Favorite thing about the holidays:
Getting together with friends and family. It is always the perfect break I need to relax and get inspired. But mostly I look forward to the day all year that I can sit in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and watch Elf.Favorite holiday treat: Pumpkin pie. As a matter of fact, anything pumpkin. I get so excited around October every year. It’s like a scavenger hunt. Pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin taffy, pumpkin soup …
Cook or cater? Up until last year, my husband and I traveled to our parents’ house for the holidays—my mother is an amazing cook. But last year, we decided to make our own traditions and invite 15 of our closest friends to Thanksgiving dinner at our house. It was my first attempt at cooking a turkey, and I stayed up all night brining it. I must say that Julia Child couldn’t have done much better.
Best gift you ever received: My engagement ring. My husband got my ring with intentions of proposing on Christmas Eve. But I think he barely got home with it before he gave it to me. It was hung on our first ornament that we got together in college.
Worst gift: Since my hometown was so small, our classes would do a gift exchange each year. One year—I think around first grade—I received a knock-off My Little Pony. I only remember this gift because it smelled so awful. It was supposed to smell like baby powder, but I can’t even describe the true smell. It smelled up my entire house, until my mom tossed it.
Holiday sweaters? Yes, please. Do you know how hard it is to find a good ugly sweater these days for under $100? We host an ugly sweater party at our house every year, and I look all year long to find the perfect one. Mine last year was an Escada sweater from the ’80s with a jaguar that I transformed into a reindeer.
Tinsel? No. But, then again, if you use anything in the right way, it can be great. But let’s just stick to no.
Real tree or fake? I love the smell of real trees but not the mess. And fake trees—well, they just look fake. So I decided if I was going to have a fake tree, why not go all the way and have one made out of my favorite material: Lucite. It is a blank canvas that you can transform each year with different ornaments.
How old were you when you learned the truth about Santa? I don’t think I ever believed in Santa. My parents were brutally honest. So, yes, I was that kid at school who told everyone he wasn’t real. Then, when they would argue, I would say, “You’ll see someday who is smarter.” I think they all found out the answer.
When does the tree go up? It’s already up. We typically put it up right before Thanksgiving—because if we don’t, it seems like there is never a perfect time, and it’s January before we know it.
When does the tree come down? We are never in town for Christmas, so we don’t really get to enjoy the tree. So we leave it up a little longer than we should. Is March too late?
New Year’s resolution? I make one every year. But by January 2, I forget what it is. Resolutions aren’t for people with ADD.
Presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas day? With the parents: Christmas Eve. But when my husband and I exchange gifts, it’s typically much less planned. It goes something like this: Larry goes to the store to get my gifts. He comes in carrying several bags. He runs upstairs and wraps one and brings it down for me to open. This goes on until I have all my gifts. This usually happens around mid-December. We are both really bad at giving gifts. We are usually so excited about them that we can’t wait to give them.
Favorite ornament: When Larry and I got our first tree together in college we found an ornament that looks exactly like our weenie dog Chaucer. Although, those were the days that I embraced color. Now I have a much simpler color palette: black and white. So I typically hide it somewhere on the tree where it can’t be seen. But I know where it is.
Favorite holiday candle: Diptyque Feu de Bois. It’s my all-year candle, and it’s perfect for the holidays. It smells like a fireplace.
Wreath on the front door? Only if it’s a simple green moss or a fresh pine wreath. Simplicity is key.
Favorite thing about the holidays:
Wrapping presents. I don’t like shopping for them, but I love picking out the paper and making all the seams line up just so. Even though I’m guilty of using them at times, I think gift bags are lazy.Favorite holiday treat: Is there a bad holiday treat? Making sausage balls is a disgusting process, but I enjoy those during the holidays. I like pecan pie, too. Oh, and tamales—I only eat tamales at Christmastime.
Cook or cater? Sometimes neither. My mom and I like to take mini-vacations for the holidays. Last Christmas we ate fajitas on the Riverwalk for Christmas.
Best gift you ever received: My dog Oliver. I got him when he was just 6 weeks old, and he’ll be 12 on his next birthday.
Worst gift: Milky the Marvelous Milking Cow. It was a short-lived toy from the late 1970s, and it was bizarre. When you pumped the cow’s tail, it drank water from a trough. Then, because of some tablets you put inside the toy, the water turned to fake milk, which you extracted by squeezing Milky’s udders. Really. I can only hope the “milk” was nontoxic because I’m pretty sure I drank it.
Holiday sweaters? No
Tinsel? No
Real tree or fake? Fake
How old were you when you learned the truth about Santa? I can’t remember exactly, but I think I was much older than the average child. My mother went through elaborate schemes each year to keep me believing. I’m sure I will discuss this in therapy someday.
When does the tree go up? Whenever I feel like it
When does the tree come down? See above. Last year, it came down twice. The first time I put it up, it crashed to the floor one day while I was at work. So I had to start over.
New Year’s resolution? I stopped doing that. I tended to overreach in making goals, and I don’t like feeling disappointed in myself, so no more.
Presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas day? Christmas Eve
Favorite ornament: My favorite ornament is a Mexican senorita wearing a red dress and a flower in her hair.
Wreath on the front door? I have a wreath, but I always forget about it. So, sadly, most of the time, my front door remains unadorned.
