Jingle All The Way
Wow. That’s all I can say. Not only are the Georgetown Jingle trees at the Four Seasons decorated with spectacular creativity and imagination, but the cause is equally impressive: Georgetown University Hospital’s Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program.
David Iatesta’s tree was sold on the spot to a generous Four Seasons guest.
Fourteen designers – each partnered with a young Georgetown patient – dressed up holiday trees to be auctioned at the Jingle on Dec. 13, but only 13 trees will be on the block. That’s because a “regular VIP guest” of the Four Seasons snapped up David Iatesta’s striking driftwood tree just hours after his team completed it yesterday – to the tune of $15,000. Not only that, but he donated it right back to Georgetown, to be given to a young patient or to display at the hospital.
David Iatesta’s Molly Zlokovitz and Matt Quinn
“I got the phone call this morning. It almost brought tears to my eyes,” said Matt Quinn, Iatesta’s chief executive officer. The tree, which took 500 man hours to build, is assembled from driftwood collected throughout the summer on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. It’s strung like one of Iatesta’s exquisite chandeliers, using $3,000 worth of European crystal, and lit with the help of 20 battery packs hidden under the tree skirt.
Here are some notable details:
Individual limbs were either drilled or screwed into the central “trunk,” and then epoxied and faux painted at the joints to make it look authentic.
Several different types of crystal grace the tree.
There are many more amazing trees to go. Get yourself a cup of cocoa, settled into your chair, and read on.
Jerry Begley, Dawson Begley Design
“A Nordic Christmas”
Designer Jerry Begley’s tree hearkens back to his mod childhood in 1960s Los Angeles.
Jerry Begley had two goals in creating this tree: To cue his “early 60s youth” with multi-colored trees in all their metallic fabulousness; and more importantly, to introduce the United States to the work of his friend Helge Brink, a Danish designer who makes glass ornaments by hand.
Jerry Begley
Brink used to work with Georg Jensen and Royal Copenhagen, and wanted to revive the tradition of handmade ornaments, Begley said. The Jingle marks their U.S. debut, and Begley noted that Queen Elizabeth ordered “a ton” of them for this year’s decorations at Buckingham Palace. Check out the details:
Gloria de Lourdes Blalock, Blalock Interiors LLC
“Let There Be Light”
Blalock’s tree has 1,000 lights, hopefully lighting the way to a cure for childhood cancer.
From a distance, Gloria Blalock’s tree merely looks like a lovely tree. Step closer, and you’ll see that all the ornaments represent peace, light, and happiness. “Gloria has a very spiritual nature – it’s very much about the energy of the holiday,” said her friend, Designer Brad Weesner. (Blalock was unable to attend yesterday’s press preview.)
Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey, SCW Interiors
“It’s a Jungle Out There”
Shazalynn incorporated furniture and a rug into her vignette.
Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey was not only designing for her patient-partner, Hayden Z., but also for the memory of her cousin, “Kelly Girl” Rogers, who died of brain cancer when she was only 9.
Shazalynn Cavin-Winfrey
“It is indeed a jungle out there, and nothing better gives a child a sense of ease in the world than a perfectly composed seating nook of their very own this holiday season,” she wrote in the program.
Notable details include Anthropologie’s Dream Menagerie rug:
The delicate trim on the Cowtan & Tout upholstery:
And the delightful jungle animals hanging from the flocked tree branches.
Paul Corrie, Paul Corrie Interiors
“Tree of Hope”
“The idea behind the ‘Tree of Hope’ is that we can all better ourselves as individuals and live united – in our personal goals, our relationships, our interactions with family, friends, neighbors, and our surrounding world,” Paul Corrie wrote in the program.
He was unable to attend the preview, but I loved his small porcelain reminders that we can all do better – and follow our passions.
Wendy Danziger, Danziger Design
“Children’s Tea Party”
Being Jewish, Wendy Danziger said this was her first time ever decorating a tree, and what a brilliant beginning. The tea party theme was inspired by her mother’s love of tea, her granddaughter’s tea set, and the fact that her patient-partner, Katie, has her own tea set.
Wendy Danziger
Katie provided input on the design, and Danziger’s mother painstakingly wrapped each little tea bag in each little teacup with tulle.
And her assistant Mary Biletnikoff made all the ballerina tutus, which are all different. Wow.
Karen Luria, Karen Luria Interior Identity Inc.
“Holiday on Ice”
Karen Luria’s “tree” was fabricated from acrylic through the local design firm Spectrum, which we featured in a piece on local furniture makers in January.
Karen Luria
“I thought I’d really like to create a very different interpretation of a tree,” Luria said. “It’s really a sculpture. It transforms the rest of the year into a floor lamp.” There’s a hole at the top for a light, and a ridge down one of the sides to string the cord. How cool is that?
Even more, Luria got figure skater Scott Hamilton to sign a pair of ice skates at the “tree’s” base.
That means the winning auction bidder will not only get a stylized Christmas tree, but she or he will also get signed skates and a super-cool floor lamp for the rest of the year.
Lynni Megginson, L&M Designs
“Aspen Holiday”
Lynni Megginson’s tree is all about Nicholas, her patient-partner.
“Nicholas, he loves Christmas. He loves everything about Christmas. I wanted to evoke the dream of what Christmas would be – all the winter elements, combined with the fact that the tree is done in his honor,” Megginson said.
Lynni Megginson
Can’t you just imagine yourself in the mountains, with the snow, the pinecones, the deer in the snow – along with the steadfast encouragement to “believe.”
Marika Meyer, Marika Meyer Interiors
“A Natural Nantucket Christmas”
“I wanted to do something timely and really resonate with the way people are decorating for Christmas right now,” said Marika Meyer, explaining that the tree, inspired by her favorite place, is all very natural and organic.
Marika Meyer
Shells, garlands made of bark, and the classic Nantucket lightship baskets and whale weathervane grace the tree.
Her favorite find was the “Nantucket red” fabric from Murray’s Toggery, trimmed with gorgeous shells on linen from Samuel & Son.
Darren Miller, And Beige
“Winter Nights Dream”
Darren Miller, founder and owner of And Beige, used natural elements for this mantel decoration, as if they were “stumbled upon in a forest environment during a winters nigh exploration,” he wrote. (He couldn’t be at the preview.) He used deer antlers and pine cones, which beautifully accent the Four Seasons’ black and white marble mantel and surround.
Michael Roberson, Michael Roberson Interior Design
“Joy to the World”
A truly joyous vignette for Michael Roberson’s patient-partner, Tyeshia, who loves bright colors. Roberson named the setting after Tyeshia’s favorite Christmas carol. (Roberson was unable to attend the preview.)
Camille Saum, Camille Saum Interior Design
“L’Arbre de Noel Elegant”
When Camille Saum begins a project, she doesn’t immediately know where it’s going to go. “It just comes out” along the way, she said.
Camille Saum
What came out in this case was inspired by France, “where elegance is a fact of life, [and] Christmas décor is a serious fashion statement.” Saum’s paint company painted her tree white, and then her team used silver spray paint on top of the white. She then covered the branches in glitter,
used endless white and silver ribbon,
and filled the holes with silver “stretchy paper.”
The star on top – made from a pillow – is in honor of her partner-patient, Cinzia.
Brad Weesner, Brad Weesner Design
“Modern Tree of Crystal”
Brad Weesner was still awaiting the completion of his high-tech tree on Wednesday, but he had these cool sketches to demonstrate what it will look like:
It will be clear acrylic sheets embedded with crushed glass, with LED lights flickering and changing color underneath the glass. A triangle base will be upholstered in silver fabric.
Brad Weesner and his patient-partner, Kara Amey
Kara’s story is “light and inspiration,” which he tried to reflect in his tree, Weesner said. “She’s ahead of her years, and I knew immediately that she was never going to let her disease define who she was going to be.” In fact, the two have hit it off, he said, and she’s already showing some of her own design skills at age 17.
Sarah Wessel, Sarah Wessel Designs Ltd.
“Secret Garden”
The children’s classic, The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett, was one of Sarah Wessel’s all-time favorites, and she used it as the inspiration for her tree.
Sarah Wessel
You have to look up close to see all the wonderful details of this tree, including the book itself and a handsome set of old-fashioned keys.
Peer into the tree (the “secret” won’t reveal itself if you stand at a distance), and you will see gardening implements, wheelbarrows, flowers, birds, and nests. How enchanting.
The Jingle is 4-8 p.m. on Dec. 13 at the Four Seasons. Tickets are $150 per person, family packages are available for $350, and kids 3-18 are $50/ under 2 are free. The event will feature gourmet fare from area restaurants, holiday music and live entertainment, a “Santa’s workshop” for the kids that offers activities, crafts, cookies and kid-friendly food, and a meeting with Santa. The trees will be auctioned, along with many other amazing packages in a silent auction.
And considering the brave kids at Georgetown the proceeds will support, it’s the best money you will spend this season.
thank you for such a beautiful story and thank the designers for such fabulous trees