I did it! I finally got all of the ideas that have been buzzing around in my head for so long, out of my head, and into the form of a website!
I’ve had an idea of what I would like my website to look like for ages. But I had no clue how to do it. I’ve tried a few different free themes that have been ok but I always knew they weren’t perfect. It wasn’t something I wanted to spend any money on as I didn’t know if it was any good or worth spending any money on.
This year things have changed a bit, in that since I have joined Twitter I have become much more a part of the wonderful blogging community that I had previously shied away from. I wish now that I had got more involved in this community sooner but hindsight is a wonderful thing. Since joining twitter, and discovering Linkys and Blog hops, the traffic to my site has increased and I have received some truly wonderful comments that have boosted my self-confidence no end and made me feel that what I am writing is worthwhile.
Then my lovely hubby offered to pay for a site redesign as my birthday present in April. He had offered before but I’d always turned him down as it seemed a waste of money, but as a birthday present it seemed more reasonable. At first, I said yes, then the control freak inside got the better of me. I had such a strong idea of how I wanted it to look that I was scared of never being 100% happy with the way someone else interpreted that idea.
So I started having a play around. I took some photos for a potential header background. I have been getting to grips with PicMonkey and have had lots of fun editing and creating with their free software.
This turned out better than I thought it would and I got excited, then hubby got excited with me. He is great at web design and used to do a lot of it, but he doesn’t have time in his current role so only dabbles occasionally. But the great thing for me is that he knows how to do it all. He understands CSS and knows the language to use to make things happen. This all just looked like gobbledegook to me before! So we found a very simple theme that wasn’t perfect, but that he assured me we could make into the vision in my head.
Hubby works so hard and has a demanding job so I have felt awful being demanding of him in the evenings too. I’ve also felt frustrated that I can’t do much of it, and impatient that it has been taking so long!
But I have been gradually learning bits of CSS too. I by no means know everything, but I know a few things now. I can download a font from t’internet (somewhere like Font Squirrel) and I know how to embed that in the site and use the font. I know how to change the colours, sizing and line spacing. I understand some of how CSS works now and how to find what I want to change and try to change it.
I’ve really enjoyed the process and wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out – but I am so pleased and so happy with the end result. I hope you like it too!
It is fantastic!! Love it 🙂 So pleased for you, and that you decided to go for it. It’s a good job I should be getting my redesign in the next week or two, otherwise I’d be very envious!!
Thank you, to say I’m proud of it is an understatement, I’m pleased as punch! 😀 I’m really looking forward to your redesign too! Very exciting! xx
Great job, it looks fab x
Thank you! xx
It looks really good! I still to this day do not understand CSS and a lot of the basics of how my site works. I just follow online tutorials, play around with code and cross my fingers hard! Well done you x
Thank you, it’s so complicated isn’t it? I’m very glad I have an expert on hand to help me! 🙂 xx
It looks so cheerful and lovely! Well done 🙂
Thank you! Exactly what I was going for so yay! 🙂 xx
The new site looks fantastic. And well done. I’m in complete awe of anyone who goes self hosted!
Thank you, it’s been busy and I’m really lucky my hubby knows what he is doing with all of this! xx
What a super idea for a birthday present!! Love your new design!!! #MagicMoments
Thanks! 🙂 xx
It looks fantastic and well done on learning how to do it. I have to admit I let the very wonderful Annie take care of me and mine, I ought to make more of an effort to learn.
Thanks! I am quite proud of myself but couldn’t have done it without the hubby! xx
It feels like a breath of fresh air! I felt the same when I had a little refresh, gives you a new energy and you fall in love with it all over again! #MagicMoments
Thank you! It makes you really excited about blogging again doesn’t it? xx
YAY this is is beautiful well done honey it really is stunning 🙂 (its such a lovely feeling isnt it!)
Thanks for linking up with #MagicMoments (a year ago i had the same one 😉 )
Thanks so much honey, it is a great feeling – to know it is finally how I have always wanted it to be! 🙂 Ooh I have to say I love your site, it’s such a great design, I definitely had blog envy when I saw it 🙂 xx
What a great birthday present!
Well done it looks fab x
Thank you, I am so chuffed with it! 🙂 xx
Love it! It looks fantastic! Well done x
Aww thanks so much, loving the positive responses, you never really know if anyone else will like it as much as you do! Thanks so much xxx
Wow – I love it and have website envy. It will be so worth it. Well done xx
Thank you so much! I’m so pleased with it 🙂 xx
I love it. Well done
Thank you! xx
It looks really bright and cheerful, right up my street, I love it, well done you.
Exactly what i was going for – I love bright colours! 🙂 Thank you so much! xx
Hey Caroline – looking fab!! Well done I love the header!! Will I still get my email updates??
Thanks Sam! Ooh I should think so, it’s only the design that’s changed, but if not let me know! 🙂 xx
Not sure if they’re coming through… Has anyone else noticed this?
Hmm tis very strange, checked the list of subscribers and there are some other still on there… But your name isn’t there so I’m not sure why! I’m just putting a subscribe widget on the sidebar so if you would like to, you could subscribe again? 🙂 xx
I do seem to be getting some stuff through so maybe it is working after all, Caroline!
Phew that’s ok then! xx
I love the new design awesome x #magicmoments
Thank you! Xx
It looks great! Well done for designing it yourself. It’s handy having a hubby who can help a bit isn’t it!
Thank you! I am so pleased with it! Ha ha yes it really helps, couldn’t have done it without him!! Xx
I love the new look of your website! Funny how everyone is talking about Twitter. I have been shying away from it as I have to admit it scares me a bit… Still not on there even though I have been blogging for six or seven weeks… Decisions, decisions. Mel #MagicMoments
Thank you! I am enjoying being on twitter, it’s a great way of connecting with other mummy bloggers, but it does come with a certain amount of pressure! I can’t believe you’ve only been blogging 6 or 7 weeks! I assumed you had been blogging for ages! xxx
That is exactly what I thought (about the pressure behind Twitter). I think I will wait another few weeks. x Mel
I love the design! It’s bright, clean and really fun. Congratulations!! Popping over from all about you 🙂
Thanks so much, exactly hat I was going for so I’m really pleased with the positive response! 🙂 xx
Love your new look, it looks really fresh and funky!
Thank you, that is absolutely what I wanted, really pleased at the positive responses! xx
Congrats on the new look, love a blog with lots of white space, so much easier to read. Pix look great! Thanks for linking to #AllAboutYou
Thank you, me too, that’s what I was hoping for! Pleasure 🙂 xx
Wow, well done you! I have such a mental block with this kind of thing, so super impressed at anyone who can! It looks great, really light. Love your pics. Thanks for linking to #AllAboutYou
This looks just great. I only just moved from Blogger to WordPress this last weekend so having a massive learning curve finding and changing things! Well done 🙂 #allaboutyou
Thank you! I can imagine there is a world of difference between the two, I only know wordpress so would have no idea about blogger! xx
Looking lovely, very visual and great clear lines….
thank you! 🙂 xx
Love the new look! You have a useful hubby too then – just like me 😉 My hubby helped with my redesign too! #AllAboutYou
Thank you, I do! It’s great having someone who can help with this stuff, yours looks fab too! xx
I love it! It’s funny before I started reading the post I was looking at your header, and thinking “oh I like that!”. Well done you on learning to do those bits too – my hubs is tech-savvy too so I get him to do things on my blog but I wish I could do more myself.
#AllAboutYou
Yay thank you! Really pleased that people are liking it! Thank you I am pretty proud of mysef but couldn’t have done it without him! xx
Congratulations, the blog looks great!! It’s such a wonderful feeling when all of those plans that have been up ones sleeve finally come together. Also, I find it a real learning curve accepting help and relinquishing some control but if it gets you where you wanna be it’s worth it right? Thanks so much for sharing this post, it’s both practical and inspiring! Stopping by from #AllAboutYou
Thank you! It really does feel amazing to have it where I want it to be! And you are right, you have to relinquish control and accept help sometimes to get where you want to be. Thank you 🙂 xx
It looks lovely and so professional! well done x
thank you! 🙂 xx
Well done you! The blog looks great, it’s amazing that you and hubby did it yourselves too – I didn’t even know that was possible! I’ll be giving pic monkey a go myself soon a couple of people have recommended it to me. Once I feel a bit more confident I’d love to do a custom header for myself too : ) x
Thank you! I couldn’t have done it without him as some of the css stuff is really tricky but I did enjoy learning about it. PicMonkey is fab too, there is just so much fun you can have on there. You should have a play, you’ll be amazed what you can come up with – I never thought I’d get my header to look how I wanted without studio lighting etc, but I am so pleased with the result! 🙂 xx
whey hey! congratulations it looks fabulous x
Thanks! 🙂 xx
Well done you! Looks ace.
I’m just about to do a re-design myself so applaud you for doing such a good job of it. It’s so difficult I think when in your head you know what you want it to look like, but you can’t quite make it happen! Thanks for sharing x #AllAboutYou
Thank you! It really is so hard when you have a clear idea in your head, so I am beyond happy and proud that I managed to achieve it! I’m sure yours will look fantastic and I look forward to seeing it! xx
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Love the new look. I really wish I understood it all enough to redesign my blog. I’m really not happy with it at all, but don’t know where to start to get it to where I want it to be. I think I’m going to have to resort to paying somebody!
#creativechallenge
I love your new design, it looks fab, and want a very helpful husband. A re-design is on my to-do list, hoping to do it sooner rather than later x
Thank you! His help was definitely very handy! Ooh I will look forward to seeing that then! 🙂 xx
Hi Caroline – I have just decided to pay to have my blog re-designed and I’m suddenly feeling a bit scared! I don’t have any web-whizzes in my life although I did once write and edit a commercial website about children’s books back at the turn of the century so somewhere in the back of my mind I know my way around a bit of basic HTML. I don’t know CSS though – is it really difficult? I’m really not clear on what I need to do to transfer what I’ve already got to a self-hosted website – any tips? Sam X
Hey lovely, eek exciting!! Good for you!! CSS …. when you know all the rules and nuances it’s not too bad but there some weird rules and things! Have to say I am not sure on that, I will have a quick chat with hubby this eve and give you a shout later with some tips – he’s the technical whizz in our house, I couldn’t have done anything without his knowledge! xx