Joy Junket

I grew up in a family that placed a high value on intellect.    I am a 4^th generation physician.    My Mom’s Father was a professor and,  we read a lot and put those in academics on a bit of a pedestal at my house growing up.   What I now realize is that intellect is wonderful BUT,  its not necessarily the best place to go when you are trying to solve puzzles of the heart.    In fact, sometimes I have to stop being so darn  smart-  so I can really look at how I am feeling and what my thoughts are causing me to feel.  I learned this only recently and its POWERFUL stuff.      There are any ways to look at your THOUGHTS-  and one of the most simple ways is a process called “the work” of Byron Katie . I cannot say ENOUGH about the work of Byron Katie.     Simple process- although it takes a bit of practice to do it-  but the results are well worth it.   What I have learned is that our intellect (brain-  whatever you wan to call it) creates thoughts-  and some of those thoughts are NOT HELPING US!!  For example-  “There is something wrong with me”  is a very common one I have discovered (for myself and with clients).  Yes-  in our Western Culture-  we glorify the mind-  but frankly … More

The other day we had a little get together.  I always believe it’s good to host a party now and then in order to get all the annoying little jobs around the house (the ones I can avoid to the point I don’t even SEE them anymore!) completed and checked off the “to DO” list.  … More

A friend of mine told me a story about how she and her husband decided to buy a tandem bicycle so they could spend more time exercising together.  They were SO excited the first time they took off together on this joint, equal, cooperative adventure…. Until her husband realized that she, at the rear of the bike, had the only brake control.  As he fearlessly raced toward intersections, railroad crossings and crosswalks trying to beat cars, trains and pedestrians, she gently applied the pressure to her brake, forcing him to slow down and therefore keeping herself (and THEM) in her comfort zone.  After a few outings on their tandem adventure, they both decided to get their own bikes.  Now they can choose to ride side by side, by themselves, or with other biking friends, (and they are BOTH much happier)!  … More

We named our website Joy Junket because we liked the definition, the idea, of “taking a short journey for pleasure”.. and we like to say that adventure can be around the world or around the corner.  … More

Well, this is Sarah,  its time for me to do a bit of Q and A about Life Coaching.   (No that is not me floating in the pool- but more on that later…)    Just to set the record straight and clarify what it is and what it is not.   I first hired a life coach when I was in my late 30’s and feeling like- “wow I thought I would do my one job and be a doctor for 40 years and then retire”-  and then one day , I realized I felt extremely trapped.  Now, I am a doctor … More

I was watching TV with my son the other day and as we were channel surfing he stopped on a soccer game and said “Ewew!  I cannot watch this game!”  Now, I have caught Daniel watching bowling, softball and if there were such a thing as underwater croquet, he’d be on that too.  So I asked him, “why can’t we watch this?”  He just looked at me and said, “because their jersey’s are yellow… and it … More

I love this sofa….  Did I mention I love this sofa?  Oh, and my dog loves it too (see picture below)…  Okay I know… you are questioning the wisdom of a designer who places an antique French (yep, it’s from France, I consider it EXTREME personal development progress that I did NOT try to buy it a seat on the plane the last time I was there) sofa in a house filled with antlers, fur … More

It’s Suzi here, talking about one of our favorite books,  Style Statement…living by your own design.  We’ve  quoted it often,  have given it to countless clients, sold it at our vintage store and each done the questions ourselves.  We’ve come up with style statements for clients…Modern Organic for one of our favorite couples, and Enduring Legacy for a law firm we are working on.  … More

I just finished reading the new Oprah magazine, the topic of which is “Say Yes To Life!”.. and of course as usual, Ops delivers and every article is worth purusing!  The point of all of it is to get yourself out of your comfort zone, get unstuck and make your dreams come true. 

Even as a creative person, I tend to get stuck on certain things and create my own design comfort zone!  A paint color that I know is always a home run, a specific side table that is a true workhorse, practical yet beautiful in every way… a favorite lighting company.  I like to call myself a One Trick Pony when I get in this mode… and as Sarah pointed out to me one day.. my knowledge … More

 Hey-  its Sarah here.  Many of you may already  know that I was coached for several years and then myself got trained and certified as a Life Coach.   Being coached MYSELF helped me to transform my own life and look at myself in a whole new light.   I began to feel a huge new world of possibility.    The transformation began to take place WITHIN me-  I began … More

Dunmore Cream, Toasted Bagel, Spiced Apple, Pecan Pie….. It’s NO WONDER I feel like running to the nearest bakery shortly after selecting paint colors for a favorite customer!!!!  Really, they make these colors seem sooooo irresistible that what could go wrong when we pick something called Lemon Pie… only to put a little of it up and run screaming from the room???  Yep, that’s the dilemma of selecting paint, we know because let’s face it, we’ve been there too… now and then even I pick a stinker.  … More

One day I was looking for an accessory for this table.. hmmmm, a bowl here, some horns there, put it all together and Wow!  Looks great!  (at least I think so…) As much as I LOVE to complicate my life… I’ve started to learn that simple ideas really are best.  Design can appear complicated in as much as there are times it LOOKS … More

Everywhere we go there’s inspiration… We often say it’s around the corner or around the world.  It just depends on what  your comfort level is!  … More

Hey-  Its Sarah here (: Ok so may be I am just really compulsive…….. but was I the only one who noticed that on Oprah’ s O Magazine cover from April it says in the upper right corner “The Battle is Over”- Oprah HOW SHE ENDED HER WAR WITH FOOD.  … More

 White Hot Truth’s Danielle LaPorte
We frequently tell clients who are looking to dig out their own personal style to check out one of our favorite books,  Style Statement by Danielle LaPorte.  Not only is the book visually a feast-  the discoveries you make will resonate throughout your life and dare we say change it?  You may accept and understand parts of yourself that you never have…anyhoo enough about the book.
Danielle is an ass-kicking … More

I am a co-conspirator, color junkie, apprentice to authenticity, and a  partner in purposeful design.

I am Kim Stromgren, newest resident of Joy Junket–the cyberspace village where soul-searching designers thrive on fun, new citizens are welcomed daily, and anything is possible. … More

Oooooh this chair makes me crazy, a few years ago I would have never bought this chair.  You see, even though I am a designer, I really never started buying what I love up until recently.  WHAT????  Yep, you heard me right, I never really bought things that truly expressed who I was. 

I don’t really know why I did this.  Maybe it was because it took me a long time to embrace … More

People often ask us “What’s the next big thing???   Soooo thought we’d share some Spring thoughts on things we are loving right now…..

Neutral Neutral Neutral!!!!  It’s … More

Wow, spring arrived this weekend, not so much with a bang here in Duluth MN, but with warm sunshine, cold air and a gust of blustery wind… … More

Since we’ve been posting a little about accessories.. thought I’d share with you some ideas that I really love.  I am all about things that are really raw, natural, rustic and charmingly simple.  Nature is like that and I tend to find most of my inspiration there.  … More