Our Queens baby one-piece was just featured on NY1 with the Queens Mamas!!  We love the Queens Mamas and are thrilled to be featured among some of their favorite products!

We are so excited to bring you these two new Maptote designs for Savannah, Georgia, and Vancouver, Canada!  Be sure to get one for yourself, and one for a friend, before they sell out!

As Earth Day approaches this beautiful weather gives us even more of a reason to get outside and celebrate! Here at Maptote we’ve picked out some economically and environmentally conscious favorites to get everyone in the Earth Day spirit. These hand-rolled pencils by Treesmart (1) are made out of 100% recycled newspaper and make a great guilt-free gift, either for a friend…or for yourself! If you can’t get enough of this springy weather, take full advantage by ditching your car and biking (3) to the grocery store, to work, to the park, wherever! If you you find yourself in the market for a new bike check out Horse Cycles; they live, breath…and build, gorgeous bikes! If you’re feeling the urge to escape from the city then hit some of these hiking trails (7), but be sure to pack plenty of water in your Bobble water bottle (4)…each bottle has it’s own built in filter!  Bring some sunscreen and snacks as well and pack it all in one of our very own 100% organic Maptotes (8).

If you don’t have the time to get outside then bring a little bit of the outdoors, indoors, with these hanging terrariums (2); they are not only fun to create, but over time you can watch them grow into their own miniature, independent ecosystems.  And of course we can’t forget about food! Celebrate Earth Day by eating out at an organic, locally sourced restaurant like Thistle Tavern (5), or create your very own organic Earth Day cupcakes!

You can also give your support by either making a donation or volunteering (6)…or even buy a tree!  Every little thing we do shows others that we care, and together these small acts will help spread the word and create change on a much larger scale.

Hopefully this guide has better prepared you so by the time April 22nd rolls around you will be able to celebrate in true Earth Day style!

This weeks store spotlight sheds some light on Plastica, a store that is almost okay to judge solely on their entertainingly colorful and whimsical window displays! Carla Denker opened Plastica in 1996 and since then has developed quite an eye for finding all things colorful, quirky, and in most cases, plastic! Whether you’re in the market for an adorable Rody, a geometric Themis mobile, an irresistible hand crafted Severina knit dog, or even a Maptote, you can find them all at Plastica!

Q: Can you describe your store aesthetic?:
A: Color, shapes, function, design, creative, fun.

Q: What is a fun or interesting fact about Plastica:
A: Not everything in the store is made of a plastic material.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your neighborhood and why you love it so much:
A: West 3rd Street in West Hollywood is a very central location in L.A. It is convenient for both east-siders and west-siders.  West 3rd Street also has a nice residential community vibe.

Q: When not in your store, where are you most likely to be?:
A: On a tennis court or with friends.

Q: Do you have any favorite restaurants in your city/neighborhood?:
A: Jar and A.O.C.

Q: If there is one thing someone “must do” when they visit your area, what would you recommend?:
A: Go to Lacma (The Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and La Brea Tar Pits.

Q: What was your inspiration/motivation to open Plastica?:
A: In ’96 we were in love with the thick plastic woven baskets and totes from Mexico. We took a trip and collected a bunch in very unusual color combo’s along with finding all sorts of other fun stuff.  Mixed with vintage findings we were young and ‘dumb’ meaning coming out of an art background as opposed to business.

Q: How did you come up with the name “Plastica?”:
A: Plastica – the name just popped into my head one day -  like most good ideas – quick.

The dictionary definition below best describes our theme of plastic:

plastic / ‘plas-tik / adj [L plasticus of molding, fr. GR plastikos, fr. plassein to mold, form] 1 : FORMATIVE, CREATIVE <~ FORCES IN NATURE> 2 a : capable of being molded or modeled <~ clay> b : capable of adapting to varying conditions : PLIABLE 3 : SCULPTURAL

Q: What’s next for Plastica?
A: Hmm, we just want to increase web sales and continue to get more traffic on our website, FB page and inside our shop.

Visit Plastica’s online store, their Facebook page, their blog, their videos, or venture to their LA location in person!

Our baby one pieces were just featured in Pregnancy and Newborn magazine as their “Crush of the Month”!