jojotastic

My Backyard Design Plans + What It Currently Looks Like (Video)

April 1, 2020April 1, 2020By JoannaPosted in home decor + interiors, my tiny bungalow, chickens

Are you doing tons of projects at home these days? With the emergence of spring here in Seattle (finally) and our shelter in place order, we’ve been trying to make the most of our home — all without really going to the hardware store! The area we’re focusing our attention on the most is the backyard. Why does it always feel like we’re updating that space?? I think because the winters here are pretty hard on the patio… all that rain. I shortened the list recently, but here’s my backyard design to do list for the next few months!

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Everything I’ve Read So Far in 2020 (Part 1)

March 31, 2020March 31, 2020By JoannaPosted in book report

I’ve always been someone that finds comfort in reading, especially a good escapist novel. I’ve been wrestling with feelings of needing to be productive with all this time at home… but zero energy to actually execute all the projects I have in mind. If anything, all I want to do is read and mentally escape, even just for a little bit. In case you’re the same way and need some new book recommendations, here’s a list of everything I’ve read so far in 2020! And if you want to skip ahead to shopping for books, I set up an Amazon storefront for my 2020 reading list.

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9 Things of Note | March 2020

March 30, 2020March 31, 2020By JoannaPosted in shopping + gift guides

I almost didn’t share this post for March because WHAT A MONTH IT HAS BEEN. But my job is to be a resource for you, whatever that may mean. So I decided to share some things of note that I loved in March, even if we’re not shopping nearly as much. In case you’re in the market for any of these items, I felt it was still important to share my review of these 9 items… especially these new Follain masks! They are soooo good.

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6 Ways to Make Your Small Bedroom Feel Like a Relaxing Sanctuary

March 27, 2020March 26, 2020By JoannaPosted in home decor + interiors, wellness

Self isolating in a small space has been… something. Sean is still working because his job has been deemed essential, but I have barely left my house in over a week except to go out into our backyard. Our home is 640 sqft and lately it’s felt too small because of my self quarantine! I’m a little stir crazy now that I’m an indoor cat (we’ve been joking about that). We only have 2 rooms with doors, the bedroom and the bathroom. So I’ve focused a LOT lately on making our small bedroom feel more like a relaxing sanctuary from all the craziness in the world. If you’re in the same situation, these 6 tips might help you!

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My Easy Ramen Recipe Made with Pantry Staples

March 26, 2020March 26, 2020By JoannaPosted in Recipes & Food

I don’t know about you, but I’m barely grocery shopping these days. Instead, I am relying on staples that I usually keep stocked in my pantry. Actually, would you want a blog post about what my staples are?? Anyways, one easy lunch or dinner that I’ve been making a lot is this ramen recipe… although to call it a ‘recipe’ is a little disingenuous. Basically, this is a twist on the classic Cup of Noodles that we all know and love. When I was in college, I was very bougie about it and added a few ingredients to make it better. Well, that practice has evolved into the ramen you see in this post. It’s got layered, nuanced flavors, real vegetables, and actually tastes like something you could get at a restaurant. So I wanted to share it with you today, plus offer a few substitutions in case your pantry isn’t as fully stocked!

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My (Temporary) Small Space Home Office

March 25, 2020March 24, 2020By JoannaPosted in home decor + interiors, my tiny bungalow, creative business, small spaces

My workspace has been very unsettled ever since last September. I opted to move out of my studio space in order to save money, a decision for which I am so grateful today. After that, I tried to work out of our tiny bungalow, but it proved to be unhealthy in terms of stopping working at the end of the day. We had also just finished making over the living room and just… didn’t want my small space home office to be here! So we moved it 3 blocks north to Sean’s dad’s house. Now that there’s a freaking pandemic, I made the decision again to move my desk back into our 640 sqft home so that both Andy and I can avoid potentially infecting each other. I’ve shared a bit about this on Instagram, but have gotten lots of questions over the past week. So I wanted to share a mini tour of my current home office in case you’re also suddenly working out of your small space!

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A Textural Centerpiece Made of Spring Vegetables | DIY

March 24, 2020March 23, 2020By SarahPosted in DIY, flowers

A quick note: It’s been challenging to balance sharing posts about coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and also posts that inspire you to try new things. We concepted, photographed, and wrote this post before the outbreak, but decided to share it today in order to help take your mind off things. I always want this blog to be a source of inspiration and information, so I really appreciate you continuing to follow and support Jojotastic during these uncertain times. — Joanna

One of my favorite things about working with Joanna on these floral DIYs is all the crazy ideas she comes up with. A few examples include the peonies overflowing from the window of a vintage BMW and the floral installation we hung from the light fixture in her dining room — both of which took tons of creative vision on her part and were easily two of my favorite floral projects ever. When Joanna shared her idea of a flower arrangement made entirely of spring vegetables, I was pretttty skeptical. I went for it anyways and it was so much fun… and also a creative and practical challenge that I enjoyed tackling. After a bit of trial and error, we were both really pleased with the results!

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