Oh Joy!

oh joy {eats} palihouse in west hollywood... 4 Apr 2012

During a recent meeting, Bonnie came across Palihouse in West Hollywood and suggested we come by for a ladies lunch {which I gladly obliged}. Known as a luxury hotel with long-stay options, it's both classic and stylish...kind of like if the Ace Hotel had an older brother who was a professor at Dartmouth.

There are so many different areas to hang out and enjoy a meal at Palihouse. Despite the numerous tufted chairs and couches, I made myself pretty comfortable sitting on the floor pretending I was hanging out in my own living room.

Serving classic brasserie-style fare and comfort food, my favorite was the Apricot Chicken Pot Pie. It was warm, cozy, and savory with a pop of sweetness from the apricots.

I love the urban lodge feel of the space—a little American library, a litte bit French café. I could literally hang out here all day...read one of their books, bring a laptop and, or catch up with friends over drinks at sunset... — Joy

Palihouse / 8465 Holloway Drive / West Hollywood, CA 90069 / 323.656.4100

{photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. My outfit: top c/o Lauren Moffatt, sandals c/o Loeffler Randall, purse from J.Crew past season (similar), jacket c/o Gap, nail polish by Essie.}

this & that... 3 Apr 2012

...wear this Sonia Rykiel dress, decorate with that Everything Begins rug...

—Bekka

love these... 3 Apr 2012

...aerogram notes by The Hungry Workshop... — Joy

a little {pool} party with me & kate spade... 2 Apr 2012

For those of you in LA, I'll be hosting a little party at kate spade new york at The Americana at Brand next Thursday, April 12th from 7-9pm as part of a lifestyle blogger series. We'll be celebrating summer and kate spade's new summer collection with some bite-sized snacks perfect for serving poolside. RSVP to: events@carusoaffiliated.com. Hope to see you there! — Joy

currently snacking on... 2 Apr 2012

While in London, Bri and Jen picked up a bar of Divine Chocolate as a little gift upon their return. They really know me so well. Not only have I been in love with the packaging from afar, but I proceeded to eat this entire bar in no less than 10 seconds. The texture of the chocolate {this one was orange milk chocolate} is insanely good...smooth, rich, and creamy...melt in your mouth good. The brand is Fair Trade and based in the UK, but is available in the US as well...which is exciting {and dangerous} news for me... — Joy

{photos by Oh Joy}

feeling sweet... 2 Apr 2012

{1. Zara flats, 2. apple and love cards by Brown Paper, 3. Matt Keers mug, 4. Club Monaco bicycle scarf, 5. salad servers from Howkapow, 6. Esque paperweight, 7. Workroom lamp, 8. Anthropologie checkered teaspoons — Joy}

{oh joy} in april mags... 30 Mar 2012

It's been a while since I shared some fun new press with you guys. I'm excited to be in the new spring issue of Martha Stewart Weddings with my decor registry picks for the newbie couple. You can pick up the issue on sale Monday and visit the online version of the gallery right here. Also, in this month's Better Homes and Gardens, my Petal Pusher wallpaper is featured alongside other fun florals for the home! — Joy

{oh joy eats lunch with} adrianna adarme... 29 Mar 2012

Who  Adrianna Adarme, food blogger

Where  Los Angeles, California

Time 1:30pm

What's a typical lunch for you? If I'm in the kitchen recipe testing, then I usually skip lunch and instead have a collection of bites throughout the day. Sometimes it's a few tablespoons of soup at 10 am, a single pancake at 1 pm, and a breakfast scone at 6 pm — it's definitely weird, but I love it! If I'm writing, then I usually head to my favorite coffee shop, Coffee Commissary, where I'll grab a ham and cheese croissant with a latte. Today, I am having my quick and easy go-to lunch — avocado on toast. If I have an egg I'm not using, I'll poach it and place it atop with some grated Parmesan, or, in this case, a few sprinkles of crushed red pepper. 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? My dream lunch would take place on a cold winter's day. I'd be in a cozy bistro eating a big bowl of mussels with a side of French fries. And if I'm feeling a little crazy, a big glass of pinot noir. 

Dessert with lunch? I always skip dessert and go straight for a cappuccino or a strong cup of coffee.

Thanks Adrianna!

— Joanna

{photo of lunch by Adrianna, photof of Adrianna by Teri Lyn Fisher}

my {daily} uniform... 29 Mar 2012

As much as I'd love to say I wear a completely different outfit every day of the week, the truth is, I fall into a comfort zone and tend to have a couple "uniforms" that are my go-to's on a regular basis. Right now, I split my day between mom mode and work mode with these two sets of staples.

At home...I pretty much live in these StyleMint pants. They are so comfy for being home with the baby, but the best part is they don't look like pajamas. So if I have to pop out for a second, I'll put on some cute sandals and a slighty more feminine top like this one by Club Monaco.

When I head out {often for a meeting or breakfast with friends}...I'm all about well-tailored but comfortable pieces. Most often, I'm wearing a patterned top, a cropped blazer adorned with some Ban.do poms, a bright pair of jeans, and comfy but fun flats. So, friends...what's your go-to outfit? — Joy

{fashioned florals} a 15-minute flower garland ... 29 Mar 2012

Today, we have the easiest little flower garland you've never made {Or maybe you have?}. Regardless, garlands might seem a little intimidating for those of you who haven't delved into the world of flowers. And this vertical edition takes no more than 15 minutes!

1. Start by gathering your supplies. I had some geranium, rosemary, white astrantia, pink astilbe, hot pink ranunculus, and those giant football mums as the stars of the show. Gather up your scissors, some of your trusty floral wire, twine, embroidery string, or wool to hang everything on.

2. Make your first bunch by twisting a small length of floral wire around some geranium, astilbe, and astrantia to make the sprigs for each bloom. Next thread a short bit of wire through the base of one of your big, beautiful mums—they're going to cover up the greenery bunch's wire, so don't worry about making it perfect!

3. Attach the mums to the base of the small greenery and sprig bunches by twisting your bloom's wire around the bunch. Repeat for the rest of your bunches, and feel free to vary it up! I alternated between the football mum and ranunculus bunches and threaded some single blooms with wire to attach on their own.

4. To finish things up, I would recommend pinning the string to a wall and working from the top to bottom. Starting with your first bunch, tie it to the string by looping it and forming a small knot. I found that this went really quickly as there are a lot of little wires in the back to help give extra traction and keep things sturdy. This would be so easy to reinterpret in so many ways, like adding extra bunches for a fuller look, or repeat the whole strand and create a "curtain" of garlands for a festive gathering. I think this would be perfect for a festive bridal or baby shower! — Liz

 {All photos by Liz for Oh Joy!}