My Favorite Blogs

Hello and welcome to My Favorite Blogs Week!  Everyone adventures in a different way - maybe you create things, maybe you go places, maybe you just like to soak up all of the wonderful things around you.  Whatever method you choose, we are all adventurers.  This week is a salute to the bloggers/writers I find inspiring.

Top Art Site/Blog

Winner: Doodlers Anonymous
Doodlers Anonymous is a favorite for so many reasons.  For starters, it's full of doodles.  Every kind of doddle from every kind of doodler.  Then they have featured artists, hand-drawn wallpapers, special challenges (doodle your ride, doodle a bookmark, etc.), and even a store where you can buy a Doodlers Anonymous t-shirt (Hello my name is...) and awesome coloring books and even The Quintessential, Quirky Compendium of Cats.  Basically if you doodle you will love this site.  www.doodlersanonymous.com

Runner Up: Street Art Utopia
I secretly want to be a street artist, so Street Art Utopia gives me a lady boner whenever I look at it.  They have "declared the world [their] canvas" and add beauty where once there was none - walls, staircases, sidewalks, etc.  Some works of art are done stencil-style (a la Banksy), others are full-on murals, and still others fall into the "Who thought of that?!" category (like the giant clothespin on top of a hill that looks like it's pinching the grass).  www.streetartutopia.com

Runner Up: Wrdsmth
Wrdsmth is a "writer doing time in Hollywood" who also loves street art.  He found a way to combine his two passions by stenciling old-fashioned typewriters on random spots around LA and then pasting up different messages.  Two of my favorites are "Stop and smell the moment" and "Will write for ever".  Some messages are funny, some are thought-provoking, but each one is its own unique work of art.  http://wrdsmthinla.tumblr.com

Top Fashion Site/Blog

Winner: New Dress A Day
New Dress A Day author and fashionista Marisa Lynch started her blog  in 2009, right around her birthday, just like I did.  Her mission was to create 365 dresses in 365 days with only $365.  (Luckily she had an awesome $1 pile sale in her neighborhood where she scored armloads full of mumus and miscellaneous outdated, but hilarious, dresses).  I didn't discover NDAD until a few months later, but once I did I was addicted.  I still follow Marisa's blog religiously and am always inspired by what I find.  Her recent Halloween series of costumes based on movies (filmed at the actual locations) was both awesome and hilarious.
www.newdressaday.com

Runner Up: DisneyBound
If you love fashion and Disney, then you will probably love this blog as much as I do.  If you've followed me for any length of time you know that I will dress up any chance I can get.  DisneyBound's Leslie Kay creates outfits that are inspired by Disney characters, Disney movies, Disney events, Disney anything and everything!  The idea is not to look just like a character, but to capture the essence while still looking like a normal, though very well-dressed, person.
disneybound.tumblr.com

Top Author Blog/Site

When they're not writing incredibly witty, award-winning books, many authors blog.  And thank goodness they do.  Here are my favorite Author Blogs:

Winner: The Bloggess
The Bloggess aka Jenny Lawson is one of the funniest people I know.  And by "know" I mean I read her blog all the time and want to be just like her some day.  This is the way she describes herself: "I wrote for the Houston Chronicle, but I needed an uncensored space to say the f-word and talk about ninjas so I started this blog.  I tweet a lot.  Also, I can balance live cats on my head but no one will pay me for it.  Yet. My book (Let's Pretend This Never Happened) debuted at #1 on the NYT best-seller list. I assure you, no one was more surprised about this than me."  She doesn't say anything in there about taxidermy, but don't worry, you'll find out all about it.  Her book is, to steal a phrase from her blog, like crack but less whack.  If you need a good laugh, you need to go to this blog.  Now.
www.thebloggess.com

Runner Up: NA
Yah right, there is no runner up!  The Bloggess wins all titles. Forever.

Top YouTube Channels
 
I'm breaking format a bit to bring you some of my favorite YouTube Channels.  I knew which channel was going to take the top spot and which would be runner-up but then I made the grave mistake of actually getting on YouTube and 45 minutes later I was super confused and my dog was scratching at the door because I forgot to take her out.  So here's a random collection of stuff.  Enjoy!  Also, maybe don't look at this list while you're at work because you might fall down the rabbit hole and get fired.

Winner: Barely Political
Barely Political has some of the best parody music videos in their Key of Awesome series.  The new Taylor Swift is especially awesome.  And you have to watch "Kristen Stewart" explain various holidays.  Ooh ooh, and watch YouTube Complaints 2014.  I could be here all day...

Runner Up: Garfunkel & Oates
More funny music videos!  Only this time they're from LA folk duo Garfunkel & Oates aka Kate Micucci and Riki Lindhome.  They sing about everything from bad dates to pregnant women and it's especially giggle-inducing when they use profanity because they look so sweet and innocent.  Don't be fooled!

Runner Up: How It Should Have Ended
Some movies just need new endings.  And they need to be animated.  And funny.  (I'm sensing a theme here).  Start with The Lego Movie and Jurassic Park and I'll see you in a few hours after you've watched every other one too.

Runner Up: Mystery Guitar Man
This guy has been a YouTube staple for years and uses "crazy videos, short films, stop motion, video effects, and music" to create mini masterpieces.  I can't even tell you where to start with Mystery Guitar Man because so many of his videos are must-see.

I would now like to apologize for all the time you are about to waste.  I'm sort of sorry.  Actually I hope you have endless hours of fun.  You may want to get snacks.

Update:
I had so much fun compiling this list that I thought I'd throw in a few extras.  You've probably noticed that none of my favorites are all that scholastic in nature.  That is intentional.

Daily Odd Compliment
http://dailyoddcompliment.tumblr.com

Hyperbole and a Half
www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com

Hello Giggles
www.hellogiggles.com

HaHas for HooHas
www.hahasforhoohas.com

The Pioneer Woman
www.thepioneerwoman.com

Roadtrippers
www.roadtrippers.com

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com