Oh Joy!

a summer shades {giveaway}...

2013-05-21T10:45:00-07:00

Although I wear sunglasses year-round in sunny L.A., I get extra excited about them during this time of year. I love picking out new frames to wear, so it's nice to have cute and affordable options so I can have a couple to choose from on any given day. So for your upcoming sunny days, I've partnered with Lookmatic to give away one pair of sunglasses to three lucky readers (yes, three)!

To enter, simply visit Lookmatic's website and then leave a comment here telling me which style of sunglasses you'd choose if you won. Winners will be able to choose from Rx or non-Rx sunglasses. Entries must be posted by this Thursday, May 23rd, at 8 a.m. PST, and three winners will be chosen at random*.

*Sorry, limited to readers in the U.S. only. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $65-95 USD total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close, and announced at the bottom of this post soon after.

{Photos by Casey Brodley}

striped dresses + gold shoes...

2013-05-21T05:45:00-07:00

Over the weekend, I was cleaning my closet and realized I have a lot of two things: striped dresses and gold shoes. How many of the same type of thing does one person need? Clearly, I have a problem.

Do you guys a lot of one type of thing in your closet? (Tell me I'm not the only one!)

{Photos by Oh Joy. Gold shoes (left to right): Kate Spade sequined heels and loafers (past seasons), Brother gold vellies, Loeffler Randall flats. Striped dresses (left to right): Anthropologie, Steven Alan, Madewell (past season), Steven Alan, Madewell (past season), Noe & Zoe.}

fruity summer striped ice cubes...

2013-05-20T05:45:00-07:00

As summer approaches, I always find myself craving fresh fruit and juices of all kinds. I love smoothies, but it's not always possible to whip out the blender and make a fresh one whenever I want. So I decided to make these pretty (and practical) juice and smoothie ice cubes, which can be frozen and saved to have on hand anytime you need a juicy kick!

They can be added to some sparkling water for a dose of fruit, or stored in the freezer so you can have smoothies on hand whenever you want some (just put a handful of the saved cubes in a cup and into the fridge the night before). Plus, they are so, so beautiful to look at in a pretty glass with a cute straw!

Here are some of my favorite combos and flavors to use, shown above:

JUICES: I used store-bought grapefruit juice, mango juice, limeade, and made some strawberry/beet juice.

SMOOTHIES: I combined kiwi, cucumber, mint and lime make for a beautiful green smoothie blend.

COCONUT MILK: I layered a lot of these cubes with coconut milk, which can be poured right from the can.

Simply add layers of pre-made juice, smoothies, and/or coconut milk (which I love for its color and for a creamy touch) to standard ice cube trays. I've even been adding veggies (like carrots, beets, and cucumbers) to my smoothie mixes for Ruby, to get her those extra vitamins whenever possible!

What kinds of fruity ice cubes would you guys make?

{Photos: Julia Stotz. Art direction and concept: Oh Joy. Production Assistant: Michelle Tu.
This summer inspiration is brought to you by Target. Find more fun and surprises all season long on Target's #SummerUp Pinterest board. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thanks for supporting these sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Oh Joy.}

happy friday + hello 34...

2013-05-17T09:13:35-07:00

Happy Friday everyone! Tomorrow is my 34th birthday, and I'm looking forward to finally having a birthday on the weekend (what a treat to have a whole day to celebrate with those you love).

Thank you all for your continual support and being part of making this past year so wonderful. I hope you all have an amazing weekend full of little celebrations...I'll see you back here on Monday!

{Photo by Bonnie Tsang from Sprinkles ATM.}

{oh joy eats} the service station in los feliz...

2013-05-16T05:45:00-07:00

You know I love food truck nights (it's a great excuse to not have to cook dinner!). We religiously go to On The Lot in Los Feliz every Monday night, and I'm pretty giddy for the summer season and more pop-up food truck events. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, a new one opened up on Wednesday nights on the grounds of what used to be a gas station. The Service Station is an outdoor creative space that has pop-up shops, outdoor movie nights on Saturdays, and a food truck night on Wednesdays. While the food trucks seem to be a rotation of same three, they're solid ones that I really like.

Some of my favorites include the bacon mac n' cheese from the Flatiron Truck...

...and parmesan pesto fries and gooey s'mores from The Munchie Machine. We got coconut and salted Caramel S'mores, and they were the perfect way to end our meal. The Mandoline Grill truck (food not shown) is also at The Service Station, and they make great banh mi and Vietnamese noodle dishes.

The area is painted with accents of mint green...um, hello, gorgeous color!

The best part is the huge areas of astroturf for the kids to run around in and the giant bean bags they put out. Ruby has the best time playing with her friends after dinner. It's just a great spot for all of us to enjoy the amazing warm weather and have an easy breezy mid-week dinner.

The Service Station | 3160 Riverside Drive | Los Feliz, CA 90027 | @3160riverside

UPDATE: Sadly, a few days after this post, I got an email that city permits made it such that they had to close. They are trying to reopen in another area in the near future. :(

{Photos by Bob Cho}

and so it goes...

2013-05-15T05:45:00-07:00

The other day, my friend Sophie from Broome St. General Store showed me these beautiful netted bags with leather straps made by the L.A.-based company and so it goes. When flat, the bags look like a pretty knotted pile. When filled with objects, the pieces really come alive. They're easy to stick inside another bag yet so pretty for using at the farmer's market or for carrying other beautiful belongings...

P.S. Looking forward to seeing you guys in Santa Monica tomorrow!

{Photos by: and so it goes}

a summer slumber {giveaway}...

2013-05-14T05:45:00-07:00

Last week, it rained for a whole three days in L.A. (I know, you feel so bad for me, right ;) ?!?). Well, I didn't want to get out of my PJs at all during those gray days. It made me think about how I really could live in my PJs, so I wanted to share my favorites with you.

In fact, to celebrate my love of pajamas and those upcoming lazy spring days and nights, I've partnered with Eberjey to give away my two current favorite sets of PJs—the Gisele set and the Heather slouchy tee and pants (a total retail value of $229)—to one lucky reader. The short set is so, so soft and perfect for summer evenings, and I love how the slouchy set could be worn outside the house if you needed to run a quick errand (no one would even notice they're PJs!)

To enter, simply visit Eberjey's website and then leave a comment here telling me one other item on their site you love that would be perfect for spring. Entries must be posted by this Thursday, May 16th, at 8 a.m. PST, and one winner will be chosen at random*.

UPDATE: Congrats to Anne L. from Portland, OR for being our winner this time!

*Sorry, limited to readers in the U.S. only. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $229 USD total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close, and announced at the bottom of this post soon after.

{Photos by Casey Brodley}

what i did in seattle...

2013-05-13T05:45:00-07:00

Last Thursday, I flew to Seattle to host a Petites event at Anthropologie. While I was there less than 24 hours, the one thing I had to make room for was a trip to Pike Place Market. I had never been to Seattle, but knew that I'd love it.

No trip to the market would be complete without stopping by the gum wall. It's so pretty—until you think about how much saliva is on that wall. But you've got to admire those who spelled their name in gum. Um, nice penmanship (or should I say "gum-manship", Kristina!).

Next, I ate and ate and ate...

I spent my two free hours walking and talking and catching up with my friend Jenny, who I've known since 2005 but have never met in person. Our first stop was Beecher's for their mariachi mac 'n' cheese...spicy, tangy, savory, and oh-so-good!

Next, we stopped at the Daily Dozen for an assortment of freshly fried mini-doughnuts. There's really nothing better than a fresh doughnut. They were gone within minutes.

Then we stopped ay Three Girls Bakery for some giant cookies...

...and finally Piroshky Piroshky for some Russian baked goodies.

After consuming a billion carbs within an hour, we burned them off with a little shopping at Watson Kennedy, Pirkko, and Bella Umbrella. Then I said goodbye to my sweet friend and headed off to get ready for the Anthro party!

That night, I hosted the Petites event at the Fifth Avenue Anthropologie store in Seattle—the only Anthropologie in the country to sell petite sizes in the actual store (and not just online)! It was an awesome night meeting so many Seattle readers. You guys were so fantastic and so welcoming! And, the florals and treats were the perfect topper to an already great evening.

After a post-party dinner with the girls from Rivet & Sway, I headed back to my hotel room exhausted and ready for bed. But of course I had to check out this crazy-awesome TV embedded into the bathroom mirror one last time! Although it was a quick trip, I had a blast in Seattle. I came home and told Bob that I want to go back with him and Ruby for a long weekend this summer so we can really explore (and eat more).

{Anthropologie event photos by Phil Chester. All other photos by Oh Joy. My party dress by Anthropologie.}

happy friday + happy mother's day...

2013-05-10T05:45:00-07:00

A special Mother's Day (and Happy Birthday) wish to my amazing mom, my mother-in-law, and my awesome friends who are moms near and far. I respect and admire you to no end. You guys keep me sane in those moments when I think I've had enough and understand me in those times when I can't imagine feeling more loved.

What do you guys have planned for Mother's Day? We're going to get dim sum (my favorite rare treat) and then go to the Echo Park Craft Fair to visit my favorite local makers. To all of you mothers everywhere, I hope you have an extra special weekend of love, back rubs, handmade cards, breakfast in bed, and other happy treats this weekend!

{Photo of our little baby/mama crew: Viv & Leah, me & Ruby, and Marisa & Cam by Bob Cho.}

the love behind cakes...

2013-05-09T05:45:00-07:00

The other night, my friend Mari made a Scandinavian Princess Cake for her husband's birthday. This type of cake has been his favorite cake since he was a kid. So she researched and planned and prepped to made a very special one for him this year...from scratch. It was so delicious, but also so special because it made Mari's husband so happy. No matter how old I get, cake still makes me really happy, too. And, I love the love that goes behind making a cake for someone else.

When's the last time you made a special cake for someone? It's something I want to try and do more often...

{Sources: Yay cake by A Subtle Revelry, floral cakes by Charm City Cakes West, hot chocolate cake by Matchbox Kitchen, Sweetapolita ombre iced cake, rainbow cake by La De La Felicidad.}