blessings of blogging.

Three and a half months ago {or thereabouts}, I stepped into the wild blue yonder...
otherwise known as the blogosphere. 

Flash back to Saturday...when I met my first blogging friend in the flesh. Fellow Rhody Kristen {from the always lovely A Kapple A Day--which you must visit!} and I met in downtown Providence and shared a perfect afternoon. We chatted as if we were old friends {which I'm sure we will grow to be!}, realized just how similar our tastes were {hello J.Crew!}, and bopped in a few of the best home goods stores RI has to offer. 


Through it all, I couldn't get over how much we just "clicked." Certain stories didn't require background stories...because we both had 'followed' each other long enough to know about our trips and hobbies. And amazingly enough, we arrived with the same J.Crew flats
 {albeit in different colors}. 


I've shared heartfelt emails with folks across the globe. It makes me realize just how small the world is. For as much talking as we do about technology, I find it pretty wonderful how it is making my world smaller through blogging. These last 3+ months have been some of the richest I've experienced over the course of my lifetime. {I don't mean to overshadow {cv}, because my relationship with blogging certainly doesn't eclipse our marriage...rest easy!} For the friends I've made through blogging, I know in my heart that our paths were supposed to cross...and it makes me infinitely happy to have found you.

The whole concept of followers and comments was so foreign to me a few months ago. Now, I understand what it feels like {in a very acute way!} to receive {unbelievable} amounts of blog love. When I get comments, I find myself feeling bashful. I told my husband last night that it's an incredibly powerful thing to have someone you've never met find what you're posting worth a few moments of their time. I leave comments because I care. I love to see what other people have created or witnessed. It's made my life so much more "alive" than it had been last November.

{image via weheartit}
So, this is a sincere thank you to all of you...thank you for helping me to find the confidence which laid dormant in my soul for quite some time. Thank you for helping me to realize it's ok to put things out there. Thank you for your endless encouragement and, most importantly, thank you for your friendship. I hope our relationship is a long and fruitful one.

Have a very happy Monday, everyone--
and thank you again, from the bottom of my heart!
xoxo {av}

P.S. If you haven't entered the giveaway, you're officially getting the name goofball ;)

76 comments:

  1. So sweet! I love your adorable blog. Hope you have a wonderful week!

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  2. Love you blog, thanks for visiting mine! It's so nice to hear that you had a good time with your new friend, how special that you found each other through bloggin', may this be the beginning of a wonderful friendship!
    Have a great week :)

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  3. Sounds like you two had fun! I'll have to check out her blog!
    http://roamwhereyouwantto.blogspot.com/

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  4. i love when bloggers unite. if you ever make it back to dc we must get together! xo kendall

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  5. Ekk! Perfect post! I agree, it makes me feel alive too. The best part is since I started my blog I feel bolder to leave comments on other blogs that I have so admired. Like I am part of something now! Hugs to you :)

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  6. Aw, now I'm blushing!! Which makes a girl feel good, especially on a Monday morning. You're the best!

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  7. aw so sweet! Love this. I was actually relaying the same sort of information to a friend of mine back in the states who was asking me about blogging, why I do it, etc. It is hard to put into words how the world of blogging can seriously enrich your day to day life. Blogging his quite literally kept me sane during some of the rougher months here in England..And I have all of my blogger friends (you included) to thank for that.

    xx

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  8. Awww! What a SWEEEEEEEEET post! I feel the same way! i find myself with a HUGE smile on my face whenever I get a sweet comment from one of my bloggy friends! :)

    Happy Monday!

    ~Lauren
    tickledonline.blogspot.com

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  9. Such a great post. I have the same feelings but being ridiculously excited at every single new follower and comment. So much fun isnt it? Happy to have found your blog recently!

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  10. yay! love this! I never realized what blogging would bring to my life, it's seriously amazing. can't wait to get together again my friend! xoxo

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  11. Love this post! I just love your blog and your e-mails! xoxo

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  12. The blogging community is really something, isn't it? I've been wanting to do a blogger meeetup for a while now. Perhaps I should actually get off my butt and do something about it- yours looks like so much fun!

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  13. Isn't blogging so weird/wonderful? I've been so happy to meet some people in real life - kind of magical, and they don't feel like strangers at all! You will seriously have to tell me if you like that book, some of the other people in the book club gave such bad reviews!

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  14. I feel exactly the same! You're one of my favorite bloggers and I feel like we're already friends. It's so lovely to have a wonderful community outside of school and home and job(-hunting), and it definitely adds a lot to my life. Have the happiest Monday ever! :)

    P.S. Your email was so nice to receive -- I'm glad you liked it! Although I have to admit, it definitely took me a while to put two-and-two together to realize the new spade logo was a play on Kate Spade's name. I was going to include that in the column but I was way too embarrassed.

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  15. nice pics and thanks for your comment.
    I haven't any holliday plans, but I really want to make them hihi. You?

    xxx

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  16. you are seriously so cute! i love this post and we NEED to make a bloggy weekend happen :) ill be emailing you later today. happy monday lady! xoxo jcd

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  17. this is such a sweet, uplifting entry :)

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  18. So true that we really do connect with other ladies through blogging. I love it!

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  19. OMG- I love that cereal photo, so cute.
    and I do love a good pair of flats!!!

    Gap has some goodie right now that I WANT!

    xx Emily from EL Vintage

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  20. so with you on the blogging community and how amazing it is to find a network of people who are so supportive!

    xo.ashley

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  21. This is a great post! Blogging is such a great way to form friendships and it's so fun!

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  22. You are constantly motivating me to keep blogging! Rhody LOVE!

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  23. Thank you for all your sweet and encouraging words! It always makes me happy to have a comment from you on my blog as well :)

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  24. This is such an adorable post!! You and Kristen are precious and I'm so glad that y'all had a great meet up!! I'm super jealous that I can't live close enough to meet up with y'all!! : ( Haha! So glad that you became a blogger because you definitely bless my life!

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  25. How sweet! I love that you met up for some weekend fun!

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  26. I love how blogging brings people together too! Your blog is lovely! Thankyou for your comment on my blog!
    http://haveyoueverfalleninlove.blogspot.com/

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  27. Awww, this is so sweet! What a funny/small/crazy world we live in. Sounds like you lovely ladies had a blast. xoxo

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  28. That is so awesome that you clicked in real life! I have a few close blogging "friends" I really want to meet up with them, I am a bit skeptical but we seem to have so much in common! Great blog btw, have a great day lovely girl!

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  29. that is such an awesome story. that is awesome that you two decided to meet. It just goes to show you how wonderful you are because you make a commitment to get to know your readers. Love it.

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  30. This is so cute!! I love blogging too!! I'm sure once I'm older and out of college I'll meet up with bloggers but for now I guess its too sketchy and if my mom knew she would think I'm crazy!

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  31. Such a great post! And I read A Kapple A Day, too, I love both of you ladies! I'm so jealous you got to meet up. What a great thing to be able to do! And I love reading your blog, so keep it up!! :-)

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  32. I think meeting blogger friends in real life would be so much fun!! How neat that you were able to.

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  33. that's simply awesome. i have yet to meet a blog friend in person unless i know them already. there are but a few in oklahoma it seems. it's great to meet someone somewhat randomly and have lots in common and what to keep that friendship going. i say, at my old age, good friends are hard to find. harder to keep. and now i'm going to check out kapple a day!

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  34. oh, this post is so sweet. i love it. i'm dying to meet some of my blog friends in real life -- hopefully someday i'll be able to! glad you had such fun with yours.

    xoxo

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  35. Sounds like you had the perfect meeting experience, how nice!

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  36. How fun that you met a blog-friend and that you both had an amazing time..I totally adore this post and I love reading your blog! Happy Monday, darling
    Kisses

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  37. wow this is such a nice post! i hope my experience will grow to be something like yours..meeting people in real life and clicking is so cool! i love reading along!

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  38. So fun!!! I had my first bloggie meet up not too long ago and I absolutely loved it! Glad ya'll met up. And totally agree about our little community in this here blogosphere. Pretty special!

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  39. I'm happy to hear (well, read actually) that you had a good time meeting a fellow blogger :) I completely agree with you on what blogging does.. the fact that people all around the world can get to know you via the internet, and that you can just chat with each other through these comments whenever you want to makes me feel.. quite good, you know. There's only few people who care about what I do in real life, so this whole blogging experience over the last years really helped me to open myself up to others and such :) Glad you can experience this as well!

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  40. It makes it easy to follow, comment, and read your blog when the person behind it is so sweet and thoughtful! So glad to have found it!

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  41. hey, thanks for your comment. I love the cereal smiley face by the way haha. Follow each other??

    X, Annie

    anniewear.de

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  42. thanks for your comment!
    reat evening to!

    xxxxxxoxo

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  43. How super duper fun!!! I love meeting bloggers! You're both just the sweetest!

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  44. I love the blogging world! It really is such an amazing place to learn who you are as a person. There is so much encouragement that comes from it as well. My mom always reads my comments and she can't believe that so many people are just so kind.
    Looks like you two have a lovely friendship ahead of you.
    Happy Monday!

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  45. I love blogger meet ups! Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Friendships made through blogging are great.

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  46. that is awesome! i recently met my first blogging friend in person a few weeks ago. i think you commented on that post! :) anyways, i'm so happy to be following you. you are great!

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  47. So gorgeous to meet fellow bloggers in real life, how lovely for you to meet a sweet one who you totally clicked with. I'm a fan of ballet flats, i have 8 pairs in every colour, rather partial to my grey suede ones & gold of course!! Love Posie

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  48. That's so fun that you met up with a fellow blogger!
    Your blog is so fun...thanks for stopping by mine earlier!

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  49. Aw such a sweet post! How awesome to meet a fellow blogger. You leave me just the sweetest comments, ever. PS that picture with the cheereos is amazing!! I want to copy. But I wont. Probably. Haha.

    check out my new Modcloth giveaway! http://runningonhappiness.blogspot.com/2011/01/giveaway.html

    XO

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  50. Thank YOU! I love reading all of your comments and posts -- they brighten my day. I love the blog world too -- it is full of so much love and creativity!
    <3 leigh

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  51. Awww, how fun that you met a Blogger friend!! Isn't Blogging just the best? Love it :-)

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  52. Love these classy pictures! The shoes (beautiful), the cereal (perfect).

    xoxo
    Katie

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  53. This is so sweet. And how fun you two were able to meet. And thank you for always leaving the SWEETEST comments on my blog, you are just the best. Happy Monday my friend :) xoxo

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  54. what a fun meet up. you're the sweetest! I always feel like such a creep because I adore catching up with my blogger bff.

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  55. I Wish I could meet up with you one day! :) Seriously! I'm not quite buying J.Crew stuff yet (I so have to visit a store first!) but seriously! Both of your blogs I love! Keep it up!

    http://annawalker1992.blogspot.com/

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  56. aw wow, this was a powerful and amazing post!! I wish J.Crew were so closer to me. I love all of their wedding items!
    I am so glad you got to meet a blogger friend. I can't wait to do that someday..hopefully you're the first and our men can meet too ;)

    Have a great Tuesday girl!

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  57. So cool you met up with a blog friend. Thanks for spreading the love back. Much love to you lady.

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  58. Love that you have great bloggie friends too - I've made so many amazing connections through my blog! Also - glad you saw the Stylish Blog Award I gave you! You deserve it!

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  59. You perfectly expressed what I feel about blogging, and about our budding friendship. What a lovely post!

    xo, Lena

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  60. love the blog! cant wait to start following and catching up with your posts! Love it!
    -karly
    www.karpluswade.blogspot.com

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  61. thats so fun!! i love a kappa a day! i've never met a fellow blogger but how fun!

    i'll keep you updated on the land! now thats really happening, i'm a little nervous! that loan... holy smokes, its a lot of money! :D

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  62. This post is so timely for me! Today, I received three birthday packages in the post from blog friends! Each one I opened had me a bit more teary eyed than the one before, I feel so blessed to have discovered this whole wide world of awesome women!

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  63. i dearly love your blog lades and have been a reader for a while now. i know exactly what you mean about making connections with peeps from far and wide, it's the best and totally unexpected perk of blogging for me as well. i've loved our shares back and forth so much! you are such a great girl, adored this piece.

    so fun that you two met in person, i'm dying for that to happen! blogging is the new facebook hey!! we now know a heck of a lot more about each other. love the photos. happy tuesday. ♥

    pea ess: thanks for your comments, especially the one about my kitteh love post...really appreciated your message!

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  64. i met two or three of my blogging buds for the first time at my wedding :) good times.

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  65. love the cereal smily face! so cute!
    xoxo
    vee

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  66. i've been blogging for about four months now, and while I love love love it, I haven't gotten to really experience the community of the blogosphere. this post has inspired me to do my best to meet all the amazing bloggers out there!

    your blog is so sweet :)

    http://www.get-dressed.blogspot.com

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  67. Oh I love this post! You are one of my favorite little blogging buddies out there, and I always look forward to corresponding with you through little comments here & there! How jealous I am that you had an actual blogger meetup...I will have one someday. i will I will! :)

    My husband always picks on me...a lot of times I refer to my fellow bloggers as friends when relaying a story or anecdote to him. He always says: real friend? or imaginary friend? Ha. I don't care what he says...this blogging community is amazing and I do consider all these girls real friends. :)

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  68. What a lovely post! It's so great you got to have a blogger meet up - & how much do I love those shoes?!

    I'm glad to read I'm not the only one that feels this way - my blogger friends definitely feel like real friends to me. :)

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  69. Aww, I'm meeting my first blogger group this weekend! Some local girls have linked up to do a run on Saturday and I'm just as excited as you were! It's crazy to start something so random and meet new friends. Good luck getting back up and running (pun intended) :)

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  70. I LOVE BLOGGING!! I dont know what i would do without it- there is so much to share now a days =)

    I love the cereal pic- super cuteee!

    jrdmdesigns.blogspot.com

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  71. what an incredibly sweet story! thanks for sharing!

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