Happy House: Sixx Design

I have an interview in two hours with Bob and Cortney Novogratz for an LA Times piece I'm doing on their new Bravo Show 9 By Design. I got a screener of the first episode where you see them with their six kids (and another on the way) looking for a new apartment. They've got extremely high-chaos tolerance. Are they going to be nice during my interview? Can't tell. They didn't seem to cuddly on the first show. And they were frighteningly hip. (Good thing it's a phoner! They won't see my jammies.) The one thing about the Novogratzes: I love their design! It's fresh and colorful and makes me happy. My interview is going to focus more on that, less on the reality-show side of things. Wish me luck!

Happy House: Kids' Rooms

How HAPPY does the Serena & Lily catalog make me??? Crazy! I can just stare at its pages forever. It ain't cheap, but I think their concept is so fabulous. If Martha Stewart and Jonathan Adler hooked up, I'm thinking Serena & Lily would be their love twins. I love the girls' rooms in particular. My daughter Eve wants the blue and pink room, which is called Eve!!! A sign from the decor gods? Maybe. But mama doesn't have the scratch!

Happy Food: Way Easy Dessert

We made this dessert last night. Soooo easy. Who knew baking a jam-smeared flour tortilla could taste so good? And then the kids get to make their own pizza pattern. We ix-nayed the ricotta cheese and went with whipped cream instead. My son announced: "This is the best thing I've ever eaten." Berries in season now! Recipe here: http://www.wholeliving.com/recipe/berry-pizza?backto=true

Did everyone read the excerpt from Dominique Browning’s new book Slow Love: How I lost my job, put on my pajamas and found happiness? I recommend. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/magazine/28fasttrack-t.html

When Browning was editor of House & Garden, she kinda freaked me out. Her eyes are so blue; and her editor’s notes sometimes made me squirm with their strange confessionals. I think I like her in pj’s better than at Conde Nast. In her post-House & Garden phase, Browning presents some keys to the happy life. The slowing down part, in particular. Her blog, www.slowlovelife.com, is all about smelling-the-roses and trying to exorcise the speed-demons that constantly tell us to do more, be better, not relax. You know, the voices that scream inadequacy at every turn? Been there! And if you're afraid of losing your job, or already have, reading about Browning’s life—she now plays the piano, sits in windows with tea, watches roses bloom—is sort of reassuring. OK, and sort of irritating: Where does she get the cash? She does explain how she sold her house... and relocated to her second house. Oy). What I like about her blog is that it represents her struggle to slow down, not the arrival at some state of slowed-down nirvana (which would really irritate me).

Happy Stuff: Kids' Tableware

I know this is silly, but how happy would it make your kids? $21.95 for a set at Z Gallerie.

Happy Stuff: Preppy Glam

I'm loving this new rug from Madeline Weinrib. It's called the Brooke and I love it's preppy/glam vibe. Not cheap. It starts at $325 (3.5 x 5.5) and goes up to $1,400 (9 x 12). And speaking of preppy, how about dolling up your book shelves with this super cool Lacoste books that come out this month?

The New Todd Selby Book

Chez Jonathan Adler & Simon Doonan

K, so this pic is just a wee staged (lamps on your ping pong table)? I really don't care. I love this shot of Jonathan Adler, king of happy decor, at home with Simon Doonan. It's from theselby.com photographer's Todd Selby's new book: The Selby Is in Your Place. I just interviewed Todd last week. I worried he'd be too cool for school and that he could see I'm just a 43-year-old dork on deadline. Not so. He was a sweet heart. Best of all, the book is chock full of amazing design ideas. I admit: At first I had a hard time getting past the fact that every single page is filled with hipsters--hippie hipsters, gypsy hipsters, Euro hipsters, nerdy hipsters, surfer hipsters. A lot of them are holding babies but none of them look tired. I assume they're the kind of people who get babysitters to go to art openings and stay culturally relevant. But I digress: The most important thing about the book is that Selby purposefully picks homes that have DIY edge to them. He told me that he stays away from anything that looks like a decorator was there. Very little matches in these houses; there's lots of stuff thrown together, but lots of idea to steal. http://www.amazon.com/Selby-Your-Place-Todd/dp/0810984865

Designer Watch

I just looked at Amy Sklar's portfolio (www.sklardesign.com) and I love this kids room. Is that tree a wall graphic? I like the way the bird house gives a 3D effect. And that good ole Ikea bookshelf looks great, especially the way she did the books. Amy was a runner up on HGTV's Design Star show.

St Patty Action

It's deadline time, which means no time. So hard to enjoy life because it's all about making that deadline. But we did find time to make GREEN GRANOLA. My science experiment semi-worked. We made Martha Stewart's kids' granola (easy) but we added green food coloring to the molasas. I was hoping that when you poured milk over the cereal that it'd turn green. It turned more pale kakhi/gray. Oh well. But the kids had fun making and eating it and then we wrapped some of it up in green cups, wrapped it in celaphane, then tied with ribbon and attached cut out shamrocks. Didn't look perfect, but we had a good time. And we gave green manicures to neighbors like Ruby on our front porch.

Droog, Part Deux: The Knock Off

ZGallerie has new spring items, and I couldn't help but notice this knockoff. The original is the Rodi Graumans-designed chandelier for Droog (1993), an 85-piece light that was everywhere for a while. Price: $3,796 at unicahome.com. ZGallerie's Loft Chandelier has 10 bulbs and goes for $299. Not lovin'—just sayin'.

All Roads Lead to Ikea

Good story on NY Times Home section today re: an $8K New York apartment makeover (that amount representing the owner's first-time buyer's tax credit). Adam Rolston, Drew Stuart and Gabriel Benroth (of Incorporated Architecture & Design) relied on Ikea, Crate & Barrel, Room & Board and Baker Studio. Not lovin-lovin the room, but check out the befores. For $8K, impressive. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/04/garden/04cheap.html