one potato, two potato...

Ever since I was allowed to use an oven (probably in middle school), one of my favorite things to make when I wanted to eat something filling, yet easy, was a baked potato. Especially when I was broke in college, I ate my fair share of baked potatoes slathered with butter and a ton of cheese. No matter when you make it, it's just so satisfying.

Combining the comfort of a baked potato with some unexpected ingredients, we made these mini baked potatoes which are perfect for making when people come over...or for a late night snack for yourself...

Here's how:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Place small yellow dutch potatoes in a baking dish or baking sheet.

3. Bake covered for 30 minutes, and then uncover and bake or another 10 minutes until golden brown and give in when squeezed.

4. Top butter, salt, and extra toppings of your choice!

Here are some combinations we love...

1. Peas, proscuttio, basil, and a dash of pepper is like an artisanal sandwich in miniature potato form.

2. Edamame, pomegranate seeds, green onions, mozzarella cheese, and a sprinkle of spicy korean chili seasoning tastes savory with an asian twist.

3. Peaches, walnuts, ricotta cheese, and a drizzle of honey is creamy and a tad sweet almost like a sweet potato.

Are there any other baked potato toppings you make and love?

{Photos by Casey Brodley, styling by Julia Wester, production by Julia Wester and Jessica Hong}

happy friday + a 24 hour escape from reality...

This weekend, I'm headed to Vegas with a couple friends to see BRITNEY SPEARS! Besides the fact that I am reliving my youth through pop music concerts, this will be the first time that I am leaving my kids overnight for...F-U-N. I've been away from them for a night or two when I've had to go out of town for work but never because I wanted to just do something for myself. I love my family more than anything, but every once in a while, a mama needs a break, too. So for a short and sweet 24 hours, I'll be with my girlfriends, having a really nice dinner, and then dancing up a storm to old school Britney beats.

What do you guys have planned for the weekend? I hope you have some R&R whether it's all weekend or in perfect small doses.

P.S. Oh, and if you haven't seen this Parent Fantasy Hotline video, you must. It's pretty funny to watch both from a parent and non-parent perspective.

{Photo by Jennifer Young + Geronimo}

3 ways to decorate with string lights...

The year was 1997, and I moved into my first college dorm room at Syracuse University. As every college student does with limited space and limited decor options, I taped string lights (um, Christmas lights to be exact) to my side of the room onto the painted cement walls. I plugged them in every night while doing my homework and always found them to add just the perfect glow. Fast forward to 2016, and I still love string lights. Used in the right way, a strand (or two or three) casts the most subtle and beautiful glow in any space. So here are a few ways to decorate with string lights (we used the Oh Joy for Target dotty lights in these examples)...

dressing the babe / fancy florals...

When you have kids, one of the last things you think about is getting dressed up with them. Who puts their kids in fancy clothes, anyway?!? Well, we decided to get dressed up in our latest Dressing the Babe because it's fun to feel a little extra special (and a baby in a swishy skirt or dress is pretty epic). Whether it's for a wedding or other special occasion, here's my take on a fancy outfit for me and my babe...

I'm a sucker for a pleated skirt—it adds so much movement and texture to the outfit. I also added in a dickie (when's the last time you've seen someone wear those?) to add a little extra softness and contrast around the neck of this floral blouse.

Mama outfit / 1. Marimekko blouse, 2. Le cou Miette collar, 3. J.Crew pleated skirt (past season / similar), 4. BC shoes (past season / similar).

Oh, this outfit that I wish came in my size! There are just no words...

Babe outfit / 5. Crew & Lu floral top, 6. Crew & Lu striped skirt, 7. Crew & Lu collar, 8. shoes by Zuzii.

If you have kids (or even if you don't), try getting extra dressed up for a day. Don't worry about what will stain, if your kids will make a mess of their outfit (or yours) and just enjoy that fancy feeling. It's pretty fun not to always be so practical sometimes, too.

{Photos by Casey Brodley, flat styling by Julia Wester, outfit styling by Joy Cho. Coco is 16 months and sadly, a real toddler now!}

put a cushion on it!

We love modern chairs around here. But have you ever noticed how hard they are and not-always-so-comfortable on your bum? So we decided to make an easy (and cute) update to all the chairs in our studio by making custom cushions to all of them. They also inject just the right amount of color and pattern to each piece. Here's how...

i like your half bootie...

I've been a bootie fan for a while because it goes well with both jeans and skirts and perfectly fits the weather here in LA when the weather changes from cool to warm all in the same day. My newest love is a shoe that may seem impractical when you actually need real boots. But they are pretty amazing when the weather warms up and you want a shoe with coverage that isn't as full-on as a boot. I'm calling these the half bootie because they have cut-outs or peep toes and merge a sandal with a bootie for a fun style that I am totally digging right now. Here are a few of my favorites ranging from low to high (from $40 to $400)...

1. Kelsi Dagger shootie, 2. dv for Target booties, 3. Target cut-out bootie, 4. Loeffler Randall peep-toe bootie, 5. Loeffler Randall clo slides, 6. Jeffrey Campbell booties, 7. Bryr peep toe bootie, 8. Toms peep toe booties, 9. Aldo booties, 10. Bryr spanish toe clogs.

happy friday + how to be you...

Happy Friday guys! I recently wrote an article for Time called "How to Be You". It was an important topic for me to write about as a woman who was one a girl and a teenager with low self-confidence who spent so long trying to figure out who I was in this world. But it was also important to me as a creative person and business woman trying to figure out my style and what makes me and my business...well, me. Here is an excerpt from the piece below...

"There are lots of things I went to school to learn how to do: I’ve learned about graphic design, typography, advertising and various styles of art—like paper making, sculpture and figure drawing—that opened up my imagination and allowed me to get my hands dirty. But there’s one thing you don’t learn in school that’s so, so important: How you can be you.

Learning how to be “you” is actually really hard. We spend much of our lives (if not our whole lives) trying to figure that out. Here are some strategies I’ve found helpful as starting points..."

If you have a chance to read it, you can find the full article right here...

{Photo by Casey Brodley, styling by Julia Wester. Decals by Oh Joy for Target.}

oh joy it up!

We've had such a fun time styling rooms with the new Oh Joy for Target home decor collection. Today, I’ll show you how you can refresh a space and add a little Joy to everyday. Watch the video below and follow along on our Pinterest board to see more styling and decorating ideas!

Share how you’re using the collection in your home with the hashtag #ohjoyfortarget!

// CREDITS //
Brought to you by: Oh Joy + Target
Creative Direction: Joy Cho
Video: Jenner Brown
Music: “Lemonade“ by The Dinahs
Production and Styling: Julia Wester
Production Assistant: Casey Brodley
Hair and Makeup: Danielle Walch
Graphics: Angie Stalker

wallpapering for renters...

Oh wallpaper. It's one of those home decor items that so many people love, but so many are also afraid of. Whenever I share photos of my living room (which is covered head-to-toe in wallpaper), we get a lot of questions from those of you who can't or don't want to put up something so permanent. Usually, you love wallpaper but...

A. You don't own your home and your landlord won't let you use wallpaper.

B. At $150/roll, it can get pricey to wallpaper a whole room or even a whole wall.

C. You're not sure if you will love THAT ONE PATTERN...forever.

So we came up with an easy solution for adding some wallpaper love to your home that doesn't involve a huge commitment or lots of money. Simply wallpaper one giant panel and turn it into a statement piece for any room. We used one single roll of wallpaper from Justina Blakeney's collection to demonstrate. Here's how...

career day / an apron maker...

A couple years ago, I met Ellen Bennett of Hedley & Bennett after we were searching for a local maker to feature for this post. After seeing her insatiable love of life, her business mentality, and her amazing way with kids, she and I became friends in real life. She has been an incredible friend, mentor to my kids, and is one of the hardest working people I know...and she's only 28 years old. So for our newest career day, I took Ruby to visit "Auntie Ellen's" apron factory to design her own apron and learn what it's all about. Ruby even got to bring her little sister to tag along when she came back to see the final product...