Jan 20, 2011

Evolution of the blog

Since I started writing this blog in 2008, I've written 1,080 posts. HOLY. CRAP. If I'd paid more attention, I could have done something really cool and not at all annoying on the 1,000th post ... like have colorful confetti come spewing out of your screen and hit you in the face. Luckily for you, I guess, I didn't even notice that that milestone came and went.

When I began writing posts regularly, I used a standard Blogger template. If you know me at all, you'll know that it took me approximately two days to decide that it was too bland, not perky enough, not representative enough of ME. So I hired Danielle at The Design Girl to work something up for me, and we came up with this:



How many of you have been around since THAT banner? Not many, I'm sure. I bet I've driven away HORDES of people since then.

I kept that one for a year (until late 2009), and then my sister said, "Jake looks like an entirely different PERSON now. You have GOT to update your blog. It's ridiculous." Or something to that effect. Actually, I'm pretty sure that was it, word for word.

So I went calling on Danielle again, and we came up with the most recent iteration, which has carried us from late 2009 all the way into early 2011:





And of course the boys have all gone and grown the heck UP again, and I found myself needing another update, so Danielle came to the rescue yet again, and we have this new-and-improved header and overall design.



That header will rotate with the one below, so each time you come by, you'll see one or the other.



I really wanted to de-clutter my sidebar, so I've gone back to a two-column format and moved a lot of the links to other pages, such as the blogs I read. I know a lot of you get to those other blogs by clicking to them from here, so I didn't want to take them down altogether.

If you're viewing this post in a Reader and can't see the changes, pop on over and take a look. And if you're looking at the blog live and can't see the changes, click Refresh or -- better yet -- Shift and Refresh together. Shift and Refresh together a second time should enable you to see the second banner.

Thanks for sticking around and staying with me for this fun ride!

10 comments:

Meredith said...

Love the new look! And I really appreciate you leaving up the blogs you read. I can't tell you how many of those blogs I now follow because of your links.

Melissa said...

Love the new header, especially the picture of Jake kissing you! PRECIOUS!!!

Sarah T. said...

Love it.

Carry Grace said...

I REALLY like the new look!

paige said...

I love all of your designs. This girl must be very good because all of these look very much like you. They remind me of your design templates back in the day. :)

Rachel said...

Wow! I've been around since the first banner. I feel old. :)

shanemotb said...

I've been around since that first banner and loved every minute of it! Thank you so much for doing this for us each day!

Shane
mommy of twin boys Alex and Sam in Austin, TX

Katherine @ Grass Stains said...

I'm so glad you guys like the new design. And thanks to those who've been around since the very beginning! Says a lot that you've stuck it out with me this long.

Rachel said...

I love the new header! Fabulous. Great job!

And, believe it or not, I DO remember that first header. I think that was around the time we met each other, round one. :)

brightleigh said...

The new look is great! Very colorful and great pictures!

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