Giving Thanks For Social Media Friends - Erika

As we draw closer to Thanksgiving this is the perfect thank you from the always encouraging Erika! After following me on twitter I got to really know Erika through her blog posts and tweets. We have created a great supportive friendship and I look forward to our monthly "business chats". It's a great time to toss business ideas around and hash out any creative blocks we might be having! Take it away Erika!

Greetings from Atlanta! I'm Erika from BluLabel Bungalow. I began blogging in June 2009 as a way to connect with other members in the design community, share my work (Erika Ward Interiors), and to have an outlet to perfect my writing skills. My goal for my blog has always been to inspire you to live well, to live in style, and to extinguish the myth that style and budget are mutually exclusive.

On the blog, I tend to be private when it comes to my family life, but one day I just opened up. I wrote a long post about finding balance between work, family, and motherhood. I remember tears streaming down my face as I typed. My heart was pounding in my ears for fear of being judged by my words. On the contrary, I received many comforting responses to the post. But there was a reader that went a step further and sent me the most heartfelt email, Karla of Kerrisdale Design. She's an angel. Seriously. Her comforting words resounded in my heart as she shared her own story and encouraged me through our shared faith. Her email is on my inspiration board. I never thought a stranger could care so much. Soon after that we became friends on Facebook, followed on twitter, and chatted using Google Voice! Though Karla lives in Vancouver, we've shared business chat, baby chat, and I keep up with her life events as if she was a distant relative. We even joked about having a virtual playdate via webcam!

Karla, let's have dinner here and bring the family! The husbands can babysit so we can talk in peace! Karla, I give many thanks to you AND for you. I appreciate you for allowing God to use you as a messenger. And if we never meet or never speak again, I will always remember you fondly and the significant mark you made on my life and my family that fateful day.

Thank you Julieann for allowing me to share and for your friendship as well. I'm so blessed.

Follow Erika on twitter here and Karla here!

(images from simple tastes on etsy and Robert Brown Interior Design)