I continue to be amazed and entertained by all the beautiful blogs that I visit. Like someone who crawls into their old car after new car shopping, I am comfortable with my blog, but it feels dowdy. One of the reasons that I became hooked on blogging? Because I was continually amazed at how creative people were with their blogs. Not only in the content of their posts, but also in the way they looked.
I have had people offer to give me a makeover for free, but not knowing them I have hesitated to do so. All those dire warnings about incorporating viruses with widgets has me spooked. So, I ask you, what do you think I should do? Give it a major makeover, or just incorporate a few widgets? Maybe a new header? Or just leave it be and concentrate on my writing?
52 comments:
I've recently done mine over ...I like a new hairdo once in a while, helps me feel fresh.
Go wherever your imagination takes you. xx
So strange you would post this question because I was just moments ago thinking that I'm anxious for February and my second blogiversary. On my first blogiversary I did a medium change-up, but it was big for me. As you said, lots to consider. I changed the Blogger template and the header. I spent months prior to that wasting lots of time online doing tons of research on people/places that charge to re-do blogs. But I chickened (and cheaped) out and was happy with the changes I made. It is very exciting to do and I highly recommend it!
I might have my daughter help me. I'm too busy right now, but I would like to learn how to jazz my blog up a bit. Why not? Go for it.
Choose a new template, Nancy. I've always had trouble opening the template you have, little white patches down the side, takes a while to open properly. Not just your blog but others with that same template.
New template, new color, more pics of your treasures in the side bar. Voila! It's fun having a change.
I always enjoy your content!!
I change my header every few months.
my template is quite neutral so the header transforms the whole thing! change is as good as a rest :)
we are all inspired by each other, i like to think...
be what you are, do as you please, but DON'T let someone you do not know do it for you :) I am a skeptic, for sure!
That's the beauty of it, you could learn to do what you like yourself, and have that much more pride in it :) Mzzzz Creativity!
Pictures that capture the blog's theme impress me, but it's the subject matter I seek. Try a branch blog and see how it looks. Gee, I may need to take my white buffalo out to another pastures.
i try to keep it simple...do what pleases you...
I have to laugh because we're using the same blogger template. I agree with Brian, keep it simple, concentrate on your writing, but always do what pleases you.
Yes, change can be good, but change just for the sake of change isn't necessary.
If you do make an update, I wonder how many other people you'll inspire :-)
I think you should do it if it moves you, and only if it does.
Play with it, and have fun.
But your writing is what keeps me coming back, and I am sure that is true for others.
Express yourself,make you happy, and we will all follow along.
Change if you want, but I come here for your marvelous and inspirational writing.. as for music on a blog... ug.. the first thing I do is hit the mute. I like to read and work in silence.
Do what makes you feel good. I personally like mine clean and uncluttered but I notice I am slowly adding things to my sidebar.
How about playing around with the fonts and/or colors or a header pic for now? Even a wee bit of a change will perk you up. I change my header pic fairly often. Makes me feel all refreshed.
I vote with Ellen - preferring blogs clean and uncluttered, with the writing shining through. How about starting with simple changes - color and header, maybe - and see how you like it?
I agree that it's the writing that brings me back, not the blog look. I like mine simpler, but using the templates I had a hard time until I found the simplest one with some space between the lines. It drives me crazy to have the words all scrunched; anything else I can live with. I love your blog and have never missed having a banner picture.
I like changing things. I am always messing with gadgets and such!
I decorate and play with mine only when I am in a creative mood. I believe "decorating" is not really necessary but it is one of the perks of having a blog that allows expression and creativity.
I like that the body of your blog is neutral and the font is big, so I wouldn't change that. You might change up your header. I like to change mine around a lot, makes things feel fresh.
I've been wanting to change mine and spice it up since the summer... but don't have any time to figure out the workings and am also worried about the "free templates" available on the web...
One simple thing you can do is change the template and play around with font styles and colours...
have fun!
You know its difficult to figure out how to do it on your own without a "guru". I re-did my blog and barely know what the heck I did! I took a basic layout whose html (I think it was lefty stretch minima) which is listed in blogger. Then I changed the dimensions. I had to upload pics to photobucket and then learn to link them to the layout. Then I googled how to add buttons and such and tried different things.
It took me a year.
Here's what I suggest you do. Make a "dummy blog"...just another blog on your account. Go to your profile and click on blogs to display and remove that one from display. This way its not available to be seen by anyone while you work on it. Then try different things.
I wouldnt worry about widgets containing bad things, when you put in a premade layout or skin, blogger detects widgets and removes them if they are not compatible with blogger.
I've tried premade ones online and never had a problem. I much prefer personalizing it myself though. There are some things I still dont know how to do. But I find that blogs with too much stuff are harder to open and simpler is better.
Make a small change...see if you like it...if you do, do more....little at a time is safe way to go...you can do it!
smiles.
I chickened (and cheaped) out and was happy with the changes I made. It is very exciting to do and I highly recommend it!
Work from home India
Hehe...you know..I tried to change my template and simply couldn't do it.
But the header picture makes a huge difference. Why not add a nice picture if you are uncomfortable with changing the template?
I like the colour of your blog but a few minor changes can enhance it ^_^
Thank you very much Nancy. When you said that you found my blog beautiful, it touched me deeply.
Love
Deboshree
I think your blog is great the way it is. It's the content that matters. Your posts are always wonderful.
My blog has died on the vine, and I'm going to be closing it soon. No one visits me anymore, I have gotten so boring. :-)
I have seen a few re-makes. If your blog has lots of widgets, it will be slow in uploading, and cause many people to move on.
There are blogs that hide their widgets, add them as portals.
Frankly, I like sparse and dowdy myself.
Thanks everyone!! I appreciate all your advice. I think I will take Nancy's advice and use a dummy one to play with and then see how it turns out. I like the color of mine because that blue is supposed to be easy on the eyes. But I think many of you are right about too many widgets making the blog hard to open. I've been having the same problem with some of my favorites. A dummy blog will allow me to work out all the bugs first, I think.
Jo - Don't you dare! We love your blog! It is not boring.
Oh my gosh . . . I'm totally bored with the look of my blog too. I've been searching online for Blogger templates, but there's not really any that catch my eye. Anywho . . . Good luck with the hunt! :)
I change my header pic often, as it's so easy to do. Just go to your Page Elements page on Blogger dashboard and click on Header at the top, then upload the photo of your choice. It adds a lot of pizazz, with very little effort. Go for it!
I come hear to read your thoughts and words. The rest is window dressing. It doesn't mean I won't peak thru the curtains though!
Change is good! It's like rearranging your living room. All of your furniture is still the same, but the environment is different. Have you thought of changing the colors? Blue to orange? Maybe look up some of the ways color effects mood and utilize the knowledge.
:)
I get bored too. I think we all do. Find a template you like so you don't have to worry if something doesn't work and then you have to track down this looney who designed a blog and then poof disapeared. You can do it!
Often I get lost on pages with lots of "stuff". I say concentrate on the writing. That's what I come to your blog see.
I know this is terrible of me, but I rarely prefer the "new look" of a blog. I get very attached what I'm used to.
I'm more drawn to the writing, I guess.
Aren't you glad you asked for advice? ;)
I can honestly say that the only reason I come back to a blog is for the content...not the way it looks. I have read the fancy ones out there and if there is nothing that I am interested in reading, I don't go back much less follow them. I sometimes find all the widgets a little mind boggling..kind of like reading a book with advertisements all over the pages. That being said, you have to be most comfortable!
Hi Nancy,
if your feeling the need to change then you'll know when the time is right. It's the beauty of blogging, so many choices! and the freedom to choose.
♥ lori
A little change does always some good. I love your blue but, of course, there are visual details that you can add. Of course the riches of the content is the most important, but a little picture in the wall gives another perspective. not that I don't like it the way it is. You know what I mean.
I am personally a bit intimidated by the idea of changing my layout; I'm afraid I'll screw something up. I really like your layout. It's easy to see, easy to read, and has a comfortable, everyone's welcome kind of feel to it.
However, if you are going to change it, I'd keep the font size and the quotes. I love the quotes.
I like your layout, simple and clean.You can't beat a good bit of writing.
I like to change my header photo every so often,usually with the seasons or more.I play round with the colours and go dramatic,sometimes pretty.I do 4 blogs so get plenty of scope for some fun! Be brave just do what you feel like!
If you're not sure, start slow. Change the header. Any gadgets that I have added through blogger have been okay. The blog background that I use is free. I think it's called the cutest blog on the block. If you go to my blog, you'll see the logo up on the top left. Click on it and it will take you to their website. You can see what all they have available. Everyone is different. What is important is what YOU like!
Change it or keep it like it is. Doesn't matter to me. I come to read. As for the header pic..... I have no idea how to do that!! Took me forever to learn to post pictures. Guess I am an old dog trying to learn new tricks.....
I'm with you...afraid to make any big changes of the blog look. But just a color change can do wonders! Like getting your house painted you know?
Do whatever brings you joy
leave it be.
it's one of those things... if you have to ask, you can't afford it.
one day, you'll look at your blog and you'll *know* the answer. it's funny how the mind works. you'll know exactly what to do (or not do).
passive inspiration works for me all the time.
thats why i never get anything done. lol.
Wow, thanks everyone!! I love all the advice. I am very grateful that you like my writing and thats what brings you back. Because lets face it - I'm not the most visually creative. I'm going to mess around with it, definitely check out all of your ideas, but don't be surprised if it stays the same. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with choices and then find myself frozen!
My plan was to change my blog around after each year. Over two years later, I've still got the identical template. I'm not the right one to ask. ;)
But I'll echo what others have said.. it's the content that counts. And as far as that goes, yours is perfect.
well, you have so many wonderful ideas already,there's not much to add and it's like you say, you must go at your own pace, so to speak, .... I was going to suggest your header being something different other than words and with tahoe, well, need we say more? as for color, well, if you aren't for it, and my sense is of course, you are more comfortable without it all over the place like some we know ;), then don't do it....it's very easy to change it up and live with it and see ... believe me, you will hear about it if it 's not what people like...I had a black background and heard from some they didn't like it--but I did and that's key in my mind--but I am a color freak and suppose that's putting it mildly ...
so, how about a new header? if you need help, I can help you with things like the basics and changing up sizes, etc., and don't worry about widgets, nothing will happen to your blog...
your blog's about in -depth content and that's what people come for, after it's all said and done and they will come if you do nothing but keep writing...so don't worry too much about it even if you think your blog needs a little spicing up!
blessings♥
really funny your having this post - cause i've been going through the same thing - and have changed a few things - but let me tell you what i did which someone else has already suggested - and that is, i have set up a "dummy" blog where i experiment and play and do new things to see if i'm going to like it - i don't have it visible while i'm playing with it - it's just for me to learn on - for example i think i want one blog without gadgets/sidebar at all - where the image fills the entire screen and then the post underneath - so that's what i'm playing with on my dummy right now - anyway, you have a lot of great advice here but, you know, the bottom line is really very simple: do what you like!!! what makes you happy - once you build it, they will come!!!
:)
I rarely change my blog around. Hello...it has no header picture, it's background is white. So, I am not an expert on changing blogs, but I do have a test blog set up for whenever I try a little something new.
I get kind of bored with the look of mine, sort of and I will swing things around a bit. My favorite thing is to change the colors and that seems to keep me from a major overhaul...
I say go for it man. Change is the only thing constant in the world and like Lydia said, its always good to have a change on your blog. Viruses will not be a problem if you install plugins from trusted sources. And blogspot itself is very secure website.
I have started my own blog this month. I am not very good at writing like you and other people here, but my blog is a little different. Its just about helping people with their IT problems. Be i a website hosting, websie redo, computer viruses blah blah blah. I am there to help. Keep a note of it, you or your friends might need it sometime :)
http://theonedesigner.blogspot.com
Regards
Satinder Rana
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