Readers will be shocked by this confession: I read a lot of blogs. A boatload. I think, as a blogger, I’m not alone and would suspect that this confession is true of most bloggers {grin}.
That’s one of the magical things about blogs – how they inspire the reader. So, I’ve decided to share my favorites from around the web as I stumble upon them. Plus, by sharing on my blog, I’ve bookmarked it for myself so that I can come back over and over again to check out these particular posts when I can’t find them elsewhere!
I plan to share a round-up of awesomeness about once a month. It will always be on a Friday so that readers have the weekend to view my collection of awesomeness from other bloggers.
Here’s this month’s round-up of awesome sweet things from around the web:
Sweet Eats
Beloved Atmosphere – Family Favorites: Amy’s Amazing Artichoke Dip – Amy naming this recipe “amazing” is no joke. This.is.seriously.the.best. artichoke dip I’ve ever had! It is so good, that I’ve mentioned it twice (so far) on this blog: 17 Girls and a Baby and The Post-St. Patrick’s Day Post. Save this recipe to Pinterest – you won’t be disappointed.
The Cake Blog – DIY: Igloo Cake Tutorial – this is so frickin’ adorable! And it looks simple enough that maybe me, with zip cake decorating skills, might be able to master this!
Sugar and Snapshots – Oreo Brownies Recipe – this is one of the photos that inspired me to write my recent post, Redemption Brownie Bites. I’d failed miserably at an attempt to creatively combine brownies and mini snickers. One of these days I AM going to make these brownies, but in the meantime, I’ll just admire the gorgeous photo!
The Chicken Chick – How to Hardcook & Peel Fresh Eggs Easily – timely for Easter egg abundance! Plus, she’s got a great informational site about all things chicken!
Just a Taste – Artichoke Flatbread – Charlie loves pizza, but pizza doesn’t like me (a migraine issue). So, over the years, I’ve figured out a way to enjoy the flavors of pizza without eating the real deal. And, it starts with flatbread and includes lots of veggies! Kelly, at Just a Taste, is an amazing photographer plus the author of the book, Food Photography for Dummies. I wrote a review of her book (sorta) last year: 3 Cheap and Easy Ideas for Better Food Photography.
101 Cookbooks – Deviled Eggs Recipe – have you ever seen such beautiful deviled eggs? You tell me…
Averie Cooks – Asparagus, Peas and Smoked Gouda Frittata – Averie is a food blogger extraordinaire and her photography is, well, yum! The fact that she, too, is a San Diego girl is secondary.
Sweet Home
This Old House – Make Houseplants Less Messy – this is actually just one part of 10 Uses for Coffee Filters; they’re all good ideas, but this is my favorite. It’s sheer simplicity is genius!
The Pin Junkie – Plant Markers – I just planted an herb garden (stay tuned for future posts) and I want to do something to mark my herbs that’s more or less permanent. But, I didn’t want to spend oodles of money on pre-made plant markers, especially since they are somewhat generic. Example: mint. Well I have three types of mint – including chocolate mint! This idea costs nothing and takes no time to make. I’m all over this one!
Someday I’ll Learn – My Black and White Photo – Nate, the hubs part of the blogging duo at Someday I’ll Learn, shares his humorous take on a DIY tool repair project. PS – love his/their photography.
Sweet Ideas
What’s Ur Home Story – Chinese Take Out Box Centerpiece – I love, love, love this idea because (1) it’s so simple, why didn’t I think of it? {grin} and (2) I can buy flowering plants and then plant them in my yard later! Plus, her photos are gorgeous!
A Beautiful Mess – Our Homemade Rope Light Sign – love this great idea! Maybe I’ll get crafty this summer and create a similar one for our outdoor space!
Tip Junkie – 100 Lovely Mother’s Day Ideas – need some ideas for a Mother’s Day celebration, gift, recipe, craft? Laurie’s site is the place to go. With literally thousands and thousands of posts from readers/bloggers who post their content to share, this site is a great resource.
Sweet Life
Marc and Angel Hack Life – 25 Things You Should Never Stop Doing for Yourself – Marc and Angel write an inspiring motivational blog. They’ve got the “list thing” down pat sharing 25 things, 10 things, 50 things, 3 things we should and shouldn’t do for ourselves and our happiness. A worthy read, especially on days when staying in bed, under the covers, is what you’d rather do.
Gimme Some Oven – When Being Single Just Feels Hard – I’ve been married for 25 years this year, so it’s been a long time since I was single. But, Charlie is my second husband. I married my first husband at 19 and was divorced at 21. And, I was single for 11 years before I met and married Charlie. And, I do remember those years. Those years of dreams unfilled, broken relationships, and the loneliness…
Sweet Nothings
Flourish in Progress – You. You. But not you. You don’t deserve any love. – Can I tell you how much I love Elizabeth Jayne? I love EJL. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her 3 times at different blogging conferences. IRL she’s this tiny bundle of gorgeousness, remarkably shy and reserved. But, inside that reserved exterior she pacts a huge wallop, challenging each of us to do better, to be better through her own personal journey of struggling to do the same. Plus, she does it with a sense of humor.
Sweet On
Your Marketing BFF – We’re Here to Make a Difference – Tana spreads the wealth. Her wealth of knowledge, her wealth of experience and her wealth of love. She shines her light on a charity that makes jewelry and employs at-risk youth. And, the jewelry is beautiful.
The Pioneer Woman – Heaven – love Ree and her sense or humor. And, encapsulating what budding photographers (me) agonize over.
Sweet Spot
Kevin and Amanda – Made It to Scotland – their photography is stunningly beautiful and their travel photos inspire!
Sweet Talk
Money Saving Mom – The #1 Reason Most People Fail – Crystal is an inspiration and her rise to the top is no secret – it was hard work and focus.
Sweet Things
It’s a Lovely Life – Heather is the self-professed Queen of 10 Things. Check out her many inspiring posts.
Pin this photo to your Pinterest board and these great posts will be right there for you to read again, too. Plus, share this wealth of awesomeness on other social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, StumbleUpon, etc.
Thanks for sharing!
Tootles,
I wish you could know much your words of kindness impacted my day.
Like, I cried. But it was a happy kind of cry and not the kind of cry I did when I spilled my Coke between the washer and dryer and had to use 6 chopstick taped together+paper towels to clean it up.
Oh, Elizabeth – your comment is EXACTLY why I love you so! You just have a way about you that is marvelous, enduring, thoughtful, funny – well, you are just a wonderful writer! And, congratulations on your BlogHer Voices of the Year Award. You so deserve it!
WOW – Elizabeth! You’re a FABULOUS writer!!! In 3 sentences, you had me…I could picture myself there with you during your clean up. Beautiful.
I came down here to comment on this great post idea – think I might need to steal it Carole – and wound up discovering you. Wait, did I really discover you, I guess Carole gets the credit for that too.
I guess that’s the whole point of this post – SHARING. What a great gift it is! Thx Carole for always being selfless and sharing you with all of us. LOVE IT!
Yes, Elizabeth is an extremely gifted writer! And, she’s so humble.
I’m so happy, Tana, that you like this new series idea. I must confess, however, that it’s not an original idea but one used by many bloggers. The ones that I’ve seen around the blogosphere are usually weekly round-ups instead of monthly. But, monthly is about all I can manage right now because I’m selfish {grin} and want to share my original content! I have a backlog of posts I want to share but since I don’t want to share more than one a day (I don’t want to overwhelm my email subscribers!), my backlog of post drafts keeps growing and growing! I guess you could say that I never suffer from “writer’s block” and that’s a good (sweet) thing!
Anyway, Tana, steal away! By linking other fabulous blogs within our posts, we are only helping and supporting each other!
P.S. This is the second step in working up to what we talked about recently. The first step was my post, Redemption Brownies. Baby steps…
And, thanks for always being one of my most ardent supporters – you are a blessing in my life!
TO READERS: Tana is our fabulous blog’s designer. Thinking of a redesign or just starting out, contact her for guidance. She’s the best!