Ugly Christmas Lights

Last night, on our way home from after-school day camp, Caroline asked if we could drive a long way to look at the holiday decorations on people's houses. That was one my favorite things to do as a kid at Christmastime.

Back then, my favorites were the houses that had large wooden figures and lots of moving things. In our neighborhood, one house had large wooden presents all over its lawn, with moving wooden elves hammering and sawing...All of this was wonderfully (if garishly) lit with colored lights. Santa in his sleigh and all 9 reindeer (including Rudolph) were up on the roof. It was, to my childish eyes, an artistic marvel.

Now, everyone just hangs those dripping icicle lights around the gutters of their houses.

There's a fine line between exuberantly festive holiday decoration and, well, tacky. But how to know when you're crossing the line? I guess you can be sure when a photo of your house turns up here: Welcome to Ugly Christmas Lights.com!