My Favorite Blog Reads

After Tuesday’s post, a few people wrote in the Carly the Prepster Facebook group how they found my blog and why it resonated with them. I loved reading what people wrote; it brought me so much happiness… To pay it I thought I’d share some of my own favorite blogs to read.

The first thing I do when I get on the computer every morning is to pull up Feedly (an RSS aggregator). I don’t follow too many blogs, mostly because I could spend all day scrolling through everything. I try to spend twenty minutes top reading through everything; I find that it’s my favorite way to start my workday, especially with a fresh cup of coffee!

BLOGS

CUP OF JO // I have been following Joanna Goddard for years. I think someone in the office at my first job showed me one of her posts and I’ve been hooked ever since. It reads a bit more like a magazine and less like a personal blog, which I like. I prefer Joanna’s posts over her contributors, but like that there is always new content to consume.

EMILY HENDERSON // I love love love following Emily’s design process. I’m not design-minded, so it’s fun to live vicariously through her projects… and she always has new projects starting and ending. Her before and afters are always my favorites to read and if you’re looking for specific hardware or furniture pieces, she does a lot of roundups.

WIT & WHIMSY // Meghan and I can’t remember when/how we met, but I’m so glad we did! Meghan has a classic with a twist style and shares a bit about her travels, beauty favorites, and life in Brooklyn.

GAL MEETS GLAM // Obviously, I love reading Julia’s posts… especially when she travels. I don’t know how she travels so often and looks so great while doing it, so reading her blog every morning is a little bit of escapism for me!

ASHLEY BROOKE // Reading Ashley’s blog is like sitting down for coffee with a best girlfriend every single morning. She has a mix of everything from DIY projects, beauty tips, and super cute fashion items. Her style is super girly and fun… I love to see what she is up to!

ATLANTIC PACIFIC // Blair is fashion GOALS. I could never, ever pull off her style but that does not stop me from lusting over her wardrobe.

BAREFOOT BLONDE // I love Amber and her too-cute-for-words family. I started following her when she lived in NYC with her husband and baby Atticus. She writes in a very casual conversational way, so you really feel like you’re talking with her while reading! I love her attitude and approach to life; she doesn’t take things too seriously and is always down for an adventure.

KELLY IN THE CITY // Kelly is, literally, the nicest person I’ve ever met. We joke that we could basically share a closet because we have all the same outfits. She’s a great writer and she’s been sharing more and more personal topics. Plus, I am always entertained when her husband Mitch does takeovers. (Oh, and her daughter Emma is a Gerber baby. Too, too cute.)

LE CATCH // Marlien used to be a fashion editor at Lucky Magazine and she has THE BEST TASTE. But the best part of her blog is that she shares amazing finds at amazing prices. You know the people who can go into Forever 21 and walk out with an outfit that looks like a million bucks (not me, for the record)… that’s Marlien.

MOLLY YEH // Molly’s food blog is so good. She’s Jewish and Chinese so her recipes reflect both cultures in a unique way. (I grew up eating a lot of the traditional Jewish dishes around the holidays so it’s fun to see what spin she puts on them!) I think I bookmark 90% of her recipes to cook later. (Although I’ve only actually made one… these sprinkle macaroons, which were simply divine.)

PINK PEONIES // Rach is such a fun follow. I am obsessed with her house and have been loving the updates with their new construction. Her kids are super adorable and she is also a great inspiration for fitness…. girl works HARD!

DESIGN DARLING // Mackenzie is your one-stop shop for all things navy, from fashion to interior design!

LEMON STRIPES // Julia’s blog is a good mix of fashion and motherhood. I love seeing her preppy with a twist style and, of course, the cute pics of her daughter Amalia.

LOOK LINGER LOVE // Based in Charleston, Chassity is a great follow for amazing fashion round ups. I feel like she does all the hard work of sorting through my favorite retailers for the hidden gems.

SEQUINS AND STRIPES // I love Liz and I love her blog. She has great style and is always sharing outfits that I want to recreate. Her blog is a good mix of everything (fashion, food, family), but it’s her realness around motherhood that I love to read about the most. She’s refreshingly honest, while still being positive and uplifting. I consider her a role model with her approach to life in general (and I hope to be half as good of a mom one day as she is).

THE STRIPE // Grace does an exceptional job with her blog. I think she is definitely a great guiding light for how bloggers should “blog.” She shares outfits and keeps things pretty real on there too. If you’re a beauty junky, you will LOVE her beauty reviews. And she also is constantly sharing amazing book recommendations.

LOVE TAZA // Naomi’s blog is definitely my all-time favorite. If I only read one blog, I’d read hers. I read her blog back when I was in school in DC and she and her husband and new baby lived there… and we both moved to NYC around the same time too. I definitely fangirled when I met her for the first time and it’s crazy to think that she’s my friend now! Her kids (there are five of them now!) are THE cutest– like, I can’t get enough of their personalities and spunk. She makes me want to move back into the city to raise a family!