Oh Joy!

life in color... 10 Apr 2013

As you guys probably know, I love color. I can't believe I used to dress mostly in gray and black, because now I feel naked without some sort of color on. For the month of April, I'll be sharing some of my favorite ways to bring color into my life over on my "Life in Color" Pinterest board in collaboration with Target. Each week focuses on a different color, with new pins every day and a mix of my own photos from my daily life as well some of my favorite inspirational images within decor, food, and fashion from around the web. I hope you'll follow along for a blast of color each day. Here are a few of my favorite blue and green moments from the first week...

*This post is brought to you in collaboration with Target. 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.

{Photos by Oh Joy. All items shown in first and last photo, and Ruby's top, from Target.}

happy friday + a little bit of confetti... 5 Apr 2013

Last weekend, we went on an Easter egg hunt in the park. Our friend that organized the get-together made cascarones (hollow eggs filled with confetti), and Ruby just loved them. She had never seen or played with confetti before, and she kept asking for "More, more!". Once we had smashed three eggs worth of confetti, we spent several minutes picking confetti out of the grass to keep her going for a few more rounds. Wishing you a weekend full of tiny bits of color and magic...

P.S. More confetti fun... and thanks so much for all your kind comments, tweets, and emails about my new studio space! 

{Photos by Bob Cho. Ruby's dress from Target, sandals by Salt Water.}

i got an office space! 3 Apr 2013

You guys...the other day, I signed a lease on my new studio space! I've been slowly outgrowing my home office, and with new employees, regular photo shoots, and larger projects, it's come time to get an outside space. It's also become harder to work from home. When Ruby sees me, she screams, "Mama, Mama!" and my heart melts because I can't always hang out with her.

I won't lie. The idea of having more rent to pay per month, on top of my home, kind of makes me nauseous. But hey, you have to spend money and take risks to grow, right? So, here's a little peek at the space. It's airy, bright, and has really tall ceilings. We're getting rid of that red floor and carpet area ASAP, and we have a bunch of other fun ideas for making the space feel like a great place to work. My friend Emily is going to be helping us design the office, too. I'm super excited to see where it will go from here...stay tuned!

happy friday + a little copy cat... 29 Mar 2013

I always thought that "learning how to mimic" part of being a kid came later in life...like around three or four. Boy, was I wrong. Within the last couple of months, Ruby's been watching everything we do and imitating it. She'll find my necklaces and shoes and put them on, start "cooking" in her kitchen (she adds ingredients and stirs the pot while holding the oven mitt), pick up the empty cat food bowls to put them away, and pretend to do the laundry. It amazes me. Any day now, she'll be sitting on a fake computer pretending to blog...Have a great weekend, friends!

P.S. Ruby's mastering her animal noises in the video above. Clearly growling is her favorite...

P.P.S. For more Ruby, see my Instagram and Bob's Instagram.

{Ruby's wearing my Adidas sneakers, Gap striped dress, Thief & Bandit pink neon dress.}

happy friday + pure joy... 22 Mar 2013

This is what happens when you let a toddler go into a bouncy house (supervised by me, of course) at a kid's birthday party. All the big kids let her have "baby time" and waited outside so she could play in there for a few minutes alone without getting trampled on. She fell about 478 times while attempting to jump, but she absolutely loved it and even cried big raindrop tears when it was time for the bigger kids to go back in without her. 

Have a great weekend guys! I hope you get a few moments of joy in whatever your version of a bouncy house may be...

{Ruby at 17 months. Photos by Bob Cho. Ruby's top by Mini Boden.}

happy friday + holding hands... 15 Mar 2013

In the last few weeks, Ruby's started to really understand what it means to hold hands. She knows she needs to hold our hands when we're outside and walking near a busy street. And now, she's gotten so comfortable with it, she'll even hold hands with her best friend, Leah, and The Man with the Yellow Hat that she met at a kid's literacy event last weekend!

Have a great weekend friends! Hope it's filled with lots of hand-holding with those you love...

{Photos by Bob Cho. Ruby at 17 months. Update: My gold shoes are by Brother Vellies, pink coat from CrewCuts (past season).}

the things i did before i found what i was meant to do... 14 Mar 2013

The other day I was looking through all the drawers of supplies in my office. There are drawers for jewelry-making tools, screen-printing inks, calligraphy pens, yarns for knitting, fabric and needles for sewing, charcoal for drawing, and a ton more supplies for hobbies I once had at some point in my life. They made me wonder if I've been too fickle. Did I think I was going to become a jewelry designer, a calligrapher, a professional knitter, an artist, or a clothing designer? Maybe. Did I buy a ton of supplies only to never use them again? Yes.

At some point while I took at stab at doing these things and using all these tools, I realized they were fun but not meant for me in the long run. As you try new things, you learn what you like (and also don't like) about every hobby and experience—and all of that leads you closer and closer to the thing (or things) you are ultimately meant to do. In my case, I figured out that I love designing products (but not crafting them by hand), I enjoy interacting with people directly on-line or in small groups (but hate schmoozy and non-personal "networking"), and love being able to get my ideas across in various formats (like blogging, books, and videos).

So, I guess what I'm saying is get out there and learn about stuff (especially for those of you who feel lost in your career or your job path because you haven't found "it" yet). It's better to experience and try new things you might be interested in—even if it's just out of curiosity—then to sit and wonder what might have been. Because in some way, it will all lead you to making your mark in the way that only you can.

{Illustration by Olle Eksell} 

happy friday + mama's girl... 1 Mar 2013

Sometimes I complain when she won't let me out of her sight, when she gets upset that I have to go somewhere without her, or when she's being extra clingy. But let's be honest—I actually really love it. Because I know it won't be like this forever. One day she'll be a teenager, and she'll be embarrassed to be seen with me at the mall. 

Wishing you a great weekend, friends, to enjoy those wonderful, fleeting moments that life brings...

{Photos by Bob Cho. For those of you who asked, my boots are from Loeffler Randall, Ruby's neon shoes are from Brother, and her striped leggings are by Nature Baby (similar from Gap).}

join the oh joy team! 26 Feb 2013

I've been juggling a million balls in the air, and it's about time I took my own advice and got some help over here (this song has been playing on repeat in my head)! Oh Joy is expanding in fun new ways, and I have some exciting projects in the works. I'm currently looking for two energetic people to join my team who want to grow with the brand.

Both positions are paid and part-time, ranging from 10-15 hours per week, with the possibility for more hours based on growth and stellar performance. You must have your own car, computer or laptop, and be based in Los Angeles.

I'm looking to fill these two assistant positions:

happy friday + hello from philly... 22 Feb 2013

We've been in Philly for the past week visiting our families. And brrrr...it's cold! I spent 30 years living on the East Coast, and now I can barely take the chilly weather. So sad. Ruby, on the other hand, loves it. She smiles and laughs when a gust of brisk air hits her in the face!

We visited some of our favorite spots to eat including Han Dynasty (the best Chinese food), Franklin Fountain, Tacconelli's Pizzeria, and Spread Bagelry.

But, of course, the best times have been spent enjoying simple moments with family. Ruby's grandparents (that's my Dad above) have been pretty over the moon this week.

Wishing you all an enjoyable weekend full of your favorite foods and your favorite people...

{Photos by Oh Joy}