#OHBloggers, Digfest, and Father's Day...Oh What a Weekend

I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK.

Guys. This weekend. It was truly one for the record books. I had so so so so so much fun!

First, my weekend started early, because we have half day Friday's during the summer at my company. So I took little miss to go see Maleficent! The movie was great! The visuals, the costumes, set design....loved it. Nice to be reminded that Angelina is in fact, an actor. Although....the part where she loses her wings was a little...date rapey...and heavy even for me, let alone for my 8 year old.

BOOMER'S EIGHT YOU GUYS!!!! When did that happen!

Saturday I attended the Ohio Blogger meet up organized by Shane and Holly that took place at Zauber Brewing Co, which I will definitely be stopping by again.  Seriously this C-Boss drink was amazing!

This #OHBloggers meet up was fantastic. I got to meet so many new people and finally meet some folks in real life. Like this girl.

I love love love Erin's blog. I also love love love her and her husbands Sallie and Perkins student loan payoff series. I have a stupid amount of loans as we have talked about HERE, so anyone who talks about that in a real way appeals to me. Turns out she is super fun and such a sweetie in person! (Not a huge surprise there.)

Morgan, Amanda,  Kathy and Moi

I met Amanda, the lovely lady behind Girl About Columbus, whose instagram it turns out, I stalk. A lot. She's awesome.  Rachel, the lady behind The Rachel Way informed me via twitter that I was her new girl crush, which I'm not gonna lie pretty much made my whole Saturday. I met so so many amazing ladies, I'll try to put together a comprehensive list of the Ohio ladies so you can check out their blogs too!

We transitioned to Digfest after. Digfest is a local festival that takes place in Grandview (another adorable Columbus neighborhood) where they have local beers, wines, and spirits along with food and live music. I'm really making an effort to get out there and experience more of all the wonderful things this city has to offer. Now that I've connected with all these amazing, tapped in bloggers I don't think I'll have a problem in that area!

Holly, Katya, Jacqueline, Shane and Amanda 

Sunday...I nursed my hangover, which after 25 are NO joke.

 Once I recovered I hopped over to my mother's roof for her semi annual gutter clean out. I have been doing it for years, because I actually like climbing up there and I'm cheap labor.

Then we took JJ to his 4th annual Bj's Brewhouse Father's Day/Birthday dinner.

He and Boomer seriously crack me up!

To sum it up, my weekend was fantastic. I feel re-energized and ready to jump back into this here blog...and just life in general. Guys the funk may FINALLY be over! Just in time to enjoy an awesome summer!

I remember why I love blogging....

Guys.

This week has restored my blogging faith/love/mojo you name it.

It started a little rough with some fall out from Blissdom.....and then it just got magical.

I posted about my dinner experience on Wednesday. I wrote that post Tuesday night as soon as I got home and I stared at the publish button FOREVER. I contemplated just leaving it a draft. I wondered is this the 'me' my readers want to see? Do they just want the light funny stuff about Boomer? Or beauty posts? Link ups? How about this scary thought....the majority of you, my followers, are White. If I post about my experience as a Black/biracial woman will you get it? Will you care? Will you ignore it?

I published it anyway. I've written my whole life. Journals, articles, papers, blurbs. I've always been the most honest in my writing. The most unafraid. In my core I am a lover of the written word. I love to read the expressions of others and share my own. So I did.

Then you all made me remember why I love this medium. Not only did you care, but you talked about it. You shared it. You commented on the blog, Facebook, twitter and some of you literally made me cry. You told me that I made you think. You told me about similar experiences. I felt so engaged with you all because I was my real authentic self, not in spite of it.

Then yesterday Christina posted this piece on her blog. I commented and then kind of forgot about it. I then saw this tweet love between two of my favorite bloggers and I posted a screen cap of it on Instagram.

I love seeing women support each other and build each other up. To see it between two of my blog crushes just made me have even more warm fuzzies. I decided to check out what Vhani's comment actually was, and then I was blown away again.

Christina's comment section had become a full on discussion, and it was amazing. There were all these smart, articulate ladies sharing their ideas in this mini forum. They did not all agree by any means, but there they were putting there thoughts out for the world. Having discussion without being hateful. Without being 'trolls'.

THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!

Connection. Sharing. Growth. Thought.

I want to be challenged and provoked. I want to challenge and provoke. I want to share my stories and reach out to the people that touch me.

I want to extend out of my bubble. Yes, I'm a mommy/lifestyle blogger. Vhani is a fashion blogger and so is Christina. They also blog about their lives and experiences. That doesn't mean that I can't learn something from them, or vice versa because we are in two 'different' blogging communities. Whitney is a childless, lifestyle blogger. She doesn't have or want kids right now. She still reads my posts about my struggles with becoming a single parent. I'm divorcing now, I haven't stopped reading all the happily married bloggers. My IRL best friend Michael is a globe trotting photographer and because I read his blog, I've met other amazing bloggers, artists and people that are WAY outside of my circle. I think I'm better for that. His blog has also encouraged me back to my love of music and the experience that comes along with not only seeing live music, but creating my own.

All these blogs and the writers behind them are different. Some of us believe different things. Some are conservative. Some are liberal. Some of them can afford Louboutin's and some can afford ramen. I'm getting something from EVERY SINGLE ONE. I go back and read their posts because I get something there. Whether its a laugh, or a recipe, an outfit inspiration, or thoughts on parenting. There are amazing girls right here in Columbus that I would have NEVER known had I not started this space almost 2 years ago. (I know that's a lot of links, but you should check them all out when you have time.)

With all the mess in my own personal life it's been hard to blog. Its been hard to engage. I don't want to comment. I don't want to write. Sometimes I barely make it through my day successfully. It requires every bit of mental strength just to do the basic everyday for Boomer and I. However in the past 3 days, I feel like I've almost been reawakened. I know that seems silly. A few good posts and suddenly I feel alive again? But I do. I feel like I have something to say. I have something to contribute.

I'm not saying I'm fixed/cured. Or that I'm suddenly going to become the happiest and most prolific blogger in the world. But I remember why this space was so important to me. Why I created it.

So this is the longest thank you letter I've ever written. Thank you for reading. Thank you for writing. Thank you for sharing. Thank you.

I'm not a playa....I just crush alot

Hey Lovelies!

And hello new lovelies! (Seriously there are a lot of new people popping up. Feel free to say HI! and introduce yourself. I love my followers.)

Anyway....usually I'd be linking up with my love Sami to tell you all about my weekend. My weekend was boring as hell. So I'll spare you all, and instead be super late to the blog crush party and link up with Erin.

First we have to talk about this girl!

Image Via

Its Whitney, from I Wore Yoga Pants to Work.

We share a name, a love of white wine, and back that azz up Fridays (late 90s early 2000s hip hop and R&B). We're also Leos (Duh....that splains a lot) I'm not sure exactly how we found each other, but after a series of awesome comments, tweets, and emails, I've gotten to know a lot about her over the past few months. I can honestly say there must be a blate in the future, because I'm pretty sure she is the kind of chick I would have an amazing weekend with. We also recently discovered we share the same birthday. We are exactly a year apart (I'm older, so that nixes our separated at birth theory.)

 Then there is the lovely V (Vahni) of Grit and Glamour.

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This was one of the first blogs I started reading, and I read through her entire archive in one weekend. She also did me the honor of following my blog when I was a newbie. (Like 5 followers!) She has such a distinctive voice, and style. I'll find myself looking at a press release for a designer, or their newest look book and either thinking V would wear that, or I know she'll have something to say about this, and then a few days later there is is up on her site. I guess if I was giving her a title she would be blogger I most want to be like when I grow up. I want someone to be able to look at something and say 'Oh that's a Whitney piece.'

This next girl I found from a tweet of V's.

Its Christina of Profresh Style.

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Yes, she too is a fashion blogger, but this girl keeps it real about EVERYTHING! She talks about dating, life in the city not being as glamorous and easy as we may think, food (seriously drool worthy pictures), and of course blogging and the community of bloggers. I find her refreshing and humorous and I would steal her closet if I could. And she's gorgeous. Doesn't hurt.

These ladies are my recent crushes, and I've so enjoyed learning about new blogs through all of your posts linked up with Erin! Anyone else I should be reading? Leave a comment and let me know!