Blogging can be bad for your shopping habits.

It's funny (at least to me) how a simple thing like a blog has connected me to parts and people unknown. It's probably funnier that I had no earthly clue what a blog even WAS until Lindsay left on her trip to London and sent me a link to the blog that she had set up to share pictures and stories from the other side of the pond. Joshua was nearly one at the time and I immediately marvelled at her genius and wondered how I could possibly be so far behind the times. I mean, it was 2007 and here I was going about my business without even knowing that such a genius thing existed. Being one who loves to write (I didn't say succinctly, did I?), the blog became a perfect outlet for me...a place to write, to share stories and pictures of Joshua and eventually Lauren, to record things for the sake of not wanting to forget even the teensiest, tiniest little detail of what life with small kids was like. Although I couldn't possibly have understood it at the time, I had been told that you do actually forget what it's like to have little babies, and that you do forget the funny things your toddler says while learning to talk like a big person. That did totally happen after Lauren was born, and it's so nice to be able to peek back through old blog posts and remember...for my sake and the kids'.



Blogging has touched my heart in a deep way with stories about super special kids and families who are going through unthinkable things. It's a wonder our keyboard still works after the number of tears that have fallen into it. I've been able to pray for people that I don't even know, but count it a huge blessing to be able to do so. I've learned a lot about how others deal with a tragedy or a challenge with their kids by reading their words, and that has also blessed me.



Blogging has connected me with people I'd have never dreamed to meet in our day to day circles- from all over the place and with all kinds of backgrounds. The world sure is a lot smaller than I'd have thought. It's even connected me closer with the people that I DO have occasion to see in person, and truthfully, that's just the best. To know what's happening in each other's lives and be able to learn about each others' families in an honest way is so special, and I'm so thankful for that.



But...to take a turn into the world of superficiality...



Blogging has also opened up new worlds of shopping to me. When you're getting to snoop in on people's lives, you also get to see what their kids are wearing and how they're decorating their homes, nurseries, etc. When I read Kelly's blog about a month ago and saw Harper wearing one of her adorable dresses, I took the plunge and made my first blog inspired purchase. See?



After a little back and forth with the seamstress in Arkansas, Lauren was able to wear her very own Harper dress to church yesterday. She was super cute! The dress was a little on the big side, but she wore it anyway---- after the scumpteen emails and two dress creations that we tried to get one to fit, I wasn't about to let the hot summer go by without wearing it on her.



There have been other blog inspired purchases....some of which I can't disclose for fear of ruining gifts for others, but to find hand crafted things that are really special is such a treasure I think.



I'm sure the people at Visa are quite happy that I've fallen victim to the marketing ploy that is the blog. My husband...not so much.