Introducing Oh Joy! for Petco!

Today is the day! I'm SO excited to announce our newest collection for...are you ready? PETS! We've partnered with the go-to retailer, Petco, to bring you all the essentials for your pet with a dash of color, whimsy, and fun. Our new Oh Joy! for Petco holiday collection includes bowls, beds, collars, toys, clothing, and gifts for the pet owner! Take a look... 

Accessories for you and your pet! Our collection not only includes all the necessities for your pet but also includes lots of fun pieces for YOU, like mugs, tumblers, and catchalls. They also make great gifts for your friends and family who adore their pets as much as you adore them.

Holiday decor and lots of cute toys! From plush toys to rope toys to rubber toys, we've got something for your pup to play with and for you to put under the tree for them this year. And for the pet lover in your life? Get them our whimsical cat and dog ornaments as the perfect gift.

Festive Clothing! Celebrate the season in with our festive party attire! Our dog tuxedos, dresses, bandanas, and bowties are perfect for holiday parties and to ring in the New Year. I mean, can you even take the cuteness here?!!?

The Oh Joy! for Petco holiday collection is in select stores now and is online for SIX WEEKS only! Grab them while you can. And be sure to tag us on Instagram with #OhJoyForPetco so we can see and share your cuties!  

Special thanks to our amazing models: Maggie, Rossi, JJ, Lazer, Lucy, Hero, Mosbey, and Dolly Parton. 

{Pet photos by Grace Chon. Flatlay photos by Lily Glass. Styling and production by Wilmarose Orlanes, styling assistance by Jess Hong.}

Oh Joy! Builds A House: The Design and Architecture of our Home!

I'm so excited to finally start sharing the design process with you on our house! Let's start at the very beginning...and now queue the Sound of Music ;). Before I can show you every room we are designing and get into all that juicy interiors stuff, let's dive into the design of the physical structure of the house. This is the part of the process which you don't have to think about when buying a house because it's already there. But in our case, we're building from scratch and have the ability to customize and design our house based on my family's needs. It's been a long (but very fun!) process...

Previously, I shared how I found an Architect and Contractor for our house. So, now let's go back 4 years in time when we first began the process with our architects, Project M+.

Here's what we knew we wanted and some inspiration images we pinned for them:
- 4 bedrooms plus 3-4 bathrooms
- At least 3000 square feet. We didn't need a HUGE house but wanted more space than our current 1500 square feet that we've lived in for the past 8 years. We wanted a size that was reasonable for our land but also not too small that we would eventually outgrow.
- A flat outdoor yard so our kids could play and we could entertain
- We did not need both a formal and non-formal dining room since we wanted an outdoor dining area, too.
- We also did not need a formal and non-formal living room as we didn't have endless space to be able to build and we're completely happy with just one main living room area.
- We wanted the flow to feel very indoor/outdoor with large doors and windows. We love mid-century and Danish modern styles so we wanted those as inspiration while still feeling warm and cozy

Here were a few of my inspiration images from our Pinterest Board:

(Sources, left to right, top to bottom: Contemporist, Studio Ko, Ventanas, Blueprint Effect.)

Based on those images plus the information we provided our architect, here's a look at the evolution of the design process for the home's design...

1. Looking at the levels of the house and how it fits into the hillside. The first step was for Project M+ to explore multi-levels and play with modern shapes to create a continuous space that would be built into the hillside. This is where they were also considering our hillside view from inside out and where you find refuge and cozy areas as well. While we were open to three floors because it felt unique, we didn't like how the levels felt too boxy with and didn't connect as fluidly to one another. We also preferred two levels vs. three after seeing this first rendering.

2. Revising the general flow. Next, here was a two-story approach still working off modern lines but connecting them a bit more by having one large rectangle sitting on top of two smaller squares. We liked the large windows and the flow from inside to outside but wanted a mix of glass, wood, and some warmer materials.

3. A 3-D Model! Then, the house became more finalized as a two-story house that had a bit of a U shape from the top. Real-life materials were added in for reference and Project M+ even made us a small version for ants (ha!) so that we could begin to visualize it in 3D. From there, we made some more tweaks but were overall happy with the layout and structure of the house.

4. Renderings. Then, we got more detailed renderings to help visualize the scale, materials, and how each part looks in relation to one another. After this step, technical plans were finalized and we were ready to go into the permit process (which took TWO YEARS after that)! A few things have changed from here, but this gives you a good idea of where we're headed.

The design process from start to finish took less than a year. We could have finished sooner than that, but I had a baby mid-way through the process, so we took our time. Then, the permits took about two years, and then we went and found a contractor. Hence, why I have to go back in time to tell you all of this, but it's SO, SO fun to take this trip back and still be very happy with where we are headed.

Check out my post over at Architectural Digest's Clever for my tips on what to consider when beginning to design your home! And, if you have any questions or other parts you'd love to learn about in this process, please leave a comment below!

{Unless noted, all photos by Lily Glass. Architecture, renderings and models by Project M+} 

new oh joy! x erin condren designs for fall...

Happy Monday! Today, we have three FRESH NEW Oh Joy! x Erin Condren designs just in time for fall: Joyful Jungle, Lovely Lines, and Dainty Dabs! In addition to these three prints, we're also introducing a few brand new items to help you stay organized this season. Yep, that's right! We now have petite journals perfect for jotting ideas on-the-go, bigger journals, paper tape, notebooks, wedding planners, address books, and more...

Joyful Jungle — This tropical design features lush greens, deep blues, pretty pinks, and fun metallic accents. If I HAD to pick a favorite new print, this one might be it! Here we have it in our Planner Folio, Notebook, Petite Journal, Notepad, and Notecards! 

Lovely Lines — This print is subtle, playful, and sophisticated all at once! It's a fun twist on the traditional stripe design and, of course, has pops of gold metallic throughout, making it perfect for fall. Here you can see it in our Notebook, Petite Journal, and Notepad. PLUS, can you spot our new Floral Festival Paper Tape?

Dainty Dabs — I love how delicate this design is! We layered brushstrokes in all the autumnal hues on a navy backdrop to create the perfect blend for fall and winter. We added in silver metallic strokes as well, making it look like a sparkly night sky. Here we have our Planner Folio, LifePlanner™, Journal, Notepad, Petite Journal, and Notecards! 

Which one is your favorite? You can shop them all exclusively online now at Erin Condren! There are so many great ones to stock up for holiday gifts for relatives, friends, teachers, and co-workers, too!

{Photos by Lily Glass. Styling by Julia Wester, styling assistance by Jess Hong.} 

happy friday + oh joy from 2005 to 2018...

You guys! Oh Joy is officially a teenager! When I started this business 13 years ago, I never expected to have a business that was so connected to a community of people through the Internet! I never thought I'd make real, live friends through it. I never thought I'd connect with people all over the world and get to share my vision with complete strangers. I never thought that it would give me the opportunity to create something from nothing and create a job I truly love doing every day.

In celebration, I'm looking back at the last 13 years to show how things have changed and evolved and grown (both personally and professionally) in the last decade. This is a long post (but a fun one). So I hope you'll hang out and read along...

You guys! Oh Joy is officially a teenager! When I started this business 13 years ago, I never expected to have a business that was so connected to a community of people through the Internet! I never thought I'd make real, live friends through it. I never thought I'd connect with people all over the world and get to share my vision with complete strangers. I never thought that it would give me the opportunity to create something from nothing and create a job I truly love doing every day.

In celebration, I'm looking back at the last 13 years to show how things have changed and evolved and grown (both personally and professionally) in the last decade. This is a long post (but a fun one). So I hope you'll hang out and read along...

all four collections of Oh Joy Band-Aids over the years!

Since this is our very last collection of BAND-AID^® Brand Adhesive Bandages by Oh Joy! & First Aid Kit by Oh Joy after four amazing years, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down design memory lane and take a peek at all four collections over the years...

Oh Joy! Builds a House: Construction Loans!

This might be the most exciting day of your life because I am holding a TON of piggy banks about to talk about LOANS! But seriously, I am VERY excited to discuss this topic with you because there are lots of misconceptions about how anyone can afford to build a house. The answer is...most people do it with loans! I was completely overwhelmed by this process when I started, but I have since learned SO much and want to share that with you...

Here's what most people think about paying for a huge home project (a custom build or major renovation):

A. You need all cash to build a house. (NOT TRUE. I don't have cash just lying around, and here I am doing this crazy project!)
B. You need to have saved up a lot of money. (SORT OF TRUE. You do need to have some savings to be able to qualify and provide a down payment to close a loan. The amount of the down payment will vary, but could be up to 20-25% of your loan amount. However, things like owned land can be used as equity towards this down payment.)
C. You can use a credit card to pay for a home renovation. (NOT A GOOD IDEA. Credit card interest rates are much higher than a loan and unless you are using a credit card to help your overall credit, get points on your credit card, and then pay off each month in full, then don't do it.)

Mortgages vs. Construction Loans
You may already be familiar with mortgages if you've ever bought a home or are in the market for a home. A mortgage is a loan you can get to buy an existing house that you pay back over time (10, 15, 30 years, etc.). The amount of the mortgage you are given is based on your financial credit, cash flow, income, and the value of the home you want to buy. Construction loans are similar but also different. If you do Google search for "Construction Loans", you will get a ton of information about it. All of that information can be overwhelming and confusing, so I wanted to explain how they work from my experience over the last couple years.

Essentially, Construction Loans can be used to build a house from scratch or to do major renovations on an existing house.

Here's how a Construction Loan works:

1. In order to qualify for a Construction Loan, you need to first be approved for a Mortgage. The Construction Loan that you could get will eventually turn into a Mortgage when your renovation work or your new home is finished. So if you don't already have a mortgage, a bank needs to work backwards and first approve you for the Mortgage that you will eventually be paying off over time. This process is the same as applying for a Mortage, except that even if you are approved for the mortgage, it's not guaranteed you will be approved for a construction loan. You still need to go through additional steps to qualify.

2. A bank will usually lend you 70-80% of the value of your finished home. So, hypothetically (with made-up numbers here), if your finished home will be valued at $100,000, the bank can approve you for $70-80K in a construction loan. In some cases, that amount could completely cover the cost to build or renovate your home. But, let's say your work will cost $85K and the bank can only lend you $80K, you will need to come up with the difference of $5K to get approved for the Construction Loan (in additional to standard financial paperwork). Now, if you already own a home with a mortgage and looking for a Construction Loan for major renovations, your current mortgage will get factored into how much a bank can lend you for construction.

3. In a Construction Loan, the bank pays the contractor — not you. So, let's say you do in fact get this hypothetical $80K from the bank to cover the cost of your construction. Once the work starts, your contractor would request draws from the bank regularly (usually monthly) by providing a record of what work was done and what funds are being requested to be paid for. The contractor sends a "draw request" to you, you sign off on it, and then the bank pays that amount to the contractor. Sometimes the bank will send someone out to your project to make sure that work has, in fact, been completed before paying that amount. This process happens monthly until the project is completed. This is when a qualified and organized contractor comes into play because their ability to stay on schedule and complete the work that they are asking to be paid for will be reviewed by the bank regularly in order to get each phase of the project paid for.

4. Once building is complete, home construction loans are either converted to permanent mortgages or paid in full. Depending on your type of construction loan, you have either decided you will pay off the cost of your construction by the time the project is done. Otherwise, the money that you borrowed from the bank to pay the contractors now turns into a mortgage which you will pay off over time just like any other mortgage.

Now, keep in mind, I am not a bank nor am I a finance person. This explantation is a "101 of Construction Loans" and how I would explain it to a friend or family member asking me about it. But, if you have any other questions...please feel free to ask in the comments below and I will do my best to answer!

You can see more over at my post on Architectural Digest's Clever to see the details on what a Construction Loan can cover.

{Photos by Lily Glass. Styling by Wilmarose Orlanes, styling assistance by Jess Hong.} 

a gift from us to you for 13 years!

13 years ago this month, I started a blog and a design company called Oh Joy! What was intended to be a side project while I was looking for a new job turned into my real life job. I went from being a graphic designer and designing for a ton of other people's brands to having a site to share my inspirations and ideas, collaborating with brands to make products, writing books about various topics I was passionate about, being a business consultant for hundreds of other small businesses, growing a team, and doing more things than I ever thought possible. I'll go into a bigger recap of our last 13 years at the end of the month, but for today, I wanted to THANK YOU all for being here and for coming to this site and visiting our site, purchasing our products, reading our books, and for your support in general.

I can't hug each and every one of you, but I can thank you with some amazing giveaways we have planned over the next 13 days! I have always loved sharing the work and products of other companies I love, so I've partnered with 13 of them to give one of YOU something! So, please follow along on our @ohjoy Instagram account for a new giveaway every morning at 7am PST/10am EST with giveaways with: Sugarfina, Max Wanger, Clare V, Loeffler Randall, DryBar, Hedley & Bennett, Ace & Jig, Artifact Uprising, State Bags, Joybird, Maya Brenner, Jeni's Ice Cream, and, of course, the Oh Joy! shop!

{Top photo by Lily Glass, styling by Wilmarose Orlanes, styling assistance by Jess Hong, graphics by Angie Stalker.} 

Oh Joy! Builds A House: Choosing an Architect and Contractor

After finding land, our next step in building our forever home was to find an architect and contractor to make this dream come to life. The process in which this happens can vary depending on what type of home you're building. There are some developers and builders you can hire to design and build a custom home with both parts built into their process. In these cases, they may have specific types of land to build on or have a set style they build and design to. But you know by now, our land is on a hill and not the easiest to build on, so we chose each partner (Architect and Contractor) separately based on who was the best fit for our project.

Here's a video that shows at a glance of the process and how we went about it! We found an architect first and fully designed our house before finding a contractor that could execute it. Because the reality is...you can't get an estimate for the cost of construction until you have a design to show. And, both are crucial to my next post about getting construction loans for a home build. And, you can't get a construction loan until you know how much it's going to cost to build your home and you don't know how much it will cost until you have a design in place. There are so many interconnected parts to this process that heavily rely on one another.  

The Architects. Cleo and McShane of Project M+ had recently finished building their own house around the time we were contemplating this crazy project. We had mutual friends in common so we chatted with them about their process. The next thing you know, we got to see their own home first hand which is a prime example from their own portfolio. Their style and aesthetic matched what we were looking for, and after a few phone calls to various past clients, we decided to hire them to design our home. They were really the first partners of ours for this project when we first found the land four years ago as we spent a good chunk of the first year with them designing and prepping for permits. We have had many in-person meetings as you do in the early stages of any design process. But once major designs are in place, we now communicate a lot by phone and email. In upcoming posts, we'll dive deeper into our actual home design and that whole process!

 

If you are looking for an architect and don't have any personal referrals, ask around as much as possible on Facebook, Instagram, and any social media channel you use. Chances are that friends, acquaintances, or even strangers who follow you or you may follow have similar tastes so those suggestions are a great start! You can also check out sites, like Houzz, where many architects feature their work!

 

The Contractors. When it came to finding a contractor, I asked every architect I knew for a referral. Architects are a great place to start because they have to work with contractors on every job to make their designs come to life. Because both my husband and I work very busy full-time jobs, we needed a contractor who was very organized and had great communication skills. This is where Boswell Construction came in. While they were higher in price than another contractor we almost went with, their communication and organization skills are incredible so we felt they were worth the value they would bring to our project. We have weekly meetings on site (which is crucial for us on staying informed with our entire team), they respond to emails and texts quickly, and really make the process as seamless as possible for us. Most of your interaction with a contractor will happen after construction begins. Some people are very involved with their sub-contractors and want to be able to choose each sub-contractor for the job. We chose to let our contractor handle most of that. We do get to chose between some subs if there are varying price options, but for the most part, we do not interact with the sub-contractors.

 

In this process of choosing both an Architect and Contractor, you'll likely meet and interview several of each. After you decide who you're going with, I always like to close the conversation with those you have not chosen. While you don't necessarily owe them a "We've chosen someone else" email, I think it's good feedback for everyone to know why they didn't get chosen for a job. Whether it's due to their fees, you wanted a smaller or bigger company to work with, their style wasn't quite right, etc. That helps to inform them for their own knowledge and everyone can move on being in clear communication with one another of where you stand.

 

Check out my post over at Architectural Digest's Clever, for the specific criteria I suggest looking for in both an Architect and Contractor!

If you have any other questions about this process or anything else you want to see in my upcoming posts on this project, please leave a comment here so I can make sure to reply and cover it!

 

{Photos by Lily Glass, video by Jenner Brown}

Our final edition of Oh Joy Band-Aid Bandages!

I'm excited to announce our fourth (and very last!) collection of Oh Joy! BAND-AID^® Brand Adhesive Bandages is here! You guys have been SO amazing in your support and love for them over the last three years, so we're excited to bring you one last collection available exclusively at Target!

We’ve partnered with BAND-AID^® Brand again for a fourth year to design bandages that help cover up minor cuts and scrapes but make the healing process way more fun. We have all new designs and the same square-shaped bandages for elbows and knees as well as standard shapes for fingers and everything else. 

The handy First Aid Kit can be used to keep at home, in the car, at the office or in your purse so that you are always prepared to #SavetheDay. The new BAND-AID^® Brand Adhesive Bandages by Oh Joy! will be available only at select Target stores and Target.com for $2.79 beginning TODAY. 

P.S. The First Aid Kit by Oh Joy! is free with the purchase of three qualifying items (such as BAND-AID^®Brand SKIN-FLEX™ Adhesive Bandages, NEOSPORIN^® + Pain, Itch, Scar, BAND-AID^® Brand of First Aid Products All-in-One Adhesive Gauze Pad and Tapes, and Extra Strength BENADRYL^® Itch Stopping Cream.)

{Photos by Lily Glass. Styling by Wilmarose Orlanes, styling assistance and crafting by Jess Hong.}

back only for a limited time only...

Guess what's back, back, back and better than ever?! We've been blown away by your love for our Oh Joy! for Freshly Picked collection. So today, we've got something extra special and SUPER limited-edition up our sleeves. We're bringing back two of our sold-out designs, Moon Bounce and vintage (circa 2015) best-seller Pin the Petal, in the Mini Sole style! The Mini Sole shoes are meant for little ones who are learning to walk, skip, hop, and play, so they have a rubber sole to help grip during those first steps. 

Who remembers our Pin the Petal design from 2015?! These sold out SUPER fast when we first launched them and they were re-printed a handful of times and kept selling out. So we're super excited to bring them back for this run with the hard soles. 

Our Moon Bounce design was the first to sell out with our most recent collection. So if you missed your chance the first time OR if you want them with a rubber sole, too, shop now in bigger sizes before they're gone again! 

You can buy them all now online for a limited time only at Freshly Picked! 

{Photos by Lily Glass. Styling by Wilmarose Orlanes, styling assistance by Jess Hong.}