fancy cookie dough...

My new favorite snack to have on hand lately is really good pre-made cookie dough. As much as I would love to be the type of domestic goddess who could just whip up cookies from scratch on a whim, it's just not the way it all goes down. I'd much rather buy cookies from someone who is a better baker than me and know they'll satisfy my serious cookie cravings.

So, as a good compromise to myself, I've been stocking up fancy cookie dough. It's something I love having on hand in the fridge or freezer and can make a few at a time {or a whole dozen} when the mood strikes. And, it's way quicker than making them from scratch and guaranteed to be good if you're not a natural baker like me. One of my favorite options for dough available locally is from FarmShop in Brentwood. These chocolate chunk cookies are crazy good {dark chocolate cookie with dark, milk, and white chocolate chunks}. I defrosted the dough, followed the directions, and they came out perfect. I also love the Simply... Pillsbury and Immaculate Baking Co. ones for brands available at the grocery store. And, so good for last minute gifts to bring to a party or potluck! ' Joy

{photos by Oh Joy}

my {power meeting} uniform...

Joy and I are both freelancers which means our meetings might be a 9am phone conference in our pajamas, a 12 noon brunch, or at 5:30pm for cocktails before sunset'no day is ever the same.

I like to show my personality when I first meet a client, so that means most likely I'll be wearing bright and punchy colors. My version of a power meeting outfit shows that you can still look professional while mixing colors and patterns in a fun, yet sophisticated way...  ' Bri

{Dinner (top to bottom): Michael Kors watch, H&M dress, Etsy iPad case, Kate Spade Heels. Brunch (top to bottom): Elva Fields necklace, J.crew t-shirt, Topshop blazer, Anthropologie colored denim, Shoemint flats.}

crazy cool...

I'm currently brainstorming for a new project. So, while researching, I came across the amazing embroidered typography and illustrations of Australian twin sisters Maricor/Maricar. How gorgeous are these? I could stare at them all day...' Joy

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the four seasons of ice cream...

If ice cream had a fan club, I'd probably be the president. That's why books about ice cream make me salivate like a dog at a bone store. Seattle-based Molly Moon just launched a new drool-worthy book, Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream. And, I love how the book is organized by seasons'like Mexican Chocolate ice cream and Blood Orange sort for winter, Blueberry Frozen Yogurt for spring, and Pumpkin Clove ice cream for fall. No matter the season, the book encourages using fresh, local ingredients and experimenting with really fun flavor combinations. Don't these photos make you want to dive right in? ' Joy

{photos by Kathryn Barnard}

little love...

I hope you all had a nice long holiday weekend! We had a great time in Philly. Ruby caught a cold at the very end, so our plane ride home was not quite as pleasant as the one going there {let's just say that Bob was passing out ear plugs to our surrounding passengers at one point}. But not every flight with a baby will be perfect, right? Ruby met so many family members and some of our good friends while in town. One of our favorites was her date with her long-distance boyfriend, Mars, who is just a couple months older. It seems like just yesterday that Mars' mom and I were in the Bahamas pregnant together. These two were so cute...and little Mars sure does know what he wants! ' Joy

{photos by Oh Joy}

a few of my favorite things...

You know how sometimes you wear the same thing(s) over and over again? I thought I'd share with you a few of my favorite things right now...a J.Crew clutch {for lunch and dinner dates}, Keds metallic shoes {SO comfy!}, this watch from Anthropologie {to keep me staying on time!}, and a friendship bracelet by Ariel Gordon {love the mix of cord and chain}. What are some of your current staples? ' Joy

{photo by Oh Joy}

happy long weekend...

Happy Friday guys! I've had a great week home in Philly seeing family and friends. And, Ruby did great on the plane ride! She had a couple moments of crankiness but was a pretty happy baby the majority of the time. Luckily, our middle seat was free, so she sat and played in her own seat with her favorite toy {an empty plastic water bottle!}. She even got to visit the Urban Outfitters corporate office while I was there working at an event for Anthology, and we stopped by to see some of our friends who work at UO and Anthropologie {and put in her application for a job there in 20 years...ha!}.

We're spending today doing a little eating at our favorite Philly places and wrapping up the rest of our week home with a few more family visits. What are you guys up to this weekend? Wishing you a fun, long Memorial Day weekend! I'll see you back here on Tuesday after the holiday weekend! ' Joy

{Instagram photo of us at the 543 Building at the URBN campus}

{fashioned florals} a pink flower crown...

It's no doubt that flower crowns are popular these days and with plenty of reason! They're feminine, whimsical, and really, so much fun. I recently made one for a friend's bridal shoot and realized that I needed to put a DIY together for this, just because. 

Hop on down for the steps ... 

1. I started with some blue thistle, some tiny white blooming spirea, an unusual peach and pink carnation, two camellias {one pink, one white}, and one stray vine from my yard, and I got to work. {If you don't have any vines at your disposal, grab some ribbon, metallic elastic, floral wire, or even a headband. All can work in this scenario!}

2. Work through all the blooms by cutting their stems short, as we'll wire them next. The greens or "backing" should be an inch or two long while the vine's base should get cleared of any leaves on its bottom inch of length.

3. Now it's time to wire! We've covered it before in previous fashioned florals posts, but go through and wire each bloom with floral wire. Next, tie two pieces of greenery {I used spirea} that will be the base that the flowers are attached to. 

4. It's now time to use all these beautiful blooms as you attach them by wrapping their individual wires around the base of greens to create a central piece. It's good to have a couple of large blooms {one to three} which will be framed by smaller blooms, pods, or seeds. Picking a range of scales in elements helps a lot. I also used a quick duo of short floral wires to tie the vine into a crown shape. 

5. Now the best part! Affix the large piece to your crown of vines by using short pieces of floral wire and twisting everything together.

6. The finale! Make sure to use some bobby pins to keep things steady, even if you end up with an asymmetrical piece like mine is. You could also continue this further by attaching a series of small pieces together which will create an even bigger statement. Either way, they're a super fun accessory! ' Liz

{All photos by Liz for Oh Joy!}

{oh joy eats} bäco mercat in downtown la...

I'm a big fan of Lazy Ox Canteen and was excited to try Josef Centeno's newest endeavor, Bäco Mercat in the Old Bank district of Downtown LA. The dishes were inspired by off-menu late night snacks he'd create for family and friends.

Because I love grown-up sodas so much {especially because I craved them so much during pregnancy}, I was delighted to see that they make their very own version. Bäco Pop is an orange ginger juniper soda, and it's so good! Paired with their house made corn nuts, it was a perfect snack to start off with while waiting for our meal to arrive.

The signature dish at Bäco Mercat is the "Bäco"'a signature flatbread sandwich that was developed by the chef. Here, the bäco bread takes center stage and works as a vessel to hold pork, beef, poultry, seafood and vegetables. We had the Oxtail Hash with pickles, cheddar, and a crispy perfect tator tot smashed in the middle along with some super pretty roasted green tomatoes.

For a light interlude, I loved the Hamachi Crudo with bits of bacon and topped on a pile of avocado. We finished off our lunch with the Coco Flatbread pizza. This one, The Salty Jowel, included guanciale, tomato, ricotta, and a fried egg right on top. There's something about the addition of a slightly runny egg on things that always makes it even better to me.

Afterwards, the light rain had finally passed, and it was nice to sit outside and people watch after a delicious and filling meal. ' Joy

Bäco Mercat / 408 S. Main St. / Los Angeles, CA 90013 / 213.687.8808

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. My outfit: Heart sweater by ASOS, dress from past season of Roxy (similar), polka dot sandals c/o Loeffler Randall, bag is vintage, nail polish by Essie.}

love this...

...a crocheted mandarin orange bag by Leninka... ' Joy

you guys...

...this seriously melts me. We're heading to Philly today for Ruby's first trip home to visit all of her grandparents, meet her Uncle {my little brother} for the first time, and see a bunch of our close family and friends. Fingers crossed for a not-so-bad 5 hour flight with a 7 month old! ' Joy

oh joy for microsoft...

I've always wanted to bring some of my patterns into the tech world and soften up gadgets with a little pattern and prettiness. So, I'm excited to share my first foray into the tech world with this Artist Series mouse I designed for Microsoft.

In true Oh Joy style, a flutter of florals sprinkle onto the top in matte metallics of silver and gold. I've been using this mouse with my laptop and love how it stores flat when not in use...which is perfect for traveling. You can see more details about my Oh Joy mouse right here! ' Joy

{photos by Oh Joy}

chin, chin...

I have to admit, I'm not a huge drinker. Drinking was probably the only thing during pregnancy that I did not miss at all. But, that doesn't mean I won't entertain a cocktail or two every so often over dinner or at the end of a long day. So when I do take a sip of a little something, it's got to be full of flavor. Known for her colorful and glamorous blog full of the best rhymes, Mrs. Lilien has her very first book coming out later this month'Mrs. Lilien's Cocktail Swatchbook. It's full of the tastiest recipes that make even this cheap date want to throw back one or two.

Not only is the swatchbook format pretty genius, but the design of the book is full of color, pattern, and very visual directions for her one-of-a-kind cocktail concoctions. And, you'll find little tips threaded throughout for a seriously fun, must-have addition to your bar cart. You can pre-order the book right here, and stay tuned for her book tour this summer! ' Joy

{photos by Oh Joy}

{flavor stories} strawberry & cream popovers...

Perfect for a summer afternoon, these strawberry & cream popovers might just be my new favorite thing! They're a non-traditional take on the classic strawberry shortcake'think cream puff meets popover meets first of the season strawberries...yum!

Plus, they're super simple {and quick!} to make. Not only do they have a delightfully moist center and a perfectly crisp exterior, the mixture of vanilla pudding and fresh whipped cream is pretty darn delicious!

You'll need:
1 recipe for vanilla pudding, chilled
1 recipe for popovers, baked + cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened whipped cream
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced {smaller berries will work best}
confectioners sugar to garnish

Here's how:
1. Make a batch of vanilla pudding and refrigerate. 
2. Make one recipe of popovers, but omit the thyme leaves and add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and an additional teaspoon of sugar. Plus, replace the regular muffin tin {optional} with one meant for mini muffins {you'll have to bake three times which will yield between 32-36 popovers}. Let popovers cool on a wire rack.
3. Wash and slice a pint of fresh strawberries and set aside.
4. Whip about a cup of whipping cream with a touch of confectioner's sugar until it forms soft peaks.
5. Fold together equal parts whipped cream and vanilla pudding {you'll probably have leftover pudding}. 
6. Lay a couple sliced berries on each popover, add a spoonful of the cream mixture, then place a few more sliced strawberries on top and dust with confectioner's sugar.
7. Serve immediately and enjoy!

While I think they'd be great with just about any fruit, I'd love to try them with fresh raspberries and toasted sliced almonds! 

'Nikole

{photos by Michael Graydon, styling by Nikole Herriott for Oh Joy}

happy friday + hello 33...

Happy Friday friends! Today I woke up a year older and {maybe?} a year wiser. Ever since turning 30 a few years ago, I've actually enjoyed getting older. Life just gets better...friendships are fewer {but stronger}, your family grows in so many new ways, and you just become more confident in who you are and who you'll become. Even though so many things are still unknown and there's so much more to learn about, every year really just gets better. Thanks so much to all of you for being part of my journey through this site and through my work. Getting to do this job and reaching out to you every day really means so much to me. Okay, so enough of my sappiness...go out and have a great weekend guys! ' Joy

{iPhone photo above from a birthday dinner last night with some of my dearest friends at Son of a Gun.}

bites to go...

{1. food cozy from Branch, 2. to go containers from Crate & Barrel, 3. striped steel flask from Ikea, 4. Black + Blum's lunch pot from A+R, 5. lead the pack lunch bag from ModCloth, 6. heart utensils from Poketo. ' Joanna}