I'm always of two minds regarding change…on the one hand I like new new places, new vistas, new objects and experiences; while at the same time I find great comfort and reassurance in the tried-and-true, the familiar and routine, the honorably worn.
A fine line sometimes, and not always clearly apparent. Which is why I can occasionally dither ridiculously over some of the most inconsequential matters.
Perhaps you noticed today's edition of Riverdaze looks slightly different. I hope you also noticed it doesn't look too different. For some time, I've been thinking of giving the site a complete makeover—a fundamental transformation geared to take advantage of many of the new design features and options Blogger has lately made available. I had in mind an entirely new look. And then the other, resistant, side of my thinking kicked in—the part that appreciates the well-established and accustomed—and I ended up performing more of a tweak than a serious change.
I hope you like the slightly new look and don't find it too jarring. I certainly hope it doesn't cause any viewing problems. Perhaps the biggest improvement is that I can now post photos a bit larger. I'll also be trying a few other changes during the weeks ahead. If you don't like something, if it doesn't work, say so. You are my always welcomed guests here at the riverbank, and I want you to be comfortable and enjoy your visits.
———————
42 comments:
Compromises can sometimes be the best solution, Grizz! The new-ish look works just fine for me. New sight, new light. Outta sight! (Lovely spectral, autumnal image, btw.)
Solitary…
Thank you. I still can't get the text size to work correctly…it's either too big or two small. I'm in a funk!
I'm obliged to say I love it. How could I not, it's the same color scheme as mine! So no I do not find it too jarring, but I would say the very bright blue frame around your images, could be distracting at times. But that is just me.
Blogger is quirky - hang in there. I know you will figure it out and look forward to seeing the future changes.
I like the new look, Grizz. As you might have noticed, I made the same type of change to my blog site a couple of weeks ago. I kept the same general appearance, but increased the size of my creative working space significantly, which is great for the formatting and placement of photos.
The only suggestion I would have involves the size of the comments text and the text in the sidebar. From your response to Robert, it appears that you are already tinkering with this. I will take a look at my own formatting and template and see if I can come up with any ideas. Somehow, I was able to make the transition without changing the size of the comments text.
We will get you out of this funk, working together, of course, as hold-overs from the low-tech generation.
By the way, I love that wonderful photo of the slanting autumn light through the trees.
Hi Grizz,
I need to go out for a while, but before I leave I thought it might be helpful to provide an address that might be helpful on the text font issue. I found this site helpful a couple of weeks ago when I had to go to "html" to make a change on the color my posting title. It's a blog called "Blogger Tips and Tricks," and the page I'm looking at is dated October 23, 2007 and titled "Changing Fonts and Colors for New Blogger." This was a quick research, so you may be able to find something more current. Anyway, for what it's worth, the address is: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3322683719539438825&postID=276361816408470133.
That's a long address and I hope I have it right. If it doesn't work, email me with your email address and I can simply forward the page to you.
Hope this will help. Let me know if I can be of any assistance.
Bonnie…
I was looking for a dark-chocolate background—just a shade or so darker than what I've had previous in order to make the photos pop. And that bright blue border, I almost changed it earlier for exactly what you thought—possibly distracting. I just know I'll have to tinker with this a week or more to get it to suite me…and I absolutely appreciate any and all feedback.
BTW, I purposely didn't look at anyone's color schemes—just tried to play up the parts of my old one I liked and fiddle with the parts I didn't. But if I've managed to come close to your scheme inadvertently, know that great minds likely can't help but think alike! :-)
George…
That's exactly what I'm trying to accomplish, too. I'm kinda being stymied by my old blue heron photo, as I'd like to widen the blog just a tad more. At some point I make have to switch header pix. And I can't for the life of me figure how to adjust the post text font correctly.
Please keep giving me any sort of feedback or suggestion you wish. I'm trying to put in an hour here and there to tweak things—but this may take a while.
This is not just an old dog trying to learn a new trick…it's an old dog trying to learn calculus!
(Yep, that was lovely light coming through those trees. I took other shots.)
George…
I'll try the address and let you know how it turns out—yea or nay. Thank you!
Your changes work for me, there's an added "outdoorsy" freshness. I really relate to your thoughts on change; my blog is back to almost it's original look. I did change templates and made other small changes here and there. I'm still using the old editor though...may eventually switch, but have no need to at the moment, unless someone convinces me the new is better!
Wanda…
I noticed your changes this morning and like them.
I've also been using the old editor, liked it, and saw no reason to change—except Blogger has started putting out a notice that the old editor is "going away soon." So I made the switch yesterday. (Some of my font size issues may be related to texts formed using the old editor.) I figured I was just going to have to bite the bullet sooner or later. The best reason for me to make the switch, so far as I can tell (though not exactly take full advantage of yet) is photo manipulation. That may be your "convincing" factor, or you may just get evicted! :-D
HI GRIZZ_
I love the serene picture to start things off. I spoke right out loud an said, "Oh my goodness".....the beauty left me breathless.
Your site works fine for me 'cept maybe I do enjoy being able to see all the side stuff without having to move the post text over. But no biggee. :-)
Love to you
Gail
peace and hppe.....
Hi Grizz. I don't know what you did, but everything looks perfect from my end. Originally, the text of both the comments and the sidebar was very small and difficult to read. The text is now enlarged and everything looks terrific!
If you are still having a problem with the post text font, just hit "design" at the top of your blog, then go to your "template designer," then click on "advanced," and go to "page text," which will reveal adjustments to the size and type of the font on the right. That, at least, is how it seems to work for me.
Right now, however, it seems you are good to go. Congratulations on the new look.
Gail…
I'm still messin' around with things so maybe I can fix that, too. I'm glad you like the look otherwise.
I want to make the pix bigger and easier to see—so you'll appreciate that, I think. Hang in with me.
George…
I'm still fiddling. Early on in my blogworld adventure I created a "shadow blog" of Riverdaze…an identically formatted second blog, same pix and text, sidebars, colors, etc., which doesn't show on my blog list—but a place where I can try out new design things, gadgets, whatever, without possibly messing something up on the real blog. So I'm switching back and forth with tweaks as I go. But you really have to look at your blog via several browsers, and not by going there through the dashboard, by as a visitor would, before you really know what's going on.
Just continue to tell me if something is too small, too big, distracting, hard-to-read/see, and I'll get this thing pruned and snipped and watered and it will look absolutely semi-good when I'm done.
The frame around your photo now, is much easier on the eyes. I think it is going to be great when you are finished!
Bonnie…
Yeah, I agree…the other way was just too much. I do hope at the end of all this change that I've actually improved things….
So, I began reading with bated breath--new light? Your contacts cleared up? You got a new camera? You moved?
Nope, none of the above--a blog redo.
I keep thinking about it, but I worked so hard to get the background shade I wanted, I worked to match up font colors, and I want to keep my masthead photo which I took at Thousand Islands in NY.
Anyway, glad it's just a wee nudge of a change.
Hey your blue is just a bit buzzy-it is vibrating a bit much-so the side titles pull your eye from your lovely creme body text-that's looking at the screen in the dark with no room light-but what do I know about colour.Did your header pic ever have a border?
Great God shining down thru the tree shot.
KGMom…
Didn't mean to mislead you…but I did, BYW, get new lenses Friday, this time single-vision rather than progressives, what I wanted all along, the fifth new pair since I began the upgrade process back at the end of May—and for the first time in all those weeks, can again see without the multiple images and inability to focus at any distance. (How's that for a run-on sentence?)
I know exactly how you feel about a blog change. I really did it for two reasons only—first, the ability to size photos larger within the text column, and second because Blogger is starting to put a notice out that the old editor will soon be discontinued. This latter point, while technically not now a problem to a blog's layout and design, based on old format, seemed like it might be more integrated into future details. On the minor side, I wanted to tweak a few colors.
Anyway, hope you like it and that it doesn't cause viewing issues.
AfromTO…
I expect you DO know a thing or two about color, seeing as how you're a terrific painter! And you're right about the blue, it is too "buzzy," and I'd already decided to change, or at least subdue, it—and maybe do the same to the post title, too. (I already reduced that font size.)
The blog header shot did, in the old design template, have an outline line surrounding it, which I'd like to heave again if that's possible and if I can figure out how to manage same. Trust me, I've just begun to tweak and will doubtless be at this for some time.
That was nice light coming down through the trees…though the photo doesn't really do it justice.
Well, I've tuned in after all the tweaking...lol! It looks good! I like the wider format and the font size is perfect on my end. I tend to shy away from blogs with really dark backgrounds and bright color text. (ie black with white fonts) as it's too painful to read. This mix is nice. And, I like that your photos can be larger too. Nice changes Grizz!
Jayne…
Well, I'm still busily tweaking—and now have half a mind to really change everything, from header photo right on down.
Hey, hope the exam goes okay. I have one of those coming up myself.
The light in that photograph Jim - words fail me - it just makes me want to be there.
Weaver…
It was as lovely as it appears, too…though fleeting. Such morning light is one of the reasons I love autumn.
I like it a lot, Scribe :) The picture is stunning. The light is almost heavenly...well, actually, it is. I can imagine how it must feel to be under those beautiful trees. Fall is here. It's my favorite time of year :)
Happy Autumn!
Kelly
Thanks that is calmer on the eyes.
The photo size is great now-I don't have to expand to look at detail.
I don't know about the white outline around rust coloured words "riverdaze" it does sort of the cheapen the typeface-it could be a richer colouring.that's only my opinion
...I love the larger photos and the new look. It made me stop and look around. I just now noticed your little fish art (next to "posted by"). That is really cool. Since I'm a Pisces, I like all things fish.
ChicGeek (Kelly)…
Such light is why everyone with a camera ought to get up early at least once in a while…especially if there's a wisp of fog.
Glad you like the look, though the photos has grown more even since you posted this comment.
Happy autumn to you; I love fall too!
AfromTo x 3…
Yup, the other blue was definitely too bright. This toned down blue does, I think, work better.
This bigger photo size if really the prime reason why I'm making the switch. That, and it's easier to handle multiple photos via the new editor. One must keep up with times.
"Cheapen"…really? I like outline typefaces for graphics. Which may stem from putting together magazine and book covers over the years. But I used the white outlining to pop the letters out of the background. The orange/rust comes directly from one of the leaves above and in front of the heron. (In Picasa, you can not only pluck colors from various charts and wheels, but mouse the eyedropper thingy over any portion of the photo and grab that color. I'm pretty limited in the tools I have for photo manipulation; not even PhotoShop light. Or do they spell it "lite"? But, I may fiddle around with it some more. This is, BTW, the same typeface and style—in outline, though perhaps not to such an obvious degree—that I've always used on the header.
Appreciate the comment, though. This is still a work in progress.
Kelly…
Of course bigger photos means I gotta wipe the bugs off my lens more frequently…
I'm a Taurus…but I've always been a bit fishy. Does that count? Here's the whole little fish art thing…
´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((((º>
`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º>
´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸·´¯`·.¸ ><((((((º>
Blogger doesn't like such nonsense, though, so I may not keep it up.
Looks good, even on my small Acer laptop.
Grace…
Hey, I appreciate your comment…I've been wondering how things looks on smaller screens.
I want the fonts to be big enough without being too big, the photos to be as big as possible, and everything to be easy to read/see and still keep the colored background. I know that what looks good on my huge-screen iMac won't necessarily look good on a small laptop.
Every bit of feedback helps.
A great picture. I'm pretty sure Galadriel had just been dancing in that shaft of sunlight, and dashed behind a tree when she saw you coming.
Joy K…
She was, after all, born during the Years of the Trees. But what makes you think she hid when she saw me coming?
I'm terrible...I can't remember what it looked like before but I do like the soft blue and chocolate. Oh, and I can imagine a unicorn in that glade...
Teri…
The overall scheme hasn't been much changed—the background is now a bit more chocolate, the post titles are blue, a few similar tweaks. The big change is the ability to run larger photos.
Thank you for the comment re. the light in the glade…it was lovely and magical.
If she didn't hide, I'm sure you'd have posted her lovely photo.
Joy K…
Don't be so sure…she did, after all, have the power to peer in to the minds of men, and was noted for judging them fairly and with understanding. She would have known whether I could be trusted—and thus would have known I would comply with her wishes regarding a portrait and its subsequent publication. The photo posted might simply be the unrestrcited image.
....wow! Very cool and impressive. How on earth did you come up with that? I love the little waves.
Kelly…
Thank you. And the answer to your question is serious keyboard fiddling. :-)
Post a Comment