Nobody exists in a vacuum, least of all people who call these crazy internets home. As bloggers, we’re constantly being inspired by the brilliance around us, especially the nuggets of beautiful wisdom that float up to our Brooklyn laptops from below the Mason-Dixon line. So today we thought we’d share with you a few of our favorite folks, from the sartorial to the philosophical, the crafty to the culinary. All are lovely, and all make our Dixie hearts sing, especially as we find ourselves far from our old Kentucky homestead.

Bitter Southerner (Dave Whitling, Chuck Reece and Kyle Tibbs Jones): We aren’t the only ones to jump on the Bitter Southerner bandwagon, hard, this year. The creators are Southerners after our own hearts, determined to show the world the complexity of what living in and being from the South means. As they say, “The stories are out there, all over the South. They deserve to be told.” And they tell them, one week at a time, with beautiful photography and design to boot. bittersoutherner.com

Some of our favorites: Gone with the Wind & My Southern Education, The Pentecostal Serpent, and our perennial favorite I Miss Kentucky Always.

The Old Try (Micah and Marianna Whitson): In addition to being one of our favorite purveyors of Southern-inspired design and home decor, the husband-wife team behind the Old Try is also one of our favorite blogging voices out there, particularly when it comes to the complicated question of home. The Whitsons spent several years as Southern transplants in Boston. They returned below the Mason-Dixon line (to North Carolina) just after the birth of their first child, only to realize that the place they truly called home was their adopted Massachusetts and not the land of their roots. They’re now happily ensconced back in New England and have written candidly about the whole experience, all while churning out prints that make our little Southern hearts sing. theoldtry.com

Some of our favorites: Move It Along, South America, What We’re Looking At Now

Offbeat and Inspired (Sarah Hauser and Tiffany Mitchell): What started as a swapping of DIY tips on a trip to Red River Gorge in the summer of 2012 has evolved into a beautiful blog about style and the South, written by besties turned co-bloggers Sarah and Tiffany. And in an homage to that first conversation, their blog is the only one we’ve ever come across to have an entire vertical dedicated to soapmaking. offbeatandinspired.com

Some of our favorites: Coffee+Vanilla Sugar Scrub, Life+Waffles, Homemade Butterbeer+A Trip to the Wizarding World

Back Down South (Caroline Fontenot): This Texas-raised, Georgia-livin’ photographer started her blog in August 2011 as a way to combine all of her favorite things: street style photography, fashion blogs, and Southern goodness. She collects and photographs looks and personalities from below the Mason-Dixon Line, pairing them (like any good Southern lady) with drinks, music, and the great outdoors. backdownsouth.com

Some of our favorites: Shake that Mule, Style Spotlight: Erica, Take Me to Louisiana

Joy the Baker (Joy Wilson): Joy may be a recent transplant to the beignet sugar-dusted French Quarter of New Orleans, but this California girl’s belief that “everything is better with pie” puts her firmly in the “Southerner at heart” camp in our books. Her blog is full of delicious, decadent, easy to follow recipes and beautiful photography, spun together with her warm voice and the folksy charm of a self-taught chef. joythebaker.com

Some of our favorites: Shrimp+Grits+Cocktail, Campfire Scones, Lemon Raspberry Pie Crust Hearts

And check out her cookbooks! Joy the Baker Cookbook and Homemade Decadence

The Love List (Jess Graves): Southern Style Icon, writer, art director, and all around lifestyle badass Jess Graves has been on the Southern style forefront for nearly ten years. Her blog features shopping tips, restaurant recs, amusing anecdotes, and general prettiness. Bonus trivia: She was one of the brains behind the 39×43 pop up shops back in March, highlighting Southern style in all its glory. thelovelist.net

Some of our favorites: The Tree in Question, Taste of Atlanta, Travel Guide: Winter Park, FL