Reasons I haven’t posted in the past several days:
1. I gave my blog a makeover!
2. It was the weekend…sometimes a blogging vacation is in order!
Reasons my blog needed a makeover:
1. I’d been running the same theme since 2011. The blogging world has changed some in the past few years and I was more than ready for a new look.
2. All of my themes up to this point had been free, but I finally have a little blogging budget so it was time to take the plunge with a paid theme. It was totally worth it.
Two businesses that made my updates so much easier and more secure than anticipated:
1. Vaultpress – Katy Widrick has been telling me for years (through her blog and directly) that I really needed to back up my site. With over 800 posts and probably double that in photos, I know I really needed to back up Relishments. So I purchased a year’s subscription to Vaultpress and backed up all my site’s info, which took a few hours. Luckily, the transition to the new theme went smoothly, but it’s good to know that my site will be safe no matter what.
2. StudioPress – I heard only good things about the Genesis framework and the child themes, but actually spending money on a theme was pretty scary for me. What if I didn’t like it? Turns out, not liking the theme I purchased was no big deal. Within an hour of buying the Lifestyle Pro theme, I knew it wasn’t for me. I emailed support at StudioPress and they were quick to promise me a refund (once my credit card was processed). Meanwhile, I bought the FoodiePro theme, which I’m loving.
Aspects of my new look I think you should check out:
1. My new section buttons on the right sidebar, highlighting some of my favorite Relishments topics.
2. The recipe index – yes, I know I just created an index a few months ago, but the one enabled on this theme is much nicer looking, Maybe now I’ll be inspired to created more recipes!
I’m thrilled with my site’s new look. Please, please share any feedback you have, especially if you see things that aren’t formatted right or working correctly. Here’s to a new era on Relishments!
Emily – it looks great! I love blog redesigns, and those buttons on the right with the categories look really sharp. I’d love to hear more about it! (Or how you came up with a budget amount for your blog…that’s something I could work on.) :)