~ special international friendship day edition ~
When we found out from our friends over at Girlfriendology that today is International Friendship Day, we knew we wanted to share our special friendship story (originally written for the Girlfriendology web site) with our readers. We hope you enjoy it.
Without this simple turn of events, we may have just become distant acquaintances, only connecting on Facebook and occasional at get-togethers with mutual friends. Instead, we sparked not only an amazing friendship, but also a very unique relationship as coworkers.
Over the next three years we discovered we had many things in common. We especially loved that our complimentary skills allowed us to work exceptionally well as teammates. Treading the line between friendship and work can often be a challenge, but we were unique. Not only did we become incredibly close friends, but our ways of working actually enhanced our friendship. Even after 40 hours a week spent focused on office projects, we still wanted to hang out during our free time. We were more than coworkers—we were partners, and our friendship was so close that Ashley was even a bridesmaid in Angie's wedding in 2009.
We had great creative chemistry, loved to collaborate, and, with the perfect mix of skills, were able to respectfully challenge each other and successfully deal with conflict. We pushed each other to new heights of ability, encouraging and supporting each other’s growth. Each day we were able to accomplish exponentially more together than we could separately (and had a blast while doing it).
We discovered a common appreciation for the simple beauty in life and our desire to be inspired each day. Because we wanted a creative outlet to share these interests, we started our first website, Everyday Inspirations, in early 2010. Everyday Inspirations focuses on finding inspiration in fashion, home, health, food, travel, and the small miracles of day-to-day life.
As this site has grown, it has solidified our friendship and given us a platform to continue working together, no matter what life throws at us. While we now work for different employers, we are still able to maintain the relationship and friendship we built for years. Ashley and Angie—forever friends, forever partners, forever inspired.