{ Christmas @ Fashion Island }

Look who's coming to town! Tonight Santa joins the community of Newport Beach for the annual Christmas Tree Lighting at famous Fashion Island mall. Every year the Southern California open-air shopping center hosts a Christmas Tree Lighting of the tallest Christmas tree in the U.S. It's normally a white fir from northern California's Mt. Shasta, decorated in 17,000 lights and ornaments and weighing in at an enormous 20,000 lbs. However, this year with the recent re-model of the mall, they've downsized to a more modest 65 ft. evergreen.

The slightly less majestic tree will be the center of attention tonight at the tree lighting as crowds in excess of 4,000 gather to welcome Santa to town. His first item of business? The lighting of the tree of course, followed by a performance from the Conservatory of the Arts and other local performers. Come join us as we ring in the holidays at Fashion Island. And after the performance stop by Jonathan Adler for some hot Apple Cider and Ginger Snap cookies. Let the holidays begin!

{ Twitards Unite }

So maybe we had a Twitard party at our house Tuesday night to "get in the mood" for the release of New Moon this week. And maybe my friend Arin brought a life-size cutout of the devilishly handsome Vampire to join us as we watched Twilight. And maybe we're all going to the midnight showing of New Moon tonight with the rest of Orange County's teen twitard population. And maybe I'm not even really a fan and actually laughed through the entire Twilight movie but just want to hang out friends and be a part of history in the making.

{ Jonathan Adler's Barbie Dream House }

Did you know Barbie turned 50 this year? To some this might be old news, but because I'm working for Jonathan Adler now, I thought I'd make mention before the year's over. To help celebrate Barbie's special birthday, Jonathan was commissioned to design a one-of-a-kind Barbie Dream House. The 3,500 sq. ft. home in Malibu was carefully crafted using custom pieces made specifically for the iconic doll. Check out that mirror made of 45 vintage Barbies. Awesome! And how about that Barbie hair chandelier? That Jonathan is a genius!

:: VICEROY Palm Springs ::

The other day I walked into work wearing my favorite black & white damask coat paired with a bright yellow skirt and patent leather heels, and my co-workers said to me: "You look like the Viceroy hotel in Palm Springs that Kelly Wearstler designed!"

You have no idea how big of a compliment this was for me. First of all, I adore Kelly Wearstler. I wanna be Kelly Wearstler. And second of all, have you seen the Viceroy hotel? It's pretty much the most fabulously hip hotel you've ever beheld. I like to think of it as "Hollywood glam meets desert sunshine." Take a peak...

:: Thumbtack Wallpaper ::

Of all the incredible Jonathan Adler designs out there, one of my favorites is his wallpaper collection. In particular his navy & white Ropes print. The pattern is so bold, graphic and beautiful! And I'm in obsessed with all things navy and white, so of course I'd fall in love. So you can imagine my excitement when I learned that our Newport store was going to feature our very own wall of navy ropes.

Because we're only a temporary pop-up location, we decided against the traditional method of wallpapering, and instead opted for some thumbtacks and a decorative chair rail molding from the local Home Depot.

I simply nailed the molding to the wall, painted it white, and filled in the space with rows and rows of wallpaper. Althogh it was a real challenge to get all of the ropes to match up just right, I love the way it turned out! I think the finished product shows really well.

I really want to recreate a similar wall in my new kitchen at my place in Huntington. It's a great fix for renters who aren't allowed to paint, but want something other than white walls. And if you're super thrifty like me, you might wanna try a graphic wrapping paper instead. We'll see how this one goes. Stay tuned.

{ Black & White & Green }

I'm sorry all I have to share with you is a crappy iPhone picture, but I wanted to show off some of the flowers I made for my friends Lindsey & Brad's wedding this weekend. I absolutely fell in love with these gorgeous Ivory Coast Lilies the bride choose as the centerpiece of her bouquet. Wish you could've see it in person. So stunning!

And a special thanks to my incredible mother who gave up her Friday night to drive up to Huntington and assist with the making of all the boutonnieres and corsages. I couldn't have done it without you. Well, I could've...but it would've taken a really, really, long time. And thank you to my roommates for putting up with my mess, and especially to Amy for bringing me sustenance in the form of yummy Thai food. You guys are all the best!

{ Fashion Island: Koi Pond }

Saturday I had to work. Actually, every Saturday I have to work. And it might be a total bummer if I didn't love my job and I didn't get to work at one of the most beautiful malls in America. But I do! Check out the view from my store. Jonathan Adler is conveniently located in front of the sweetest koi pond.

I love watching all the little kids get so excited about the koi. Sometimes I even get jealous of the cute moms and their adorable kids as they run around the pond, chasing the fish. That is, until one of them falls in. And then, well, then I'm kind of glad I just get to watch.

:: Bridal Bouquet ::

A few weeks ago my dear friend Lindsey asked me to design her a bouquet for her bridal portraits. Such a beautiful bride! This weekend she's marrying the love of her life, Mr. Bradley Barttels, in the Newport Beach Temple for time and all eternity and I had the privilege of designing some gorgeous flowers for her special day. Can't wait to show them off soon.

Photography by the talented: Rachel Thurston Photography.

{ Terranea Resort - Rancho Palos Verdes }

I love designing for events where the talented Mike Cunningham is the photographer because I know I'm always guaranteed some pretty INCREDIBLE photographs of my work! Check out a few of the photos he took of the succulent centerpieces I designed a few weeks ago for a banquet at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. Isn't that view to die for?

{ Meet My New LOVE! }

Picking out a new purse is a really big deal for me. Laugh all you want, but it is. It's not like picking out a shirt or a skirt that will be worn once every few weeks, or even a pair of shoes that might be worn every few days. We're talking about your purse people! A part of you that will go with you everywhere you go, day in and day out. It'll be there with you when you leave the house in the morning, and there at the end of the day when you come home. So choosing the right purse is a big deal! A BIG deal!

That being said, meet my new purse. Isn't she pretty? (It's actually okay if you don't love her the way that I do). But it was definitely love at first sight. Literally! I was walking through Fashion Island on my way into work when I beheld her in the window. She was calling my name! I patiently waited until lunch, walked back over to where I first saw her, brought her up to the cash wrap, and walked out the door with her on my shoulder. We've been inseparable ever since!

:: Happy Birthday Kitty! ::

This last weekend my friend Brock and I drove up to LA to party like Asian rock stars at Hello Kitty's 35th Birthday Celebration. To honor the iconic Japanese import, a gallery was set-up with wall-to-wall displays of EVERYTHING Hello Kitty! I may not be a die hard Kitty fan, but it sure was fun! And that beach cruiser? Pretty sure I need one.

:: OC Retail: Jonathan Adler ::

Guess who was featured on the OC Register blog today? Check out the awesome things they had to stay about the designer and his store:

"Decoristas who love contemporary design are getting two treats this week at Fashion Island. Jonathan Adler, the New York-based designer who designed the interiors of the way-too-chic hotel called the Parker Palm Springs (which had its own reality show, by the way), just opened a signature pop-up store in the Newport Beach shopping center. The boutique is located where Chip and Pepper used to be - across the koi ponds near Restoration Hardware. Expect to get a good dose of Adler’s groovy and naughty pottery, the origins of which date to 1979, when Adler begged his parents to buy him a wheel and kiln after he tried pottery at summer camp..."

You can read the complete brag-post HERE. And stop in and see us during your holiday shopping at Fashion Island. We're so excited to share the peace and love this season!

{ You know you're a COUGAR when... }

Sunday night I went home to hang out with the fam and spend time with some close friends that were in town. During dinner my Mum spilled the beans that David Archuleta would be doing a special fireside for the youth in Laguna Niguel later that night. Naturally, I told my 17 year old brother that he would be needing a chaperone for the evening and that I would have to accompany him to the fireside. So off we went.

Aside from Brother Archuleta's spastic ramblings, the fireside was fantastic! The kid's certainly got the gift of gab. In addition to his heartfelt testimony, he sang three beautiful hymns: Be Still My Soul, How Great Thou Art, and The Spirit of God. The boy seriously has the voice of an angel!

At the conclusion of the meeting, the presiding member of the Stake Presidency stood to thank Brother Archuleta for coming and excused him before the crowds. Lucky for us, David politely interrupted and said that he'd like to shake the hand of each member of the audience. There was an audible squeal of approval from all the little 13 year olds. Ok, and maybe I squealed a little too.

When it was our turn to shake his hand I said something stupid like "Way to go David" and flashed some goofy smile as my brother laughed at me. I know. I'm an idiot. But then, David spoke opened his mouth and said, "Wow! You guys have beautiful smiles. I mean, your teeth are perfect."

Seriously? Did David Archuleta just tell us we have beautiful smiles? And perfect teeth? We both grinned from ear to ear and stuttered through our "Thank yous." As we left the room I squeezed my little brother's arm to stable my woozy knees. We both looked at each other and had a good laugh. Oh, David.

{ Quote Of The Week }

:: Real Simple Weddings 2010 ::

I'm so so so excited! I just received word that the flowers I designed for my friend Lisa's wedding will be published! Her amazing photographer, Rachel Thurston, submitted them to Real Simple Magazine to be featured as one of 10 incredible weddings in their Special Wedding issue.

Lisa shared an email the photo editor sent her and I about died. Here's what she had to say about the submission: "I have to tell you that I looked at hundreds of submissions for this issue and absolutely fell in love with your wedding! It was so beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for sharing it with us and our readers who, I’m sure, will love it too!" How exciting is that? Real Simple Weddings hits stands January 2010!

:: Happy Belated Halloween ::

Look at my cute little monkey! Doesn't he just drive you bananas? Sadly, I wasn't able to spend Halloween with my adorable nephew this year, but I did get to spend it with my GFF Erin! We both opted out of the parties this year and instead decided to stay in and make homemade pizookies and watch a scary movie.

Erin and I both HATE scary movies so we pretty much watched it while we cuddled on the couch under a pile of blankets. Oh, and every time there was a knock at the door, we both screamed like five year olds. We're ridiculous! After the movie ended, we were too scared to go to bed, so we decided to watch a little Project Runway to make sure we had happy dreams, followed by some late night girl talk, and then of course a sleepover. It was a truly fabulous Halloween. Hope yours was too!

{ GRAND OPENING: Jonthan Adler }

I'm so excited to announce that Jonathan Adler's newest pop-up store opened today at Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach. You just can't help but smile when you walk through the doors. Don't believe me? Come see for yourself!


And if our store doesn't make you smile, Our Manifesto just might. How can you not LOVE Jonathan? So cheeky! Stop by and let us fill your life with some "happy chic"!

{ Regina Spektor @ The Greek }

What could be more incredible than seeing Regina Spektor LIVE in concert? Seeing Regina Spektor LIVE in concert at The Greek of course! Incredible artist. Incredible venue. Incredible night.

{ Jonathan Adler - Coming Soon! }

Every waking minute of the last week I have spent getting ready for the big opening of the new Jonathan Adler showroom at Fashion Island. We've been wallpapering, painting, space planning, accessorizing, and organizing the heck out of our little pop-up space! I can't wait to show it all off next week. Here's a sneak peak of our work in progress. You're gonna love it!

:: Got My Vans On ::

Last week little D and his mommy came to California for a quick trip. D spent most of the week walking around in these cool kicks his favorite Auntie got him for his 1st birthday. Isn't he just so stinkin cute? I love that little face! Miss you guys like crazy Jax. Hope your 25th birthday was the best ever! Love you.

{ Breakfast On The Beach }

I'm loving my first week of work at Jonathan Adler. The store doesn't actually open until next week, so the NYC staff is down here helping me get the store in order. We've been busy designing and merchandising, which has been so fun! Wednesday morning we had some time to kill before our next furniture delivery, so I took them to breakfast at The Beachcomber in Crystal Cove. And I must say, it was the perfect morning for an omelet and orange juice on the beach. I only wish every morning could start out this way!

:: Rocktober Playlist ::

These songs have been playing over and over and over again on my ipod, my computer, my car stereo, and in my head all month. I might be OCD, but I don't care. I just can't get enough. That being said, I just might have to give it up for tonight so I can get in the mood for tonight's concert at the Greek. The ladies and I are heading up to LA in a few short hours to see Regina Spektor rock the piano and a mic! I'm sure you'll be hearing all about it sooner than later. Anyway, have a listen...

{ Just Around The Corner }

For months I've watched my friends craft their way into the etsy world, while I just sat back and watched. Well, no more excuses. I've finally started working on my very own etsy site and will be unveiling my creations in the coming weeks. And there will be pillows. Lots and lots of pillows!

{ Great Minds... }

We didn't plan this. I promise. My sisters and I all came downstairs, ready to go to dinner at The Club, wearing yellow and stripes. We had a good laugh about it and thought you might get a kick out of it too.

:: Home Sweet Huntington ::

I can't believe it! Just 48 hours later and I'm all moved in to my new place. And loving it I might add! I still wanna paint the walls, sew some draperies, and adjust a few things here and there. But for the most part, I think it's looking pretty good.



I snapped these shots on my iPhone this morning before heading out. They're not the best quality, but they'll have to do for now. And yes, there's a sofa in my room!