Store tour: Jonathan Adler's colorful and funky world

It was, as they say, destiny that the Jonathan Adler store and I would meet. A little silly, perhaps, but I can't help thinking this because I really did just happen upon his store by accident. It's hard to believe since I'm a big fan of his decorating philosophy, but I had no idea that there is a Jonathan Adler store at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach. First of all, the mall is huge, the stores tend to be hugely expensive and I'm on a strict budget these days, but sometimes even a little window shopping can feel like retail therapy, especially when it's outdoors.

You can imagine my surprise when I walked by with my kids and immediately spotted the colorful interior.

Jonathan Adler speaks my language!

Elegant yet fun

Cozy to the max

Retro hip

Perfect dose of pattern

Feminine and flirty

Kid-size sofa with loads of style

A little over the top

for a girl’s bedroom, but oh so fun

Choices galore

You’ll want more than just one

Pretty housewares

See you again soon!

I should mention that the salespeople were absolutely the best, ever so helpful and friendly, allowing me to take as many photographs as I wanted. Their friendliness made my store experience a pleasant one. I would expect no less from a store named after a man whose manifesto says: "I believe that your home should make you happy."

These photos are really just a taste of the many Jonathan Adler products available, but I must confess that my favorite piece of Jonathan Adler is his first book, "My Prescription for Anti-Depressive Living." Obviously not a tome for the unhappy, but a guide for creating a home that makes you happy. He has two other books out, which I hope to get my hands on soon.

The Jonathan Adler store in Fashion Island is one of twelve in the United States. It's at 579 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, Calif. (949) 759-0017.

I hope these glimpses into Jonathan Adler's world brightened your weekend.

Bold grey interiors

Long ago, I wanted a black bedroom. It was more of a fashion statement than a design sensibility, reflecting the fact that I mostly wore black in those days (including black lipstick when my mom wasn't looking). This time, I'm craving dark grey rooms. I can practically hear my mom sighing, anticipating the onset of another "weird" phase in my life. But no, this time, it's because I think the color can make rooms look so stylish and cozy.

House and Home in Ireland

Can't you just picture having the best party in the room above? The dark grey walls are a perfect neutral for a hodgepodge of accessories. I'm so used to seeing all-white palettes with a punch of color here and there, but dark grey walls accentuated with just a few chosen accessories in bright colors are still unusual. Let's face it, it takes courage, or at least confidence, to go for such a bold combination.

The home above was designed by interior designer Abigail Ahern on a tight budget for her sister, detailed in a spread in the Irish interiors magazine House and Home earlier this year. The colors and style are consistent throughout the rest of the home:

If you crave a less eclectic look, take a look at a similar but more subdued color combination at a home that appeared in Country Living last month:

Country Living

The bedroom really called out to me for its elegant vibe, but I was completely smitten with the dressing room below. Isn't it divine? The rug design is actually painted on. Again, the designer created these looks on a budget, which proves once again that imagination reigns over a sky-is-the-limit budget.

Even the kitchen is a dramatic yet inviting gathering spot.

Do you think you could live in either of these homes? Or, for starters, how about having just one room or a wall in your home painted a moody gray?

If you like the grey look, be sure to check out designer Abigail Ahern's blog, where just yesterday she posted the latest photos of her own home, shot for Instyle in Turkey. The home bears a similar color combination as the one she created for her sister.

Vintage frames repurposed into jewelry holders

Oh, the infinite possibilities that exist with just a little imagination and some spray paint. For years, I needed a new, more visible way to display my jewelry, then the solution became quite clear a few weeks ago when I suddenly found myself with several vintage frames.

I am thrilled with the result because, for the price of less than five dollars, I now have new jewelry holders.

Remember those old frames that I wrote about a few weeks ago after I created a new reading nook for my kids? I had bought vintage artwork at thrift stores and switched the frames to more modern ones, leaving me with several unattractive frames.

I am embarrassed to say that my collection of jewelry had been languishing in a plastic bag (!!!) on a shelf in my closet for several years. I've always enjoyed changing my jewelry on a daily basis, happily collecting mostly silver pieces throughout my travels and storing them in a small standing cabinet in my closet. Unfortunately, I put most of my jewelry away when my youngest started grabbing my earrings with all his might while I was wearing them. Ouch! To make matters worse, he began rummaging through my jewelry drawers, so I put my jewelry away in a plastic bag, expecting to find a solution. But then I became pregnant with my daughter and, before I knew it, four years had passed.

Then, I saw something while hanging out with a girlfriend at a Los Angeles boutique recently.

The jewelry display struck me for its simplicity. Now here was something that I could replicate easily, but the best part is that my jewelry would be out of reach of my kids yet visible so I could quickly choose at-a-glance what to wear even during harried mornings.

The stars must have aligned because right about that time I found a large bag of yarn at the thrift store on sale for 50 percent for a grand total of two dollars. I decided to paint the frames for a little more bling, especially since I already had the paint out while working on another project.

For a cleaner look, I also decided to use thumbtacks on the back rather than wrapping the yarn around the frame.

For now, I've only put my earrings on these jewelry holders, but may add different types of jewelry later.

I think my husband often wonders why I have a bunch of "junk" in the garage, but most everything has found a home inside after a little repurposing magic.

Getting a little dirty for the sake of color

We got our hands a little dirty today. This is standard fare for my kids, but not for me, at least not when it involves dealing with tiny insects and toiling in the hot sun. This explains why our backyard is all lawn and not much else.

What prompted me to dig out my gardening gloves and other tools are three colorful rose plants I couldn't help but notice in the produce section while doing my weekly grocery shopping. Bright pink, tangerine and ivory. I simply couldn't resist these beautiful flowers, especially when they all cost less than what I would pay for a bouquet of roses.

As my kids and I dug the holes for the plants, I looked around at all the brown dirt surrounding us. I felt slightly sad knowing we've lived in our house for more than five years without adding much color to our landscaping. We bought our house new, which meant we were responsible for all the backyard landscaping. Drainage pipes, lawn, retaining wall. All of it.

The landscaping company we chose designed a backyard that earned us plenty of compliments early on, though I'm sure many of our visitors have since wondered why we've never taken it to the next level by adding more plants and flowers. There are many reasons why we didn't do so, but the truth of the matter is that my priority was working on the inside of our home.

Until now, I've been content to let my husband mow the lawn and do the weeding. The last time I planted anything in our backyard was last December when I discovered pink poinsettias at Target. It was a memorable occasion because it was the first time both my kids were old enough to help me with the gardening. Today, my son proudly noted how large the poinsettias have grown, prompting me to fantasize that our tiny rose plants would one day grow to towering bushes. This thought then led me a bigger dream: that one day our backyard will be a panoply of color, thanks to all the plants that my kids and I will plant together in the coming years.

Sometimes I've regretted not forking over the extra cash early on for professional gardeners to make our backyard look pretty, but I'm now thinking maybe it was for the best. A little corny perhaps, but wouldn't our garden be that much more precious if my kids and I are able to look on it one day as the result of our laboring together?

Truthfully, I don't know whether my children's interest in gardening will hold. Even now, they are content to help me dig for a few minutes, but then abandon their posts to go make "sand castles" with the dirt and bury all their dinosaurs.

The fact of the matter is that I've managed to plant three different plants in five years so I've got to be realistic if this plan is going to work.

The way I see it, I'll just take it one plant at a time.

Closet organization makeover

Unbelievably, I am still in the process of decluttering and organizing our books. After spending countless hours sifting through hundreds of books, the painful truth has become evident: I must get rid of some books. I don't part easily with my little friends. Not at all, especially when I think of them so fondly. I've decided then that, first, I must stop referring to books as my friends and instead start referring to my inspiration files on organization.

In this case, I'm looking at one of my own reorganization projects so that I can remember the satisfied feeling that made the tedious work of sorting and organizing so worthwhile. I took the photo above of my daughter's closet just a couple days ago. The fact that it's still as well-organized as the day I first reorganized it more than a year ago is a testament to how well the closet system has been working for us.

Until having a daughter, I didn't realize how many little things girls have. Barrettes, ribbons, headbands, bracelets, necklaces and on and on. This closet system is great for storing and organizing all those little things and a few of the big things. For example, the baskets on the upper shelf hold extra bed linens, gifts for the kids and clothes they've outgrown that I'm collecting to donate or sell.

The lower shelves hold towels, a couple extra blankets and pillowcases. The slim drawer unit contains shoes I've bought on sale for my daughter to use in the future, or those that my niece has outgrown and given to us.

The photo above shows what the closet looked like before the organization, with enough blankets seemingly for a daycare center! As soon as my daughter reached nine months or so, we no longer used so many blankets and this hanging organizer stood mostly empty. I have since sold it at a garage sale.

The photo above shows my kids soon after I cleaned out and organized the closet. Most of her clothes hang on the clothes rod to the right of the main organizer ...

... except for her princess/ballerina tutu, which has its own special place to hang.

Honestly, I wish we could spend more time talking about closets although I realize it may not be the most "sexy" topic. But think about it, doesn't a well-organized closet make all the difference? I can find whatever I need at a moment's notice and I get such a little thrill whenever I open this closet.

I need to remember this feeling as I continue sorting through my kids' books and imagine how great it will be not having to trip over book piles everywhere. I'll let you know how it goes.