2012 is here! Some say the world will end this year, so party accordingly. We’ve got you all set with this holiday guide, so strap your party hats on and get ready!
No New Year is complete without the booze, but if you’re not so much into champagne, grab a bottle of Francis Ford Coppola’s Sofia Rose (5); we love it so much we drink it all year round! Woo hoo! In fact, throw that bottle into one of our wine totes (1)! Then adorn yourself with some sparkles to shine for the big night – like these gorgeous earrings from Noon Jewelry (3). Be sure to capture the night (in case you forget it the next day) with a Diana white mini camera (2). So cute!
If a low key new year’s eve is more your thing, then take a winter vacay to the Catskills! Be sure to eat at PeekaMoose (4) while you’re there. So, so good!
No matter where you end up, be sure to party safely!
Happy New Year from all of us at MAPTOTE!
Holidays galore!
Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas are the most popular, but what are you celebrating this year? It’s tradition for me to watch Charlie Brown’s Christmas (4) as much as possible and eat lots of cookies…or s’mores (8). However, when I’m not being lazy and stuffing my face, I’m on the hunt for gifts for my friends and family. On the weekends you can find me at The Brooklyn Flea (1) where there are always cool and affordable gifts! Speaking of affordable gifts, some of our favorites this year include a subscription to Uppercase Magazine (2) – the gift that keeps giving all-year-round; these super cute grain necklaces (5) which are great for layering; and Kobo’s fresh Cultured Sake candle (7). Need ideas for stocking stuffers? Why not stuff a stocking with some chic socks from Happy Socks (3)!? Or maybe even a Maptote zip pouch (6)!
Happy holidays from all of us at MAPTOTE!
Cheers!
Starting this weekend we’ll be at the Brooklyn Winter Flea located at One Hanson Place! We’ll be open for business Friday from 2pm-9pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm, and again the following Wednesday (21st) and Thursday (22nd) from 2pm-9pm.
We can’t wait to see all your happy faces! So come on by and say “hullo!”
Pack up your suitcases, ’cause this week we’re going abroad for our store spotlight! Across the Atlantic and nestled outside of London in Guildford, England is Amy Hawkshaw’s Inkwell & Ivy. Since 2007, I&I has provided the area with the best collegiate goods one can find. It’s such a cute idea for a store and definitely takes me back to my days at Sewanee!
Q: Please describe your store aesthetic.
A: The concept was to make customers feel like they weren’t in a store but in an old school college dormitory or common room. An antique pool table takes centre stage and is surrounded by school trunks, vintage sports pieces, globes and books.
Q: What are some fun or interesting store facts about I&I?
A: Our changing room is designed to look like a secret library with books covering the walls from floor to ceiling.
Q: Tell us about your city/neighborhood. Why do you love it?
A: Guildford is only 40 minutes from London but is a world away from the hectic pace of the city. Its a historic town with cobbled streets, an ancient castle, and is the home of Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll wrote his most famous book here after being inspired by his surroundings. More recently it has become popular as a movie location when a really “English” look is needed, for example a lot of the scenes for “The Holiday” with Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, and Kate Winslet were shot around here and also many of the woodland scenes for Harry Potter.
Q: When not in your store, where is the next most likely place you’d be?
A: Hunting for pieces for my new house – there is a great Antique store called the Packhouse that does some fantastic architectural pieces. My house is really an extension of the store!
Q: What’s your favorite restaurant in your city?
A: Wagamama is a fantastic Asian fusion restaurant that is always heaving, its so popular there’s always a queue down the street. For a more traditional evening, I like The Seahorse which is a modern take on an Old English pub.
Q: If there is one thing someone “must do” when they visit Guildford, what would you recommend?
A: Climb up to the top of the Castle Keep and you can see over the whole of the town. We also have amazing countryside that surrounds the town – the Olympic cycling course is set to travel through our landscape, so thats a must watch.
Q: What was your inspiration/motivation to open your store?
A: I was really inspired to do an authentic collegiate look. So many stores do their take on preppy, that I thought it would be really great to do the real thing particularly as my Dad went to Harvard. It’s a given in the US but in the UK it’s still a novelty! Alongside the college gear I wanted to design my own pieces based on US High School fashion and also showcase some smaller brands that you won’t find anywhere else.
Q: How did you come up with your store name?
A: I wanted something that sounded old-fashioned and quirky. Inkwell ties in with study and writing and obviously ivy is for Ivy League. It can also be shortened to I&I which is quite handy!
Q: What blogs/magazines do you follow?
A: I love selectism.com and refinery29, they’re fantastic for all the latest fashion news. I’m also a big fan of Oprah’s new web series and I am addicted to Pottery Barn – I wish we had it in the UK!
Q: Where do you find all of your products?
A: Most of our products are sourced from the US from small companies. I design the rest which is great fun deciding what themes and colour stories to do every season. Inspiration is everywhere from Gossip Girl and Glee to vintage pieces and sporting styles.
Q: Whats next for you/your store…. any upcoming sales/events?
A: We are looking forward to Christmas which is always really hectic! We’ve recently just branched into doing bespoke wear for Schools and universities which is great, they can get custom team wear that has a fashion look rather than a promotional look, and hopefully in the new year some of our pieces will be showcased on a couple of other web stores.
At the moment, I&I is online only, so shop wherever you have internet access!! The online store is HERE!
Here are photos of I&I’s showroom for your viewing pleasure:
The holiday shopping season is in full force, so come on out this Sunday (December 11th) to the Divine Studio Sale to get your Maptote products! The sale is from 11am to 6pm and is located at 21 E. 4th St, Manhattan.
If you can’t make it to Divine, there’s no need to fear! We’ll also be at the Brooklyn Holiday Flea Market located at One Hanson Place (aka the gigantic Brooklyn clock tower) on the following dates: December 16th-18th and December 21st-22nd.
Our denim dopp kit is not only being featured in this month’s issue of Country Living, but there’s a chance you could win one yourself! Pick up an issue to find out more!
