Blog Update: New Design & Function

Good morning friends!

My posts have gotten a little out of whack this week because I’ve been doing some behind the scenes blog work and I’m so happy with how it has come together!

I don’t think I have laid out the whole plan for you yet but I’ve been working on the blog to resolve some issues that I wasn’t able to fix myself and to  clean it up so you can better navigate everything.

Phase 1 was the mini makeover where I gave my logo and blog elements a little facelift thanks to KateStevensDesigns. I also updated my headshot.

Phase 2 is the technical and esthetic part of the makeover. With the help of Amanda of The Suitcase Designs we have re-designed the layout and created truncated post excerpts on the home page with the main post being the largest and the 8 most recent posts with pictures underneath.

Hopefully this will allow you to find recent posts easier and not have to scroll around as much from page to page.

 

 

We also installed a popular post grid in the sidebar as well as a scrolling Instagram section. I love seeing these on other peoples blogs, maybe because I’m just a little bit addicted to IG (don’t tell anyone!).

Anna’s blog, In Honor Of Design, is one of my favorite blogs and my inspiration for cleaning up the look here. I love the bright, clean look of hers!

 

 

Overall there is more white space, a cleaner look and hopefully it’s easier to navigate through everything!

For the longest time I was scared to give up ‘control’ of my blog because I’ve done everything myself ~ lots of blood, sweat and tears ~ and I had the hardest time finding a reliable designer! I was so happy with Amanda and I’m thrilled with the new look. Her responsiveness was impeccable which was the most important thing for me. If you guys need any design work definitely check out her services at The Suitcase Designs!

 

 

Phase 3 will be coming next where I will be cleaning up my project galleries, finishing the shopping section, and I will FINALLY be launching my eDesign and furniture services!! Woohoo! I have really been slacking on this but I’m trying go get everything else organized so I can go full steam ahead!

Thanks so much for bearing with me and please leave a comment if you find something that’s not working properly! I hope this new design helps you enjoy Simple Stylings even more!

Thanks so much for reading! I couldn’t and wouldn’t write this little blog of mine if it wasn’t for you!