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For a second I thought I might sit around my house this past weekend and wallow knee deep in self pity and other sorrows. ย Sounds like fun, right? ย A real riot. ย
I thought better of it. ย I kicked myself right in the pants and put on the biggest party dress I could find. ย
Big party dresses are key to healing any of life’s little hiccups. ย You think I’m kidding? ย Put on a dress… you’ll feel way better. ย ย
ย
Know what else helps with life’s hiccups? ย Bourbon. ย Or wait…. does that cause the hiccups in the first place? ย I’m not sure. ย Jury is still out on that one. ย
ย
Big party dress, check. ย Bourbon, check. ย Country funk records spinin’ on the turntable, check. ย One heck of an afternoon in the sun… success. ย
ย
Throw in my two best friends Whitney and Rachel. ย Holy heckballs…. that was one fine weekend. ย
Please note: ย this post was just a shameless excuse to show you the fantastic vintage dress I wore this weekend. ย If this dress or my unabashed love of bourbon and country funk music offends your sensibilities…. well… that’s a real shame. ย You must admit though… it’s a pretty rad dress. ย
Tomorrow we discuss pie bars. ย It’s important. ย Really important.ย
Photographs by Marisa Q Photography
153 Responses
When I’m in doubt, I always try to wear a dress!
That is one fabulous dress!
And you look fabulous in the super rad dress!
I agree that wearing a dress can always make you feel special. Something about being frilly and pretty that can get you out of a slump!
That is seriously beautiful!! Wow!
WOW. Your gorgeous! And i LOVE your vintage dress, verrry pretty. I’m in lovee with your blog by the way! just wanted to let you know :) I’m about to go into culinary school and am getting so inspired by not only your delectable recipes but by your sheer love for the food, something i’ve always felt, but I have never met another person with the same passion. It’s nice to see a fellow foodie love food as much as I do :) BTW i’m baking your berry pie bars as I type, they smell like heaven!
Beautiful You !!!
Joy, you are beautiful. Your dress is gorgeous [and I want to know the (vintage) brand and where you got it]. I hope all your weekends and all your weeks this summer and from there on out are this wonderful and pretty.
I covet (from afar) your very lovely dress. You looked fantastic! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to surf Unique Vintage for a party dress of my own.
You look GORGEOUS! I love getting out of the kitchen and fancying up every now and then :-).
You inspired me to go out and get a party dress today! It’s seafoam green with white polkadots! And a ruffle!
high five!
I hope the dress did make you feel better! Another cure for sorrow is going to Maui, which is where I am right now. Not that I was knee deep in pity, I just felt like going to Hawaii! The shaved ice here with a plethora of flavors and colors is a pretty good reason too:)
Gorgeous dress, Joy! (And fabulous bourbon! Although, I’ll admit, Maker’s Mark is my favorite.)
Your dress blog has me smiling. I’m a 60+ woman who hasn’t worn a dress in eons but always enjoyed it when I did. Today I was at Goodwill today and I always check out the hats because I like to wear one when I walk in the morning. There was this FABULOUS pink and green hat with silk flowers all over it. It was sort of pill box shaped and was made in New York from a Milliner there. Although not a dress, I just couldn’t pass it up. It is so beautiful! We are expecting our first grandchild in a month and I decided she and I will be wearing our hats one day soon when we have tea. I’m more excited about the hat than a new pair of shoes!
Love the dress!
Joy! You look fab and so does everything you bake. When I grow up I want to be like you =)
Love S
(all the way from Sweden!!)
Love the dress, and love this. I also enjoyed myself quite a bit over the weekend, we had a huge derby party for charity and it was a big success! With big hats and mint juleps, you can’t go wrong :) xxSAS
Love the hats and dresses!!
Looks like a perfect celebration for Derby weekend. What that intentional? Either way, the fancy folks in Louisville would be impressed.
Dress looks awesome. Glad to see you are having a ton of fun!
Hi Joy!
I only just found your blog recently and have been trying to catch up with it this past week! I found it by googling red velvet cake! My favourite thing in the whole world… Its not so common here in South Africa.
The dress is lovely, you’re a pleasure to read and the pictures are mouth watering!
Love it!!!
Beautiful dress! Girl, your arms are super toned!
You look splendid my dear, total vintage glam! Now all you need is one of those cute old-school tea-cups to drink your Burbon out of! Seriously,isn’t drinking cocktails out of vintage teacups the ultimate cherry on the cake?!
You look lovely. I wear dresses all the time, but they are for work, so they are not nearly as cool as the one you are sporting :)
Beautiful dress is most post-worthy, and the hats? Definitely. I am with you on bourbon and brightly colored party dresses, sister. Here’s to making life better!
Dress is very rad. You and your friends are so beautiful!
fabulous fabulous dress. I am going to take your example and go put on a fabulous dress tomorrow!
you are beautiful!
you make me want to do the things i love.
thank you.
Joy, I love the dress and your tattoo! Stay sassy, chica!
Awesome dress!
If only Middle School Joy could see you now. She’d swoon!
p.s. I’ve never had bourbon…
Umm, I think I ended up on the wrong web site. Is this The Sartorialist? Because you are a Fashion Diva. Dude. If I swoon any more here, I’m going to electrocute myself on my computer.
So much awesomeness, the tattoo, the dress, the friends.
I was in a horrid funk this past weekend. The chocolate covered banana cake balls didn’t help (I had a few too many).
I need to find me a red dress now (I already have a rose tattoo…).
Thomas, Tracy and I are sooo sorry we could not make to the bourbon affair, considering our mutual love of Bulleit! We would love for you and the girls to come to our next little get together to celebrate Tracy’s Cinco de Mayo birthday on May 8th in a little place called San Luis Obispo. There will be plenty of bourbon along with lots of yummy food. And party dresses are always welcome. Just something to think about…
Kim, Tracy and Thomas
I’ve made a decision to wear more dresses this year – once it gets warmer. Perhaps I will find it lighten my mood when things go blue. I think it’s lovely and well, drink away – I could use one right now!! actually, I could use about three.
oh…it’s such a pretty dress!!! and you look absolutely gorgeous in it. there’s nothing like a fabulous dress, alcohol, good music and friends to turn a day sunny side up
I agree with Jessie- I WANT TO SEE YOU ON THE FOOD NETWORK!!
on one condition- you keep this blog- because it is AWESOME!
p.s your Fabulous! Youd make a paper bag look vogue- however that was one kickin dress!
you look fabulous.
Hi Joy,
I was having such a terrible day and then I read this post. Thanks for making me put on a dress, in which I then mowed the lawn and pulled weeds. It gave the neighbors something to talk about, but I felt like a million 50’s housewife bucks {which is like 8 million today, so, SHAZAM.}
Hope your woes disappeared with the bourbon & thank goodness for awesome music & friends.
Hugs,
Zom G.
P.S. Your dress is fabulous.
You are so right about the euphoric effects that a party dress can have on ones mind, I think the bourbon helps a little too!!! Love your dress = )
Love it. Yes. All.
That is an AMAZING dress… you look beautiful, woman!!
Just lovely.
WOW . .you look awesome!
p.s…oops…that’s ‘tatooooo’, not ‘tatto”… :-)
What a beautiful pic of you and your dress! You should frame it for Mother’s Day & send it! A rose(tatto) within a secret garden! Or is it…a rose by any other name?
And good for you for turning the day around! I’ve got mostly sons, 16 years on up to thirties. None of their shenanigans are worth wasting a glorious day! LOL!
Have a great week, Rosey! :-)
Great dress and glad you had a grand old time…I miss girl parties like that. Bourbon pie bars?????? Please.
Joy!! I Loooooooooooooooooove your dress, it’s too pretty for words. I’m a big fan of dresses too, and you just gave a great idea!! (though i’m more of a red-wine person)
Lots of love and cupcakes!!
Ps: I’m going vintage dress-shopping NOW!
Oh my gosh, you are too freakin’ cute. What a great dress. Hope the weekend cheered you up a bit, sounds like a fabulous time!!
Oh, you are awesome! :-) I love this. :-) Love that you made a gorgeous day out of a buggery one. :-)
That dress is beyond rad. You look so dang adorable in it, especially with the little shoulder tat peeking through. Glad you got out this weekend. And glad to see a smile on your face.
Great Dress Joy!!1 I’m totally not going to lie… I di the exact same thing with my Sunday. Spring dress? Check. Best Friend? Check. Scenic drive to cute town for window shopping? Check and Check! Such a good way to cure Boy blues.
How can life be anything but good when you own a dress like that?
Best.Dress.Ever.
You’re gorgeous! I love that dress. And I think your tattoo compliments it. :)
You look lovely in your dress!
Joy Joy Joy… I didn’t think I could love you any more, but to discover you celebrate the Derby? I love it! I was born and bred a KY girl. I even rode horses for a while. (Now I’m a Nashvillian, and a television editor, quite different!)
PS. If you’re looking for a cocktail idea with that Bulleit, try a Bourbon Ball Martini!
you look absolutely gorgeous joy! love the dress too!
You look gorgeous- what a fun afternoon!
Dresses, big hats and bourbon… Was the occasion the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby? If so, you were in perfect style!
why yes… it was a derby occasion. i love the derby for dresses, hats, horses and bourbon. it’s one of the best days of the year!
That dress is incredible!
Too cute for words, how could you not feel better when you look that stunning! Absolutely love that dress, I suppose its a one of a kind?
Wow! Love the dress! Glad you enjoyed your weekend. Looking forward to more of your awesomeness!
Gorgeous dress… and gorgeous PERSON! :D Looks like a very fun event!
Wei-Wei
allow me to be the millionth person to tell you how gorgeous you look! if only i had a place to wear a dress like that. could i rock such a look at Target? actually, yeah, I could.
Im in LOVE with that dress and the fact that you said holy heck balls. You’re rad.
Love your dress! And I agree with you! Wearing dresses makes you feel great right away!
love the dress! it’s absolutely gorgeous :] i’ll remember that next time i want to feel fabulous about myself :P
p.s. just started reading your blog and i loveeee it :] keep up the spectacular posts!
Um, wearing dresses is not for everyone. I know that wearing a dress makes me uncomfortable. Always has, always will. I now own only one dress not counting the 2 dreadful bridesmaid dresses I had to buy. And the stockings and heels?! Don’t get met started with that! I’ll stick with my polo shirts and jeans. :D
You, however, do look lovely in your dress.
you look great. hope the ‘hiccups’ go away soon. best
Best blog post title ever.
where did you get that dress!? it’s GORGEOUS.
Joy the Baker, you rock my socks. Just sayin.
Simply stunning!
I just love your dress, so yes, be shameless and show off that lovely dress – it’s the little things in life that make you smile. Trust me, I know exactly what you mean about wallowing knee deep in self pity and sorrows, so I did just the same – picked out the cutest dress I could find and felt my sorrows just wash away. I hope your life’s little hiccups find it’s way to the simple joys of bourbon and other such treats!
I just LOVE your BIG spirit and how you embrace life, especially the hiccups of life! You look gorgeous! How could any girl feel blue in a dress like that!!
I wish my son could meet a girl like you…..
The dress is fabulous. I thought so even before your shameless plug. Country Funk, you’ve intrigued me.
you and that dress are gorgeous!!!
Also, with all the good karma you’re sending out into the world, there’s no need to wallow in anything negative – the wheel of fortune will spin you right back up soon enough :)
Mmmmm…Bulleit Bourbon: my favorite. Tasty and comforting. And I can’t wait for pie bars!
love this post. gorgeous you, having fun and shaking off the bad mojo. awesome. :)
Darlin, I have been a lurking fan for a while now, never posted before this, BUT…I just had to say you look so amazingly incredible! Totally rad dress, totally rad outlook and what a fun afternoon! You seem like a very strong woman, one I hope my daughter grows up to be like. Love your food, love the dress, love your blog! keep your chin up pretty girl, it all works out in the end!
You look so GORGEOUS in that DRESS~!!!!!
No wallowing in self pity! I won’t allow it! You’re fabulous!
You know how Food Network is starting a spin-off network that is younger and hipper? You need to have a show on that network! You’re just so cool. It would be so great to watch you every week. And I don’t think there is enough home baking on food network.
Gorgeous dress–glad you had fun!
Can’t wait for the pie bars!
What a pretty confection of a dress! So lovely :)
Wow. I looove your dress – and your hair accessory! You’re just too cute for words! Looks so sunny and wonderful! Who took the photo though, hmm? Or are you *extremely* proficient with a self-timer and ‘acting natural’ lol.
And, I can’t wait for bar pies! Num!
Were you ladies whoopin’ it up for the Derby?? I noticed that one of the On The Lamb ladies claims Lexington. I am a Joy fan of almost one year and a KY girl transplanted from SoCal. How’s that for a small world?? I love the dresses!!
Love the dress!!
Looks like a blast! I used to live in Louisville and love, love the Derby…Can wait to see the party pics!
We’ll have all of the pictures up on Onthelambfb.com soon! Promise!
Joy. I am so glad you love to wear dresses. I work in an office with younger girls (early and late 20’s) with beautiful bodies and what do they wear year round? Pants! I wear dresses all the time but I just can’t believe young girls these days won’t wear dresses. Even our receptionist will not wear a dress!
dresses are a secret weapon. i love them!
Holy cannoli!! I 100% love and covet that dress! But in a non-threatening way, ya know? :)
preheat oven to 80 degrees, the perfect lazy day temperature
take one part pretty frilly dresses
stir in 2 parts bourbon
sprinkle with vinyl
liberally add beautiful friends
sounds like the perfect recipe to cure the blues.
so sweet! can you write my next blog post? you’re super clever!
the dress is gorgeous and so are you. what a fun post!
Absolutely LOVE the dress!!!! Bourbon….yum….And really love your tattoo too! Glad you had a great time!
You look beautiful in your vintage dress! Good friends, booze, and music always makes for a great recipe!
You all look awesome. Your dress if fab. I am glad it cheered you up :)
LOVE the dress! You look stunning…and happy. Who cares if someone doesn’t like the bourbon and/or music? Gotta make yourself happy.
I LOVE your dress and the flowers in your hair. Are they real or a headband…because I really want to get one!
it’s two skinny headbands that i glued fake flowers to. super easy! make one!
In the words of Wally Amos (Famous Amos) – “When going through hell, don’t stop and take pictures! Ger rid of the camera and focus on peace of mind and freedom”. I think what he meant to say was – when going through hell don’t stop and take pictures, put on a fab party dress, drink bourbon, play Country Funk and love the life your livin’!
Amen!
your dress is GORGEOUS!! where did you get it? So summery and fun!!
i got it at Shareen Vintage. There’s one in Los Angeles and New York. Kinda the best place ever.
The dress is beautiful, you’re gorgeous. What a great post! =)
That dress is so awesome it blows my mind.
I love your dress – anything polka dot has a very special place in my heart.
You look beautiful!
awww you look so pretty! I love dresses too – especially cute ones that cover up thick thighs and manage to skim over hips which might have indulged in a little too much cake…YAY for dresses!
Always nice to see what you are up to – food and non-food related :)
You look terrific in that gorgeous dress. Good for you for not wallowing and doing something fun instead. I’m going to do that too :)
Everyone is commenting on the dress, I think you are a mighty pretty lady in any dress. You look just beautiful in that particular dress…..I also had a Mint Julip on Derby Day..
mint julips are essential on derby day. i had… several.
love your dress!
You are too cute! That dress looks great on you!!
You’re adorable!
I’m sorry you’re going through some rough times, but I’m glad you’ve got your friends to cheer you up :)
heck yes Bulleit! i know i can trust a girl when she’s got fine taste in whiskey.
makes your blog all the more of a go-to for me. your entry on seducing boys with baked goods successfully put my personal manifesto into words and pictures. my (anti-domestic-goddess-cooking-is-modern-slavery-i-buy-my-men-a-six-pack-and-that’s-good-enough) friend barfed on her keyboard when i sent her the link, though. some women just aren’t down. but that’s okay.
don’t feel blue! you’re rad. you know about baking, the power of a pretty dress, good bourbon, and friends. you’re money, girl.
Bulleit is absolutely the best around! you’re right!
the baking for boys isn’t for every girl. some girls find it downright offensive. that’s ok. i can deal with that. we can’t all be the same kind of girl… you know?
Great dress! AND it looks uber comfortable, which is always a plus, right?! :)
you look georgeous!
beautiful photo of you!
you look gorgeous joy! there’s no self pity possible looking like that! and I love the hair flowers! very… ‘if you’re going to san francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair’, only LA version ;)
Pretty! I know what you mean about dresses solving sadness. Love the dress!
Joy! how do you stay so thin eating all these wonderful baked goods?! I’m jealous. Your dress is amazing, and I’m also pretty jealous about that.
i’m not actually all that skinny. i just wear flattering clothes and i really like to hike.
I love your dress! And am awaiting pie bars..yum!
It IS a totally rad dress! And I completely agree that putting on a dress makes you feel so much better!
I love your blog, it’s one of my favourites and now i can see you have fabulous taste in clothes to, that dress is bloody great, i want one, and some of that bourbon to!
Rockin’ dress, Joy!
Gorgeous dress, Joy!
wow. I LOVE that dress. I want one! :D
I simply LOVE your dress, Joy.
And your friends’ hats are also really great.
It is nice to see that someone is having fun. I’m not. My exams are strating tomorrow, so no fun at all.
Do you think apple walnut flax seed bread will bring me luck? :)
the walnut flax seed bread will totally bring you luck! bake it up and good luck with your exams! i’m rooting for you!
You look gorgeus in that dress!
Love that dress,Joy! it fits perfectly..
Love the dress! You are awesome. Love reading about your life, you are so real. And I absolutely love baking, it is therapeutic for me.
I completely agree, dresses always make me feel good and I practically live in them! That dress you’re wearing is gorgeous and you look lovely! :)
LOVE the dress..and love your blog!
Lovely dresses, and a very interesting way to spend a lazy afternoon…
can i just say yes, dresses totally rock! i love them and wear dresses all the time. theres no better way to feel feminine and gorgeous! :)
and that IS a rad dress and you look fabulous, joy! seems like you had a great weekend and you deserve it, girl! that last picture there is beautiful, what an athmosphere. too bad im at home with 2 (yes, both – im lucky!) pink eyes, ekk! ;)
two pink eyes!? now that’s just wrong!
Joy estรกs hermosa en estas fotos! Me encantan los vestidos. Las tres parecen hadas!
I must know where you bought that dress! It better not be available only in LA because I live in Vancouver!
Also, love your blog. I’ve been reading you for almost two years and I pretty much have a friend crush on you. Keep on rockin and making delicious things!
The dress is from Shareen Vintage in New York and Los Angeles. I’m not sure that’s going to help you way up in Vancouver.
So cute :) Love the dress!
Glad you ended up having a good time with your friends.. way better than wallowing in self pity. ;)
I’m in love with your dress collection. I always go past dresses in shops thinking should I, but I never even wear the ones I have. So probably no more new dresses for me. Still love the one you have on.
Looks like a fun time and I hope it all got you well out of your blue funk. :)