You are most certainly going to think I'm adopted after seeing Mom's house on Friday.

I know there's all kinds of cute stuff on Pinterest, but I NEVER know how to display my Christmas cards. I put them roughly 3000 places around the house and then inevitably hang them the first place I tried.

I love trees that have themes and beautifully matched ornaments; however, I like trees even more when they simply reflect the things the respective tree owner loves. Mine is a mish-mash of homemade ornaments, gifts from Mom (she gives us ornaments every year on Thanksgiving), a few I've collected from places I traveled, and an assortment that remind me of "places" and moments of my life. One of my favorite projects: take a clear, glass ornament, remove the top, squeeze a variety of acrylic paints in, swirl around, turn over and let drain and dry.
If you don't like sock monkeys, there is something wrong with you. End of story.
The egg Caroline and I picked up in the amazing little shop in Salzburg, Austria.
Pine cones and twigs haphazardly thrown in the tree, a puffy Santa that just makes me smile, and one of my favorite homemade ornaments (just took strips of fabric and covered an ugly ball ornament that I would've never used).
Two of my favorite books, both gifts from the wonderfully talented and hilarious, Lindsey Devore. Sock monkey comment applies to the Pokey Little Puppy, too.
My sophisticated door-air-blocker-thing. Mom bought this for me last year after discovering the daily present I and my front door were giving Tri-County Electric every day. It does the trick and it makes me smile.
When I said to my mother, "I need to get a new Christmas flag," her response was, "No you don't. I probably have an extra." One of the many benefits of living two miles away.
Insert previous comment, substituting "flag" for "wreath."
Took the mum out of the chair planter and put a small Christmas tree in it.
I'm a minimalist when it comes to Christmas decorations, but I do like a touch of red.
My Christmas cards were neither classy nor sentimental, but I liked them nonetheless. I tried to personalize by attaching equally unclassy construction paper to the back and handwriting a favorite holiday cookie or candy recipe.
My kids, Lucy, Willie, DC + 5 (the five kittens that stay outside and that run from me unless I'm carrying a ridiculously huge bag of catfood), and Wendell all have stockings that cost $1-$3 dollars and have their names painted on them.
Merry Christmas from the Turners!
***
Last Christmas, my family spent an obscene amount of time addressing Lindsey's critical questions: "What isn't better with butter?" and "What isn't better on a stick?" I pose a new one this year: What isn't better dipped in chocolate?

Very little.

One of my favorite holiday candy is just various things dipped in either dark or white chocolate and then swirled or drizzled with the other. What I worked on this past weekend: pretzel rods and Ritz crackers. Suggestion: top with coconut and sea salt.

Or, try chocolate bark (line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, break up Ghirardelli bittersweet and white chocolate bars into eight pieces and arrange in checkerboard fashion, melt in 275 degree oven for 8 minutes or so, remove, swirl with toothpick, top with sea salt and nuts, chill for at least an hour, break apart, eat all of it and then fix a martini).