hope dies last

THE VERY ESSENCE of a Christmas tree is a physical meditation of hope for the renewal that spring brings. Our world seems to be having a long, hard winter right now, but hope springs eternal, as it always does. We have to hold onto that with our loved ones and the friends in our lives that see the world as we want it to be, even when its not Christmas. This ritual of hope is embodied in The Decorated Tree.

THIS TREE, with woodland creatures, birds, stars, hearts and moons hidden in its branches embodies the magic of the season. Although it doesn't take anything this elaborate to find the spirit of Christmas, it can be as simple as a single candle, for us to reflect on what's important. The people in our lives, our special relationships with our pets, and remembrance of loved ones that are no longer with us, are all what makes the season meaningful.

I THINK I've achieved some of that with this tree. It may be one of my favorites because it is imbued with the hope and light of the season in a playful way— having a lot of delightful surprises scattered throughout. But the theme is consistent — a magical mix of things that could make even the hardest of hearts happy.

IT WAS A VICTORY of spirit for the world way back in late 1944 in the WWII Battle of the Bulge, and my brave father was part of it. During the wake of the Allied forces' successful D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, it seemed as if the Second World War was all but over. On Dec. 16, with the onset of winter, the German army launched a counteroffensive that was intended to cut through the Allied forces in a manner that would turn the tide of the war in Hitler's favor.

THE BATTLE that ensued known historically as the Battle of the Bulge was on, and the courage and fortitude of American soldiers like my father was sorely tested. Nevertheless, the the ultimate response meant the victory of freedom over tyranny (at least for many decades in this country).

I REMEMBER my father every year at this time. He told me how cold it was in the trenches in the snow-covered Ardennes forest in Belgium and how Patton was his hero because he saved his troop from the cold. That's why I continue with The Resistance in the battle we're now facing with the current presidential fiasco at hand.

AND SO, WITH HOPE, and my fight right here in our own country, my father's service won't have been in vain. The current political climate turns a blind eye to the fight of greed over goodness. Hope truly dies last, and I won't let history repeat itself if I can help, in my own small way, to put an end to it. America was great then, but it has become only a hollow slogan now, if we don't back it up with the best of our better angels. I intend to do all I can to make that happen. It's my way of keeping my father's spirit alive.

MY PARENTS instilled in me this hope at Christmas every year of my childhood and it made the strongest of impressions. So I'd like to part with this quote from Joan Winmill Brown: "When Christmas Day comes, there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes."

©2017 DARRYL MOLAND | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED collecting, photography and styling by Darryl Moland

magic in the air

IT MAY NOT ALWAYS be readily apparent, but if you squint, blur your eyes and find the space between reality and the magic that is in the very air we breathe during the holidays—if you listen intently—you might even hear the sleigh bells ringing and a distant chuckle. Then you'll know that St. Nicholas will soon be here.

I REMEMBER in decorating the trees of my childhood, the lights were always multicolored then, with some of the bulbs being an unblinking solid color, and some being a translucent color. All of them were blinking on their own independent schedule. This gave the tree an effect of a multicolored sky of bright fireflies. The overall scene was wonderously magical.

WHEN THE TREE was done I would sit on the sofa facing the the "picture window," in front of which the tree stood proudly, for the passersby to see. I would blur my eyes until the lights melded together and formed halos of overlapping color. It was mesmerizing. It was if we had our own blinking constellation of color that bounced off of the ceiling and every reflective surface in the room.

SOME SAY the season is ushered in at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade by Santa in his sleigh being pulled by eight flying reindeer. That's the way it used to be. These days it starts long before that. But the beginning mark of the holiday season is when the magic of the season lights up a child’s eyes. Whether it be by the lights themselves, glitter everywhere you look, or brightly-hued baubles hanging from the tree's branches; the real focus of the season is where all of that comes together—the tree.

THIS ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT TREE was conceived by good intentions when it was decorated, but it drooped and sagged under the weight of the heavy glittered reindeer heads, metal acanthus leaves and sleigh bells. Even so, Santa was diligent with his reindeer, create their own brand of glittery magic. With its LED lit branches, the tree still provided a measure of warmth for the season that began after Thanksgiving, so the droopy branches didn't seem to matter.

ITS QUIRKY NATURE, I thought, was a welcome relief from a tediously-decorated real tree that was the year before. Not to say they both weren’t beautiful in their own right. Even in my semi-failures, I try to find the beauty, so they’re not really failures at all. I even glittered one of the reindeer’s noses with red glass glitter, to make Rudolf's nose glow. Now he stood out alongside Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen . . . and on with, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen!

THE REINDEER GAMES of the season are your chance to experiment with something new. It’s always enjoyable to look for a uniquely creative way to express the holiday. So with your best conceptual Santa cap on, consider a new way to decorate your tree—even try a new kind of tree. It's always satisfying to find a distinctive way to decorate and stand out from the crowd. Santa might even give you a reward and let you guide his sleigh through the season. And now that you're aligned with Rudolf, you may even go down in history!

©2013 DARRYL MOLAND | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

collecting, photography and styling by Darryl Moland.
Special thanks to Devin Borden for the location.

of cats and men at Halloween

I don't know how it escaped my notice until this year, that October 29th was National Cat Day. When decorating and photographing this spooky tree to celebrate Halloween this year, I debated on whether to use my cat painting (by local Atlanta artist, Ronnie Land) as a backdrop over this buffet table. Now I am glad I did—even though the setup is more complex than usual. Because many of R. Land's artworks are packed with hand-drawn imagery like this poster done for Atlanta's infamous Little Five Points Halloween Festival and Parade, it all seems to fit together quite nicely. I've never been a minimalist at heart. I like the discovery and surprise found only when many delightful things are vying for one's attention.

These magical and well-crafted mushroom ornaments by Wendy Addison, designed for Midwest CBK hang from a glittered Halloween tree from Target. I purchased the mushrooms from Bayberry Cove. The large "Christmas spider" ornament is an antique Czechoslovakian beaded ornament from my collection.

"Founded in 2005 by animal welfare advocate Colleen Paige, National Cat Day brings attention to the number of cats that need to be rescued each year. It is also a day for cat guardians to celebrate their own amazing cats." I truly like that "cat guardian" moniker, but I feel it is the other way around. I have always thought of cats as my guardians, or muses, or familiars, or warm and fuzzy companions. My father always loved cats and I have been lucky to have had many special cat companions throughout my life. I've only had one dog as a pet. All the rest have been cats. I love their peculiar nature and independent ways—I truly am a cat person, through and through. Don't get me wrong, I love all animals, but I can't escape the feeling that cats are superior creatures in many ways. The feline world and I have a magical understanding.

Frida, the tuxedo cat (left) and Abella, the Bengal cat (right) are my sweet guardians.

An assortment of cheeses, crackers and fruit are a visual and literal feast.

Cats, magic and Halloween all seem to go together. Add the creepy presence of spiders and earthy balls of moss and you've got a tableau that visually creeps and crawls in just the right way. Mushrooms add a touch of nature's magic that sets the mood for the season, along with an abundant cheese and fruit buffet, of course. And if you're lucky enough to have earned the trust of a cat or two, you're all set for Halloween's spooky route to the beginning of the end-of-year holiday season. Happy All Hallows Eve! 

This mushroom ornament is also by Wendy Addison, designed for Midwest CBK. A glass-glittered wire spider from Pottery barn adds a creepy, crawly touch.

The standard pot the tree was purchased in is dressed up with dried moss and an unusual tire pot by River Market Pottery in Kansas City, Missouri, adapted from sewn leather working techniques, but made from up-cycled rubber tires that had previously been bound for the landfill. The perky bronzed metal mouse sniffing for the cheese is from Pottery Barn.

©2012 DARRYL MOLAND | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

collecting, photography and styling by Darryl Moland

freedom and magic

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.

©2011 DARRYL MOLAND | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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

 

magical, mysterious mushrooms

I N   R E M E M B E R I N G  the first time I had mushroom tea, my friends didn't know whether or not their brew would be strong enough to have an effect. But we all drank some of it, and went along our way to the beach where they kept their catamaran. Just as we were launching it into the emerald green water of the Gulf of Mexico at Seaside, Florida (the idyllic town where The Truman Show was filmed), everything suddenly became indescribably more vibrant on this beautifully sunny and warm day. Riding the waves, the emerald-clear water we glided over was gradually dotted with beige, pink, and purple jellyfish and dolphins swam playfully along with us—no lie! I have never felt so at one with nature. We were giddy with laughter and excitement—and it is still one of the most vivid sensory moments of my life. It was like being in a movie (although it was years before the The Truman Show was filmed there). 

O N E   F R I E N D  who was with our group that day, John (A.J.) Prescott died this summer at the young age of 45. Again, I must be channeling some sort of energy from the many loved ones who have passed on in the last few years (too many). All their love still lives inside of me and I have to let it out now that they're gone—by doing something that is cathartic. A.J. and I were soulmates—friends that could always pick up where we left off. He was always bringing people together in magical ways—he introduced me to Lowell, who I spent six years together with in a wonderful relationship (still great friends). A.J. packed more into his 45 years that most people do in three lifetimes, so I can't be sad he is gone. He lived his life full-out, the envy of many of his friends he traveled without, because we encumbered ourselves with the stuff of life—he didn't. He saw places in the world I only dream about and had many experiences in being totally in touch with mother Earth as I have already described. Just maybe he had something to do with what I relate to you next.

A F T E R   I T   R A I N E D  all night and a good part of the day today, I noticed three unusually large mushrooms had popped up in the grass just outside my front door. I have no idea whether these are a kind you can ingest, so I wouldn't recommend them—you've got to know what you're doing if you harvest wild mushrooms—many are poisonous. Just an hour before, I had been talking to my friend Brandon about not knowing what to do for my next blog post. And when I got home, seeing the mushrooms there, an idea just "fell out of the sky" (ancient Egyptians believed that mushrooms were sons of gods, sent riding to earth on thunderbolts)—imagine that! Inspired to use the real mushrooms along with two unique mushroom ornaments I bought last year, I suddenly knew what to write about. Riding in on a lightning bolt—it all came together—lucky indeed! 

M U S H R O O M   O R N A M E N T S  have long been a symbol of luck as a tree decoration. Glass tree ornaments are a German invention. Christoph Müller and Hans Greiner set up Germany's first glassworks in 1597 in the small town of Lauscha. Most commonly, these lucky mushrooms are blown with white stems and red caps dotted with white. You'll find airbrushed spun cotton mushrooms also, but I thought these modern fabric-and-glitter covered wire frame ornaments were uniquely beautiful. And lucky for me, I knew where they were in my unorganized stash.

M A G I C   A N D   M Y S T E R Y  have become an incredibly electrifying force in creating this blog. I find myself "in the zone" when I'm doing it—so I know I'm on an inspirational path. But, the serendipity in life only comes when you are in-the-moment. You feel connected to a collective consciousness—something much bigger than you. It's nice to invite it in. I'll remember my friend A.J. whenever I hang a mushroom on a tree and I'll invite all the wonderful memories of him inside. He was truly a flower child born too late for that era. I'll never forget him. He was never one to be usurped by the status quo—he lived as far off-the-grid as possible. The Times, They are A-Changin', for sure. I can only hope the love and light he gave, has been absorbed into a greater good for the world to heal itself.

RAINBOW'S FRIEND | John (A.J.) Prescott (above, left) was truly a pot of gold to everyone who knew him.

MAGIC MUSHROOMS | The three mushrooms I found that sprung up during an overnight rain (top, right), with two glittered fabric-covered wire mushroom ornaments. The beaded and sequined felt ball ornament with a metallic braided trim rounded out the photo (all from Anthropologie, 2008).

©2009 DARRYL MOLAND | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
collecting, photography and styling by Darryl Moland

U P D A T E 

Who knew? Bob Dylan even has Christmas in the Heart. His 47th album (left) will be released October 13th, with all the royalties going to Feeding America (and two international charities)—in perpetuity. Now, that is what I call the Christmas spirit! I've never been a big Bob Dylan fan (except for his lyrics), but I'll be buying this one. I stumbled upon the news of it when I was confirming that all my post links were operable. The times have changed, indeed. Serendipity at work . . . again!