Loved.
What would start as a routine session to pick up my Pee Chee folders off the floor and put away my Shaun Cassidy records would turn into a full-out room redo, dragging my Sear's French Provincial Collection furniture across the cream shag carpet of my bedroom.(photo credit from ths.gardenweb.com)
And I got worse after I got married.
Mike has not been a big fan of my late-night estrogen-rush room makeovers.
I've reformed a bit. I still have to drag huge pieces of furniture around on ocassion just to make me feel like a woman. But I have to say, all the relocation activities in my life over the last five years have kinda sorta cured me of furniture manipulation issues.
And besides, that's what a blog layout is for.
You don't throw your back out and your husband doesn't get frustrated when you want to put it all back the way you had it before.
I've found it quite fulfilling to repaint and paper my blog depending on my mood and on the season. Let's take a little walk down memory lane, shall we?
Here's one of my early attempts at a blog header incorporating some of my photography...
Here's one from last fall...I think this is one of my favorites. But then, fall is my favorite season.
Of course I had to put together a little something special for Christmas...
Ringing in 2009 seemed to need its own special header...
And then there are these little designs...
So I'm feeling that itch to do a little blog rearranging and I thought I'd check in with you, see if you wanted to drag around a little blog Sears French Provincial with me, as it were.
Beyond the decor and wallpaper, what kind of features do you like to see on a blog? What makes things easy to find, what widgets, gidgets and gadgets command your attention and respect and which ones just make you a little crazy? What are some things you would like to see here at Octamom.com to enhance your experience? Share, share.
And when we're done rearranging, maybe we can listen to some of my Shaun Cassidy records...
Da Do Ron Ron Ron, Da Do Ron Ron....
Tee-hee...I had that same white provincial furniture that I moved at least monthly around my bedroom. Usually all by my skinny self. Now, after 11 years of marriage, when I tell my husband, "Hey, I have an idea...", he rolls his eyes and says, "Here we go...". LOL. As Anne Shirley would say, we must be "kindred" spirits : )
ReplyDeleteYours is my favorite blog--the one I can't wait to read each morning! You have a natural gift for sharing simple moments in family life in a way that we connect with, a way that touches our heart-strings.
ReplyDeleteThe combination of a story captured by artistic photos and fleshed out with words is what I love about your blog! . . . All the other gadgets just don't do anything for me.
The only thing I would like to see is *more* of the same! But I realize you are a busy mom of 8!!! LOL!!
So my recommendation is keep it coming!
To be honest, I don't pay much attention to the gadgets...I follow too many blogs for that! I loved your fall header too but fall is also my favorite. I only change my page around when I find a layout I can't live without!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your words and your photographs the most, so I'm not too worried about the gadgets.... But I totally understand the need to rearrange furniture and blogs!
ReplyDeleteI once moved a solid Cherry bedroom suite from one room to another by myself because I didn't want to wait for my husband to get home from a trip. I'm not to sure I could or would want to do that today!
Roban
I love your blog! I don't know what I would change...??? Mine is pretty boring color wise right now and I've been seriously lacking in inspiration (and frankly, kinda busy) to fix it and blog much...I'm out blog surfing to get some much needed ideas and get those creative juices flowing...I'm tempted to instead of telling you what YOU should change on your blog, to ask YOU what I should change on mine! :-) What would make my blog more interesting and more appealing...sorry, I know this was about your blog and now I've focused on myself...heehee! *whacks selfish Amy on head*
ReplyDeleteI think alot of ads can be distracting and I LOVE when people have an "About Me" section at the top...that way I can read a little about the blogger before I dive into her/his posts...otherwise, I don't know whos talking, kwim?
Oh, been reading some of your older posts...the the scrapbooking one...I seriously have scrapbooked pages about scrapbooking...kinda disturbing, isn't it? :-) And I love your Partners in Canon...three cheers for Canon! :-)
Ok...so now that I have written a book...I'll bid you good day!
Blessings!
Oh you've had some cute templates. I love ones that have pictures of the kids. I like to see the changes of the seasons on peoples blogs too.
ReplyDeleteI like your header now, but love the ones where you incorporate your photography. It's funny because I was just thinking about this yesterday - how you hadn't changed your header & background in a while. I'm still experimenting with mine, but would love to know how you create your own. I attempted to do it, but discovered my header was too big and didn't know how to put my "wallpaper" on. I need blog deco tips! I also would love to know how you got such a fabulous following, other than being an amazingly fabulous blogger! I so admire your ability to write a post everyday that speaks to so many and preserves you precious memories.
ReplyDeleteOh Shawn Cassidy. He was my first crush. *swoons* Your blog layouts look amazing!! I wish I knew how to do that kind of thing. I think that you should do it how ever YOU want it!!
ReplyDeleteI love reading about home schooling. The cute pictures of the twins make me smile too.
ReplyDeleteI am a rearranger too.
Nick has come home many a night after working the late shift and fallen to the floor after sitting where his favorite chair USED to be. :)
I think your blog is beautiful as is! I completely relate to what you said about furniture rearranging! There's just something refreshing about seeing things in a different spot, I guess!
ReplyDeleteI'm talking about funny mom-moments and laughter in my Mom-Monday post next week, and I hope it's okay with you if I link to your post about your daughter's pictures on your cell phone. It was so cute. Not long after I read it, my daughter put a hilarious wallpaper on my phone without telling me. I got a good laugh, and thought of your post:)
I love the cool things you do with your blog background and headers. The thing that is most important to me is to be able to read the posts, and not have the background behind the words too busy. But you have never had a problem with that! So go ahead and keep on doin' what you're doin'!
ReplyDeleteI was trying to remember which one of those headers was up when I first found you and I can't remember!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I don't think you need any tips. You do SUCH a great job here. I love it!
Thanks a lot. I shall be singing that all the way to Arlington. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteGuess it is just a girl thing....my hubby has pushed furniture around sooo many times for me over the years. LOL. I am not much help with the blog layout though....I just like how everyone's is different.
ReplyDeleteI think blog redos are fun. (My husband usually gets the desire to move things around the house. Funny. He's much better at it than I am so I just let him.) As long as a blog is clean and it is easy to see the posts and know where to make the comments I'm pretty happy with it. I love it when people change their blogs during the seasons.
ReplyDeleteI have the itch too.
ReplyDeleteI like tho ones with pictures the best. How about one will all the kid's baby pictures?
ReplyDeleteI know... lets skip the reno's and just go straight to the Shaun Cassidy records:)
ReplyDeleteI love your blog, every time you do something new I think "Ooooo, that's niiiice".
All I use in the way of widgets, gadgets and stuff on other peoples blogs are the follower thing because that just makes it easy for me to follow and I'm lazy, the about me section to remind me where they are living etc (sometimes your great big country confuses my little Aussie brain), photos of their family because I am a visual person and I have trouble reading a post about a particular child if I can't remember what that kid looks like (yeah, odd but that's me), and I sometimes like to look through their blogrolls to see who they are reading:)
I guess that means your blog has got it ALL!
On second thoughts... maybe that shelf unit should go next to the TV cabinet... no... ye... no, no, put it back where it was.
Husbands are such patient sweeties... mostly.
OK, so I don't have ANY advice. I just fell into blogging and have NO IDEA what I am doing~ just having some fun. I, too, love a makeover. Myself or the blog. The house or the car. Ya know, I just like makeovers.
ReplyDeleteBut, I HAVE to tell you that I had that bedroom set!!! I JUST sold it about a year ago. :0( It was just too 70's for me to give it to Sweet Pea, but it was still sad to see it go!
Can I say this header is not my favorite. I love most everything you write, edit, photograph, tinker with I like.
ReplyDeleteTake it with a grain of salt... I think I am a beigey vanilla khaki kinda girl so unless it's monochromatic and subdue I change it. :)
We have so much in common, it's crazy!
ReplyDeleteI too am a rearranger and drive my husband crazy and I have to say, I want to rearrange my blog constantly (so ,it's easier because I have 6 or 7 blogs. I've lost count. LOL)
I LOVED Shaun Cassidy growing up. OMG! The memories of my record plyer came flooding back. heehee
My favorite time of year is fall as well, so I LOVE that header you did back then, although I think they all have been beautiful (how could they not be when they feature your kiddies?)
As for gadgets on blogs, I think the only thing I tend to look at on others' blogs are their blogrolls, for interesting or catching blogs :)
Shaun Cassidy and midnight room renovations...were we separated at birth?
ReplyDeleteI LOVED your autumn look the best, but it's probably because that is my fav season as well. I can't believe you did all of these yourself, that's where our similarities end.
I like a blog that loads quickly and I can read it even while things are loading (mine currently does NOT fit that criteria), other than that, your taste and style are wonderfully welcoming and it's interesting to come around and see things have changed.
:-)