You know how when you stumble upon something cool and new, you immediately text all of your friends to say “OMG, we have to go here!” or “You have to try to this blablabla. You are going to lose your mind. It’s life changing!”
This is like that. But in blog form. Read on to learn what I’m majorly crushing on right now.
1. TurnGram Photo Concierge Service
Call me old fashioned, but the problem with living in a digital world is that we lose tangibility. I’m just as cell-phone and computer dependent as the next gal, but I also like to hold things in my hand. I like to have in-person experiences. I like to have conversations face-to-face. And I like to have physical copies of photographs in my home.
That’s why I love TurnGram– a subscription service that delivers your personal photos to your front door. Their mission is to help your physical surroundings (your home, office, etc.) accurately represent the special moments in your life in real-time. For $4.99/month, TurnGram will sift through your Instagram handle, select 5 4×4 photos, and then professionally edit, print and deliver them directly to your front door. As a great way to keep your photographs up to date, a TurnGram subscription also doubles as a thoughtful gift. Let’s say your parents live far away and you want to find a way to keep them looped in to your life; or you’ve recently had your first child and want to share photos with family. You can sign up to send photos to a different recipient. It’s that simple. For more information, visit www.turngram.com.
PRO TIP: Give parameters to the type of images you want to receive when you sign up. Want to avoid pictures of you at the bar? They listen!
2. McCrea’s Candies Hand-Crafted Caramels
I would be lying to you if I didn’t admit I had to make a conscious effort not to eat all of the samples I received from McCrea’s Candies so I would still have enough left to photograph for this blog post. There. I said it.
With flavors like Black Lava Sea Salt, Rosemary Truffle, and Dark Roasted Mocha, McCrea’s is the stuff my caramel dreams are made of. Handcrafted the way caramel was originally made- as in no corn syrup and no compromise- Chief Caramel Scientist (yes, that’s his title) Jason McCrea is obsessed with the simple idea of making the best caramel in the world. And if we’re going on taste, I’d say he’s already there. As a New England-based company seen in Forbes, USA Today, GQ, and The Huffington Post, I discovered them on Instagram, and shortly thereafter was offered samples from their team. It took all of five minutes for me to become a permanent convert. Pretty sweet, huh? For more information, visit www.mccreascandies.com.
PRO TIP: They have a caramel of the month club. I mean… yes, please!
3. LimeRed Tea House Teahouse and Espresso Bar
One of my favorite things to do on weekends is try out new coffee shops (I previously chatted about that here.) There’s truly no better people watching, and once in a while you’ll come across a real gem that makes you think “How the heck have I never been here before?!” That was my reaction to LimeRed Tea House. Not only is the Boston location (1092 Commonwealth Avenue) an Instagrammer’s dream- I’m talking gallery decor, wooden high-top farm tables, a green leaf wall, and a pastry case filled with colorful macaroons to die for- but their menu makes my heart and my stomach equally happy. LimeRed is the first place I’ve encountered a bubble tea outside of Japan done this well. Not to mention they serve a honeycomb waffle sundae with either vanilla or matcha iceceam that made me want to crawl inside of the cup and set-up a permanent residence. For more information and location options, visit www.limeredteahouse.com.
PRO TIP: Order the strawberry matcha latte. You’ll thank me later.
Image courtesy of Marian and Gus Photography
4. Marian and Gus Photography Design and Photography Duo
I’m often asked about who I work with for the photography on my site, so let me introduce you to Marian and Gus Photography. Owned and operated by the husband and wife team bearing the same name, Marian is the force behind the lens, with a knack for creative storytelling and capturing genuine natural moments. Specializing in lifestyle and portrait photography, Marian and Gus work on weddings, family, bloggers, lifestyles shoots, and everything in between, and they do it all with a genuineness that will make you feel like you’re working with an old friend. (Which in fact, they are to me at this point.) Note to fellow bloggers- looking to book a photo session? Keep up with me on Instagram. I’ll be offering a giveaway shoot with this dynamic duo, soon! For more information, visit www.marianandgus.com.
PRO TIP: Keep your eye out for Ollie, Marian and Gus’s German Shorthaired Pointer. You can follow him on Instagram at @ollie.gsp.
5. Runamok Maple Barrel-Aged, Smoked, and Infused Maple Syrup
Telling you at this point that I like to cook is basically like me telling you the sky is blue. What you may not know, however, is that one of the first things I ever learned to cook was homemade pancakes. My grandmother taught me when I was a little girl, and over the years it’s become one of the things I cherish whipping up in my kitchen the most. In fact, I make pancakes for my husband most weekends. So when Runamok Maple, a Vermont-based organic maple syrup company, offered to send me a few bottles to try, I pretty much lost my mind.
And here’s the best part- their approach to crafting syrup rivals what I imagine a distiller’s approach to crafting a good whiskey would be. Barrel-aged, smoked, and infused, Runamok Maple offers flavors such as Bourbon Barrel-Aged, Pecan Smoked, and Cinnamon + Vanilla Infused, and in truth, I may never try another maple syrup brand ever again. For more information, visit www.runamokmaple.com.
PRO TIP: Runamok Maple has a recipe section on their site. Maple butter cake, anyone?
Are there any new finds you’re dying over? I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line!
Find your favorites. Wear you are now.
xx
Natalie
Natalie
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