Ah, coffee table books, the one thing I'll never tire of gifting (or getting)! There are so many beautiful options to span all kinds of interests and they just look so great piled high on bookshelves and adorning tables. Coffee table books are usually my fallback for the pickier people on my list and those people in my life with super interesting taste. They're personal but not too personal.

This year I put together a list of books I've been eying lately that are equally perfect for gifting (and exceptionally perfect for gifting to me... haha). This Petra Collins book is number one on my wish-list and I LOVE all of Rupi Kaur's work. 200 Women Who Will Change The Way You See The World would be ideal for the lovely ladies you might be shopping for and Surf Shack has 'cool guy' written all over it (no pun intended).

* Bonus points for actually reading coffee table books. I always find them interesting and informative without dragging on the way that novels and non-fiction sometimes tend to.

coming of age, the moon juice cookbook, 200 women, urban botanics indoor plant guide, eat beautiful, cats & plants, the sun and her flowers, eat drink nap, girlgaze, simple fare, surf shack, weekend utopia, commune, the little book of life hacks

image via apiece apart

Different month, same mood. November was a whirlwind and I can't believe it's already the last month of 2017. This past month we hosted fifteen new friends at our home for Friendsgiving, finally shipped our dog Stanley out to the island, started getting festive and all around plowed through thirty LONG days. Needless to say, I'm feeling a little listless and totally ready to do a bit of jet setting as we bid the year farewell. I think this month's moodboard pretty much sums up those vibes. There are lot's of sleepy looking ladies and a seriously soothing color palette happening on my Pinterest feed right now.

In other exciting news (or not... I still haven't decided how I feel about it), Monday is my birthday. I'm turning 27 this year and I'm now solidly in my late-twenties... weird. I'm excited to welcome a new year but there's something about this particular birthday that feels a little foreign. I've been feeling very introspective for the last couple of months and honestly, I think this birthday and holiday season will be a little hard since it's the first time around without my mom in my life. Weird vibes aside, there's no better way to celebrate 27 than with a big trip and I have a feeling that this year is going to be an adventure. Stay tuned for 26 things I learned in 26 years.

Bear with me as I finish up my holiday posts and prepare to take a little break for the rest of this month and most of January. Although communications might be few and far between, know that I'm super grateful to have you here. This space has meant so much to me this year and I'm excited to see what's yet to come. Here's to an inspiring last month of the year!

Since I spend the majority of my time scouring the web for inspiration and working on various projects online, I think it's pretty safe to say that I'm a tech girl through and through. I'm never far from my phone, spend more time than I care to quantify scrolling through Instagram and keep up with the majority of my IRL friends on Facebook.

When the thought of sending this year's holiday cards struck me, I have to admit, I was more put out than excited. I love the idea of beautiful holiday greetings but honestly, who is that on top of things?! I can barely make time to prepare for our own little family celebrations let alone clue everyone in on our year and wish distant relations a Happy Holiday via snail mail. Especially since our postal situation is less than desirable these days (damn this island life... jk), sending traditional holiday cards seemed a little futile this year. Enter, Paperless Post, the perfect solution to my post office woes.

Sending holiday e-cards instead of traditional paper cards allowed me to deliver a little happy to the inboxes of my loved ones without having to stress over stamps or scrawl out a million messages the old fashioned way. Are you thinking of going paperless this year? Keep reading for my tips for maintaining the holiday magic even when you're going digital.

1. Pick a card that you love - There are a ton of styles to choose from but you can't beat something timeless and minimal. I poured through the many pages of holiday cards that are available on Paperless Post but, in the end, I was always drawn to the same type of greeting: simple, with room for a family photo and and a small pop of gold. I also love illustrated cards and cards with sassy sayings but I can't pass up an excuse to include Lo's sweet smile.

2. Be inclusive - Whenever I send out holiday cards (or even give greetings in person), I like to be inclusive of everyone's beliefs. Sticking to "Happy Holidays" or a cute "Merry Everything" is a small way to ensure that everyone in your address books feels equally loved on.

3. Include a lengthier note in your email - eCards don't leave a ton of room for jotting down your yearly recap but that's what email is for! You can always include a longer, more personal note in the body of your message.

4. Print it out - Sometimes it's nice to corral all of your holiday cards in one place. We display ours on the refrigerator but I've seen a ton of cute ideas floating around Pinterest... as is usually the case with holiday crafts. For those who absolutely must put their holiday greetings on display, there's always the printer. I ran our card through our printer and it's ready for its close-up!

* Paperless Post was kind enough to supply me with credit towards our cards this year but this is not a compensated post. As always, the thoughts and recommendations on this space are 100% my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Hazel + Scout possible.