this tree of life poster immediately caught my attention. as i love everything woodgrain, this beautiful slice of tree trunk was no exception. however upon a second glance, i noticed it was much more than that. the entire illustration is built of tiny animals, aimed to highlight the matter of animals losing their homes due to deforestation. a truly lovely reminder that we should take better care of the world around us.

wrap up: {animals} {deforestation} {forest} {rain forest} {tree} {woodgrain}

as my eyes have been opened to the world of surface pattern design, i see beautiful images, patterns and artists everywhere i look. i find them to be an enormous inspiration, and i hope that you will too. :) here you see a few lovely pattern designs from helen dardik. aren’t they fun? for a little added joy, don’t miss her blog, orange you lucky!

wrap up: {color} {design} {fun} {helen dardik} {patterns} {pretty} {surface pattern}

winter browns.

crunching leaves and frosty noses,
brisk mornings and frozen hoses.
lots of fires with warming flames,
hazy skies and indoor games.
slippery footing and falling snow,
and lots of cuddling with my beau.

- by yours truly. :)

these are just a few of the things that winter browns mean to me. what do they mean to you?

image: the oak leaf’s icy veins

wrap up: {browns} {color} {frosty} {leaf} {oak} {poem} {story} {winter}

the perfect mixture of flora and fauna. i just love these little guys from wild pulp! all from a series called ‘north american animals in bark’, owen smith photographs the barks of specific tree species and then looks for the animals spirit reflected in the world of flora that surrounds them. i love that. :) the perfect inspiration for this project? john muir’s quote, “when we tug at a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world.”

wrap up: {animals} {bark} {fauna} {flora} {nature} {notecards} {woodland} {woodsy}

and the winner for the jenna lou designs giveaway is… #11!

congratulations, jes!

i’m falling in love with: arrows.

gold arrow necklace | arrow tea cup |  silver arrow ring | native summer blue tags | bow and arrows art |  mini pastel arrows | rubber stamp set

wrap up: {arrows} {art} {bow and arrow} {handmade} {jewelry} {trend}

hello lovelies! as promised, today i’m sharing with you a few of the handmade gifts i received over christmas. not to state the obvious, but handmade gifts are my favorite! the time and thought that everyone put into these absolutely blows me away- and i’ve got to admit, i’ve got some pretty talented friends and family!

reversible handmade market bag made by my mom- isn’t it beautiful? i used it just yesterday at our farmer’s market and it was so perfect for the occasion. it’s easy to carry and the little pocket on the front is perfect for quick cash. (find the pattern here!)

i love love love my new crocheted toboggan by my friend lindsay- it’s so soft and cozy. :)

laptop sleeve handmade by my mom! she also bought a matching amy butler laptop skin to match it. brilliant, right? (find the pattern here!)

hand-stamped calendar index cards for the entire year, handmade by my dear friend callie. perfect to jot down daily lists, prayer reminders or to do’s!

another absolutely amazing project by my sweet momma- an ipad case with matching amy butler skin. (find the pattern here!)

all natural handmade soap by my friend, deidre. they smells sooo good!

a rice and lavender neck wrap handmade by friend, amber. pop this in the microwave and your warm and cozy in no time!

thank you everyone for all of your incredibly thoughtful and beautiful gifts!

wrap up: {christmas} {gifts} {handmade} {ideas} {patterns}

and the winner for the digital scrapbooking software is #10! congratulations glennen!

didn’t win? don’t forget that my memories has also offered each of you a coupon code for $10 off of their software (woot woot!). better yet, when you use this coupon for $10 off, you get another coupon for $10 to use in their store!

use code “STMMMS48069” during checkout to receive $10 off the my memories suite software (only applicable to version 3).