A Peek Inside a Christmas-Ready 1918 Craftsman Home

Every year, blogger, shop owner, and interior stylist Jeran McConnel of Oleander and Palm and her husband Lonnie host a holiday bash at their Bakersfield, CA home. “Most people stay for hours, and our house gets loud and crowded. I bake and cook for days leading up to it so that everything is homemade and fresh,” the multi-hyphenate Jeran tells us. This year, however, the couple has reworked not only that annual party but all of their holiday plans in order to keep their loved ones safe.

“I grew up in Papua New Guinea. When I was pregnant with my oldest child, we visited a very remote Island, and I bought an ebony-and-shell carved ornament from a local artisan. I used to hang it on the tree, but this year I got a little ornament stand at a thrift store for it. Now it has a special spot on the mantle,” McConnel tells us. Stockings by Target Photo by Oleander and Palm

A highly scaled-back guest list and a change of scenery will help keep their traditional gathering alive. The new socially-distanced setting? The front porch. “We will serve a few neighbors thermoses full of spiked citrus punch, hand out boxes of homemade treats, and give them blankets to keep them warm,” McConnel adds.

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