where's waldo?

Trying to get a toddler to stand still in front of a wall—especially right after she's awoken from a nap and wants a snack—is nearly impossible. So, here's our best attempt to recreate that scene from Garden State, only this time with my baby dress and wallpaper designs (because how could I not try and make this happen?!?).

Luckily, she did much better for her 15 month photo and was all smiles after...

P.S. A little note that all Oh Joy for Winter Water Factory baby clothing is currently 40% off through the end of the month (along with everything else in the WWF line!). It's a special winter sale, so get it while you can! Enter NEWYEAR40 at checkout.

the bathroom of my dreams...

...I mean, just look at that tile!

{Designed by Greg Natale}

{oh joy eats} breakfast at the parish...

The Parish has been getting lots of praise for being one of L.A.'s best new resturants, and one of my favorite things to do is explore the breakfast or lunch menu at restaurants that are known for their dinner menus. For me, it's like seeing what a chef might make at home...a more casual version of their palate, if you will...

The breakfast staples at The Parish include a few kinds of biscuit sandwiches, like Fried Chicken with Maple Dijon and Pickles, Trout with Jalapeno Slaw, and Grilled Tomato and Cheese. They were all warm, savory, delicious and the perfect breakfast way to start the day.

I also loved the industrial, yet still warm and homey, feel of The Parish's Downtown L.A. space. The restaurant reminds me of one you'd find in Portland, with its very distinct aesthetic and comforting staples.

The Parish | 840 S. Spring St. | Los Angeles, CA 90014 |  213.225.2400

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. My outfit: Trench jacket from A-Thread, corduroys by J.Crew, blouse by Lauren Moffatt (similar), bag by Clare Vivier, boots c/o Loeffler Randall.} 

feeling just a bit of neon...

Who would have thought? A couple years ago, neon returned from the 80's and is still going strong! I'm loving our current version of neon with tiny doses here and there...

{01. pillow by Ferm Living, 02. Jeni's rainbow frozen yogurt, 03. Schier shoes, 04. Madewell tank, 05. Boutique 9 heels, 06. Atsuyo et Akiko kids tee, and 07. Fable and Lore necklace.}

a day with us...

 

Last month, the girls over at Small Fry spent the afternoon with me and Ruby to film us for their sweet series on mothers and their kids. Shot by the talented Jenner Brown, this little movie beautifully captures the simple moments from our day. Thanks so much to Jenna, Nicole, and Emily for having us, and to Jenner for his ability to capture beauty in everyday things. I'm honored to be included—I'll treasure this little film forever. 

{Video: Jenner Brown. Music: "Make a Noise" by Katie Herzig.}

currently snacking on...

One of my favorite desserts of all time is chocolate mousse. Today, I got a craving for it...but didn't have a ton of time to make it the real way. So, my quick version? Combine 8 oz. of heavy whipping cream, one packet of hot chocolate mix {I used salted caramel hot chocolate}, and a teaspoon of sugar. Then, whip on high until thick and fluffy. You can eat it by itself or with berries of choice. Even better, if you freeze the mixture and wait at least an hour, it turns into a light chocolate treat...almost like a Frosty!

{Photos by Oh Joy. Napkin by September Designs, glass egg coddler from Herriott Grace, spoon from Design Within Reach.}

you like hearts, hunh?

We took these photos on Christmas day after Bob commented that I have a lot of things with hearts on them. I said, "Oh yeah...I'll show you! C'mon Ruby! Let's count 'em!"

...that last photo says it all...

"Mama, are we done yet??"

{Photos by Bob Cho. Ruby's sweater from Pink Chicken.}

some wearable textiles i'm loving...

Patterns on fabric are one of my weaknesses. So I love seeing how artists, illustrators, and designers translate their work into fabric form. Here are a few new textiles I'm loving right now from Leah Goren {top and bottom photos} and Lulie Wallace {middle photos}...

{los angeles} top 20 bites of 2012...

With a new family member in tow, 2012 included a lot more casual dining as we attempted to keep meals on the quicker side whenever possible. But I certainly continued to snack {a lot!} and explore the range of foods that L.A. has to offer. Here are my Top 20 Bites of 2012 in Los Angeles {in no particular order}...

1. The Brown Bread and Brown Rice Green Tea ice cream from Scoops {more here}.
Photo by Bonnie Tsang.

2. Crispy Pork &and Shrimp Potstickers with Curry Aioli &and Sweet Soy Reduction from the Asian Cravings truck.

3. Twenty-course omakase from Sushi Nishi-ya.

4. An ice cream sandwich {made with cupcake tops!} from Sprinkles Ice Cream {more here}.
Photo by Bonnie Tsang.

documenting the first year...

Remember when we used to have photo albums with actual printed photographs in them? With the amount of images from our iPhones, our "good" cameras, and those taken by friends and family, it can be so hard to keep up with all the digital photos you take of your kids, especially in that first year when you're super snap-happy. So, after Ruby was born, whenever we snapped a photo that was a keeper, I filed it into a folder on my computer marked by month. I'd also email photos to our parents and post them on Facebook, too, but the plan was that I'd make a book at the end of year with all our favorites in chronological order.

There are a few great sites where you can make books, but I decided to try out a new one called Artifact Uprising because I loved the cloth covers and how high-quality the paper looked. And, when the end of year came, it was that much easier to start laying out a book because I already had all of my favorite photos saved by month. All I had to do was narrow down the picks even more (because who wants a 1,000 page book?!?). It was so fun looking back through our photos and looking back at how tiny Ruby once was, too...