admiring: blogs

When I began blogging seven years ago, I did it as a way to record various aspects of our lives – our family adventures and house projects. I didn’t really consider the connections that might come from this little space, but now that I’ve been at it awhile, I’ve found that it’s really my favorite part. One of the things I hope to do over the next several days is to highlight some of those connections – and maybe turn you onto other independent blogs out there that you might enjoy.

I’ve never felt very compelled to “promote” this space that much – it’s not a money making venture, and so there’s no incentive there. But whenever I do move a little bit out of my inner circle, I always seem to be rewarded with new connections. Some of these have turned into real, live friendships here in town, and some broader connections around the country (and a few on the other side of the globe). I so appreciate those, and so I cannot discount all promotion entirely. I like to find new voices out there, and I suspect that you do as well.

I’m going to start small (and fairly local) with a few blogs that I read on a daily basis – at some point I’ve connected with these bloggers over the past few years, either through our blogs or outside of them. These sorts of daily reads are really enjoyable to me – they highlight things going on near home, keep me updated on my friends’ lives, and invite me into deeper conversations with others. Later I’ll feature some of the first blogs that I read and that inspired me to take up blogging, and then I’ll feature various categories of blogs that I find inspiring and helpful.

I’d love to know how you ended up finding this place. I know many of you came over from various features on other blogs or magazines. And a great many of you came from Apartment Therapy’s yearly list of blogs to read – the Homies. I’d also love to know what you’re reading and enjoying online these days, and if you have a blog yourself, please share!

Preparing for Peanut features several different categories of content – I particularly enjoy Becky’s roundup of local events and her reviews of kid friendly adventures in eating and play around town. Bonus points for the fabulous recipes and her mad party planning and paper skills. I don’t remember how we originally connected (maybe the YHL piece?), but she actually moved back to my city, and so we’ve been able to meet up in person, and banter daily via Instagram.

By The Brooke is another daily read for me, and one of the best written blogs out there. She started reading my blog a couple of years ago and quickly realized that we lived very near each other, and so we’ve become good friends outside of our online spaces. Her writing is both poignant and hilarious – and she has a large community of readers that read her and adore her. 

I love reading Living Analog – she has a great eye for thrifted furniture and lighting and all things fabulous. She recently left this city for the wild and wooly southwest, and I’m enjoying her new adventures out there. 

Bad Mansard is written by a neighbor and friend. It celebrates the best and the worst mansard designs. I live in my own (spectacular) mansard, so I feel pretty confident in my ability to spot a bad one and to laugh at all the ones she posts.

I recently discovered Crumbbums after she visited my blog. I’m enjoying her blog so much – and we seem to have a lot in common. I love her creative posts about play, and admire the fact that she gets in front of the camera – something that I’m still shy to do. I highly recommend checking it out.

Life with BearBear and Ear Full of Pumpkin are friends I knew before we were bloggers, and I love reading about their adventures with their families and in the kitchen. They also live in the Midwest, so though we’re too far away to meet up for an afternoon cup of coffee, I feel like I’m sharing a little part of their lives.

I’m grateful for all of you, and I’m glad that you are here. How did you end up here, and what are you reading these days?