don't you love...discovering a blogger you could be friends with

Yesterday I met up with a lovely blog friend - in real life.  

The funny thing is we have been friends since we met in antenatal classes 10 years ago in Cape Town, but here we are both in Sydney and both enthusiastic bloggers.  It has forged a new connection between us, instead of catching up once a year we now talk often online.  
Robyn (far left) writes Every Bit Counts, a fitness blog where she shares her passion for the outdoors, making the most of life, her family and her German Shepherd, and lots of information I should be using to get into shape.

Yesterday our families caught up at our house and Robyn and I enjoyed a lovely chat of all things blog, sharing tips and tricks and our favourite blog reads.  Robyn commented "there is a fitness blog I read and I just know I could be friends with the author.  I would love to go for a run with her" and I know just what she means.

Through Alt Summit lectures I have discovered many bloggers I feel that way about.  

The gorgeous Ashley Pahl (center) of She Makes a Home is one.  
Ashley styles her blog creative homemaking for the workaholic-at-home-mum.  We have a lot in common: a constant desire to be creative, 2 children, a previous career, a quest for balance between family and work, we even both listen to talk radio.  I would love to meet her in person one day and catch up over one of her delicious coffees (another thing we have in common).  

Ashley is not only a creative juggernaut, she is also a deep thinker and she shares her thoughts on life and family with great honesty.  I am often struck by her insights, she has a knack of putting clearly into words issues that I feel.

Haeley (far right) of Design Improvised is another Alt friend.  Again lots in common: two girls (aren't hers gorgeous), a compulsive crafter and improviser, a fellow design magazine and Pinterest tragic, a previous career in consulting.  I love that she tweaks ideas that inspire her to make them her own, I love trying that too.
Haeley not only has a gorgeous blog, she will give your home a virtual redesign.  Talented lady.

But Haeley I am actually going to meet in person in January.  We are both going to Alt Salt Lake City and we are roomies.  My friends cannot get their heads around it, a stranger they say, but I reply - I know her.  That's how you feel about your blog friends.

Pop in and visit, you can get to know them too.
That's the beauty of the blog community, it really does open up a world of like minded people that you had no chance of meeting any other way.