Southern Living December 2020

AS FAR BACK as I can remember, Christmas always started with my grandmother’s cheese straws. Her name was Heloise McKee, but we called her Mamau. For about 40 years, she hosted a fancy Christmas Eve dinner for our family at her home in Memphis. For her seven grandkids, this was a major event because it ended with the opening of presents in her living room, a pre-Santa bonanza that felt like a bonus. But for me, it always began with the cheese straws, which she set out in silver bowls as a cocktail snack. They appeared only on that annual occasion. My brother never cared for them, but I could eat a dozen in a sitting, seduced by the crunchy goodness of Cheddar and cayenne that tasted like Christmas to…

Brilliant Berries For a mix of traditional and modern, use mercury glass teardrop vases to hold bright holly berries, available from florists and garden shops. Leaning on warm orange and red hues, we added some mandarins and pomegranates for texture, color, and fragrance. Kept in fresh water, the berries should last up to three weeks. Glorious Greens Play up one color for extra impact. We paired clear glass containers with fruit, foliage, and ribbon in a fresh shade for an unexpected display. Arrange camellia branches in one water-filled vase and naked seeded eucalyptus in another. Place a mound of apples beneath a glass bowl. Accent with contrasting ornaments and tiny battery-powered fairy lights. Cool Jewel Tones Pussy willow adds some height to a simple arrangement of pine branches with cones, displayed in an antique blue…

“SAVANNAH is such a special place, and the whole city gets into a festive spirit each December,” says Monica Lavin, founder of the lifestyle blog Lavin Label. In 2018, she and her husband, Casey, moved into their downtown home, which was built in 1842 and isn’t too far from Forsyth Park. The couple fell in love with its historic charm, which really shines at this time of year. When it comes to decorating, Lavin prefers to enhance the existing decor with fresh seasonal touches. “We want our guests to feel welcome when they step inside,” she says. A sophisticated palette paired with treasured family keepsakes offers just that—the warmest of holiday greetings. Dress Up the Evergreens The exterior and living areas are layered with evergreen swags, which are taken up a notch…

JULIA REED grew up in Greenville, Mississippi, a place she longed to return to after a successful journalism career that took her to Washington, D.C.; New York; New Orleans; and all over the globe. Her parents, Judy and Clarke Reed, still live there, but she had always fantasized about having her own home in The Delta, somewhere that she could hide out, entertain, and reconnect with her Mississippi roots. She worked with Birmingham architect James F. Carter to build what she called her “Delta Folly,” a small cottage with 14-foot ceilings and tall windows that make it feel much bigger—“like a light-filled cathedral,” she said. When the paint was barely dry in late 2018, one of the first things she did was decorate her place for Christmas and have friends…

Start Outside A white brick Colonial is a stately canvas for holiday decorating. The wreaths, swags, garlands, and gate decoration took a color cue from the home’s green-black shutters and bright copper lanterns. Draw Them In Whether guests arrive through the front or back door, make every entry inviting. A perch for removing boots can be a place to gather packages. Mudroom cubbies can display small collections, favorite ornaments, and family heirlooms. Dress the back staircase with a garland of pinecones, greenery, and ribbons of alpine blue. Pull Up a Chair No fireplace? No worries. Hang a stocking from every seat at the table. Use pretty ribbons and double-sided, industrial-strength tape to keep the stockings hung behind dining chairs with care. Savor Travel Memories Extend the festivities to empty corners. A framed collage of pages from expired…

PETIQUETTE Funny Business Does your playful pup have a sense of humor? STATE OF PLAY Defining a sense of humor can be subjective, but according to Ragen T.S. McGowan, PhD (a pet behavior research scientist with Purina), the best way to measure humor in dogs is through playfulness—and most pups love to play. “A dog will adopt very bouncy movements hoping to get the attention of his playmate,” she says. Other signs your pup is ready for some fun include a wagging tail, a restless pant, play bowing with the front half of his body, and assuming the play face, which is “an equivalent of a smile,” says McGowan. LAUGHINGSTOCK While it might not sound like much to us, when dogs are amused, they’ll also let out their own kind of belly laughter. “Similar to the…