imaginary friends

i'm super excited to introduce you guys to some of my best friends.

oh wait.

that's not right. 

i don't know these people.

what i meant to say was i'm excited to share just some of my favorite blogs.

even as i tried to narrow down this list, i kept thinking: i know i'm forgetting someone.

and i probably am.

but for today, we'll just focus on these guys.

let's meet em!

a beautiful mess - elsie larson's blog is probably one of the most frequently and consistently updated out there. i mean, the girl posts multiple times a day. all the time. and you can tell she works pretty hard on her posts too. they're always so informative and detailed and filled with original content. this is one that i check daily. she spits out so many original ideas, i'm always interested to see what she's got going on. 

a girl who makes - this blog is pretty new to me, but i'm already a fan. the weird semi-serendipitous thing about this blog is that years and years ago, i got an invitation to a coworker's wedding. 

the wedding was in dc but i wasn't able to attend. 

then, a few months later, she was sharing her wedding pictures, and i was taken aback by how fantastic they were. not just really good. incredible.

i had to know who her photographer was. turns out, they had used lemon lime photography, a two-person photo team based out of kansas city.

so i've been a fan of their work for years now. that wedding was in 2006. and i check their photo blog when i need a pick-me-up.

_ _ _

fast forward to a few months ago when i first stumbled on a girl who makes, and i discover that laura parke is married to one half of the lemon lime team. 

weird, right?

but anyways, laura has lots of practical crafts and cute little ideas to share. it's a lot of fun.

the sweetest occasion - beautiful site, tons of creative ideas. it features weddings, but i wouldn't call it a wedding blog. there's so much more there. 

bonus: most of the projects are accompanied by beautiful step-by-step images. so so helpful.

oh happy day - lots and lots of ideas on this one. this blog is run by jordan ferney (who lives in paris right now!). she also offers free printables and easy-to-replicate crafting and party planning projects. 

design for mankind - erin loechner's blog has lots of cool stuff on it all the time. beautiful interior decor, cool things to buy, cool things to see online, you know. just a good blog for finding new stuff to love.

design sponge - this is another diy/craft/design blog, but it's also much more. house tours (remember tad carpenter?), upcyclying and crafting ideas, guest posts that offer practical advice for small business owners and start-ups, this blog really has a nice sense of community about it. 

oh joy - this is a fun daily read for me. joy talks a lot about food, clothes and design. she also has some close ties with other members of the blogging/design community and regularly features them in her closet & casa posts.

mrs. lilien - this one's a feast for the eyes. i love her creative use of white space, impeccable taste, and the way she seems like she just takes on life with a little bit more whimsy than the rest of us. i mean she can even make a bunch of plants on a page look amazing. it's easy to get lost scrolling through her archives. so pretty and fun.

not without salt - a friend of mine (hi, virginia!) introduced me to this blog. and i love it. truly stunning food photography, delicious recipes (homemade twix bars?!) and a bit of touching insight about her family life. i only wish i had the skill to whip up bread like she does. and her 'dating my husband' series is so adorable.

elephantine - also highly visual, this food, design and lifestyle blog is really high on my list of faves. rachel feels really down-to-earth and seems like someone i would wanna hang out with. her mini guides are as helpful as they are beautiful (i know how to pickle veggies now!). and she also gets the extra credit gold star for creating equally beautiful food videos. oh and she runs a jewelry store and food shop.

from me to you - a lot of my blog recommendations are photography heavy. but this one might just top the list. all-star photographer jamie beck's from me to you is a masterpiece. i love viewing her work. and i mean, she co-invented cinemagraphs with her fiance kevin. and her fashion week coverage is pretty much unmatched. jamie's also a fantastic cook and although i don't notice recipes being posted much anymore, the archives are well worth a look.

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so that's my list!

i also frequent heart of light, bleubird vintage, katie's pencil box, dooce (for the daily photos, not the divorce drama), the sartorialist and garance dore's blog. but i wanted to keep this list somewhat edited down.

i'd love to know where you frequent. 

finding a new blog to love is always a treat.