Monday, January 30, 2017

Lace Up Top and OTK Boots



TOP: You can get a very similar short sleeve tshirt version on my top here for less than $30 and all sizes and colors are still available! If you want a long sleeve version that looks more like mine I'd say go for this one which is $45. I love the lace up trend I think it is so cute. I've also seen a number of cute lace up sweatshirts which I've linked below!

JEANS: I've had these for a while and you all know I preach Joe's Jeans all day everyday so here are some more Joe's Jeans picks (you can almost ALWAYS find them on sale at Nordstrom Rack.) A lot of Joe's Jeans are on sale right now >> these (were $179, now they are 50% off!!!) these are 40% off (sizes 29 and up available) and last but not least, these are 40% off with limited sizes available. 

BOOTS: Okay over the knee boots are still selling out like crazy so I couldn't find this exact pair I'm wearing but these are very similar (lighter shade of brown.)
This pair is more like the black ones I own that I'm wearing in this post but I wanted to share them because they're too cute to pass up and lots of sizes are still available! Oh and did I mention they're on sale?? (Less than $90 which is a STEAL for boots!)

SUNNIES: I got these c/o from ZeroUV and honestly I thought they were a little weird looking when I first took them out of the package, but they totally grew on me and now I just LOVE wearing them!! You know how some things look bad off but look great on?? These are that type of item. My boyfriend calls them my bug eye glasses :) They are HUGE and they make me feel like a movie star! Anyway these are similar and you can check out ZeroUV sunnies here

BAG: Louis Vuitton Monogram Palermo PM Bag and my babyyy

EARRINGS: my favorite every day studs

NECKLACE:
the large circular one is from Tahiti and is made out of shell with a Tahitian black pearl on it. The one on the gold chain is from my boyfriend and you can shop it here. People always ask me about it because you can't read what it says until you spin it and then it displays a secret message :) How cool is that?

Hope you all have a fab Monday!!! Thanks for reading!

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Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Custom iPhone Case





Phone Case: c/o Caseapp | Sweatshirt: Etsy | Beanie: Gap (similar here) | 
Ring: David Yurman | Bag: Louis Vuitton

Eee how cute is my phone case you guys?! Wanna hear the best part?? I created it!! 

That's right! I created a hand lettered sign, took a picture of it, uploaded it to Caseapp and had it made into a phone case. Once I was finished lettering, I took a picture of my art, uploaded the photo to the Caseapp website, used their site to center it on the case in the way that I wanted, (they also have lots of fun stickers, colors, fonts, phrases, etc. to choose from when you're designing your case) placed the order and poof! It arrived on my doorstep shortly after that! 

I absolutely love my Caseapp custom iPhone case. I love carrying around something I created with me everyday! I'm so proud of it :) If you are an artist you can also have your design printed on your own custom iPhone case. Use the code MAPLEAND20 for 20% off your caseapp.com order. They also do laptop skins. And if you don't want to create your own, you don't have to. They have tons of cute case and skin designs to choose from! 

Do you love this case as much as I do? Leave a comment below if you want to see this case sold on the Caseapp.com website!

Thank you to Caseapp for sponsoring this post. 


Thursday, January 19, 2017

Fair Trade Sashka Co. Bracelets






Bracelets: c/o Sashka Co.  use code MAPLEANDMINT25 for 25% off and free shipping!
Bracelets: David Yurman cuff, old chain link bracelet

Hey everyone!! Happy Thursday! Man this week is flying by isn't it? My boyfriend comes to visit tomorrow which I'm super excited about. We are going camping this weekend (hopefully it doesn't rain too much!) and then I think I'm finally done being out of town for a little while? I have been nonstop on the go since right after Christmas! 

Ok so I am a huge jewelry person -- the items I wear daily have significant sentimental value. I really love bracelets because I feel like they can complete an outfit and speak volumes of your personality and what's important to you just by sitting pretty on your wrist. 

Today I want to introduce you to a brand I'm very happy to collaborate with called Sashka Co. which sells beautiful glass beaded bracelets handcrafted by artisans in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal, and these bracelets actually have a powerful message. Your purchases support a great cause: human rights, equality, transparency in business and the breaking of the cycle of poverty- all because they are fair trade bracelets. When you purchase a Sashka Co. bracelet, proceeds from your purchase empower artisans in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal to rise above poverty through fair trade. 

What is fair trade? 

Fair trade means that workers are paid a livable income covering their basic needs (food, shelter, education, health care) and they are paid promptly, too. Fair trade is invested in building direct, long-term, stable relationships between product producers and product importers, thereby providing artisans with consistent work and job security. Fair trade also empowers women by providing equal pay for equal work done by men and women. 70% of fair trade artisans are women, according to the Fair Trade Federation. Often these women are the sole wage earners in their home. Fair trade allows women to earn a living and have safe, healthy employment conditions without discrimination. Fair trade means no forced or exploited child labor. Fair trade terms are transparent. For more information about fair trade go to the Word Fair Trade Organization: http://www.wfto.com/ or the Fair Trade Federation http://www.fairtradefederation.org

This is a social movement to get behind and support. 

What are the bracelets made out of? 
Sashka Co. bracelets are handmade with the world's finest glass beads imported from Japan and the Czech Republic and cotton thread. They do not contain nickel and they roll onto your wrist to accommodate varying wrist sizes. The bracelets do not contain elastic - they are hand crocheted and will shrink to their original size when you put them in hot water.

I don't normally go into such heavy detail about the products I'm wearing but Sashka Co.'s mission really struck a cord with me! Anyway I hope you like the bracelets, they are seriously perfect for stacking. I love the message of empowerment, equality, human rights and breaking the cycle of poverty that they support. I am about to order a whole set (I really love the abstract nepal set.)

I know you're gonna love them! Don't forget to use code MAPLEANDMINT25 for 25% off and free shipping. Thanks as always for reading! 

Thank you to Sashka Co. for sponsoring this post. 


Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Wednesday Wishlist: Winter Basics





Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone is having a great week! These are some things I'm currently crushing on for Wishlist Wednesday... This leopard beanie sold out pretty fast last year so I'm excited it's back in stock.

So ladies, for on trend winter basics you need the following 8 items: 
1) a cute beanie - especially pom beanies!
2) Mittens
3) Cozy scarf that you'll wear everyday and goes with everything (the one I linked is $25 btw)
4) Uggs, Sorels or Bean Boots to keep your feet warm and dry in rain or snow
5) Running shoes for errands and your new year's resolutions ;)
6) Moto jacket - real suede or leather is best, but if those are too pricy there are some pretty good cheaper dupes out there
7) Off the shoulder sweater 
8) Bell Sleeve top!

I'm loving off the shoulder and bell sleeve trends even in the winter months, aren't you?
Click above to shop the post and thanks as always for reading!

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

5 Lovely Links

1. Body positivity!! Lena Dunham's cellulite is left on the cover of Glamour Magazine unedited and we love it! Why do we love it? Because it's her body! And she's not ashamed of it!

2. 10 Expert Tips to Make 2017 Your Most Productive Year Yet - read the article here
I love tips #3 and #10!

3. 26 Bucketlist ideas for 2017

4. 33 Simple Ways to Fall Back in Love With Your Life - it's a cute list! Read it here

5. Unexpected Looks at the Golden Globes

Monday, January 16, 2017

I am freaking cold sweatshirt







 Sweatshirt: Etsy | Jeans: Joe's similar here| Bag: Louis Vuitton | Sneakers: Converse
Beanie: Gap similar here | Sunnies: ZeroUV | Ring: David Yurman (blue topaz, my favorite ring!)
| Earrings: Nordstrom (only $25!)

***

How cute is this I am Freaking COLD sweatshirt from Etsy?! I got it for Christmas and it perfectly describes how I'm feeling as I'm writing to you from Seattle! I love this casual outfit for running errands and lounging around the house. Pom pom beanies are definitely a must-have for the cold. This leopard beanie is next on my wishlist!

Saturday, January 14, 2017

What Every New Home Kitchen Needs

As some of you know, my boyfriend recently moved to the Seattle area and is settling into a new home. I'm here with him now for the long weekend which has been so great! We just made grilled cheese and tomato soup (yum!) and while we were cooking we noticed that he's still missing some key kitchen items (like a plastic spatula.) So, he asked me to compile a kitchen shopping list for his new home. These are items every well-stocked kitchen should have!

Plates, Bowls, Cups, Mugs, Silverware, Napkins, Placemats
- This 18-piece dinnerware set is a good starter. You get 6 bowls, 6 dinner plates and 6 dessert plates for only $30! They are microwave, oven, freezer and dishwasher safe too.
- I also like this Rachael Ray set that comes with 4 bowls, 4 appetizer plates, 4 dinner plates and 4 mugs. They also come in a variety of pretty colors!
- Check out these 10 pub glasses for $17.99
- This is another best-seller on Amazon: 20-piece silverware set (for 4 people)
 
Mixing Bowls of All Sizes
- Stainless steel is preferred by many top chefs: this is a set of 6 for $22
- I prefer glass: this is a set of 10 for $23

Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Simply the best! Pyrex set of 3 measuring cups for $15 
- Another Amazon best-seller: stainless steel measuring spoons on sale for $10!

Whisk
- I love OXO products - we have their avocado slicer and it's pretty sweet! Here is the OXO whisk for $10 

Cutting Board
- I used to use bamboo cutting boards but I actually found that I don't love bamboo or wooden cutting boards because they can be hard to clean. I like this set of 4 OXO cutting boards because they're labelled for what you're cutting - chicken, fish, veggies and red meat. This is a great way to make sure your home and family stays healthy and also is nice for vegans, vegetarians or pescatarians to avoid cross-contamination.

Meat Thermometer
- Meat thermometers can be tricky -- this one is very highly rated with over 4,000 reviews. It's important to find one that you like!

Oven Mitts
- My boyfriend has these silicone pinch oven mitts -- I'm clumsy so I prefer oven mitts that cover the entirety of my hands like these. These are on sale for $11 (normally $20!)

Cookie Sheets and Cooling Racks
- 3 piece nonstick cookie sheets of all the crucial sizes (10x15, 9x13, 11x17) 
- Non stick cooling racks - crucial for baking!

Set of Kitchen Knives
- This Cuisinart 15-piece stainless steel set of knives is ON SALE FOR $45!! It's normally $156!

Can Opener
- $12 for this one

Rubber Spatula
- Technically this is called a turner and this is called a spatula (hint: you need both) 

Wooden Spoon
- You know I love me some OXO! Wooden Spoon here

A Blender
- If you're a smoothie lover like me, The Magic Bullet is AMAZING because you can make a smoothie and then take off the blender and voila you have your smoothie cup to go!
- Blenders can get really expensive but this one is reasonably priced at $27.

Silpat Cooking Mat
- Everybody needs a Silpat Cooking Mat -- you save a ton of time cleaning up and can turn any pan  into a nonstick surface

Lunch Box Kits
- Lunch box kits 
- 42 piece set for $24! 

Slow Cooker
- Well worth the $49! This 6-quart crock pot

Rice Cooker
- This is actually a pressure cooker but I use it to cook rice :) You can use it for lots of different things though like as a slow cooker or to steam/warm/brown etc. It even says you can make yogurt with it but I'm not sure how you would do that!! 

Collander
- These are collapsible which is sweet because collander's can take up a ton of room in your cupboard! Also they are on sale for $13 right now (down from $22)

Mixer
- Everyone needs a KitchenAid mixer!

Dutch Oven
- Dutch ovens can get expensive. This one is $36 and is cast iron!


Thanks for reading! I hope you like this list and that it helps you get settled into your new home!


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Tuesday, January 10, 2017

2016: The Year in Review

2016 - tbh, I'm not sorry to leave it behind.

I do want to do a quick recap of what 2016 held for Maple and Mint. Throughout last year, my little corner of the internet looked something like this: Maple and Mint turned 2! I collaborated with some amazing brands like Lancome, Makeup Forever, Uncommon Goods, JORD watches, Pixers and Vegas.com, to name a few. I'm so fortunate to work with such amazing people and companies!

These are my top 9 Instagram posts of 2016:


 Thank you for the love! If you're not following me on Instagram already, let's connect! You can follow me @mapleandmint. 

In 2016 I also sent out my first Maple and Mint e-newsletter, launched a podcast on iTunes (which you can listen to here!!) and began writing for Stay.com. I was also featured in Trendly Magazine which was SUCH a fun and cool experience -- you can read the interview here.

Here were your most loved posts of 2016:
1) Interview with Foster James (I know, she's the coolest, right?)
2) Puffer Jacket and OTK Boots
3) Gearing Up For a New Year

In personal news, David moved to Seattle and started a new job. We started traveling back and forth between LA and Seattle every couple of weekends. My parents moved to LA into a fabulous beach house, my cousin and her long time sweetheart got married and had their first child (he was born over this past weekend!!) I went to four beautiful weddings, and traveled for the first time to one of the most beautiful places in the world, Tahiti.

In some less sunshine and roses news, I quit a job that wasn't working out back in August and was unemployed for three months. Being unemployed really showed me what a privilege it is to be employed, and also helped me clarify my goals going forward. I learned some hard lessons about what it means to be a grownup and take responsibility for my future.

As we continue on this journey together, let's get to know each other better. Follow me on Twitter and Pinterest and let's have some dialogues! I want to get to know all of YOU better because I'm not just writing these blog posts for myself, I want them to be of some help to YOU!

Thank you all for reading, it means the world to me. Happy New Year Friends!!
 

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