Oh Joy!

feeling pepper & green... 20 Feb 2012

{01. Madewell pants, 02. Jug Lamp from Cisco Home, 03. Thief & Bandit kids headband, 04. J.Crew bracelet, 05. Dahlhaus vase, 06. Fossil shoe — Joy}

currently snacking on... 20 Feb 2012

I was thinking the other day how you never really see a solely orange-based smoothie, and I missed that orange creamsicle-like flavor from one of my favorite stops at the mall, Orange Julius, as a kid. So, I sought out to recreate one with all natural ingredients, and it's since been my favorite treat this week. I combined one container of Chobani Champions Orange Vanilla yogurt {perfect size for making one smoothie!}, a Jolly Llama mango sorbet pop, and freshly squeezed orange juice in the blender {no ice needed because of the cold pop}...and voilà...orange creamsicle smoothie goodness! — Joy

{photos by Oh Joy}

happy friday + 4 months with ruby... 17 Feb 2012

Happy Friday friends! This week, our little Ruby turned four months. This is by far my favorite month yet. She smiles a ton, giggles, reaches for things, sits up {with help of course}, smiles at herself in the mirror, and her new favorite thing is to stand...it's like she doesn't want to be a tiny baby just lying down all the time anymore. I haven't had a chance to take her official 4-month photo yet, but here are a couple of my favorite photos of her from this past month. This kid seriously makes my world go round. Have a great weekend all! — Joy 

{photos by Oh Joy}

{oh joy eats lunch with} matt armendariz... 16 Feb 2012

Who Matt Armendariz — depending on what day you find me, I'm a food photographer, a writer, a blogger, a sometimes stylist, and general troublemaker. I like to mix things up to keep it interesting.

Where Long Beach, California

Time I'll eat lunch any time I can, but since I'm an early riser it's usually around 11am. Plus, I get to beat the lunch rush this way.

What's a typical lunch for you? Lunches for me are extremely light affairs. I don't really eat too much during lunch as I'm shooting or running around. I prefer a very simple lunch, and so many times it's Asian. Even though I'm Latino, I joke that Asian blood runs through my veins. This is a photo of bibimbap—a Korean dish consisting of a rice, some veggies, an egg, and Korean chili paste called gojuchang. A few times a week you'll find me eating Korean food, more specifically this dish. This photo was actually taken in Jeonju, South Korea. It's the real deal, although you can find such amazing variations of the dish all over the world. 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? A dream lunch involves having an empty schedule with nothing to do the rest of the day—this way lunch can involve wine. See how I have that figured out nicely? I have experienced a few recent dream lunches in real life though—sitting at an outdoor café in Spain eating pintxos {Basque tapas} with friends as well as overlooking the coastline in Hamilton Island, Australia, while enjoying a delightful meal.

Dessert with lunch? Generally no. I don't have much of a sweet tooth!

Thanks Matt!
— Joanna

{photos by Matt}

a japanese cupcake... 16 Feb 2012

I recently found these gorgeous sugar flowers and leaves that I had bought during my trip to Kyoto in 2010. Needless to say—two years later—they're probably best not consumed...but they still had their shapes and colors fully intact, so I decided to use them to spruce up a carrot cupcake! Totally whimsical and fun... — Joy

{photos by Oh Joy}

{fashioned florals} a corsage pendant... 16 Feb 2012

Let's change things up, shall we? I've got a fun little twist on wearable flowers that might interest you with nimble fingers and a little imagination! Let's take the usual corsage, but imagine it attached to a chain necklace {that you already own!} to put a little spin on a colorful pendant. Here's how...

You'll need: Three stems of carnations, a pink garden rose {nice and short}, as well as three sprigs of purple astrantia, some rose foliage, 4 to 6 short lengths of light gauge floral wire, and a gold strand from your jewelery collection.

Next, wire the larger blooms by taking a piece of the floral wire {flat and straight} and "thread" it through the bottom of the bloom, until it's positioned with equal amounts of wire on either side. Bend both sides down {bottom two blooms} and then twist the two wires together until they end {like the top two white carnations}. 

Now, with each of the larger blooms now pliable, group them together as you'd like. I took the three carnations together, with the intention of using the garden bloom as the top "finishing" piece. 

Next, attach the astrantia and the foliage by twisting a small length of wire around the new stems as they lay on top of the grouped carnations. There's no need to wire each individual piece. 

Finally, trim the astrantia stems as short as they can go, place the wired rose bloom on top and in the center, and eventually use that longer length of twisted wire to attach to your necklace. Blooms are a lot hardier than you'd think, and this will happily last throughout the day...perhaps for a colorful Sunday brunch outing? — Liz

{All photos by Liz for Oh Joy!}

{closet & casa} with shana frase... 15 Feb 2012

who: Shana Frase, Painter

why shana rocks: From the moment I saw her beautiful website, I knew I was gonna like this gal!

in her closet: Like a great pair of heels or statement earrings, this cropped sequin jacket helps make any outfit feel more special. I love a high + low look, and it's perfect for dressing up a tee shirt & jeans for a night out. The sequins make you shimmy.

in her casa: I bought this light fixture while visiting a girlfriend in Philly many years ago. It's from an old supper club, and it still has the mechanism to spin! I love the way it reflects color and light, and I love its imperfections. It hangs in my dining room in LA now, but I dream of hanging it over my bath tub one day.

Thanks Shana!
— Bri

{photos by Shana}

hey shorty... 15 Feb 2012

I remember there was a time back in the day where I wouldn't be caught dead in shorts. For some reason, they seemed preppy and boring. But nowadays, I love shorts especially printed and patterned versions that make a statement all their own... — Joy

{left to right, top to bottom: Ted Baker floral shorts, J.Crew polka dot shorts, Anthropologie striped shorts, and Whistles square shorts}

this & that... 14 Feb 2012

...wear this pair of Dolce Vita sandals, decorate with that Up in the Air Somewhere vase...

—Bekka

love these... 14 Feb 2012

...frame-worthy tea towels by Lisa Rupp... — Joy

{oh joy book tour} fall 2012... 14 Feb 2012

This fall, my second book {my first solo book!} will be coming out. I can't tell you the title just yet, but it's part of the "Inc" series that includes my first book Creative, Inc. that I co-wrote with Meg Ilasco. I'm super excited about it as the topic is something I'm really passionate about and guide people on most often in my Oh Joy Rx consultations and workshops. As I prep for the tour in October, I'm hoping to visit 4 or 5 cities this time. Last time, we could only make it to 3, and I'd love to include a couple cities we missed in 2010. So, dear readers, I'd love to hear your preference on what city you'd like to see on my book tour as well as the times you're most likely to come out for a little book party. Click here for my short 2-question survey! Thanks in advance, and I'll be sure to keep you posted with cities and dates as it gets closer! — Joy

{photos by Karen Wise}

{flavor stories} sweetheart sundaes... 13 Feb 2012

Since Valentine's Day is tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to make mention of a few of my favorite things— chocolate, ice cream and sprinkles! Put them together and there you have it...Sweetheart Sundaes! They're perfect for a girls get-together, that special someone, or {if you're anything like me} for no reason at all!



For the brownies, you'll need:
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup cocoa, sifted
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder

Here's how:
1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter, sugars, and cocoa on medium until well combined.
2. Remove from heat and stirring continuously, add eggs one at a time.
3. Add vanilla and mix.
4. Stir in remaining dry ingredients.
5. Pour into a prepared 9"x13" pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the center is just dry.
6. Let cool to room temperature.



To assemble the sundaes:
1. Cut brownies into desired shapes {I like hearts or circles}.
2. Place one brownie in the bottom of a parfait cup.
3. Add a few slices of preserved hibiscus flowers.  
3. Next, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
4. Finish with warm ganache and white nonpareils and decorate {I made glitter hearts this time but cake flags would be cute too!}.

*For a banana split-like alternative, omit the hibiscus flowers and replace with sliced mini bananas, toasted almonds, and a dollop of whipped cream.

Now cuddle up to someone you love and enjoy!
—Nikole

{photos by Michael Graydon, styling by Nikole Herriott for Oh Joy}

feeling like an evening sunburst... 13 Feb 2012

{01. Esque pitcher set, 02. Amy Sia iPhone case, 03. R.B. of McD bag, 04. Lulie Wallace painting, 05. top by Secret Squirrel. — Joy}

happy friday + friends... 10 Feb 2012

Happy Friday friends! In the last month, I've making it a point to see my dearest friends on a regular basis. In the first couple months of having a new baby, I holed up in my house and barely saw anyone unless they came over to visit. It was so easy to not make plans or use the excuse that I was tired and just stay home. While I was loving my sweet new munchkin, I found myself going stir-crazy and missing the interaction of other adults and friends who I previously saw on a regular basis. Now that I have my bearings a bit more on this whole motherhood thing, keeping standing and regular dates with friends—for brunch, for walks, or even for baby playdates—has been one of the best things to help me feel like part of who I am {separate from being a mom} is still alive and happy. Here are a couple moments from last week's breakfast with Bri, Jen, and Bonnie {behind the camera}...a few of my favorite ladies. Hope you all have a great weekend full of great friends...because friendships and strong connections with others really does make the world go round... — Joy

Ps. Congrats to Katrina S. from Point Roberts, WA and Leslie B. from Oak Park, IL for being the winners of our Valentine's giveaway! All readers can still use the special discount code listed here till Tuesday.

{Instagram photos by Bonnie & Bri}

love this... 10 Feb 2012

...simple, pretty, and lovely bento tote from Anaïse... — Joy