Hi Everyone!
In honor of receiving over 16,000 views since February (I crossed that milestone this week and isn’t this a sneaky way to brag about it?), I have refreshed (changed) around some posts and colors and pictures. Most of you will notice that I have changed the background color and header text color; I also changed the header picture so that it randomly rotates between three different pictures. I deleted, changed and added some of the links on the right – changing my Top Posts links to reflect the most recent numbers and adding a Top Travel Posts section to the links as well as a link section called “Some of My Favorites.”
I would really love to know what you think about the changes to the site and the links – the good, the bad and the ugly! Do you like the posts that are linked? Do you have a favorite you wish was there? Do you like the background color? Is it easier or harder to read than the original? Do you wish I’d remember that you have more important things to worry about than my blog?
Please let me hear from you!
Have a great day everyone!
Nancy
Tales from the Mom-Side 
Looks good.
Thanks!
I like the new look and reading is easy –
I like changes on your site and love the pictures
Prayers for your day
I appreciate your letting me know!
Congratulations on passing 16,000 views Nancy – your blog deserves more!! I like the new colors. I have a similar background color and find it is easy on the eye. I like the link to some of your favorites – great idea to highlight those 🙂
Thank you! I don’t know if 16,000 views is good or bad in the land of blogging, but I never dreamed when I started this in February I would get there!
I’m in awe of your technical facility!!!!! the blog looks great and the 16000?? WHAAAOOO! Congratulatoins!
Yes, I’m pretty excited about the 16,000. The changes weren’t that hard to make, but I enjoyed learning how.
Hej Nancy – looks lovely and congrats on 16000 views. I remember you moved over to being self-hosted with your football blog. I’m thinking of doing the same for my new one that I’ll launch in the new year. Any good advice you can share? Would you do the same again? Have a great day, Jacqui
Hi Jacqui! The difference between using WordPress.com and self-hosting is that if you wish, you can sell ads on the self-hosted blog. Plan on about three weeks working through different issues in self-hosting. You first need to find a hosting company. WordPress.org suggests several; I went with Blue Host and have been happy with it. There is a lot more cost to a self-hosted blog; you (obviously) have to pay for the self-hosting and a few other incidentals. Also, with self-hosting, I haven’t yet found a way to connect into the same type of wonderful blogging community WordPress.com has. But, yes, I would do the same thing again. I am learning a lot (about football AND web-hosting – what could be better) and slowly building readership on the other site. Good luck with your new site! What is it going to be about?
Nancy
Hej Nancy – thanks much for the advice. The new blog is going to be called COLLABORATOLOGY and it will be all how to get companies, and the people within them, to work together successfully. I work in the pharmaceutical industry where outsourcing is extremely common and companies are incredibly reliant on each other for success. So I thought this time I’d go for a more business-orientated topic where I have 15 years experience and lots of tame experts to provide relevant input. I plan to launch in January, but I want to be properly ready for a sparkling start, so I might wait until spring if I need the extra time to get it right.
That sounds exciting! Good luck with it!
Looks good, Nancy. It must be time to renovate blogs. I have been looking at other themes, trying to decide whether to update mine. I was in hopes of getting one with widgets down both sides to split them up a little, but am afraid of messing it up and losing stuff. More thought is needed, I guess. I like what you have done. And what do we have that is more important than worrying about your blog? 🙂
I’m glad to know you have nothing worse to worry about than my blog! I can’t wait to see the changes to yours, if you make them! I think its sort of a spring-cleaning thing!
And I just noticed the “Pieces Published Elsewhere” … did you have to manually type each one in with the link, or did you find someway to automatically link them here? I have been trying to figure out how to link my posts for ChristianBlessings to On Faith and Writing; but can’t find any way to do it except to add each one in manually.
You have to go to the links part of the Dashboard and enter each one in manually and then be sure under Widgets you have activated the Links widget. The easiest way to transfer a link manually is to copy the link from the web page and then paste it into the link.
Nancy, I like the new color and the other changes you made. Good job!
Thank you! Kayla loved the e-card you sent and the Kindle gift certificate; I hope you got her reply card!
Love you,
Nancy
The changes look great. Good for you on the site stats! That’s impressive!!
I’m glad you like the changes. I never know whether my stats are impressive or not; sometimes I think they’re very good, and then later I will hear about others who are doing much better. I finally decided that if I were happy with them, then it was okay. I still like to see the number of views; it is very satisfying to know that at least some of them have read something I have written and enjoyed it.