Awesome Austin BlogHers

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to visit with a few amazing Austin BlogHers as part of the BlogHer pre-conference meetups that are being held across the country. (You should check whether there's one in your area coming up!)

We had a small group of four, which was great because the conversation had a chance to move beyond "Hi, what's your name and where do you blog?" We discussed motivations for blogging, how to balance it with the rest of your life, statistics packages, advertising on blogs, food blog photography, blogging platforms... and I'm pretty sure pedicures also came up somehow.

I tend to think of blogging as something connected to an annual conference which I attend once a year to bask in the presence of about 1,000 other people who all share a passion for the same hobby. It was nice to get a reminder that right here, in my own town, there are plenty of gals that share the same passion.

So I wanted to introduce you to some of the BlogHers I've found out about in Austin and hereabouts. I highly recommend checking out who's blogging in your hometown. Reading a blog by someone who lives nearby is a great way to enhance your appreciation for the place you call home. (And if you are in Austin, please feel free to join the Austin Area group on BlogHer.com and introduce yourself.)

UPDATED 11/09: new list is here.

• Destroying my apartment one recipe at a time is written by a woman who is trying to balance food blogging and a graduate degree program in astronomy. If you're into food or science or both, this is the blog for you. Even if you're not, you should check out her awesome URL.
• Fragrant Liar is a lot of fun, and absolutely disproves any stereotypes you may have (conscious or otherwise) that blogs by women who just happen to have grandchildren are a) boring or b) all about their grandchildren.
• The Everyday Foodie and Lisa is Cooking will both make you hungry, so have a healthy snack before visiting either one. If you're like me and you'll eat icing straight out of the container when hungry and too lazy to grocery shop.
• a little messed up apparently caused someone to drop out of dental school recently.
• Baby Makin(g) Machine is a pre-mommyblogger who's trying to learn everything she can about the whole mama thing.
• The Spotted Ottoman is the personal blog of photographer Elizabeth Mitchell, who you should hire immediately if you need pictures of your kids.
• It Dawned on Me is a heavy duty blog about politics and social issues.
• When Heather Met Blog is written by a woman who loves queso, so she's all right by me.
• If you haven't read any of the blogs on the Austin American Statesman's website, you should visit Mama Drama and then click on around.
• MizFit is the place to go if you're looking to get healthy. Note to self: remember exercise?
• Leah of vacant.cc is also a photographer, mostly specializing in weddings, and she just had a sweet, sweet baby girl.
• Andria and Co. just posted some gorgeous photos from her wedding, which she claims was a gazillion years ago. I doubt they had cameras back then, or that the dinosaurs had such nice dresses.
• Thoughts of a Princess combines a pink haired mother, a kid, and a feather boa collection. What's not to like?
• Tied Up With A Black Velvet Band is the blog of a newly married 40 year old woman who just had a run-in with a bookkeeper slash car thief.
• The tagline on Table for Nine says it all: "Four girls, three boys, two parents, one house, zero boredom." The next time I say "I didn't have time to get the laundry done, someone smack me on the back of the head.
• Advocation.me is the personal blog of a lawyer who discusses politics, society, and whatever else she wants to.
• Mothering Munchkins is a good place to get your fix of pictures of cute babies. Perfect for, well, all the time!
• Texas Banter and Confetti Dreams are two blogs by twin sisters. If I could just get my sister to blog...
• If you have kids, you probably know about Z Recommends and the ZRecs Guide to safer children's products, but the folks behind these invaluable resources for parents have also launched a family gardening blog called Gardenaut which I am really enjoying.
• Stepmother's Milk by Izzy Rose is a great resource for any blended family.
• LiveMom.com is "dedicated to building a better village" and I for one am glad that her village is Austin.

And of course Austin has a ton of other great female bloggers on everything from crafts (Average Jane Crafter) to business (EntrepreMusings) and the blogs that refuse to be contained in one category (green living slash parenting blog Mike and McGee).

So tell me, who did I miss? Or tell me who rocks your corner of the world...