Cozy Holiday Gift Wrapping

Each year around the holidays my intentions are always to wrap each gift with care and personal touches. Yet I always find myself in a wrapping frenzy in the days leading to Christmas. This year I plan to put all the pinecones, twigs and acorns we've collected over the last couple of months to good use.

images: 1 // 2

Eye Heart Spleen

For the series Eye Heart Spleen Guatemalan-born artist Camila Carlow created intricate displays of human organs using leaves, fines, flowers, berries and foliage. It's so interesting to envision your insides in such a lovely and beautiful way. These images have been making their rounds online for some time now, but I love them so much I just had to share. It would be fun to attempt to recreate these in the spring with my anatomy-obsessed boy.

1. lungs 2. ovaries 3. gut 4. heart

The Cozy Season: Flowers

Fall's warm colors are just as cozy inside as they are outside. And while autumnal flowers are pretty extraordinary on their own, fruits and foliage add amazing texture. The ladies from Studio Choo share some great ideas on seasonal flower arrangements in their book The Flower Recipe Book which features step-by-step instructions that follow a recipe format. The instructions are easy enough to follow but also inspire a creative and personal approach to floral design. But really, the pictures alone are reason enough to pick up the book.

Wild Cockatoos

As a child Leila Jeffreys rescued birds and wildlife and nursed them back to health. Her love of birds has led her to study and photograph birds in her native Australia and across the world. For Wild Cockatoos, Leila photographed the birds in a traditional studio portraiture, bringing to life their beauty, character and intricacy of their feathers. The details can be truly appreciated in the actual prints, which measure over 3 feet tall.

mama + babe: tangram coasters

These distressed leather coasters from Project Room for Of a Kind provide entertainment for the little ones while you get your sip on. Perfect for my puzzled obsessed little guy.

Mama + Babe: Playing Dress Up

These images of Bianca Balti and her daughter Matilde clad in Dolce & Gabbana are pretty fantastical, but they're still lovely depictions of a beloved pastime.

via Keep Feeling Fascination 

Arugula Pesto

I love good 'ol basil pesto but I'm also all for experimenting with different ingredients, especially when it involves some of our favorite staples. This arugula pesto has become my new go-to version. It's incredible spread on this caprese grilled cheese. A couple of slices of avocado really takes this sandwich over the top. Seriously, it's beyond delicious.

Check out this pea pesto recipe I shared a while back.

Mama + Babe: Yellow Leather

Clare Viver Neon Flat Stripe Clutch for you, Neon Yellow Toe Cap Schier shoes for the babe.

The Spirit of the Fox

My new year began with a dream where I found myself crossing paths with a friendly fox. It turns out, spirit animals typically show themselves to you in unexpected ways. Foxes have always captured my attention, but not quite like the one featured in the artwork of T.C. Cannon, an artist I came across serendipitously over the weekend. Do you know your spirit animal?

{found via}