Log Cabin Holiday Decor

Andean Nativity set from Pisac, Peru

I’m always intrigued by people’s different approaches to holiday decorating. For some, it’s a chance to display family heirlooms and memory pieces. For others, it’s all about fresh, natural accents, like homemade wreaths, sprays of berries and pine garland. Still others take a curated approach, creating Pinterest-worthy tablescapes to match custom pillows and themed Christmas trees. I like all of these styles. What makes them all work is that they mean something to their creators. They capture a memory, express something personal, or aspire to create a certain feeling, like peace, cozy, or joy.

Our holiday home is a hodgepodge of hand-me-downs, kid crafts, and a few special pieces from our travels, like this Nativity scene found at an artisans stall in Pisac, Peru. The big event is the Christmas tree, which turns out differently each year depending on which boxes get pulled and how the kids decide to style it. We always cut it ourselves, so that December smells like pine. Old dollar store stockings, personalized with glitter glue, trim the mantel. Our Jerry Garcia doll gets a Santa hat.

Grandma Oranges’ nutcracker army

My Mom takes a more traditional approach to holiday decorations, with gold-rimmed China, a flickering white Christmas tree, and hand-made stockings for the girls. A centerpiece of her holiday home is a nutcracker collection drawn from gorgeous pieces imported from Europe and shabbier examples from the discount racks. Most of the nutcrackers came from my Grandmas, one a Norwegian homemaker with excellent taste and the other a flea market regular with an eye for bargains. My kids have always been fascinated by Grandma Oranges’ collection, now more than ever since Anaya was cast in the nutcracker militia in this year’s Nutcracker ballet. Last year, my Mom gave the girls their own big Nutcracker. Our first! This year, he sternly protects our fireplace, a new tradition that nods to the old.

Christmas Jerry

Happy Cabin is a clean slate when it comes to holiday decor. We’ve never had a second-home before, let alone a log cabin. Season by season, we are making our traditions. Since we share the cabin with guests, it’s important to us that me embrace all the winter traditions, not just Christmas. Whether our guests celebrate Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa or something else, we want them to feel right at home. Does that rule out a Christmas tree? I’m not sure yet. This year, we are keeping things neutral while we think about how to strike the right balance. In the meantime, I’m feeding my imagination with other people’s visions of a log cabin holiday. I particularly like Architecture Art Design’s collection of log cabins decked out for the holidays. Do you have ideas for us? I’d love to hear them. Drop me a line at happycabintahoe@gmail.com. Or leave a comment. To visit Happy Cabin during your trip to North Lake Tahoe / Tahoe Vista / Kings Beach, click here.