spotty paper perfection...

When I saw this wrapping paper at Anthropologie, my eyes nearly popped out of my skull. Amazing paper + the most beautiful and simple packaging (those die cut letters!)...gah...! A gift wrapped in this would be seriously so fun to open...

stay safe & warm...

Dear Friends on the East Coast,

I hope you're okay and staying safe and warm. I know your power is out and your internet is down and you are probably kind of scared, but please know we are all thinking about you and hoping this storm passes through very soon and stops breaking things.

Love, Joy

{photo by Max Wanger}

feeling like a fall peach...

As Halloween and Thanksgiving approach, I always start to get in the mood for warmer colors and textures. While pumpkin orange is typically the color of this season, I love the idea of mixing a classically summery color, like peach, with warm wood tones instead...

01. Zara girls' shoes, 02. pendant lamp from Terrain, 03. glittered ornaments from Leif, 04. box from Leif, 05. Kate Spade iphone case, 06. Toms sunglasses, 07. DWR coat rack.

happy friday + making new traditions...

The other day I took Ruby to the pumpkin patch over at Underwood Farms, which is about an hour outside of L.A. While most of the activities were a little advanced for her, she loved playing among the pumpkins and on the playground with the mini tractor. The funny thing is, it was the first time I've ever been to a pumpkin patch, too. Bob and I were talking about how we'd never been to one before because, culturally, it just wasn't something our parents did, or even knew about. So now that we're raising Ruby in an American culture and mixing in some new-to-us traditions that we never had growing up, it's fun to discover these things with her at the same time. Oh, and she loved seeing the animals on the farm since she's getting really good at animal noises...

P.S. Speaking of family traditions, here's a little guest post I wrote for A Cup of Jo earlier this week about a tradition we uphold for our parents...

{Ruby's romper by Bambinos & Bunny}

{blog, inc. book tour} last stop: austin!

My fifth and last stop for my Blog, Inc. book tour is in Austin, Texas on Thursday, November 8th! I've never been to Austin, so I'm really excited end the tour with a long weekend in what I hear is an awesome city. For those of you in Austin, you can RSVP to the book party right here.

Now, friends, give me the dish: what should we eat, where should we go, what should we do? I'll be there with Bob and Ruby for a long weekend. We've already got our hotel, but have nothing else planned. Any restaurants or bakeries or food stops I have to try? Any fun places to take Ruby that are especially unique to Austin? I'm all ears!

Oh, and for those of you who came to the LA event, the Smilebooth photos are up right here!

ps. You can read a recent interview about the book over at The Glitter Glide and an awesome recap of the Q&A from the New York book party at Dry as Toast. For those of you not in a city where I'm headed, we have a really fun live Q&A coming next month, so stay tuned!

{how i'd wear} a patterned skirt...

Lately, I've been transitioning from the flowy skirts of summer to a more streamlined silhouette for the fall. Something about the A-line shape sometimes feels a little too serious for me, so I love the using pattern to make a fun and not-too-formal statement. Here, I'm pairing this striped skirt with a colorful floral top and a spotty cross-body bag. Topped with a fall coat and some sparkly heels, I'm ready to head out to delicious dinner with friends!

1. ASOS coat, 2. Madewell floral tee, 3. Lauren Moffatt striped skirt, 4. ASOS bag, 5. heels from Anthropologie.

{illustration by Jennifer Vallez for Oh Joy}

hello, cuteness...

At my San Francisco book party a few weeks ago, some of the most stylish guests included a couple of toddlers dressed in these amazing graphic rompers and dresses with gold headbands. Turns out, their moms recently launched a kid's line called Bambinos & Bunny. I love how bold and fun the pieces are...seriously making a statement everywhere they go...and Ruby loves them too!

{oh joy eats} c+m...

I love finding hidden spots in this city. Tucked away in the beautiful Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in Mid-Wilshire, there's a sweet little cafe called C+M (Coffee and Milk) that serves up beautiful and delicious treats.

In between soaking up the lastest exhibits, we took a break to enjoy some tarts, pastries, and mini pies in the beautiful, light-filled space.

My favorite of the bunch was this lemon curd and lavender pop tart. It was just the right mix of sweet and tart...and I'm kind of really into lemon desserts these days. Oh, and C+M has savory bites, too (like brie and pear sandwiches), but the desserts are the real star in my book!

C+M (Coffee and Milk) | 5905 Wilshire Blvd. | Los Angeles, CA 90036 | 323.857.6180

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. My outfit: Denim top by Madewell, vintage floral dress (similar), shoes by Liebling from a past season (similar), bag by Madewell.}

simple virtues...

One of my favorite illustrators, Erin Jang, recently created a print of Simple Virtues to benefit cancer research. So many important people in my life have been affected by cancer or have loved ones who have, so I'm a big advocate of doing whatever we can to help in the battle. You can read more about Erin's mission and donate right here.

happy friday + ruby's dol...

Being born to a Thai mom and a Korean dad, Ruby's sure to have lots of cultural celebrations in her lifetime. For Bob's side of the family, we celebrated her 1 year birthday with a traditional Korean Dol celebration last week in Philly. The main part of the celebration includes a fortune-telling ritual, where various objects are placed in front of the baby, and the object that is picked gives an indication of what she'll be in the future...

{how i'd wear} patterned boots...

While on the East Coast last week, I was reminded of how much I miss the fall weather with its brisk cold air and that occassional rainfall. While I certainly can't complain about L.A. weather, I do miss stomping around in rain boots! I've recently become obsessed with these Loeffler Randall rain booties because they feel like they can be worn even after the sprinkles subside. Combined with a fun, graphic umbrella and a gorgeous scarf, here's my outfit of choice to wear with a fun pair of patterned boots.

1. Marimekko umbrella, 2. Scarf Shop scarf, 3. Trench coat from A-Thread (I've been wearing this everywhere lately!), 4. J.Crew blouse, 5. Apolis Market bag, 6. J.Crew jeans, 7. Loeffler Randall rain booties.*

ps. See you tonight Los Angeles! *Also, Loeffler Randall has kindly offered an early friends & family preview for Oh Joy readers: receive 20% off ALL purchases through this Saturday. Use code OHJOY20 at checkout!).

{illustration by Jennifer Vallez for Oh Joy}

what we did in new york...

While in Philly visiting family last week, we spent a couple days in New York for the third stop of my Blog, Inc, book tour. It was another quick trip, but we made sure to fit in a few delicious bites and plenty of play time for Ruby in the city's amazing playgrounds. Usually when I visit New York, I stay downtown or in Brooklyn, but this was my first time staying on the Upper West Side. We stayed satiated with burgers, tarts, and empanadas.

I had a great time at the New York book party, and it was so nice seeing so many friends who live, there as well as some fellow blogger friends I rarely get to see in person. Ruby even made an appearance, and I loved getting a little Smilebooth action in with my two favorite people.
Up next: Los Angeles tomorrow!

ps. For those who attended the NY book party, the photos are now up right here!

{Photos by Oh Joy, except bottom three from Smilebooth.}

bringing summer into fall...

Since I love dressing like summer, I wanted to share some ways that I'm bringing a bit of my summer into the fall...

1. I wore these polka dotted sandals into the ground and now obsessed with these dotty flats from Loeffler Randall that go with everything.*

2. My sweet, summer appetite goes right into fall with these indulgent recipes full of homemade goodness from the The Brown Betty Cookbook.

3. It's so fun to pick out blooms from the farmer's market, so I love the idea of keeping florals in our home, even in the winter, by using paper flowers like these by Frances & Francis.

4. It's almost time to update my summery floral calender from Rifle Paper Co. with this gorgeous new city version that has me craving a trip to a beautiful far-off land.

*ps. Loeffler Randall has kindly offered an early friends & family preview and 20% off discount for Oh Joy readers through this Saturday. Use code OHJOY20 at checkout!

{Photo of me with flowers by Bonnie Tsang}

the tastiest brussels sprouts...

A couple weeks ago, I share my favorite brussels sprouts recipe over at A Cup of Jo and wanted to share it with you here as well.

Growing up, I never actually had brussels sprouts because my parents only knew how to cook Thai food. But I had heard friends at school talk about them as this terrible vegetable that their moms made them eat. Brussels sprouts get a bad reputation for being bitter and boring, but when roasted, they're pretty amazing. Ironically enough, in the last few years, brussels sprouts seems to have made a resurgence on restaurant menus as chefs are redefining this vegetable into something that's seriously delicious. My husband and I enjoy these at least once a week, and I love adding a touch of my Thai heritage to the mix. We're huge garlic fans too and always throw in some extra cloves to roast which is an amazing extra touch of flavor and texture. Here's my go-to recipe....

happy friday + 1 year with ruby...

We've been in New York the last couple days, and Ruby has been loving all the sights and sounds (and the amazing local playgrounds) that this city has to offer. It's so fun to come back to a city I know and love and get to see New York through her eyes.

Today, my baby girl turns one! Holy cow, how did that happen? Everyone says that first year flys by, and they're not kidding! This last year has been the most emotional, overwhelming, yet amazing and wonderful year of my life. I have a new found respect for mothers and parents everywhere and can't wait for what's to come. We're having a traditional Dol celebration for Ruby this weekend at my in-law's, and then we celebrate her birthday with our friends back home in LA next week! I hope you all have an amazing weekend in store! See you Monday...

ps. Thanks so much to everyone who came out to my NY Book Party last night! It was so fun meeting you all. Next stop: LA on Thursday!

{how i'd wear} a patterned dress...

This week, it's all about the patterned statement dress. Lately, I've been really into vintage floral dresses and have been scouring Etsy in search of some great ones. However, vintage dresses usually never fit me quite right, so I end up getting them tailored a bit which is worth it to get to wear some of these amazing vintage patterns. For example, I recently got this vintage dress, and had it hemmed so it's bit shorter and more versatile. Paired with a cropped leather jacket, a chunky necklace, a gold polka dotted clutch, and some bright heels, this outfit feels perfect for a fall night out.

1. vintage floral dress from Etsy, 2. necklace by NotTuesday, 3. Leather jacket from Gap, 4. Scout and Catalogue clutch, 5. DV by Dolce Vita heels.

ps. See you tonight New York! Also, one of our sponsors, Serena & Lily, is giving Oh Joy readers 20% off and early access to their Friends & Family sale starting today before it opens to the public on October 16th. Enter SHAREOHJOY at checkout for early savings!

{illustration by Jennifer Vallez for Oh Joy}

make someone happy - no. 02: a sweet surprise

 

Fortune cookies are one of my favorite things to come across because I love the element of surprise. So, for this month's Make Someone Happy video, I'm sharing a simple way to add a custom message to one of my favorite treats and surprise someone in your life. I found these Siljans Croustades at the local grocery store, and they're the perfect companion to hold your sweet nothings. Big thanks to Stacia of Frosted Cupcakery for being my guest this time and helping me whip up these conversational sweets! Enjoy!

{Vdeo by Modshift. Music: Everything You Say" by Stella Stagecoach, licensed from With Etiquette. My dress is by Hound Design, shoes from Anthropologie from a past season, belt is from Madewell from a past season (similar), necklace by Yellow Owl Workshop, heart clutch by Ban.do.}

wish i had thought of that...

I get so inspired by seeing some of the crazy-creative solutions that people come up with. Here are a few wonderfully cool things I've been loving lately...

Del Popolo, a mobile pizzeria in San Francisco, specializes in rustic Neapolitan-inspired pizza (my favorite kind!). It's pretty much the coolest food truck I've ever seen and wishing I could go get some right now. The ingredients change daily so they're always offering up new pizza flavors baked up on the spot in 60 seconds.

Sian Zeng's magnetic wallpaper makes for an interactive surface for kids to play with and create scenes and stories of their very own with these beautiful animal magnets.

Finally, the already funded Instant Lab by The Impossible Project lets you turn your iPhone photos into real polaroids. While I love the instant nature of capturing a moment on-the-spot with a Polaroid camera, it can get pricey when the photos just don't turn out. With the cost of Polaroid film being so pricey, I love the idea of being able to print only the best photos of moments that seem to so often get captured on your phone.

What else have you guys seen lately that's blowing your mind with creativity?

what i did in san francisco...

Last Thursday, I spent 24 hours in San Francisco's East Bay for the 2nd stop of my book tour. Although it was a quick trip, I made sure to fit in some good eats and see my friend, Lisa's, new baby, Theo. It was my first night away from Ruby, so we Skyped before I headed out to my book signing (which was fun until she cried after realizing I wasn't actually there). Once I wiped away my baby-missing tears, we had such a fun book party. Chloé, who created my trailer, made a life-sized version of the pie truck from the video for the Smilebooth and brought the props from the video for display. It was an action-packed and super fun day. After a day back in LA, we flew off to Philly to visit family while in town for my NY Book Party on Thursday!

{Photos by Oh Joy, except bottom from Smilebooth. Above photos: Top by Lauren Moffatt, insanely good ice cream from Ici in Berkeley, little Theo is the first little man I've seen in an Oh Joy romper, Ruby's headband from Sara Rae Shop, fried chicken sandwich from Summer Kitchen in Berkeley, and a moment in the pie truck Smilebooth}

happy friday + my blog, inc. book trailer

You may have seen the debut of my new book trailer on Design*Sponge yesterday, but I'm excited to share the trailer for Blog, Inc. with you guys here too!

When brainstorming ideas for this trailer, I knew I wanted to do something fun, like my last one, but in a completely different medium'and I wondered how I could show a day in my life in a new way. So I worked with the amazing paper cut illustrator Chloé Fleury to create scenes that are inspired by my daily life and topics I love blogging about, with the hope that they'll spark a little inspiration for you guys, too. I hope you enjoy what we came up with! Have a great weekend, everyone!

ps. Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the book party in SF last night! I'll see you next Thursday, New York!

{Special thanks to Chloé Fleury for her amazing work and to Frances England for the music!} 

{how i'd wear} a patterned jacket...

This month is all about mixing patterned statement pieces into your wardrobe. Now that we're dipping into fall, I thought it would be fun to show you how I'd transition the bright patterns and colors of summer into my fall wardrobe!

While I'm not huge into animal prints, I almost fell over when I saw this new jacket from Emerson Fry. Patterned jackets can feel intimidating, but a neutral one like this pairs well with so many colors and other patterns as well. (And because it's not super cheap, you definitely want to be able to maximize its use with different options.)

For this look, I chose two colorful pieces: coral pants and a cobalt-blue bag. By focusing on just a couple of colors and keeping everything else neutral, the outfit feels bright without being overpowering. Also, when I mix patterns, it's all about scale. The pattern on the pants is much smaller in scale than the jacket; therefore they work together without being pattern overload. Stay tuned this month for more of my favorite pattern-on-pattern fall looks!

1. Emerson Fry jacket, 2. StyleMint tee, 3. Forever 21 bracelet, 4. Baggu suede tote, 5. Trousers from Madewell, 6. Zara flats.

ps. see you tonight San Francisco!

feeling like i love you in french...

When I decided to study French instead of Spanish in high school, it was purely out of the romantic notion that someday I'd go to France and impress everyone with my knowledge of their beautiful language. While it certainly came in handy during my trip to Paris in college, I sadly don't get to use those skills in my day-to-day life here in LA. So, I'll just pretend I still parlez Français and share these fun French-phrased pieces with you that I'm currently loving...

01. Rifle Paper Co. card, 02. Yellow Owl Workshop pendant, 03. Anek print, 04. Kate Spade bracelet, 05. Garance Dore for Kate Spade pull over, and 06. Atsuyo et Akiko onesie 

sweet & savory indulgences...

Here's what you'll need for the Brioche and Chocolate Grilled Cheese Sandwich:
Serves 4 people
8 Slices Brioche Bread (remove crusts, optional)
1 Bar Dark Chocolate(we used 72% cacao)
8oz Goats Milk Chèvre
8 Tablespoons of Coconut Jam (1 Tablespoon for each slice of bread)
1 Package Sprouts or Arugula
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
Salt and Pepper to taste

Here's how:
Prepare the sandwiches by laying out each slice of brioche and spreading 1 tablespoon of coconut jam on each slice. 

Divide up a small bunch of the greens evenly over four of the slices of bread. Then break up the chocolate and cheese over these same four slices of bread and season with salt and pepper. Top each of these four prepared sandwiches with the remaining slices of brioche.

Preheat a saute pan over medium-low heat, and add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan. Place the sandwiches in the center of the pan and cook on medium-low until golden brown. Add the second tablespoon of butter to the pan, and then flip to toast other side. Cook the mini sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, and the chocolate and cheese are nice and melty.

Allow to cool slightly before cutting and serving and inhaling these!

Toasty, buttery, savory, and sweet...this might have been one of the best grilled cheeses I've ever had. The coconut jam adds a little sweetness, but it still feels like something you could enjoy for lunch or even a late night not-too-sweet snack. Next, we'll make the Hazelnut Dark Chocolate soup...

For the Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Soup, you'll need:
Serves 4-6 Portions
1.5 lbs lightly toasted Hazelnuts
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce
1 Bulb Fennel cleaned and sliced thinly
1 White Onion peeled and sliced
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Oranges Juiced
32oz Mushroom/Vegetable Stock or Water
1 Bar Dark Chocolate (we used 86% cacao)
1 cup Orange Oil (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Here's how:
In a heavy stock pot, heat up olive oil on medium heat, and add onions, fennel, and chipotle. Cook until tender. Then add hazelnuts, salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat to caramelize.

Add orange juice, heavy cream, and stock and bring to high heat until bubbles form. Then lower to a simmer, and cook for 12-15 minutes.

Remove the pot of tastiness from heat. Break up chocolate into the stock pot and stir to incorporate. Pour in a blender, and blend to smooth (approximately 2-3 minutes). Garnish with orange oil* and grated chocolate.

* To make Orange Oil: Zest two oranges into 1 cup olive oil, and bring just to a simmer. Remove from heat, blend (in a blender), and let cool. The orange oil will keep for two weeks and can be used for salads or over chocolate ice cream.

The soup is creamy and savory and makes an amazing complement to the buttery and slightly sweet sandwich. You could even enjoy it cold like a gazpacho for a summer day or kept warm for these upcoming fall nights.

It's a pretty amazing snack if you ask me, and I love that we found a way to add chocolate to a meal. I hope you guys enjoy, and let me know if you make these (I want some if you do...)! 

*This post is brought to you by Ghirardelli Intense Dark' Chocolate. All content, ideas, and words are my own. Thanks for supporting these sponsors that allow me to create new and special content like this for Oh Joy.

{photos by Bonnie Tsang, special thanks to Heirloom LA for their culinary skills & creating these recipes! My outfit: Madewell top and Anthropologie necklace.}

{oh joy eats} on the lot la...

I love that LA has such a huge variety of food trucks all over the city. I guess the weather here really makes for easy eating-on-the-fly, hunh? But it can be really hard to track those trucks down, and a lot of them tend to stick to regular locations spots which often are on the other side of town. So we love it when there's a bunch of food trucks all at one place...a sampling from each truck? Yes, please!

Almost every Monday night, Bob, Ruby, and I head to Los Feliz for a weekly gathering of food trucks called On the Lot. They have different areas of LA they set up at on different nights, but Monday nights it's in Los Feliz which is the neighborhood next door to us. It's become a weekly ritual, and we love meeting up with friends there, too. They announce their weekly lineup on Twitter, so it's fun to see what new trucks are coming each week.

Here are a few of my favorites from past visits...

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

Lobster Tacos from Cousins Main Lobster...totally the California version of a Lobster Roll!

Strawberry shaved ice with blue honey boba and drizzled with condensed milk from the Fluff Ice truck...

...and the crazy awesome variety of boba milk tea drinks from the Boba Truck. I get a decaf almond milk tea so that I don't stay up wide awake that night and take home a jasmine milk tea for the next day's treat. While there are some weekly regulars, most of the trucks change every week, so we've been able to try so many new ones. Do you guys have food truck nights like this where you live? It's seriously one of my favorite things to do in LA! 

On the Lot LA | 2060 N. Vermont Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90027 | 5:30-9pm

{1st and bottom two photos by Bonnie Tsang for Oh Joy. all others are Instagram photos by me.}