But none of those gems would be there if it weren't for some other bloggers who have really helped me along my way. Today I'd like to thank them. And to show my appreciation to them, I'm going to do a giveaway for everyone!
Update: Bonnie points out that, really, you should all be listening to this music while reading my thank you notes. . .
Dear Jen and john,
Before I knew what blogs were, I read Cake Wrecks. I still do. Then you started writing Epbot and I loved you even more. You're funny and crafty and smart and geeky. You somehow always manage to walk that line between snarky and sappy.
I love that even though you write two HUGE blogs, you are totally engaged with your readers. You always seem so grateful that all these people read your blog.
When I decided, in a fit of impulsiveness, to start a blog, I wrote an email to a few bloggers to ask some questions. And john actually wrote back. It was a very encouraging email and really meant a lot to me. And then Jen wrote to me about another post, which made me feel all squishy inside.
I'm not sure I manage it, but it's my goal to write like you do.
Thank you for being awesome and for teaching me that even big blogs can keep that small feeling. And for introducing me to Doctor Who.
Cheers, Kendra
Post to check out: 6 Things I Learned On My Internet Sabbatical
Dear Marquette,
Back before anyone had ever yelled at me in church, I didn't have a blog . . . I just had an itch to write.
I found your awesome craft fail blog, Pinstrosity, when Jen from Epbot linked to it and I got to watch it quickly become a HUGE blog. Like Jen, you and Emilie manage to be funny but not mean in the face of hilarious failures. I loved reading your blog. So much, in fact, that I up and wrote you an email with some suggestions (I know, I'm insufferable) and an offer to help write some posts from the perspective of someone with kids.
You wrote back to say no thanks, but were awfully nice about it, so when I decided to start Catholic All Year I wrote to you again and your advice was really helpful. And now I'm pleased to count you as a friend!
Thank you for teaching me that part of being successful is just being in the right niche at the right time, but the other part is having a great idea and executing it really well. Congratulations on your new baby, the blogosphere looks forward to your return!
Cheers, Kendra
Post to check out (hey I got to write for Pinstrosity after all!): "Hooo" dat?
Julie,
When I googled "Catholic Blog" you were the first result. So, I emailed you to ask all the nuts and bolts questions I had about becoming a Catholic blogger. And not only did you respond (as I recall it was while you were supposed to be getting ready for a dinner party) you gave me all sorts of insights I hadn't even known to ask about.
And even now, when I have a question about what to do when faced with a blogging situation, I know you'll have the answer.
Your blog is about . . . everything: books, art, faith, photography, TV, movies, liturgy, the Onion.
Thank you for teaching me to blog about what I care about, whatever that happens to be. Because nothing else is going to be interesting to me or anyone else.
Cheers, Kendra
Post to check out: Catholic Bloggers: Are We the 1st Corinthians of the Internet?
Dear Monica,
Post to check out: Catholic Bloggers: Are We the 1st Corinthians of the Internet?
Dear Monica,
You were my introduction to link-ups and the community of Catholic bloggers. You invited me to participate in your Lent link-up, and that post is still my most viewed post ever.
THEN we got to talking and realized that in addition to being Catholics and bloggers, we are both mothers to, um, challenging little guys. We got to bond over the fake correspondence of our sons.
Thank you for teaching me that blogging can be a vocation. Unlike you, the Pope didn't specifically tell me to do this, but I'm still going to keep at it.
I found you when, a month into my blogging career, some kind soul nominated me for one of your "Sheenazing Blogger Awards." I didn't win, but I did find some great new blogs (including yours) and some new readers found me.
Then, I picked a fight with you over a movie, which you handled pretty gracefully. And then, while I was in your home state for the summer, you invited me over to visit and now I feel like I've known you forever.
Thanks for teaching me how a blog can be honest and "real" but still uplifting. You write about Truth. You write about Important Things. And you write about pop music. And you do it all with charm and a personal touch.
I think you are probably my favorite person that I've never met (Benedict Cumberbatch and Pope Francis are tied for second).
Your blog is just so hip. Classic literature, homesteading, simple gourmet cooking, clever satire, defense of mothering, love of the Catholic faith, and a gentle evangelization -- it's all there.
I feel like that girl you don't like from the books you don't care for. I'm suddenly friends with the coolest kids in school. But, fortunately, I'm pretty sure you're not a vampire. And even when we don't agree, you always challenge me to really figure out what I think about an issue and why.
Thank you for teaching me how bloggers can support each other and help each other become better.
Cheers, Kendra
Thank you for hosting this link-up every week. Thank you for bringing together all of these bloggers and all of their blogs from different countries and different perspectives so we can share what we think about stuff with each other.
Also, thank you for assuming that the self-published romance novel about a very multicultural love-triangle that comes up when you put my name into the Amazon search engine was probably not my book.
Cheers, Kendra
Post to check out: My answer to “Do you want more children?”
---------------------
And now for the giveaway! To say thanks to my fairy godbloggers and all of you, I'm going to give away a copy of my forthcoming book
AND a custom made baby blanket (like the ones in take 4 of this post) made to order for the baby of your choice. Both to be delivered in March (if not earlier).
To enter, leave a comment here answering this question:
A winner will be randomly selected from all the comments on January 1st. Please make sure your comment profile is linked to your email address (here's how) so I can contact you when you win!
Post to check out: My answer to “Do you want more children?”
---------------------
And now for the giveaway! To say thanks to my fairy godbloggers and all of you, I'm going to give away a copy of my forthcoming book
AND a custom made baby blanket (like the ones in take 4 of this post) made to order for the baby of your choice. Both to be delivered in March (if not earlier).To enter, leave a comment here answering this question:
What blog or blogger has been
helpful to YOU this year?
A winner will be randomly selected from all the comments on January 1st. Please make sure your comment profile is linked to your email address (here's how) so I can contact you when you win!
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!