Oh Joy!

wise words at the dinner table... 5 Dec 2012

As a kid, I loved Roald Dahl books. They were always whimsical, yet smart, with lessons to be learned from each. And I love that those lessons are ones that we, as adults, can also live by—especially in our busy day-to-day lives when we can sometimes get a little stuck in our routines or our ways of thinking. So, I thought it would be fun to turn a few of my favorite Roald Dahl quotes into paper placemats to use at the dinner table this holiday season as a conversation starter...or just a little daily reminder.

You can even hang them up as prints!

They're super easy to make. Here's how...

pop-up place cards... 28 Nov 2012

Ever since I was a kid, I've loved pop-up books. Maybe it's because I was always meant to be a graphic designer, or maybe it's because I just love seeing something flat go from two dimensions to three dimensions with a couple cuts and folds. As we head into the holiday season, I've got some fun posts coming up with ideas for bringing cheer to your dinner table this holiday and year-round, and for the first one, I wanted to apply my love of pop-ups to some fun placecards for your holiday table.

Here's how to make them...

a mix & match dinnerware giveaway... 27 Nov 2012

In my latest Make Someone Happy video, I prepared a dinner for friends and set the table with some of my favorite pieces in various patterns and colors. Well, today, we have a very special giveaway...a full set of the entire scene! That's right, all of the pieces above to make a lovely place setting for four.

That includes 4 mini butter domes by Crate & Barrel, 4 sets of gold flatware from Design Within Reach, 2 pairs of tea towels from Design Within Reach, 4 cups by Ferm Living, 4 dinner plates by Heath Ceramics, salt & pepper shaker set by Jonathan Adler, 4 small fruit bowls by Kate Spade, 4 pastel spoons from Leif, a brass trivet from Muhs Home, 4 glasses from Terrain, 4 place mats from Unison, 4 napkins from Unison, 4 salad plates from West Elm, and 4 confetti system ornaments from West Elm. A total worth $943!

To enter....

a quirky home decor {giveaway}... 13 Nov 2012

You guys know I love a little quirkiness in my home decor pieces. So, I'm thrilled to partner today with Imm Living to for a giveaway of a handful of my favorite pieces from their always quirky and fun collection. Here are my favorites and how I've used them in my home...

They add a touch of fun and make sure you don't get too serious, don't you think? One lucky winner will win a set of all six of the pieces shown here including the Rabbit Tiered Tray, Little Helper Gnome, both Watering Hole Cruets, a Bust of Louie Jewelry Holder, and a Bird Clock.

To enter, simply visit Burke Decor's special Imm Living page, then leave a comment below telling us your favorite item from my picks above. Entries must be posted by this Friday, November 16th at 8am PST*, and one winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!

Also, as a special bonus, Burke Decor is offering 15% off anything in their shop. Use code OHJOYIMM thru December 15th.

UPDATE: P.S. Congrats to Jenna G. for being the winner this time! 

*Sorry, limited to US readers only. Please do not leave your email or web address in the body of the comment, only in the allotted boxes. $300 US total value. Winner will be contacted by email once comments close and announced on the bottom of this post soon after.

{Photos by Oh Joy}

baby-proofing your stylish living room... 8 Nov 2012

Early last year, our home was featured on Emily Henderson's show, Secrets from a Stylist, on HGTV. (If you didn't get to see it, here's the full episode online and my recap of the entire process.) We loved how Emily designed our living room for the show.

When we filmed the episode back in November 2010, we weren't yet pregnant and therefore had no concerns about having a baby-proof living room. Fast-forward a year and change: We got pregnant, had a baby...and then this baby of ours became mobile. At first, I was in denial about having to change anything in our living room and thought we could just teach our baby not to touch anything. Um, yeah right...

Once Ruby started crawling, we needed to make some updates to ensure our living room was safe for her and give us a bit more peace of mind knowing that we could let her roam around without endangering her with some of our furniture and decor choices. So, Emily and I thought it would be fun to do a "Before & After" showing how she's updated our living room to be safe for Ruby while still retaining the style and attention to design we had pre-baby. For this series, we've partnered together with The Honest Company, to bring you three parts (one on each of our blogs), which will show you different aspects of what we did and provide tips on how to marry safety and style.

We didn't have the budget to just go out and buy all new furniture. While we were okay with buying a couple new pieces that would last us through our next baby, almost everything else was about easy and creative solutions to make what we already had a little safer and more baby-proof...

a colorful christmas... 1 Nov 2012

It's November (when did that happen?), which means holiday season is now officially upon us. You might be thinking..."You're talking Christmas already?!?" Oh yes, I am. Last year, I was so busy figuring out how to be a new mom that I pretty much bypassed the holidays in my new baby bliss. But this year, I'm ready to get back into the swing of things and ready to bring on the merriment. So in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, I collaborated with The Land of Nod to create this little video showing how I'd decorate my tree with a mix of colors and patterns. I totally fell in love with their ornaments this year and love how they look perfectly fitting even for a non-kid tree.

The video is featured on the Land of Nod website, along with my picks and the items I used to create A Colorful Christmas. I've also created a Pinterest board with everything featured in the video for easy re-pinning. Hope you guys enjoy it! I know it got me in the mood for Christmas...

{Brought to you by Oh Joy + The Land of Nod, video by Modshift, music by The Young International, my dress by Kate Spade.}

a day of "this & that"... 28 Aug 2012

I've always wanted to create a real life version of our "this & that" column. So, I've partnered with HomeMint to create a day of what that might be like! I hope you guys enjoy...it was super fun to concept and make. And you can see all the items from the video right here {and a few are even on sale!}... — Joy

This video is brought to you by Oh Joy + HomeMint. 

{Video by Modshift. Music by Frances England.}

{outside/inside} an outdoor 8... 23 Aug 2012

OUTSIDE / An abandoned tricycle rounds the curve of a figure-8 on the lawn of this child-friendly home...

...while INSIDE, the décor is chipper and bright! Saturated and bold hues of color with the contrast of wood, cork, and wire. Everyday items take on quirky shapes—like a camera-shaped candle or wire wound into a DIY lamp. I can imagine wall-to-wall chalkboard paint in the house, ready for on-the-fly doodling! —Joanna

{from left to right, top to bottom: lemon gumdrop pendant from Serena & Lily, caravan dresser from Branch, Hee lounge chair from A+R, coil lamp DIY kit from The Future Perfect, companions bedside table from The Future Perfect, beeswax camera candle from Branch, polka dot wall vase from Poketo, German chalk set from Terrain.}

{image by photographer Radim Peško}

{outside/inside} a tropical oasis... 9 Aug 2012

OUTSIDE / While away the hours in the outdoor lounge at Hotel Azucar. This palm tree-lined paradise could be filled with...

...an INSIDE brimming with color and metallics. Relaxing yet hip—I envision each room is filled with retro-inspired gold fixtures softened by ethnic printed textiles. Accents of curvy rattan and a galloping zebra are finishing touches. It's fun to think of who would stay here... perhaps fashion designer and all-around groovy girl Trina Turk or style guru and blogger Mrs. Lilien?  — Joanna 

{from left to right, top to bottom: joaquin pendant lamp from Anthropologie, John Robshaw quilt and shams, breakfast trays from Leif, rattan chair from Serena & Lily, zebra print from DwellStudio, Jonathan Adler's ulu convex table, bamboo throw from Nine Space, pierced bubbles chandelier from Terrain.}

{oh joy} in the nursery... 6 Aug 2012

I love seeing how people use Oh Joy wallpaper in their homes. So, when Erin sent me these photos of her daughter Penelope's nursery, I had to share. I've seen this pattern used in bedrooms, bathrooms, and living rooms {it's even wall-to-wall in my own living room}, but I seriously love it in a baby's room, too! I love that it's not too baby, and little Penelope can grow with it for so many years to come. Thanks Erin for sharing! — Joy

{photos by Erin}