Here are FIVE of my favorite posts from the past week. Each week I will be highlighting some of my favorites. I have many blogs in my reader, as I have many friends with all different types of “niches” or “non-niches”. I will post serious stories, fun stories, pictures, recipes, etc. They will most likely be in a random order.

1.  According to Kelly-Coming Out of The Closet

Kelly talks about suffering from Postpartum Depression and how it has been the last year for her, in addition to having three children.

2.  Living Locurto-Happy Father’s Day

Amy tells the story of her father’s heart transplant, which was on of the first in their area.  She also talks about organ donation.

3.  Diary of an Unlikely Housewife: Craving: A Fabulous One-Piece

Elisa shows some fabulous one-piece bathing suits.  She also talks about wearing one-pieces.  Really, I have to agree with her. No one sees my stomach but Angry Husband. I really don’t think he cares if it is bright white.

4.  Skip To My Lou-Craft Camp

Cindy, one of my favorite crafty bloggers, is featuring a craft camp the entire month of June. So although this isn’t this week, it is every day this month. There are tons of great ideas featured.  Every day she will be linking to a new craft.  These instructions look so simple, I might even be able to do crafts. That is saying a lot!

5.  Copyblogger-5 Reasons Why Trying to be Successful Will Keep You Poor

Almost everything that I have been successful with was by accident.  I don’t think you can really plan success. It just happens.

Here are FIVE of my favorite posts from the past week. Each week I will be highlighting some of my favorites. I have many blogs in my reader, as I have many friends with all different types of “niches” or “non-niches”. I will post serious stories, fun stories, pictures, recipes, etc. They will most likely be in a random order.

1.  Adventures in Babywearing-Closets: a rare peak into my blog closet

A great post about blogging about blogging. Yea, I hope that made sense. She also talks about Stumble Upon, Blog Conferences, and commitment to her family.

2.  Seven-Thirty-Three-Candy Shoppe First Birthday Party

This is an adorable them for a First Birthday Party for a sweet little girl.  She did everything herself too, with some teeny help with ideas from other sites and blogs. So smart! Just seeing this post makes me want some candy.

3.  Centsational Girl-Patriotic Porch

Kate does it again with the fabulous red/white/blue themed porch.  It just screams summer!  I love how she mixes and matches the several different types of pots that the plants and flowers are in!

4.  This Mama Makes Stuff-Learning to Ride a Balance Bike

Carrie and her family are bike riding addicts.  This is a great post about balance bikes.  Kids do not need training wheels, they need to start on a balance bike.

5.  Mama’s Losin’ It-Pageant Moms of Blogging

Kat’s daughter found her video camera and taped herself.  She then had Kat makes some cartoons on the computer for her also. HILARIOUS!

Last Sunday, I was invited to a trunk show of clothing from Pears + Bears.  The show was hosted by Kate from Nautical by Nature.  I’ve chatted back and forth with Kate via our blogs for quite some time.  I would say at least a year.  Kate was living in D.C. when we first started chatting, and now she is back in her hometown, Los Angeles.

Well, lucky me…I had the day off.  I drove a tiny 45-minute drive up to LA.  It’s a rare occassion that I go out of the “Orange Curtain” aka Orange County. I was one of the first people whom arrived at Kate’s house, and I was pleasantly greeted by Kate and Angela from Sweet Tea Diaries.

I was immediately mesmerized by the cute clothing from Pears + Bears. Everything was soo soft.  I immediately recognized that the designer was Southern, you could just tell from the cuteness! This event was perfect timing for me, since I have a friend who is pregnant now, and I bought something for her sweet baby girl.

After browsing the goods, we had some time to sit down and chit chat.  Even though I’ve attending many blogging events, conferences, etc., it is still strange to meet someone for the first time.  Especially since you’ve been conversing with them for quite some time.

Amanda @flyorpretend, Angela @sweetteadiaries, and Kate from @nautical_kate

Everyone knows that I’m a huge fan of cupcakes, right? Well Angela made some awesome nautical themed cupcakes.  I had to have one, ok maybe I had two.

It was so great meeting everyone.  While I was there, I finally got to meet One Fabulous Mom, and her kiddos.  We’ve also been chatting for quite some time.  It was a busy day for her, so she had to rush in for a short time, and rush out.  Her kids were adorable, of course.

I also got to meet LeeAnn from Join the Gossip. She is originally from Orange County, and I loved her immediately. You know why? Cause she was rockin’ an awesome headband! She blogs about fashion, style, and well anything else that is in the limelight!

After some people had to leave, Danielle made her arrival. Danielle is one of my late night Twitter pals.  She is a HUGE fan of TV. We watch almost all of the same shows.  She is also a blog designer.  Danielle inspired me to come straight home that day to watch the Season Finale of Gossip Girl.  She is a smart woman, because that episode was awesome.

While I had some fun times, spent some money, and awesome cupcakes, it was time to leave.  I had to return back to the Land of Orange County.  My carriage was turning back into a pumpkin soon, and I had to leave my glass slipper behind.

I was able to get in a group photo! I know, shocking, Julie getting into some pictures.  I’m not afraid to show off my fabulous headband of the day.  It seems that I’m always wearing a headband lately.  It is my go-to accessory. This picture was taken with Danielle’s camera.

Angela, Angry Julie, Danielle, and Kate

I hope to see everyone sometime this early summer for another meet-up.  Danielle is moving to the Windy City of Chicago in the early Fall.

It was so great to meet everyone, and I hope that I didn’t leave anyone out!