Welcome to So About What I Said

Hello there, friends, and welcome to So About What I Said. It’s so nice to meet you!

I’m a freelance writer and blogger from the Midwest, and So About What I Said… is a daily lifestyle blog covering disabilities, relationships, lifestyle and pop culture. Here’s a bit more about me…

I was born in 1981, and writing was my first true love. I was born with Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome, a genetic bone and muscular disorder, and I’ve had more than 26 surgeries, including surgeries on my knees, hands, hips and spine. I credit much of my independence to my parents, who taught me never to let my disability define me. And growing up, writing was always a way for me to express myself and explore my world beyond the confines of my disability. I studied journalism in college, where I worked on my school’s newspaper in every position from staff reporter to editor-in-chief. After graduating from Northern Illinois University with a journalism degree in 2005, I began my career as a freelance writer. I wrote a weekly newspaper column for nearly five years; my slice-of-life column covered family, holidays, love and pop culture. I was also a blogger for Psychology Today, where I wrote about living a full life with a physical disability, and also blogged about my search for love with a disability for Online Dating magazine.

My writing has also appeared on…

I launched So About What I Said in November 2008 as the natural next step in my writing career. The title of the blog comes from my tendency to sometimes say the wrong thing at the wrong time, and then wishing you could go back and say, “so about what I said…” I’ve always envisioned my blog – even from the beginning – kind of like a magazine, and I’ve loved writing about such things as love, my disability, fashion, shopping, design, food, home décor and of course, my love of TV and music!

In general, I’ve worked hard to build a supportive and welcoming community over the years, and I’ve always strived to create a blog that is all about four things: Honest, Real, Smart and Funny. You can read more about my blog journey, if you’d like a behind-the-scenes peek at all the fun!

My award-winning blog was recognized as a Blogger Blog of Note in 2009, and featured on amazing blogs over the last eight years (see some examples here and here). In September 2012, I turned my full-time focus to So About What I Said…, which, with 3,500+ subscribers, recently surpassed 2 million page views and receives about 20,000 page views and 10,000 unique visitors per month.

Some fun facts, because I’m sure you’re wondering: I’ve been known to Google old crushes, hoard magazines (I call it research…), burst into song and sip a tall glass of root beer on a lazy summer afternoon. I sometimes fear that I’ll end up a Norma Desmond-style old lady with a bunch of cats, but I’m learning to embrace it. I’ve been known to overshare and have an unabashed love for pop music, polo shirts and PEZ dispensers. Oh, yeah, and the three women I’d most want to see square off on Jeopardy are Hillary Clinton, YouTube sensation Miranda Sings and Susan B. Anthony.

But seriously, I absolutely *LOVE* hearing from readers, so feel free to email me at mellow1422@aol.com with your thoughts, questions and ideas.

Interested in collaborating or advertising with me? See the sponsor page for details and specials. I hope to hear from you soon, friends! xoxo