I Dream of Jeannie
Earlier this week, I received a puffy little package in the mail from Canada. In it was a lovely thank you note, a darling photograph that's now posted in my kitchen, and a little something made especially for me by knitter/writer/blogger extraordinnaire and all-around swell girl Treefen. I'm utterly tickled magenta that she made me such a nice gift [picture to come] when she needn't have (you shouldn't have, really!), but even more, I feel lucky to have met such a wonderful and talented person through the oft untrustworthy and impersonal Internet.
A few months ago, I bought two framed original watercolors from Penelope. Each is a bra drawn in signature Lopie style. One says "the bust enhancer," the other "the strapless," and together they were the definitive pieces that transformed my apartment from two-person couplesville into a bachelorette pad. I look at the bras every day, and they always put a smile on my face. Again, it's neat to have pretty stuff, but its even neater to know the creative person behind the pretty stuff.
A year ago or so, I ordered my very own lumpy cat pillow from Secret Agent Josephine. A little bit before that, she made me (and Ethan) our own Secret Agent logo, and most recently, she designed a little spam blocking robot even without my asking her to. Every time she puts something new up in her Cafe Press store, I have to sit on my hands to prevent myself from clicking away my life savings on T-shirts and mugs and thong underwear designed by Jo. This girl is so freaking talented and creative and funny and giving (and not to mention stylish!) that I couldn't begin to praise her enough. If you haven't checked out her site, do it.
These are just a few of the fantastic ladies and gents I've met online in the last year and a half since I entered the wonderfully strange world of blogging, and it's been a pleasure getting to know all of the people listed in the sidebar to your right.
It has, however, been far too long since I updated the sidebar, so I figured what better time than Thanksgiving to add to the list of people who have filled my mornings, afternoons, and evenings with their hilarious, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, maddening, touching, informative, and inspiring stories. Thank you all for sharing yourselves and thanks also to those who have taken the time to comment or email in response to things I've posted here. It really means a lot to me.
Some of the links below are to "famous" bloggers, people who are on everybody's sidebar, who are celebrities in Internetland, people I wanted to resist lest I become yet another nameless groupie, but then finally succumbed to because they're just so damn good. Some of the links below are to newbies, people who are new to blogging or who haven't yet found the fanbase they deserve. Some of you I've been reading and commenting on for months and months and can't believe you haven't been in my sidebar all along. Some of you I've only discovered recently and am still getting to know, and some of you I really want to write comments to but I don't want to have to register with Blogger to do so (but I read you, I promise!). Some of you--Cate, Heather, Jeannie--don't even have blogs, but leave comments anyway just becaue you're interested in joining the conversation.
Sometime this weekend, the links below will be meshed with all the other sidebar listees, all the oldies but goodies. You guys and girls who are over there now: You rock. Some of you I've read for over a year now and I feel like I know you. One of you is even moving to my area in a little over a month and it will be exciting and scary to have my online world collide with my real world. Some of you write me the nicest emails out of the blue. Some of you challenge the way I think and look at the world. All of you have made an impression on me. So, again, thanks.
I hope I haven't left anyone out:
Jeff at Above the Orange Trees
Will at Be The Boy
Angie at Blue Shoe Diaries
Irene at Chicago Chick
Chlamygirl at Chlamygirl's Ramblings
Beth at Crazy Us
K at Debaucherous and Disheveled
Allessandria at 42 at 96
Greg at Geese Aplenty
Helen Jane at Helen Jane
Rbelle at JuXtaPosition2
Charlie Gordon at Karmic Irony
Kristen at Kristen Pasculli
Bex at Letter from Washington
Jen at Life Beings at Thirty
Mipmup at Mipmup
Part Time Mom at More Than You Ever...
Esther at My Urban Kvetch
Newgyptian at Newgyptian
Krissa at Petite Hiboux
Tina at Red Dirt Road
Teencake at Teencake
Jules at Tequila Mockingbird
Diane Violet Is My Color
Jeorg and Thomas at When The Stars Go Blue
Keri at Wish Jar Journal
Paz at World Before Columbus
And iTunes.
You're welcome!
Great, thanks for the guilt trip. Now I have to start blogging, like the rest of you whack jobs.
Believe me, if I weren't as entertaining as drywall, I'd give it a shot. Maybe next year.
oh wow.
thanks lady.
you just totally made me blush.
man. thanks.
----
oh, and i'm trying to get my hands on some of them lumpy kitties.
so damn cute!
I'm totally flattered to be included in your list, as I had no idea you read my blog. I've been an admirer of your writing since I began the whole strange blogging adventure.
Thanks!
I can't believe we made the list! Wow. Thank you Leah! Have a great turkey day and have a blast.
Leah,
Thank you so much for your kind words and linking to our little site. Because of your comments about joining blogger, we've turned on anonymous comments.
I've been a long time fan of your site and it truly touches me that you read our site and even more so that you have linked to us.
Thanks again.
~cg
Hi, Leah. Thank you for including me in your list. I'm honored to be in such esteemed company.
oooo shucks, now you made me blush... thank you miss leah
Aw, thanks so much for adding me to you list. I find that browsing through someone's hand-picked sidebar is best way to find a good blog to read these days. I was scrolling down your post and getting excited about all the new blogs, then I saw me. You made me smile this morning, thank you.
Looks like you forgot to add your little spammer... online soma. Oh well.
What a great list - I am honored to be a part of it.
aww woobie. i know i love the friends i've made on blogs. there are so few that really take the time to stand out...and you do:)
Hey there Leah,
You rock! Thanks for the plug. I was feeling a bit down about my blog: I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to blog for a week until today. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Wow. Thanks. :)
hey, thanks! it's really gracious of you to have written us up. ;D