Hi friends!
Thank you for your patience with me this week. ย I’ve hustled up my kitchen and packed my moving boxes to move for, what I hope will be the last time in a long time. ย This girl (I’ve got my thumbs pointed at myself), is planting roots in New Orleans, and some-way some-how calling herself a home owner. ย I’m still working on unpacking boxes and hanging level shelves (impossible). ย Rest easy in knowing that there will likely always be dirty dishes in the sink and some sort of cookie on the counter. ย My goal is to make this space a place we can share. ย Classes and dinners and New Orleans gatherings and more on that soon I promise! ย It’s going to be GOOD! ย In the meantime, you can follow me on snapchat (I know…) (joythebaker) if you want to witness the unfiltered madness. ย Spoiler alert: ย my cat sits in the sink a lot and I eat a lot of jelly beans.
The world as it is according to my filter and the Internet. ย I hope your coffee is hot and the rest of your day is supreme!
โข ย A Terror Attack, Then The Far Right Moves In. ย On fear and politics in light of the recent terror attacks in Europe. ย They won’t win with fear. ย We can’t let it be that way, we can’t let it close us up.
โข ย How Clinton’s Email Scandal Took Root… her own personal Blackberry. ย There goes the neighborhood. (I’m kidding… this is actually serious.)
โข ย This Hobo Life. ย Life on the road with millennialย hobos… there’s a painted school bus and fast food wifi preferences. ย How long before we’re sick of the word millennial because I think it’s already happening.
โข ย The story of the greatest male synchronized swimmer, Billy May and his quest for Olympic Gold: ย Water’s Edge. ย So great!
โข ย Quick question you may or may not care about: ย What Happened To Tiger Woods. ย Follow up: if you watch the video associated with the story, ย why is Alan Shipnuck doing a video interview from his bedroom and everyone is acting like it’s normal?
โข ย What it really means for an egg to be cage free. ย Listen, there’s not a lot of green grass involved.
โข ย Plants remember if you mess with them enough. ย But do plants remember if you kill them? ย That’s my question because black thumb.
โข ย Here’s something we should know: ย Eating something sweet can lead to a romantic date. ย Not just any kind of date, but a ROMANTIC date. ย Why am I just now finding this out? ย Better late than never.
โข ย Ugg: ย The look that refused to die. ย Cozy up in your Juicy suit and enjoy this piece of our past… unless you own Ugg boots… in which case, can we talk about it / are they pink?
โข ย The Internet really got down with some April Fool’s Day pranks this year. ย In case you missed a few: ย An updating and unsettling list of April Fool’s Day pranks 2016.
โข ย Ben Innes on taking a selfie with the EgyptAir hijacker. ย You guys… I hated typing those words so much. ย Are we ok? ย Maybe no.
โข ย Instagram is changing and people are freaking out about it. ย Should I be freaking out about it? ย 4 Major Instagram Changes You Missed This Week.
โข ย A cocktail. ย (By now we need one.) ย Frozen Peach Bourbon Mule.
โข ย One from the archives: ย Pistachio Crusted Asparagus with Feta. ย The green (pistachios) on green (asparagus) is wondrous.
โข ย What are you reading right now? ย I don’t know where to go next on my book list. ย Judy Blume’s In The Unlikely Event. ย What are you reading?
โข ย I’m not an expensive handbag kind of girl. ย I like this navy bucket bag and it’s under $100! ย Now we’re talking. ย Actually, nevermind. ย Let’s get this cactus-shaped cross body bag. ย Much more practical.
Have a very fine day. ย I’m rooting for you! ย I’ll invite you over soon! ย And you won’t even have to take your shoes off in the house. ย Wear your holey socks… it’s a safe place.
xo Joy
73 Responses
I have destination wedding to attend in New Orleans this October and your news really sweetens the deal! I hope to see what you’re up to then if I can get away at all. Exciting news!
Congrats on the new house! How exciting. New Orleans is in my top 3 favourite cities and I would love very much to wear my holey socks in your pad one day. :)
I just finished reading “Barbara The Slut”. A book of short stories – an easy read but with very interesting characters.
I loved that book by Judy Blume! Although… I read it on a 12-hour flight which I don’t advise. Really, you shouldn’t read it on any flight, no matter how short. Recommendation: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah! So good!
Congrats on the new house! Owning a home is one big neverending project for us but we love it and I hope you will too!!
I am swooning over your floors. I am afraid I am way way way too weird to come over to your house for anything. I’ll just pretend.
Congrats on the new house, Joy.:) Your Sunday posts always make me so happy! I haven’t read ‘In the Unlikely Event’ yet but I’ll get to it at some point.
Finished reading ‘Tiny Little Thing’ by Beatriz Williams last week. I absolutely loved it! I’m making my way through all her books. I highly recommend checking out ‘The Secret Life of Violet Grant’ which I read and loved last summer.
I also just finished ‘The Language of Flowers’ by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and I can’t believe it took me this long to pick up this beautiful book. A must-read for sure! Over the weekend, I started ‘So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed’ by Jon Ronson and it’s already making me cringe. Such an important read though.
Happy reading and all the best with the move.
Just finished 2 good novels. Orphan Train by Christina Kline and The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson (who wrote Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, one of my favorite books!). Both are good, for different reasons. TSBTW is very, very British and takes place starting in 1914 so it is a good read if you are having Downton Abbey withdrawals.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW HOME!! I love your idea of making it a space for more than just yourself–how generous and creative. That’s awesome.
Right now for our book club we’re reading Her Fearful Symmetry–it’s so good! I’m hosting a blogger book club and this is our April Selection. ANYONE is free to join!
Looking forward to some amazing photos from you new home!!
Thanks for all of the great book recommendations too..can’t get enough.
dreaming of nola..
Congrats on the house! Have you read In The Land Of Dreamy Dreams by Ellen Gilchrist? Wonderful book of short stories mostly all pertaining to New Orleans/ Mississippi Delta. It’s a perfect outdoor read for this gorgeous weather we’re having lately :)
Book Recommendation: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (It’s never-ending…but, in a good way.)
And, have you seen the documentary Finding Vivian Maier? It’s oddly riveting and more than a little disturbing that she slipped through the cracks so easily… and for so long.
If you would like suggestions on how to hang level shelves, let me know. Painter’s tape and a level go a long way. ????
Congratulations on the new house. Now I have another reason to visit NOLA.
I just started reading Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures. I have a feeling it’s going to be great. Just finished the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. That was a fun read.
oh man I hope the classes and gatherings was not a joke! – have been following your blog for a few years and live in Baton Rouge, I would be so down!
WOW! I didn’t know you were planning to move…either you kept it a surprise or I missed something. Congratulations. Those floors are amazing! And if you offer cooking classes, it might just be enough to get me to come to NOLA.
Congrats on your new home, Joy! So great for you!
Agreed – sweets and romantic dates. Another reason to love your site!
Those hardwood floors are sex-ay, lady! Congrats.
Also, when did you release the JTB app? Did I just miss that fabulous day???
Congratulations on becoming a home owner! Your new place looks absolutely gorgeous!
OK. You win. I bought the bag
Congratulations, Joy, on your new home. Best of luck with the move. I just read My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Stroud and Jhumpa Lahiri’s In Other Words. You also might like Kevin Young (ed.) The Hungry Ear (poetry about food).
Congrats on becoming a homeowner, that’s awesome!
I wasn’t too crazy about that Blume book. Try Girl in the Dark by Anna Lyndsey. Not a thriller/mystery, but the author’s true thoughts on her illness that keeps her confined to darkness.
Congratulations on your new abode! The space looks welcoming, and wishing you strictly happy occasions within. May your unpacking and placement be swift and your slumber be restful. May you and the sweet cat that sits in the sink make yourselves right at home, so turn up the music, sing, dance and bake away. Keep looking forward to each new day under your very own roof!
My current read: Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Be Happy
All of these words mean a very lot to me. Thank you.
I love all things Judy Blume! Currently, I’m reading The Nest but just finished A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman and The Widow by Fiona Barton. I’d highly recommend both.
Congrats on being a homeowner! Super exciting. That cocktail looks fantastic, though I’m partial to anything with bourbon…
Congrats on the new place! I am contemplating switching apartments w my upstairs neighbors and the thought of moving frightens me.
Mazel Tov on your movin’ on up and solidifying your residency here in NOLA to become a homeowner . . . er, um, mortgage-payer ;-) I look forward to seeing what cool new adventures await you in our crazy awesome city!
head / sole mortgage payer. thank you!
Congrats on your new home. The unpacking not much fun but once you are done, tranquility! I really enjoyed the Judy Blume book especially since I grew up in NJ. Reading When Breath Becomes Air. Sad but breathtaking!
Congratulations- I’m so happy for you! Can’t wait to see what you will do with your OWN home. Love you and your awesome blog- never, ever stop.
Radio On by Sarah Vowell – Nirvana, college radio, OK bombing, poltics, and radio. It’s a fab read.
Awww, I adore this, Joy! Congrats x 10000000000! <3
May your roots grow deep and wide…So happy for you and so happy you chose the city I love. Really, it makes my heart swell and I hope she gives back to you many times over! I just read “Our Souls at Night,” a quiet little book that I’m still thinking about. xo
I enjoyed In the Unlikely Event. Just read The Interestings, and it was totally absorbing.
I’ve been avoiding Snap Chat but I would really like to see more of your cat, so…
Congratulations on your new home! The security of owning is worth it, especially if you have pets (no landlord restrictions on breeds, no sudden rent increases, etc). I look forward to the pictures. Also, I second another commenter’s suggestion: The Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante (the first one is My Brilliant Friend) are the best books I’ve read this year. I tend to break up novels written by the same author in order to savor them. Not these – one right after another; I devoured them.
Congratulations on your home! I’m headed to NOLA right now for the French Quarter Fest.
it’s gonna be a good one!
How exciting I can’t wait to own my own home!
Meme xx
New Post:
Beneath the Surface by Heidi Perks Book Review
http://www.thedayinthelifeof.co.uk
Your new home looks gorgeous already. Wow, what a find! Congrats.
Those floors are absolutely gorgeous! Congrats on the new house.
Congrats on that house! New Orleans….ah, wanna visit so bad!
Joy, I can’t believe you are going to be doing events in NOLA just in time for me to move! I feel like you and Trader Joe’s have conspired against me (It’s finally coming! It would be right down the street! It’s opening just as we’re moving.Ugh) I’ll only be 3 hours away, so hopefully I can still make an event sometime.
The house looks gorgeous!
Congratulations. I’m moving to New Orleans in August (from Los Angeles)! Looking forward to putting down my final roots there too. Great space. Which part of town did you end up in? Liassez les Bon temps roulette!
Im in the Bywater! Make sure to say hey when you get here!
Congrats on becoming a homeowner! You posted a fews weeks back that your parents were visiting NO and that you were discussing a major life decision with them. I was guessing, at the time, it might have to do with purchasing a home and now it has been revealed. I remember when I bought my first homeโฆa condoโฆshortly after I secured a teaching contract. I was a bit overwhelmed at first but then realized, paying a mortgage was no different from paying rentโฆexcept that it brought comforting sense of “belonging”to the space. It seems you have great plans for your new home and I wish you all the best as you settle in.
You totally put all the pieces together!
My coffee is hot and I am happy for your homeowner news:) And I am ready to read about some gathering and classes in NOLA. I want to plan a trip there soon, so I am hoping it lines up with whatever you’ve got up your sleeve. Go Joy!
Right on! More soon for sure.
Congrats Joy! I’m in the middle of a huge renovation project in my first house by myself and it’s crazy and overwhelming and great and scary and awesome. I feel for you and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you create in this new space!
I feel you!
Congratulations on your new home. Once your settled in post some pics. So happy for you. Paulette
Congrats! And those FLOORS! Gah. New Orleans is lucky to have you and can’t wait to see what you do with the space!
Love the post. FYI, the Hobo link goes straight to Eating something sweet.
Looks to be an awesome space! Book recommendation: Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit. Just what we need when feeling the world is in a dark place. A reminder that change is possible, and indeed, continues to happen.
Thank you for the recommendation!
Congrats on the new home!! So exciting!
Right now I’m reading The Nest by Cynthia Sweeney. If you haven’t already read Elena Ferrante’s Neopolitan novels, I’d highly recommend!
Happy for you! Cheers to not moving again anytime soon.
Congratulations, Joy! Also that navy bag is a definite yes.
Glad you’re going to be living in your own space!! We love you in this house!!
PS. The link to the hobo story is to a story about sweets and dates… Just saying, I was looking to forward to the hobos…
fixed up! thank you so much!
Congrats on the house! So happy for you!
Congratulations on becoming a homeowner!!
Congratulations on your move! Love your Sunday posts! More cocktail recipes please! The book I’m reading now is When I Lived in Modern Tiimes by Linda Grant. Loving it! That and Universal Lessons, A Journey Though The Afterlife by Caroline McCutcheon – taking it slow, as I have so many questions as I read this fascinating book. Have a great week! Xx
Great suggestions, thank you!
Congrats on the move! So thrilling (and yet totally terrifying) to be a homeowner :) Love the list, as always… If you’re crushing on the Frozen Peach Bourbon Mule, you should wander over to Meauxbar and try their Smoked Peaches and Cream Snowcone cocktail… a definite highlight of our New Orleans visit :) Enjoy settling in to your new space – PS the floors are fabulous!!
Beautiful place – love the floors! Sunday afternoons are always great for baking cookies. The super-simple peanut butter cookies on my agenda for today: https://www.shopwithstyle.com/stylewise/2016/3/15/cookies
Hope your unpacking goes quicker than mine — we moved into a retirement flat and almost 18 months on and I *still* haven’t got down to Box 0! I’m getting there though… MG ;-)
Congrats on the new pad. ;)
Thanks for the book tip as I’m always looking for new reading stuff :)
xx from Bavaria/Germany, Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.com
Ah Instagram. It’s no biggie.