I read a lot because of the whole "word nerd" thing, and among my favorite reads are the blogs below. I read every update, without fail. In alphabetical order because I could never pick favorites:
So pretty much I just want to be Abbey Hendrickson, but I will settle for reading about her life. My favorite part of her blog is that she covers the ongoing self-renovation of a farm she and her husband bought in upstate New York. And that is my dream. Except perhaps somewhere slightly less far from family. But also her kids are really cute. And her crafts ideas look like fun, but I can not attest to this because I'm one of those people that's all "ooh! Project for a rainy Saturday," and then that rainy Saturday comes, and it's more grocery shopping, cleaning and catching up on work than crafting.
I think I read Amber's blog so often because I feel like if we met, we'd be friends. She has a really positive outlook on things and a way of convincing me my life is on track even when I feel completely and totally hopeless. Plus, she is funny and has a cute dog. Convinced.
This is the only outfit-style fashion blogger that doesn't bore me. She's classy, and I'm always taking little tips from her outfits, even though our personal styles are pretty starkly different. Plus, she's not afraid to mix high-fashion and Gap. That's a beautiful thing.
The Bloggess is funny in a way the gets Matthew Broderick to send a picture of himself with a spatula and an egg and Brian Boitano to send a picture of himself holding an ice cream sandwich with tongs.I use these examples because they're recent, but this woman is awesome and unapologetic in her ridiculousness, which is why she rocks. And makes me cry laughing on a regular basis.
Hazel, the main character of this web comic, is a total mess, which makes my life feel less messy in comparison. Also, despite her messiness, I adore her and feel very much like I am her in an embarrassing number of ways. Regardless, this comic is awesome. And has a ghost kitty and a talking cactus. So there's that.
The fact that this blog got me to look past the "WTF" in its title is a testament to the content. Pure awesomeness. They have called my attention to more brands than I can count, have featured more artists that have left my dumbstruck, and give what seem to be the most straightforward DIY projects out there. I say seem to be because I don't ever actually try my hand at any of these projects. I just like reading about them.
Nicole is kind of my hero. She's not afraid to make big changes, not afraid of admitting mistakes, and she's always learning and sending those lessons along. Also, I have her manifesto taped in my journal. Seriously. Oh, and she's funny. Probably worth mentioning.
Peter writes in a variety of forms: letters to his future family, snippets about his nieces, gushing about his (adorable) girlfriend. My personal favorites are his word doodles. He's a very talented writer, and he has a way of making the blogging world seem like more of a community: he also started a collaborative blog, in which I took part for a while, called "Drabble Rousers," wherein I stumbled upon a host of new writers to read, including Amber Adrian (see above).
Right, so this is also a webcomic, not a blog, but I feel like that's irrelevant. Because it's wonderful. And I have read every single comic and the storylines are all really interesting, and every character reminds me of someone I know. Plus, there are "Anthro-PCs" slash A.I. robots. One is really pervy. All of this is wonderful.
When I need a kick in the butt, this is the perfect blog to read. Also, when I don't know I need a kick in the butt, if I read this blog, I generally realize I just got one and it's going to help me. I have so many of her entries marked as unread in my reader so I'll be sure to reread them. Over and over again. She is awesome, and I will take advice from her every day of my life is she is willing to give it.
Jessica doesn't update weekly like her title implies, but when she does: perfect recipes. And not scary and overwhelming with eight million steps. And pretty pictures to go along. My boyfriend and I are big fans of the Chicken Piccata. And I have actually set aside a weekend to make jam. In my calendar. This coming from the girl who doesn't craft or DIY. That's how good the recipe looks.
I like Ashley. I've never met her, but I relate to her thought process, her personal struggles, her love of books and pizza, and I admire her honesty. It's not that common among blogs to find honesty that isn't just self-deprecating humor. I think we battle similar demons, so I like seeing how she articulates the thoughts in my head.
