Lacy pitched an always-relevant guest post and we’re happy to share it with you! If you would like to guest post for TwentyTwenty, let us know! Email us at blogs@20sb.net.

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When I started my blog, Classic.Simple.Chic, in late 2011 I was a bit like Rain Man, obsessed with numbers. Rather than counting matchsticks in a flash, I was counting the stats on my blog like a hawk and would repeat them incessantly when asked about my blog. My first few weeks blogging I had hardly any hits on my blog. Thanks for your support to everyone who’s been behind me since day one, but as far as loyal readers, I don’t count family and a few select friends who I was forcing to read the blog and give me feedback.

It seemed that every blog I followed was touting how many hits their site had, or how many “likes” their Facebook page had, or how many followers they had on Twitter. Why weren’t people reading my blog or following me on Twitter (I’m witty, I post interesting Instagram pictures – I swear!)? My husband can vouch; I was a mad woman worrying about why my numbers weren’t growing on my blog or across my social media accounts.

It felt like I had heard a million and one success stories of bloggers one day having millions of fans, a booming design company, an instant writing career or even a TV show! When were my numbers going to catapult me into my dream career?! Reality check here folks – it had been a month of blogging. Only 30 whole days!

Something clicked one morning as I stared at my blogs latest stats – I hadn’t actually connecting with anyone in the online world who would read my blog. Sure I followed a handful of the most popular bloggers out there and people on Twitter, but I didn’t interact with a single one of them. Duh! Just like in life – you stand in the corner at the party sipping your martini staring at everyone socializing and expect to go home with 10 new friends!

I took it upon myself to begin connecting with people through the social media channels I was a part of, and began being an active participant in the blogging community by leaving comments and giving feedback on things bloggers were posting, or recommending posts I enjoyed on my Twitter feed. I began to trade Tweets, recommendations for reading, kudos and words of encouragement with fellow bloggers. Slowly, I began to find a community and my reader/follower numbers began to slowly increase.

Over the course of a few months, I’ve found a few local bloggers that I tweet things to or leave comments for, and at the urging of one of the girls, we have now have formed a local DC area blogger book club. We each blog about different things – food, fashion, DIY, lifestyle, etc. – but we’ve found a common thread among the group – we are 20-something female bloggers! We’re meeting in-person for the first time in February to discuss our chosen read, and I couldn’t be giddier.

Because I’ve found a community that I am an active participant in, I have branched out to discover new blogs and connect with even more bloggers across the nation. My blog even had its first guest post this week by Annie of Live Simply by Annie, and it all happened because I made the first step and reached out asking her to share her organizing wisdom on my blog.

Sure I still agonize that my Facebook page has less than 20 “likes” or that some days my blog has less than 100 hits, but at the heart of it I continue to remind myself that it’s not about how large your audience is – it’s about being true to yourself and stepping out from behind your blog’s name and cultivating relationships to grow your readership or followers through building a community of your own. By nurturing your relationships in this crazy online world we all are a part of – your readers, followers and “likes” will come with time. Don’t live by the numbers!

—

About the Author: I’m Lacy, am newly-ish married (1 year +) to Mr. S, and we live in the Washington, DC area in a size 9 shoe-box (our condo) with our dog, Jack. When I’m not worried about Alabama football, I simply adore the color navy blue, chevron stripes, cocktail rings, bib necklaces, blazers and red soles.  I’ll never get tired of flavored seltzer water or cupcakes. I have an obscene collection of back issues of Real Simple, Domino Magazine, Traditional Home and Vanity Fair, and I re-read them often. I never leave home without my Nikon & my friends think I’m a huge nerd… and I’ll admit it’s true. Check out my blog Classic.Simple.Chic., and be sure to follow me on Twitter (I swear, I’m really funny)!

Team member Lacey wrote us an astute guest post and we’re excited to share it with you! If you would like to guest post for TwentyTwenty, let us know! Email us at blogs@20sb.net.

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Let’s say you have a blog. Hooray! You’ve been writing for awhile, you have a following, and now brands are reaching out to you about potential relationships. That’s awesome! But wait. What do you say yes or no to? What are your guidelines? Do you even know where to begin?

The first step is to answer the following question – What do you want your blog to be? This isn’t as open ended as it seems. When talking about brand management, you, as the author, have to be the one to decide. Do you want to talk about products and services on your blog?  Or do you want to stay away from that sort of stuff so you can focus more on other things.  If you do want to open the doors to brands, it’s not as simple as just saying, “Great! Send me some free stuff!” Take the following into careful consideration before you plunge into anything.

Once you’ve determined that yes, you definitely want to work with brands, here’s another question for you – Are you willing to put your name behind a product you wouldn’t normally use? From personal experience, early on in my engagement with brands, I was of the “the more the merrier” mentality. Basically I would take anything that came my way.  It was free! Huzzah!  But once those [brand name redacted] press-on nails showed up at my door… they sat on my dining room table. And stayed there. When was I ever going to wear press-on nails? And, I’ll admit, since the PR associate never asked me for my post, I eventually got rid of them. (I’m not proud of this.) Don’t say “YES!” to products/services that you have absolutely no intention of using. It’s not fair to the brand, and it’s not fair to that other blogger who may have actually enjoyed whatever it was you left on your counter for dead. If you have full intention of using whatever it is you’re receiving, then yes, go for it.

Also, don’t be ashamed to be a little selfish. What’s in it for you? What do YOU get for using your little home on the Internet to promote a brand? I love asking for giveaways or a discount of some kind for my readers if I’m asked to review something. If they’re sticking with you throughout the post, it’s always nice to reward them in the end.

Don’t be afraid to ask. You don’t have to wait for the brands to come to you – feel free to go to the brands that you adore to try and cultivate a relationship with them. A lot of companies don’t necessarily engage in blogger outreach on their own, but if you contact them with a nice email about their product/service, you never know what kind of opportunities it can turn into. (And yes, there’s awesome stuff too!)

You know the old adage, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”? Well, while in every day life I’d agree, in reviewing products and such, make sure to work with your brand. There is a lot of disagreement on this topic when it comes to endorsed reviews. Some bloggers say that they would be honest no matter what, and some say that they wouldn’t post a negative review if they were being compensated for it. How you handle negative reviews is up to you. But I would work with the brand before posting anything, as to not jeopardize the relationship. Some brands welcome all reviews, no matter the outcome, while some would prefer to would prefer to work with you first on a solution or ideas on how to improve their product.

And last, but very important – follow the rules. FTC regulations are no joke when it comes to what a blogger may have received in compensation for their posting about a brand. Always, always disclose. Some brands will give you specific language to use, but regardless, a little note at the bottom of your post alerting readers to what your compensation was, even if there wasn’t any, is never bad to have.

Well after all that, are you ready for your brand relationship?

—

Lacey (or Lacey Bean) is a sarcastic, funny & slightly spastic 20-something born and raised in NYC and expecting her first child in May. Event planner by day, 20SB Social Media Manager 24 hours a day. She’s proud to be a #GapAmbassador and #NintendoEnthused, and has also worked with brands such as Keurig, SweatyBands, Lean Pockets and more.  Easily amused, and obsessed with: travel, meal planning, baking, crossing items off my life list, my android phone, chasing down food trucks, GLEE!, collecting every Hard Rock Cafe shot class out there, & rubber duckies.

Find Lacey: Twitter | Blog | 20sb

Congratulations to our newest Featured Blogger, Melbourne on My Mind!

I’m a 20-something who moved from Melbourne to Canberra in 2008 for uni, and wound up working there as a museum curator. When my contract finished in July 2011, I moved home to Melbourne. Three years in Canberra is more than enough for anyone!

Because, to paraphrase Jane Austen in Mansfield Park, Canberra is Canberra, but Melbourne is home. I write about any manner of random crap, really! I watch far too many movies and television shows for my own good, and occasionally write love letters to the BBC. I love playing with my SLR and travelling whenever I can. If you hang around long enough, there are bound to be baked goods eventually!

Make sure you add A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings to your reader, and check her out on twitter!

Want to nominate someone for Featured Blogger? Head to the March Featured Blogger thread and show them some love!

Katie pitched a captivating guest post and we’re happy to share it with you! If you would like to guest post for TwentyTwenty, let us know! Email us at blogs@20sb.net.

—-

I started my blog back in September of 2006. I was twenty-two, working at a company I’d wanted to work at for years in my first full-time job, and had just moved into my first apartment.

Although I blogged quite frequently back then, no one who read my blog during that time would have known what a neurotic wreck I was. It’s a long, complicated, kind of awesome story, but here’s the Reader’s Digest version.

• After three months, I got fired from that low-paying job at the company I was dying to work for. My boss said I’d made too many mistakes, and while I felt horribly guilty at the time, in retrospect I don’t think I did anything too terrible. She did say the company would be open to hiring me for something else.
• I was devastated and told no one besides my roommate and my parents and pretended to everyone else that I still worked there.
• After a month and a half of miserable temp jobs, I got a call from the HR guy at my old company, who said that they were bringing in temps to fill open positions. He wanted me to fill a job in a different department.
• I ended up loving that temp job, which was full-time and lasted almost six months. I was actually good at it, too. But for financial reasons, rather than hire me, they moved positions around to cover it, and I was out.
• I spent the next two months desperately trying to find work, avoiding all my friends for fear of them asking me about my job, suffering from every psychosomatic illness known to man, and spending every spare second on WebMD, trying to figure out which fatal illness those psychosomatic symptoms meant I had.
• I finally got an interview with a rival company and accepted a job offer soon after.
• Four months into my new job, which I loved, I got a promotion.
• The same week I got promoted, I found out that my new company was buying my old company. Six months later, several of my old coworkers, including the boss who’d fired me, came to work with me again. (Seriously. You can’t make this shit up.)

Seeing as I didn’t even tell some of my closest friends about all this, it might not surprise you to learn that not a word of this made it onto my blog.

It might not seem like a big deal now—plenty of people deal with worse things every day— but at the time, being fired was devastating. I didn’t know anyone else who had been fired, at least not for something that was their fault. I couldn’t imagine what people would say about me if they knew.

Earlier this year, I joined 20sb. I started frequenting the forums and connecting with as many bloggers as I could.

It amazed me what these friendly, funny, fascinating people were sharing about themselves online. Sex lives. Messy breakups. Mental health issues. Divorce. Ends of friendships. Family conflict. Parenting struggles. Embarrassing moments. And yes, plenty of other people had blogged about getting fired.

I started taking a good, hard look at my blog, and my life. My blog was called “Struggling Single Twenty-Something,” but I wasn’t writing about my struggles. I was writing about pieces of me that could have been pieces of anyone. Why was it so hard for me to laugh at myself? Why couldn’t I admit to the mistakes I’d made, the dumb things I’d done, the parts of myself that I wanted to change?

So I started taking more risks in my blogging. I added a list of 100 things about me, some of them not so flattering. I started a new feature on “awkward stories,” where I wrote about dumb things I’d done. I wrote about my hatred of secondhand smoke, sharing an opinion that I knew that not everyone agreed with. And I started participating in the Karaoke Ring of Death, putting videos of myself singing and dancing goofily out there on the Internet.

I still have not blogged about my early job struggles for career reasons, but I have since told many friends about everything, and their reactions were compassionate.

Allowing myself the freedom not to care if I look like an idiot online has made me less self-conscious in real life, too. When I started working at my current company, I was terrified, thinking that history would repeat itself. But when I recently started a new job at the company I’ve been working at for four years, I went into it full of confidence and hope. There’s a quote from Richard Russo’s Empire Falls that I think applies here: “Not giving a shit, she’s decided, is like the defrost option on a car’s heater that miraculously unfogs the windshield, allowing you to see where you’re headed.”

So I want to thank my fellow bloggers for what they’ve shown me: honesty and confidence in blogging can lead to more honesty and confidence in life. By writing about my life—my real, true, warts-and-all life—my life has been re-written.

—-

Katie lives in the Boston area, rides the T, bitches about the T, writes in her spare time, works in textbook publishing, never leaves home without a book in her purse, watches good TV, watches bad TV, cheers for the Red Sox, misses her alma mater (Boston College), makes playlists, sings, swims, runs, sleeps late, takes bubble baths, drinks hot chocolate, reads newspapers, paints her nails, wants to marry Michael Phelps, searches for the love of her life on dating websites, and blogs about it all at Struggling Single Twenty-Something.

Your badge, my dears.

We’re happy to announce our 2012 Bootleg Award Winners. These awards are run annually and are nominated and voted upon by you, the members of 20 Something Bloggers.   Remember, it’s an honor to be nominated, too.

If you see names you don’t recognize below, this is your chance to check out bloggers who really stand out as writers, creators, and members of our community.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Bootleg Awards, and congratulations to all of our winners!

Note: We have badges for you winners!  If you don’t hear from us feel free to shoot an email to community@20sb.net and we’ll send you your particular award’s winner’s badge.

2012 20SB Bootleg Award Winners!

Most Distinctive Voice

Lorraine

Late to the Party

http://www.20sb.net/profile/RoxanneandLorraine

Most Inspiring

Alex Proaps

The Tao of Grad School

http://www.20sb.net/profile/AlexProaps

Most Interesting

Amy B

Second City Randomness

http://www.20sb.net/profile/MissBax

Most NSFW

Sara Nipples

Sara Swears a Lot

http://www.20sb.net/profile/SaraLadner

Funniest Blogger

Jenn

Bottle Up the Crazy

http://www.20sb.net/profile/freeandflawed

Most Opinionated

Ana Fernatt

Accidentally Sexy

http://www.20sb.net/profile/AnaFernatt

Least Likely to Be “Marked As Read”

Writing to Reach You

Writing to Reach You

http://www.20sb.net/profile/writingtoreachyou

Blogger I’d Most Like to Get a Drink With

Katie

Katie Blogs

http://www.20sb.net/profile/katieblogs

Sexiest Male Blogger

Ian Holland

Dutchface

http://www.20sb.net/profile/Dutchface

Sexiest Female Blogger

Harley

1., b., Platypus…

http://www.20sb.net/profile/harley

Best Commenter

Erin McCarthy

The Post Modern Talko

http://www.20sb.net/profile/ErinMcCarthy

Best Vlogger

Phampants

Phampants

http://www.20sb.net/profile/phampants

Best Group Blog

Childhood Trauma

Best Twitter

Miss Sassy Pants

A Few French Fries Short of a Happy Meal

http://www.20sb.net/profile/misssassypants

Newbie Award

Jorah Day

Terminally Beautiful

http://www.20sb.net/profile/JorahDay

Last Chance Award

Nuggles

That Ain’t Kosher

http://www.20sb.net/profile/ThatAintKosher

Best of the 2011 Featured Bloggers

Sweeney

Sweeney Says

http://www.20sb.net/profile/SweeneySays

Best Male Overall

Ian Holland

Dutchface

http://www.20sb.net/profile/Dutchface

Best Female Overall

Writing to Reach You

Writing to Reach You

http://www.20sb.net/profile/writingtoreachyou

Best 20sb Contributor Overall

Gina D

Fantasy Casting

http://www.20sb.net/profile/GinaD129

Congrats to all our winners!

We’ve tallied up all the nominations and the Bootleg finalists are here! For those of you just tuning in, here’s a quick overview:

What is a Bootleg?

The Bootleg Awards are the annual awards give to 20sb members by their peers. We opened up the free form on December 4^th and collected nominations from the community until just last week.

How were the finalists chosen?

By you! The 20sb team counted all the submitted nominations and took the top five scoring nominees (sometimes more depending on ties). None of the finalists were chosen by the 20sb team in any way, shape or form. This is all about the community!

What’s the next step?

VOTE. That’s the only way to help your favorite bloggers get chosen. Follow the link below to the finalist voting form. Each 20sb member can vote once -and only once- for their favorites.

VOTING WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL JANUARY 15!

Cast your vote here: 2012 Bootleg Award Finalist Voting!

Who are the finalists?

On the voting form they are listed by their 20sb profiles. We’ve included a list with their names and blog links as well as their 20sb profiles.

Most Distinctive Voice

- Cuileann     . Eating a Tangerine . http://www.20sb.net/profile/cuileann

- Erin McCarthy     . The Post Modern Talko . http://www.20sb.net/profile/ErinMcCarthy

- Jorah Day       . Terminally Beautiful . http://www.20sb.net/profile/JorahDay

- Lorraine     . Late to the Party . http://www.20sb.net/profile/RoxanneandLorraine

Most Inspiring

- Alex Proaps       . The Tao of Grad School . http://www.20sb.net/profile/AlexProaps

- Erin McNaughton     . Analyfe . http://www.20sb.net/profile/analyfe

- Chelsea    . Chelsea Talks Smack . http://www.20sb.net/profile/ChelseaTalksSmack

- Risha      . You Can Read Me Anything . http://www.20sb.net/profile/rishaaa

- Wishcake      . Your Wishcake . http://www.20sb.net/profile/wishcake

Most Interesting

- Jorah Day      . Terminally Beautiful . http://www.20sb.net/profile/JorahDay

- Kyla Roma      . Kyla Roma . http://www.20sb.net/profile/KylaRoma

- Amy B     . Second City Randomness . http://www.20sb.net/profile/MissBax

- Risha      . You Can Read Me Anything . http://www.20sb.net/profile/rishaaa

Most NSFW

- Danaconda    . From the head of the Danaconda . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Danaconda

- Mounting Counting  . Mounting and Counting . http://www.20sb.net/profile/MountingCountinganonymous

- Natalie Paige     . Awkward Sex and the City . http://www.20sb.net/profile/NataliePaige

- Rabbit     . Rachel Rabbit White . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Rachel621

- Sara Nipples     . Sara Swears a Lot . http://www.20sb.net/profile/SaraLadner

Funniest Blogger

- Jennifer     . Bottle Up the Crazy . http://www.20sb.net/profile/freeandflawed

- Justin      . Leftists Have No Rights . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Justinsblogpagething

- Lily (Diva Boob)     . Is it too early for a martini? . http://www.20sb.net/profile/lilye

- Lorraine     . Late to the Party . http://www.20sb.net/profile/RoxanneandLorraine

- Sara Nipples     . Sara Swears a Lot . http://www.20sb.net/profile/SaraLadner

Most Opinionated

- Ana Fernatt     . Accidentally Sexy . http://www.20sb.net/profile/AnaFernatt.

- Rachel (LiLu)     . The Southified Masshole . http://www.20sb.net/profile/rachaelgk

- Alexandra Tsaritsa     . The Tsaritsa Sez . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Alexandra720

Least Likely to Be Marked as Read

- Brandy is Magic      . It’s like I’m… mmmagic! . http://www.20sb.net/profile/brainyjane22

- Jennifer     . Bottle Up the Crazy . http://www.20sb.net/profile/freeandflawed

- Lorraine     . Late to the Party . http://www.20sb.net/profile/RoxanneandLorraine

- Sara Nipples     . Sara Swears a Lot . http://www.20sb.net/profile/SaraLadner

- Writing to Reach   . Writing to Reach You . http://www.20sb.net/profile/writingtoreachyou

Blogger I’d Most Like to Get a Drink With

- Miss Sassy Pants   . A Few French Fries Short of a Happy Meal . http://www.20sb.net/profile/misssassypants

- Danaconda    . From the head of the Danaconda . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Danaconda

- Gabatron     . When Life Give You Vodka . http://www.20sb.net/profile/GabbyMcCone

- Katie      . Katie Blogs . http://www.20sb.net/profile/katieblogs

- Melbourne on my mind     . A Quick Succession of Busy Nothings . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Melbourneonmymind

- Sweeney    . Sweeney Says . http://www.20sb.net/profile/SweeneySays

- Writing to Reach   . Writing to Reach You . http://www.20sb.net/profile/writingtoreachyou

Sexiest Male Blogger

- Andres Rio     . Good Music, Bad Math . http://www.20sb.net/profile/AndresRio

- NoOrdinaryBen    . No Ordinary Roller Coaster . http://www.20sb.net/profile/BenjaminBoudreau

- Ian Holland     . Dutchface . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Dutchface

- Justin      . Leftists Have No Rights . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Justinsblogpagething

Sexiest Female Blogger

- Harley Jane     . Magpie Attraction . http://www.20sb.net/profile/harley

- Amy B     . Second City Randomness . http://www.20sb.net/profile/MissBax

- Coyote Tits     . Dancing on the Bar of Life . http://www.20sb.net/profile/CoyoteRose

- Skinny Dip     . Skinny Dip . http://www.20sb.net/profile/SkinnyDip

Best Commentor

- Shane Pilgrim     . 500 Days of Shaneiferd . http://www.20sb.net/profile/ShanePilgrim

- Erin McCarthy     . The Post Modern Talko . http://www.20sb.net/profile/ErinMcCarthy

Best Vlogger

- Erin McCarthy     . The Post Modern Talko . http://www.20sb.net/profile/ErinMcCarthy

- Ginny     . Ginny is Sassy . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Ginny

- Jas     . Smile Big and Pretty . http://www.20sb.net/profile/jasafrass

- Nicopolitan     . Nicopolitan . http://www.20sb.net/profile/nicopolitan

- Phampants     . Phampants . http://www.20sb.net/profile/phampants

- Rachelskirts     . Rachelskirts . http://www.20sb.net/profile/rachelskirts

- Sweeney    . Sweeney Says . http://www.20sb.net/profile/SweeneySays

- Writing to Reach   . Writing to Reach You . http://www.20sb.net/profile/writingtoreachyou

Best Group Blog

WINNER: Sweeney, Lorraine, Lily (Diva Boob), Nugs and Sara Nipples    . Childhood Trauma

(Note: No other nominee received more than one vote.)

Best Twitter(er)

- Gina      . Fantasy Casting . http://www.20sb.net/profile/GinaD129

- Miss Sassy Pants   . A Few French Fries Short of a Happy Meal . http://www.20sb.net/profile/misssassypants

- Writing to Reach   . Writing to Reach You . http://www.20sb.net/profile/writingtoreachyou

Newbie Award

WINNER: Joray Day      . Terminally Beautiful . http://www.20sb.net/profile/JorahDay

(Note: No other nominee received more than one vote.)

Last Chance Award

- Brandy is Magic      . It’s like I’m… mmmagic! . http://www.20sb.net/profile/brainyjane22

- Nuggles     . That Ain’t Kosher . http://www.20sb.net/profile/ThatAintKosher

Best of the 2011 Featured Bloggers

- Jas     . Smile Big and Pretty . http://www.20sb.net/profile/jasafrass

- Lauren Lankford    . Lauren Nicole . http://www.20sb.net/profile/laurenlankford

- Sweeney    . Sweeney Says . http://www.20sb.net/profile/SweeneySays

Best Male Overall

- Tim King    . Alert the Audience . http://www.20sb.net/profile/alerttheaudience

- NoOrdinaryBen    . No Ordinary Roller Coaster . http://www.20sb.net/profile/BenjaminBoudreau

- Dave      . The Fiction Factory . http://www.20sb.net/profile/DavidShortt

- Ian Holland     . Dutchface . http://www.20sb.net/profile/Dutchface

- Shane Pilgrim     . 500 Days of Shaneiferd . http://www.20sb.net/profile/ShanePilgrim

Best Female Overall

- Hannah     . Hannah J. Holmes . http://www.20sb.net/profile/HannahJHolmes

- Lorraine     . Late to the Party . http://www.20sb.net/profile/RoxanneandLorraine

- Sweeney    . Sweeney Says . http://www.20sb.net/profile/SweeneySays

- Writing to Reach   . Writing to Reach You . http://www.20sb.net/profile/writingtoreachyou

Best 20sb Contributor Overall

- Gina      . Fantasy Casting . http://www.20sb.net/profile/GinaD129

- Lorraine     . Late to the Party . http://www.20sb.net/profile/RoxanneandLorraine

- Nuggles     . That Ain’t Kosher . http://www.20sb.net/profile/ThatAintKosher

Happy Voting!

Congratulations to our newest featured blogger, Erin!

A little bit about Erin, in her own words:

Somewhere during college I stopped giving myself haircuts. This has seriously impacted my level of cool. I’m like Samson in reverse now and sadly my milkshake brings exactly none of the boys to the yard. I consider myself more of a geek than a nerd–I don’t know any programing languages and my number sense in general is, “meh” at best. No idea what the date is, you couldn’t get me to care how long I had been somewhere without waterboarding me. Also, how this conversation started, I am never interested. Just keep talking.
I have a heart sickness that only travel can cure. If I live in a city long enough to keep plants I start masturbating to flight plans I dig up on the internet. I play a lot of video games and listen to music like I invented the hobby. I’ve never invented anything really, but as a child I thought I invented the highest number in the world. I called it, “infinity-plus-one.” You’ve heard of it? Well, what can I say, I’m that good.

Make sure you add Erin’s blog The Post Modern Talko to your reader and follow her on twitter!

Want to nominate someone for Featured Blogger? Head to the February voting thread and show them some love!

In four and a half years, 20SB has grown from a single member, our fearless founder Lisa, to 19,000 personal bloggers from around the world. Meet #19,000, Megan, and say hey to our most recent members!

In four and a half years, we’ve witnessed 20SB relationships turn into engagements.

In four and a half years, we’ve witnessed members travel across the world thanks to the beautiful world of blogging and 20SB.

In four and a half years, we’ve seen our 20SB friends go from anonymous blogs to jobs in social media.

In four and a half years, we’ve put together a ton of events, including nine blog swaps, three Bootleg Awards, vlog days, and blog carnivals with cash prizes.

In four and a half years, we’ve established the 20SB Summit, celebrating the inaugural meeting this past August.

In four and a half years, we’ve assembled a team of driven bloggers to help build and maintain the community.

In four and a half years, we’ve featured 62 bloggers, all selected by their peers.
Do you remember when you joined?  What drew you to the community?  What are some of your favorite 20SB moments?

It’s time for the 2012 20SB Bootleg Awards!

The Bootleg Awards are run annually and are nominated and voted upon by you, the members of 20 Something Bloggers. Basically, open nominations for each category are taken and the person with the most votes in each category wins. In the spirit of fairness, each person can only win one category, with the exception of best male/female overall.

Nominations will remain open until December 21.
We will then tally nominations and vote on finalists from January 2-January 15.
Finally, we will announce the 2012 Bootleg Award winners on January 18!

Make sure to get your nominations and votes in and give some props to the bloggers you love the most! The nomination form appears at the end of this post or can be accessed here.
Remember, only 20sb members can be nominated and you cannot nominate yourself.

THE CATEGORIES
Most Distinctive Voice: This blogger is someone whose blogging style sets them apart from everyone else. They are unique and awesome. You know their posts when you see them because they are who they are.

Most Inspiring: Pretty self-explanatory, this should be someone who makes you think and motivates you to do something, whether that be joining their cause or just being better at life, this person makes you think.

Most Interesting: This broad category can be for any blogger you find intriguing.

Most NSFW: NSFW stands for “Not Safe for Work.” These are the bloggers who blog about the scandalous stuff that we all love to read, but might get us fired if our bosses catch us.

Funniest Blogger: You know that blogger that almost made you choke on that turkey sandwich you were eating while reading blogs on your lunch break? That’s this guy (or girl).

Most Opinionated: Different from Most Distinctive, this should be the person that puts their opinions out there no matter what. They are the ones who always have something to say and say it they do!

Least Likely to “Be Marked As Read”: This is the person whose posts you never want to miss. Like ever.

Blogger I’d Like to Get a Drink With: Anyone who you think would be fun to see drunk or be drunk with. No clothes required.

Sexiest Blogger Male/Sexiest Blogger Female: We decided to give these gender specific awards this year so nominate your picks for both the Sexiest Male and Female blogger here. Who is sexy to you? This could be based on physical appearance but also a “sexy vibe” (in a non-Zoolander type way of course).

Best Comments: Who gives them? Whose do you love to see?

Best Vlogger: We all know how awkward vlogging can be… who does it well?

Best Group Blog: There are a variety of these at 20SB. Think about the ones who do it well. The ones who have a chorus of voices that make for a great blog.

Best Twitter(er): Whose Tweets are the shiz? Who Tweets most often?

Newbie Award: Think about someone who just started at 20SB but may already be emerging as a shinning star.

Last Chance Award: This award is for somebody who turned 30 in 2011 and will therefore be ineligible for awards in the future!

Best of the 2011 Featured Bloggers: Make sure to check out the forums to see who the featured bloggers were for 2011 and pick your fave.
Best Male Overall and Best Female Overall: Think about those bloggers who are just incredible. The ones who do it right and do it well. The ones who you aspire to be like. The ones who you are, let’s face it, slightly jealous of. Nominate those deserving bloggers here.

Best 20sb Contributor Overall: You know that person who is always in the chats each time you sign on and always has a thoughtful forum comment? Give them some love y’all.

Remember, the only way someone can get nominated for the Bootleg Awards is by you so get out there and nominate your fellow 20SB community.

Nomination form:

Congratulations to our newest featured blogger, Gina!

A little bit about Gina, in her own words:

I love reading. I love movies. I blog about books and movies and books becoming movies and books versus movies. I took a class in college called “Film and Literature” where we read a novel, watched the movie and analyzed the differences between the two. Somehow, I think the concept seeped into my subconscious and created a monster. I love fantasy and I hate chick lit. I like books and movies that make me laugh, not cry. I read political memoirs and religious debate books, even though I’m deeply entrenched in my beliefs on both fronts.

I am a stay at home mom, with three little boys, the oldest of which is 5. I homeschool. I love cooking and baking. I owned a cake decorating company for a couple of years until I moved to a new state and didn’t want to file the business paperwork again. Now I just do it for friends and family. My husband, who I have been with since 2003, is a law student and the funniest guy I know. Our free time is spent going to Disneyworld, watching old TV shows on DVD and making fun of strangers.

Make sure you add Gina’s blog Fantasy Casting to your reader and follow her on twitter!

Want to nominate someone for Featured Blogger? Head to the January voting thread and show them some love!