"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Ground Under Repair -- Update

     Update.  Okay, this is what I came up with for my new design. Er ... it's not all that colorful, is it? It's not exactly what I was going for, but it's kinda what I wanted, and I just ran out of time and patience diddling and doodling with the Blogger design template.

     The text simulates the kindle experience -- black on a gray background. That's not exactly what I was going for either, but I could not figure out how to get this text background any lighter, without changing the rest of the background. Meantime, I did make the print larger, with what I think is a cleaner typeface, and I retained the "map" background, which I wanted to do for the visual pun on my title. (Get it? Taking "sightings" using a map?) And, finally, the whole page is lighter and brighter and a little more cheerful, which is something I wanted.

     Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new design. I'll use this for a while and then ... hey, it's fun to change! I'll do it again in six months or so when I get bored with this one.



     I was getting sick of my rust-colored blog and so I started fooling around with the colors and the design of the page . . . and now I've made a holy mess!

     So if this blog seems at first glance to be unfamiliar, or looks like something that just flew in from outer space, that's because I'm working on the redesign ... you know, just to spice things up, make everything look a little zippier and snazzier -- but I don't want to get too carried away and make things confusing and hard to follow.

     Of course, I started working on it at the end of the day. And then B wanted to go out to dinner. And I have plans for tomorrow. So for the next couple of days I'll be experimenting, before I settle on something.

     In the meantime, let me pass on this Sign of the Times:

     Advertisement seen in the window of my local health club:  "Politicians -- come in and get in shape for your next scandalous photo."

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

white is the 'in' color right now in the blog fashionista world.

looks good.

Sally Wessely said...

Your blog looks great. I need to do some updating on mine.

The quote is great!

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

Good for you, Tom! It's an adventure!

June said...

I started messing around with mine the other day, too.
The previews scared me, so I'm sticking with the same ol', same ol'.

Janette said...

I actually like it!

schmidleysscribblins.wordpress.com said...

Oh I love the sign at your health club. Keep up the good work on your blog. As we get older, it is difficult to change things, but sometimes we need to do it. Sometimes I change things every couple of weeks. I am sure your end result will be fine. After all, you aren't over the hill yet. Dianne

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping by THS and following. Love to meet new folks.
I admire your courage changing your design. I have heard too many horror stories to try. Have fun.
Arkansas Patti

Nance said...

Doesn't it just give you a panic attack to make changes to your page!? It's so personal. And I did like your old page very much, but I'm sure the new one will be just as attractive. Breathe in, breathe out, keep designing.

Anonymous said...

Go to it. Please go up one type size to please older readers, a group which soon will include boomers, and don't do any of that "white type on black background" stuff, which pleases no one.

Linda Myers said...

I'm okay with change, as a rule, but I'm not at all creative with color and shape and font. The idea of changing my blog page makes me feel like curling up in the fetal position.

Kay Dennison said...

I like your new look! I changed mine a while back and am still tweaking here and there.

The sign is brilliant!!!!

Nance said...

I think it looks sharp. If you want to lighten this blue, go to your Template Designer and, under the Advanced options, where the colors for post background are shown, click on the down arrow next to the color of blue that's shown as selected. It should give you an interactive color grid and some gradient choices, too.

Unless, of course, you already did all that and it didn't work. Which would just be Blogger for you.

I love periodic facelifts. They give me a new lease on writing.

Joared said...

Thanx for stopping by with your comment at my place. Like your blog's look, but I've been partial to blue. Some interesting topics and links here. I, too, lamented the loss of book stores and even Borders where I enjoyed their big plush cushy chairs, coffee and a book or two.