Hi there, dear reader. Do you have a spare five minutes? If so, I’d like to tell you about a lovely girl I know. She’s a mummy, and she writes a blog, and she’s married to a publican, and…and…none of these roles quite do her justice, actually. She’s all of them, and more of them.
Her name is Ellen, but she lets me call her Ed. I’m not quite sure why, but in return she calls me Moose. Ed hosted one of the first ever Tribal Chats that I joined, and I knew nothing about her other than that she had a baby, probably liked biscuits, and probably liked booze*. As a rookie young blogger, I had a note set up on my phone to record all of the blogs that I wanted to read, not yet au fait with automatically matching up real life names to blogger names.
One evening, while hunkered in the nursing chair with a frankly foul-tempered bambino, I checked my list, loaded up her website, and settled in for a nose.
The room became dark, the baby drifted off to sleep, at some point my WiFi had dropped and switched to the data-ravenous 4G. But still I kept reading. Ed writes beautifully. I’ve definitely sussed out the type of blogs I love to read the most, and hers is a perfect example of this – imagine you’re having a shit day, you’ve walked to a friend’s house in the pissing rain, you’re late, and a car has splashed through a puddle and soaked your jeans. You ring the bell and your friend bustles you in, hands you a pair of jammy bottoms while she puts your jeans on the radiator, sticks a mug of tea in front of you and cuts you a gargantuan slice of bakery cake, which she serves alongside some biscuits for dunking.
Ed’s writing is that friend. Her words represent kindness, simplicity, calm. Her content is incredibly relatable, but she has the rare knack of simultaneously offering the reader solidarity and inclusion, alongside escapism and respite. One day, not so long ago, I was in a bit of a stress about something or other. I was waiting for an email to arrive, and I was anxiously second guessing what it might say and what I’d need to do. During a period of ferocious refreshing, a new post notification came through from Ed’s site. I clicked the link, and stood still in the middle of a pavement while I read it (sorry about that, busy lunch hour worker bees).
It was called Deep Breath Days, and it was like Ed bloody KNEW that I was restless and stroppy, that I needed a pat on the shoulder and a sympathetic click of the tongue. The last line (spoiler alert) goes something like this: “So for those of you taking deep breaths today, you’re not alone and you will come out the other side. Have another glass of wine and start again tomorrow.” Why then, I most certainly shall.
She’s not all sentimental fluff though, she’s also hilarious. She wrote a list based around the struggles of a new parent and included an anecdote about a hellish beanbag, which made me guffaw as I have the exact same beanbag and the exact same hellish anecdote. She also has the most amazing collection of naff sunglasses which sometimes feature in her blog photos, cue me adding “Ellen John” to my list of nicknames for her.
I think Ed is the perfect example of a blogger who has retained her original bloggy goal. She’s not driven by stats and monetisation and rapid growth, she’s just writing for pleasure, as she always has done. What she probably doesn’t realise is that the pleasure she takes in writing radiates out like a sunbeam, and warms the face of her reader. You can’t buy that, or teach it. It’s just how Ed is.
*I am of course talking about the beautiful Ellen Clayton from Babies, Biscuits and Booze.
You can follow Sam from Mouse, Moo & Me Too by heading to mousemoometoo.com
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36 Comments
What a lovely post, and I totally second everything you’ve said. #tribe
I third it all!! xx
Waaaaaa this is too much!! I’m not really sure what to say – Sam these words are just so kind and you know I adore your writing, so you writing gorgeous things about me is just a bit mind blowing haha. I am going to look at this every time I feel low about blogging. Actually just when I feel low, full stop!! Thank you thank you thank you xx
Katie thank you for letting her go off piste and write about me, despite the fact she’s a huge success herself!
Aww this is so beautifully written Sam, I second everything you have said too. El is one of my favourite bloggers too, I love reading her gorgeous blog. So many times I’ve read her posts thinking “thank god it’s not just me” – most of all when I read Deep Breath Days. Absolutely a blogging success in my eyes xxx
Ah That was a beautifully written post Sam about an equally beautiful lady. I can’t type much because I’m sobbing! This kind of love and appreciation encapsulated in blog reminds me why I started wring and sharing xxx
Sam you really are beautiful for writing something so heart warmingly lovely about such a wonderful lady. I can’t put any more words to it as you’ve said it all. Thank you #triballove
What a lovely lovely tribute to Ellen and I totally agree with everything Sam beautifully wrote. Ellen certainly is a blogging success in my eyes but so are you Sam. Like Ellen you write from the heart and it really shows xxx
This is such an amazing and heartfelt tribute to Ellen. This is why blogging is amazing, because it allows people to connect like Sam and Ellen have xxx
Such lovely comments from you all – thank you! I really do adore this tribe xxx
[…] Booze joins me. I love Ellen and her writing. So down to earth and loveable. I recently read I’m a Blogging Success by Sam from Mouse, Moo & Me Too. She has summed up how amazing Ellen is and I really […]
I love this! And I love El’s blog too, though I am a terrible person and read and run so she probably doesn’t know that I am stalking her, and still miss her in chat! #tribe
What a lovely post, and I totally agree! Ellen is a great writer, but more importantly, she’s a lovely person. That’s what makes her blog so fun to read. Everything she writes is genuine and from the heart. #ablogginggoodtime
If I was El I would feel elated to have such a beautiful piee written about me 🙂 #ablogginggoodtime
Ah El must be delighted to have had this post written about her, it would make me cry I think! She’s clearly very talented and having read some of her blog I can see why you’ve featured her on this series. Great way to find new blogs to read to o! #ablogginggoodtime x
What a lovely, heartfelt tribute. I enjoy reading both Sam and El’s blogs. This series is a must for every blogger to read, in my opinion. #ablogginggoodtime
What lovely things to say and so well said at that. I’m relatively new to the blogging community and find it so refreshing that friendships and support can be found in, what can be, a really harsh, toxic environment. #ABloggingGoodTime
What a fab post – it’s so lovely to read people being kind to each other when the internet is so full of people tearing each other down! I’ll deffo be taking a look at the blog 🙂
Beautifully written Sam. I love your blog, I love Ellen’s too. Her posts make me giggle. What a lovely feature Kaite. So much love in the room right now! #ablogginggoodtime
What an absolutely lovey post! So sweet. Sarah #ablogginggoodtime
What a lovely tribute to a blogging buddy! It totally makes me want to hop over there and get reading straight away. It’s so nice to see people building each other up and appreciating when somebody is good at what they do. Lovely! #ABloggingGoodTime
what a great post to write about another blogger. It is so helpful to have others point out what our strengths are because it is easy to lose sight of them. I have to go and have a read now. #ablogginggoodtime
Awwww i loved this <3 Ive popped over and given Ed a read and follow!!! #ablogginggoodtime
Calling back in from #ablogggoodtime because I’ve already commented on both your posts, I’ll swing by something else to love x
Awww how lovely to find someone to feel connected with X #ablogginggoodtime
I really adore this, and so so appreciate you highlighting the true colour of success (: #ablogginggoodtime
Ah – this is lovely and I think illustrates perfectly what a wonderfully supportive community this is #ablogginggoodtime
This is a really beautiful post. Now we all want to be friends with her too, she sounds awesome. I’m off to check out her blog right now x
#Ablogginggoodtime
How lovely – really feel the blogger love coming through! Such a positive and supportive post! #ablogginggoodtime
What a lovely supportive post. I think the thing is that yours and El’s voices are authentic and that is why people want to engage (said by someone who masquerades under the guise of a bemused baby 😉 ) #ablogginggoodtime
Ahhhh what a lovely post about a lovely blogger. You have written this tribute beautifully and I love that it shows how warm and supportive the blogging community is. I am a bit rubbish about following blogs and tend to just read posts on the linkys I’ve joined but I do look out for Ellen’s blog – must go over an check it out properly this weekend. Fab series as ever Katie. #ablogginggoodtime xx
This is such a positive and supportive way to share the bloggerlove and I’m a huge fan of both of you two brilliant peeps! This made me go all mushy and I couldn’t agree more. Ellen’s posts are always amazing. Xx
#ablogginggoodtime
Wonderful post! Loving the loving and getting all warm and fuzzy about all the wonderful people met through this wacky, crazy thing called blogging. How connected we all can get, and may never even meet. Yet the shared intimacies…wonderful. Maze Tove to Ed. I am headed to read/meet her now! M’wah! #ablogginggoodtime
Oh wow what a lovely piece! So many kind and wonderful things to say. I’ve felt this when reading other blogs, that posts written are exactly how I feel and it’s so lovely to be able to identify with them! #ablogginggoodtime
This is such a beautiful post Sam. I completely agree, El is one of the loveliest people I have met through blogging and I love her writing style too. Reading her blog makes you feel so at ease and like you are not alone in this mad world of parenting. As you know, I’m the biggest fan of both El and you, Sam 🙂 xx #ablogginggoodtime
What a lovely written post. #ablogginggoodtime
What a beautiful post. I’m blown away by how supportive and kind you blogfolk are! What a lovely community to be part of. I feel very privileged to be peeping my head around the door into such a welcoming room full of love, positivity and kindness!