Happy December, my friends. Are you rushing around trying to get a million things done?! I’ve done my fair share of rushing, but now that its the middle of the month, I’m really trying to breathe deeply and enjoy the season and all its festive details, like luxe ribbons, and fresh evergreens. So, I thought I’d share a few of the seasonal touches I’ve been adding and/or planning at my house.

The first decoration I put up was a square boxwood wreath pictured above, in my kitchen. The square shape was new for me, but once I found the right spot in my kitchen, framed by a window and backsplash edge, it felt just right. And, yes, I did spend a little time arranging the oranges, bowl and tea pot for this photo – I couldn’t help myself!

Last week, I potted up some plants to give as presents. Its probably no surprise that little potted plants and/or vases of greens and flowers are among my favorite things to give this time of year.

I’ve also been wrapping presents like these. It brings me joy to combinte patterns, tie ribbons and put together color combinations, like aqua with red. And it was a bonus when I discovered that my Bottle Branch gift tag matched the David’s Tea ‘Winter Favorites’ packaging in this photo.

Next up, I’ll be sending out Christmas cards. It is undoubtedly a bit of work to put them together, but its also so much fun. For me, December is the only time of year where I look forward to the mail. I love hearing from friends near and far and seeing all the creative and pretty cards they create, not to mention family photos.

Before I go, I’ll put in a quick plug for my Bottle Branch etsy shop and say that if you want some festive holiday cards, gift tags, sticky notes, and more, shop now. I have plenty in stock but I’ll be shutting it down for the season this Thursday, December 14.

Because, obviously, I’ll need more time to create little seasonal touches, like this arrangment of pine cones, which I put together this morning when I was supposed to be finishing up this blog post.

Happy December, everyone! Hope you find some time to slow down and enjoy the season!