Day 311: Blog Love

On Day 311, I fell in love.

It's just at the beginning stages, but her name is Olivia and she is perfection.

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, take it easy, pervs. Not like that. Sorry to disappoint, but that's not that kind of love I'm talking about here.

And to be honest, I'm not even sure it's love at all, but probably more like adoration, admiration and maybe even a little infatuation.

After 311 days of pouring myself into my very own, Day 311's thing I've never done before was to fall in love with someone else's blog.

Olivia Rae, or, http://www.olivia-rae.com/.

I know, lame post, and maybe you're right. I set out on Day 311 to turn Project 29 to 30, averaging at the time around 100 hits a day, into a money-making venture, by setting up AdSense for Blogspot.

Not surprising, just like when I try to install Google Analytics on Day 120, I was unsuccessful installing the application and when I realized I didn't know how to "disable the cookies," (WTF does that mean?), I instead spent time acquainting myself with the handful of people who had elected to "follow," Project 29 to 30.

My followers. My people.

That is how I found Olivia, who by my stroke of good luck, had decided to join the Project 29 to 30 crazy train weeks before. When I clicked on her profile, and then onto her blog, I was immediately mesmerized by an endless supply of beautiful photographs of everything from travel book-worthy landscapes to 5-Star restaurant-quality foods.

Olivia's blog, "everyday musings," is all about the things that she loves: cooking, traveling, living in Charleston, and being with her family and friends. She is effortlessly cool, naturally beautiful and appears to be a great cook; though seemingly far more elegant than I, she enjoys the same things that I do: warm sea breezes, Charleston sunsets and brownies of all varieties.

Oh yeah, and did I mention she makes cake stands, is the Food & Travel Editor for Southern Flourish magazine?

And she's a student at College of Charleston?

When I was in college, if I wasn't in class or sleeping, I wasn't doing terribly productive, wildly creative things. I was probably hanging out, or drinking keg beer, or thinking about what costume I was going to wear to my sorority's next social function.

Not Olivia. When she's not in class, probably studying something romantic and lovely, she's planning gorgeous vacations, baking scrumptious cakes, posing for the cover of magazines, or is just being awesome.

Creepy, right? All this talk about a girl I don't know?

Maybe, but I couldn't help but think, as I was brainstorming ways Olivia and I could hang out the next time I'm in Charleston (Does that make me a stalker?), that I had, in starting my own blog, joined a little subculture of people who like me, are sharing their lives with their friends, families, and in this case, perfect strangers. I liked the idea, as I became engaged with her life, that she had also been engaged by mine; and I wondered what I had said that amused or touched her enough to want to follow my journey. Completely obsessed I opted to "follow" her blog right back.

I strongly recommend you do the same.

Her photographs of the greatest city on earth are enough to warrant taking a look. But everyday musings also showcases Olivia's funny videos and all the brownie recipes you could ever need. She's wonderfully artistic and I get the sense she is wise beyond her 21 years. Plus, she's far more selective in her story-telling, and I mean that in the best way. She blogs the way that it's supposed to be done: in real time, with quick stories, and plenty of visual aides. No senseless rambling like mine.

I can't even blog correctly. Damn.

But Olivia can. And does.