Inspiration (and a Giveaway!)

Blogging has been such a fun hobby that has introduced me to so many great sites. I have to say that when I first started this blog, I felt vulnerable and absolutely terrified. I didn’t even tell my friends and family about it for months, out of straight fear of rejection. Silly, I know. I turned to other blogs and sites for inspiration to get me going. After reading all of the comments that established bloggers’ posts generated and seeing their global reach, it was evident that these writers knew what they were doing and that I should continue to follow them through example.

Below is a list of the sites that I visit regularly. Some you may have heard of and some you may not have. These guys continue to inspire me to keep it real. I consider them to be incredibly successful, not because of their cookbook deals, income, or Twitter followers, but because of their dedication, honesty, and influence. I can only hope that one day my blog can be as successful as these!

David Lebovitz

Ah, does this guy have the life! David is a former pastry chef from San Francisco, who now lives in Paris as a writer. I love his candor about the ups and downs of living in Paris, and the humor he finds in difficult unforeseen adjustments, such as banking hours, cable connections, and language barriers. Living in Paris isn’t all about accordion playing and baguettes, you know. Truth be told, I secretly want David’s life. I follow his blog as he reviews Parisian wine bars and restaurants, posts delicious recipes, offers relevant travel or cooking-related advice, and gallivants around the world. He has also written six books and has more on the way. Not a bad gig, if you ask me.

La Buena Vida

Here’s another one who has it all figured out. Nicole Franzen is a Brooklyn-based food and lifestyle photographer, whose blog features fantastic photos from farms, markets, and restaurants. She also posts simple and healthy recipes that appropriately correspond with the season. Nicole is a self-proclaimed vegetable addict and loves photographing all types, which is perhaps why I love visiting her blog so often (I am completely addicted to veggies, as well). I dare you to try and find better photographs in the esteemed pages of Bon Appetit or Saveur. Although, her photos are most likely the ones in those mags anyway. Go Nicole!

Joy the Baker

If you need a good laugh and want some food porn, visit Joy’s blog, which has won possibly every blog award in the world. Joy lives in Los Angeles, where she writes her blog and highly-anticipated upcoming cookbook (Yay!). I love that her blog isn’t just all about food. Yes, she posts recipes all the time, but before she even gets around to the nitty-gritty of cooking, she often sidetracks about stories that have absolutely nothing to do with said-lemon poppy seed muffins or whatever it is she is baking that day. In her signature short sentences and witty conversational style, she is brutally honest. In one post, she talked about her disdain for bikinis: “Wait… does anyone ever feel like a babe in a bikini!? Who are these women? I bet their thighs don’t rub together…. that’s weird. My thighs rub together. It’s because I love rice pudding. Duh.” Needless to say, she’s hilarious.

Cupcakes and Cashmere

Truth time. I originally wanted my blog to mirror Emily’s brilliant Cupcakes and Cashmere, which has the perfect mix of food and fashion; however, I veered away from the fashion aspect because a) it would have been a very expensive habit to maintain, and b) I can’t pose to save my life. Emily, on the other hand, manages to showcase amazing outfits without looking like a total goober. She also cooks up deliciously tempting comfort foods that make you wonder how she is able to fit into her skinny jeans the next day. A single shot of her holding a piece of candy prompts hundreds of girls to ask what shade of nail polish she is wearing. This girl has reach! Emily has a book coming out soon and I (along with zillions of other girls) absolutely cannot wait to scoop it up!

Immaculate Infatuation

I heart Chris and Andrew from Immaculate Infatuation, a great site that reviews restaurants throughout the boroughs of New York City. Pretentious food snobs, they are not. If you want favoritism and brown-nosing, then head over to The New York Times. Otherwise, count on Chris and Andrew to be super honest about restaurants’ food, atmosphere, patrons, and value. In one of my favorite reviews, they dubbed Dos Caminos as a great place “to laugh at Euros in crazy outfits all day long.” Once I read that, they had my heart. Many friends often ask me for Manhattan restaurant recommendations since I used to live there, but I have learned to just send them directly to Immaculate Infatuation instead. It's easier that way. These guys know their stuff! Did I mention that they have their own App?

Here, There, and Elsewhere

Have you ever watched a couple on TV or in a movie and wished that you could be friends with them? Jim and Pam from The Office are my TV couple of choice. For my favorite movie couple, it’s a three-way tie between Westley and Buttercup from The Princess Bride (as you wish), Edward and Kim from Edward Scissorhands (come on, free haircuts!), and Tom and Hannah from Made of Honor (have you seen his penthouse in NYC?). The blog couple that I would love to befriend is hands down Bryan and Laura DeLuca from Here, There, and Elsewhere. They are an adorable newlywed couple who recently started a blog that chronicles their once-in-a-lifetime trip throughout Europe. They post daily stories from either Laura or Bryan’s perspective, and are really honest about the trials and tribulations not only about married life, but also about international travel. Did I mention that they are hilarious? They post about Murse Mondays, where they include photos of Euro men sporting murses, aka man purses. They also share videos of Bryan’s beard growth watch and spontaneous dance parties. If you sit in a cubicle all day and want to live vicariously through them and their epic trip, visit their blog!

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There you have it. Those are the sites that I visit regularly. Did you notice a theme amongst them? Yes, that’s it – honesty. All of these writers speak from their hearts and are not trying to be something that they are not. They are, therefore, my Internet heroes and I thank them for their inspiration!

Now, it’s your turn. Do me a favor. At the end of this post, leave a comment about your favorite blogs and sites that you follow. Or, if you write a blog yourself, don’t be afraid to plug it. I would love, love, love to read it, whether it’s food-related or not. Even if your blog is just starting out and you aren’t completely sure which direction it’s going to take, I want to read it. Go ahead, self-promote. Let's boost traffic and make friends :)

But wait... THERE'S MORE! When you leave a comment, you are automatically entered in my very first giveaway! Here's your chance to win a $25 gift card from Whole Foods! That's right, you can score a sweet prize just by commenting on this post!

**** Contest is now closed. Thanks to all those who entered! ****

Here's how:

1) Simply leave a comment telling me about the blogs you follow or write yourself.

2) Follow me on Twitter and tweet this: I just entered to win a @WholeFoods gift card from @MyFareFoodie. Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/73r5t8h

3) To increase your chances of winning, leave an additional comment alerting me that you are a Twitter follower and that you have tweeted the above phrase.

Easy, right? I will announce the lucky winner on November 28th after a random drawing. Since my blog's comment form does not require you to enter your email address, be sure to check back on that day to see if you have won! Good luck!

I’ll leave you with a quote that I recently read:

“The scarier it is to hit ‘publish’ the louder the applause. Have faith in the words you write.”

Thank you for reading!!!

(P.S. I am not affiliated with Whole Foods Market in any way. I'm just a loyal and far-too-frequent customer)