Wednesday, March 23, 2011

The Blogs of My Life

Six Friends Making Art (art journal page). Journaling reads: "This weekend six friends gathered to splash paint an spray ink and have fun together making art. We fly via our art."


I made this page to celebrate the fun class I taught over the weekend. I am blessed to have a local mixed media group and am now doubly-blessed to find we're developing an ongoing art journaling community as a subset of that group! But today's post is not about my local, real life community.  It about my community in blog land.  I have teachers and inspirations in blog land that I visit with regularly, including:
Ali Edwards - she inspires me with the stories of her life and her memory keeping ideas;
Dina Wakley - she exposed me to the wonderful world that is art journaling and continues to inspire me with her new classes and inspiring pages (plus she thinks I'm a great artist, too!);
Tara Whitney - she's the kind of photographer I hope to be someday, and her honest writing about her family makes my heart sing and ache at the same time;
Tim Holtz - the king of inky, grungy goodness; a generous soul and incredibly funny human being;
Robyn of Made in Brooklyn - she inspires me with her blog which reads like an ongoing memoir of a creative spirit raising kids in Brooklyn, NY.


With the exception of Dina, I don't ever comment on the blogs above, although I read and enjoy every post they make. They're all such big names with a huge number of followers that I don't think they would know me from Adam.  But, I have another list of blogs to share, the blogs which in the words of Amy "are a part of my life now." When she wrote those words about my blog, they touched me beyond measure. And they rang true.  There are certain blogs that have become a real part of my life - their authors feel like old friends.  If they disappeared from blogland, I would miss them and begin to worry and send an email to find out where they went.  Although I have only met one of these women so far, I feel in my heart that someday I will meet each one in real life.  I'm a little hesitant to post my list because I don't want to hurt the feelings of anyone I leave out. And also a little, greedy part of me doesn't want to share them with anyone else.  But today I feel a need to write about them and pay tribute to this group which has become such a big part of my day-to-day life.  So, I've decided to identify them by a psueodanym, rather than by name.  We'll see if you can figure out who they are by the description.  And maybe tomorrow, I'll tell you their real names and give you links.  Maybe . . .  
H&M - One of the two best writers I've found in blogland. We don't have that much in common. She lives in the southeast in an underground house; I'm on the West Coast up on a hill overlooking the ocean. She hates Little League; I love all things baseball.  Her life is full of Star Wars and Lego; mine is full of hip-hop and law.  But none of that matters. Because we're friends.  Plus she has the best name for a blog. Ever.
'roo - My friend in Australia. Her design is as clean and crisp as mine is textured and messy, but we click. Maybe it's because we're both fond of the ocean. I know she'll greet me when I get to Australia someday, whether it's next year or ten years from now.
Maverick  - She blogs about knitting, sewing and quilting - three things I hate can't do. She reads all the time; I'm lucky to get through one book a month. But we have a connection - I think it's because she's up at all hours of the night. And lives in Michigan, where I fly every other month for work. I imagine waving to her every time I fly in and out of DWI.
Seneca - A beautiful, classy lady who takes photos and makes cards in upstate New York. I have had the pleasure of meeting her , and I hope to see her again. Maybe she'll stay and decorate my house.  I'd like that. A lot.
Turtle - My friend in the Arizona desert who collects heart shaped rocks.  She actually grew up in California, and we both have a western sensibility I think. Everything she makes is gorgeous, fun and full of love. I envy the relationship she has with her daughter. Plus, I want to live in her house.
Smiles - One of the many wonderful women of the UK who I met through Shimelle's classes. She blogs about anything and everything in a totally refreshing way.  Fun, quirky and full of life - that's our Smiles .  I can't wait to meet her this summer.
Tilda - Queen of layering, a new grandma, an English gardener, a purveyor of cute images. You think you have her pegged and then she blows your mind by effortlessly creating some grungy, vintage collage piece! The creative waters run very deep in this girl, and she's a huge source of inspiration to me. Another one I hope to meet this summer.
Muse - An awesome photographer who shares her life with a bunch of border collies and freckle-faced men.  She lives in Florida and has a ranch and an air boat to drive through the everglades! She lives a life that I thought only existed in the imagination.  I would love to spend a week with her, taking photographs, creating digital art and breathing in a life so different from my own.
Belfast - The other best writer I know in blogland. Her stories take my breath away in how they capture human relationships and a sense of time and place, all with an incredible economy of words. An amazing scrapbooker, knitter and seamstress - everything she touches turns to gold. I'm going to visit Ireland in the summer of 2012, and I'll meet her then.  That may seem like a long time in the future, but I know we'll still be friends then. That's just the way it is.
So, how many do you recognize?  Do you recognize yourself? And, if so, do you think I did you justice?
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P.S. For a chance to win some blog candy and increase the donation I'm making to Tsunami relief, visit this post an leave a comment.

19 comments:

lynmcf said...

I love those blogs too ... althought I dont visit them often enough

humel said...

What a beautiful post, Rinda :-) I've been wary of listing favourite blogs for similar reasons to yours (though I *think* I may have found a way round that - I'm working on it!)

I love how you've disguised these bloggers! I definitely recognise at least some of these as being amongst my own favourites, and I have suspicions about a couple of the others. As for the rest, I shall have to get and track them down now!! xx

debs14 said...

I recognised a few in there too! I love the cryptic clues you have given and I feel that a fair few of them are on my list of blogs that I follow.

scrappyjacky said...

What a great post,Rinda....unlike you [and possibly Mel??] I haven't worked out a way of posting my favourite blogs without possibly hurting someone's feelings!!
I was thinking of maybe posting some favourite websites....rather than blogs.
I think I recognise most of these,and they're among my favourites too...but a couple I don't know....and now I definately want to!!
I 'get' your pseudonyms...apart from 'Seneca'....not sure if I'm being dim...or if it's something I'd need to be American to understand!!!
I hope I recognise myself....and if I do...you did me more than justice...thank you.

lynmcf said...

I have found your cousins blog, thanks for the info http://whenthesuncomesout-irene.blogspot.com/

Sian said...

Rinda, you have choked me up! I really am lost for words - and that almost never happens. Ha.

This is a beautiful, wonderful, inspiring post which says everything I feel about our blogging community. That meeting will happen. Of course it will x

ComfyMom~Stacey said...

I recognize some of them, others I'm not sure about. One of the neat things from shimelle's class is seeing all the overlapping circles of blogs we all follow. Thank you for your very kind words. :)

Cheri said...

We definitely run in the same circles as I can positively ID 7 out of the 9. Today's art work is gorgeous!

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

Hey Rinda ~ LOVE this post! And I'm so honored to be amongst those you mention. It's pretty obvious which one I am, and you more than did me justice! Thanks so much. Funny, you want to live in my house, and I want to live in yours! Ha! We could trade sometime...but I'd want to be in the house at the same time as you so we could visit!

I recognized Karen and Sian in the list as well. What a fun way to tell about your favorites. Awesome! xo

Denise said...

What a lovely post Rinda.I recognised a few in there too.A couple I'm not sure of butI certainly want to meet them!

Terry said...

And who is Tim Holtz??? Lovely post and your butterflies are gorgeous!

Heather said...

great post Rinda! I certainly recognise a few of my faves there too :))

Ginger said...

What a wonderful post Rinda, very clever :)

GlorV1 said...

Great post Rinda. Very nice of you to give a thumbs up to some of your favorite blogs. I'm sure they are very appreciative. Have a great rest of the week.

Anonymous said...

What fun! I recognized most folks too, and can't wait to find out who the others are.

Amy said...

Gosh, you know how to get a girl back don't you! ;-)

I'll skip all the way to the airport when you and the family make it to our shores!

Miriam said...

This is a wonderful post Rinda, I love how you have used a pseudonym, very clever. I am in the middle of a Scrapbook LO doing the same thing, it is so difficult when you want to say thank you but don't want to offend. Clever you & Mel for thinking of another way.

JO SOWERBY said...

i think i've picked out a few correctly but couldnt say for defo without giving the game away,
Jo xxx

Fiona@Staring at the Sea said...

I definitely know who 'Belfast' is and I'm a big fan of her blog too. I think I know who two of the others are, so we must move in some of the same circles!

Fiona x (BFS)