Blog love.....

This photo reminds me of BLOG LOVE....it's the place you go for a myriad of things, least of all to be reminded that even when we're alone, we're all in the same boat. Or it might just be the space you visit when you need to feel you have someone 'in your corner' (or dingy) LOL! ....OR you could be that person who enjoys the view (reading posts) from the edge of the dam...quietly observing....

A few months ago, I happened to pop into Melody Ross's blog. It just so happened that she was preparing for her "Brave Girl Camp". Girls I was FINISHED.....there's a "Brave Girl Camp"??? - what......like the place you go to get over BOOT CAMP??? Intrigue got the better of me, so of course I stayed a while and hung out on her sofa to find out about awesome project that had, "Pick me, pick me" written ALL OVER IT! Hey don't mock - I live i Africa - that's INSTANT acceptance into the programme isn't it???

Before long, I had oooh'ed and aaah'ed over her beyond the page projects (a sad reminder of scrapping days loooong gone) and was totally smitten. I FELL IN LOVE with her honest account of where she was at, at that time in her life, and the way she opened her heart to share her motivation behind "BRAVE GIRL CAMP". WOW. She wrote so beautifully..... . I won't lie - there were times when (the shy blogger in me) - I wanted to "cover her up" - just like you would your best friend who just happened to step out onto the sidewalk naked??? Never before had I read such an honest blogpost, so this was new to me. And when you have something like a gazillion fans (i thought that was only possible in China but anyhoo!) there's a loooota of nakedness being shared! I suppose you could compare it to your first time on a nudist beach (EEEEK) - still something I have yet to experience! But I've digressed, so moving on .... I was just so taken with how REAL she was. That's bravery RIGHT THERE. And in addition to that I LOVED LOVED LOVED (yes i always say it 3 times when i need to get the point across) this stroke of genius of hers?? I mean heck, BUY ME A TICKET HUBBY - I'm LEAVING TOWN!!!!!! Seriously, we all need a bit of BGC don't we???

ON my return to her blog a few weeks later, after BGC had come and gone, she had posted a few pics from the camp, and once again I WAS BLOWN AWAY, so i found my same spot (same spot) on her sofa, which to my mind by now must be SERIOUSLY worn, to enjoy some "lovelyness" (no I KNOW it's actually NOT a word). Everything from the thought that had gone into the decor, to the venue, to the projects they worked on and the success stories, left me in absolute awe of this incredibly talented, brave woman?!?! I loved what she had achieved - I mean being born a woman in this day and age should immediately qualify you for BGC right then and there! I wanted to know more about the women who signed up, so i hung around, and since then, I have been on the most amazing BLOG LOVE journey! I've always loved loved loved blogging, but this experience really made me see it through a different set of eyes.

Blogging I have decided is one of the most amazing things to have come from the 21st century (provided you don't become a slave to it - smirk). Through this amazing meduim, you get to know people, share their daily trials and tribulations, and get invited into their homes, before you've even been formally introduced, or set foot on the welcome mat at their front door??? That there just blows my mind.

People get personal, they BARE ALL! (omg..sweating.) But that said, in a world and in a time where the extended family is no longer (except in Merebank and Chatsworth) and the trappings of modern day life pull us in a thousand different directions (and away from each other) I have been SO inspired by these enterprising, real, genuine women.

Besides being domestic goddesses (who have transformed their homes into these amazing spaces that reflect their personalities and passions AND the different seasons - vomit), they: home school their kids, do their own housekeeping, take beautiful photos, tackle their own DIY renovations - seriously who does that??? and then - AND THEN....still run etsy shops on the side, whilst blogging about it!!!! Sigh - ONLY IN AMERICA! Oh and I forgot to add the part where they have - generally speaking - 2 - 7 children!!!! hmpf!

But what I love the MOST about these women (read over achievers), is how some bloggers or blog posts, can reach deep into your soul, as if they know your heart. They uplift and inspire you, or even just suffice as the 'pick me up' you need on a day when ...when your tank may be sitting on empty. For me, one blogger in particular, puts what feels like a little piece of her heart into most of the posts she writes, and I feel like I know her. In many respects maybe because she so often mirrors my thoughts and feelings.

So i guess what I am sharing today is how blogging (even in my absence) has influenced my life, and I've come to realise that the people we meet along the way, whatever their slant, for the most part are sharing BLOG LOVE in some way or another, with someone who may so desperately be needing it.....