Blog Envy, Blog Love!

I jumped on the blog bandwagon just a couple of years ago and after having one blog disappear (yes, it's true) I started this one just this past January. Through my blogging, I have found some of the most amazing women and have really come to appreciate them as real friends. BUT, I have to admit, I suffer from...Blog Envy!!

There are certain blogs that I check everyday and feel like I am visiting dear friends each time (I know, I seriously need to get a life...I know this!) I have laughed with them, cried with them, listen to them vent, gleaned from them, learned from them, gained weight because of them, but mostly have grown to love and apprecitate ALL of them.

So I want to share with you a few (and there are many more) of my favorite blogs and would LOVE to hear from you about some of your favorites!

I adore Sarah over at Clover Lane. Sarah's a SAHM with 5 children and makes no apologies about it (go girl)! Her posts are primarily about her adventures with her children, but she also has done some awesome "series". My personal favorite series is her "Women of Faith" where periodically she spotlights a woman of a particular faith. Each post has been very respectful, honest and informative. For me personally, I have learned more about each religion and have gained a greater appreciation for the enormous strength and faith these women have gained through their personal relationship with God. Sarah also is an accomplished photographer. She shares experiences from family vacations to organizing her house to an occasional cathartic venting! Check her out, I promise you will LOVE her as I do!

Another favorite is Shawni over at 71 Toes and The I Love Lucy Project. I have been familiar with Shawni's parents for years as they are published authors and have written several books on marriage, plus we belong to the same faith and her parents are pretty well known within our church...but, Shawni is the one I want to talk about. She too is a SAHM with 5 children. Her youngest daughter, Lucy, is an adorable, "instantly-fall-in-love-with-her-when-you-see-her-smile" little girl who was diagnosed with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome which will eventually cause her to go blind. Her posts are always interesting, most are about the everyday goings-on in her family, but she also has fabulous give-aways and informative info about her daughter's syndrome. Shawni is also a published author with a BEAUTIFUL book that she co-wrote with her mother called "A Mother's Book of Secrets". I recently bought the book even though my youngest child is almost 25 and only wish I had bought it sooner! It's easy to read, beautifully written and is a perfect gift for a new mother-to-be or any mother of any age!

Kevin and Amanda are the most adorable couple who have a blog that addresses so many different subjects. Most recently, Amanda just returned from L.A. where she was treated in Old Hollywood Red-Carpet Style by Bertolli. She was able to meet the famous chef Rocco Dispirito and she shared her trip through a series of posts complete with the most beautiful pictures..I swear I gained 20 pounds just looking at them!! I used to live in L.A. and she actually made me homesick for that crazy place! She also shares her adventures with her hubby and 2 adorable dogs, Miley and Howie, has fantastic blog tips AND I have gotten THE CUTEST fonts for my computer through her blog. Her blog is a website chock full of all kinds of info, so head on over for a veritable feast of cyber tidbits!

Recently, I was introduced to Jenny over at The Picky Palate through Amanda at KevinandAmanda. Let me warn you, you will truly be salivating when you read her posts and see the delectable pictures of her latest creations. You can almost smell the delicious aromas from her kitchen wafting through the computer! She and Amanda were both at the Bertolli event and were able to get together to create the "Ultimate L.A. Cookie". Holy Cow, I can't wait to head over to the grocery store after posting this so I can start to try to replicate the decadent cookie they created! Her blog is filled with fabulous recipes where she takes the ordinary and makes it EXTRAORDINARY. I have never been SO inspired to cook and create as I have with this fabulous blog.

The final blog I want to share with you is written by a lovely Mennonite woman who was introduced to me through Sarah at Clover Lane in one of her "Women of Faith" series. I don't know the woman's name, it doesn't matter, she's still my friend! Her blog is called "Thy Hand Hath Provided". She blogs about her experiences as a SAHM mom who homeschools her children and cooks with food she and her husband have grown on their land. Again, her pictures are gorgeous and she inspires me to learn more about gardening, cooking and getting back to basics. I admire her so much with her canning ability and food storage ideas. She has taught me so much and I appreciate her more than words can say! Check her out. You will love her as I do!

All of these women are amazing in their own right and all are INCREDIBLE photographers (something I am SO not!) We are all linked though this crazy cyber-world of blogging and I am a better woman for having gotten to know them through their postings. I personally want to thank them all for their wonderful contributions to my life. I am older than ALL of them but feel a sisterhood because of their generosity to share a part of their lives! They all inspire me to be a better woman, mother and wife! Thank you for the company you provide for me daily and I wish you all the very best!