Learning XML and Blogger

Since I am new to Blogger, I have spent the past two weeks learning how Blogger design works. I have experience in HTML, CSS, PHP, some JavaScript, and WordPress but I have never used XML. I downloaded a free template to analyze and learning Blogger. One problem (at least for me) was that the code was a gumbled mess. So, I organized it properly and was able to get a better understanding through that entire process.

I created a test Blogger blog (almost a tongue twister, huh) and created my own simple template. I now understand how Blogger places information and I am ready to move forward with designing Blogger blogs!

The Creation of a New Logo

I have been making progress on my blog redesign. Yesterday, I collected samples and ideas for my inspiration board. I will continue to add to it as I discover new things. Today, I was able to spend some time working on a new logo design. I also have chosen new colors to use for my design.

Honestly, I wish that I had more time to work on it each day but I have a life outside of blog world.

Time for A Bit of Design...

As part of my first goal for 2011, I am working on a redesign of my blog. I like my current design but I want to incorporate more photography (versus illustration) into my design. So, what to do? What type of header to design? How to work the menus? What colors to incorporate...should I keep the same colors or change them? There are so many decisions to make. Time to go to the Inspiration Board!

More to come...

A Year of Change

It is January 1 and a new year, a new decade. There are many who make New Year's resolutions. The unfortunate part of this tradition is that many resolutions are not achieved. Goals are set that are too high, too quick, and/or too unrealistic. More than that, we can end up sabotaging ourselves in many different ways depending on the goal. So, while there are a few changes that I want to make in my own life, I do not want to set myself up to be unable to achieve them.

I have read that it takes three (3) weeks to establish a habit (whether a good one or a bad one). So, I have decided that I am going to introduce a new change at the beginning of each month, as well as give an update on the previous month’s change.

Change #1 – Maintaining this blog.

In December, I participated in a “Photo Challenge” on Facebook. Basically, I uploaded a photo each day for that day’s topic. One of the days’ topics was “Something that I want to do before I die.” My response? To be a writer. This has been a dream of mine since I was a young girl. As I thought about my response, I realized that the dream is closer than I think and I remembered that I have greatly neglected my blog since I moved to Blogger. So, why wait on this dream of mine? It has now become a goal.

I invite you to join me in this year of change. What is a change that you would like to make in your own life?

Loss of Blog

I am sad to say that I have not followed one of the very important rules that I always encourage computer users to follow: perform backups. I did not perform a backup of my posts from another blog website and 14 months of blogging are now gone. :-( All that I have been able to recover are a few titles and a little bit of content here and there.

Starting over...

Dinner with Mom

Lost in cyberspace

Happy Birthday, DS2

Lost in cyberspace

The Love/Hate Relationship of Warm Weather

Lost in cyberspace

Amazingly Spectacular Sight and Sound!

Lost in cyberspace

Addiction to Blogging…but not my own

Lost in cyberspace