I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what is essential.
It’s hard to think of essential… because very few things are actually, very completely, essential.
Let me give you a little peek into what I find essential these days. Some of these essentials are a edible, some are a luxury, some are sparkly… it’s just a little bit of real life.
Essentials start in the kitchen with big bins of King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, sea salt in my Dad’s old Tupperware salt shaker, and these perfectly simple metal measuring spoons.
Here’s a peek at my purse essentials. I LOVE a look inside stranger’s purses. Here’s mine:
Eye glasses. Booth&Bruce, London.
Alba Tinted Lip Balm in Bloom.
Over-sized Timex. I love this watch so much.
Green snakey wallet from Banana Republic.
My favorite orange hair clip. My favorite flavor of Tootsie pop: orange.
Grid Paper Post-it Notes from Tracy.
Note pad for daily lists and skinny Sharpie marker… they don’t bleed… they’re the best!! (not pictured).
aand… the iPad. A total luxury.
Not pictured from the purse:
a cucumber, countless receipts, empty chapstick tube, chop sticks, garlic skins, socks. I dunno…
I LOVE button down shirts. Totally classic. Plus! If you’re feeling spunky, these shirts look great unbuttoned real low with a pretty bra. I’m just sayin. I rock that look when I’m just Joy… not Joy the Baker. Joy the Baker buttons up proper.
These are JCrew. Swoon.
Nail polish is an essential luxury.
Sally Hanson, Smooth and Perfect Satin. Essie, A Cut Above. Essie, As Gold as it Gets.
Simple. Girly. Sparkle pretty.
I celebrated my Mom’s birthday this week.
On your birthday, ice cream sundaes are essential, as are birthday candles. Mamas are also essential. Love you, Mom!
I need to tell you a weird thing.
This is a little vintage glass that sits on my desk.
Late at night when I’m tired of working on the computer, but still trudging though… I decorate my computer with little gems, and I put a fox pin broach on my sweater.
Its… just a thing I do.
Sunday morning at Church in Hollywood is essential.
What a blessing this place is to me.
Warm, brown sugar sweet grapefruit.
Broiled grapefruit reminds me of sleepovers, Florida, and riding a bike with no hands… one of those weird childhood brain things.
Friday night, glow-in-the-dark bowling is essential. Friday night, doing-anything-besides-sitting-on-the-computer is actually what’s essential.
Ps… I’m a truly awful bowler. I stop caring after exactly three rolls.
This cat animal has become essential to my life.
Monster.
Potatoes are ESSENTIAL!!!
… especially when they’re in Hasselback stylings with crazy homemade pesto.
Salt and Pepper are totally essential.
I made these salted Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Cookies ages ago. They still have a soft spot in my heart.
Lentils are essential. Cheap, mutable, delicious.
Also, I’m hiding there in the spoon in my favorite pink and red wrap skirt.
Wrap skirts are also essential. No biggie.
I took a company field trip (which means it was just me driving a car…) to visit the photo studio of White on Rice Couple.
Two words: prop studio.
Aaaand… I swoon.
Flour+Sugar+Yeast+Lemon Zest=
Lemon Raspberry Breakfast Rolls.
You’ll thank me. I know you will.
Pie is essential. So tremendously essential. It’s the first thing my dad taught me how to make, and it’s my absolute favorite thing to bring together in the kitchen.
Make an Apple Pie from start to finish. It’s just one of those things that you should do at some point. It’ll teach you about care, patience, love, and apples. That, indeed, is essential.
Very little is actually essential. I know.
But these are the things, both frivolous and delicious, that I’m currently surrounded with.
There… don’t we feel like better friends now?
115 Responses
I see East of Eden in the pile of books next to your cat animal! Steinbeck is essential to my life (as is MY cat animal :)
Love the stoires you tell thru pictures, Joy
I agree with so many of your essentials. Dogs and mountains and mommas and breakfast are essential. Warm hugs from the husband are, too, but dogs, mountains and mommas are definitely up there.
what a fun post!
Yep, I would deem just about everything in this post essential to life. Especially the nail polish :) Love it!
My parents still have that style of Tupperware salt shaker on their shelf. The pepper shaker disappeared long ago, replaced by a series of grinders (the current one is enormous, a gift from my brother the chef).
Love the look of those lentils… what did you do? I want to make them. :)
cool post. iPad may not be essential, but it sure would be nice :)
Your photos are so beautiful. I like first photo. Thank for sharing.
I so love that you have that salt shaker. I about gasped when I saw it. My mom and dad still have theirs, and I get to use it every Sunday when we eat Sunday dinner together.
i absolutely love that you bejewel your computer when you need to burn the midnight oil!! i can totally imagine how that might perk you right up. i think i might try that next time instead of reaching for an ump-teenth cup of coffee or mindless snacking. too cute!!
I love this post! I wear Alba Terra Tints in Bloom everyday, and to be honest, I don’t know that salt and pepper is not an essential :)
thank you for this post. i really loved it. and pie is definitely essential. :)
Just wanted you to know that I used your apple pie recipe to make my very first pie as a valentines day pressie for my husband. When you say it is a labor of love, you weren’t joshin, were you? Miracle of miracles, this non-baker somehow made a delicious pie!! Many thanks for helping to make one of my essentials a happy and full man.
P.S. I heart your blog, and I’m sure I will giggle like a school girl when I get your cookbook in the mail.
Hi Joy!
I also love to see what’s in other people’s purses! I think I’m going to try that Alba tinted lip balm (been trying to use beauty stuff with less chemicals). Great post!
I totally feel like I know you more… like we are besties. Really enjoyed this post. My essentials: concealer, hugs, shortbread cookies, and green tea.
This is one of my favorite posts of yours in a while, Joy. Lots of great pictures, but potatoes in particular are bonkers.
Joy–this post is awesome! I LOVE that you still have your dad’s old Tupperware salt shaker! My parents still have the exact same salt/pepper shakers and they definitely have a soft spot in my heart for some strange nostalgic reason. I also wanted to say I finally did read East of Eden too–just a few years back–and if you haven’t gotten around to reading it yet, it is wonderful! Strange and wonderful. Hope you have a fantastic day surrounded by all the good things in life!
a great post of essentials we all like that.
thank you for sharing i enjoy staying here..
good day god bless.
I love everything about this post, but especially the fox. And the gems. You’re a gem, Joy.
Good memories came flooding back when I saw that salt shaker. Oh, to be a child again.
Making pie, a definite essential. Learned it as a youngin’, still rockin’ it out in my 30’s.
Great post once again.
Hope you had a wonderful day
Hi Joy, it looks as though your button-up/flannel collection may trump even mine… I’d never thought I’d say those words :)
Cheesecake was delish! Shared with my bf’s fam, and i’ve been dubbed cheesecake baker 4 the holidays
I just had to add a comment about the salt shaker! How funny ( and slightly strange) so many people had that set growing up – me included. Looking forward to getting your book!
I sighed a little when I saw the button down shirts… Great collection! :) I’m glad you mentioned the apple pie. It’s husbands favorite so I made it from scratch this evening. Ya know, cuz it’s valentines day and all.
I grew up with a set of Tupperware salt and pepper shakers like that too, larger one for the house, small ones like those for the camper, and… I have those same measuring spoons. Great post, made me think about my essentials. Yarn for knitting and lots of needles.
I love your essentials! Also, Ty Flo once did a special on Apple Pies. I think it was Tyler’s Ultimate. Teaches you how to make an amazing pie from start to finish. Talks about all the ingredients and all that. I digress. My fave pie recipe is a caramel apple pie with brown suger crumble on top. It was my grandpa’s fave too. I always think of him when I make it!
love it. love it! i think i could do with making a list like this at the moment, there are forever random vegetables in my handbag!
And, that’s why I love your blog, it’s one of my life’s essential!!!! This post rock!!!
I love glow bowling! And Tootsie Pops too (except I always go for the cherry ones).
My boyfriend and I just made caramel! You should have seen us standing over the stove! Epic!
Oh… and you…you’re essential. Just saying.
Oh, Joy… Just seeing that Tupperware salt shaker.. I am immediately transported to my parents kitchen, watching my dad make pie crusts or us making cookies.. the old aluminum measuring spoons, dipping into that same shaker. Love it. Thank you. xox
Hi Joy! What a wonderful post! I always love thinking about what are the most important things in my life. What books is your monster-cat guarding?
This is a glorious post, kind of like a Christmas stocking full of surprises.
I liked this post.
And .. that’s all. :-)
Salt and pepper are big ones! I ran out of salt for – like – a day and a half and nothing, absolutely nothing tasted the same! That is the definition of essential. If I could add one, a good book. I always have a book on hand. It’s like having a teleportation device in your purse.
love,
Shalan
Love the post. Love the love. ;)
Love the photography…
What a sweet, relaxing post to read on a stressful morning. Thanks.
What a lovely post. Your cat is such a beauty.
monster…
Thank you for the list – Valentine’s Day always makes me cranky (for no real reason) so I’m going to go out right now and get myself some Sharpie pens! To go with the grid post-its. I don’t know what makes those post-its so awesome, but they are.
haha, I love that you’re always carrying around a lollipop in your bag!
I love this little look into your life…like you, I’m a self-proclaimed nosy person, and I like learning a little more about the bloggers I read every day! Thanks for sharing!
Love this post!! I think it’s important to treat these “essential” items as luxuries…wonderful attitude, we are so lucky!
@graylinsample
yepindeed.com
Mmmmmm. Essentials. I love your list!
Mine would have to include: fresh, clean sheets on a freshly made bed, fat siamese cats, paperback books, stolen afternoons spent in libraries, excellent coffee and perhaps a really good earl grey. Oh, and sleeping in on weekends!
It feels real good to be an essential. Thanks for the birthday fun together. Love, Mom
belated happy birthday for your mom :)
nice photos i also want to saw whats other essentials have haha and i also love mine :)
Looove this post! And I use that same old salt shaker! We’ve had it forever :]
So adorable. Perhaps not necessary but totally essential <3
Love your essentials! What a great post Joy.
You’re wonderful.
Hug.
i love your essentials.
you’re my favorite!
I love your photos, and your words, and you. I hope that’s not creepy. I love this post; I like looking into the lives of others. People facsinate me, and I’m a snoop (not too big a snoop). Thank you for letting complete strangers take a look into your life. A day for you must be so interesting.
LOVE this. Just discovered lentils and where have they been all my life? Made a lentils and goat cheese tostada that was delish. Also, just made your chocolate coconut scones today for a party and they were a huge hit. We all devoured them!
Dear Joy – I think you missed a few “essentials,” which cost almost nothing, with next to no negative carbon footprint. How about:
* a phone call with a good friend;
* a brisk walk where you really take notice of the flowers around you;
* a well-deserved nap;
* playing with your dog or cat, or your friend’s dog or cat;
* writing your dreams in your journal;
* singing your lungs out with the car radio, or in the shower, or just about anywhere you like;
* hugging the kids that you have on your own, or who you babysit;
* playing frisbee with your neighbors, or their kids, or the ladies who come by your house to ask you what church you’ve been attending;
* taking a long, hot bath;
* reading your favorite recipes from Joy the Baker.
I find these essential too. Hope you can include them in your lineup.
So beautifuly and warm written. Makes me thing about my essential things, about childhood, mom, dad, those innocent years…nostalgy.
Thank you, for sharing…what you have inside…
You sucked me in from the first picture at the top of this post….and you did it with the Tupperware salt shaker! That took me right back to my childhood because that’s what my parents used for the longest time! I would say that great childhood memories are essential as well. Loved reading this post, thank you. :)
I’m starting to appreciate pie a lot. Even more so than cake.
Absolutely LOVED this post, Joy!
This is a wonderful post! Such a great thing to think about what is essential in life.
This is just the best thing I’ve read all day. Thanks for sharing!
Holy Goodness! I JUST cooked dinner for my family at my mother’s house and used that exact salt shaker! (and the pepper) I must say the actual shakers look much better in your vintage-y photo vs real life – but they really are the perfect shakers. Perfect hole size. (that’s weird.) Anyway – lovely post.
This series of pictures reminds me of the burning house project. It pushes what’s really essential even farther, check it @ theburninghouse.com
The salt shaker totally brought back memories of my childhood! I don’t have those now but I do have my vintage avocado green pickle container:)
Joy! WHAT is a cucumber doing in your purse?!
Joy! Love it all! Where did you get your fox pin? I found mine at a thrift store and then washed it like a dodo, and it was lost. I would love to replace it, I think I actually cried. LOL.
Love your blog longtime!
XOXOX
Angela
Adorable and funny. A great read on a snowy Monday!
My purse contains: one wallet, one catch-all bag that has hairclips, tampons, allergy pills, eyeliner and cherry flavored lipgloss, 3 pens, 1 sharpie, my phone, Burt’s Bees chapstick, coins galore, 3 meteorites, and six pairs of earrings. What?!
Love this post. Love what you’re doing.
Company field trip? Joy the Baker buttons up proper?
You’re killing me here! Joy the Baker posts are essential. And I’m right there with you on the skinny Sharpie markers. Got the four pack; use them daily. And I’m going to start with the button up shirts again – consider me inspired.
I love all of these things and I am going to try broiled grapefruit it sounds delicious!!!!
Alba lipbalm is my current obsession. Super delicious. I’m also rather fond of Old Navy men’s button-down shirts. Shhhh.
loved this list–and luckily my sister’s birthday is today so we will be taking advantage of the fact that ice cream IS essential on birthdays! :)
Smiling is essential!
Joy, I love your life essentials list!
Now I just need to know where you got that fox…I feel like that needs to be an essential in my life…
Those potatoes do look pretty darn essential!
Fluffy orange cats are most defiantly essential!
I have to say that my sleep-deprived brain (because of a certain sweet 7 week old baby) thought that those roasty potatoes actually looked a lot like the abdomen section of a bee… (!). Lemon raspberry pastry sounds lovely though!
Orange Tootsie Pop? ORANGE? I am certain you meant GRAPE but mis-typed.
Oh wow. I adore that watch. And button down shirts. Everything just looks so creamy and dreamy in these pictures. They are certainly life essentials.
I’m with you on pairing down to the essentials. Although my list would also include coconut and pretty ballet flats. Not together, unless I spill the coconut I’m shoving into my mouth…
I love looking in other people’s purses. It makes me feel less weird about the strange stuff I carry around, including the IPAD. New necessity, maybe even more important than my cell phone! I know, freaky, huh?
xxoo,
RMW
That … was the perfect way to start a Monday. I’m inspired to start my own essentials list now, just to keep grounded at this crazy time of the quarter. And P.S., I made your lemon raspberry breakfast rolls for a field trip last quarter, and they went over mucho well.
I love buttons down (specifically the male kind) too. It’s a wonder that I am not wearing one right now.
What warmed my heart is your reference to the smell and taste of grapefruit, something that triggers a cascade of memories that in some way provide a snapshot of your life.
It’s been a morning filled with heartbreak for me so off to the cup of tea, to the essay on 28 stories of AIDS in Africa…
I always carry those bad ass sharpies in my purse too alongside some notepad that I purchased from an art gallery.
Thanks for letting me peak inside your purse, socks and cucumbers aside.
I think I recognize all the books on the left stack under the kitty – I think they are stacked on my table too. Weird. Is the top one East of Eden?
Yes the post did make me feel better, we all have very rich and full lives.
xoxoxo
Pie is definitely an essential! No doubt! I am in love with pocket pies right now it is pretty legit! I also carry my fave essie lavender nail polish in my purse…which right now is a bottomless pit of my fave anthropologie hair clip, bobby pins, countless receipts, too many business cards, my Pure Barre socks (ya know just in case i need to go take a class while I am on the go), and pb m & m’s !
you’re essential too Joy!! to make us the foodbloggers feel great about life and ourselves :)
I love this! Lists are my thing. Thanks for sharing – and that Tupperware salt shaker? Totally brings back memories of a set my parents had/have. I’m going to dig around for it next time I’m home!
J Crew shirts. Note pad. Pie dough. All totally essential over here, too.
I definitely wish I had a prop studio – that sounds like a crazy fun playland for food bloggers!
One of my favorite posts of yours! I love your essentials!
I absolutely adored this post! Your writing (and photos) always have me coming back for more.
Also, I think we’re alike in the button up shirt addiction department (also the fact that nearly all yours are plaid or checkered.. mine too, mine too.)
Andd I’m a terrible bowler too, thank goodness there’s others out there. :)
That salt shaker took me back!!! My grandmother had the same one. I love it all, especially the JCrew shirts and freaky fox pin. It didn’t look like you were so bad at bowling in the other picture I saw the other night. Didn’t you win?! Thanks for sharing your bonkers life with us.
Woah. Broiled grapefruit. Never in my wildest dreams. Love.
What a great exercise. You have me thinking now, about what is essential to me. Sometimes I find myself getting VERY carried away with all the things I WANT, then I have to catch myself, dial back and evaluate what I really NEED. Love to see someone else’s point of view too!
Those black & white cookies look really good–I think I’ll make them for someone for Valentine’s Day :)
I love your essentials list. I love that you included God in your essentials. But, let me tell you what really choked me up….it’s that picture of the old school tupperware salt shaker. I remember sitting at my Grandparents kitchen table, sharing food, and watching my Grandpa salt his food with that exact same salt shaker. I thought it was the coolest looking salt shaker around. They also had a pepper mill which at the time I though was the most inventive thing in the whole wide world. Thanks for taking me back to my childhood with my grandparents around their table.
All essentials in life should be edible, luxurious or sparkly :-) I love this round up, and I also love that you’re bad at bowling…I’m appalling – I have to have the buffers on to help guide my ball or I throw a teenage tantrum :-)
love the post!
I love how you keep a tootsie pop in your purse – and orange no less. Thats my favourite flavour!
Lemon is totally essential, as are raspberries. I have never tried to make your lemon and raspberry breakfast rolls… Shame on me.
Awesome post! LOVE the “company field trip” – made me LOL!
Wait, a cucumber in your purse? How often do you carry one of those around with you? Is it for an emergency snacking situation? I think I may need one.
LOVE this list. My essentials include warm bootie slippers, coffee, iPhones, yoga pants (for comfort, not yoga), running sneaks and ice cream!
Oh Joy, let’s be friends! I’ve got that same glittery pink nail polish. It’s happiness in a bottle. And we can bowl terribly together. (I went bowling with some friends last night and finished one game with a grand total score of 3). Always look forward to your posts.
p.s. very cute watch!
I love that you had a cucumber and chop sticks in your purse!
Hasselback potatoes are my all time favourite. So so so delicious. And so cute.
Gorgeous- and hilarious. I have a special bracelet that I put on when I need to power through late at night; it glints and smiles but feels heavy too. Makes me want to work faster, to get it all done, so I can put it back in its box.
That made me feel warm & good and searching to see if I have the ingredients for those lemon raspberry rolls.
I have a very similar wallet to you but in purple. I don’t know how I ever coped with a tiny non-snakeskin wallet before. I loved seeing some of the things that go into making you you!
Joy – is just the right name for you. It’s always a joy to read your posts and I love this random, jumbled, life-affirming, friendly one.
A lovely post- it’s always nice to see what bits and bobs peeps recommend (I always find something good there!) And I totes agree about the essentialness (is that even a word?!) of cat monsters- my cat and two dogs create so much craziness and joy in my life :D
I dig this post. I’ve been wondering for the longest time where your watch came from because I looooove it. Sprinkles are a definite essential in my life. It honestly makes my day to see sprinkles on top of anything, cookies, doughnuts, my cat, anything. Graph paper too. Love the graph paper. And you! <3
This was really a fun and personal post. I love getting to see a bit more of what makes you Joy!
great post. i also have many essential things in my bag.
belated happy birthday to your Mom :)
thanks for sharing.
I would love to move into Todd & Diane’s prop studio and never leave. Or Matt’s. Heaven on earth.
And Orange Tootsie pops, eh? I have a red one a few times a week. I love reds.
Ironic that you mention King Arthur flour, specifically. Earlier in the week I did a post about flour and asked if folks thought the brand of flour matters, i.e. Gold Medal, Pillsbury, King Arthur, store-brand, etc. and I’m glad to know you put the King on your essentials list!
Love this, Joy!