You Know It's A Southern Lowcountry Preppy Holiday Season When...

Yes, you know it's a Southern Lowcountry Preppy's Holiday Season when...

• "Merry Christmas Y'all" embroidered linen hand towels surface in guest bathrooms


• Magnolia leaves are gilded with gold paint and used profusely when decorating


• Winter-coats are thin quilted vests by Barbour and Talbots


• Winter boots consist of Wellies, one's riding boots and black dressy-heeled versions


• Tartan, especially family tartans, is the pattern-of-choice in decorating and clothing


• There's a kilt or two being worn to the midnight Christmas Eve church service


• Suburbans and station wagons sport small evergreen wreaths wired onto their front grills


• Potted Amaryllis and Narcissus sit next to vases of freshly cut flowers from the yard


• Every other gift being put under the tree has a monogram somewhere on it


• Guns for sport shooting are being polished-up as much as is the silver


• Needlepoint stockings are being hung up on the mantle or the dining room's sideboard


• A "Tasting Table" is being set up to house whatever small edible gifts come one's way


• The ever-present small bar with cut crystal decanters is being utilized more than usual


• The Christmas Cotillion season is commencing


• One's social schedule also includes oyster roasts as well as in-town cocktail parties


• There are less events planned for the children and much more for adults of all ages


• Babysitters are in high demand during evening after evening and all weekends as well


• Most of the "bling" on women comes from inheriting their greatgrandmother's baubles


• Men dust off their old tux yet once again and try to polish up very well-worn dress shoes


• Bottles of wine or huge bouquets gathered from the garden are hostess gifts


• Heading to the beach or going out to the dock is the way to de-stress during the holidays


• Most shopping is done locally and takes awhile since literally everyone knows one another


• Poinsettias are ordered for church decor and also for placing out in the family graveyard


• Claims of having a fruitcake receipe that actually-tastes-good run rampant


• Chasing a piece of fruitcake with sherry, Madeira or scotch is a well-known survival tool


• Pine cones, greenery and red berries grace interiors of houses however...


• ...scads of sea shells & untreated Spanish Moss with its tiny bugs are only used by tourists n' transplants: bless their "all too eager to blend-in" hearts


• Seafood dishes are as part of the menu as is the more traditionally-considered holiday fare


• Stocking stuffers for adult males include a box of shotgun shells


• Stocking stuffers for adult females include something glittering in a tiny jewelry box


• Stocking stuffers for male children include a small sailor's knots how-to book


• Stocking stuffers for female children include one piece of her sterling flatware's pattern


• Stocking stuffers for the eldest family matriarch are small bottles of her favorite "spirits"


• Adults sit in the dining room for holiday meals and children are relegated to their own children's-table made out of bridge card tables or put into whatever kitchen seating works


• Nativity Pageants and Christmas Morning are when the children are the main attraction, er attention


• After Christmas Day festivities, there's a boat ride, shoot, beach or woods walk scheduled


• Apres' Holiday Season, Father retreats to the family farm, Mother goes on a Girls'-trip somewhere either much colder (skiing) or much warmer (tropical isles) and the children are sent back to school with much relief.