Meet Natalie of Thoughts By Natalie & Nellie Magazine

Ladies, have you met Natalie? This feels like a silly question, as I'm sure you have heard about her! But if you haven't, you need to. She is the Editor in Chief behind Nellie Magazine, the heart and soul over at Thoughts by Natalie, and a true joy in the blogging community. She not only has been such an encouragement to me in my writing and blogging story, but a true earnest powerhouse that inspires women to honestly pursue beauty apart from comparison, true balanced and healthy living, and style as an extension of self expression. Before you even continue scrolling down go see her latest project Nellie Mag (which is having a week of giveaways right now!)

Meet Natalie

"Natalie is a writer, editor and blogger who lives in north county San Diego with her hilarious and charming husband Brian and their very scruffy adopted pup Maggie. A lover of the written word, avocados, beach picnics and champagne, she believes that beauty comes from who we are—not what we look like—and lives life accordingly."

What Natalie Writes About

Beauty & Style // fave: Skinny Jeans &  Hair Tutorials

Wellness & Recipes // fave: How I've Learned to Love Exercise

Blogging Tips & Career // fave: Blog Planning 101

Friendship & Marriage // fave: Making Room of Inspiring Relationships

Travel & Home // fave: Ways to Look Stylish While Traveling

Ask Natalie // Video Series

I have been an avid reader of Natalie's work for quite some time now. I found out about Natalie's blog through my friend Karen, who is one of Natalie's best friends. Natalie first drew me in through her pieces about body image and true beauty when part of Wonderfully Made. And honestly, I haven't stopped reading her work and following along since. I love that Natalie, countless times, stands up for what she believes in, even if it is against the world's standards in terms of beauty, or faith, or topics like abortion ad politics. She's worked with writers like Allie Marie Smith, has been a part of the Darling team, and is also a friend of Anne's (who is one of those people who I've also gotten to know and love through writing since moving to Colorado, and in fact who I found through Natalie's blog!). And yesterday, Natalie, Anne, Aubrey and I found ourselves enjoying chips and guacamole table side in Larimer Square. World's colliding--right? This girl's a keeper, and has big things ahead. I hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as I have.

photos courtesy of Natalie Lynn Borton (and Anne Taylor's iPhone)

Meet Megan of Crazybananas

The first time I came across Crazybananas, Megan boldy wrote about her ups and downs with a bright red lip. I just loved this post. What struck me was Megan's transparency, along with her witty writing style. So I kept coming back for more. And the more I came back, the more I just loved knowing Megan. Her photographs, artsy eye, youthful yet mothering heart, and the way she sees the world is refreshing. A true lifestyle blogger, she writes about everything from the daily bedtime stories with her kids, unexpected adventures, room redos, and relationships. And she's been doing it since 2004. Way to be (this is where we applaud Megan for not giving into the comparison trap, pursuing her creative space despite what life throws her way, and sticking something through). I can only hope in ten years that my blog is as bold and transparent a place as Megan has created hers to be.

Meet Megan:

Megan has a great life, one she tends to enjoy sharing with all of her very close personal friends on the Internet. Her personal lifestyle blog, Crazybananas, has been around since 2004. Megan is "Mama" to a seven-year-old who believes fairies are real (of course they are!) and a two-year-old who believes he is a dinosaur (the jury is still out). Her life is quite glamorous, as you can probably imagine. Her blog is a place where she write about things she likes and people she loves. Her favorite things include (but are not limited to) photography, personal style, good music, Doctor Who, the color orange, YA novels and Britney Spears. She went to Space Camp as a kid and she's proud to say it is the best place in the whole world. She is not easily embarrassed. Megan is based in Kansas City with her husband and kids, and spends her free time pursuing her love of photography, art, balance and all around happiness. 

One of Megan's Favorite Posts: I'm a Quitter 

Megan is so fun. You should find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! (PS, Isn't her family just gorgeous?!)

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In this mini-series you'll get to meet the ladies behind a few of my favorite blogs, and hopefully spend some time exploring their creative spaces, reading their inspiring words, and feeling like you just sat down for coffee with a dear friend. You can read more about the features here. And catch up on past MEET features like Anne's here and Christina's here.

Meet Anne of Anne the Adventurer

You might find yourself curled up on the couch reading their love story, as if it were the latest romance page turner. Or you may begin by perusing her weekend style, and love for lettering, prints, and design. And maybe you'll spend a Saturday morning catching upon her Love Yourself series, filling yourself on warm tea and kind words. But perhaps most of all, when you come across Anne's blog, you will find yourself coming back more, and more, and more...beacuse she writes her life like a story. She shows her brave moments, her joyful times, and the ones where she feels at rock bottom. She values community, one that is authentic--and you will soon feel a part of it. You'll come back for more because Anne is relatable. She is real. And she is a darn good writer. 

Meet Christina of Tide and Bloom

It was through Anne's Tuesday Love Yourself Linkup that I cam across Tide and bloom. Christina had been writing about her decision to pursue art as a career, something that went against the grain in her world, and this immediately caught my heart's attention as I myself was going through "against the grain" notions in my own career path. Since first meandering over to Christina's space, I have loved getting to see bits from her sketch book (i.e.. here, and this one here), continuing to hear about the journey in finding herself as an artist and individual, and reading the lovely features she does of other creatives. To top it off, she is so humble and sweet, real and honest, and builds community within her blog.

Meet Christina:

 "At the core of my being, I am an artist. I’ve always had the inexplicable urge to create things and art class was hands-down my favorite part of school at every stage in my life. Now that I’m older and maybe just a tad wiser, I realized that this is never going to go away because I always come back to beauty. It’s what I want more than anything, in everything I do. So instead of trying to fit myself into the professional career box, I decided to accept my fate and pursue it with all the dedication that I would give to any other opportunity."

About Tide and Bloom: 

"Beginning this blog went hand in hand with the decision to get back into making artwork. The words “tide” and “bloom” made sense to me as a description for the constant ebb, flow, and growth we all experience in our day-to-day lives. It is this push, this instinctual desire to move forward, that has brought me here. Tide & bloom is a space to share and inspire creativity, in all forms that reveal themselves to me and you. I’m most inspired by natural wonders, culinary delights, thoughtful films, charming abodes, and of course other creative individuals. It’s my hope that reading this will be like reading letters from a dear friend or colleague and that it might motivate you to seek beauty in your own life and pursue the dreams you didn’t think possible."

Noteworthy Pieces:

Dear Me

The Value of Your Work

Chocolate Fixes Everything

Your Invited

Creative Matters

photos via Tide & Bloom

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In this mini-series you'll get to meet the ladies behind a few of my favorite blogs, and hopefully spend some time exploring their creative spaces, reading their inspiring words, and feeling like you just sat down for coffee with a dear friend. You can read more about the features here.

Meet | A Blogger Feature {mini-series}

One aspect about writing and blogging alike, is that your path crosses with other talented individuals whose writing and work impact you just so, that you keep going back for more. Whether you go back to their blog to be wowed by their latest project or to continue along their story, every reader has their niche. When I first started venturing into the world of html and Blogspot endeavors, I would often find myself scrolling through design spaces, do it yourself havens, and fashion sites--and fell in love with all things "design" when it came to blogging. But as I have matured as a blogger and writer over this past year, what I continue to find is myself being drawn into the creative spaces of those individuals whose writing has so much more depth. A depth that is authentic, real, and honest. A blog space that makes me come back to read more because they are true to themselves, true to tell their unique story, and all very much their own. 

Without truly knowing the full extent of it, the blog spaces that I visit influence my very own writing and creative ventures. So perhaps I owe a thank you to these ladies! As a blogger, I want to surround myself with other writers who take pen to paper, or fingers to keystroke, about those things that lift up, inspire, and cause others to search for something deeper within themselves--just as I want to do the same with a community of friends in all aspects of life. How thankful I am to have that when I visit these blogs: 

Anne The Adventurer

Crazy Bananas

The Lipstick Gospel

Thoughts By Natalie

Tide and Bloom

Sand in My Toes

Over the next few weeks, I want you to meet these ladies. The ones who make me want to read more of their story, see more of their style, and hear more of their honest and true words. Its funny, because I hardly know them from in person interactions, but I feel like I know so much about who they are from what they've been open to write about. So I hope you'll take the time to meet them, explore their space, and read a few of my favorite pieces of theirs. Get excited!