HABITAT The Wreath Redefined

Fanciful wreaths brighten the season with styles that shine in a forest of traditional decorations- Here, seven Dallasites redefine the shapes and materials of an old holiday standard for an uncommon look at Christmas. Jimmie Hinslee, visual director of Stanley Korshak, and Jeffrey Lee, one of Dallas’ newest fashion designers, light the night with an homage to Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist whose life and work have recently attracted the attention of collectors and movie moguls alike. Working from a computer-digitized image of a Kahlo self-portrait, Hinslee and Lee blanket a wall-sized wreath with a festive mosaic of small Christmas tree balls. Paula Lambert of the Mozzarella Company serves chunks of her caciotta, ancho chile and Texas basil cheeses from a table-top wreath thickly crusted with chili peppers and richly scented with fresh thyme- Patti Lancaster and Dan Tucker of Texas Blooms Organic Gardens plant a fresh wreath with layers of sage leaves and clusters of pansies interspersed with small ornamental kale, snapdragons and antique roses- Luis and Sandra Collie, brother and sister glass blowers represented by Artisana, artfully stretch tradition with iron and glass- Swirls of color in their hand-blown balls catch the light illuminating the season.