Poinsettias, Pine Trees & Presents

What I’m admiring, reading, savoring and wishing for this holiday season.

This month, I’m finding inspiration in the plants that define the season—pine trees, poinsettias, mistletoe and holly. Their deep green needles and glossy red berries have long been woven into holiday traditions, bringing warmth and color to the coldest months. But I’m also looking beyond the plants, letting the broader texture of the season shape what I’m admiring, reading, eating and hoping for this holiday season. As the scent of pine lingers in the air, wreaths frame doorways and mistletoe waits above, let’s settle in and let the magic of Christmas unfold.

What I’m Looking At

• Marco Zamora and Juan "El Creativo" Renteria’s floating tree: A spiral of Japanese and Princess pine boughs, adorned with burgundy orchids and red anthuriums. Purplish amaranth drips like a popcorn garland, while heliconia sparkles with faux snow—a holiday dream caught in midair.

• The poinsettia: Its fiery red bracts have long symbolized the season. Known to the Aztecs as cuetlaxochitl, or “flower that withers,” it was prized for its color and used in rituals honoring the gods. Montezuma had thousands transported to Tenochtitlán to adorn palaces and temples—a scarlet offering to the winter sun. Today, 70 million poinsettias are sold in the U.S. each Christmas season. Once used in ceremonies with xocolatl and quetzal feathers, it now brightens homes as we sip hot chocolate in pajamas—a crimson thread between past and present.

• Zandile Tshabalala’s “Homebody: slicing cake”: A poinsettia unfurls beside a serene holiday moment—frosting being spread, plates waiting to be filled. In her work, the South African artist places Black women at the center, painting beauty and joy through her own gaze.

• Meghann Stephenson’s “Delicate”: Two glasses stand in quiet anticipation, their effervescent glow softly illuminating the warmth of the season against a muted winter palette.

• Hannah E. Brown’s “Secret Garden”: A hand holds a heart-shaped necklace, surrounded by leaves and a burst of light. The piece evokes the feeling of receiving a treasured gift on Christmas morning. Her 2025 Calendar would also make a great gift.

• Julie Cockburn’s “Christmas Trees”: A central image of pine trees in the wild—mountains, rivers, forests—surrounded by collaged photographs of them as holiday trees. Glass beads trace the shift from wild to festive, evoking nostalgia in two distinct ways.

• Martinet & Texereau’s “Maison 3”: A quiet scene in Los Angeles, where lights twinkle around a palm tree and a small snowman stands at the door, transforming an ordinary moment into something ethereal. 

• Hye Seong Lee’s “Eternallife1”: A discarded arrangement of flowers forms the shape of a Christmas tree, petals and leaves scattered in a riot of color. The work blends the fleeting nature of both plants and the holiday season.

• Jordan Nassar’s “Gate of the Tribes”: Adapted from traditional Palestinian motifs, hand-embroidered pine trees frame rolling hills, weaving together heritage, memory and imagined landscapes.

• Alexis Ralaivao’s “À l’aube”: Two hands hold a candle, the soft light revealing delicate details. Ralaivao’s focus on texture—skin, metal, cloth—reflects his commitment to capturing intimacy in a single moment, like Christmas morning where the smallest details shimmer with the magic.

• Guimi You’s “Neon”: Christmas lights wrap around a tree, casting vibrant hues across the wet driveway. The colors blur, evoking the tension between the season’s festive energy and the stillness of a winter night.

What I’m Reading

• Strega by Johanne Lykke Holm: A haunting tale set in a small town, the book blends folklore, mystery and the supernatural. Holm’s prose creates a world suspended between the ordinary and the otherworldly, drawing you into a realm of looming mountains, shadowy forests and dreams teetering on the edge of nightmare. Perfect for a reflective winter read.

• Christmas Cacti by A.J.S. McMillan: Native to the tropical forests of Brazil, Christmas cacti earned their name for blooming around the holiday season. This book explores their vibrant hybrids, care and their unique adaptation to the environment.

• Enclosed by s-u-m: This book features 30 porcelain boxes inspired by nature—from flowers to clouds—each piece hand-built and glazed in soft hues. It also includes recipes for cookies in matching shapes and flavors, like cardamom, oolong and pandan. Their Yule Log Cake recipe can be found here.

What I’m Eating

• As soon as the weather starts to cool, my mind turns to fondue, and this vintage book by Rick Rodgers is my go-to. Some of my favorite recipes are Brie and Pesto Fondue; Cheddar, Roast Garlic and Zinfandel Fondue; and Italian Fontina and Porcini Fondue.

• Flora Manson
  ’s cinnamon rolls, made with pillowy milk bread and topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting, are a dream. Her chocolate and cinnamon pavlova with poached pears is a work of art. 

• Alexis Dunlap’s dark chocolate gingerbread cookies are coated in a thick layer of dark chocolate with a dusting of coarse sugar for added texture—a perfect balance of spice and sweetness.

• I’m hoping Aimee France does an L.A. pop-up at some point so I can buy all her cakes. In the meantime, I’ll just dream of indulging in one of her blueberry-espresso or nutmeg-eggnog holiday cakes. For now, I’m making her salted hot chocolate at home.

• I like to stay cozied up at home this time of year, but when I’m not, I want to be in an oversized booth—preferably a red, rounded one. Rory’s Place checks both boxes. A cozy spot in Ojai, serving up dishes like broiled oysters with fermented chili butter, hearth bread with whipped feta and preserved lemon, and a winter squash and white bean soup with braised collard greens and parm. Ojai also makes for a charming winter weekend getaway if you’re in L.A.

What’s On My Wishlist

• My full gift guide can be found here, which centers on flowers and leans into the unusual—small-batch, limited-edition and one-of-a-kind pieces that echo the fleeting nature of a rare bloom. It was such a delightful surprise to have it featured on

  Substack
  ’s Guide to the Guides, where you can discover even more gift ideas.

• To tie up this post with a (literal) bow, here’s a few pieces I’d love to see under the tree this year:

• Nadia Bag by Banzo World: Handmade in Mexico City, this red taffeta bag resembles a gift waiting to be unwrapped.

• Silver Bow Candle Holder by Leo Costelloe: Shaped like a bow in gleaming silver, this sculptural candle holder turns a simple object into an artful expression of the holiday spirit.

• Mossy wreaths by Isa Isa: Handmade by the floral designer, these 10-inch moss wreaths, each unique, are adorned with vintage silver ribbons.