I know that Galentine’s Day was this past Monday but I really wanted to talk about Jenn of Hello Rigby’s Galentine’s Day event with Bissinger’s Chocolatier at Bottlehouse in Seattle. I noticed that a few blog friends were clearly inspired by Galentine’s Day and wrote about friendship after this event. This is something I’ve been meaning to talk about for a while because blogging has truly changed my social life and brought a whole bunch of lovely new people into my life. Don’t worry, I’ll come back to the food and sweets in a bit.
Thank you to Vivian Hsu Photography for the photos
As a blogger I feel really lucky. I get to go to cool events, see fun things, eat and drink and be merry. Yes to all of those things. And being part of the Seattle blogging community makes me feel even luckier. Because this city’s blogging community is really welcoming. We’re not as competitive or frosty. There’s always a place for you as a blogger. But more so than perks and friendliness, I’ve made some really great friends during my five years of blogging. Jamie for example, who doesn’t even live here! We collaborated for years and she’s one of my oldest blogging friends who I consider a real life friend even though we’re states apart. And through blog events I’ve met some really awesome people who I hang out with on a fairly regular basis. Museum dates, brunch get togethers, ice cream and doughnut adventures.
Then there’s the fact that you already have a built-in shared interest. It makes getting to know each other a lot easier when you have a big hobby/career in common. Me from five years ago would have laughed at the idea of getting a hobby that involved meeting up with other people. I didn’t even know that blogging could lead to real life encounters! I thought it was all talking to people over the internet, which it is a lot of the time but there’s also a ton of face to face time. Something that at first terrified me. But now I get excited when I get to see my blog friends and catch up. Plus it’s like a little support group! We’re all experiencing blogging highs and lows and get it. It’s like we’re in a motherhood support group and our blogs are our children.
Basically this is one big thank you to the friends I’ve made while blogging. I never thought I’d have a bunch of female friends ever. Or even have an easy time finding friendship after college. If you’ve ever considered blogging but are scared to put yourself out there, please know that we will welcome you with open arms! Everyone has a unique voice and something to share and there are people out there who will support you even if you feel alone. Even if you live in the middle of nowhere, don’t knock the idea of online blogging friendships. They’re golden.
Now that I’ve gushed about my blogging gal pals let me tell you about the event! Jenn hosted her Galentine’s day partay with Bissinger’s Chocolatier at Bottlehouse in Madrona. If you follow me on Instagram you may remember seeing my post featuring some Bissinger’s chocolate. They have a yummy assortment of chocolate bars. My favorite is the coconut caramel. You can find Bissinger’s all over including at Whole Foods, Central Market, Starbucks, and Dean & Deluca. Check out their site for more info on where to find them. But as much as I love chocolate, it’s their gummy pandas that I enjoy the most. Specifically their blackberry hibiscus gummy pandas. Crack. If you’re a fan of fruity gummy candy, you’ll enjoy these.
And Bottlehouse. If you haven’t been to or heard of Bottlehouse, you should check it out. I first heard of Bottlehouse through a friend of a friend and really liked the idea of a tasting bar with a really nice but simple menu that focuses on cheese and charcuterie. The menu is actually bigger than I’m letting on but basically if we lived in Madrona it would be the perfect drink and snack hangout spot and their late night menu has a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato jam and dill pickle. That’s something I’d crave. Check out their menus. It’s the perfect spot for one of those blogger friendship meetups I was talking about earlier, so hopefully I’ll be back sometime soon for some quality time with a few lovely ladies. Happy belated Galentine’s Day everyone!
images courtesy of Vivian Hsu Photography
