blogroll, please...

as i mentioned in my previous post, this has been the summer of the blog.

thanks to work-at-your-own-pace online summer courses and my incredibly flexible design job at shine, i've had a whole lot of free time this summer. this means thrift shopping and garage saleing with mom, spending lots of time with christopher, joining sharon every thursday to sew a wedding quilt for stacy, and of course obsessing over new and awesome things found via the interweb.

just about every weekday around 3ish, i sit down with a cup of coffee and run through my list of bookmarked blogs. total, i have 38 blogs i keep tabs on. some of them are updated multiple times a day, or sometimes weekly. others, such as bluelines, the blog of the wonderful magazine that folded a while back, will sadly never be updated again. regardless, i keep it in my list because of the wonderful things that were posted long ago... that i just might need someday.

i'd like to think that the obsession i've developed is somewhat healthy. in the end i am nearly always inspired or enlightened. i find a new color palette, recipe, pattern that i love. i only spend about an hour reading through them all (though sometimes the link-clicking has no end...) and really, i only have about 10-15 "inspirational" blogs that i consistently check daily. that being said, i've decided to share with you my top ten favorite blogs. Today's post will be favorites 10-6, and later this week i'll share my 5-1 picks.

10. Love. Obsess. Inspire.

a compilation of the artful, the innovative, and the beautiful. i actually found this one only a few weeks ago. for the short time i've been reading, everything posted has been wonderful, making Love. Obsess. Inspire. one of my new favorites. the posts lately have been predominately graphic design and illustration based, but author lexi describes it as her outlet for all things "artsy crafty, party planning, tea drinking, high-heel wearing, font loving" and the archives are full of such wonders. fantastic. the blog also features a weekly free printable goodie and a massively amazing monthly giveaway.

9. 100 Layer Cake

crafting your wedding, layer by layer. everything about this blog is soft, feminine and dreamy. it's another fairly new on on my blogroll but i am absolutely in love with the overall design of the site as well as the content. i'm a sucker for anything wedding... i even have a separate bookmark tab for wedding blogs. 100 layer cake features some great DIY projects that could apply to any party as well as some very inspiring colorboards, beautiful letterpress features, and breathtaking real wedding photography.

8. Unruly Things

unruly things is "a style blog updated daily with ideas, fashion finds, photography, design, and inspiration from everyday life," according to author alyson graves. indeed, it is just that. really, if i had to describe alyson's blog in one word, it would be adorable. did you see those flower glasses??? so cute. i look forward to every post simply because of the delicate femininity of it all. i actually found my ideal engagement ring here... designed by kate szabone, who made alyson's ring as well. a girl can dream, right?

7. oh happy day

oh happy day is the blog of san fran party planner jordan ferney. sigh. could you imagine making a living by planning parties for people?! i've been reading jordan's blog for about 7 months now, and it is full of inspiring tidbits for all things party - invitations, recipes, favors. plus, she has tons of great DIY posts... like this and this. abby if you're reading, here's a fun fact... i just read that jordan is design mom's sister! small world.

6. old sweet song

a life full of charm, nostalgia and whimsy. this is another blog that i've fallen in love with over summer break. old sweet song is written by amy ferguson, an art director from NYC (dream dreammm job.) she always seems to post the perfect combination of sass and sweet. i love reading her "blogger crush" interviews as well as the treasure hunts she has in search of the perfect whathaveyou. she's also another gracious blogger with sweeeeet giveaways! which is always nice.

there you have it, part one of my top ten favorite blogs. phew. this post ended up being a whole lot more comprehensive that i planned. sorry if i wrote a wee bit much. but now you have 5 new blogs to read and be inspired by!