I almost moved my blog to wordpress, but got frusterated with my lack of customization options. I'm very picky about the "look" of my blog and don't want to use a pre-made template.
Honestly I'm not sure why I bother - if you are like me, you are reading blogs in Google's "Reader" anyway and don't visit blogs except to leave comments....
If anyone is experiencing any readibility issues with the new look, please let me know!
BTW - here was the "runner up" for the blog header. It was close...but a header must represent the whole blog and the current, scenery header does a better job of describing my life of "between horse ears". This one only says "focus", and "endurance".
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I like the new look--I have difficulty reading blogs that are too "busy" (oh, er, mine is pretty cluttered though, oops).
ReplyDeleteThe new header pic is great. Good choice!
I'm glad you didn't go to Wordpress. I don't like the WP interface as much as the Blogger one. A bunch of small picky things annoy me, like tags vs. categories, and (auto) filling in my info for each reply I make.
ReplyDeleteI like the layout! Very clean. And the LOVE picture is a great header, and I'm really quite jealous that you thought of "a horse off course" before me. Enough praise!
Great header picture choice. You are up with the clouds.
ReplyDeleteI always prefer a clean look.
Your tag line makes me jealous.
A clean look is very important to me as well. If it wasn't for Google reader I probably would have given up on reading various people's blogs, just because of the readability issue.
ReplyDeleteI thought up that tag line about a month ago. It's my user name for chronicle of the horse forums and for horsegroomforums and it's PERFECT. I LOVE it. I wish I had thought of it in time to use it as my blog address/title. Ah well. A tag line must suffice.
BTW - those are Minx's ears in the header. This pic was taken at Livermore in March 2009.
Ahhh, I thought Farley had bay-er ears than that. Woops!
ReplyDeleteNot to mention smaller and cuter and less mule-like. :) Good old Standardbreds!
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy the previous header picture (that flush of pride) but I admit, it was becoming comfortably worn, like a pair of blue jeans that you won't admit are worn out, but others can see it. (you know the jeans I'm talking about, Melinda).
ReplyDeleteOne thing I don't miss is that beige (shudder) color of the background. The only thing I have with all the white is that at first it makes me think something didn't load right, not unheard of with dial-up.
Oh yes, beautiful new header picture.
ReplyDeleteSurprise, surprise, I don't use blogger reader - I actually go to the blog to read it. I like looking at everyone's layout. I do like the new banner, it's beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI love your new look...makes me all exited to change mine up!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you went with it over this one....it's a little cleaner, and I'm not always stuck in the moment of "will she make it on top of that horse??"
Yes mom, I know the jeans you are talking about. And if I could find jeans that fit me on a regular basis, I would buy new ones.
ReplyDeleteI've had this picture in my mind as a header since I took it in March. What I DON'T want to do is to change the format of the blog so frequently that it loses it's "identity". I think that changing the header/look every 10-12 months is probably appropriate. One thing that IS important to me is to have a "current" header. ie the picture must be taken within the time period since I've updated the blog.
See - nothing can be chaos in my life including my system for my blog look! LOL. It's amazing I'm able to function at all...especially with horses :)
Yes mom, I know the jeans you are talking about. And if I could find jeans that fit me on a regular basis, I would buy new ones.
ReplyDeleteI've had this picture in my mind as a header since I took it in March. What I DON'T want to do is to change the format of the blog so frequently that it loses it's "identity". I think that changing the header/look every 10-12 months is probably appropriate. One thing that IS important to me is to have a "current" header. ie the picture must be taken within the time period since I've updated the blog.
See - nothing can be chaos in my life including my system for my blog look! LOL. It's amazing I'm able to function at all...especially with horses :)
I'd like to know something you do NOT have a system for!
ReplyDeleteHousekeeping and eating.
ReplyDeleteSee, I was going to say "shopping and feeding herself." Hehehe... your pantry is PITIFUL!
ReplyDeleteAnd by housekeeping - I don't mean the organizing part - that I have (of course!). It's the whole vacumming, sweeping, dishes thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I NEED a better system (as in, HAVE a system) for grocery shopping. Ha! Here is my system I am instituting tomorrow/today/whenever - when I run out of food - GO BUY MORE!!!!!
BTW - if anyone is reading this post....I'm referring to wordpress.com - not .org. I'm considering paying the $$ and moving to wordpress.org, but that probably won't be for a while. In the meantime, wordpress.com doens't offer the customization that blogger does (for free). Sorry for any confusion.
ReplyDeleteDon't you have to buy your own hosting for wp.org? (That's so backwards - the .com one is the free one!)
ReplyDeleteYes, you do. Godaddy is pretty reasonable, especially with all the online coupons you can search for. It's still $$ though, versus FREE right now. I think I'm going to wait awhile and see where this goes. I'd like to devote a comprehensive website to places to condition, ride stories and reccomendations, product reviews etc, but I really don't ahve the time right now. I think if I'm still blogging and still enjoying it after 18 months (which would be the middle of this upcoming summer), I'll probably go for it.
ReplyDeleteI find Karen Chaton's site SO useful and I go back often to grab the different links etc. I'd like to provide that kind of resourse for people too - focusing on cav training, dressage, and endurance. it would be a way for me to keep track of photos, goals etc. too. I can't see a way for the website to pay for itself, so it truly would be a labor of love.
Ugh. You can do better than Godaddy for hosting, and not expensively either. When you get ready to do it, I'll ask my nerd-husband who is reasonably priced and not sucky.
ReplyDeleteYour long term plan sounds very cool!
I definately will! Thanks for the offer. NO ONE in my family has their own website so I'm a totally newbie at this sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteI finally got curious about your Japanese spammer and ran his(?) latest contribution through Babelfish. BEHOLD!
ReplyDelete"Revival, star beach! It doesn't try doing new life stubby the Japanese largest friend searching sight finally accomplishes revival and evolution? It holds also help and combination [konpatei] etc of the partner searching of ideal on occasion. You will experience stubby of pleasant time"
Why don't I ever get commenters like this? ;)
Yeah....I looked it up when I first started deleting them. It looks like I'm going to have to lock this post to comments because of it. *sigh* It's just not going away.
ReplyDeleteI could enable the word verification thingy, but then some people have had trouble commenting, so it's worth the trouble to come through and delete - except when it happens ALL the time to the SAME post!