The Decorated Tree (of Life)

two thousand and twelve

2011-12-31T16:19:00.002-05:00

It's easy to forget the nuances of years past. The classic New Year's song Auld Lang Syne begins with a rhetorical question as to whether it is right that old times be forgotten. This unique New Year's tree from last year's blog post is a toast to remembering. Take a new look at the old with the spreads for the New Year's story designed for The Decorated Tree book, which can be ordered here. This book will take you on a cathartic journey through the whole year of holidays from Valentine's Day to the next New Year.

AS WE GET OLDER, the years seem to fly by. Friends come and go, but for old times sake, the important events in life are not forgotten. The classic New Year’s song Auld Lang Syne begins with a rhetorical question as to whether it is right that old times be forgotten. It’s up to us to answer the question in the way that works best for us. If it has been a good year, then of course we’ll remember, but if it has been a bad year, we tend to try to forget. Memory serves well to selectively process and store the good times we all cherish.

THERE are MANY exciting things about a new year. It is a time to mix a refreshing drink and reflect on old and new goals alike. Looking back, as one is wont to do at the beginning of the new year, there’s always the practice to resolve to not repeat the mistakes of the past. As for the future, since none of us really knows what is in store, superstitious beliefs abound. Having been raised in the American South, eating collard greens for prosperity and black-eyed peas or Hoppin’ John for luck has always been a part of my New Year’s ritual. Our vision is not always perfectly clear in looking back. We have to “be in the now” to latch onto that elusive moment of clarity. That is a resolution for anyone—to be aware of and in the moment as much as possible when conducting our daily lives.

THIS NEW YEAR’S tree is an elegant and glitzy way of remembering long-standing relationships, welcoming new friends and raising a happy and prosperous toast to whatever lies ahead.

BRING in the NEW | (1st "New Year Glitz" spread from The Decorated Tree book) Bringing in the new doesn’t always mean throwing out the old, but it certainly is necessary to make room for new aspirations.This large mercury glass tree is encircled with a collection of glass beaded snowflakes attached to a garland made of wire and glass beads. Two miniature metal cups and a champagne bottle hang from the antlers of a recycled aluminum deer. The champagne-filled glassesin the foreground are garnished with rosemary sprigs that have been given a sparkle with a coating of egg white and coarse sanding sugar.

TOP SHINE | (2nd "New Year Glitz" spread from The Decorated Tree book) I’ve retrofitted this tree topper with a new typeset and glittered disk of calligraphy. It is surrounded by beautiful glittered metal rays with tinsel woven through them. Glass-beaded snowflake ornaments are attached to a beaded garland encircling a sturdy mercury glass pleated tree. This beautiful reindeer symbolically stands guard and brings in a cup (or two) of good cheer on its antlers. The champagne flutes are garnished with sprigs of sugared rosemary as a symbol of remembering the good times.

collecting, photography, styling and design by Darryl Moland

what's old is new . . . again

2011-12-15T20:26:00.001-05:00

NOW THAT I'M finished with the first iteration of the book The Decorated Tree, what's next? Do I look to the future or to the past for inspiration? A lot of work has been done to create the book that a real bonafide publisher will want to buy into, but there is a lot of footwork involved in finding said publisher. But I'm happy I now have a self-published book in hand to show and tell about. Having been a designer my whole adult life, I've learned very well that even though I might be fairly articulate at telling someone what I see in my head, it's necessary for most people to literally see your design in a visual sense. You have to spell it out in the language of design, which involves type, photography, illustration and the magical elements involved in putting all of that together in a way that makes sense. Beyond just making literal sense, it also has to turn heads, as if saying "look at me!"

I'VE OFTEN SAID I feel like the blogger Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams) in the movie Julie & Julia, where Julie states "I could write a book, I have ideas." or "I am risking my well being for a deranged assignment." The original blog ran on Salon.com. I'm laughing out loud as I'm finding out her new blog is named "What Could Happen?" with the subtitle "musings from a "soiled and narcissistic whore." However, like Julie during the time of the Julia/Julia Project blog, I am currently working a day job as a graphic design contractor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which puts me in a position not unlike Julie in the movie. I work at a government job by day and blog by night and weekends, while working my way through my ornament collection, notes and photography I've compiled (instead of cooking my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking). The Decorated Tree book is a result of all of this.

WHAT COULD HAPPEN? Indeed! I have to say, that coming up with another tree to show so soon after finishing my book has surprised me. We are right smack in the middle of the holiday season though. I still know that even though I've created a book that I can be very proud of, this is only the beginning to finding the way to the future I envision. I need to spell it out in the visual language I'm so used to, but I also need to articulate it verbally and through the contacts I make. "What's old is new" is my mantra now, as I carry on and bring what I've created to the next level. Stay with me (and buy my book!). This should be a wild ride.

OLD & NEW | (above three photos) I found this cute wire tree at Homegoods early in the season ("handcrafted in the Philippines" is all I know about it). It had cheap gold plastic beads on the ends of each stem, but did have the really cool cardboard birdhouse ornaments glued to its branches with bright red silk thread. I took it apart and reconfigured it by adding vintage Shiny Brite® ornaments to the ends of the branches and a vintage finial tree topper. I also added the jewel-toned shatterproof ornaments (with proper metal caps) from the Jaclyn Smith Today Golden Heritage collection from Kmart. (I usually shy away from plastic ornaments because they also have cheap plastic caps. These were dressed up with beautiful metal caps). The gold krinkled wire balls were sold at Michaels as vase filler. The beautiful rusted metal door in the background is from the private collection of my friends Charlene Fisk and Maggie McBride.

OLD IS NEW | I'm always drawn to the old Shiny Brite® ornaments from my childhood, but I've been collecting the new versions now marketed by Christopher Radko. The large box are the new interpretations and the tiny box next to it is the box of old ornaments I bought that cap the branch ends on the tree above (if you look closely in the upper corner of the box, it says "a Shiny Brite® product"). I'm seeing a bawdy bright tree full of new Shiny Brite® ornaments in my future! Who knows, I might even use some colored lights (but I doubt it).

GREETINGS | I had to share my illustrator friend's gorgeous holiday card I received in the mail a few days ago. I gasped when I opened the envelope. Stanislawa Kodman is the talented artist behind it. I send my heartfelt well wishes to her and her family, as her mother just died. Stanis also designs illustrated jewelry and can be found here at her website. She can be hired professionally through her agent Alexander Pollard.

collecting, photography, styling and design by Darryl Moland,
card illustration by Stanislawa Kodman.

a labor of love

2011-12-10T18:38:00.001-05:00

The Decorated Tree in book form available here.

MY FIRST BOOK, the collected best from what you've seen in this blog is available NOW here!

IN THE SPIRIT of Indie publishers and bloggers everywhere, I decided to self publish my book exactly the way I wanted it to be. This blog served as the catalyst. I wish I could have stacks of them to give away and sign for those that have requested that already, but if you order it, I will sign it for you. If you're not in Atlanta, we can figure out the details of how I can do that by contacting me through The Decorated Tree Facebook page or here. Being the perfectionist I am, this book is as professionally-produced as any you might see at a bookstore. Using my huge collection of ornaments and decorations, having an art director's eye for photography and developing a knack for writing has led me to realizing my dream of publishing a book. I'm hoping this book will be the tipping point for something big! Although this coffee table-worthy book is no small feat—it is a large 12" x 12" in size and 144 pages, with 186 sumptuous full-color photos. The finished product is a high-end digital hardbound book with a dust jacket (preview it below).

Buy The Decorated Tree here

SINCE THE BOOK is printed within a publish-on-demand scenario, the price is a higher than a mass-produced book. But that is how publishers afford to bring books to the general market. I'm only profiting nine dollars for each book sold with the rest going for print and production costs. Blurb.com, who is publishing it makes high quality books, so I don't think you'll be disappointed. I even surprised myself with what I have created! Within the book, there are some new photos shot especially for the book that aren't in this blog. So if you like what you've seen in this blog, the book has a more complete feel. I'm an old-fashioned print guy, and I worked to design it within the realm of my expertise for a printed product. There are only a few more days left to order to get this extra-special, from-the-heart first-edition in time for Christmas. Even if you don't order now, order it for after Christmas. The book carries you on a trip through a whole year's-worth of every major holiday and more.

DIVIDED INTO four sections—one for each season, the book takes you on a journey through the most celebrated holidays of the year. Starting with Valentine's Day, the book ends with a toast and a New Year's tree. Old and new acquaintances I've made through this blog won't soon be forgotten. So here's a toast to all those who have encouraged and supported me throughout this effort—from my blog followers, my Facebook friends (both my personal page and The Decorated Tree page)—to friends in my daily life who have embraced my ideas. "Here's a toast to many more friends, creative ideas and decorated trees to come." Thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement in helping me make a dream into a reality. It's has truly been a labor of love!

The Decorated Tree book by Darryl Moland,
book cover photo by Harold Daniels

homeward bound

2011-11-23T19:22:00.001-05:00

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS | A bound book is on the horizon.

WHEN I BEGAN writing this blog over two years ago with the short August 19, 2009 post, I already had a book in mind, Seeing that I needed a structure to force me to compile and create my vision, I began writing, photographing and obsessing over The Decorated Tree. This blog as a regular discipline gave me the impetus to keep things moving and to hone my writing skills. Before I knew it, I had more than enough material for a book. What you will see in the book that I'm almost finished with are the best ideas and photographs from The Decorated Tree blog (and a few new ones), edited and coaxed into bookish formality.

I'VE REALIZED in writing about what I love, that the best things I write are entirely personal. Although the book is a little less so than the blog, my life is integrally bound to what I create for this blog and now for the book. Even though I enlisted a few professional photographer friends to take photos of some of the more complex trees, I have photographed most of the images for the blog and book with only the natural light bounced around by a reflector, a pocket digital camera and tripod, and a mission to get a proper publisher to notice.

EXCERPTING one of my blog entries redesigned and edited for my book, here's a sneak peak of how the book is coming together, along with the cover image and a section opener. The book is divided into the four seasons:


SECTION OPENER \| The opening spread of the fall section of the book.

AUTUMN TREES become a saturated blaze of earthy color after a spring and summer of growth. The first beliefs and rituals involving decorating a tree resonate at the core of who we are as part of the natural world and our visceral attachment to it. Reverent celebrations of birth and a hope for rebirth of man’s spirit begin each year with the autumnal equinox, when the weather cools and the leaves drop from the trees. If one were to meld the disparate belief systems of the world into one, all are symbolic of new life and rebirth in a profound way, while paying direct homage to our roots in nature. A realization that every living thing is connected and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts becomes a way to honor the gifts of life. Generations of friends and family migrate and join together to share celebratory meals together. These decorated gatherings simply celebrate life and abundance. And there is much to be thankful for, even as we witness the constant death and rebirth in nature’s changing seasons—even as we do in our own lives.

HOLIDAY MIGRATION | One of my blog entries redesigned for the book.

MONARCH BUTTERFLIES are known in North America for their incredible autumn migration every year south and northward return home in the summer. This trip spans the life of three or four generations. Monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains (most famously) are the ones believed to overwinter and roost in the forested mountaintops within central Mexico’s Transvolcanic Range. The ones east of the Rockies travel to small groves of trees along the southern California coast. They often return to the same trees every year creating an amazingly magical sight. This miracle of nature is expressed by the tree I’ve decorated with their facsimiles to celebrate the season.

JUST AS MANY species of birds migrate south for the winter, the Monarch does also. Unlike birds though, the lifespan of the butterfly during this migration is completed by children and grandchildren of the butterflies that start this incredible journey—done without their elders to show them the way. Unlike most insects, Monarchs cannot survive a long cold winter, so they migrate. Seasons change. But it might not be as simple as that.

DO THEY FOLLOW magnetic fields or use the sun to guide them? Are they following landforms (rivers, coastlines, mountain ranges) as their navigational tools? A lot of mystery lies behind this yearly event, having baffled and inspired researchers for decades. What are some of the other reasons for such a distinct migration? How long has this natural pattern been in place?

HOLIDAY MIGRATION | The second spread adapted from last year's Thanksgiving post.

AS SUCH, humans migrate and gather with friends and family during the holiday season every year. Generations travel and join together to share good times and celebratory meals. These gatherings are for celebrating life and abundance. And there is much to be thankful for, even as things change over the years for better or worse.

I’LL NEVER FORGET Thanksgiving day back in 1984, when I got the call confirming my first job out of college at Southern Living magazine. That day set me on my career path as a designer and forever linked it to a day of abundance. I give thanks for all the celebrations of life—family and friends alike. Even still, there is a part of me that feels the pull homeward.

BUT MAYBE you “Can’t Go Home Again.” That phrase comes from the finale of Thomas Wolfe’s novel of the same name. In the end its protagonist realizes, “You can’t go back home to your family, back home to your childhood … back home to a young man’s dreams of glory and of fame … back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time—back home to the escapes of Time and Memory.”

THIS TREE is a not-so-subtle reminder of the hope that all will come together again. One day we will realize our paths in life are for more than just survival. Our better instincts will inform us—just as it does with each generation of the peculiar Monarch.

I HOPE YOU have enjoyed this teaser and will buy the book when it is published. As I write this blog, I still have about 30 more pages to design and edit in preparing the book for printing on Blurb.com, where you can order a copy of your own, as well as be able to download an edition for your iPad. Thanks-giving is in order … a sincere thanks to all the special people in my life who have given me the moral support to keep things going. I couldn't have done it without your encouragement. My goal is to have the book available online at the latest in mid December, but it might be scheduled for what would have been my parents 66th wedding anniversary on December 23rd. Keep checking back here for the latest news. It feels like a real accomplishment now that there will be an actual book of the best of The Decorated Tree!

collecting, photography, styling and design by Darryl Moland,
book cover photo by Harold Daniels

reasons for the season

2011-11-17T22:43:00.001-05:00

COVER STORY | In the new publication, Holiday with Matthew Mead, blogger Stephanie Nielson (the NieNie Dialogues) and her children draw inspiration from holiday candy to create a spectacular handmade Christmas using an assortment of pretty papers and a tempting array of sweets. This story boasts some beautiful "ribbon candy" ornaments and amazing trees simply made from double-sided strips of scrapbook paper.

THIS IS GOING be telling of my age, but growing up, most people never thought a whole lot about Christmas until after we saw Tom Turkey usher in Santa in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television. But there are so many amazing new "indie" publications I've become a fan of, that I wanted to spotlight one and tell you about a couple of other publications that are available for the iPad® as well as in print. Since I'm busy working on my book, I am not creating much for my blog right now. But you'll be sure to forgive me when you see what I have to show you with these publications.

HOLIDAY with MATTHEW MEAD is one such publication that is now available on the newsstand now. But Matthew suggests ordering the expanded edition of the magazine, which I also want to do (I've already bought the newsstand edition). Always on high alert for trees this time of year, I continue to be impressed by what Matthew brings to the market. His ideas are accessible, real and highlight bloggers and other creatives similar to myself—a refreshing new direction in the shelter magazine category. He may very well have found big success with this concept—Time Inc. has just started distributing the magazine after he bravely published only three issues independently. There are so many creative ideas in the blogosphere that never see the light of day and Matthew successfully brings that element of the creative community alive along with his own signature style. He's a reader of my blog and we've chatted online a number of times, so who knows what will happen next?

Matthew Mead

MATTHEW MEAD is a stylist, writer, author, photographer, lifestyle editor, and noted style expert. The former style editor of Country Home magazine and co-editor in chief of Flea Market Style magazine (2010), he is now the official food photographer for the Associated Press and is a regular contributor to Better Homes and Gardens and Victoria magazine. He has also written eight books and produced countless magazine spreads and ad campaigns for companies such as Pottery Barn, Dove Chocolate, Target and Stonewall Kitchen.   Matthew is known for seasonal style . . . decorating beautiful spaces with vintage finds, using what is at hand along with nature's offerings; guiding others with easy entertaining ideas and inspiring them in creating beautiful food and living spaces. His own quarterly magazine Holiday with Matthew Mead can be ordered at his website/blog, Holiday with Matthew Mead. The talented bloggers and other people he highlights in his magazine are bringing fresh life to the magazine marketplace. I already want to make (well, eat) the Cardamom-Black Pepper Trees with Juniper Icing found in the current issue of his magazine—these cookies sound amazing. There are plenty more ideas (food and otherwise) inside the pages of his magazine. I bought my copy on the newsstand, but the expanded edition is only available here.

TREE TOPS | Passionate food blogger Kate Wheeler (SavourFare.com) gives a delectable sampling of global flavors in her holiday cookie story in Holiday with Matthew Mead.
These Cardomom-Black Pepper Trees with Juniper Icing sound and look amazing! I can't wait make some for an upcoming Christmas party. They certainly take the idea of a Christmas cookie to a whole new fragrant level of earthy flavor.

TIMEWORN TIDINGS | In this story in the current issue of Holiday with Matthew Mead, vintage glass ornaments combine beautifully with paper accordion fans, simply folded from sheets of scrapbook paper, and paper flowers.

ANOTHER MAGAZINE available online, in printed form and available through the MagCloud iPad® application, was launched from Paul Lowe's wildly successful blog Sweet Paul, which ranked 22nd in the London Times Top 50 Best Design Blogs. I've been following him closely since he started his magazine in Spring of 2010 and have been constantly wowed. I have long been a fan of food stylists such as Donna Hay and his work is just as transcendent.

SIMPLE PLEASURE | Paul Lowe's signature Sweet Paul style is not always found with food. Below it is evident in this casual and beautiful tree. Hung with with handmade scotty dog ornaments made from tartan plaid fabric, it appears in his winter issue story "Tartan Holiday."

The December issue of Martha Stewart Living

ALTHOUGH WELL ESTABLISHED and seemingly untouchable, it would be remiss not to mention one of the biggest reasons I first decided I wanted an iPad®. My coworkers rose to the occasion for on my 50th birthday back in May of this year and gave me an Apple gift certificate to buy one. Martha's iPad® editions of her publications (Everyday Food and Martha Stewart Living so far), if you have a standard subscription, the iPad downloads are now included with the subscription price. I still can't quite give up the tactile reality of a printed edition of the magazine, but what the interactive editions offer will surprise you. Of course Martha has the resources to do it all, which she does and does well—Martha Stewart Omnimedia is showing us the future of magazines by exploiting the best of what can be done with an iPad® edition of a print publication and other mobile apps. It's really quite exciting. Animated and interactive tablet versions of magazines are here to stay. I think they can only enhance what the long tradition of what print magazines have offered as the technology takes hold.

THE FUTURE ALSO holds a much more accessible marketplace for those who do it for the love of it to find their own audience. It certainly is part of my "retirement plan." So keep looking for news of my soon-to-be-available digital and digitally-printed edition of my book on the left-hand sidebar of my blog. I'll be adding more updates there soon—I am finally seeing it come to fruition. I've learned that following your passion, along with your voice, might just lead to finding a way to live, in doing what you love.

Holiday with Matthew Mead photos courtesy Matthew Mead

Halloween parade

2011-10-30T15:53:00.004-04:00

IT'S OBVIOUS everywhere this time of year, that Halloween has become the most celebrated holiday aside from Christmas. It hasn't been until the past few years that I've really gotten into the spirit of the holiday since my trick-or-treat years as a kid. When going out with a couple of friends, I dressed as— what else?—a spooky tree. Even though I cheated a bit and wore a cheesy web-bought costume, I did add more fake autumn leaves to it to dress it up.

Dana and Devin have a moment.

LAST NIGHT, I realized that people—eschewing the commercial— are once again investing a lot of creative elbow grease into their Halloween costumes. It's great to see handmade and over-the-top inventiveness in designing costumes is making a big comeback. My friend Dana sewed her incredibly detailed blue gingham dress for her costume as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz—making it really work with incredible makeup and hair and glittery red flats. With white face and big overblown red lips, Devin dressed as one of the fashion show moments of the late "enfant terrible"Alexander McQueen. I also saw some other really brilliantly designed costumes such as a woman dressed as a framed Mona Lisa—as the live image in front of the frame, complete with the moody background image. There was also a group of new acquaintances dressed as the One Percent, who made their costumes from fake money and got into full character by filling their bags with said fake money and giving it to people on the street, tossing it into the air, and even burning stacks of it while smoking a cigar!

I'M GUESSING THAT next year, I will have to do the same with a costume instead of spending all my spare time on conceiving and designing trees for my blog. I've spent part of two weekends now celebrating the holiday with friends here in Atlanta. Last weekend, I attended the 11th Annual Little Five Points Halloween Festival & Parade. I haven't checked, but I'm not sure if another city that has a Halloween festival and parade. It has been an Atlanta tradition for eleven years now! Local Atlanta artist, Ronnie Land designed and illustrated the really fun and creepy logo for the parade this year, which you see here.

FUN AND CREEPY has always been my mantra for Halloween. The decorations I enjoy most have a definite macabre side, but are always fun and exuberantly creative. That was my goal when creating this "Skeleton Key Tree." So, of course, I emailed the well-known Halloween product illustrator and designer—Johanna Parker, and asked her what I could do with these amazing mercury glass skeleton head ornaments I found. Always in Halloween mode, I give her credit for giving me the idea of framing them and hanging skeleton keys from the branches. She didn't see the final results until this post. It was fun creating this tree and brainstorming with her about it. I searched high and low for the perfect craggy branch and retrieved it a while back in order to let it dry as it did. I even left some of the leaves on it to give it a creepier asymmetrical look.

EVEN IF YOU WAIT until the last minute—with a little advance planning, of course—your Halloween parade of costumes, decorations and decor can contribute to the fun and creepy spirit of All Hallows Eve. You're certain to encounter a parade of fun and creepy characters, whether receiving trick-or-treaters or going out on the town. Here's wishing you a happy, creepy and fun Halloween!

SPIRITED ELEGANCE | (Top two photos and above) This "skeleton key tree" makes use of a craggy branch with some of the dried leaves still intact, mercury glass skeleton head ornaments are from Z Gallerie. Handmade glittered frames were made from clip art glued and trimmed from matte board and the skeleton keys were found on eBay. The scene is set with a faux bois container for the tree, a faux pumpkin with calligraphy from Bayberry Cove and one with a cat silhouette and stars found at Ross. Bright green reindeer moss adds the finishing touch, along with the requisite container of Halloween candy to satisfy the spooks.

FRAMED HEADS | The image used to frame the mercury glass skeleton heads from Z Gallerie was printed from a piece of stock clip art, flipped in Photoshop on the opposite side to match up, then glued to matte board, trimmed with an Xacto knife and glued and glittered with glow-in-the-dark glitter from Martha Stewart Crafts. I thank Devin for helping me with those. Black grosgrain ribbon was tied around the tops of the frames for hanging. The skeleton keys found on eBay were simply hung from the branch with black cotton thread at varying lengths.

FLAMING FUN | These old-fashioned counter-weight wire candleholders by Bethany Lowe Designs added just the right mood. Of course they look great in the photo and can create the right mood in real life, but have to be carefully attended—especially on a dried branch—as with any live flame. The candle holders were purchased from Bayberry Cove.

PARADE OF CHARACTERS | Real pumpkins are painted with flat gray latex paint to look as if they are casted. The simple and inexpensive paper masks from Target were slipped onto the painted pumpkins making this family of last-minute apparitions come to life without any carving.

collecting, photography and styling by Darryl Moland

something wicked

2011-09-27T22:58:00.000-04:00

"Something has changed within me. Something is not the same. I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else's game."

—ELPHABA THROPP from WICKED (the musical)

I'VE SUMMONED Halloween a bit early this year. This time, I came upon a witch's hat (or two, or seven) and a cat that must have cast their spell on me, which led me to see this tree. Something wicked you say? Maybe so, but there's a certain elegance in these going's on. The witch responsible for guiding my Halloween spirit this year is quite a sophisticated one—not satisfied with the typical orange and black of All Hallows Eve.

INSTEAD, this witch has an eye (or two, or nine) on the lookout for a holiday tree that is decorated her way. I'm not responsible. It was out of my control. I think a little magic has happened. Elphaba Thropp, the name of the witch I have mentioned, is surely responsible. She's the daughter of the Wizard of Oz according to Gregory Maguire, who wrote the fictional account of her life in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (L. Frank Baum's book) was Maguire's inspiration. As a homage, Maguire used Baum's initials (L.F.B.), phonetically pronounced to form Elphaba's name. Get it? El-Pha-Ba. You may have heard of both of these authors, but didn't know much more than that. "So much happened before Dorothy dropped in . . ."

I WON'T SPOIL the story, but Gregory Maguire named Elphaba's book of spells a Grimmerie. The author goes on to say "I conjured up the word Grimmerie to prompt associations of several things at once: of the Brother's Grimm, with their tales of magic and witches and forests; of grimmness itself. But also I meant slyly to echo the archaic word gramarye. The Oxford English Dictionary defines gramarye as 'occult learning, magic, necromancy.' There is a solid philological relationship to the Scottish word glamour—the casting of a spell over the eyes of a spectator . . . "

ACCORDING TO the historiographical highlights in the Grimmerie, "Elphaba's origins are shrouded in mystery, but we do know her mother received a strange visitor before she was born. At Shiz University, Elphaba was a brilliant student with magical gifts that she tried to hide. Because of her green skin, the students, including her roommate Galinda, shunned her. Elphaba's momentous meeting with the Wizard in the Emerald City set her on the fateful path whereby she became Wicked."

SO THERE you have it. A watchful Halloween tree that has Elphaba's signature style. I am glad to be here to show you the results and to assist Elphaba in casting her spell. And I'm grateful for her guidance—which may very well have been her last good deed.

WICKED ELEGANCE | (Top two photos) This tree could have gone in a Seussian direction with an inspiration that started with a hat and then a cat, but I realized quickly that something else was at play. A bit of magic led me to find these witches hats (at Michaels, tucked away in a display of frames and meant to be placecard holders). And the cat appeared to me on a clearance shelf at Ross. All nine of those eyes were watching me at Pier 1 Imports. Odd numbers of each are the rule-of-the-day for a pleasing composition. The large book in the photo is The Grimmerie, a behind-the-scenes look at the hit Broadway musical "Wicked"—a gift from my friend Jon Chavez. It is beautifully-designed to look old by Headcase Design, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2005 (a spread from the Grimmerie is seen below).

MAGICAL DETAILS | The right balance was struck with a wire tree—made as craggy as can be’— coated with black glitter and beads, was found at Marshall's and decorated with the witches hats and the eyeball ornaments mentioned above. Added to the spirited mix is a smoky small glass beaded garland from Restoration Hardware, small glass ornaments in green and dark brown from Michael's and fancy glass clip-on candles from the "vintage" 2004 Golden Traditions line by Martha Stewart at Kmart. It's all contained in a heavy stoneware cauldron with smooth black river rocks.

MILLINER'S MAGIC | This flocked witch's hat from Michaels is deftly striped in green glitter and is topped with a spiraled wire meant to be used as a placecard holder at the dinner table (see below), but I first saw them as elegant ornaments.

CANDLE CHARM | These clip-on glass candles—which are historically associated as a decorations for German feather trees were put to good use to set the mood. They are from the "vintage" 2004 Golden Traditions line by Martha Stewart at Kmart. I purposely centered this particular "flame" in the door's circular details to give a certain importance to it as a "tree topper" (the door was a discarded find, painted Bedford Grey from Martha Stewart's line of paints at Home Depot).

DRAFTY DODGER | This faux bois beeswax candle, mysteriously flamed out, is from the defunct Martha by Mail catalog. The metal candle snuffer from my collection stands guard. The beaded placemat is from the 2011 Halloween collection at Target. Two of Elphaba's spellbinding books (including the Grimmerie shown in detail above) are always at-the-ready.

TABLE FOR ONE | Since the mysteriously elegant Elphaba was shunned by her peers, she often dined alone, but with a great sense of style. The place setting is composed of a dinner plate, a salad plate and a napkin from Pier 1 Imports. The black dessert plate is from Target. The flatware pattern (that looks like unfurling fern fronds) is "Treble Clef" by Gourmet Settings.The silver-rimmed crystal water goblet and wine glass are from the defunct Martha by Mail catalog. The beaded placemat is from the 2011 Halloween collection at Target. Here the witches hat from Michaels is used as it was originally intended as a placecard holder. I made the placecard from a faux bois printed gift card by Martha Stewart Crafts by adding a brown satin ribbon through the perforations. Stick-on scrapbooking letters spell out Elphaba's name on the ribbon. The small bouquet is composed of a probable witch's brew of delphinium, rosehips, hosta and a thorny stem of a trailing rosebush.The tarnished hotel silver bud vase containing it is from my personal collection.

collecting, photography and styling by Darryl Moland as inspired by Elphaba Thropp

southern cool

2011-08-15T17:34:00.034-04:00

More than any other part of America, the South stands apart...Thousands of Northerners and foreigners have migrated to it...but Southerners they will not become. For this is still a place where you must have either been born or have 'people' there, to feel it is your native ground. "Natives will tell you this. They are proud to be Americans, but they are also proud to be Virginians, South Carolinians, Tennesseeans, Mississippians and Texans. But they are conscious of another loyalty too, one that transcends the usual ties of national patriotism and state pride. It is a loyalty to a place where habits are strong and memories are long. If those memories could speak, they would tell stories of a region powerfully shaped by its history and determined to pass it on to future generations.

—Tim Jacobson, Heritage of the South

THE AMERICAN SOUTH has more than its share of stereotypes. Some are borne out of reality and some are complete misconceptions. One thing for sure is that the summer here is hot—especially the "dog days" of August and September. The thing that won’t surprise people is that Southerners know how to stay cool. We have things like iced tea, the breeze blowing from a fan or inland from the coast, or a cool and creamy slice of key lime pie. But the cool thing that most people might not know—unless they are Southerners themselves, or know one very well—is that people from the South are some of the most open and forgiving people in the world. The cool comes from an unpretentious and earthy live-and-let-live attitude.

OUT OF THAT attitude comes an openness to looking at things in an unstructured way that leaves our world ripe for innovation and creativity. A style-setting friend approached me about creating a tree for a new blog called Southern Exposures because he cited that a tree in August is unexpected, so I rose to the challenge. I present this tree, but make sure you visit the blog here. A talented writer is in cahoots with him and she has summed up the blog's focus as "a collection of artists, writers, photographers, chefs, and stylists living and working in the American South." Together, this stylist and writer are too modest to stake any personal claim because, as they say, their aim is to focus on the untapped and under-utilized talent in the American South. This tree evokes both the heat and the cool of our region and I was more than thrilled to oblige.

IT'S NO SECRET that a disproportionate number of game-changing writers, musicians, artists, chefs and other creative folk were born-and-raised here. William Faulkner, Truman Capote and Eudora Welty wrote with an unbridled and passionate turn of phrase. Ray Charles, Elvis and the band R.E.M. changed the very history and shape of music. Famous artists such as Jasper Johns, Romare Bearden and even self-taught folk artists such as Howard Finster all hail from the South. Masters of Southern cuisine such as Chef Paul Prudhomme, food writers such as Craig Claiborne and TV personalities such as Paula Deen are all world-renowned for their take on the food that made the South famous—not to be taken lightly, even if the food rarely spares any waist-slimming shortcuts.

I'D BE WILLING TO BET that all of these people (from the writers, to the artists. to the food experts) know that key lime pie is not green, but a pale creamy yellow. And I prefer mine with a pastry crust thank-you-very-much. Subtle distinctions like this are what set Southerners apart. We all know when somebody or something “ain’t from around here.” But the nice thing is that we’re willing and able to share the good stuff from our rich culture. It's definitely a place where you'll find an unfettered generosity of spirit.

POPULAR MOVIES set in the South such as To Kill a Mockingbird (based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee of the same name), The Color Purple (based on Alice Walker's novel of the same name), and currently, The Help (based on Kathryn Stockett's novel) only tell part of the Southern story. Popular TV shows such as The Andy Griffith Show, Designing Women, and True Blood capture how the perception of the South has changed over the years, but there's still more to be said. There has definitely been an opening in the veil covering Southern sensibility. More and more people are seeing how just how rich Southern culture can be—even if related in a hyper-real, over-the-top storyline as it is in True Blood.

MAGAZINES such as Southern Living (where I landed my first job out of college), Garden and Gun and The Oxford American are telling the Southern story on a regular basis in high-style from a consumer perspective and all the way through to a literary viewpoint. So there's no stopping the voice of the South. You might just raise an eyebrow or two in discovering just how rich life here can be.

WHILE THE REST of the world is losing its distinctiveness, it seems that the particular Southern vernacular is sittin’ down for a spell. No longer relegated to the trend du jour, the Southern way of doing things is finally becoming recognized for style as well as substance. Sure, the good ol’ boy attitude has held on white-knuckled, but even it has lost its grip. What’s left is Southern cool and I ain’t talking about lowering the temperature. It’s high time for the creative side of Southern culture to kick it up a notch!

THE NEW Southern Exposures blog might just be the way to do it. And I’m more than happy to be a small part of its beginning with the photos and ideas you see in this post. Make sure to visit their blog to see what they are doing and discover a lot of untapped talent along-the-way.

KEEPING IT COOL| (From top to bottom) This tree branch held in a wooden container painted with sunny stripes employs ribbons and freezable plastic ice cubes as a metaphor for Southern Cool. Of course there's real iced tea (house wine of the South) to complete the picture. The Tri-Vane fan keeps the breeze blowing. The key lime tart (yellow, not green to-be-sure) was lovingly made by my sweet companion Devin Borden. It is topped with real whipped cream and garnished with candied lime slices. Circa 1968 or so, my friend Ellen Shanks Padgett (left) with her mother Margie and sister Barbara are sporting color-coordinated cool on a gleaming sandy-white beach in Destin, Florida.

photography and styling by Darryl Moland,

key lime tart crafted by Devin Borden,

beach photo courtesy Ellen Shanks Padgett

ADDENDUM 8/31/2011:

MUST-SEE MOVIE | Since I haven't seen this film yet, I am reposting the synopsis from the website. It looks like it might tell a visual story of the American South even better than Malick's Tree of Life:

AWARDED for its visionary cinematography, General Orders No. 9 breaks from the constraints of the documentary form as it contemplates the signs of loss and change in the American South as potent metaphors of personal and collective destiny.

THE STUNNING culmination of over eleven years’ work from first time writer-director Robert Persons, General Orders No. 9 marries experimental filmmaking with an accessible, naturalist sensibility to tell the epic story of the clash between nature and man’s progress, and reaches a bittersweet reconciliation all its own.

TOLD ENTIRELY with images, poetry, and music, General Orders No. 9 is unlike any film you have ever seen. A story of maps, dreams, and prayers, it’s one last trip down the rabbit hole before it’s paved over.

SEE THE TRAILER HERE

strike up the band

2011-07-04T16:06:00.000-04:00

JULY FOURTH celebrations across the United States invariably involve a band. What parade would be complete without that unmistakeably loud brassy sound? More often than not, modern bands are patterned after a particular Drum and Bugle Corps style. If you weren't in a band at some point in your life, like I was in high school (playing trumpet), you might not realize that drum corps long history is steeped in military tradition. And that the modern creativity of the artform evolved into integrating music, a marching drill, and a color guard replete with various forms of dance and equipment. All this is staged on the large scale of a football field. It is one of the most creative group endeavors for young people, especially if they have a love for music and art. In fact a lot of corps members end up being music teachers, band directors, and even professional musicians.

MY FIRST BAND director in high school in the late 1970's introduced our band to the exciting "modern corps style" by showing us a shaky Super Eight film of the Santa Clara Vanguard from California. The color guard's signature bottle dance to the music from Fiddler on the Roof was something we would incorporate in one of our shows. I remember the night at band camp when we all watched this film. The excitement rippled across the room. Here we were, a small high school band, delving into a new and more expressionistic way to present a marching show. It felt like we were starting something new—and we were. I think we all knew then that our lives would become more focused on being in the band after seeing this level of professionalism from our not-too-distant peers. To achieve the high standards that the corps set, we would have to practice hours every day after school—and we did. And to make the old "back in high school" joke—we honestly loved it. Except it was no joke. My fellow band members and I were about to see what could happen when we put our talent and minds to the challenge.

THE EXPERIENCE of being a part of such a band has served me well throughout life. It made me realize early on what could be accomplished when a like-minded group of people came together to create something so technically difficult. We reached a level of perfection where we could score well and win contests—quite a sense of acheivement for a bunch of high school kids. We traveled to contests and parades from Florida to Pennsylvania. All-the-while we were having amazing fun in perfecting a show that would entertain entire stadiums full of people. And the friends we made in the process were life-long—we can still get together and fondly recall those heady times. I just went to a band reunion last summer and we did just that.

SOME OF MY friends in the band went on to be in a professional drum and bugle corps and travel their summer circuit. Drum and bugle corps were dedicated to achieving a higher standard of the artform. I always say that you have to experience a corps show in person to really appreciate it. There's nothing like hearing and seeing a technically difficult piece of music (a lot of times from classical composers) being played and marched well with a color guard interpreting the music with a certain visual flair. This was, of course, done along with an incredibly complex cadence provided by the drum line. With names steeped in tradition like the Cadets, Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, Blue Devils, Phantom Regiment, and such, "striking up the band" is taken to a whole new level. And it is a truly American form of music and performance that has caught on in other parts of the world. I plan to make it to the DCI Atlanta Southeastern Championship this year in Atlanta.

THE TRADITION of music in this country has been always been one that pushes boundaries. A lot of musical styles were invented here and continue to be a quintessential part of our expression and culture. I know that having been a part of the band gave me a certain edge-up on a lot of things. It was the first challenge I had in which the creative skills of many—with a lot of practice and dedication—could coalesce into—well, a band. Even so, we were all marching to a different drummer and playing our individual hearts out.

TOP BRASS | (Four photos from top) These mercury glass ornaments are from last season at Pottery Barn. Finding them on clearance after the season sparked the idea for using a large number of them for a July 4th tree as realized here. The wire tree is from my personal collection, the tablecloth is from a past season at Old Navy. The Cadets offer an audio download to get you in the patriotic spirit with their arrangement of "Strike Up the Band."

STARS FELL | (Above, bottom) One of the best memories from my years in the Hokes Bluff High School "Green Machine" was when were invited to be a part of the nation's Bicentennial parade in Philadelphia, PA. While in staging for the main route on a back street in the city, the college band counterparts invited from Alabama (The Marching Southerners from Jacksonville State University) set up in concert formation and literally blew everyone away with their own arrangement of "Stars Fell on Alabama." I still get goose bumps thinking about that moment! These glittered star ornaments were purchased from Bayberry Cove and are by Dee Foust Collectibles for Bethany Lowe Designs.

AMERICAN COMPOSITION | (Above) This video snippet from a show performed by the 1987 DCI World Champion (Garfield) Cadets (from New Jersey). They fielded American composer Aaron Copeland's Appalachian Spring in a way I had never seen before. They had such a cool sophistication—I was awestruck—and I was lucky enough to see this show in person a few times. Put your earphones on to hear the wall of sound created by G bugles. Regretfully, only the first and second movements are shown in this video.

Make sure you link to the many hyperlinks throughout this post for fun corps-style music and other surprises. For more information about Drum Corps International, please visit their website and find a show this summer near you—the season ends mid-August with the DCI World Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 13th. You can see the preliminaries live from Indiana in a movie theater if you can't be there, but I can't stress enough that this is a musical experience you must see in person if you can.

photography and styling by Darryl Moland

nature versus grace

2011-06-22T07:56:00.051-04:00

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

—Job 38: 4,7

THE MOVIE The Tree of Life opens, with this scripture from the Book of Job. It follows with many more existential questions calmly voiced-over the film's amazing sun-soaked cinematography. The characters of the family it focuses on are the voices asking these questions. The movie takes you on a journey through time and memory that is as intense as it is calm.

THE MOTHER pronounces in the opening dialog: "There are two ways through life. The way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you will follow. Nature, we are told, is selfish and full of itself. Grace is love, and the giving of oneself to a higher calling or power." It's a broad-brushed statement of the constant struggle of patriarchy versus matriarchy—nature and grace—if you will. But the point of the movie is how we all eventually come to terms with nature and the harsh realities of life and death. Our inherent grace only stays intact in finding love throughout the journey.

THE QUIET MOMENTS of the movie are interspersed with open-ended questions about life and a particular death of a son and brother. Where were you? How did you let this happen? Was he bad? It isn't a film made from narrative, but rather thoughts and images . . . "more like an experience, than a movie," as Devin said, with whom I first saw the movie. It took us on a journey through the foundations of life itself. This journey pulls you up by your heartstrings.

I FOUND myself quietly tearing up in moments I didn't expect. The movie tugs at your inner core and brings up emotions from deep inside. It forces you to relate to the characters because their story is told in a universal way, rather than completely delving into the ego of personalities. Its success is found in relating the vastness of our common connectedness to time and memory.

IT ESPECIALLY resonates with me since the movie's family is based in the American South—Texas in the 1950s. Since I'm also a boy from a small Southern town (in Alabama), there are many instances in the film that that moved me closely to my own memories. The movie jumps from a place in the 1950s, to modern day, back to the primordial beginnings of life on earth in a dreamlike way. I grew up in the '60s instead, but it resonated in an almost direct way, since small town life then had not quite caught up with the tumultuous sixties. Back then, we only had the evening news instead of a 24/7 barrage of information and mindless chatter on television. It was a much quieter existence with time to sit and think.

BECAUSE OF THIS, the movie is not one that most audiences will have the patience for within a blend of summer blockbusters in this age of extreme stimulation. But I am one who can enjoy something just for the visual aspect. This movie is at-once, both visual and visceral—and I've seen it twice. The gentle revelations made are like quiet visual poetry. It only directly informs through universal thoughts and snippets of visual consciousness. It's not pretense, but a genuine and sincere impressionistic work of art.

HOW DO YOU make a tree for such a broad subject? Have you ever planted a tree to commemorate an event or a person and seen its growth years later? How do you decide what to do? Devin brought me these beautiful hand-painted white chocolate frogs from a recent visit he made to New York. His challenge was for me to do a rain forest tree with them somehow. The more I thought about it, and knowing the scale and other problems I might have with a more traditional tree incorporating the camouflage-like frogs, I decided to use a series of plates with leaves from six different trees as a simple background as an implied way to serve them since they are edible "ornaments." It's a sort of studied communion. And it could be construed as a representation of the vastness of a rainforest in the most simple terms.

IF ONE STUDIES the picture, the negative spaces between the plates form a sort of tree. I thought a certain simplicity was the most direct way to show the multiplicity of specimen leaves from trees found growing near each other, yet relay each tree's ability to remember to make its own unique leaves in the cycle of the seasons.

TREE FROGS | (Top and above) In using the hand painted chocolate frogs made by Knipschildt Chocolatier, a gift from Devin from Dean & Deluca in New York City, NY; I selected leaves from trees while out on a morning walk with his dog. The Sam&Squito by Xiahe Co. bone china plates are subtly-patterned with a curved mesh design (which is hard to discern here).

TREE OF LIFE | (Above) I was definitely inspired by the poetry of this beautiful movie, written and directed by Terrence Malick and starring Brad Bitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain. Here you see the posters made for the movie. The poster (Right) is simply more arresting.

THE WAY OF THE BROTHER | In the many reviews I've read about this movie, the following one by S. Brent Plate may be my favorite in making sense of the movie's complex themes. It also repeats a voice-over quote from the brother Jack from late in the movie that I think helps one understand there is no triumph of one over the other in the unresolved "versus" of nature and grace: “Father, Mother, always you wrestle inside me. Always you will.” Link to the review/essay here.

LEAFSNAP APP | (Left) Leafsnap is a free mobile application for your smart phone or iPad. It is the first in a series of electronic field guides being developed by researchers from Columbia University, the University of Maryland, and the Smithsonian Institution, using visual recognition software to help identify tree species from photographs of their leaves on a white background. The app still has some kinks to work out (for instance, it works best only if you "snap it" through the app, rather than uploading a photo you've already made to it, but the more people use it, the better it will become.

photography and styling by Darryl Moland

a bluebird and a butterfly

2011-05-28T11:54:00.031-04:00

WINGED CREATURES are understandably associated with transformation, freedom and an unencumbered ability to soar. That's something we earthbound humans have long held a jealous fascination with. Imagine being able to quickly dart around in thin air, ride the wind and come back down to earth whenever we wanted. It would certainly give us a different perspective of the world—a bird's-eye view—if you will. From that vantage point, I'm sure we could all see things a bit differently. We could see the awesome wonder of nature in it's entirety instead of a tree or a leaf at a time and we might have more of an appreciation for being a part of it.

MEMORIAL DAY, to me is not just about fallen military war heroes or the beginning of summer. It is also a time to reflect on what being a citizen of the world means, regardless of military affiliation. Although my father was a U.S. army veteran of WWII and came home safe, I knew his life was marked by the atrocities he saw during the war. At that time my mother worked in a manufacturing plant, taking over jobs that were usually dominated by the men who were off at war. Essentially, she was a “Rosie the Riveter,” which has become a strong symbol for feminism. These formative parts of their lives forged an amazing strength and fortitude. They met upon my father's return home from WWII, by my father seeing my mother with a girlfriend who turned her down for going to see a movie that night. My father stepped in and told her he'd go to that movie with her. And the rest is history. If they had lived another year, they would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. I miss hearing them tell this story, but can hear the intonation and love in their voices when I remember this.

THESE UNUSUAL jobs for their time bought claim to a proud part of history. They wouldn’t recognize our country as it is now and I’m not sure they would be entirely sold on the ideals (or lack thereof) that we seem to fight wars for these days. They were a part of the Greatest Generation—they were a part of fighting the "good war" in ending Hitler's reign. My mother and father were both “war heroes” in the battle for the ever-elusive American dream. I don't think it's because of them though that we're in the shape we're in as a country. I think our overall values have been maligned since then by corporate greed and a lack of respect for Mother Nature.

Enlarge image to a legible size by clicking on it twice.

THESE ORNAMENTS are symbols of my parents. The bluebird represents my father because of his sparkly blue eyes and the pink butterfly represents my mother because it was her favorite color. Of course both of these ornaments also represent in them everything winged creatures do, as noted in the first paragraph of this post. I bought four of each, one set for myself and the others for each my three siblings as Christmas gifts in 2007. This was two years after my parents had died. I designed a card (shown at right) to fit in the bottom of the box made for keeping them.

REMEMBRANCE is the best way to bring them close now. But I also remember the simple gift of hope for living “the American dream” that was instilled in all of us. It seems in the world we live in today, that dream is becoming distorted for more and more people as the classes divide disproportionately, leaving the middle class, of which we were a part of struggling to just get by. There's no room for dreams within that scenario. But I'll remember what my parents represented and keep plugging along. That dream was simply goodness and learning to fly.

WINGED FLIGHT | (Top): These glittery ornaments were both from the 2007 holiday collection at Z. Gallerie and were Christmas gifts to my siblings representing my parents. Blue was the color of my father's eyes and pink was definitely my mother's signature color. Flight was something they acquainted all of us with, even in spirit.

WINGED VICTORY | (Above): I remember seeing this several years ago when in Washington D.C. and being overwhelmed with its beauty. One of the most beautiful and symbolic memorials to the Greatest Generation, four American eagles hold a suspended laurel wreath in the Baldacchino sculpture that is only one part of the beautiful National WWII Memorial in Washington, DC. The memorial is classically-designed as it should be for the era. It was only opened to the public on April 29, 2004. Photo by Richard Latof.

Collecting and styling by Darryl Moland,
Photo of the WWII memorial by Richard Latof,
sculpture by Baldacchino.

CatMan Tree

2011-05-05T09:56:00.023-04:00

Last night I saw the CatMan Tree had bloomed again. In itsbranches were nestledcats of every type and color. I watched in awed silence as the CatMan gently placed his children upon the earth in a tribute he makes the night of May 5th only once every fifty years.

—Odette Colón

IT'S NOT OFTEN (maybe once every 50 years)—like today on my 50th birthday—that you feel like a kid all over again. It's also not often you're immortalized in a fairytale. The beautiful card my children's book illustrator friend Odette designed for my birthday is shown in the photo, replete with a tall tale and original artwork! My birthday so far has been amazing. It started a couple of days ago at work (since I'm taking today through the weekend off—deservedly so!). My coworkers threw me an incredible party this past Wednesday at work with a big cake and lots of food and gave me a gift card for an iPad! So I'll be able to blog from anywhere now! I can't thank them enough—I certainly feel the love!

I LOOK FORWARD to an impromptu dinner tonight with a small group composed of a friend, a relative and my new love at a restaurant called Top Flr here in Atlanta. Tomorrow night it's a Kylie Minogue concert with Jon and and a friend.


My good friend Peggy Dana modified Princess Beatrice's fascinator with the addition of the number 5 for the best (virtual) birthday hat ever! (That's me on my 49th birthday).

AGE IS ONLY a number (I'll keep telling myself that). Fifty is the new forty, right? All I know is that even though my life hasn't been a fairytale, I've been pretty damn fortunate to see the things I've seen, to live the way I have, and to continue to live, grow and learn. My friends and my family have been there for me to help make it all possible. It's not what you have, but how much you are loved. That is all you can take with you when it's time to move to the next realm of existence.

I KNOW—my mother told me (without speaking) when I was holding her hand at her death in 2005 (and in one experience shortly after) that life goes on—and it is beautiful and full of love. It's all about how you look at it and how wide you open your eyes to receive all the secrets of the universe.

ON THIS upcoming mother's day, I send all my wishes and love to my mother (the roses in the photo above are from her rose bush I carry with me wherever I go—and it is blooming profusely this year!). I thank her (and my father) for my life every day. They taught me how to love—and truly, that is the best gift anyone can give. And you know what? You'll find that while you're being taught, you're actually teaching. My mother told me so.

Collecting and styling by Darryl Moland
CatMan Tree illustration by Odette Colón
Fifty Fascinator Photoshopped by Peggy Dana

trees in the abbey

2011-04-30T15:39:00.028-04:00

WHEN SEEING the "avenue of trees" in Westminster Abbey for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton this past Friday morning, I smiled about the significance of this in signaling a new era. I also immediately thought of the influence of The Prince of Wales' book I read recently entitled Harmony with the subtitle, A New Way of Looking at Our World, may have had on the wedding. Prince Charles's book is a scholarly work that fuses the disciplines of sacred geometry in architecture with science and technology of today within every realm of our lives, in which he makes a very conclusive call-to-action: "We stand at an historic moment, we face a future where there is a real prospect that if we fail the earth, we fail humanity. To avoid such an outcome, which will comprehensively destroy our children's future or even our own, we must make choices now that carry monumental implications." From the inside flap of the book jacket: "The book examines how mankind has abandoned its ancient balance with Nature and how rediscovering that balance is the key to solving our most devastating environmental issues." It goes on to say, " Harmony exposes the patterns of the natural world, which for centuries were woven into the fabric of human life, have been lost in the modern age."

PRINCE CHARLES delves deeply, forcefully—dare I say bravely—into these inter-connected subjects and has created a most thoughtful clarion call for humanity to change back to a more sustainable and regenerative way of living. He suggests that it isn't impossible—but in fact, imperative—to get back to a more natural way of living, from the spaces we build to live and work to the ways we grow and farm our food.

Photograph ©Reuters/Sang Tan

IN KEEPING with this mode of thinking, according to a UK Press Association article, Florist Shane Connolly, the artistic director of flowers for the royal wedding, said he chose the trees to reflect the "medieval ethos" of Westminster Abbey. "These wonderful curved ceilings are supposed to reflect the branches of trees and that was when I thought of having trees in the abbey," he said. I have to wonder if he had also read Charles's book. The Gothic ribbed vaulting of the church certainly echoes the limbs of a tree canopy, although at a much grander scale than the trees, which form a canopy at a more pedestrian level.

Photograph ©Murray Sanders

FOR THE WEDDING, the aisle of Westminster Abbey leading to the altar was lined with six English field maples (Acer campestre) and two Hornbeam trees (Carpinus betulus) which were all around 20-25 feet tall. The trees were the most breathtakingly prominent feature of the floral displays focused on growing, rather than cut plants.

As for the significance of these particular types of trees, the English field maple (the only maple native to Britain) symbolizes humility and reserve (and was used to make loving cups in medieval times). And the hornbeam signifies strength and resilience because its wood is very hard and durable.

Henry VII vault detail (westminster-abbey.org)

THE SEASONAL flowers shrubs and trees in hues of green and white for the wedding decor were mainly sourced from royal estates. It was suggested by the bride-to-be that it had to be British, seasonal and as organic and sustainable as possible. The plan for the trees after being on display in the church for the public until May 6th is for them to be planted at Highgrove, Charles's residence in western England. Other plants and such were to be donated to charity and planted elsewhere.

THE ROYAL FAMILY has been much-derided for the the lives they lead, but they are all in a singularly unique position to be ambassadors for a better world. Their lives, although cushioned with the riches that come with royalty, are not their own really. They live under extreme public scrutiny and really have no power except for the freedom to be somewhat unencumbered from politics-as-usual simply because of their standing as a royal family. I think this is what allowed Charles a strongly pro-earth perspective for the aforementioned book. In the book, he didn't mince words when outlining what needs to change.

IT WAS REFRESHING to see the simple beauty of trees magically forming an intimate human-sized canopy in Westminster Abbey for the royal wedding. I wish Prince William and his newly titled Duchess of Cambridge all the best in becoming shining examples of humility and honor in their richly decorated lives. Their beautiful and understated wedding (as these affairs go when the whole world is watching) has certainly given a strong signal that this might very well be the case.

CROWN JEWELS | (Top) These crown and cross ornaments have been a part of my collection for a number of years—so-long so, I don't recall where I purchased them. The crown, much unlike the real crown jewels, is made of pressed tin and accented with a faux pearl at the top. The Celtic cross ornament is quite royally embellished with colored glass stones and metallic zari thread. The ornaments are flanked with what I believe to be hornbeam and maple leaves (not of the provenance used in the wedding), but nevertheless to represent the trees that so breathtakingly lined the aisle of the abbey.

TREES INSIDE | (2nd and 3rd from top) Workmen carry one of the English field maples into Westminster Abbey in preparation for the wedding. The photograph is copyrighted by REUTERS/photographed by Sang Tan. The vaulted ceiling in part of the abbey is quite reflective of the canopy of trees (photo from westminster-abbey.org).

PRETTY PROCESSION | (4th from top) Kate Middleton and her father proceed through the "Avenue of Trees" placed inside Westminster Abbey for the ceremony, followed by her Maid of Honor (her sister Pippa Middleton) and the rest of the wedding party. The photo is copyrighted by Murray Sanders.

OAK CROWN | (Above, bottom) This oak wreath ornament is part of the "Illusions of Grandeur" collection by Wendy Addison for Seasons of Canon Falls/Midwest CBK is contrasted with real oak leaves. Kate Middleton's diamond tiara for the wedding was quite understated (for a royal tiara). The 1936 Cartier "halo" tiara was purchased by The Duke of York (King George VI) for his Duchess (The Queen Mother). Queen Elizabeth received the tiara from her mother on her 18th birthday. The earrings Kate wore were a gift from the Middleton family and made to match the tiara, who's new coat-of-arms includes acorns and oak leaves.

TREE SETUP | (Below): A video of the trees and other plants being delivered.

Collecting and styling by Darryl Moland

Wedding photographs are ©Rueters/Sang Tan (tree in the doorway)

and ©Murray Sanders (avenue of trees procession)

easter tableau

2011-04-24T13:57:00.020-04:00

EASTER has always been associated with sweet spring pastel confections. I wanted to create a somewhat non-traditional scene that evoked that sweet memory of Easter. When I was a kid, I liked nothing better than waking up to a cellophane-wrapped Easter basket filled with all sorts of candy and toys. There's something about peering through cellophane that is much like peering into the window of a candy store. No wonder so many foods are packaged this way.

THIS YEAR'S TREE started by making crushed velvet bird ornaments with my friend Devin and took several last-minute turns to become an entire table-scape—including the crepe paper garland-wrapped trees that look for-all-the-world like fancy cakes swarmed with butterflies, dragonflies and whirlygig flowers—all trimmed with pastel-colored "candy" eggs. The place settings were pieced together from the random collection of china and tableware I have collected over the years. Strict formality is not my style, but I do like a pleasing palette along with whimsical touches such as cups with egg-shaped saucers and a "chicken foot" egg cup.

SPRING DAYS are longer and the sun is brighter making the pastel riot of flowers like roses, azaleas and tulips all-the-more appealing. All sorts of flowering trees reintroduce themselves each spring all over again. Here in the American South, the early arrival of spring has been especially vibrant because the nights have stayed somewhat cool and there has been plenty of rain along with the sunshine. The pale pink roses seen floating in glass orbs are from the a pale pink climbing rose my mother had in her yard. I took countless spring bouquets of flowers to her from this bush—the only plant I have transplanted from my childhood home. It has grown quite large as a potted rose and promises dozens of blushing-pink blooms this year.

THE SACCHARINE SWEET sanctity of the season is a celebration of spring's fertility and rebirth no matter whether it represents a resurrection or just a new beginning. It's all good when the days are warm and there is new life in evidence everywhere. Please pass me the marzipan eggs—I'll certainly toast to that!

CONICAL CONFECTIONS | (Top) I wrapped this trinity of paperboard cones with crepe paper garland from the former Backporch Friends (Cody Foster and Co.) with hot-glued wooden butterflies, dragonflies and whirlygig flowers attached to them (butterflies and dragonflies from the defunct Martha Stewart Catalog, flowers from a local antique store). I trimmed them with glittered pastel styrofoam eggs pulled from a small wreath sold this season at Target. The trees were inspired by my online stylist friend Elizabeth Demos and her use of crepe paper garland here. The three glass orbs are a past purchase from Pottery Barn and are filled with the pale pink roses snipped from my mother's old-fashioned climbing rose bush I have transplanted to Atlanta from my childhood home.

SWEET TABLEAU | (2nd from top) Using his stainless steel table, this tableau was photographed at Devin's condominium in Atlanta. Everything looked great against the mottled gray neutral of the concrete walls. The teal fiberglass school chairs were found at a thrift store in Birmingham, Alabama many years ago. The "chicken foot" egg cup is from BIA Cordon Bleu, Inc. in Galt, California and available here. Read "Place at the Table" below for more descriptions.

BLUE VELVET | (3rd from top) These birds were made from the velvet bird kit from the defunct Martha Stewart catalog by using rubber stamps and an iron to emboss velvet backed by interfacing and gluing two sides together. Sewing a seed bead on for the eye was the finishing touch. Some scraps of robin's-egg-blue velvet were used aside from the colors that came with the kit.

PLACE AT THE TABLE | (4th from top) The place setting consisted of a charger by Isaac Mizrahi for Target, a dinner plate in the "Sculpted" pattern by Calvin Klein, egg-shaped saucers and cups with an exterior matte glaze from the Nigella Lawson collection. The ceramic tea pot/cup was designed by Michael Graves for Target. The gold and teal-striped glasses are vintage items found at an antique store. The cake pedestal and is Martha Stewart Collection at Macys. Candleholders are Martha Stewart Everyday from Kmart. Flatware is casually placed in these photos and the pattern is "Treble Clef" by Gourmet Settings.The curled unfinished handle ends resemble the unfurling frond of a fiddlehead fern has always been one of my favorite stainless patterns because of it's handmade appeal.

SWEET ENDING | (Above, bottom and left) Marzipan Easter eggs are from Biermann Marzipan in Hawthorne, New Jersey. Pastel shot glasses are from Devin's private collection. The beautiful antique Westmoreland "robin on nest" candy dish is a cherished gift from my friend Julia Carpenter from her mother's collection.

a wish for Japan

2011-03-28T23:22:00.020-04:00

EARTHQUAKE, tsunami, meltdown. The three words describing the current series of chain-reaction disasters in Japan can be expanded into describing what is happening worldwide in a broader sense. The Earth is quaking under our not-so-careful stewardship. There are waves of unrest all around the world rising in revolution. Economic upheaval is threatening a way of life we thought could continue unchecked. We are being shaken to the core. The end result of all of this is a disastrous threat of meltdown that will affect lives around the world. The relentless reality of it all is blared in the news every day. How many warning signs will it take?

ONE HAS TO WONDER what is going on? It seems that we're having to reach for that last hope all-t00-quickly, which comes in good wishes, positive action and movement toward stabilizing our environment. Japan has always been a defiant nation of people—never to be pitied. Many countries of the world are in upheaval, whether it is because of natural disasters or man-made ones—or a combination of both. All I know that positive words and action can change a lot of things for the better. And you don't need an army to do it. The power of one can be multiplied exponentially and be heard around the world. We are all connected in a more profound way than any time in history.

IN OUR WORLD of control and containment of Mother Nature, we have lost sight of her power and the reminders are getting more and more dramatic. What does it take to awaken ourselves to the bleak future we might be creating? A plea written in my post about the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster bears repeating:

FOR THOSE OF US who consider our relationship with the natural world as something sacred, we have reached a point of no return—a point where we consider just how sacred it is to us. We are all complicit in the civilization we have created, whether it is having out-of-season produce shipped to us from continents far away or driving our cars to work. Our planet is in distress because of our actions—human actions—and the other inhabitants of this Earth, who we call "wildlife," are left unwittingly to the destruction and havoc we have wrought. At what point do the economics of a situation not matter? At what point do we shift into a collaboration with Mother Earth, instead of a war with her? We, as humans do not hold dominion over the natural world, except in its destruction.

THIS TREE is an impassioned and hopeful wish for the speedy recovery of Japan specifically, but for the whole of humanity broadly. It is all about the unity and positive drive we can have to become better versions of ourselves. We are either in-control or out-of-control when it comes to our actions. It is a simple black-and-white choice. ALL of our futures depend on it. No matter what country we call home, we are all the indisputable children of the natural world. And our Mother is crying loudly. Some of the trees I decorate have become miniature altars of sorts—like this one. This is my small way of sending out positive energy from my little corner of the blogosphere.

FULL CIRCLE | (Top) Circles of multi-colored folded cranes were made by my creative friend Jon Chavez who wanted to give me something back from a gift I gave to him that included the singular folded cranes within the gift box (bought from member Origamiyyc on Ebay directly from Japan months before this disaster). The legend goes in Japan that folding a thousand cranes makes a wish come true. It's ironic that these cranes have traveled from around the world, came back to me in a different form and are now coming to you via this post—pretty powerful stuff I would say. The dogwood branch I used is young in bloom. The legend adopted by the Christian religion says that a flowering dogwood tree was used to make the cross of the crucifixion. Whether this is a blessing or a curse depends on your beliefs. The singular crane at the base of the tree can also be seen in this post and was folded by Atlanta artisan Sachiko Kogure. The egg holder is from the Heartwood Creek collection by Jim Shore for Enesco. The egg is from this season's Easter product line at Target and is covered in origami-like paper (washi) in the style of a traditional Japanese egg decorating technique called kirigami, which uses cut paper. Eggs in the Japanese tradition represent creation, new beginnings, life and friendship.

FOLDED WISHES | (Second from top) In the case of this tree, I am using the dogwood branch to symbolize resurrection and regeneration for Japan. The multi-colored cranes represent the people of all nations coming together to assist in this effort.

LOTUS LORE | (Third from top) The lotus flower at the base of the tree is a very good faux stand-in from Michaels. The lotus flower has rich symbolism in Japan and is one of the most poignant representations of Buddhist teachings: The roots of a lotus grow in the mud, the stem rises up through the water, and the flower lies atop above the water's surface, reaching the sunlight. This pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment.

MUSHROOM LIFE | (Above, bottom) These mushrooms from Pier 1 Imports are reminders of the tenacious and magical quality mushrooms have—existing as symbols of life that pop up in a substrate of decay, adding a smiling element of surprise along with the fresh grass blades "growing" next to them. The antiqued wooden Chinese container from Homegoods stands on "stilts" above the surface of the round wooden table from Marshalls, which also represents the red circle of the Japanese flag.

PASSIONATE POSTERS | (Below) This series of inspired posters were designed by talented Japanese Canadian designer Linda Yuki Nakanishi (Left). They were created as her wish to give something back to her beloved country after realizing the gravity of the news from Japan. The descriptions below are in the artist's own words. All profits from her sale of these posters will go to the Canadian Red Cross efforts for the victims affected by the recent earthquakes and tsunamis. You can purchase one or all of them here.

MELTDOWN | This poster (Left) pays homage to the Fukushima 50 that volunteered their lives to stay behind to control the nuclear reactor. Each hexagonal shape in the Japanese pattern represents one of the Fukushima men. The crane flying up out of the nuclear meltdown represents honour, loyalty and longevity. Honour and loyalty, which was evident by the courage of the volunteers, and longevity as a wish for their safe return and health.

TSUNAMI | This is the second poster (Left) in my Japan Earthquake series. In this design I wanted to pay homage to Mother Nature. As destructive and powerful as the tsunami was, it was still an act of nature that was non-discriminating. If anything, the sheer impact of the earthquake that triggered the tsunami should be a reminder to everyone that unexpected things happen every day. Be prepared for what comes and more importantly maintaining grace under fire, like the Japanese people, when it does.

EARTHQUAKE | This poster (Left) represents the resilience of the Japanese people. The lotus symbolizes birth and rebirth, and the red lotus in particular represents love, compassion and passion (much of which is needed for the people of Japan).

The lotus is a flower that is born from the mud of the earth, fights its way through the depths of the water to bloom into the air and sunlight. This is how I view Japan, as a country that teaches their people to be strong and to endure. This is also what my parents taught me, even though we live an ocean away in Canada.

Collecting and styling by Darryl Moland,
Poster art (and accompanying text) courtesy of Linda Yuki Nakanishi.

freedom and magic

2011-03-07T19:05:00.004-05:00

IN A SCENE in a subtitled movie I watched this past weekend named "The Secret in their Eyes," you see the letter "a" added to the Spanish word temo ("fear") to form the phrase te amo ("I love you"). It was an ephiphany for me in the context of the movie and in the context of life and love in general. "Fear and love" are closely tied, even when "fear and loathing" are the words that are usually put together. Finding love again after loosing it is a fearful and arduous process.

I DECORATED this tree during the Christmas holidays last year as a gift for my cousin Angela at her apartment. She had ended a long relationship with her husband a few months before and this was my way of brightening her spirit. I wanted it to represent freedom and magic—the things you possess in abundance when love is new. I wanted her to be reminded to look toward that again. When I found the carousel horse clip-on ornaments with the bright pink feather plumes, I knew I had a basis for the tree. What could be better than the freedom and magic a circus horse represents? Even though such horses are usually acting within predetermined path formed in training, one knows they are spirited animals that might just run free at any moment.

THIS IS THE first tree I've put together in a long while for someone besides myself or my blog readers. Even though the bright pink feather plumes had already set me into motion, I came up with the color scheme, later finding out that hot pink and baby blue was one of Angela's favorite color combinations. She told me this when I called her up and let her know what I was thinking for her tree. I could tell the tree was going to do what I set out for it to do. Hearing from her that it made her happy was all I needed to hear. I was more than glad to help her bring that bright, glittery spot back to the forefront in her life.

HAVING LOVED and lost several times in my life, Angela conversely had married her high school sweetheart and was suddenly back in the world again as a single person after a very long relationship. She's quite strong and resourceful, but I knew it was a hard time for her. Realizing that love can dim over time is a huge lesson in life. It seems so natural and free (and abundant) when you're falling in love, but falling out of love is a time of reflection and soul-searching. It's a hard thing to do—to learn to love yourself enough again to engage the world in that free and magical way—the way one does when your heart is open.

IT SHOULD BE a lesson for all of us that fear and love have the similar fine line between them as fear and loathing do. They both bring about the quickening of the pulse and breath and elevate all sorts of physical/chemical reactions. In each scenario though, flight is two different things. One can either run away from or run toward love. And "fight or flight" is a commonly known reaction. Sometimes it's not easy to determine just which path you're taking, or which way you have conditioned your actions. We all know actions speak louder than words.

BUT IF ONE remembers the freedom found in the pure place found at the heart of things, then it's easy to gallop or fly toward the stuff of freedom and magic.

SHIMMER AND SHINE | (Top) This ice blue retro metallic tree is set in a heavy alabaster tree stand from the short-lived product catalog “Martha by Mail” a few years back. With hues of sage green, pink, blue and silver, a whimsical circus-like look is achieved, representing finding your bliss in freedom and magic.

HORSING AROUND | (2nd from top) The unusual leather-clad hand-painted zebra (I found left on a park bench without an owner) adds a fun element at the base of the tree in combination with an array of Indian mercury glass ornaments. A blue glass dish of salt water taffy completes the childlike mood.

PURITY OF HEART | (3rd from top) The German-made heart is a direct nod to the freedom found in the purity of action in opening your heart for love. The hot pink-plumed plastic clip on circus horse busts are from an inexpensive ornament 2010 line from Target. The pink, blue and sage green baubles in varying sizes are a playful way to carry out the color scheme.

FREEDOM AND WISDOM | (Bottom) Mercury glass German bird ornaments with proud silvery tails were the find of the 2010 holiday season at Homegoods. The pink owl is from the 2009 season at Urban Outfitters and is a reminder that freedom only lasts if tempered with a certain amount of wisdom.

Collecting and styling by Darryl Moland,
Photography by Troy Farina.

valentine mythology

2011-02-13T18:15:00.011-05:00

VALENTINE'S DAY is ripe with symbolism. A lot of people think that it's just a day dreamed up by greeting card companies to sell cards or by florists to sell flowers. It may have very well become that in modern times, but the storied mythology behind the holiday goes deeper and is richer than chocolate, roses (along with their dangerous thorns), and all the inherent saccharine sweetness of the modern holiday combined.

THIS DAY MEANT for lovers has direct ties to Greek Mythology. In one such mythological tale, it seems that Apollo (Phoebus) insults Cupid (Eros) for playing with bows and arrows, boastfully asking him "What, wanton boy, are mighty arm to thee, great weapons suited to the needs of war?" Cupid was an impishly coy god of Love though, and took out his arrow and shoots Apollo with an arrow poisoning him with love for an unsuspecting wood nymph named Daphne, while also poisoning Daphne with an opposite, but equal revulsion for Apollo. Smitten with new love for Daphne, he pursues her. Of course Daphne wants no part of it and flees until her father, a river god, takes pity on her and turns her into a laurel tree, where she becomes rooted to the ground and sprouts the qualities of a tree. Apollo is undaunted and ceremoniously wears a branch that he broke from the newly transformed Daphne-as-a-tree, consecrating the tree to himself and declaring a certain victory in his plight.

IN AN AGE of ecological crisis, one might assign an allegorical importance to this story by having Apollo stand in as mankind, while Daphne becomes the natural world. Our relationship with nature becomes predatory and when we fail to find harmony with it, we break off a piece of it to symbolically herald our dominion over it—wearing the laurel wreath like a champion—all the while forgetting that Mother Nature rules us, not the other way around.

THIS VALENTINE tree with its crumpled paper/discarded love letter background is adorned with fragile glass hearts. The beaded wire tree itself stoically rises from a faux stone. Stone hearts and chocolate heart confections vie for attention. Green roses are combined with rosemary sprigs to hold the memory of the simplest truths of love. Victory is not inherent in such a tableau, but if the ingredients are measured carefully, the combined chemistry might grow into something amazing.

ONE MIGHT also remember that love isn't blind and bent on a path of "having," but with finding a certain harmony in our relationships (whether it be with a person, animal or something in nature). It all happens organically, literally and figuratively. It's easy to forget that when we are consumed with an unhealthy desire to "hold" something that is constantly changing and growing. Love in its truest form helps position our deepest natural longings with a certain tempered understanding of our place within it. In this scenario, love truly does conquer all.

TREE OF HEARTS | (Top) A beaded wire tree anchored in a cement faux stone from Sundance is simply decorated with small mercury glass heart ornaments in shades of silver, violet, pink and red. Roses and rosemary sprigs in a Hotel silver trumpet bud vase stand in for the natural world.

APOLLO CONSUMED | (Painting, 2nd from top) Apollo Chasing Daphne by Carlo Maratti, oil on canvas, circa 1681. In this painting Daphne's hands are changing into a Laurel tree while Apollo is in hot pursuit after Cupid slings arrows of love and revulsion to Apollo and Daphne respectively. Click on the portion of the painting shown here to see it in its entirety.

CONFECTIONERY HEARTS | (Third photo) I've tied this pleated foil-wrapped chocolate heart (made by Madelaine Chocolate Company) with a horizontally-striped ribbon in hues of pink and tan. The heart-shaped key lime truffle with a pink heart decal in the white chocolate coating is distributed by CVS Pharmacy, Inc. as part of a box of Absolutely Divine label premium truffles.

LOVE ON A PLATE | (Bottom) This melamine vintage graphic-printed dessert plate is by John Derian for Target. The stone hearts appearing in all of the photos are handmade Haitian stone hearts distributed by Pottery Barn, the proceeds of which go to funding the Haitian relief activities of HAND/EYE Funds Artisan Grants Program. HAND/EYE Fund works in Haiti to help artisans recover from the life-challenging loss of shelter, equipment, workshops and income due to the catastrophic earthquake.

Photography, collecting and styling by Darryl Moland.

the year of the rabbit

2011-02-02T20:15:00.022-05:00

AFTER A FEROCIOUS Year of the Tiger in 2010, a welcome calm is marked in 2011 by the Year of the Rabbit. The Chinese calendar is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. New Year's Eve (February 2nd this year) and the first three days of the new year are the officially observed holiday in China. The majority of businesses (with the exception of movie theaters and restaurants) close for the celebration. The Chinese people return to work between the 5th and 8th day. New Year's Day is February 3rd this year, but the spirit of the celebration lasts through the 15th day Festival of Lanterns on February 17th.

THIS TREE symbolically holds a diminutive ceremonial tea for Chinese New Year. Last year a client of mine gifted me a collection of miniature cloisonne teapots from China. This year these beautiful ornaments complete a symbolic set of 11 ornaments (representing the year 2011), along with four recycled newsprint ornaments shaped like lanterns. Just thinking of a ceremonial cup of tea by the light of lanterns evokes the calm and placid mood symbolized by the rabbit. The idiom "tempest in a teapot" doesn't apply here.

CLOISONNE ENAMEL is also called the "Blue of Jingtai" in China. Blue is the dominant color used for enameling and cloisonne became popular during the reign of Jingtai (1450-1456) in the Ming dynasty in China. The cloisonne teapots are made by the process of applying enamel to the surface of a copper or bronze object, which is then fired to become a colorful work of art. The technique was spread to China from the West and perfected by Chinese artisans.

LIGHTED LANTERNS appear everywhere during the Chinese New Year celebration. Fireworks are also "lit" as a big part of the festivities. The noise of fireworks is believed to wake up the dragon who will fly across the sky to bring spring rains. Some believe that the noise of the fireworks is supposed to scare away all evil spirits, preventing them from entering the new year. In fact, gunpowder was invented in China over 1,000 years ago for that very purpose. Firecrackers are thrown at the feet of the dragons in the celebratory parade to keep them awake, since they are believed to sleep the rest of the year.

CHINESE NEW YEAR is traditionally celebrated by a religious ceremony honoring heaven and earth, the gods of the household and thanksgiving. A sacrifice to ancestors is the most vital of all the Chinese New Year rituals. Family ancestors are honored by food and incense offerings to the gods. At midnight, the celebration really begins, as it does for any New Year celebration. Fireworks fill the sky and the streets are packed with people wishing each other a happy new year. The next morning, gifts are exchanged among family members and friends, including "lucky money" given to the children in a red envelope like the one seen in the photographs here.

THE DEMEANOR of the rabbit is the symbol for a quiet and placid year to come. Few people are aware that the rabbit is the symbol of the moon, while the peacock is the symbol of the sun. Together, these two animal signs represent Yin and Yang. Pay particular attention to the full moon this year and you just might strengthen your inner "Chi" energy and bring wisdom into your life. Here's wishing everyone a happy calm and healthy prosperity in The Year of the Rabbit.

TEA TIME | (Top two photos) Cloisonne teapots direct from China (a gift from coworker Melinda Frost) decorate this tree celebrating Chinese New Year.

LANTERN FESTIVAL | (Third photo) Repurposed newsprint cut into fantastic lantern shapes complete the tree and sets the mood for tea. The lanterns are distributed by Roost Home Furnishings. Mine were purchased this past holiday season at Star Provisions in Atlanta.

GROUNDED RABBIT | (Fourth photo) A mercury glass rabbit ornament is from this past season's offerings at West Elm. An asymmetrical manzanita branch "tree" bought at Homegoods is held upright in a faux bois cast stone container. You can learn more about the art of faux bois and Mexican artisan Dionicio Rodriguez from the book Capturing Nature, written by Patsy Pittman Light. Read about the Faux Bois sculptures of Dionicio Rodriguez here at Martha Stewart Home and Garden.

WAKING DRAGON | (Bottom photo) an accordion garland made from printed paper backed by silver (from this past holiday season's David Stark Collection at West Elm) represents the undulating dragon. The ornament ball distributed by Roost Home Furnishings is meticulously made from dozens of rolled recycled paper cylinders that evoke the omnipresent fireworks marking the New Year in China (while keeping the dragon awake). The red envelope for "lucky money" completes the picture.

Photography, collecting and styling by Darryl Moland.
Location courtesy Devin Borden.

frozen memories

2011-01-11T21:36:00.024-05:00

"If there were a little more silence, if we all kept quiet . . .
maybe we could understand something." —Federico Fellini

QUIETLY IMAGINING the feat of nature it takes to unite billions of singularly unique and delicate ice crystals to form a fresh blanket of snow is mind-boggling if you think about it. Memories are much the same. Thoughts guide you through the atmosphere, form together, and freeze into beautiful structures with which to blanket one's life. The transitory nature of memory is the attachment to our psyche, to something larger, to something enduring and resonant at our core—our very soul (God if you like). Snowflakes embody our attachment to nature. They literally and magically form from thin air—miraculously and mysteriously remembering how to align ice crystals into rare and beautiful structures.


The singular structure of a snowflake.

SNOWFLAKES are only one of nature's many wonders. Some are completely symmetrical, some are columns of ice crystals, and some are their own unique shape, but their structures are astounding! It's no wonder a fresh snowfall has a magical quality. Wilson Bentley, who during a snowstorm on January 15, 1885, obtained the first photomicrographs ever taken of an ice crystal. He is credited with the oft-repeated phrase "no two snowflakes are alike." But still, they distinctly reveal nature's symmetry. A hundred years later, American physicist Kenneth Libbrecht would study and photograph snowflakes anew with much more sophisticated technology and give us hundreds of images such as the one you see here. It is as humbling as looking into the stars to see these snowflake images. They are published in a number of popular books.

FOR THIS to be created to make the proverbial White Christmas this past year was purely magical. Overnight, the world outside would be changed into a winter wonderland. The snow kept falling through Christmas day and night. I was fortunate enough to be with friends in a cabin in the mountains of north Georgia for the holiday surrounded by acres of pristine land. Mother Nature decorated the trees this time, not me. Being in the American South, a Christmas Day snowfall is literally a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. There hasn't been a Christmas Day snowfall like this since 1882. As I write this, Atlanta has been put to test with another snow that has shut down businesses for two days, going on three. We're just not prepared for such weather. I, for one, have relished the peace and quiet of another magical "holiday" and spent most of the time indoors this time since the roads are icy and my workplace is closed. Staying put and embracing the silence has been welcome after a busy holiday season.

MEMORIES ARE CAPTURED when the world looks pristine and new again and a freshly-fallen snow helps transcend one to a place that seems otherworldly. Its transitory nature serves to remind us to take stock of its pristine beauty, knowing it will become a memory soon. A snow globe captures that bit of magic in miniature.

SNOW GLOBES first appeared in the late 1800s in France. The most famous being a commemorative snow globe at the World's Fair in Paris which contained a miniature Eiffel Tower. Miniature worlds for holiday memories and nostalgic keepsakes were captured within glass along with their own snowy weather system. With just a shake, a mesmerizing, lasting collectible was born. By the 1920s the snow globe had caught on across Europe and in the United States.

WHETHER GOING by the name 'snow globe,' 'snow dome,' or 'snow shaker,' they have enchanted people for more than a century. They create a hypnotic miniaturized world that is imbued with nostalgia and remembrance. Shaking the ball and watching it snow in the world within it captures the imagination.

SHOWN HERE along with my small "collection" of two tree snow globes are antique ornaments to imbue a historical perspective. My favorite "globe" has a grouping of three tall evergreens and isn't a globe at all, but a column of glass in a faux birch bark base. The other is a silver winter tree in a traditionally round globe that has larger amount of snow, creating a blizzard effect that drifts down softly. I diligently photographed them in action, just as I took hundreds of photos of the Christmas snow to try and capture the magic of it all.

IT WON'T BE long before all of it is just a memory again. But memories like these are the ones worth holding onto and sharing.

SNOW MEMORIES | (Top) My two snow globes are shown with old-fashioned notebooks, ribbon and vintage ornaments. The cylindrical "globe" is from Target a few years ago and the round globe was added to my collection this past holiday season from West Elm.

ICY PHOTO | (Above) This snowflake is one of many amazing images captured by physicist Kenneth Libbrecht who is interestingly enough originally trained as a solar astronomer. He has published several books illustrating the variety of snowflake forms, one of which I purchased back in 2005 named "The Little Book of Snowflakes." Photo © Kenneth Libbrecht by permission.

SNOW COLLAGE | (Above) That's me in the lower right corner enjoying a rare Christmas snow in Ellijay, Georgia. It was probably the most beautiful snow I've ever seen. I took quite a few photos, some of the best ones are collected here. Photo of me by Jon Chavez.

VINTAGE DECORATIONS | (Above) Trying to evoke memory and history, I chose to photograph my snow globes atop a loose leaf notebook by John Derian Company, Inc. for Target filled with paper and an old book that has been repurposed into a newly spiral bound journal by Ex Libris Anonymous. These ornaments are of unknown provenance, but I'm almost sure the one made from bugle beads is Czechoslovakian. I buy vintage ornaments for their visual appeal, not just for their history.

SNOW-CAPPED HEMLOCK | (Above) This giant hemlock tree is deftly decorated by nature. The first clear day after the snow, the sun is peeking around the hemlock and turning the sky a beautiful pale gray/blue.

CABIN FEVER | (Above) A friend's cabin is dwarfed by the surrounding trees. It was quite a nice place to spend Christmas this past year with Mother Nature turning the already pristine surroundings into a winter wonderland.

Photography, collecting and styling by Darryl Moland,
snow by Mother Nature.

new year glitz

2010-12-31T17:46:00.022-05:00

TWO-THOUSAND-ELEVEN sounds a bit like science fiction. It only seems like a few years ago that I brought in the year 2000 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at a huge, multi-themed night club called appropriately-enough "The Gay 90s," which is still alive and well. How does the time fly by like this? This year, I'll be having a more quiet affair (I'm thinking) at a friend's home. You never know though, how enlivened a party can become once people get enough bubbly in them. I'm planning also on attending a New Year's party tomorrow. It will certainly be more tame if everyone is nursing a hangover from New Year's Eve night. It's always good though to start the new year with friends, no matter if quietly, or with a bang.

IT'S EASY TO FORGET the nuances of the years that have flown by. Friends come and go, but for old times sake, I don't easily forget the people most important to me—you know who you are. The classic New Year's song Auld Lang Syne begins with a rhetorical question as to whether it is right that old times be forgotten. This New Year's toast and tree is my way of remembering long-standing relationships and wishing all loved ones (including blog followers) a happy and prosperous 2011.

MY GOAL this year is to self-publish a small digitally-produced photo book or magazine with photos of my trees and editorial information about their creation. The plan is to sell it here on the blog and use it to shop my ideas around to real publishers. So, I'll be posting less here and spending more time on that. I've gotten so used to burning it at both ends though, who knows what the new year will bring? I do plan to have posts just as I have surrounding the major holidays.

THAT IS the exciting thing about a new year. It is a time to fix yourself a drink and reflect on old and new goals alike. My only definite plan is keeping sight of the end result and keep moving toward it—hoping for the best. I'm not good at wiping the slate clean—I sort of look at what I've collected in life (physical and otherwise) as my palette. The problem is, it is all getting to be an unorganized mess that is harder and harder to move ahead with. So I'm taking a few steps back to refocus and to hopefully be able to take a larger step forward.

BRING IN THE NEW | (Top) Bringing in the new doesn't always mean throwing out the old, but it certainly is necessary to make room for new aspirations.This large mercury glass tree is encircled with a garland made from my collection of beaded snowflakes attached to a garland made of wire and glass beads from Cost Plus World Market. Two miniature metal cups and a champagne bottle from Crate & Barrel hang from a stately deer's antlers (made from recycled aluminum). The champagne-filled glasses are garnished with rosemary sprigs that I've given a sparkle with a coating of egg white and coarse sanding sugar.

TOP SHINE | (Above) I've retrofitted this tree topper by Seasons of Cannon Falls with a new glittered disk of type of my own design. Surrounded by beautiful glittered and tinseled metal rays, the manufacturer got that part right, but the original type with the clip art champagne glasses (left) was a bit clunky for my taste. I purchased my topper from Bayberry Cove.

SPARKLY SNOWFLAKES | (Above) Part of my fancy collection of glass-beaded snowflake ornaments (mostly made in Czechoslovakia) are assembled together on a garland around a large and sturdy mercury glass pleated tree form (made in India) from Home Goods.

GLEAMING NEW | (Above) This beautiful reindeer from Home Goods symbolically stands guard and brings a cup (or two) of good cheer on its antlers. The champagne flutes are garnished with sprigs of sugared rosemary as a symbol of remembering the good times.

OVERVIEW | (Above) Looking from above, it's easy to see the ground—a promise I am making to myself this year to step back so I can see the big picture. The glittery bugle-beaded charger is from Z Gallerie.

Photography, collecting and styling by Darryl Moland

a gift for Santa

2010-12-24T00:01:00.004-05:00

CHRISTMAS EVE was always a magical night for me as a child, as it continues to be for many of the more fortunate children of the world. Just the thought of a large elfin man dressed in a red suit being flown around the world in a sleigh pulled through the sky by flying reindeer, excited my imagination more than the toys and other gifts that were left for me when I awoke the next morning. Always early, always after a fitful night's sleep, I always hoped I could catch him in the act. But he always got away—not before he left an array of toys that I asked for and other surprises for which I didn't. I was one of the lucky ones. A lot of children aren't so fortunate. And some children understand that it's not about what you ask for, but about the spirit in which you ask. Leaving Santa a plate of cookies and a tall glass milk for his troubles was a resonant part of the evening. Of course, I also left carrots for Rudolph and the other reindeer.

WHEN YOU are at the age you stop believing in Santa, it's also easy to stop believing in the magic that is always around us. If you're looking, and sometimes if you're not, you'll encounter people (and sometimes things) right under your nose that—against all odds—hold close and dear, the very spirit of the holiday season. The best gifts in life are the ones that you don't expect. Knowing someone who recognizes the magic of the world is one of life's great treasures. If you blink around such a person, they might just disappear.

ONE SUCH person is my friend Ron Bartlett, who is also a coworker. Since we spend a great deal of our lives at work, it's nice to find people there who can share your dreams and ideas beyond work, lending you their gracious support. I have to say, if it weren't for Ron being such an effusive supporter for what I am trying to do with this blog, I don't know if I could muster the energy to do it in the way that I do. Having people in your life that expect the best and truest part of your soul to be expressed by what you do makes it all worthwhile. I thank Ron for that.

THE FUNNY thing is that Ron looks a lot like Santa Claus. He's a big jolly man, who never fails to make me smile when that spirit of life takes leave—as it often does in the daily grind of work. Early in his life, he even was Santa for some lucky kids in California. I asked him to share something from this experience. And he wrote down this heartwarming story:

At 60 years of age I still believe in Santa.
Understand that and what follows comes easily:

I WAS BLESSED to play Santa for one of the busiest McDonald’s in the world one year. Being skinny at the time, freshly back from the Vietnam War, I took a lot of padding to play the part. (Which, unfortunately, is no longer true!)

Sitting on my Santa throne, elf helpers guiding kids to and fro, I went through a good 250 kids, all telling me (in no uncertain terms) what toys to bring them on Christmas Eve. Understandable seasonal selfishness was rampant.

And then it came the turn of a young girl, probably 8 years old, who brought ME a present. She brought a present for Santa. It was wrapped as prettily as only an 8 year old who believes in magic can wrap. It was perfect. I was touched.

She climbed upon my knee and I asked what she wanted Santa to bring her. Her reply was instant and sure. She assured me I did not need to bring her any toys . . . or dresses or anything at all. She stammered out that she had been a very good girl and done all her chores and helped her Mommy and Daddy every day. So I asked her what she wanted Santa to bring. She said that all she wanted was for me to make her baby brother better. He had cancer and was very sick. And would I please make him all better?

You ever have one of those lumps in your throat the size of a Hyundai? I did. My eyes watered. One of the older women elves knew what was coming next as Santa was about to bawl his eyes out and she whisked me away, telling the children and parents left there it was time for me to feed the reindeer.

I hid out in the business office for over an hour letting out the plethora of emotions from a war-wearied heart. I never did go back on Santa duty that day and never will again—even now that I really do look like Santa.

So, did the child get her Christmas miracle? I have no idea. But I DO KNOW that child gave me the best gift of my life—the gift of HEART, which has remained with me all through the years.

SO THERE you have it. Even though I haven't believed in Santa for years, I have understood that he is not really a person at all. Instead, Santa is that undeniable spirit of life that keeps you on track and moving in the direction of your dreams. Santa is an idea, and Santa is forming that idea into reality in the workshop of your mind—a mind that can be as expansive as you let it be. My friend Ron knows that well. He reminds me almost daily at work with his happy disposition. He told me the little girl's physical gift to him was a small piece of wood she lovingly painted and carefully wrapped in her special magic. He says he has kept it all these years to remind him of the release of joyful tears she brought to him with her unselfish request for her little brother.

I THINK OF my parents often at the holidays. I remember how they created the magic of Santa for me all those years of my childhood. Now that they're both gone, I only have their memory and spirit. I remember my father and I lighting a White Pine with colored lights in our front yard until it grew too big to do so. And my mother nurtured the talent I have for decorating trees by giving me free reign with the family tree(s) after I was old enough. And I understand more fully than I ever have, that if you bring meaning to everything you do, then the spirit of Santa will surely and magically guide your sleigh, even if you're sixty like my jolly friend Ron and almost fifty like myself.

IS THERE a Santa Claus? My mother's last word to me was "Yes!" and her name was Virginia, so it makes perfect sense to me, that "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." This is the phrase made famous in a newspaper editorial written over 113 years ago. It remains the definitive treatise on believing:

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy."

IT'S NICE to have Santa as a friend. This is my gift to him. And you know what? I have to believe that the little girls (in both stories I share here) got their wish in one way or another, if only by inspiring generations of children, old and young alike, to believe in the magic and wonder of every holiday season.

SNACK FOR SANTA | (Top two photos) These two faux springerle molded "cookie" ornaments from Williams-Sonoma recall the German tradition of baking picturesque springerle cookies and hanging them on the tree.Three vintage bottle brush trees stand guard along with a glass of milk left for Santa on Christmas Eve.

SANTA BABY | (Middle) My friend and coworker Ron Bartlett at work as a Television Director/Editor at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. We both work in the same office and I visit him almost daily to get a lift. He's living proof that Santa's spirit abounds.

SPRINGERLE SHAPES | (Above) My small collection of seasonal springerle molds, from which I plan to make either cookies or ornaments with one day. Good sources for the molds online are House on the Hill and Springerle Joy.

WORDS OF WISDOM | (Above, right) The original editorial that ran in the September 21, 1897 edition of The Sun of New York. This response to a little girl's question "Is there a Santa Claus?" spawned the oft-repeated phrase "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus," which has become an indelible part of popular Christmas folklore in the United States and Canada. This philosophical editorial was written by Francis Pharcellus Church. We would all do well to read it at least once a year and remember to "continue to make glad the heart of childhood."

Photography, collecting and styling by Darryl Moland

here comes the sun

2010-12-20T00:00:00.015-05:00

Here comes the sun,
here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right . . .

—the Beatles

WINTER SOLSTICE this year will be marked by a number of simultaneous celestial events. There will be a lot to see in the sky on December 20-21, which will be replete with a full moon, a total lunar eclipse, and the Ursid meteor shower. So it's definitely a time to wish upon a star—I'll start with the brightest and best—the unblinking sun at the center of our solar system.

NOT SINCE 1638 (372 years ago) have Winter Solstice and a lunar eclipse coincided. The Solstice lunar eclipse will be visible starting in the early-morning hours of December 21st here in the Eastern United States (actually visible late tonight for the Western United States). So, you'll have to be a night owl or an early bird to view it. Visible from four continents, the best views are from North and Central America. It also may be seen in totality from northern and western Europe, some of northeast Asia, Hawaii, and New Zealand.

FROM BEGINNING to end, the eclipse will last about three-and-a-half hours. The sight can be spectacular, because refraction of the sun's light by the Earth's atmosphere will color the moon's surface unpredictably (depending on how much dust or the number of clouds in the sky). During past eclipses (see the video of a 2008 eclipse below) the moon has appeared a deep bronze, blood red or even a dark yellow.

WHAT DO THESE celestial events mean in conjunction with Solstice? According to my astrologer friend Cathy Burroughs, this year's Solstice lunar eclipse has the capacity to be "profoundly transformative." She recommends a reading to help guide you during this time of astrological upheaval and new direction. It certainly can't be a bad idea to get in touch with effects of the more cosmic aspects of the universe by which we are all connected to nature—even if only to view things more philosophically.

ACCORDING TO information Cathy sent me, the Solstice lunar eclipse this year occurs at 29°21' degrees of Gemini with the Sun in Sagittarius, just five degrees from the Galactic Center which speaks of the global impact of its astrological significance on all of us. It is also interesting that aside from being the shortest day and longest night of the year, the sun's daily maximum daily position in the sky is the lowest. And as the days start lengthening and the nights get shorter, interpretation varies from culture to culture, but most hold a recognition of rebirth.

CELEBRATING such a special Winter Solstice called for decorating my tree with sun ornaments I've collected over the years. Most of these are from the late-eighties and early nineties when all things celestial were all-the-rage in the market. Just as I dug through my past to collect all of these ornaments together again, I'm thinking from what I read and hear that a lot of old stuff will be dredged up by such a strong set of celestial events. After all, the tradition of the decorated tree began in the Old World as a pagan ritual to conjure up the return of the spring sun when the cold and seemingly lifeless winter months began each year. The warmth of spring always followed though, thanks to the sun.

IT CAN'T hurt to pay attention to our more humanistic connections with the cosmos and the natural world. The Earth, Moon and Sun influence everything from the birth of babies (more are born during the full moon), to when we plant and nurture our crops, aside from how long our days are throughout the seasons. The transformation marked by this year's coinciding cosmic events signify all that the holiday season is about. From the birth of Jesus as "the reason for the season," for a large part of the world's population, to simply believing in the the promise of the returning light of the sun. We're all connected to nature and the cosmos in the most profound way.

LET THE SUNSHINE IN | (Top) In the cold and sometimes dreary winter months, it certainly helps to think of the sun's warming rays and significance in our Earthly lives, as I have done with this collection of sunny ornaments. I wired fresh balsam fir evergreen branches to conceal a heavy wire tree form and shaped this custom tree that will hold a good number of heavier decorations.

FACING THE SUN | (Above) My widely-varied collection of sun ornaments were the inspiration for this golden tree full of sunny faces.

ALL AGLOW | (Above) A symbolic harbinger of spring is represented by this clip-on bird with a long feather tail. It perches on a branch among a varied collection of ornaments that are direct or indirect reminders of the warmth of the sun.

RAY OF LIGHT | This glittery ornament serves as a spectacular tree topper and evokes the brightest star in our sky—the sun. It could also represent the night star that led the wisemen to Bethlehem.

DOE, A DEER | Alert at the base of the tree among the presents, are two deer purchased this season from Nandina Home & Design in Atlanta. Ornaments included from my collection shown in this photo range from hand made (like one of my favorites—the sculpted sun face surrounded by four metal rays) to a hand blown glass finial and traditional stamped metal, wood and mercury glass ornaments.

TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE | (Added December 21, below) A brilliant time lapse of the December 21, 2010 total lunar eclipse illustrates its dramatic presence. I saw it progress until the clouds covered it just before the total eclipse (only a sliver of the moon was lit), so I didn't see the red/orange moon, but there were pinkish clouds in the sky from the refracted light of the sun. This morning's eclipse was brilliantly photographed by William Castleman in Gainesville, Florida. [©2010 by William L. Castleman, 1:10 AM EST (6:10 GMT) to 5:03 AM EST (10:03 GMT). Music is Claude Debussy Noctures: Sirènes]. Double-click on the image below to view widescreen or full screen on the Youtube website.

Photography, collecting and styling by Darryl Moland

white Christmas

2010-12-13T00:02:00.008-05:00

RARELY DOES it snow in the American South. Today it has flurried most of the day. Not much usually accumulates in Atlanta, but it still brings a magical quality to the air. It makes it feel a lot like Christmas—the fairy tale type of Christmas anyway. I remember it snowing a good bit more during my childhood, but not so much anymore. I think we get about the right amount of the white stuff in the winter months here. I know I wouldn't want to deal with the snow as my Northern neighbors do almost every day in the winter.

IT'S STILL an event when it snows here in the South—especially in December. Maybe this year I can dream of a white Christmas. Just an hour or two after I finished this tree and photographed it yesterday, it started snowing. What a magical thing to happen! It almost seemed like I conjured it up without knowing it. I decided to eat lunch at a local diner with wrap-around windows just so I could watch the snow floating from the sky for the first time this season, while thinking of what I might write for this post. This tree and the leaf ornaments on it are wrapped in words—just what I try to do in this blog—wrap each tree I photograph in words.

IT WASN'T but a few years ago that I remember waking up on Thanksgiving day and looking out and seeing the ground blanketed with a fresh snow. But I was visiting my friend Andrew in Toronto, Canada. He, being a Canadian was used to the snow and wasn't surprised (it was their first snow of the season that year though). I remember my excitement. Who ever heard of a white Thanksgiving? (It was Thanksgiving in America, not Canada). And just learning this year from Andrew that he has advanced cancer, I'm sure he's counting his blessings. I know that a white Thanksgiving in Canada was quite a magical time for me. It was the first time I had been out of the country since the summer after high school. And I hope Andrew has more white Christmases than the doctors predict. You never know what magic can happen.

IRVING BERLIN wrote the song "White Christmas" (poolside, in the summer, it is speculated) and it remains the best-selling singles of all time. Famously recorded by Bing Crosby, it first appeared in 1942 as part of an album for the film Holiday Inn. I've seen this movie several times with my friend Craig. It was a yearly event for us to get together and watch it around the holidays—maybe it's time again. The song probably became an instant hit because of its mix of melancholy— "just like the ones I used to know"—with images of home "where the treetops glisten," due to American soldiers being stationed overseas. The Armed Forces Network during World War II was flooded with requests for "White Christmas." I'm sure my father, who was in Europe during the war, heard the song and longed to be back in Alabama, whether the treetops were glistening with snow or not.

SO HERE'S DREAMING of a white Christmas this year in Georgia or wherever you might be. After all, a holiday tree like this might really conjure up some snow, or maybe just only a memory of a particularly magical moment of your life. Whatever it might be, the cool whites of snow, are a fresh way to go.

STUDY IN WHITE | (Top, middle and above) A snowy tree all dressed in white and silver to capture the magical quality that snow can create. The Twig Topiary tree is from this season's David Stark Collection at West Elm, which I've placed in a heavy antiqued aluminum vase. Faux snow from Pier One Imports simulates an icy-cold look. Hanging the ornaments with white cotton thread gives a consistency to the wintry look.

SNOWY ASSEMBLAGE | (Above) From left, a German lametta icicle ornament from my collection, a silver paper (backed with print) leaf ornament from the David Stark Collection for West Elm, a Snövita Scandinavian folded star ornament from IKEA, and milk glass pinecone sphere and finial ornaments from Z Gallerie.

STATELY CONTAINERS | (Above) The tree is placed in a gunmetal gray aluminum vase bought several seasons ago at Restoration Hardware. I dabbed strategic areas of the vase with a wet sponge to make the "snow" stick for a natural windblown look. All other ornaments, the silver foil candy container ornament and white milk glass container are from my private collection.

Photography, collecting and styling by Darryl Moland

made in Germany

2010-12-08T01:09:00.034-05:00

RARELY DO I see an evergreen tree around the holiday season that I don't instinctively want to decorate (or redecorate). I even joked with a friend the other day when seeing a large cell phone tower disguised as a pine tree that it could use some seasonal help. But trees are naturally beautiful all on their own (I'm not sure about the impostor cell phone towers).

GERMANY has long been known to produce some of the best holiday decorations. The authentic ones are less commonly found outside of Europe. A number of German companies now have their ornaments manufactured in China. But it's evident that a lot of pride and care is taken with those that are actually still made in Germany by the craftsmen that have learned their art from previous generations. The glass ornaments are crowned with stamped metal caps that signify the company or family who made them. I always look for the stray box or two at discount stores that sometimes have little tags on their hangers or are in specially-designed boxes with hangtag information that proudly say "Made in Germany" and tell you the story of their origin. There are plenty of sellers that import a variety of authentic German decorations also. One of my favorites sellers online for authentic German ornaments is the Christmas Haus in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. Imported heirloom-quality ornaments are more expensive, but are well worth it when you see them.

ASIDE FROM THE beautiful glass ornaments and heavy silver lametta tinsel (that ages with a beautiful patina), one of the most intricate and skilled forms of folk art are "span trees" (above) and the decorations and ornaments based on the tradition of Spanbaumstecherei (Erzgebirge wood folk art deftly crafted with intricate curly branches formed from a single piece of wood). Span trees are referred to by several names—span trees, chip trees, splinter trees, shaved wooden trees, twilled trees, or curled trees. Using a method developed in the 1930s, the trees are meticulously hand carved of linden wood, curl by curl, layer by layer. They are so beautiful on their own, they need no other ornamentation. An evergreen doesn't seem complete without glittery baubles attached, or tinsel carefully draped on its branches during the holiday season.

MARTINA RUDOLPH and her husband are among the leading woodcarvers who produce these trees, ornaments, and other large wall and window decorations. As a child in the Erzgebirge, she learned her craft (the family tradition of Spanbaumstecherei) from a well-known wood carver—her father Helmut Beyer. Practice made perfect and the skills that started as a hobby became a profession—the age-old craft was reborn for the world to see. In 1996, she opened her own small workshop in Seiffen to once again produce her family's unique Erzgebirge folk art. It's becoming a rarity to see folk tradition carried to the newer generations. All-to-often the art is being lost to industrialized production, which makes cheaper ornaments, but they aren't the quality of those made with the love and care handed down through generations of craftsmen. These ornaments composed of thin strips of wood can't be mass-produced, which broadens their aesthetic appeal, just like the quilt made by your grandmother's hand. Nothing less is as warm and satisfying either.

IF YOU ARE serious about collecting ornaments, the ones made in Germany are crafted to become heirlooms. Some of my favorite German-made ornaments in my collection are from Krebs Glas Laucsha. such as this hand blown and decorated Pinocchio ornament pictured here (who, in the story was not carved by a German, but an Italian woodcarver named Geppetto). The small village of Lauscha in the middle of Germany lays claim to being the birthplace of modern glass tree ornaments. The art of glassblowing from Laucsha became popular all over the world, with some of the most beautiful designs being developed by the Krebs family. The bohemian art of Krebs glass work later moved to Thuringia. The handcrafted Krebs Glas Collection has long been a favorite of collectors like me.

SPAN TREES | (Top) Shown with a traditional German smoker (incense burner) representing a spanbaumastechcherei woodcarver, two beautiful span trees are nestled within three handcrafted 3-D wooden star ornaments (2nd from top) from Straco Land (Erzgebirge Woodcraft)

ORNAMENT CRAFT | (Middle) Martina Rudolph and her husband make these beautiful star ornaments, wall or window hangers based on the meticulous craft of span trees handed down from Martina's father. They are sold in the U.S. by The Christmas Haus in New Oxford, Pennsylvania.

SHINY AND BRIGHT | (Above) Authentic German silver lametta tinsel is distinctively heavy, drapes well, and oxidizes to a rich patina like fine silver after a few years. The glass indent German ornaments shown here came in a box of four (found at Tuesday Morning) were not marked by a particular company, but made in Germany tags proudly marked each hanger. If anyone can identify the cap (that pertains to the company) on these ornaments, please let me know. The brown coloration and gold glitter are distinctively rich and typical of old world ornaments crafted by artists that take pride in an art handed down by generations.

WOODEN BOY | (Right) This spectacular hand-blown and painted glass ornament is made by Krebs Glas Lauscha in Germany. The popular book The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi told the story of an Italian woodcarver named Geppetto, who carved Pinocchio from a piece of pine, creating him as a puppet, but dreamt of him becoming a real boy.

Spanbaumastechcherei ornaments, window, or wall hangers are handmade by Martina Rudolph (or her husband), photography courtesy of The Christmas Haus in New Oxford, Pennsylvania

holiday migration

2010-11-25T08:16:00.020-05:00

THE MONARCH butterfly is known in North America for its incredible fall migration every year south and northward return home in the summer. This trip spans the life of three or four generations. Monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains (most famously) are the ones believed to overwinter and roost in the forested mountaintops within central Mexico’s Transvolcanic Range. The ones east of the Rockies travel to small groves of trees along the southern California coast. They often return to the same trees every year creating an amazingly magical sight. This miracle of nature is expressed by the tree I’ve decorated with their facsimiles for my Thanksgiving post.

JUST AS many species of birds migrate south for the winter, the Monarch does also. Unlike birds though, the lifespan of the butterfly during this migration is completed by children and grandchildren of the butterflies that start this incredible journey—done without their elders to show them the way. Unlike most insects, Monarchs cannot survive a long cold winter, so they migrate. Seasons change. But it might not be as simple as that.

DO THEY follow magnetic fields or use the sun to guide them? Are they following landforms (rivers, coastlines, mountain ranges) as their navigational tools? The innate nature of this migration has baffled and inspired researchers for decades. There is still a lot of mystery behind this yearly event. What are some of the other reasons for such a distinct migration? How long has this natural pattern been in place?

AS SUCH, humans migrate and gather with friends and family during the holidays, usually starting with Thanksgiving day every year. Generations join together to share good times and celebratory meals together. This gathering is to celebrate life and abundance. And there is much to be thankful for, even as things change over the years for better or worse.

I CALLED my brother Mal yesterday to wish him a happy Thanksgiving. I haven’t been home to Alabama (where he still lives) much since my parents died five years ago. My “bro” is my family touchstone and keeps me informed about the goings-on back home. Now that my parents are gone from this world, I distinctly realize that they were the glue that held our family together as all my sibling's lives went in different directions. I miss those migratory days of going to my parent’s house for Thanksgiving and Christmas—the home I lived in until I went off to college and for a short time afterward.

Jason Laferrara's "Viceroy" has the map.

I'LL NEVER FORGET that Thanksgiving day when I got the call confirming my first job as a designer at Southern Living magazine back in 1984. Tom Ford, the art director then, I think saved the news for that special day when my career took flight. That day changed my life forever while linking it to a day of abundance. I remember my mother being thrilled that she had a son working at a magazine that had become an institution in the South. I worked at that company (most as assistant art director at Cooking Light magazine) for ten years before my move to Atlanta. I give thanks for all the familial celebrations of life—family and friends alike. There is a part of me that still fulls the pull homeward.

BUT MAYBE you "Can't Go Home Again." That phrase comes from the finale of Thomas Wolfe's novel of the same name. In the end its protagonist realizes, "You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time—back home to the escapes of Time and Memory."

THIS TREE is a not-so-subtle reminder of the hope that all will come together again. One day we will realize our paths in life are for more than just survival. Our better instincts will inform us—just as it does each generation of the peculiar Monarch.

CRITICAL MASS | (Top, left and below) I've simply covered this Heirloom Ornament Tree from Smith & Hawken (2005) with Monarch butterflies, ironically made from feathers as a tribute to their winter roost far south from home (from Ashland Nature Center, distributed by Michaels). The faux sugared fruit placed below it is a reminder of the abundance celebrated each American Thanksgiving.

BUTTERFLY CONGREGATION | (Middle) This amazing real-life photo of a tree covered with Monarch butterflies is from The Green Children Foundation website. Many organizations are dedicated to the education, conservation and research of the Monarch butterfly and its amazing migration. A good place to start is Monarch Watch.

ART IMITATES LIFE | (Above) Digital artist Jason LaFerra from Mechanicsville, Virginia renders beautiful artwork of insects, birds and animals on historic maps tapped into from online. These giclee prints of his digital collages on watercolor paper (especially "Viceroy" with it's own map) are resonant and beautiful.

Photography, collecting and styling by Darryl Moland