Pumpkin Patch Attire

It's that time of year again....BOO! Now that O'fest is over, I have a little (and boy do I mean "little") time to think about the next big event - Halloween! One of my favorite Halloween traditions is visiting the pumpkin patch.  This year, I have my own little pumpkin to bring with me. 

The BIG question before visting the pumpkin patch is what do I wear? (Not really - no one cares what you wear to a pumpkin patch, but since this is Mapel's blog, I like to tie in some fashion, so just humor me)  I spent hours and hours trying different outfits on baby Cora and me before finalizing our pumpkin patch "look".  (again, just humor me and know that I am using extreme exaggeration for the sake of this blog). 

A cute and cozy coat is perfect pumpkin patch attire.  Since I am ALWAYS freezing, I chose my favorite hooded wubby jacket from....oh, what's the name of that place? it's right on the tip of my tongue....hmmmm......oh, yes - MAPEL.  Since I am loving anything plaid this season, I chose to wear this reversible jacket with the warm wubby material on the inside and the bright plaid on the outside. 

I chose a bright orange hat with a flower for Cora, so that A. the public would know it's a GIRL and B. so that she would perfectly match the surrounding pumpkins.  (note - matchy-matchy is okay for babies)

It's cold, so baby Uggs are a MUST.  Cora is sporting hers with giraffe print leggings peeping out - there's no such thing as an "over-stylized" baby.  (okay, maybe there is)

Of coarse our family trip to the pumpkin patch would not be complete without our dog, Wrigley.  The dog doesn't necessarily need to be stylie, but I wanted him to make sure he looked adorable too, so I let him borrown one of Cora's bibs - go bears!

My final tip for pumpkin patch attire is for the dude.  NO, most of them will not let you dress them in anything with pumpkins or color-coordinated shades of orange.  So you have to get a little creative and find something in their closet that they already love that will go with your family's "look".  I chose my husband's Chicago Bears jersey since their colors blue and orange.  Luckily it was Sunday (football day in case you weren't aware), so I didn't even have to ask - he picked it out himself.  (or so he "thinks")

SPUN: Mapel's Featured Designer

Hi Friends!

I’m Sara, an eco-conscious mother of two and the face behind SPUN. The girls at Mapel were kind enough to let me take over their blog so I could tell you a little about me, SPUN and my own personal style. I am excited for the opportunity to be Mapel's first guest designer/blogger!

I launched SPUN early last year with the simple goal of making eco-fashion accessible to all women. I work to ensure all of my pieces are designed to flatter a range of body types, are made sweat shop free, using 100% Certified Organic Cotton and dyed with low-impact and environmentally safe processes. But most important of all – I don’t want any of my pieces to break your budget!

Being a wife/mother, an entrepreneur and designer of organic clothing is a daily juggling act. I am on the go, driving from place to place, doing a million things at once, and all the while trying to come up with ideas for future collections. SPUN pieces reflect my lifestyle: comfortable yet versatile. And I think most women agree with me that this is the best way to dress! Mapel is exactly the kind of place where I can find those special pieces that help me stay stylish but true to my personal style.

I want to share some of my favorite items, found currently at Mapel, which can be paired with SPUN basics and easily incorporated into your wardrobe:

Black Plush Car Coat: Next to the little black dress, this is a classic wardrobe staple. I love the simple yet elegant collar and shoulders of this black peacoat. Pair this with your black boots, knit tights and a SPUN “Diane” Wrap Dress. A simple and beautiful outfit for any holiday party or event.

Dojo Jeans: Every woman needs a great pair of jeans! The dark wash of Seven for All Mankind’s Dojo Jeans not only stand the test of time but create versatility. Wide legged jeans work well with heels or flats so they’re easy to dress up or down. I actually own this pair of jean and wear mine with a SPUN Boat Neck Top layered over one of my tanks for a comfortable day with the family or my girlfriends.

Stevie Wrap: The shape, color and soft fabric (100% Pima Cotton) just emanates comfort and style. What a great centerpiece for an outfit while running errands – or just to spend a lazy Sunday. Layer a SPUN Tank or two underneath with a pair of yoga pants and your pick of any of the BearPaw Boots available at Mapel. Comfortable, warm and stylish!

Mod Onseam Pocket Top: As you guessed by now, I’m a big fan of versatile yet fashionable designs! This hemp knit top by Prophetik has beautiful pleating detail and a trapeze shape that opens into pockets. Yes, pockets!!! A blend of hemp and organic cotton is used in the fabric which make it eco-friendly and soft! This works great with a simple pair of leggings and some chunky jewelry. You can even wear it under a SPUN Classic Cardigan for extra warmth and help pull it all together. It’s just one of those pieces that you can wear dressed up or down.

Detailed Leaf Tote: Have you heard of a “mommy bag”? Well, I carry one and let’s just say that I am ready for anything my girls may need in a day. Bandages, hand sanitizers, snacks, hair accessories, lotion…you name it, it’s in my bag! So I can really appreciate the deep pockets and gilded leaf handles of this sweet tote. It works well with a SPUN Gathered Neck Navy Top (SPUN’s best seller!) and a pair of jeans. The SPUN top is an A-line style, so it’s roomy in the tummy area and flattering on every body type. Which means that I can eat those smashed up cookies I found at the bottom of my mommy purse!

I’m sure you are ready to incorporate some of these pieces into your wardrobe. To help you save a little “green”, the girls at Mapel are currently having a sale! From Friday, October 23rd thru Halloween, you can help celebrate Mapel’s 2 year anniversary with a gift! Enjoy a 20% discount in-store and online on both new and sale items – so take advantage and make a few of my favorite pieces your new favorite pieces! The best part is that almost everything on the site is less than $150 and the discount is already adjusted so you don’t have to worry about remembering a discount code. In addition, each customer who makes a purchase during Mapel’s Anniversary Sale will be automatically entered to win a Night Away in Leavenworth, Washington – including a one-night stay at Boutique Rental Gasthause, dinner at South and a Mapel boutique shopping certificate. When was the last time someone gave you something on their anniversary?!?

Thanks Mapel for letting me take over your blog! And thanks to all of you for supporting Mapel, SPUN and your local businesses. It’s more important than ever to support local and Mapel makes it easy by carrying local designers like me!

786 Peas in a Pod

by: Staci Stevens

Statistically (according to the Bavarian Village Business Association- Oh YES- you read that correctly) the last two Leavenworth Oktoberfest weekends have been the busiest in years. I believe it. In store, walking around town and in the festhalle it just feels consumed and alive.

Everyone of every background and every interest is having a good time together and getting along like 786 peas in a pod (literally).

Highlight of last weekend would be when my mom and I waited in the keg line for what felt like a comfortable 10 minutes. Once we reached our final tapped keg destination my mom kindly requested a "taste" of each of their beers. She carefully savored each of their offerings before kindly explaining she didn't like any of their beers and walked away.

With two down and one to go I can't wait to celebrate the last weekend of O'fest '09 with some of my best friends from Seattle and Portland. Looking forward to "Rocking Out with my Brat Out" one last time.

It takes a Village to Raise a Retail Store- THANKS

by Staci Stevens

I know.... I know..... I've been out of the "blog" loop lately. You would think I'd taken a sabbatical or possibly Jenelle fired me. Well unfortunately and fortunately it's neither. I've been keeping occupied with managing the store during Jenelle's maternity leave- and just when I thought things would quiet down I moved from Seattle to Portland (OK- Vancouver "technically").

Following the whirlwind move I took a Much Need vacation to Ireland. Upon returning from my vacation I whisked myself back to L'worth to get the store ready for Oktoberfest. Phew......

So, at last I am back behind the blog wheel, or at the blog helm, or I guess it's just in front of the computer- writing my blog. It feels nice- and I certainly missed expressing my innermost thoughts about Mariah Scarey and In'a'pro'pro dressing- passively- with a blog.

Given all the time since my last blog I have a handful of things I would like to write- but you only have a 15 min coffee break to get through this blog- so I will focus on our two year anniversary.

Last Friday while tagging one of the 15 new boxes of merchandise we got in (I'm NOT exaggerating) Jenelle excitedly (and out of no where, actually) exclaimed "Happy Anniversary". I automatically responded "Thanks- but Brandon and I celebrated our anniversary in July". She giggled and clarified that she meant Happy Mapel Anniversary.

Wow- she was right. That weekend marked our 2 year anniversary. I had completely, entirely, undeniably forgotten. Plum forgot. I was so busy re-ordering outerwear, confirming we had at least two of each purse style and adhering stickers to our shopping bags I totally forgot about our anniversary.

I am proud proud proud to announce that our anniversary was our best day ever. Best'est. We actually didn't tell our customer or post any info about our anniversary- we just got our O'fest on and worked at full capacity last weekend.

With all that in mind I have to note that Mapel would NOT be in business (especially with this recession) if it was not for all the support from our friends and family.

We know everyone has been undergoing tight budgets but when you decided to pick up a new pair of jeans, find that perfect top for a summer trip, new dress for your cousins wedding, sandals for the beach, baby shower gift, or that new fall handbag we love that you came to us first to see what we had to offer. Supporting small independent business is the backbone of our economy and it genuinely means the world to us (well- and our livelyhood).

Jenelle and I also could not of built a business like Mapel without the physical and mental support of our friends and family. We have so many local and distant friends that have offered (and we've taken them up on that offer) to work with us in the store during our busy hours. Or to cover our store the moment an unexpected emergency happens, or to work with us at road shows, or to host our road shows, or deliver our alterations, or write a blog about Mapel's new merchandise, or brag about our Free Shipping, or give us a call when you see a website blooper, or suggest a new label, or.... well the list goes one.

We found strength and endurance in you sweet and timely emails of encouragement, praise and constructive criticism. These have expanded and strengthened our business exponentially.

Thanks for being our customer, photographer, model, advocate, vendor, supplier, blogger, tagger, driver, babysitter, well.... the list goes on.

It takes a village to raise a retail store. There are not enough Thanks to Thank those that have supported Jenelle and I these last two years. We can not wait to see what the next year holds.

Is it in the Skirt???

by: Jillian Dodge

Fashion has always fascinated me. What you are wearing is the worlds first glimpse into who you are and the only visual thing about you that you can control, unless of course you are rich enough for plastic surgery and if you are into that sort of thing (no judgement here!).

So why do people wear what they wear? Well the easy answer is because they like it, it fits their style. But really there are so many things that affect what we wear. Age, body type, career just to name a few.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately because recently I've gone through not one, not two, but three different, what I like to call, "fashion stages" of my life.

Today I'll talk about #1: I got married and I'm turning 25.

Jarret and I on our wedding day

Now getting married doesn't necessarily mean go get a new wardrobe but it has changed the way I dress. When going out with girlfriends I still dress to impress but I do cover up a little more then I use to. I'm not trying to attract guys like I did in college. I'm also meeting my husbands coworkers who I want to make a good impression on and a jean skirt is just not going to cut it anymore. On a side note, when Jenelle visited me my senior year of college she said she felt left out because she was the only girl at WSU who wasn't wearing a jean skirt! Haha its true, we really liked/like (I can still wear it to the beach right?!) our jean skirts!

Me and my girlfriends our Senior year of college, I heart my jean skirt

This fashion stage is basically me growing up. I no longer want to shop in the B.P. department, I'm upgrading to T.B.D. I find myself caring about my day to day outfits a lot more then I did in college, where I could get away with a hooded sweatshirt Monday-Friday. Thankfully there are stores like Mapel that I can find more grownup looks without feeling old. This stage has done wonderful things for me and really brought out what my true style is.


A few of my girlfriends and I this summer. I'm wearing an LA made top and you can't see them in the photo but I was wearing my favorite pair of Cropped Dojos, definitly an upgrade from the jean skirt!

Have you gone through any fashion stages lately? Leave me a comment.....