Hello Fabulous!

Just when I think these blogs can't possibly get any cuter because all the cuteness has been expired , someone like Angela comes along and proves cuteness never expires. What a transformation this was! Goodbye blah...

Hello fabulous!



(woman graphic credit to istockphotos.)

The Latest Reveals!

It's been a couple days since I posted, so I have a few befores and a couple afters to show you. I had such a fun weekend with my mom here, and didn't get a chance to post the lastest screen captures from the made-over blogs. Gotta love Mom time!!

I Like Pi is live! I had such fun doing Sugar's High School Musical-esque graphic, and working on her bright, girly blog. It's even better in person- plus you can listen to the music from HSM! It was my first attempt at rounded corners and a drop shadow header. Gives it a little dimension! Sugar, you are a joy of a child. Keep on lovin' math. The world needs more girls like you to grow up into math-loving women. Your mom should be very proud of the young lady you are becoming.

Sugar's before:


Sugar's After:


I also got another one live. Dawn blogs over at Picking Up Pebbles. Aren't the color choices on this one divine? The earth tones are serene and much more joyful to visit than where she was blogging before! Here is her before:


Here is Picking Up Pebbles (the confident blog that can talk!) now:


I am also working on a new, custom Blogger 3 column template and header for Angela over at Finding Our Way. Hers is probably the most dramatic change I've ever done! Here is her before... stay tuned for her after (we're almost done!):


And finally, the last (but definitely not least) is the before for Heather from Place of Quiet Rest. She is so laid back and needs a blog that reflects the sense of peace and tranquility Heather possesses. She also has beautiful Josh Groban music on the piano at her blog. Here is her current blog, and her new one is almost done, too. I can't wait for that reveal, it suits her so much more!



See something you like? Do you need a space of your own? Email Me!

(Insert Schoolgirl Scream Here)

I am a boybarian mom. It's not that often that I get to get my hands on girl spaces. So when Katrina from Sunshine and Lemonade approached me about doing her 10 year old daughter's blog I literally jumped up and down in place with excitement. And all that jumping gave me an idea...

Sugar and I have something in common. We both *heart* Zac Effron. Only she's 10 and I'm thirty-*coughhackcough*. My love for Zac might be is a little creepy while hers is adorably cute. Anyway, like I was saying, all that jumping gave me a really good idea. So I gave Kat a homework assignment.

"Go take a bunch of pictures of Sugar jumping, please. And email them to me." Dutifully, she did. And look! Inspired by our love for Zac... I made this, starring Katrina's beautiful daughter.



Wanna know something else about Sugar? She knew what I meant by "John Nashesque". Brilliant.

ps - Dear Blogger, Pretty please can I have spell check back? I have now edited this blog 2 3 4 5 times. Thank you, Darcy

pps - Do you think it would be weird if I made a High School Musical Poster of *me* jumping???

The Shoemaker's Wife

I was beginning to feel like the Shoemaker's Wife. You know the story... the wife of the man who can make shoes is the one who goes without? Except I was both the shoemaker and the wife - the blog designer whose blog was in desperate need of some grooming. It's just that I hadn't yet found a 2-column blog that I loved. Until I met Debbie. So... check out my new diggs! I'm feeling pretty comfy and cozy right at home here at my own blog. I do love the green and orange together, a weird fondness of mine, but I wanted to soften things up a bit. So here we are!

I am working on a blog for Heather over at A Place of Quiet Rest. Hers is a blog of tranquility. Or at least, it hopes to be when its all grown up. Heather has a few visions in mind, so based on a few inspirations, here are a few launching points. I have one more coming soon...

This Blog Makes Me Squeal Like a Schoolgirl!

Move over Dawne... you've been replaced in the "speediest ever" department! This one took me 10 hours flat. Although, it helped tremendously that Debbie saw the header she wanted in another one of my posts. Since the header is usually what takes me most amount of time, that really made Debbie's blog move along quickly.

Debbie and I bunkered down most of the day Saturday, emailing back and forth until this... our combined Magnus Opus was created. I just love her color choices! Isn't it divine???



It's so divine, in fact, it inspired me to make over my blog here at Graphically Designing (coming soon!). I love a good two-column blog. Most of my clients are homeschoolers who need the extra 3 column for storing curriculum choices, so I rarely get the opportunity for a pretty two-column template. My caffeine-addicted pal Debbie and I both need a two-column blog, because we don't have a lot of sidebar stuff. I started with a Minima Stretch template, and tweaked and tweaked. It has a nice, wide main body... which is great for photos and wordy folks like me.

Thanks, Debbie. That was a ton a fun! Hope you enjoy your new space.

ps - Homeschoolers, I wanted to let you know what an enormous resource Dawne's blog has become. Since her makeover, she has invested many hours uploading immeasurable resources. Bookmark her and check back often. And thanks, Dawne, for your hard work! I have found many valuable links and lists there. :)

Check Out the One Room Classical Homeschool!

If there was ever an antithesis to the Nester and Sunshine and Lemonade (who are respectively #1 and #2 in the longest-ever, most tweaks on a design job - love ya, girls!), it's Dawne over at One Room Classical Homeschool. This is the speediest design job ever! We started on the 12th and went live late on the 14th. Dawne was enthusiastic and pointed me to a blog that had the colors she was looking for. Her sidebar buttons turned out so fun!

Isn't it sharp? Thanks, Dawne, that was fun! I think your buttons are TDF!



Here is what I am working on next...

Debbie is a caffeine addict, like me. Her poison is Diet Coke while mine is the quad-shot latte. But I feel a kinship anyway. Look at her cute little family! They need something more hip than this, dontcha think?

Buzz buzz buzz.

I've been a busssssy girl. But guess what?! My friend Kat over at Sunshine and Lemonade is live. Check out her clever little title. She's brilliant, I tell ya. Funny, too. Here is her finished product.



(lightning and lemon photos, credit to istockphoto)

I'm also working on a little diddy for Dawne from One Room Classic Homeschool. Here is Dawne's current blog:



Stay tuned to see Dawne's makeover! She wanted a wider, 3-column version with clearly defined, boxed sidebars. I always ask for examples of what people like and don't. Want to hear something funny? She picked _my own blog_ as an example of what not to make. Tee hee. How funny is that? Using your own designer's blog as an example of what not to do! I absolutely love her gumption. She likes Lee's blog over at My Five Wolf Cubs. I guess I redeemed myself a little bit since I did Lee's.

Oh, too funny!

Hey, Vanna. I'd like to buy a Vowel Header!

I'm toying with the idea of having some non-custom pre-fab headers available for purchase. Some people are really intimidated by the idea of "hiring a designer". There are quite a few people who like the idea of a custom blog, but don't know how to start.

Those of you who have considered such a thing -would you buy a header if you could find something that suits you?

Here are some I've made lately that are for sale. If you want them... I'll throw your blog name in there and email you the image. A very straight-forward $12 sale. It includes nothing on my part other than emailing you the image. No intimidation, no designer... just a quick 'n' easy email that says, "I'd like to buy a vowel a header!" If this idea is something you'd like, but none of these suit you, let me know.

The above header has sold and is no longer available.

Überjoy is live!

Meredith's blog, Überjoy is live! It's soft and sophisticated. I'm so excited about this one. And not just because of these über-cool beads and earrings she has in her store that I can't wait to get my hands on.



Aren't they great? Meredith blogs about family, mommyhood but she also has a link to her ebay store. I adore her stuff. If you're looking for gifts for a hostess, a teacher, a sister or just want to give yourself a little treat... go, run! Check it out.

One of my favorite things about this blog are the sidebars Meredith chose. They start gray and fade to white, with sophisticated little whirly-gigs at the top. Pretty, huh?



(ebay graphic belongs to ebay)

Black and white with color pop

This is just a concept mock up. I took a lemon tree photo, made it black and white except for the lemons. The plan would be to do the same for the other image chosen for "sunshine".



Still not sure about the background color for the header.

A Little More About Donations & Paypal

I have had several people read my terms and still ask about donations.

Let me be clear. I don't charge. I won't give you a bill at the end of my services.

Professional blog design is very expensive - out of reach for some bloggers. So in an attempt to put design into the hands of the average blogger, I have set up a method of donation. It allows regular bloggers to get a personalized space and pay what they can. Some are able to pay me regular design fees, and I appreciate them very much. Some are not, and that's okay, too. So, I design and people pay me what they can. Please don't ask me to give you a number. It makes me terribly uncomfortable.

I have a Paypal account that accepts all forms of Paypal: debit, credit, transfer, existing balance, etc. Paypal is a safe way for me to accept donations and helps me keep my family safe by allowing me to keep my address private. Also, accepting personal checks can be very awkward for me when the funds are not present. I'd like to avoid that. I won't be a bill collector. All you need is my email address. Making a payment there is no less safe than buying something through Amazon or shopping online. Paypal is easy to use and secure for both of us.

Hope that clears some things up. I will keep track of my hours, and most find that helps them gage what they feel is appropriate.

Colorblock & Swirly, Whirly Gigs

An example of a colorblock for Sunshine and Lemonade. :)

oh, and one can never have too many swirly, whirly gigs.

Sunshine and Lemonade

What a clever title. Here is the current screen capture so you can follow along.

Before:



Using some of the colors she's already chosen, I took Blogger's Minima template, threw in another column, and came up with this mock up as a launching point.




Here is another option for a header in that same color scheme:



Hmmm.... Blogger is making those yellows hard to read. They appear fine on the blog, but it's something to think about...

Meet Meredith from ÜberJoy

Isn't her family uber-cute?!



But there they are are... housed in the boring ol' rounders template Blogger offers. *yawn* They are way too uber-hip to be boxed in there. Did you know that Meredith has an eBay store? She does! Shes sells trendy, staple jewelry pieces. Her eBay store is under construction right now (much like her blog!). But I'll post it as soon as that's done, too. I'm eager to see what she's got in there.

Meredith pointed me to a very simple pink and light grey celeb site that she liked. She wanted clean lines, no clutter. Simple. So here is Meredith's first mock up. Hope you'll check in often to watch her uber-cool tranformation!