush colors this spring!! It's been summery weather here in LA making it SO hard to stay cooped up in an office all day! All I want to do is go outside and lay by a pool! Hope you are all having a great week so far xx

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

5 Lovely Links

1. Climate change and rising temperatures might seriously harm the health of Angelinos. Read about it here.

2. Weird ways to save money that totally work! Check out these awesome ideas here!

3. 19 Books to Read Before the Movie Comes Out in 2016 - here

4. The Best London Fashion Week 2016 Street Style - love! Check it out here.

5. Five Restaurants to Try This Weekend in Los Angeles - YUM.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Monthly Update (January)

Hi everyone! Man it's been crazy around here! I took last week off so thank you for your patience. I have a few updates but first I want to start out with a new series called the Monthly Update. I hope it inspires you to try a new activity or restaurant! It will also help me keep track of some of my monthly adventures.

To start, we have, of course, January.

Best word(s) to describe January: eventful, adventurous

Favorite thing that happened: SH and I have these friends who own a 37 foot long, refurbished school bus. (The crazy thing is, this is the third school bus they've owned!) They've done all the repairs, painting, and revamping themselves (like the good old fashioned, rural Georgians that they are.) We took the school bus (which I have affectionately nicknamed Boris) camping over MLK weekend. It was my first bus trip with them and it was an absolute blast. We stopped in Santa Barbara on the way there and back and all in all had a grand ol time. We ate at The Lucky Penny and explored the Funk Zone of Santa Barbara very briefly (read more about the Funk Zone here.) What's great about the bus is it's extremely comfortable and both nap and noise friendly. While it doesn't have a bathroom, (probably for the best, who wants to clean that?) it has three couches, three beds, and even tables to sit or play cards at. Those of us who were lucky enough to stake out a spot slept in the warm cozy bus at night while the others camped outside. (There were 14 of us, I think?) We made a delicious homemade breakfast in the morning (buttermilk pancakes and eggs) - it was roughing it in the best way! I highly recommend bus or RV camping with friends if you haven't done it before!

What kept me busy after work: Yoga and friends. I've been trying to go to yoga at least twice a week (ideally more) and I really do feel great after I go. Sometimes my social calendar takes over though, and I find myself heading to happy hour or sushi instead. Happy hour is such a great way to bond with coworkers so I will favor that over yoga when I feel like we're in need of some quality time. (Is it weird that I used the words coworkers and quality time in the same sentence?)

Favorite restaurant I tried this month: KazuNori in downtown LA. The hand rolls are absolutely divine. It's a small, dimly lit restaurant -- very trendy. The food is honestly unparalleled. These are by far the best hand rolls I've had in LA (and that's saying something because I absolutely LOVE Sugarfish hand rolls.) Tip: Be careful when parking and walking around if you are not familiar with the LA area as homelessness in downtown LA can be startling.

Overall Climate for the month: BUSY! But at the same time, busy in a selfishly fulfilling way. I got to do and see what I wanted and that is not always the case. I feel very fortunate. I was able to see my dear friend Charlotte on her birthday and also visit with SH's dad and uncle. SH and I made our first trip to the San Diego Zoo which was super exciting and fun :) I highly recommend the SD Zoo if you haven't been before! Tip: Pack your own lunch and/or snacks, as food can get quite expensive! At the zoo, the koalas and elephants were highlights for me :) And then to top it all off, SH and I went to Big Bear for the first time together to ski, as well. So much fun! He's such a kind ski partner! It's not every month where I can focus on myself, SH, and pursuing activities and adventures we want to do (either together or apart.) So grateful!

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Valentine's Day Inspo


*** 
Happy Hump Day! Stressed about V-day? Have no fear - There's still time to get some cute V-day themed gear! The dress I linked is on sale and check out the Valentino Rockstud look-alike heels! Woohoo! Is anyone planning to stay home and drink a bottle of wine in their pajamas...? (Ummm, that sounds amazing, btw.) How about cuddling up with a romcom (or the complete opposite...?) In all seriousness, I know Valentine's Day is depressing to some people. And if you're one of those people, just know, I feel you. I used to hate Valentine's Day because it was a reminder of how unloved I felt (after a breakup) or how I hadn't met anyone who treated me well yet (every other girl seemed to be getting flowers and expensive dinners?) And yes, I do have a wonderful S.O. now, but guess what? We don't really celebrate Valentine's Day! Seriously why put so much pressure on one day of the year? Love is something to celebrate every day of the year. Instead of thinking about Valentine's Day as a symbol of love I look at it as an excuse to put up sparkly house decorations and wear pink and red on repeat :) The point is: if you're single (or taken!) wear some pink and red, grab some friends, some wine (or something stronger,) and stay in for a movie. If you're in a relationship, don't put so much hype around one day out of the year as though gestures on this day are supposed to sum up your entire relationship and amount of affection for each other. Honestly, I plan to use it as an excuse to treat myself and get a fresh mani/pedi and indulge in some chocolate (that I am happy to buy myself, thanks!) I hope that helps. Just remember to LOVE YOURSELF, because that is the most important relationship you're in! Love you all, thanks for reading!


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Tuesday, February 9, 2016

5 Lovely Links

Disclaimer: I title this series as "5 Lovely Links" because the alliteration is catchy, but often times I'm drawn to stories that are not "lovely" by any means, and I'm not trying to imply that they are. I want to be able to share stories I think are important and valuable even if they aren't "lovely." I will continue to use the alliteration for the purpose of categorizing posts and series. Thanks for understanding!

1. This important video talking about homelessness in SF.

2. I love this article about Beyonce's halftime show and how it has some people up in arms.

3. Happy Chinese New Year!

4. Can I be her for a minute?

5. Did you know men could get breast cancer? I didn't. Read about it here.

Monday, February 8, 2016

Valentine's Day Dress


 Dress: Nordstrom | Heels: Vince Camuto | Earrings: Argento Vivo 

***
It's Monday! Did you all have a nice weekend? Ours was jam packed - between work parties and Super Bowl parties I'm ready for another weekend just to recoop from all the past weekend's activities! I wore this Nordstrom dress to SH's holiday work party on Saturday night. The Christmas party was moved to February, so I figured what's more fitting than a Valentine's Day themed dress? Speaking of Valentine's Day, are you still looking for the perfect dress for a night out? I say perfect because the material is SO comfortable you can wear it all night without pulling or fussing, AND it comes in 12 colors!! (Plus 3 colors that are on sale right now! This one is "hula pink.") I'm almost certain this dress will double for wedding wear come all the spring and summer weddings I'm going to this year, too. To finish the look I paired it with a pair of Nude Vince Camuto heels (love) and some gold heart stud earrings. I hope you all have a great rest of your day!


Thursday, February 4, 2016

Thank You

Hi all, happy Thursday!

I just want to take a brief moment to thank all of you who take the time out of your day to visit my blog. I do this blog for fun and often that means late nights writing posts or early weekend mornings doing blog shoots. I'm not a professional photographer, I'm not a model, I'm not a professional content writer or social media guru. I'm just here to share some stuff with you. So thank you, your comments on here and on social media mean everything. I read every single one of them, even if I don't always respond, I see and appreciate each one.

Most bloggers start out working full-time and blogging on the side. Many bloggers work in industries that compliment their blog, and they are able to let their day lives and night lives bleed into each other.

I don't work in an industry related to fashion, lifestyle, travel or anything I blog about. I work in education. I don't share my blog with my students or coworkers because I'm worried it would be inappropriate. I don't really share my blog with anyone, except my friends and family, and those of you I meet on the internet. This makes me sad sometimes, because I want to be able to share my blog on a daily basis with people I interact with every day.

I am thinking about starting a bloggers group in the beach cities of Los Angeles to fill that gap, that need I have for a local blogging community. People I can talk to about post ideas, people I can blog shoot for, and who can shoot for me. So if any of you reading this also happen to live in the LA beach cities, please let me know if you'd be interested in getting together for coffee, and bouncing ideas off each other for a group or posts or any other collaborative idea you may have in mind.

You can email me at mapleandmint(at)gmail.com or find me on social media - all of my handles are @mapleandmint.

Thanks a bunch and I hope you all have a really wonderful Thursday.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Wednesday Wishlist: Valentine's Day

Happy Wednesday!! Significant other or not, Valentine's Day is the perfect time of year to treat yo'self! I bought the pink lace dress pictured above for SH's work party this weekend, and I hope it will double as wedding wear come April and June when we go to friends' weddings!! Stay tuned because it should be making an appearance on the blog soon... :) Anyway I hope you all have a fantastic rest of your week, and cheers to being one day closer to the weekend!

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

5 Lovely Links

1. This sweet V-day themed post from (you guessed it!) my forever blogger crush, Emily.

2. Hilary wins Iowa caucuses - read about it here

3. Short Answers to Hard Questions about Zika Virus - read it here

4. Care about the Super Bowl? What about the Super Bowl I Tapes? Turns out they've been sitting in someone's attic all these years. Read the story here

5. Some of these shirt styling techniques are a little kooky.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Casual Valentine's Day Outfit Inspo






Jeans: Eunina (similar here and here) | Sweater: H&M (on sale here! less than $10!) | Heels: Adam Lippes for Target (no longer available but I've seen them floating around on eBay) | Bracelets: "True Love Stories Never Have Endings" Vintage Bangle, Tiffany & Co, David Yurman | Bag: Michael Kors

***
Happy Monday babes! How was everyone's weekend?! I had a much needed weekend in - spent Saturday and Sunday lazing about, taking naps, snacking, watching movies, drawing - doing all the good hobbity things I love to do!! Can you believe January is over?! I felt really blessed this month. I got to do and see a lot of really amazing things (San Diego Zoo, Paintballing, Big Bear, Bus Trip.) I'm very grateful and SUPER excited for all that 2016 has in store (including three weddings which I can't wait for!!) The weather was weird this weekend, it was pretty gray (perfect for blog shooting!) and yesterday was very windy and we had some showers, too. Luckily SH and I snapped these on Saturday before the rain kicked in. How about some Valentine's Day outfit inspo then ladies?! This H&M sweater is seriously PERFECT! Especially since it's not very warm right now, even in LA. You may remember when I wore it here and now it's half off (less than $10!) It's really cozy and comfy and I love the fun, deep red sequins which are perfect to express what you love this V-day. I paired the sweater with some distressed boyfriend jeans and Adam Lippes heels from Target (I mean what goes better with distressed bf denim than heels, amiright?) I finished the look with a bangle that reads "True Love Stories Never Have Endings," two of my other fave bracelets that I wear on repeat and my black MK bag. I hope you all have a fab start to your week! PS If you don't already follow me on Snapchat or Instagram head over to @mapleandmint because SH bought a PANCAKE PRINTER and there's some pretty incredible footage of it in action on my social media accounts. Let's just say a pancake stegosaurus was born this weekend. For real.


Happy February!!

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