Spring Cleaning My Blog

Spring is the traditional time to clean the house from top to bottom and let in some fresh, clean, sweet smelling air after battening down the hatches for winter. I feel that after 4 months, it’s time I did the same to my blog. I’m sure you’re tired of seeing the same old things when you visit here.

So out goes:
The old Blogger Template
The background colour
My picture – you’ll have to find me in the reflective globe outside @Bristol for the time being
What Fruit Are You Quiz’ – I’ll be changing the quiz on a monthly basis or choosing another fun thing to do
The blog readability test

In comes:
A new Blogger template and colour
Pictures of my ‘garden helpers’, Skimble and Jess – more about them later
A link to ‘Where am I Veg Plotting’ to help new readers orientate themselves with my part of the world. This is the post I did recently for the Bloggers' Geographical Challenge
A brand new fun quiz – suited to this month!
A revamped Blogs I Like section

On my wishlist for the site:
I’d like to add a background photograph to the title – as soon as I’ve found out how to do it. So far I’ve failed spectacularly
A favourite articles section
A photography collage or slideshow
Scroll down favourites – so I can do a full list of ABCers and Blotanical links
I’d like to be able to have left and right hand sidebars – Blogger only seems to do one of them

I also welcome your Comments on my site - likes, dislikes, requests etc. Keep it clean and constructive please!

Comments

  1. VP,
    You certainly have been busy changing your blog. I love the photos of Skimble and Jess. Were they on your blog before?

    I'm going to hang around your blog for a few minutes to find out what kind of vegetable I am! And I think I should also find out if I'm a Cadbury egg. ;-)

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  2. Hi Dirty Knees - thanks for the positive reaction to the changes! There was a picture of Jess early on in the blog postings, but I've yet to introduce you to them properly...

    It's appropriate that I'm a Creme Egg as I'm from Birmingham and used to go ast the factory where they're made on the way to school!

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  3. Oh I *really must* finish sorting my blog out! If you can do it, so can I ;)
    Love the pink, and what beautiful cats you have!
    PS If you google something like blogger template 3 columns you should find plenty of layouts with two sidebars to choose from.

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  4. VP
    I do my garden slide show from a satellite site ... Webshots .. load pictures on that site and you can do the picture slide show from picking up that address and inserting it onto yours from "customize" .. look at my slide show to give you the idea what it is like ?
    Joy

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  5. Hi VP,

    Your new freshly spring cleaned blog is looking beautiful, love the pic of the cats too!

    Rach

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  6. Spring is bursting out all over! Love the Spring clean look Michelle. I can give you a hand with a background pic next week if you like. I have sort of cobbled together a way of doing it.

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  7. I like it! It confused me somewhat this morning when I had a quick look round the blogs and thought I'd gone elsewhere.

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  8. I like the fresh spring look and oh what a pair of fine looking puddy tats are Jess and Skimble. Are you a T.S. Eliot fan ?

    I must do something with my poor long neglected blog which as it stands is not fit for public consumption. Maybe when I finish work. I have however managed to work out how to fit a backgound photo to the title, so considering what you have already accomplished I am sure you will get there.

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  9. Wow, that's a change! I also thought for a minute that I'd wound up somewhere else...cyberspace is an odd place, isn't it! The warmer colors are cool. It would be fun for to have TWO sidebar columns, you can never get enough sidebar... I guess there aren't any 3-column templates in Blogger? Maybe you're getting ready to make the leap to your own web account... ;)

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  10. Hi everyone - thanks for the positive comments on the changes!

    Lisa - thanks so much for the tip - why didn't I think of that? Derrrr. As a result I've found a fantastic website which gives step by step guides for all sorts of blogger goodies. I'll do a post about it and give you a more public 'Thank You' :)

    Joy - that's a great tip too thanks. I'll add it to my Blog to do list and also give you a mention in my site update piece

    Threadspider - that'll be great too :)

    Flighty and Mike - so sorry I confused you! Lesson learnt - give a more public warning about my intentions BEFORE I go ahead and do it next time

    Anna - spot on about TS Eliot :) Let me know when your blogs fit to be seen, I'd love to be able to return the compliment and leave you some Comments from time to time

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