Friendship Festival {Intro and Favorite Friendships}

This week on the blog I'll be posting alongside my great friends Alexa and Rachel as we talk about what we aptly named 'Friendship Festival.' What is this? It's a 3 post series focusing on our friendship and celebrating how we came to be such good friends through this crazy thing we call blogging. Today's post is an intro--see previous 4 sentences--and highlighting our favorite friendships in books, TV, and movies.

But first, I'd like to talk about the two amazing women I get to call my close friends. I met both of these lovely ladies through Twitter/blogging. Alexa I remember fangirling over Throne of Glass with, as one does, and from there we kept talking about other things and eventually became 'real' friends by texting. She is one of the few people I talk to every single day. She is always there for a kind word or a funny story that happened. She is probably the best human I know and I say that with sincerity. She is such a good person. She is thoughtful and kind and truly cares and makes an effort to develop her friendships, especially those whom she doesn't see in real life. I don't know what I would do without her astute look on life when I need it most. I've had such awful experiences with friends in the past that finding somebody as genuine and kind as Alexa is like the magic lamp from Aladdin, truly a diamond in the rough.

So Rachel probably doesn't know this but I creeped her blog way before I think I started talking to her. I LOVE her blog. Her voice and ability to succinctly verbalize her feelings on books and life is something I envy as I tend to rattle on about nothing most posts. We talked via Twitter and I remember meeting her at BEA but it wasn't until after that that via Twitter and then texting we really became close. She is my ultimate lamenter and partner in crime of the single girl life as almost all of our friends (mutual and otherwise) are married. Love you guys but unless you're currently living the single girl like y'all have no idea the plight. Rachel just gets me and I get her in this respect and everything that comes with it. She has been such a light and rock in recent months when I'm feeling down about myself in this regard and I like to think I've done the same for her. She, as is Alexa, is a kind and thoughtful and genuine friend and that is SO incredibly hard to find!

My life is infinitely better for having the privilege and honor of being their friends and to be honest, I actually don't know why they waste their time with me. Kidding, kidding. I'm the friend they go to when they wanna plot violence and arson. I know my role ;) OH! And we're all sister shellans as we are all obsessed with the Black Dagger Brotherhood. If that doesn't bring people together, I don't know what does.

NOW! Let's talk about my favorite friendships in books, TV, and movies! I'm picking one from each and it was hard to narrow down, especially the book one as there are so many amazing female friendships I'd like to highlight but this one stuck out in my mind as the winner...

Books--Judith Elizabeth and Frances Catherine from The Secret by Julie Garwood
This friendship is perfection to me and I recognize myself and friends within these two whenever I read this book. They are so understanding of each other and their social cues and needs. They are loyal to a fault and just get each other. I love reading the situations where their husbands just didn't understand what was wrong but their friend knew exactly what the problem was and helped accordingly...especially when they were being ridiculous. I see this play out a lot with my friends that we just get each other and can understand what the other person needs.  That is so hard to find as I said above and I cannot get enough of these two ladies who should be enemies but are the very best of friends to one another.

TV--Serena and Blair from Gossip Girl
Ya know, this isn't probably the best choice but I don't watch a lot of non-reality television and while Blair and Serena have epic moments of secrecy and backstabbing, at their core they love each other. And when push comes to shove and one of them actually needs to be picked back up they are loyal and 100% there for each other. Friendships are complicated, especially those that you've had for many years. I can somewhat relate to this friendship when I think of my high school friends. A few instances have been shitty over the years but in moments when I needed them, they're there. No questions asked. There's a part of me that really respects their friendship as there are no lines and no bullshit. They are who they are and they accept one another for not only their positive qualities but their faults as well and there's something to be said for that.

Movie--Anna and Elsa from Frozen
As many of you know my sisters are my very best friends. The quote 'sisters by fate, friends by choice' is not more true than when I think of my sisters. Some might say it's cheating picking sisters as my favorite friendship but I would have to disagree. Growing up I always assumed everybody was close with their siblings and unfortunately that is not the case. I had a friend comment one time that she was close with her sister but me and my sisters are on a different level. I took that as a compliment because my sisters are my life and my best friends and seeing how other family dynamics are I am truly blessed and lucky to have such a great relationship with them. (Cue me actually tearing up in the middle of Starbucks as I write this...anyways). The relationship between Anna and Elsa isn't perfect, as most relationships are not, but what I love about them is that no matter what one does or what actions the other doesn't agree with they are always there for one another. I joke to my sisters that I'd volunteer as tribute for them any day of the week and I mean that. I see that sacrifice and love in Anna and Elsa and it's my favorite movie friendship to date.

What do you guys think of our Friendship Festival? Don't forget to check out Alexa and Rachel's posts as well!!