Squeallllll, do you see it? The new design?
In spring of 2009, I got my very first real professional blog design done and it was an exciting day indeed. I was very happy with the outcome and that’s what you’ve seen on my blog all these years. Four and 1/2 years is eons in blogland! That pretty banner with the pics that I took myself, showing things that I love, including a starfish for my love of the beach and other things that represent my style, I loved it for a long time.
Greens and grays were the colors I chose and I loved the vibe of these colors together, creating a look and brand for Southern Hospitality. The look was me through and through and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. But, after having the same design for a few years, there was need for improvement and better flow. I wanted to be able to load larger pics. I was limited to the size of pics that I could upload on my blog to 500 px wide. I love big beautiful pics and wanted to go bigger than that, but I was limited to the size of my content box and my theme and design.
I also felt the need, as have many of my fellow bloggers to go a little more streamlined, clean and classic in the look of my blog. I didn’t want a lot of background “noise” or lots of things going on. My sidebar is busy enough and I wanted my content and my design to be cheerful and welcoming. I put off a redesign for a long, long time. I just didn’t want to spend a boatload of money on a new design since I had heard horror stories about that part from blog friends. My blog wasn’t broken, so I didn’t feel an urgent need to fix it. I didn’t know who to work with or who to trust with my blog.
Along came a brand new designer right here in Atlanta, Sarah Fogle, with Sweet Theory Designs. I met her through our Atlanta blogger meet-ups and she’s a young and talented designer with a blog of her own, the Ugly Duckling House. She works fulltime, is going to school for her MBA and also launched this new web design service. Oh, not to mention, she’s renovating her own house! Busy much, Sarah!
Well, Sarah is a whizz at all of this and walked me through the process of redesigning Southern Hospitality and creating a brand new fresh look for my blog and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. I just love the freshness, the simplicity, and the classic logo we came up with.
I had these fern bookplates that I bought antiquing and that is what we ended up using for my logo, the beautiful fern you see at the top of my blog. So, I kept the feel and colors of my blog, just freshened it up a bit. Sarah did a fantastic job of taking my “I’m not sure what I want” ideas and running with them, like adding a touch of beadboard, which is near and dear to my heart. I couldn’t recommend anyone more highly, so if you’re looking for a blog redesign, then Sarah’s your girl. And, she is SO reasonable!
She updated my theme to the Genesis child’s theme and not only is my design fresher looking, it’s also hopefully easier to navigate. We’ve got drop-down menus and everything should be really easy to find now. I’ll be checking things out to make sure all the buttons are working properly, so if you see something off, let me know. Also, you’ll notice a row of pics across the top. Those will be rotating and are thumbnails of recent posts, so you can easily see if you want to click on something. The olde posts are also just below the main post, as always too.
I absolutely love it and I hope you do too! Thanks again to all of my readers out there who so faithfully support me and my blog by coming by every single day. I appreciate y’all SO much!!
Sharon says
Hi Rhoda! Love your new blog design. Green and gray are two of my favorite color combos. 🙂
Betsy(@coastal-colors) says
Very pretty, Rhoda! I love the new design! I adore ferns and starfish! What a perfect choice for your header! Your blog looks fabulous!
Eva @ RiverCliff Cottage says
Looks fresh and youthful — kind of like your new place in life. Love it!
gina says
nice gift to yourself! you deserve it!
Betty says
Your new blog design is beautiful and easy to read. I love the large photos also.
Betty @ My Cozy Corner
Jennifer Rizzo says
Congrats Rhoda!!!! 🙂 It looks amazing! I love the colors and how crisp it looks!
Funky Junk Interiors says
Absolutely elegant and lovely Rhoda, just like the blog’s author! 🙂 Congrats!
susan maclean says
The reply boxes here are a little pale…. I sort of took a guess as where to “click”! But I came out good so that’s OK! I’ll miss the pics you had, I liked the old banner, but I do think, as others do, that the new one is very elegant, and retains the “you” in it. Well done!
Tara says
I love it! Then again everything you do I love!
Jenna says
Love it, Rhoda! The pops of greenery are perfect!
Barbara says
Sorry Rhonda, bland and boring and not a true reflection of your vibrant personality and style. I understand the desire for a more sophisticated design, but there is nothing unique or engaging about this design. It feels rather generic. I see the trend on many blogs to remove one’s photographs from the masthead in the misguided desire to appear more “professional”- don’t care for it much. This design is so understated it disappears.
Jann from Newton Custom Interiors says
I like the new look. Congrats!
Barbara @ DIY Home Staging Tips says
Your old design was captivating. Those photos you took will never go out of style, in my book. Your new design, though clean, looks corporate. Just my 2 cents. Big photos are fine, but slower to load. Easy navigation gets my thumbs up, though.
Amy Lynne says
It looks great! Definitely fresh!
Catherine says
I’m afraid I have to agree. The new look is a bit on the bland side. And a pop-up ad is obscuring your the title area and part of your text. (Maybe that’s just my computer?) It’s just too generic and has lost your personality in the streamlining. I always love your posts, though, so will continue to follow!
Sandra says
Sleek, stylish and sophisticated.
Beverly says
It looks fantastic, Rhoda. I love it.♥
Michelle says
The new one is nice, but I like the old banner better. It popped more. These are very small and subdued.
Deb says
Congrats! It looks GREAT!!!!!!!!
Shirley@Housepitality Designs says
Just beautiful Rhoda…and she so captured what you love…love the big pics!!…So nice to hear about a great web designer!…and I love the beadboard at the top!