Tag Archives: David J. Witchell

My Personal Decompression Oasis

THE LIFE STYLIST
We’ve removed all lulls from our lives. From the moment we wake until well into the hours we should be sleeping, we’re plugged in and preoccupied. What follows is a simple solution for beginning to turn that tide and the profound justification for it.

 

By David J. Witchell

We’re almost always conscious of that line, conscious of the implications of crossing over it, and, yet, we do, over and over again, as if compelled by an urge that, at best, can only be ignored for a day or two at a time.

Buy it. Save it. And even when there’s no logical reason why we should, we do.

My days, in every aspect, are sensory-overload. It took me years to learn how to not just manage it but appreciate it, to be present at every turn and fully absorb the experience. The linchpin, I believe, is heeding that line. It represents more than the division of more and less. It’s also balance, or harmony.

For at least few minutes each day, but usually no more than that, I unplug and meditate. What that entails, exactly, is reading my daily word and reflecting on the blessings of the day. I focus on my intentions, center myself in the present and, simply enough, breathe.

The location matters less than the immediate space. I can do it wherever I am, but the room in which I do it needs to clear from distraction. I’ve come to describe it as my Personal Decompression Oasis, or PDO. This is how I go about establishing it.

First, I’ll eliminate all spoken words, which means the TV, if there is one, goes off. My phone and computer are left in another room. Occasionally, I’ll play some music, but it’s strictly instrumental. Then, I’ll light a candle, if it’s practical. If I’m relegated to a walk-in closet, it’s not. In lieu of the candle, I’ll find another focal point, like a tree or a flower on the other side of a window.

Next, I’ll get comfortable, but not too comfortable. If I lay down, sleep will follow. Relaxing as that may be, it defeats the point here. So I’ll sit with a relaxed posture and then take three deep breaths, inhaling through the mouth and exhaling through the nose. I’ll read my daily inspirational message aloud to myself, all the while continuing to breathe in a slowed and deliberate manner. Dividing my attention between the two, the idea is to lock out any thoughts, positive and negative, about the past and the future. This very moment, the message and my breath, is the whole of my world. It’s only then that the act will bear its rewards: comfort, wisdom, strength.

It’s hard to believe that such a relatively small investment can yield such a large return. It took me a while to buy in. But once I gradually started to realize that I was feeling more satisfied with what I had and less burdened by it, I began to respect the process more. The PDO is designed to be a simple construct so that it’s sustainable, but it’s also meant to illustrate how little we actually need to get by. Nothing I’ve ever owned has touched what I’ve felt during meditation. And when you move through life feeling like you’re already equipped with everything you need, you become immune to all those threats to your things, which, you’ll discover, are the source of so much stress.

David J. Witchell is the co-owner of David J. Witchell Salon & Spa, in Newtown and Lahaska, and The Boutiques at 25 South, in Newtown.

 

The Anatomy of a Holiday Table Setting

THE LIFE STYLIST

Is there such a thing as giving too much thought and value to what your guests will be glancing at while they overindulge? For The Life Stylist, that answer is a pretty firm no.

Text and photography by David J. Witchell

img_1802The holidays begin for me well before even the first Black Friday ad. At that first breath of cool air, my mind starts racing with thoughts of entertaining. Elaborate table settings at holiday dinners are kind of my thing. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve gone around the table and sat in each chair to make sure everything looked right from every guest’s perspective.

These days, the settings are dedicated as much to the family and friends who gather around my dinner table as those who can’t, including my late brother James.

When I began plotting for this year’s round of dinners, my mind turned to a pair of artist-friends who share some of my obsession. Chuck Fischer is an established artist and author who recently launched a home collection comprised, in part, of fabrics, wallpaper and china. He’s also created the White House Historical Association’s Christmas card for four years running. Sherry Michelle is a fast-emerging visual artist who’s becoming best-known for her series of pop-surrealist paintings.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much promise a brainstorming session with them held. So I convened a roundtable—in September.

How early do you start planning your Thanksgiving dinner table?

Sherry It’s an ongoing process throughout the entire year. I always keep my eye open for little things that’d be cute. Once fall begins, I settle on a “color story” for the table and go from there.

What’s the most critical detail for you?

Chuck  The china collection I designed for Lenox, Mosaico D’Italia. With its terracotta, warm browns and soft greens, it’s a perfect fit. I’m also partial to low-cut flowers and candles of varying heights for the centerpiece.

Sherry  We have a long table, and the centerpieces always consist of multiple things in a row. I’m a stickler for symmetry. My mom’s special twist is to slip a scratch-off lottery ticket under everyone’s plates.

As much as I try to make these dinners new and unique from year to year, so much of the excitement that surrounds them stems from the nostalgia they evoke.

Chuck  I’m still motivated by the happy memories of my grandmother’s kitchen and the wonderful scents of the turkey roasting and the apples sautéing on the stove.

Do you leave your Thanksgiving setting in place and adapt it for Christmas?

Chuck  The day after, I put everything away except the flowers because I’m so eager to start decorating for Christmas. My tree’s usually up by that Saturday.

Sherry  That table serves too many functions to keep the setting in place. It’s where I work on my smaller commissions. And my son does his homework there. So nothing lasts past Thanksgiving night.

I find that picking a single color that lends itself to Thanksgiving and Christmas makes the transition from setting to setting a little easier. For Thanksgiving, I’ll play the bright oranges, yellows and coppers off of different-sized, red, hand-blown, glass-ball tea lights. Come Christmas, the tea lights will stay while the rest of the palette shifts to greens and white. Then for New Year’s Eve, I’ll start fresh and pair clear glass with silver and a hint of gold.

Easy as it is to lose myself in this stuff, it’s worth remembering that it’s the people at the table who create the memories, not the settings—even though they’re arranged really artfully.

David J. Witchell is the co-owner of David J. Witchell Salon & Spa, in Newtown and Lahaska, and The Boutiques at 25 South, in Newtown.

A New Year’s Eve Party with Heart

THE LIFE STYLIST
If you’re exhausted by the thought of digging out the formalwear and trudging to some nondescript, overly expensive party, take a cue for the Life Stylist and ditch convention.

Text + photography by David J. Witchell

Being the eternal optimist that I am, I’ve always held that how you usher in the new year will go a long way toward dictating how you’ll live with it. Which is why my New Year’s Eve is an Event—but far from the conventional sense. I shed the tuxedo and the artificial glamour a while back in favor of a simpler night, one where I’m decked out in pajamas and surrounded by my closest friends and family, all of us savoring each other’s company and a home-cooked meal.

The hosting duties rotate among us. They’re falling to me this year, and, naturally, I started planning months ago. My father was born on New Year’s Eve, and every New Year’s Day, we staged a birthday feast, so the occasion was already a big deal for me. I keep the décor simple. I’ll pare down the Christmas decorations—so last year—and trim the remaining stuff in white, silver and a touch of gold. The dinner table follows the same aesthetic. If I can find them, a few bunches of white tulips are my go-to for the centerpiece; white roses, if not. And pajamas are the extent of the required attire. (It’s proven to be a good excuse to buy a new pair for myself and few more for the guests who “forget” to don theirs.) For the cynical among us, it’s only odd to be sitting around a candlelit dinner table in pajamas if you’re the only one wearing them.

Where Christmas is meant to exude a deep-seated sense of tradition, New Year’s Eve/Day should be pure and fresh and free of such a heavy burden. I’d like to enter the new year the way I’m sure most of us would: with a blank canvas. Easier said than done, but framing it as such can’t hurt. It’s certainly better than waking up to a mess of glitter, half-filled champagne flutes and cigarette butts. Come midnight, I’ll be toasting Janus, the Roman god after whom our first month is named.

Janus presided over both the beginning and the conclusion of conflict, which is why he’s often described as a two-faced god. To Janus. May you reflect upon our year that was and gather insight to help us find our way in the year ahead.

David J. Witchell is the co-owner of David J. Witchell Salon & Span, in Newtown and Lahaska, and The Boutiques at 25 South, in Newtown.

The Case for Throwing a New Year’s Day Party

By Scott Edwards

What was your best New Year’s Eve like? Only remember bits and pieces of it?

Sounds about right. That’s the thing: Even if your New Year’s Eve plans meet your every outlandish expectation, you’re still waking up the next morning with a debilitating hangover and a spotty memory of what just transpired. All you do know for sure is that you’re a few hundred bucks lighter in the pocket for it.

This pressure, internal and/or external, to do something on New Year’s Eve is totally unfounded. It’s a holiday celebrated by twentysomethings and eccentrics who need to be penned into Times Square for hours on end. The rest of us are just trying to reenact, what, some overly glorified memory from our youth, a rom-com that led us to believe there’s magic in the air, and we just need to open ourselves up to it?

Instead of fixating on these few precious hours, let’s envision another scenario: You go to bed at a decent hour, the clock ticks past midnight like it always does. You sleep in late and wake up bright-eyed and increasingly energized as you realize you haven’t dry-heaved the day away. In the afternoon, a small group of handpicked friends and family collects in your living room and kitchen and talk and laugh, talk and laugh, over a few simple snacks and a round or two of drinks. No formalwear required. No insatiable urge to over-drink in an effort to justify your outlandish reservation. No expecting the earth to shift on its axis at midnight.

When the sun goes down, they go home and you drift off on the couch, warmed by a bit of bourbon and the satisfaction of a once-lost day well spent.

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Easing Into Fall, One Well-Placed Accessory at a Time

THE LIFE STYLIST

Some modest, seasonal tweaks to your interior design will work wonders on your perspective.

By David J. Witchell

 

Before you start scattering dead leaves around the house, there are other ways to go about introducing those fall colors.

Neutral hues have always formed the base layer around my home. I get bored with colors quickly, and the vanilla canvas allows me to overhaul the accessories from season to season. Honing in on a new part of the spectrum every few months has a way of refreshing all of the fixtures, not to mention my own spirit.

Still, it’s a bittersweet time of year. It’s invigorating to reintroduce fall’s shades, but it’s just as hard stowing away the summer stuff. Turquoise encourages communication and clarity, and indigo is the color of intuition. Blues, in general, tend to facilitate peace and grounded order, which makes them the ideal palette for the year’s most carefree, restorative months.

Fall, for me, looks like warm metals and hits of crimson, cayenne, rust and goldenrod. I may be especially partial to the season because orange is my favorite color. I’ve also come to learn that it represents optimism. Blending in reds helps me feel energetic and fuels my ambition and determination, a particularly productive cocktail of qualities. Yellow just makes me smile. I throw in some green or magenta for balance and harmony. And somewhere in my office, visible from my desk, I make sure there’s a splash of purple to spark my creativity.

Beneath it all are the browns, grays and whites, the ideal companions for my seasonal whims. It’s easy to look straight past them, but without them, there’d be no anchor, no context. Instead of flowing with the landscape on the other side of the windows, the accents would appear to be at war with the spaces around them. It all works and, just as importantly, it all transitions relatively effortlessly because there’s a consistent, objective platform upon which I can express some personality. Less discretion would back me into corners that I’d be stuck in for years at a time.

And those neutral colors have some personality of their own. Brown embodies warmth and bit of gravity. Gray represents compromise. Little wonder, then, that I’ve used it so liberally. And white connects us to innocence and a sense of fruition.

Interior design is not unlike how we go about dressing ourselves. If I was to go around draped in jewelry, a loud-patterned sweater, putting-green colored khakis and a pair of Christmas-red boots, what would that say about me? I know mixing patterns and colors is having a moment, but with that kind of wild abandon, it all turns into white noise. I love my home. And when I switch out a few well-placed variables, it reminds me why I love it, because those pieces manage to cast it in new light. And that’s all it needs most of the time. To constantly repaint walls and interchange furniture and art would only be masking that appeal.

 

David J. Witchell is the co-owner of David J. Witchell Salon & Span, in Newtown and Lahaska, and The Boutiques at 25 South, in Newtown.

Photos by David J. Witchell

It’s You Against the Sun

THE LIFE STYLIST

A DIY idea that’ll inspire the reimagining of your backyard patio or deck. And, how to keep your skin supple while you savor the summer.
By David J. Witchell

It feels like a lifetime ago that I’d slather myself with baby oil then head outside, armed with my foil reflector, and bake under the summer sun for hours at a time. I don’t know what I was thinking. Even not knowing what we know now, I’m a blonde, fair-skinned guy.

I love the outdoors. That hasn’t changed. But I’m much smarter now about how I spend my time in it. The reflector’s long gone, and the baby oil’s been replaced by sunscreen. That was just common sense coupled with maturity. And a skin-cancer scare. Harder to come by was an outdoor space where my family could enjoy all the best parts of a sun-drenched afternoon without being sapped and baked in the process.

Our backyard patio is especially narrow and long, so finding an appropriately sized dinner table wasn’t any trouble. Finding one, however, with an accompanying umbrella that safely reached everyone around the table was impossible. An umbrella that size would have been too large anyway. And then it hit me. I ordered a few small sails online, erected some tall cedar trees that had toppled over in the yard and strung up the sails between the trunks and the rear of the house to create a taut, overlapping canvas roof. Total coverage, and it’s a conversation piece.

David J. Witchell is the co-owner of David J. Witchell Salon & Spa, in Newtown and Lahaska,and The Boutiques at 25 South, in Newtown.

Photos by David J. Witchell

[divider]Radiant, Not Radioactive[/divider]

These days, I suppress the pale and pasty with Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Glow Pads, applied weekly. For more comprehensive coverage at the salon, we turn to Jane Iredale, who created her makeup and skincare collection with the singular aim of nourishing the skin with every application. If she can work that kind of magic with makeup, the sun’s a nonstarter. Here, she offers a routine that’ll enable you to savor and survive the summer. —DJW

Face first
Wear at least SPF 15 on your face, neck and ears every day. I use PurePressed Base Mineral Foundation, which also has concealer, powder and broad-spectrum sun protection (SPF 20). If I’m going to be severely exposed, I’ll apply the Dream Tint Tinted Moisturizer (SPF 15) first and then the foundation. I’ve never burned with that combination.

Hand in hand
Don’t neglect your hands. The HandDrink Hand Cream (SPF 15) protects and hydrates. It’s also gorgeously fragrant. I pop it in my purse and reapply throughout the day.

Head’s up
Be diligent. The sun is responsible for 80 percent of the signs of aging. Reapply your sunscreen every couple of hours, and even more often than that if you’ve been sweating or swimming. And don’t assume that a mineral makeup will protect you. Look for the SPF rating on its label.

How to Style Your Summer Makeover

THE LIFE STYLIST

It’s time to start embracing who you are. That doesn’t mean acting your age, though.

By David J. Witchell

The news of Scott Kelly’s return to Earth this winter, after more than a year in space, as a taller and younger man than when he hurled himself into it got me thinking about zero gravity. Specifically, where could I find me some?

Designing appearances is what I’ve come to be known for. And as I approach 50, I’m beginning to appreciate its value in a barrage of new, personal ways. I’m not a fountain of youth, far from it, but I know what it means to help someone look as young as he or she feels.

I’m inspired by social influences, but I’ve never tried to be trendy. Simplicity tends to get drowned out by those looks, but it’s never done me wrong. If you’re hunting for a fresher hairstyle for the summer, start there and then follow these other principles.

Time is of the essence
There’s nothing wrong cherry-picking ideas from an issue of Us Weekly, but know that every one of those women has a full-time stylist at her disposal. Bottom line: If you don’t have the time and resources to maintain a hairstyle, it’s not right for you.

Time is of the essence, part two
In that vein, coloring does not come cheap. And it definitely does not come from a grocery store aisle. Most of my time in the salon these days—too much of it, really—is spent undoing the evils of home coloring kits. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t go blonde. What I’m saying is that there’s an appropriate shade of blonde (and brunette, and red) for everyone, and it needs to be determined and applied by a professional. If you can’t devote the necessary time and money, it’s not right for you.

Work with what you’ve got
Faces, to me, are either triangles or squares, and both are attractive in their own ways. But I know a lot of you think that everything pales in comparison to the ever-elusive oval. The sooner you embrace the shape of your face, the better this will go for you. Then, your stylist will be able to complement your shape, which will draw everything into balance.

But don’t accept everything
Youth is not exuded by a certain style. It’s exuded by your hair’s texture. Young-looking hair is supple, it’s dense, it’s vibrant and it shimmers. All of these qualities diminish with age, but that can be slowed, if not outright halted, with the right products. The controversy surrounding keratin-based treatments may forever swirl, but I’m a believer. I’ve seen them restore beyond repair-hair again and again.

But before that part, you need to take another honest look at yourself and determine whether your lifestyle is accelerating that decline. If you’re overly stressed, not eating healthy, or there’s an underlying health issue, no amount of product’s going to offset the damage. Get a blood test—seriously. In my experience, the culprit’s most often a basic nutrient deficiency. And then you can walk out of the salon feeling as good as you look.

David J. Witchell is the co-owner of David J. Witchell Salon & Spa, in Newtown and Lahaska, and The Boutiques at 25 South, in Newtown.

Photos by David J. Witchell

 

Alternative, Sure, But Effective

THE LIFE STYLIST

A few outside-the-mainstream treatments to help fight off that cold or even the seasonal affective disorder that always seems to lay you out right about now.

By David J. Witchell

It was like clockwork. Every year, as soon as it turned dark and frigid, I caught a debilitating cold that seemed to stay with me until the spring. I’ve always been a workaholic, and I was even more of one in my early twenties, so I wasn’t paying nearly enough attention to my wellbeing. Once I made the connection, the colds lessened in severity then disappeared almost entirely. The basic preventative measures I started adhering to religiously all those years ago sparked a deep passion for holistic treatments. Today, I credit them with keeping me above the fray when everyone else is struggling to stay upright.

Some stuff I do year-round, others are seasonal. The one ritual in my arsenal that I consider to be the most critical is nasal irrigation with a Neti Pot. I’ve been doing it almost daily for the last 20 years, and it’s significantly reduced or even eliminated nosebleeds, nasal congestion, headaches and sore throats.

I go back and forth between the traditional pot and saline solution and the more convenient spray. Both are equally effective. I use a pot and a spray by NeilMed, but the spray can be a bit harsh for first-timers. Arm & Hammer Simply Saline Nasal Relief is milder. Still, the sensation will take some getting used to.

If you think tipping a pot of warm saline up your nose sounds awkward, ear candling is going to blow your mind. Laying there, the first time, with a burning candle sticking out of my ear, the skepticism I felt was far outweighed by the fear that something seriously bad was about to happen. When it didn’t, I slowly relaxed and actually started to enjoy it.

Ear candling’s credited with everything from safely cleaning up the ear canal to sharpening the senses. I tried it because I was suffering from mild vertigo and non-sinus head congestion. The candle was lit—I could hear it crackling—but I didn’t hear or feel much after that. When it was done, I felt calm and lighter. These days, the moment I feel lightheaded, dizzy or congested, I arrange a session.

Essential oils comprise another part of my year-round regimen. Whenever I begin to feel rundown, I’ll draw a hot bath and add five to eight drops each of thyme, rosemary, tea tree, lemon, eucalyptus and lavender essential oils. Their essence can stay with you for a few days, and it’s not just a physical effect. I’ve worked alongside master aromatherapists whose blends have pulled me to a different place and time. Aside from adding them to a bath, the oils can be diffused or applied directly to the skin.

When I don’t act fast enough at the onset of an illness, my go-to remedy blend is called Thieves. It’s a mixture of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary. I’ll add four of five drops to a basin of boiling water, cover my head with a towel, lean in and inhale the steam. The blend was developed in the 15th century to treat the plague. It’s antiviral, antiseptic and antibacterial. I also use it as a sore-throat spray, and I’ll add a few drops to a warm, damp washcloth to help with head and chest congestion.

Essential oils are my magic bullet. But be sure to use them according to the proper dilutions, and pay close attention to contraindications with certain conditions.

Shirodhara is an Ayurveda practice that’s believed to stimulate the third-eye chakra. A thin, steady stream of warm liquid—it can be an herbal oil blend, milk or buttermilk—spills onto the forehead for about 25 minutes, but it can feel like much longer.

Afterward, I find that my concentration is sharper, my anxiety is diminished and my conscience expands to profound dimensions. The only sensation I can equate it to is the endorphin rush following an epic achievement, like finishing a marathon.

I learned of shirodhara 21 years ago during a week spent training with some of the icons of holistic medicine, Deepak Chopra, Bernie S. Siegel and Ram Dass. The version we offer at the spa features herbal oils, and it’s incorporated into a massage.

I’m 48 now, and it becomes more apparent to me with every birthday that my health—physical, mental and emotional—hinges on staying proactive with my care. I’m not discounting the merits of eating unprocessed foods and exercising consistently, but, in my experience, there’s more to it than that. And these treatments, however far outside the mainstream some of them may seem, fill that void in me.

David J. Witchell is the co-owner of David J. Witchell at 25 South and The Boutiques at 25 South, both in Newtown.

Photos by David J. Witchell / Model: Catie Whalen

The King of the Dinner Party

Michael Aram’s likely going to carve out a place, in some form, at most of our holiday dinner tables. Here, he discusses setting his own, along with offering a glimpse of his next collections.

By David J. Witchell

For years, I’ve posted pics of my dinner parties, specifically the table settings, on social media, and I’m always overwhelmed by how much feedback they draw. Usually, it’s the Michael Aram pieces that pique the most interest.

Amid our deepening attraction to artisanal creativity and craftsmanship, Michael Aram’s home goods collections have become a phenomenon. As often as I use them and as prominently as I display them around my home, I didn’t realize how many of his pieces I’ve come to own until I took stock for this column.

It’s the interplay of materials and textures, like black nickelplate against hammered stainless steel, that keeps his designs contemporary and eternally relevant. I’ve used the same pieces for both the most elegant evenings and casual get-togethers.

This fall, I caught up with Aram, who was at home in Dehli, to ask him what inspires him after all these years and, more importantly, how he goes about setting his own table for the holidays.

 

Are your holiday dinners big, traditional affairs?

MA Our family always comes together for holiday meals, and they tend to reflect the lifestyle, tastes and personality of the host. We’re excited to host Thanksgiving this year in our new home. It will be a mix of old traditions and new ones.

How much planning goes into your table settings?

It’s relatively easy for me to be relatively unplanned about a table setting since I have a good resource at my disposal. I do, of course, think about it, though. And I enjoy it, especially coming up with the floral arrangements and the fun, unexpected elements.

Have you given any thought yet as to what you’d like to do this year?

We’re moving into the house just before the holidays. I don’t even have a dining table yet. I’m still considering making one. But, once that’s done, the rest will be easy. I think I’m going to use a mix of our new Gotham dinnerware and cutlery and Rock stemware.

Are there any pieces that carry over from year to year, or do you start entirely fresh?

Pieces always carryover. I also like to somehow incorporate family heirlooms. They’re things that are on hand, but they need to look like they belong.

If I forced you to name a single favorite piece from your entire portfolio, what would say?

To say I have a favorite would be dishonest. I do feel connected, nostalgically, to certain pieces that marked either a time in my life or a progression in my creative development. I’m also sentimental about some of my older pieces, like the shoehorn, the twig cutlery and the mouse and cheese knife. But, otherwise, I prefer to keep my attention on my new work.

When you start a new collection, how do you focus your inspiration?

Inspiration has to have an authentic connection to something in my life. I make sketches and post things that inspire me on a wall, which becomes a series of mood boards that are then translated into a prototype that I lovingly call the “Granddaddy DNA Piece,” from which the rest of the collection is born.

How do you go about replenishing your creativity?

It sounds trite, but I do like to be open to inspiration in everything I do—playing with my kids and picking up leaves and broken shells from the beach. Work itself is inspirational, so I feel excited and refreshed every day.

Any chance you could offer a little insight into your next collection?

For next spring, I have two that I’m very excited about. One is a very abstract, almost brutalist, collection called After the Storm, which is inspired, strangely, by strong winds and heavy rains and the destruction and strange calm that follows them. The other is the opposite. It’s called Enchanted Garden, and it celebrates the first flush of spring, with delicate buds and tendrils exquisitely set with semiprecious stones. I jokingly refer to the two as “April Showers Bring May Flowers.” For me, they both capture a sense of new beginnings.

Where do you see Michael Aram, the man and the brand, in the next, say, five years?

Spending a lot of time in my studio and with my family. I want to be a role model for my kids as someone who gives back to his community, is creative, works hard and follows his passion. I feel like my work is taking on an exciting direction. I’m working on a larger scale with some furniture and sculptural work and at the same time working small and precious with fine jewelry.

David J. Witchell is the co-owner of David J. Witchell at 25 South (davidjwitchell.com) and The Boutiques at 25 South, both in Newtown.

Photo credit: David J. Witchell