Warning: This post is supremely unimportant and should only be read if you’re bored, caught up on all your laundry and have recently cleaned out your fridge.
Now proceed.
If you’re a regular reader then you’re likely confused. I’ve been playing around with my blog design today so don’t worry, you’re at the right spot. I made a new header and logo in photoshop and am trying to decide if I should have a sidebar or not. I think the heat in Houston is getting to me. I will likely choose to have one just because I don’t know where else I’d link to my favorite radio show Issues Etc. But tell me, do you really use the sidebar? What if I shuffled some of the sidebar items to the bottom of the blog? Do you like having certain posts right at your finger tips? Do you really care what books I happen to be reading? I really like the simplified look with no sidebar but I want this space to be functional too. It’s kinda like trying to decide if you should have a lazy boy with a cup holder in the living room. I usually vote no but in this case, I’m willing to hear you out. To sidebar or not to sidebar? That is the question.
BTW, I blame this all on my friend Darcy, who wrote a perfect post on blogging pet peeves. And she struggles with the sidebar question too, although not in her recent pet peeve post. I think for fun, I’ll add the sidebar randomly throughout the weekend.
Because I’m just that spontaneous.
Edie!
I love it!
I love it without the sidebar!
I am having my blog redesigned at the moment and thought about not having a sidebar!
I even had the girl designing my blog pop over here to see your big pics that you had when you had only the one sidebar!
Love it!
I LOVE your big pics!
Now tell me…do you resize them in another program and them post them?
I love it!
xo
Your blog is so photo heavy I’d lose the sidebar (but that’s just me, I don’t have a sidebar on my photo blog.
I’ll admit thought that I have read complaints about the bottom bar thingie, but I actually kinda prefer it (and have been contemplating losing my sidebar also!). In fact I’ve gone back and forth on it.
Well of course I’m sorta partial to the non sidebar blog…I just like to read and see…I’m a visual learner though. When things are all together I lose focus and get easily distracted. I might be reading about your fabulous mocha cake and get distracted by your turquoise kitchen picture…before I know it I’ve clicked to remember where you got those cure lights above your cabinets…only because I LOVE it. Thats just me and my weirdness…I’m ADD too. 🙂
On a side note…you do realize that you are gonna have to dedicate a whole post to sharing all your paint colors with us don’t you? 😉
*cute
I must say that I am a creature of habit, and I do find myself looking over for the sidebar! Love the big photos, but I do glance over to check the latest news on the sidebar! I’m used to multi-tasking! lol My vote goes for keeping the sidebar!
I love the look without the sidebar. And when I want or need some of the info that is contained in the sidebar, I have problem going to the bottom of the page. I can use the exercise.
Love the new look. You can certainly use the page real estate better for posts than for a stinky sidebar.
Sidebars are SO 2007 anyway. 🙂
And savvy bloggers will notice that you have perfectly placed drop downs at the top of your page so no one has to scroll for days to get down to the categories section.
If you do add more “stuff” to your catch all at the bottom, like your book list, icons, etc, I would also add a hot link at the top of your page to jump down to the bottom. Unless of course I can search on something like “reading list” in the search box to get there.
I hate scrolling- can you tell? As they say in my business blog world, “if it’s not above the scroll (ie the bottom of the first screen), it doesn’t exist.”
Also, two thumbs up for your hide and slide comments box- love that feature.
Embrace the new design. Change is good!
I like it this way. I like the drop downs at the top. And always love your pics. I am okay w/o side bar action….down at the bottom is cool with me. Miss you!
I love this layout. Looks so clean.
Been reading your blog for a little while, first time posting, Love your blog.
Side bar or no Side bar it really dose not matter Miss Edie. I love to read your fun blog and see all your great ideas and see all your wonderful pictures of your beautiful family! Your blog is always creative and fun. I kind of like this new look for a change. Just do what ever you like! Your a great blogger no matter what. Love you…..Kimmie
It was hard to get used to at first, but now I like it. I’m about to change up my blog (if I get up enough nerve and my computer savvy son is home). I think I like one side bar for myself. But this format just screams “Edie” now. So I would keep it! Love the picture of your girls. Beautiful.
I don’t even know what a sidebar is….but I’m stupid like that when it comes to blog designs 😉 I will read your blog no matter what you do to it!!!! That picture of your girls is stunning!!!!!!
this looks nice, but i do like a sidebar. i love having a search bar over there and links to your categories, but i would get used to it this way too. after all, i usually read in a reader.
oh and my refrigerator hasn’t been cleaned out in weeks.
Hmm, now I can’t remember what else you had on your sidebar besides your book list (which I like) and your Issues button. I love the big pics and no side bar, but I also like the sidebar for the fact it kind of shows who you are to someone just popping over…hard decision. :/
i’m a liar
digging up bones, here i go
yada yada yada side bars snide bars
who cares?
no really people do.
true blue bloggers care and they have wisdom for you.
all i want is the picture back, you know the one. it’s gone!
please oh please bring it back!
bring it back and i’ll go you one better than a side bar
snickers bar
chocolate bar??
name your potion
People "wonder about the message" (really, what's there to wonder about? It's a blatantly leftist, anvaacitiliz-tionil "noble savage" tale that doesn't even have a conmpelling narrative) because Cameron himself has gone to great lengths before the release to shove it down everybody's throats…
love as one said above.’ how you use the real estate’ without the sidebar. I miss what books youre reading, cute picts… etc. but let me just say, I’ll keep reading until you add music. ? I’m SURE you have great taste in music, and it is an amazing way to learn about a person, what music they like, but it’s a blog pet peeve of mine… anywayyy… my 2 cents. i’ll be back whether you bring it back or not. 🙂
I prefer a sidebar. I have enjoyed reading your links, tutorials, etc… There are days I just click to link to your old kitchen that I hope to replicate in the near future. I also have read many of your old hsing posts. Thanks! p.s. music on blogs is a pet peeve of mine.
Love your new look and love how you have everything at the bottom. It looks so good to be non-cluttered!!!
Oh, and I love the way it lets you comment….already filling in all the info!!
omgosh-you’re so funny. i was totally confused, sitting here w a confused look on my face, even until i got to that line, “if you’re a regular reader, you’re likely confused.” 🙂 then, i smiled. ;o
love the clean look. love how your robin’s egg blue and red pop on the white, and you picked the perfect pics for the topper. beautiful! i’ll like it either way~promise!
Yes…i like it just like this. It has confidence…which is so you…or at least how I perceive you. I am taking the summer off of my own blog…but am going to change mine around too. Change is good!
I can’t see the life in grace logo at the very top… 🙁 but the site looks great other than that!
Sidebars? I really don’t pay attention to them–my loss I’m sure. I enjoy the current news and photos. By the way–LOVE the pic of your beautiful daughter in this post. It needs to be framed. Her hair is enviable! But whatever you do to your blog, you’ve got a fan in me!
LOVE this image , oh my
i love this image
& yes i would love to see what you’re reading!
The image of your daughter is beautiful!
I truly enjoy your blog, so the layout doesn’t really matter to me…{unless you start using a really small font and my old eyes can’t adjust!}
M.E.
Not being very design-savvy, I don’t have opinions on sidebar location. But I am interested in the books you’re reading. I think those little things are what helps us to ‘care’ about a particular blog. (i.e., Some folks’ “things to do” lists, etc.)
I vote for the sidebar. I definitely want the “books I’m reading” list and everything else. I like to peruse your old blog posts as well. Sidebar please! Ü
Edie-
I like the sidebar…easy is good! Loove the new header but I will find what I need even without the sidebar.LOL
I love this look, but I loved the old one too!
Whenever I come to your blog I want to start getting my house all cute and bake something yummy! Thank you for the inspiration!
(I love the photo of the girls pushing Dad in the water 🙂
I like this!
It’s so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing – this clean look! And I agree with Darcy about auto-music.
I like it like this! Don’t forget to show us your kitchen!! And, while I’m making requests, I would love to hear what you have planned for homeschooling this year. We start school August 16th (or so) and my kids will be in 4th, 2nd, and 4 yr. old. I think your girls are about the ages of my boys. I’d love to “compare notes” since we use the classical model, as well.
Love the one column look!
To sidebar, or not to sidebar, is entirely up to you…however, the lazy-boy with the cup holder is a definite “no way”. I have only discovered your blog in recent weeks and I love it. I walked home from Church this morning a little quicker so I could jump on-line and see what you had to say. I like the new look, but really can’t imagine you doing anything that wouldn’t look great.
God Bless.
No sidebar. Like the new format!
I wish I could change my blog around like you but I highly depend on Darcy to do any changes.
I know she really dislikes music playing when a blog pulls up but I just can’t get rid of my “birds and sea side” music. I think a blog is like your house…it’s yours and what makes you happy.
Have fun creating~
Sandy Toe
Umm yeah, Right now you owe me about $100 because of all the books I have ordered because of you, soooo the sidebar issue. Do you want me to keep ordering books or not? Umm my wallet says “NO”, but my heart says “PLEASE KEEP THE SIDE BAR!” But who am I to say, it is your blog (I guess) I like to think it is my blog 😉 hehe Ohh, & the recipies I have used from you, DELICIOUS. I love your blog, read it to the hubby too, keep up the amazing, God filled posts. Blessings~ Amy
LOVE it Edie and LOVE the picture of you on the right (in the header)!!
I play with my layout too and I have decided that I LOVE BIG picture space the MOST out of everything!!! 🙂 Looks great here!
Kristi
This way, that way … I like your blog any which way:). Change is always fun, though.
What hit me the most, though, was your intro. Very well said and I just love it. I can relate in my own way and it encourages me.
Always a joy to stop by your site!
I didn’t get the notification for the link – I’m so glad you came and told me. My url is: http://my3boybarians.com/ – so my nifty notifier pinger dinger thinger didn’t know!
Here’s an ambivalent opinion for you:
For pro bloggers, a side bar is a must. It’s necessary for ads and organization.
For photogs, it’s a nuisance. It gets in the way of your gorgeous images. But with large images, increases the risk of the pics getting stolen, so as you go bigger, you have to be more protective of the images, thus the requirement of watermarking which drives people bonkers.
So – I vote big photos, but for your and your kids’ protection, if you stay with big photos, I think you should watermark them. JMHO.
You did a great job. I can see the logo, but I can’t see a photo header or slideshow if there is one. There is a gap where one should be, though…
You did a good job, Ms. Thang. That I’m obsolete is only a sign of how fast you’ve learned!!
xoxo loves,
Darcy
For what it’s worth, I like a sidebar, especially when visiting a new blog. It sort of introduces you to the blogger, you can see something about the person. I tend not to scroll down to the bottom of a blog. I think you can do big photos and a sidebar. And some sidebars can be “overdone.” Do like your always changing look though!
I like the sidebar stuff on the bottom. I am a simple girl. One clean lined sidebar, or at the bottom. No double side bar ever for this girl!
Mmm – that last day in a house is always so bittersweet. The knowing that we are moving on to something good, yet looking back at all of the sweet memories created in those walls.
What was it that they were painting? I gasped audibly at the thought that they could be undoing some of the cool things you have done! Eek!
(I’m really sorry, if this comes up twice. I just got an error message, so I’m trying again.)
I would love to be able to comment on pet peeves but since I am still at the pretty basic level and glad to make any thing work, well, you get my drift. I like links, I like you books list, and easy way to check older posts.
Now, what did you do to get that color on the absolutely beautiful photo of your daughter? I do have Iphoto and am still learning that.
Sigh, a summer of learning for me. 🙂
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Now%2C%20what%20did%20you%20do%20to%20get%20that%20color%20on%20the%20absolutely%20beautiful%20photo%20of%20your%20daughter%3F%20I%20do%20have%20Iphoto%20and%20am%20still%20learning%20that.%20
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You have a beautiful site no matter what – and your content will always keep me coming back. But =) Personally, I like the sidebar… which kinda surprises me b/c my style as a designer is very clean. My story: for the most part I’m a SAHM w/a small laptop and very little time. Your sidebar has drawn me into explore many things and find many books… For my time management, the bottom is better b/c I won’t go there =) But I’m a fan no matter what =) Thank you!!!