Redesign Resources

If you've ever been to my page or read my blog before you might recognize a few new features and designs. I've been thinking of updating multiple elements of my page for a while now, but I've never really known how exactly to start. I'm really only familiar with Wordpress sites since that's what my classes focused on, but I already had an established Blogger account with nearly 100 posts I didn't want to lose or transfer (For more on Wordpress vs. Blogger click here). Plus the minor detail that I wanted to redesign my page for absolutely free. I know I'm cheap, but as I was pleasantly surprised to find out, the resources are out there.

This post is a shout out and attribution to the bloggers who made my redesign immensely easier and, dare I say, fun. Hopefully, you'll find the same to be true.

For any and everything Wordpress  check out to Her New Leaf by Kira. She has it all, and it's organized beautifully in her "Primp my Blog" series (including some tricks for Blogger users--I customized my header and my favicon from her tutorials and freebies) with screen shots for HTML dummies like myself. From her site, she led me to find more Blogger details on the Shrimp Salad Circus blog series called "Blog Better" by Lindsay (at this point I feel like I know both personally--shout out to Lindsay who inspired some of my fonts, is newly engaged, and provided me with free watercolor social buttons).

To say my redesign has been a work in progress would be an understatement, but I think it was well worth it. Among my new features are: updated title (see "What?" tab for details on the name), new template (Blogger Candy) and header (from Pixels and Ice Cream, customized by me through Her New Leaf's tutorial and suggestion of free alternative to Photoshop), social media buttons (mine are watercolor freebie from Shrimp Salad Circus), new and improved tab info (I'm still working on making my page tabs pretty, too), secure contact submissions (via CuteWriting's EmailMeForm creator), and a new outlook on blogging in my southern city.

The best part? All of theses were free. 

Next up: tackling the redesign of my facebook page via this tutorial. Stay tuned for more tips, tricks, and freebies in the future as well as Memphis-specific scoop.