I was considering all of this as I was baking bread.  A year ago one of my girlfriends taught me how to bake bread. Delicious, healthy, gorgeous bread! My children love it, the neighbors love it, I love the process. For the longest time I was intimidated by the thought of baking bread. Especially at altitude!  I couldn’t wrap my brain around it.  Wendy {the coolest girl I know} told me to get over it and try.  So I did.  That was one of the best gifts anyone has given me… the gift of sharing a skill/passion/herself/confidence. Every time I make bread I think of her, which makes me smile.

Maybe this year is the year you teach a friend something, or share a handful of your favorite recipes. We are gifting with handmade favorites, ‘time’ and ‘date’ coupons {“one day of golf” “a month of cooking lessons” etc}. There are handmade scarves, boxes of truffles, handwritten notes that tell a story. We also chose to purchase gifts that promote interaction, like board games, cards, etc.

Just a thought. Something to consider as you battle the masses out shopping this weekend. An idea for redirecting your hard earned dollars. You possess great talents; that is a great gift!

Anywhoodle. One of the lasting loves I left Colorado with is that of bison meat.  It is so good for you, much leaner than beef and tastier!  From bison steaks to ground bison, I use it as a primary protein in our home.  I am in the kitchen today preparing for our family getaway to the Smoky Mountains for Christmas. As I started putting together my bison bolognese, I thought “more people should make this!” so here you are!  My little gift du jour….

Bison Bolognese {serves 6}

1 pound ground bison

1 large yellow onion

@ 2tbs of garlic

2 large cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes

3 tbs brown sugar

a few large pinches of sea salt

oregano, basil and fresh parsley

2tbs olive oil

Heat your olive oil then add chopped onion.  Cook until just caramelized.  Add garlic and toss for a minute or two.  Add ground bison and cook through. I add a hefty pinch of salt while it’s cooking.  Once browned, add tomatoes, herbs and brown sugar.  I simmer this for a few hours, stirring occasionally.  Serve with linguine or bucatini for biggest oooohs and ahhhhhhs. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan and parsley.

Perfection! xo – jb

note: this freezes beautifully. it’s also mindbending as meatballs… recipe to come soon.

{If you’re my neighbor, stop reading now.}

The kids and I will be ‘jingling” a few of our neighbors, with a bag full of holiday fun.  Homemade candies & cookies, fresh baked bread, sauces and pasta, a word craft and a handmade ornament. We’ll wrap it up pretty and attach a little card that lets them know that they’ve been ‘jingled’, and what that means.  It will not have our name. Because it isn’t about us.  It’s all about sending out good vibes to good people who may just read the card and be inspired to do the same for someone else.  A good juju chain of joy and love. A bag full of surprises just because someone though you’d enjoy them.

Holiday Cheer!  Christmas Joy! Random acts of kindness.  I’d love to see this happen all year round, but Christmas sounds like as good a time as any to start spreading love.

Light a spark. Stoke the fire.

xo

For house guests. It’s that fun love | hate relationship with having people invade your space and being the hostess with the mostess for a few days {there’s a message in there guests}. I really enjoy the cooking, and the cocktails, but have always been disconnected from the guest room set up.  My mother sets a high bar, and we are a competitive bunch. But this woman, well, she makes the guest room your room.  As though she knows exactly what your dream getaway room needs.  It changes for every guest, and for every guest’s visit. Intimidating stuff.  I have finally decided that our guest room should have a neutral base rich in texture, with seasonal or holiday touches, great reading material and music, sans a tv.  A bed that you don’t want to get out of. A great chair for reading, and a desk for writing {with great paper of course!}.

Here are a few beautiful rooms to inspire you …

I am still undecided on the 1 bed v 2 bed debate. Is there a right answer? I don’t know. Don’t fret. Do what makes you happy. Pour lots of cocktails! Don’t forget the personal touches. They won’t.

xo – JB

Fear of failure can be paralyzing. Perceived failure or experienced, or perceived because of what you’ve experienced.  We face choices that make us want to crawl back under the covers, or run blindly into the direction of something only to look back and wonder what the hell we were thinking.  The good news is that we aren’t alone.

I recently read this post by one of my mentors, Danielle LaPorte.  She’s brilliant and wears amazing shoes.  I was going to paraphrase it but its whole is too powerful to abbreviate.  Here you go…

“This is Your Guarantee of Failure. Proceed anyway.

GUARANTEED, FOR SURE, NO WAY OUT, GONNA HAPPEN, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY CERTAIN:
You will fail. At some point. More than once.

You will get hurt.
You’re going to get dumped, broken up with. Betrayed, even.
Heart broken. Heart.BROKEN.
You might get kicked out, rejected, canned. Denied entry.
Not invited.

You will be criticized.
You will be denied.
You’ll be too late.
You’ll give up too soon.

You’ll misread the fine print, sign a bad deal, and it’ll cost ya — dearly. You will miss opportunities, miss the mark, let some precious part of life pass you by. You won’t win. You will lose.
You will be wounded and you’ll have scars — that show.

You’ll have regrets.
And things you wish you could do over.
You’ll say things you wished you had never said.
There will be many, many things that you’ll wish you had said — fiercely loving and bravely tender things, righteously justice-rendering things that could change everything — but instead, you’ll fail to rise in the way you wanted to.

There’s no mystery, there’s no avoiding it, and no one born has ever, or will ever, be immune. Failing is as certain as sunsets and detours. So why exert energy avoiding the unavoidable? Shift your energy from protecting yourself from failure to squeezing the life out of life.

Let your guard down, take the brakes off, and tear up that insurance policy – it was a rip off anyway. The status quo has been feeding you factory-grade illusions. Sign up, speak up, get out, and get it on. You will fail. At some point. More than once. Guaranteed. Proceed anyway.” ~ Danielle LaPorte

Start your week right.  Start it now.  Proceed!

xo – JB

If you are someone who enjoys daring choices and bold statements, here are some great ideas!

For those of you commitmentphobes out there, here are a few beautiful, though subtle, ways to introduce chevrons to your home…

Either way, you’re bound to fall ass over tea kettle for the flirty patterns.  As will all of your Holiday guests!  Spruce up that guest room with a great throw, or turn your living room on its ear with a coat of fresh paint reflecting the fun design! Just have fun!

JB

I believe I can do this.  I will do this.  I will LOVE the french out of this blogging business.  Seriously… just watch me!  Here we goooooo……

Y’all ready for the holidays? Here we go!

xo – JB

All of these allow you to transition from Halloween festivities seamlessly into Thanksgiving.  Now if we can just figure out how to turn those stacked pumpkins into a Santa.  Have fun everyone… add a few hay bales, an outdoor flannel or argyle throw and now you have additional outdoor seating as well.  Call all your friends and family and invite them over!

We are picking up, packing up and taking our brand to this beautiful Carolina gem.  With all that Charlotte has to offer, it was a simple choice when opportunity came knocking.  The getting there, well that was a challenge I will save for another day.  But OH! what an amazing year the Lord has given us! It’s October, and as I look back at the year, it occurred to me how much has been accomplished so far.  In reading my New Year’s post… http://joannabaileydesigns.com/2012/01/01/happy-new-year/ it feels really good to know that I have already accomplished the majority of my goals for this year.  While working hard, praying hard and enjoying many blessings this year, we have enjoyed so many new things both personally and professionally.

There’s a lot to come.  It’s a big life, you know.  I stood on top of a mountain a month ago {a very, very tall mountain} and saw how much further I was capable of stretching.  It was a profound experience for me, and a wonderful reminder of what I am {we all are} capable of if we are brave enough to challenge ourselves.  Living a big, rich, blessed life takes hard work. It means going so far out of your box that you lose sight of it, and tasking yourself with understanding your intentions even when those closest to you question them.

I know the path I am on. I trust the path my family is on. I can’t wait to share with you the path that Joanna Bailey Designs will take this winter! As for the coming weeks, we’ll be waist deep in tape, boxes and goodbyes to good friends and amazing business partners.  We’re excited.  No, we are tickled pink!  ;)

Here we come Charlotte!

xo ~ JB

When did the rest of lose that? So often I hear ugly stuff about people. Families talking about each other, co-workers being nasty, friends who are now “frienemies”… what on earth is a frenemy?!  And I won’t spend too much time on this, but why don’t neighbors talk to each other anymore? It doesn’t make a moment’s sense to me. I can’t tell you how horribly I feel about the news; I can’t even watch.  I’m not sure how I would describe American culture if asked, but I can tell you that it’s not what it was 30 years ago.

In any case, I would really like to see more people not only experience joy like a three year old, but share it with others.  I’d love to see more examples of unanswered kindness and unsolicited generosity… you know, true altruism.  Loving your neighbor.  Our pastor preached on it this past weekend, and today, in seeing my little girl’s reaction to a box of love {her words}, it really hit home that this kind of thing shouldn’t be such a big deal.  It shouldn’t stand out as something rare.  Sharing our joy, our gifts, our love, should be a regular exercise in human decency.

So tonight, I’m sitting down with my family to talk about how we can do more to show more love. I challenge you to do the same in your home & community.

xo – JB

I will answer her question {indictment} here, and please read with my Southern tilt and a smile, as that is how I shall type this.  I have been….

Playing in the sunshine with my children. Swimming in lakes and collecting rocks in the prettiest river in the mountains of North Carolina.  Picking berries from bushes I helped my Mema plant 25 years ago. I have been road tripping with said children, enjoying our beautiful country from the inside of our SUV, and stopping to take pictures of the random prettiness of it all.  Teaching my girls how to ride a horse.  I have been planting gardens and watching them grow.  Rocking on the porch.  Baking cookies, sending them to my dearest friends, and sharing the joy of baking with my girls.  We have had Olympics-worthy backstroke races.  I’ve been explaining to teenagers that adding sand to the bank of a reservoir does not make it a beach.  Planning 3 year old birthday parties and hosting my friends for dinner under the stars.  This summer has been a re-entry into the summer bliss I have loved all my life, but gave up for a career in weddings for ten years.  {A DECADE without summer bliss… never, ever again.}  I have been scouting farms, talking with small farm owners and  meeting new, extraordinary people who create beautiful art and delicious foods with their hands.  And eating an obscene amount of watermelon. This summer I have rediscovered a love for the simple things, my appreciation of lightin’ bugs and found my groove again.  That’s where I have been.

Watch out world.

<3 Joanna

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xo – Joanna

Enjoy your holiday weekend everyone… arguably the most fabulous weekend of the summer.  Isn’t it just begging for stripes?!

xo ~ Joanna

My family loves to road trip!  When I was a child, my favorite way to travel was to get in the family van and take off.  I have endless memories of exploring back roads, National parks, quiet beaches and farmland with my family. Now that I have my own family, it is one of my favorite memory makers and getaways.  This year we are creating a blog to capture all the fun of our journey!

Each year the kids and I sit down and talk about how we want to do it, which usually leads to an argument over who is sharing a tent/room and if we are taking the dog.  Ultimately I remind them that it is a Momocracy if they cannot come to reasonable conclusions!  I like to combine camping, a comfortable hotel stay as well as incorporate a family visit if there is someone to visit in our path.  Here is how we like to do it.

1. Location, location, location.  Except that for a modern family, specific destination doesn’t really matter.  With a little imagination and our treasured GPS, our primary decision when planning is direction.  Are we heading north, south, east or west?
2. Duration.  If we are heading out for a long weekend, the planning is much different than that of a three-week trip.  Length of time will make a big difference on the budget, yes, but it also impacts how much we pack, our opportunity to see various sites, and how we manage our resources. I am such a fan of the longer trip, with frequent stops and long, relaxing mornings before we head out.
3. What to Pack?!  After decades of traveling cross country in vehicles, I have become a fan of the roof bag.  They are flexible, can be doubled up on most SUVs and Minivans and take the burden off the rear of your vehicle.  My recommendations are simple: allot one bag per person, pack light clothing {I have never met a hotel maid who won’t do your laundry for extra $$}, layer when needed and consolidate items that are shared {i.e. toothpaste}.
4. Budget.  While the price of gas can’t be controlled, the cost of food can.  For a family of five, we could easily exceed $1000 for a ten day road trip if we ate out every meal. I am a health-focused mom at home, so why would that change while traveling? I bake bread, cookies & power bars in advance, freeze berries & yogurts, and we end up traveling with the majority of our food.  While I love experiencing regional specialties with my children, I don’t enjoy ten days of budget and waistline busting!  We also bring our water canteens so that we aren’t going through cases of plastic bottles and avoid the temptations of gas station snacks!
5. Kids Eat Free!  One of our fun ways to save and enjoy the local fare is to see who’s running kiddo specials!  You will be amazed at the deals local restaurants give to children eating with their parents.    I also recommend investing an hour or two in setting up a handful of loyalty programs with large hotel brands.  They frequently run kids stay free programs, offer upgrades in the off seasons and allow for odd timed check-ins, which is valuable when traveling by car.
6. Photography. If your children have digitals, ensure they are charged and loaded with fresh mem cards. If they have an iTouch or iPhone, update their apps to include a great 8mm video app as well as Camera+ and Hipstomatic apps.  Another favorite option in our family is the Polaroid.  The instant gratification for smaller children is fabulous.  Take more photos than you think respectable; the moments you capture of your children, in addition to all the wonderful sights you will see, will make for wonderful memory books and story telling when your grandchildren come to visit!
7. Journal! My kids love to keep track of our adventures via a journal. Not only do they have the opportunity to offer their voice to the memory book or blog, but it keeps their writing skills fresh.  We usually pull from these for the beginning of the year writing projects, and their teachers love it.

Final tips: Make this trip yours.  Stop when your children are curious about an area and don’t sweat the small stuff.  Do not pass up the local fair or the wonderful farmer’s markets and flea markets. Oh the treasures you will uncover when you are on the open road; please note that I now pack an extra roof bag for such purposes. These trips make memories that will last a lifetime!  Where are you taking your modern family next?

One thing at a time.  That is a tough concept for me.  My brain is usually going a hundred miles a minute.  I have spent a farmer’s dozen of my years juggling ideas, work, designs, children.  I am not alone in this.  I know a lot of women {and a few fellas} who are up at midnight tweeting, returning emails, working up proposals, reviewing contracts, blogging, updating Facebook pages, etc.  It is a competitive, sky’s the limit, savage business environment we work in these days.  The public has a voracious appetite for information, and we all want to make certain ours is appealing | entertaining | educational.  It’s exhausting.  Add to that family life, keeping a home, a social life {vague memory of what that is}, a spouse… who can keep up with it all at a breakneck pace and do it well?

No one.

Yes.  That’s right.  I do not believe in this term “balance” that everyone throws around.  It’s hogwash.  All we can do is the best we can.  One day at a time.  One thing at a time.  The laundry will not come alive and march on you if not washed.  You will not get the shakes if you take a technology-free day {this is not medical advice}.  Your business will not crash and burn if you take a weekend {or, gasp, a vacation} off.  I am not mocking you.  I am speaking as someone who had to be sat down and given a talkin to from a good friend at a time when I had left girl’s nights in the distant past, made my children a homemade dinner every night while answering calls and emails instead of enjoying the time with them, and was literally going blind in front of the computer instead of taking a morning off to pay a visit to the optometrist.  I was exhausted, cranky and felt like I was failing on every front.

Slow down.  Become the healthier, more peaceful, focused version of you.  If we cannot be forgiving and kind of and to ourselves, how can we possibly extend that to others?  Do one thing at a time; one day at a time.  You will find greater success and joy.

This opportunity is just the beginning of something fabulous, and as the winter comes to an end, I’ll be sharing more of the big picture for Joanna Bailey designs.  For now, I am focused on these fabulous cooking classes, which will cover specific culinary skills and/or specialties.  Classes are limited to six people, will be fun and yes, you will be eating while in class!  I’ll also be sending you off after class with a favorite product or tool relevant to what you’ve just learned.

Bring your honey, your best friend, sister or neighbor {the one who’s always over asking how you made ‘that’} and have fun!  You’ll broaden your knowledge of food, common cooking techniques and add some sparkle to your moxie in the kitchen.

The calendar can be found here,

I can’t wait to get you in the kitchen!  Classes begin March 16th and will run in four week sessions.  The session rate is $240 per person, $450 per couple, or $75 for an individual class.  In April I will be rolling out a series tied into my “Cook with your Kids” program.  The calendar will update frequently, so please keep an eye on new opportunities! If you’d like to inquire about specific skill series, or personal lessons, feel free to email me at hello@joannabailey.me.

delicious | beautiful | inspired

Joanna

I love America.  As a woman who has traveled this country all of her life, I fell in love with our country early on.  I appreciate the marriage of cultures and traditions, the dialects, a wide variety of culinary pleasures, and the litany of architectural options that this country’s patchwork framework affords us.  I love finding small, mom & pop businesses when I’m traveling, usually while road-tripping with my kids.  With a particular affinity for antique shops, driving through the heart of America, New England or the South, there is always a treasure trove of goodies waiting to occupy the extra roof bag I pack.  My kids, as they grow, enjoy the hunt as well.  I’m not sure if it’s more about the find, or if their appreciation of the quality of work is growing.  Either way, I am grateful that they share a fondness for well made furniture, hand blown glass and beautifully crafted fabrics.

As a small business owner, it means a lot to me to support other business owners in my community.  I think that word, community, begs definition though:

Community: 1.a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage. 2.a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists (usually preceded by the ): the business community; the community of scholars.

My guess is that most of us are a member of a variety of communities, that reflect our personal and professional interests, as well as spiritual beliefs.  Every Sunday I will be posting about a handful of artisans who are a. creating a stellar product b. proud to produce their product in America and c. supporting others in their community.  I genuinely believe that by supporting these craftsmen, artists, farmers, chefs, and community leaders, we all have a greater opportunity to get involved.

I want my children to be able to road trip with their children, experience similar joys as they discover fabulous little shops filled with handmade, locally sourced products, amazing boutique cafes serving fresh, local foods, and share those experiences with others.  We have a responsibility to future generations.  If you have favorite local finds, amazing craftsmen within your community, and/or know someone who is making big changes in their field, community or craft, please feel free to share!  You can reach me at joanna@joannabailey.me.

This week’s favorite Made in America finds are:

1.  York Wallpaper {www.yorkwall.com} Breathtaking wall papers, created in York, Pennsylvania, since 1895.

2.  Mrs. Jones Soapbox {www.mrsjonessoapbox.com}  A line a all natural, safe & effective cleaning products.

3.  Shepherd’s Way Farms {www.shepherdswayfarms.com}  A family farm creating delicious cheeses in Minnesota.

With great affection,

JB

Close your eyes and imagine with me for a minute, beautiful colors that marry your personality and a relaxed vibe… furniture that has purpose and flair… bedding that begs you to climb in a stay a while?  Now, add the perfect lighting, a few key elements and voila!  Your peaceful, romantic, gorgeous getaway.  Here, a gallery of inspiration for every style.

Some simple tips to creating your perfect space:

1.  Keep the color palette simple.  Pick a color you love, then accent it subtly.  Or, use white and accent with pops of color.

2.  Use warm, modest lighting.  I’m not a big fan of ceiling lights unless they’re a design feature. {no one looks good lit from above}

3.  Invest in great linens.  Every time you climb into bed you’ll remember why you spent that money.  You can thank me later.

Make it Beautiful! JB

I believe that we are all capable of amazing things.  This year, my goals are set for personal and professional greatness.  Here are my top five goals for the year:

1.  Relocate my family to our ideal location.  We’ve been praying on this for some time, and are looking forward to living in an area that allows us close access to our extensive family, a wonderful community to grow in, and a solid and profitable market for my business.  We have our eye on two specific Mid-Atlantic locales and are equally excited about both!

2.  Eat clean.  I’m a cook, and have been working with food and menu design for nearly two decades.  I’m also a Southern woman and love decadent and delicious food.  I pride myself on eating fresh and local, and last year learned to bake our own breads, grow our own veggies and am now learning to make fresh pasta.  This year we will make a move away from excess dairy, to farm fresh meats and an extensive home grown garden.  We will also be canning a lot this year…  everything from jams & jellies to veggies, sauces and fruits.

3.  Fitness.  My baby making years have come to a close and my family of four is active. I, however, have neglected to engage the way I’d like to, and the way I used to.  So, this year will see the re-introduction of dance, yoga and swimming.  Both of my daughters dance, and this is a fun way for us to share something I’ve loved all my life.  Yoga is great for both my soul and body, and I’m excited about some of the new studios in our area.  Swimming has always been a favorite training tool and I’m looking forward to getting back in the pool.

4.  Our farm.  Part of my business plan involves developing my own farm.  This is the year.  I’ve spent a considerable amount of time researching all the elements and features that I want to incorporate and now it’s time to get out and find it.  This is tied into the #1 goal… Location, location, location!

5.  Travel.  In my 20′s I spent a lot of time traveling and loved each experience.  My 30′s have been spent having children and raising a family, surviving a divorce and finding my sea legs again.  As the kids are getting bigger, my hunger to share the world with them grows.  My goal for this year is 2 big family trips, 2 personal trips abroad and 2 girlfriend weekends {it’s been a lonnggg time since we’ve done this!}.  Dusting off the passport

This year is about DESIGNING the life I’ve worked for, and the future that I want for my family.  So while I work to create beautiful spaces and unforgettable food concepts for my clients, my design will extend to my personal time and my family’s success.  Intention… I’m not sure how many people balance their personal and professional intentions.  It’s only been in the past year that I’ve realized how imbalanced mine were.

Thank you 2012 for all the promise, hope and success you offer!

1.  iPhone Printer {hammacher.com} 2-4. Tiffany Jewelry {tiffany.com} 5. KitchenAid Pro500 {shopkitchenaid.com} 6. Planners & Journals from MayBooks {maybooks.com} 7. iPad {apple.com} and iPad Covers & Sleeves {geeksugar.com} 8. Heavenly Knits by Missoni {mytheresa.com} 9. Jo Malone Collection {jomalone.com} 10. Kooba Jonnie bag {kooba.com} 11. Ray Ban Aviators {ray-ban.com} 12. UV Cake Vodka {your local vendor}

A few things to note… 1.  Do not give an appliance unless you KNOW she will be thrilled.  2. Tiffany has pieces in every budget; don’t be afraid.  3. Have fun, shop with love and wrap it beautifully!

xo JB

I threw them on the grill, made sure they got warm enough to pull the sugars out and get a nice char around the edges.  I brought them in, added a drop (like a gumdrop) of goat cheese on top, and then added a Marcona almond.  Delish!  What a fun and tasty nibble!  And, they are beautiful.  I’m having dinner guests tomorrow and will be serving these up… I’ll make sure to take some pics this time.