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#tahoetravel

Make a Basic Wreath Look Upscale, Trader’s Pink Poinsettias, a Tahoe Outfit & Last Minute Gifts

December 16, 2022 By kimwheeler 44 Comments

On this weekend meander.. last minute gifts for friends and neighbors from the grocery store, make a basic wreath cool with cuttings from your yard, and an outfit for Tahoe.

Trader Joe’s Pink Poinsettias..

Right now the cutest gift for a neighbor or friend – or just for your holiday table is the pink poinsettias in these nice pots that you can use later for $8! The pots alone are worth the price. I loved the two different pinks and they work with the green of my runner. I moved my wooden bowl to my island and kept the plants here. Hopefully these won’t sell out. It’s rare to see such pretty pinks and who wouldn’t love one of these for a gift?

The world needs more pink poinsettias, if you ask me!

More Last Minute Gift Ideas- from the grocery store..

Sometimes finding a gift is as easy as dropping by your local grocery. Some of the things I like to give from the grocery are tea, candy, and baked goods. Our local stores like Lunardis and Whole foods have piles of Italian cakes, and gourmet chocolates from Seattle Chocolate Company and Lake Champlain. They also carry special hot chocolate mix in glass bottles, high end teas from places like Tea Pigs, and others in pretty tins. I like to tuck tea into a bag with some home made cookies or scones or just bottle of local wine, or preserves.

Food is a very appreciated gift and I would say greener as it its more likely locally made, and actually consumed. Older folks really appreciate these little goodies at the holidays. Nice for neighbors too.

At Homegoods and TJMaxx, you can find bunches of cute tea towels inexpensively. Buy a few and wrap them around loaf of banana or cranberry bread, scones or cookies with a pretty bow. Not a baker? Then pair them with a nice box of tea from the grocery or World Market! ( World Market is a fantastic place to get nice teas in pretty tins, German stollen, and chocolates.)

Some of my favorites from WM below. All their teas can be found here online.

Get a custom look with a grocery store wreath and yard cuttings..

This year I decided to save some money and get a basic grocery store wreath for $19 and zhuzh it up with succulents and cuttings from the yard.. I’m hoping it lasts for a while.

I started with the basic noble fir wreath with a few pinecones and juniper already on it…

I was lucky to have a plant with dried hydrangea balls that was perfect to tuck in here. I went around the yard a snipped bits of succulents, then wired or worked them in.

I ordered this ribbon from Amazon and I am surprised how much I like it. Took me about 15 minutes total.

On my French doors, I always buy two small advent candle ring wreath from Trader Joes to hang on the doors. Love the small size and kept it simple with orange ribbon that was leftover from a Hudson Grace gift. I use command hooks and black string to hang which sort of camouflages against the black trimmed doors.

A Tahoe/ Ski Holiday Look

I am excited to get up to our small cabin during the break and we just got 48 inches of snow! A lot of you get to the mountains or Tahoe at this holiday break and I thought I’d do a ski/winter look with some of the darling pieces I have noticed lately..

Madewell had me at this beautiful sage green parka made by Halfdays. If you want a longer jacket, there is also this adorable jacket and this even longer one.

These booties have a toasty lining and water and snow proof suede upper, but are cute enough to wear here in California in the cooler months (so are these.) The cold weather fleece tights will work for hikes and days out and even some skiing with a second layer( these with Stirrups are also cool.) Love the Barbour Sweater, also here, which nearly sold out as soon as I made this collage, but there are more fair isle options here and here . I’m kind of crazy for them now. I also love this cozy one for Tahoe and it’s a good price, as is this one. The shearling tote is now 40% off and this one is also cute.

Lastly, the new Mega Wayfarers are on my wish list and this green is especially pretty.

People are often asking what to pack and wear for Tahoe, so I did add clothing options for colder months and ski trips on my Lake Tahoe Cabin Style page, which is on the drop-down under Home & Decor at the top of the blog. I’ll keep adding to it.

Donate a coat

This has been one of the coldest winters in California, and elsewhere in many years. Many of us have a closet full of coats that we rarely wear. This is one of those years, where shedding a few might really help others. One Warm Coat is one of my favorite charities and such an easy one to help. You can find a local drop-off place where your coat or jackets will be distributed to nearby charity. It’s also easy and simple to hold your own coat drive. Directions how here.I did one with my kids when they were younger. You simply put out a box, either at your home, or it can even be at your kid’s school, or a library or public spot for a stated time, and then pick one of several local charities to deliver them to after.

#Blingit

Our #BLINGIT hashtag is still going strong and so many of you are sharing your lovely family heirlooms and brooches you have collected! Keep sharing them in Instagram, just tag us and we will share on our stories. It’s been a treat every day. More than a few have said getting these pins out really brought back so many special memories of their moms and grandmothers, and holidays past. That is kind of what I was hoping for! It makes me so happy to hear. It’s great to see those special pieces get a little day in the sun and out of the drawer, and remember those who once wore them at this time of year…

Just some of what you all have shared from Dana, Contessa, and Kathy, and so many others. I consolidate them daily on my BlingIt Instagram Story Bubble if you missed it!

Thank You Guys!

This is my last blog for the year and Juliet and I will be taking time off until the 7th of January. It’s been a great for me to do the Weekend Meandering with Elizabeth and Juliet and I can hardly believe we have done it every weekend since beginning in February! I’m hoping taking time off to recharge will be good and we can come back with more fresh ideas for the new year.

I also want to say thank you for being here and the kind comments and feedback! It’s truly the best part of the blog for me and I so appreciate you taking time to stop here. I feel like this is a circle of friends and I am so grateful.

Wishing you all a beautiful holiday season and wonderful New Year. Hugs to you all.

See you in 2023!

Kim

Please stop over at Elizabeth and Juliet’s blogs..

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If your missed last weekend’s post, I shared my neutral Christmas Decor, holiday nights at Santana Row, vintage holiday pins, cute runners and napkins, an easy Christmas cookie to make and more…

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Filed Under: Lake Tahoe Tagged With: #holidaygifts, #pinkchristmas, #tahoeoutfit, #tahoetravel, #wreaths

Summer on Lake Tahoe’s West Shore – My Favorite Spots

August 29, 2020 By kimwheeler 22 Comments

Many of you followed along on Instagram our recent four day getaway to Lake Tahoe, and liked the photos, so I thought I’d post about our first real family getaway in the time of COVID. It was wonderful to finally leave the house for a few days after months of staying put. We squeezed it in just before the youngest son left to began his freshman year at University of Utah.

We are living in such unprecedented times, who knows what is safe and what is risky right now? Each family needs to decide for themselves. A road trip to Tahoe and staying in a rental seemed fairly safe to us. The challenge was avoiding the summer crowds of Tahoe, so we did takeout, cooked in our rental and ate at outdoor restaurants with good safety protocols. We wore our masks all the times we were out among others, did an extra cleaning of the rental upon arrival and left the windows wide open for a full day after we arrived.

As a girl, my family took us to Lake Tahoe for vacations and I have the best memories of those simple summers. My parents would rent little cabins or A- frames often at a beach area called Chamber’s Landing. I have a special affinity for the West Shore of Lake Tahoe thanks to those times. It has a lot of history, many charming old cabins and homes and the most beautiful beaches. I love the gorgeous trees and pine smell that hits you as soon as you arrive and the incomparably blue lake never fails to stun me with it’s beauty.

On this trip we started our days with a morning activity and then hung out afternoons at the lake, swimming, reading, paddle boarding and some sunbathing. We cooked some dinners in and also went out two nights. The highlight of this trip was renting a speed boat the last day and letting the guys try waterskiing. It was a slow and relaxing vacation with a lot of downtime, beautiful sunsets and just what we needed before taking the youngest off to college. I even brought my watercolors to work on. I’m just a beginner still, and I need a lot of help, but it was fun to try painting in the open air.

A few snaps of the trip…

Our rental was in a group of houses with a private beach and shared pier.

Our lawn and beach area. I love the Adirondack chairs that everyone has in Tahoe!

Our coffee spot in the morning. The rental was pretty worn, but it did have a great location.

I loved walking down this beach to see all the lovely lakefront homes. The rocks on this side of the lake beautiful, but very deep and hard to walk in!

We enjoyed a few happy hours on the end of our dock and watching the pretty boats go by..

Some of my favorite musts when on Tahoe’s West Shore..

Tahoe House– a combo of a Swiss Bakery, Deli and gourmet food shop, this treasure has been a mandatory stop on a Tahoe trip for years. I always buy a souvenir for the kitchen or one of their wonderful jams or sauces to bring home as gifts for house or pet sitters. Their lattes I dream about!! We were fortunate to get coffee there a few morning on this trip.

Fire Sign Cafe has outstanding breakfast and also lunch on an expansive lawn that has distancing while you eat under the pines. You can get food to go at their window here too.

Chamber’s Landing is an iconic Tahoe institution. Situated on a beautiful beach, the bar here was the first boat house built on Tahoe in 1865. The beach is used by the many who have vacation homes in the adjoining development. There is now a grill to have the most delicious (best of our trip) outside dinner- socially distanced, with a fantastic lake view. Many people like to come before dinner and take photos with boat house and sunset in the background. Save this for your last night and you won’t regret it!

above photo via Chamber’s website.

Next to our rental was the SWA Watersports which rents speedboats, jet skis, paddle boards, private charters, fishing boats and lessons. They have a great protocols during cover- everyone wearing masks, sanitizing and keeping groups separate. We felt good about renting there and recommend doing this or chartering a boat if you don’t want to drive one yourself while you stay in Tahoe! There is no better way to see or experience the lake!

My Apolis market bag was perfect for this car trip and boating!

West Shore Sports Carries bikes and SUP or stand up paddle boards to rent right in Homewood, also with locations in Sunnyside and Sugar Pine Point. They are open every day weather permitting.

Jackson paddle boarding. Mornings and evenings are the best time to try as the water is calmer- same with water skiing.

West Shore Cafe & Hotel is located right next to the SWA Watersports and has a great deck to grab dinner or a cocktail over the water, located right across from Homewood Ski Resort. The cute red umbrellas are busy all day with boaters coming in, but they are very good with masks and well spaced tables.

For a hike with a view, Ellis Peak is easily reached from the West Shore and is of moderate difficulty, but has panoramic views. Griffin and Max did this hike and took a few beautiful photos. More on the hike details on the All Trails link.

photo: Griffin Wheeler

Sunnyside is another don’t miss Tahoe stop with an enormous deck to have one of their famous drinks or Hula Pie! During winter months there are cozy spots to have a hot drink by the fire inside. Reservations are helpful as it is one of the most popular places.

via Sunnyside https://www.sunnysidelodge.com

Rafting down the Truckee River is a tradition that families have done forever. It’s an easy five mile float down the river where at the end you can have a lunch at River Ranch Lodge on a patio over the river. We chose not to do this as the river was choked with people when we drove in and we thought it wasn’t smart during COVID. Hopefully when the summer crowds thin or this pandemic is over, you can do this more safely. (photo via Truckee River Rafting.)

There is much more to see on the West Shore by driving south on highway 89. There are parks like The Hellman Ehrman Mansion at Sugar Pine Point State Park, (also a fun place to kayak and picnic) and historic Camp Richardson. Vikingsholm is a particular favorite of mine, a Scandinavian style home built in the 1920’s with materials from Tahoe using old world craftsmanship.

Vikingsholm is built in a medieval style home and if you take the tour you learn more about the style, furnishings and its owner Mrs Knight. It’s set at the bottom of a steep one mile hike on beautiful Emerald Bay. Mrs Knight, built another small house on an island in the middle of Emerald Bay to take her friends for tea. The home fronts a public beach that has a view of this island and is a nice place for a picnic before you do the hike back up to the parking lot. This is something to do very early in the day on warm parts of the year as the hike back up can be strenuous. Tours may be closed during the pandemic, so check the website for Vikingsholm.

One day we went into Tahoe City to shop for souvenirs and get lunch. The Granlibakken Taco Truck has awesome street tacos and authentic Mexican and we took our lunch across the street to Commons Beach. This beach is great for families as it is very shallow for a very long way out. It also has a playground (closed during COVID) but can be crowded. There is a great little local artist co-op fronting the beach there called ARTIsan Shop. It’s a non-profit for local artists and a great place to pick up art, photography, glass woven things, ceramics and so much more – many Tahoe themed.

Also in Tahoe City the Pineapple shop is a go-to for cute Tahoe tote bags, jewelry and home decor things in the Cobblestone Center. I also LOVE Kalifornia Jean Bar which has locations in Truckee, (a charming nearby village if you have time), and in Squaw Valley Village. They sell this sweatshirt with the cool Tahoe spots and many adorable Tahoe shirts.

Where to Stay on Tahoe’s West Shore..

Airbnb in Tahoma/Homewood and the West Shore.

These VRBO rentals are the ten closest to Chamber’s Landing of their listings.

Granlibakken Resort is another place that I hold dear in my heart. I learned to ski on their crazy steep Olympic training hill back in late 70’s and my kids spent many winters sledding here and having hot chocolate at the hut at their sled hill. All the condos here are independently owned and nestled in the prettiest forest locations. There is also a lodge, restaurant and bar as well as a conference center. It has a super location just off 89 in Tahoe City. When renting here ask for an updated condominium. The breakfast buffet cannot be beat before a day of boating or skiing.

West Shore Cafe & Hotel, as mentioned above also has a great lakefront suites and rooms and a hopping restaurant and bar, located just across from Homewood ski resort.

The Cottage Inn is on a fantastic stretch of beach and looks funky and charming. I’ve never been, but their video makes me want to go for a weekend!

Sunnyside is also great lodge with a restaurant right on the lakefront.

On the way into Tahoe you will pass the Olympic Village from the 1960 games. There is a lovely resort- Squaw Creek near the entrance which has all the resort amenities and a huge pool, shops and places to eat and a lot of beautiful hiking as well as proximity to Squaw Valley Village. Plump Jack Inn is also near the village here and is a luxury boutique hotel. (Note: It is currently closed until winter due to the pandemic.)

Please leave any Tahoe favorites of your own in the comments! I’d love to hear what memories you might have of this magical spot.

Thanks for coming along. More on Tahoe in winter on my older posts about Squaw Valley and Plump Jack Inn and also – My Winter Lake Tahoe favorites.

Kim

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Photos property of NorthernCalStyle unless noted.

Filed Under: Lake Tahoe, Uncategorized Tagged With: #homewood, #laketahoe, #tahoe, #tahoecity, #tahoetravel, #westshore

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The weekend post is up with chat about the trendin The weekend post is up with chat about the trending colors for 2023 in home decor and fashion.. Did you love the 80’s? If so this is perhaps a more sophisticated version with sherbet tones and bits of magenta, greens and navy.  Here I added a bit of these Easter tones to the coffee table with a grass cloth box, one of my books and a candle. I think the best way to update things is to add touches to the home and closet that appeal to you and mix them in with neutrals.. 
What do you think of these colors? I think they’re fun. Some clothing pieces bring me back to my Esprit loving days. It could be fun to add a shirt, shoe or bag in these tones and I selected a handful to consider..

Also on the blog, a few good white jeans, skin cleansers you may need and more! 

Stop on by our blogs- links as always, in our bios or stories:
@northerncalstyle 
@makemineaspritzer 
@pineconesandacorns
 Happy Sunday!

#color2023 #springcolors #trending #serenaandlily #coffeetablestyling
A January PSA- get in your closet and get those wh A January PSA- get in your closet and get those white jeans out! I found mine at the bottom of my closet today in a basket and thought -yes! I love the look of a classic white jean, paired with a chunky sweater or turtleneck in black, beige, tan, creams-  neutral colors always look fantastic. Today it was warm enough that I could go sockless and wear my Madewell loafers with them and a little jacket I have from Anthro. Get your white jeans out. it will give your winter wardrobe have a little kick. White jeans can be worn all year and they even look great with winter boots and coats. 

This is also a great time to look at your white Jean inventory. 🤍If you don’t have a pair that’s comfortable and straight leg, in a thicker material…this might be a good time to look. I’ll share some on the weekend blog as well.

if you missed our LIVE this morning, you can watch it on Juliet’s @makemineaspritzer Instagram and I’ll link to it on my stories ! Thank you everyone for tuning in in for the fun questions and comments. We love doing this with you all weekly! Let us know in comments if there are any other topics you want to hear about. Today we talked trending colors, exercise classes .. finding art and pillows and more..

#whitejeanseason #januaryclosetremix #winterwardrobehacks
I love the sunshine in the morning streaming throu I love the sunshine in the morning streaming through the kitchen.. My baby daffodils are blooming to make it even happier. This is one of my favorite things about the new year, the bulbs and daffodils and California poppies that hint spring it on the way.💛 If you don’t have a few blooms in the kitchen, maybe you can add a few?

Hope your having a beautiful week!

#kitchensun #californialife #januaryincalifornia
I love this of Liz Taylor at her first wedding to I love this of Liz Taylor at her first wedding to Richard Burton in 1965. She’s wearing a empire, knee length dress and orange blossoms in her hair, which must have smelled heavenly. I want yellow in my closet this spring!

This is the center of my spring vision board! 💛 Link to all Elizabeth’s wedding dresses on the weekend post -and a few yellow things I added to the house if you missed it! 

#yellow #yellowaesthetic #liztaylor #thebrideworeyellow #springfashion #spring2023 #vogue
Sunday beach trip… We made it to Santa Cruz to c Sunday beach trip… We made it to Santa Cruz to check out the coast after these rough last weeks. Aptos looks pretty good and poor Seacliff is terribly battered. So sad to see what people have lost. My heart goes out to them.

We had the beach to ourselves and the weather was winter perfect. ☀️Cold and sunny. We had a picnic of sandwiches from Zoccolis deli and took in the sun and sea air while watching surfers and birds.

This song just seemed to fit -and relatable as I could not sleep last night! No idea why. Isn’t it maddening? 

Hope you get a chance to take a winter beach walk.. They are the best. 

#santacruz #aptos #california #northerncalifornia #winterbeachwalks #seacliff #norcal #seascapebeach
Happy Sunday! The weekend post is up and I’m sha Happy Sunday! The weekend post is up and I’m sharing a few good ideas for a dining room refresh, pops of yellow, my favorite winter skin care essentials right now, a beautiful and unique San Francisco house in @archdigest, online yoga, and the story behind a historic San Francisco home I came upon last week.. Head to the blog for all the deets! 

I hope its a wonderful weekend.☀️

Don’t forget to visit Juliet and Elizabeth blogs ..links as always, in our bios or stories:
@northerncalstyle 
@makemineaspritzer 
@pineconesandacorns

#northerncalifornia #weekendpost #yellow #diningroomdecor #bernardmaybeck #sanfranciscohomes #architecturaldigest #potterybarn #serenaandlily #californiastyle
Our dear friend Contessa @contessa_and_her_pig has Our dear friend Contessa @contessa_and_her_pig has been seriously sick and fortunately is back home now, but still struggling with pneumonia. If anyone wants to send her a snail mail note please dm me and I will share her address. She loves unique cards and pretty postcards you’ve saved from travel, so she would be thrilled to get a little note!

It seems like just yesterday we were in her gorgeous yard taking photos for my Californians at Home series. It’s still one of my favorite photo shoots and if you want to read it again -or missed it I will link to it in my bio today. She’s one of a kind, so let’s get her well soon and bolster her spirits!!💛💛

#californiacontessa #californiansathome
I have to share a snippet of just some of the wisd I have to share a snippet of just some of the wisdom that was Martin Luther King. He will always be one of my biggest heroes and ten years ago I wrote a small post highlighting some of his very meaningful words and quotes that we could all use as a life guide. Link to the post in my bio and more on my stories. 

Do you know he is the only American to have a holiday for him that hasn’t been a president? He also had a low approval rating when he died. That has changed. Now people around the world use his teachings of living in peace and the fight for justice as a model we can strive for. I find his words so very needed in a world that is polarized more than ever. ❤️

#mlkday #mlkquotes #whatareyoudoingforothers
It’s still raining here! In an effort to use som It’s still raining here! In an effort to use some beautiful citrus and boost morale, I made these chocolate chips with a California twist. They have orange and walnuts -and for fun I added macadamias from my Hawaii trip and coconut flakes. I also switched out brown sugar for moscavado which is less refined and had more depth and flavor. So far response has been thumbs up from the home crew! 
The recipe and all the weekend fun- along with some cozy coats for this weather, and a recap of our SF meander are on the weekend blog. Juliet and Elizabeth also have great ideas this weekend.. links as always, in our bios or stories:
@northerncalstyle 
@makemineaspritzer 
@pineconesandacorns 
Have a great weekend !

#californiacookie #californialiving #californiachocolatechipcookie #weekendpost #chocolateandorange
Just a little peek at some of the homes in San Fra Just a little peek at some of the homes in San Francisco’s Laurel Heights and a little walk through the Presidio to the Lyon Street Steps. We had an unbelievably beautiful day after so much rain and darkness. I highly recommend walking through this neighborhood, through The Presidio and grabbing lunch and checking out the lovely shops like the new Emily Joubert! The views are amazing all the way to the Golden Gate, and I am in love with all the beautiful homes of San Francisco. ❤️

#sanfranciscolove #presidioheights #lyonstreetsteps #sanfranciscowalks #housesofsf #visitcalifornia #ourgoldenstate #sanfranciscomansions #citybythebay #prettycity
Unearthed my Hunter’s and dusted them up! Bring Unearthed my Hunter’s and dusted them up! Bring it on, I am ready. I’m getting used to the rain, but this California girl is struggling with the gloom. How do people do it in the Pacific Northwest? Getting out for rainy day walks seems to help. Anyone else feel the same? I feel guilty for even mentioning it, with all the flooding and struggles so many are dealing with. 
Today is good -as we have power, internet and for now, just drizzles. 

#northerncalgal #californiastorm #hunterbootslove
It’s time for our first Signature Style of 2023 It’s time for our first Signature Style of 2023 and Cindy and I are talking cozy clothes, workout outfits and athleisure! And actually what else are we wearing right now?  If you’re not trying to workout, you’re likely staying cozy so we have all kinds of good things for you. 
Hope you’re staying dry and safe if you’re in California. 💛We had the craziest night yet with wind and rain last evening. We began with no power and internet so I was a bit slow getting this out..Sending good thoughts to everyone.

Stop on by our blogs..
As always links are in our bios and stories..
@northerncalstyle 
@cindyhattersley

#athleisurestyle #workoutstyle #cozycore #pajamastyle #signaturestyle

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