Massive Blog Round-up (Part 1)

It's been a while since I've posted here. I'm not going to lie, I miss it a lot. Job commitments were the primary reason that I've stayed away as long as I have. Now that I have more time and freedom on my hands, I figured I'd ease in slowly by going through our mailbag which has been neglected for a while. I'm going to do this in two parts because there are a ton of unanswered emails to contend with. If you have emailed us, fear not! The email is still sitting (likely unanswered) in our inbox. I will be getting to it shortly! Without further ado....part 1 of my inbox clean-up.


Chris Bohinski's NYC Smile 4 Me
https://www.nycsmile4me.com
NYC Smile 4 Me's mission is to spread happiness, positivity, and joy by chronicling Boh the Smile Guy asking the same 4-word question to everyone he meets,“What makes you smile?” Chris (AKA "Boh the Smile Guy") currently lives in Wilkes-Barre Township (despite the NYC title of the blog) and has been featured on PA Live! and also in the Healthbeat segment with Mark Hiller.
Submitted on 3/8/18

Anthracite Unite
https://anthraciteunite.com
Anthracite Unite is a collective of working class scholars, artists, and activists from Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region. We’re focused on mending divisions within the working class and reimagining what is possible.

Henning's Local
www.henningslocal.com
This isn't really a blog, it's more of a website and it's TECHNICALLY in New York, but they have some cool stuff going on that they wanted to inform you about through us. So if you are vacationing or looking for something different to do that's within a short drive of Northeast PA, be sure to check them out. From the email: "Each week Henning’s Local will be screening favorite films about mothers, from the unforgettable evil villains to classic characters who stole our hearts. In addition to our regular menu, we will be offering a prix fixe meatloaf dinner, and blue-plate specials at the bar. Bring mom, and her dinner is on Henning. #eatlocal #momsmeatloaf"

No Time For Wine
https://notimeforwine.com
Brenda writes "I am originally from Susquehanna County and have been working on my blog www.notimeforwine.com  It documents my move from Single Mommy working a full time job, to now Married Stay at Home Mommy adjusting to my new life." 

NACL Theater
https://www.nacl.org/
Tannis Kowalchuk painstakingly includes NEPA Blogs on all of her press releases for the NACL Theater productions, some of which look very interesting. This is another one of those "not blog" submissions, but I feel guilty for not having given her a mention before. NACL (National Americal Cultural Laboratory) is a non-profit theater company in the southwestern Catskill region. If you are in the area or passing through, it's worth checking out.

Here's to Happy Endings
http://www.herestohappyendings.com
Kelly writes "I'm from northeast PA and have a book focused blog that I thought might be neat to have listed on your site! I've had the blog going since June of 2015, and it's updated pretty much daily and has a decent following. It features book reviews, discussions, giveaways, and other book and reading related things."

570 Menu Blog
https://570menu.com/blog/
Explore blog posts about local restaurants and nightlife. 

The Green Dish
http://www.thegreendishblog.com
Welcome! I'm Caroline, the blog's author and I've been struggling for the past few months with the decision of becoming vegan after watching a few documentaries (Food Inc, Forks Over Knives and Vegucated), and the more I think about it, I know the best decision for me is to become vegan. Changes are not easy and that's why I decided to create this blog as a way to encourage not only myself but also others, to share my journey throughout this new year and new lifestyle. I'll be sharing many vegan recipes and I hope you'll join me here at The Green Dish - One Healthy Dish at a Time!

I Heart Direct Sales
http://iheartdirectsales.blogspot.com/
Rebecca wrote me and asked if I would include her blog in our blogroll last March (as in 2017). Eeek! Sorry, Rebecca, I'm bad at emails. After revisiting this blog, it appears to have been abandoned. Who knows, maybe she'll pick it back up after seeing this post.

Lovely In Gold
https://lovelyingold.com
Kelli writes "I am a NEPA fashion and lifestyle blogger and would love to submit my blog to your site. My blog is called Lovely in Gold."

Mark's Bike Tock
http://marksbiketock.blogspot.com/
We know Mark from his work over on Mark's Tech Tock blog. He started a new blog last year about biking. To refresh your memory, Mark is a professor of engineering technology at a community college. "In my spare time I enjoy riding my bike on car free trails. I am especially happy riding a trail I have never been on before. I ride 3000+ miles per year and so far have been on over 70 trails across 9 states. I ride in temperatures from 10 degrees F to 105 degrees F."



That is the inbox from March 2018 back through January 2017. Tomorrow, we'll dig even further back in time!  
 

Pennsylvania French

Here's another submission from the NEPA Blogs mailbag!

Pamela lives in Mount Bethel, not too far from Stroudsburg, just south of where route 611 intersects with interstate 80, right on the border of NEPA and Lehigh Valley. But that's fine - we've expanded the definition of NEPA before, and we can do it again for Pamela!

In her first blog post, dated January 21, 2012, Pamela announced herself to the world:

My name is Pamela.

I am 50, and starting over.  I've lost pretty much everything in the past 7 years.  A long-term relationship, a career, financial security, 152 pounds, most of my self-esteem and not too much less of my confidence.  I lost my mind years ago (ask anyone who knows me)  :) 

What I do have is a dog (the world's least scary German Shepherd) and a small cozy rental cottage in the general vicinity of the Delaware Water Gap.  It's tranquil and peaceful and I truly love coming home to it every night (I'd also welcome coming home to one of the inner rings of Hell after my daily 100-mile commute, but I digress).

While it's perfectly comfortable as it is, I'm planning on making a change.  Having made a conscious decision to withdraw from society (I like how that sounds - kinda like a Tennessee Williams heroine, except without the brutish brother-in-law), I'm going to direct my attention to my home.

I've always been a fan of the "shabby" realm of decorating.  However, I find it to be very "twee" sometimes - too sugary and princess-y for my tastes.  I've found that the "French country" style is something I am drawn to.  Pale colors (cream, pale grey, white) with accents of sepia or ebony to cut the sweetness.  So, that's my goal - to transform by hand (and very limited cash) my Eisenhower-era bungalow into a Parisian oasis.

I'll be posting my challenges, attempts, successes and failures (hopefully the former outnumber the latter) and maybe by the time I'm done, I'll be ready to attempt something of a life again.

Nearly two years later, she's still going strong! Her blog, Pennsylvania French, features lots of photos and detailed instructions on how she's bringing her vision to life, as well as links to other sites that have provided her with guidance and inspiration.

Pamela's style may not be exactly your thing, but that's OK. The process that she goes through applies to anyone who is interested in making changes in the things around them to bring their own stylistic vision to life. You definitely should check out Pamela's blog!

Pennsylvania French
http://pennsylvaniafrench.blogspot.com/

Palm Tree Row

Donya Jackson reached out to us via our Twitter account to tell us about her blog "Palm Tree Row". 

http://palmtreerow.wordpress.com

Palm Tree Row is a lifestyle blog all about the Caribbean islands.  Donya moved to Scranton, PA recently and uses the blog to share the culture of the tropics with the world.

From the About:

Palm Tree Row is a lifestyle blog with a very distinct theme. We are all about the islands. Tropical and nautical fashion, home decor and entertaining ideas. Whenever possible, posts will be inspired by travel that we’ve done ourselves.

By Spring of 2014, our goal is to incorporate shopping capabilities so that our followers can purchase some of these great finds right here. We are already working with Tia for PTR on our first line of Island Vibe accessories.

Palm Tree Row was founded by Donya Jackson in June, 2013. An islander by birth, Donya couldn’t let go of the tropics and decided to bring it to readers year round. Feature bloggers will be published as often as possible so that we keep the travel vibe as true and as culturally honest as possible.

You can also follow Palm Tree Row on twitter: @PalmTreeRow and on Instagram.

Student Affairs Sensible

This message arrived in the NEPA Blogs mailbag recently:

My name is Gracie Gilbert and I’m just starting my blog adventure. It’s a lifestyle blog about trendy yet professional outfits and other tidbits as I work my way through my graduate program at Bloomsburg. I’d love to be linked =)

Student Affairs Sensible
http://sasensible.blogspot.com/

From the About page:

I love clothes and looking super cute, feeling pretty, being trendy, and feeling awesome about myself. What I love more than being trendy is saving money and I enjoy showing people how easy that can be. I also love proving that there is a way to look both 20-something and professional in the work place. The days of monotonous business suits are over.

Whether you're a student or not, this is a great resource for looking professional and fashionable without spending a fortune. Check it out!

FunFitFashionable

Here's another blog from the list of bloggers in attendance at last year's NEPA BlogCon. Many of the bloggers on that list are already listed on NEPA Blogs, and a few have walked away from blogging - for the time being, at least. I'm trying to add some of the active blogs to the NEPA Blogs list before the second annual NEPA BlogCon this Saturday, October 5!

FunFitFashionable
http://www.funfitfash.com/

As the name suggests, this blog is all about fitness and fashion - and having fun! In the words of Alyssa, who writes the blog,

FunFitFashionable began in August 2011 as a way to share my training and healthy eating habits and recipes, fashion trends and outfits, and beauty tips and creations along with my occasional random “life” tips.  Mainly I like to focus my blog on living a balanced lifestyle!

I enjoy exercising almost daily and finding new ways to save money through doing at-home beauty treatments and other methods of taking care of yourself.  I love finding new ways to better my health and then share it with everyone!

FunFitFashionable is still going strong, a year after the NEPA BlogCon. Check it out and encourage Alyssa to keep on blogging!

Para-Dice Jackson

Para-Dice Jackson
http://paradicejackson.wordpress.com/

A fashion-focused blog by Para-Dice Jackson, born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, now a Scranton-based mother of two boys and a student at Marywood getting simultaneous bachelor's and master's degrees in Advertising and Public Relations.

I met Para-Dice Jackson at last year's NEPA Blog Con. I asked her what her blog was about, and she replied "Socialite Living." I had no idea what that meant, and I still don't. But maybe if I read through all the posts she's written since she started her blog in January 2012, I'll be able to figure it out. Or maybe I'll ask her if I run into this year's NEPA Blog Con, being held October 5 at Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke!

Cashmere & Cowboy Boots

Another one of the many blogs that have been submitted since the wonderful article about BlogFest in The Weekender!

My name is Morgan Harding and I and am the blogger behind Cashmere & Cowboy Boots. My blog began as a NEPA focused fashion blog but has grown to cover many aspects of fashion from what to wear, a shopable page, mens trends, the NYC perspective and our fashion fixations as well as my many posts on great webstores and local spots where anyone can make a killing. We were even invited to attend a Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week show!

Cashmere & Cowboy Boots
http://cashmereandcowboyboots.blogspot.com/

Morgan has a whole team of bloggers working on this blog, and all but one of them are from NEPA!

Cashmere & Cowboy Boots started out as a chronicle of my adventures in shop-land as I searched The Valley and the internet over to find the fashion trends of today and tomorrow. Now with our contributors NYU sophomore Lauren Stash and Misericordia University freshman Mary Bove, we are gradually making our mark on the interwebs and becoming more and more stylish by the minute. We now tell you all about our favorite store, sites and brands, interpret tricky trends, give you an easy way to shop a chic look all from one webpage, forecast fashion, entertain your eyes with amazing fashion photography and tell you about international styles while, of course, remaining true to our founding principals of individualism and style.

Casa de Lola

A few weeks ago an blog was submitted to nepablogs@gmail.com that raised a few eyebrows - including the eyebrows of the anti-spam filters on my email system, which flagged it as suspicious.

Hello my name is Nathalie Sousa and I am the Editor of Casa de Lola – House of Cool, a portal for the creative community and home to all art lovers. The blog is a space dedicated to anything that is creative and thoughtful, a.k.a. cool. Through the eyes and words of our collaborators, you will find weekly inspiration from film and music to lifestyle and travel combined with straightforward, entertaining journalism.


Please check us out at www.casadelola.com and lets collaborate with each other.


Thank you so much in advance!


Best,


Nathalie Sousa


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Casa-de-Lola-House-of-Cool/201902956508196

Every once in a while we will receive a submission of a legitimate blogsite that has nothing to do with Northeastern Pennsylvania. It isn't written by someone who lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania, or used to live in Northeastern Pennsylvania, or isn't written about Northeastern Pennsylvania. You only have to meet one of those three criteria, though we have made exceptions in the past. But this blog didn't seem to meet any of the criteria: it appeared to be based outside of the area, maybe outside of the country, and the phone number attached to the email had an out-of-state area code. It all looked pretty fishy, so I set the matter aside for later.

...and sort-of never got around to following-up on it.

Fortunately Nathalie did follow-up on the matter earlier this week. This time she explained that she has recently moved into NEPA and is trying to establish a local readership for her blog. The international connections are legitimate, as is the out-of-state cell phone number. So what we have here is a blog that is both national and international in scope, being written by a recent arrival to our area.

From their "Who We Are" page:

A group of creative minds with distinct backgrounds and native languages sharing the same curious approach to the new and exciting things that life across the globe has to offer. We come together under the House of Cool domain to share our findings.

To see a cool, international blog based (in part) right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, check out Casa de Lola - House of Cool (http://www.casadelola.com/).

PA Live! notes

NEPA Blogs made its debut on PA Live! today, featuring our first Blog of the Week. Big thanks to Dave Kuharchik, Monica Madeja, and the whole crew at WBRE for making this as easy as possible, and especially big thanks to Michelle D. for making this happen!

I'm trying to convince Dave and Monica to start a PA Live! blog where they can talk about the show's content each day, take readers behind the scenes, or give insights into the show - whatever they like! But in the meantime, let me fill you in on this episode - and add two bloggers to the NEPA Blogs list.

Today's episode - only the second episode of PA Live! ever - featured Jessie Holeva, a fashion blogger whose blog's motto is "Where style cravings fit a skinny budget." She's just back from the New York Fashion Show, and has a swag bag containing "the newest hair products, wrinkle cream, fake nails, a new drink, and even a shirt designed by Avril Lavigne" to give away! Her blog is called Trend HUNGRY (http://trendhungry.com/). Visit this post for information on the swag bag giveaway. Jessie will be presenting fashion information every Tuesday on PA Live!

Jessie's brother James Holeva was there as well, providing moral support. James is a comedian, former columnist for The Weekender, and a "Certified creeping specialist" according to his business card. He's also a blogger, and his blog, The Wingman Chronicles(http://wingmanchronicles.wordpress.com/) is... well, he describes it as "The uncouth adventures, uncensored exploits, tales of creepin', and advice of The Wingman James Holeva." It's certainly not a blog for the kiddies, and even some older folks may feel a bit creeped out. Read at your own risk, and consider yourself warned!

A delicious meal was prepared on the set by Master Chef Marcello of the Cafe Toscana restaurant (http://cafetoscanarestaurant.com/) - Capelli d’Angello Toscana: Angel Hair Pasta with Shiitake Mushrooms, Sun-dried Tomato & Arugula in a Garlic & Olive Oil Sauce. (The smell of garlic sauteing in olive oil almost brought the show to an abrupt end as everyone on the set nearly fell on Chef Marcello like a pack of ravenous zombies.) When I asked him after the show if he had a card, he said "No, but I have a pen." I took his pen, thanked him, dug in my pocket for a scrap of paper to write on, and asked him for Cafe Toscana's website - which he pointed out to me was printed on the side of the pen he had just given me! So my thanks to Master Chef Marcello of Cafe Toscana for the delicious meal and lovely pen!

What does next Tuesday's installment of PA Live! have in store? You'll just have to wait and see! In the meantime, be sure to tune in to WBRE every weekday between 4:00 and 5:00 for PA Live!

Fashion Vandals

From the nepablogs@gmail.com mail bag:

Hi,

If possible, I would like to have my blog included on your NEPA blog site. I'm a blogger who lives in Kingston, and my blog is http://www.fashionvandals.com/. It's a blog all about alternative fashion and designers, and alternative models. Thank you very much.

- Riss Vandal

Here it is:

Fashion Vandals
http://fashionvandals.com/

From the "About Riss Vandal":

Riss Vandal has always been drawn to designers, brands, and models that stand apart from the mainstream. She’s a staff writer for Gothic Beauty Magazine , the woman behind Strange Days jewelry, and cohost of The Phillips Family Fun Time radio show. Often in the midst of a fashion identity crisis, on any given day Riss is likely torn between goth, punk, neo-Victorian, and over-the-top glam styles.

Go and check out Fashion Vandals, and Riss Vandal's other very cool sites!

If you know of any sites that should be added to NEPA Blogs, be sure to drop us a line at nepablogs@gmail.com . And don't forget about the NEPA Bloggers group on Facebook!

Rachel of All Trades

My friend from High School, Rachel, started a blog in March that I find very fascinating. The name of the blog is "Rachel of All Trades" - Jack of all trades, master of none, though oftentimes better than master of one.

She blogs about several different topics:

1. Fashion
2. Fundraising and advocacy
3. Cooking
4. Music
5. Parenting

"I blog because I am trying to make myself a better person. A better writer. And its working. I have a long way to go, but the fact that anyone is still reading is a testament to the improvement I've made in my writing." -- Rachel

I think we can all identify with the above quote as bloggers. And with that, I will add Rachel to the sidebar so that you can check out her work!

~M