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My Side of The New Blog Story

You’ve heard me complaining about the old blog and its issues so I’m not going to go back through it all again.  In fact . . I just forgot about it all . . and will not remember it ever again!  Winking smile

When I contacted Sara at Swoon Media, she agreed to build me a new blog using the Genesis framework.  I kept telling Vince “Sara is wonderful!”  One night he said “You’ve hired her to do a job and she’s doing it!”  I said NO!  She’s doing so much more.  I explained to him that it was like this:  Suppose my kitchen is dirty and stinks (it isn’t and it doesn’t!).  I call a cleaning lady and ask her to come clean my kitchen.  I tell her it’s dirty and it stinks.  She agrees to come.  She gets here and tells me the kitchen stinks because my plumbing is bad and the cabinets are rotten.  I say . . hmmm, that’s bad.  She says . . I can fix it!  She redoes all the plumbing, puts in new cabinets and then she cleans my kitchen til it sparkles. 

That’s about what Sara had to do with my blog.  She’s a designer . . not a miracle worker but she really did have to go way above and beyond what she agreed to do in order to get the blog fixed.  I was prepared to lose everything and start over with a new blog, just to get back up and running.

When Sara sent me her questionnaire and began asking me questions about what I wanted, I surprised myself with the palette that I liked and the lack of frills.  I wanted nothing artsy or bright and nothing to do with chickens or quilts . . I just wanted pretty fonts and basic and that’s what I got.

As I Vince and I sat down late this morning to look at the new blog, I was wiping away tears.  Vince didn’t understand.  The blog is such a big part of my life.  The readers (yes, YOU!) are a big part of my life.  I feel like you’re all friends.  I am so happy to have it working right, to have it loading quickly, to feel like when I try to add a new post, it’s going to work, to feel like when you go to read it, you’re going to be able to open it up without issues.

I’m so happy with the way the new blog looks.  I’m so happy with what Sara did and I’m so happy to be done dealing with the blog.  Now I can get back to sewing and knitting and trusting the blog again.

Thank you so much, Sara.  Thank you all for sticking with me through the blog issues.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Your redesign looks great. I enjoy your blog more than once a day and I miss it when you are busy with other things and don’t post. I enjoy your quilting, cooking, chickens and general stories. Thank you for taking the time. You make me laugh with some of the stories. Laughing is good for the soul. Blessings to you.

  2. The new design is great! I love your blog, quilts, cooking, chickens, knitting, Vince and all!

  3. Hi Judy…..I like the way the new blog works. I do have a question for you. Is it better to use one web browser over another?!?!?

    I was checking out the free patterns – hadn’t been there in a LONG time.

    I can’t find anything “clickable” on the parts of the Nicoles Sofa Quilt (just the picture link that takes you to the parts).

    I REALLY like the Rolling Along, but, couldn’t find a “print” option next to share or in the share box. Not a problem, I can copy/paste it into an e-mail, but, was just curious.

    The new blog does look SUPER! Dottie

  4. you’re new blog looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing all your doings with us. I,for one, feel like we are friends, also. God bless you!

  5. I haven’t commented in a while, health issues, but I read your blog several times a day. Your new blog looks awesome. Sara did a great job.

  6. What a standout for the new design! It is just stunning Judy! I love it! Thank you for putting so much into all of this to help our lives … And Thank Vince too! My hubby is thrilled to have his first sock done lol! Sara did a outstanding job!

  8. Thanks for the kind words. It was a terrific experience working with you Judy and I can honestly say I feel like we are friends now too and I cannot stop reading your blog. Like Pat said I read your posts and found myself laughing out loud so I will definitely be sticking around.

  9. It really is very, very nice. Elegant would be a nice word with the pretty font. I’m glad you are happy with it because that is the most important thing. I’m just going to come back day after day to see what all is going on at the ranch. It is a really fun place to visit each day. 🙂

  10. Love the new look and glad you are so pleased with it! Love reading daily and look forward to many more posts.

  11. The new look is simple and clean. Terrific! I think what I’m understanding from you is that YOU ARE SOOOOO HAPPY! Did I get that right? 🙂

  12. I am so happy for you, Judy. I really do know how something like this that is such an extension of yourself can totally wear on a body when such major issues overtake it…and where is that “somebody” who can remedy it!?! As Denise (#3) said I so enjoy the multiple posts…..really makes us all feel the “sisterhood” we share! Hugs and blessings……and peace!

  13. Judy, it’s a keeper and Sara too!! Nice clean look and seems to be working fine from my end. Congrats to both of you!

  14. Just found the “print friendly” on the share…..Sorry I didn’t notice it before – the icon was new to me and until I hovered over it, I didn’t realize that was what it was. THANKS!

  15. Great looking new blog. My day is never complete without a visit to your blog at least once a day — often times more!

  16. The new look is great and it does load a lot faster (even on the notebook which it used to crash the network connection on). I enjoy all your posts, though I don’t often comment on most of the non quilt related ones. Your site is one of the big reasons I started blogging. Thanks!

  20. People who love their work and do amazing things with it (like you and Sara) are the best!!!

  22. Judy the new blog is perfect….it’s easy to read, the color is relaxing and doesn’t scream at you like some I’ve seen. 🙂 I read every post you write but obviously don’t comment a lot – just not enough time to do that and quilt and work and take care of family. I often forward your posts to my sister, especially the ones about canning or chickens. And I frequently come back to look for a recipe I remember seeing you post and they’re always good. And I love when you post recommendations about products…irons, pressure cookers, etc. I wish I had time to participate in your quilt alongs but again…doesn’t work for me right now. Someday. After reading for the last few years I feel like you’re a neighbor I’ve known a long time – I love your place in Texas and I’m excited for the new baby coming, just like I would be for a good friend in my own neighborhood. I’m so glad you got the blog worked out and didn’t give up! blessings, marlene

  23. the Previous and Next buttons don’t work for me. Other than that I like everything.

    • The titles for the Previous and Next posts are underneath the Previous and Next buttons. You click those titles, not the previous and next buttons. I had that same problem! 🙂

  25. Judy, I visit your blog daily. The blog is user friendly, sleek and has great design features. Kudos Sara! You make me want a blog of my own, haha! I check in on FB several times a day to see what my buddies 200 miles away in my hometown are doing and peek in on family I’m connected with. Maybe I would get more accomplished as a blogger? Hmmm something to ponder.

  27. Judy,

    LOVE IT! I’m with you! Simple, straightforward design. Sleek! Perfect for you and for us, your readers. So glad it worked out so well.
    Now you can focus on the important things: quilting, knitting, gardening, chickens & eggs, good food, and Vince! (not necessarily in that order!)
    Thank you, Joanna

  29. Really like the new look, Judy and Sara. Loads really nice and is easy to look at.

    Judy, we appreciate you putting so much of yourself into this place where we connect.

  30. Love your new design and have enjoyed your blog for quite awhile although I rarely post. Your doings on the ranch brings me a smile to me and I often show your posts or photos to my husband. Thanks for all you do!

    A side note. The Previous and Next buttons don’t work for me. I use Safari on my Mac and was wondering if that was the reason. I am able to go to the Home button and bring up older posts but it would be fantastic if those buttons worked.

  31. Judy, I have been reading your blog for quite awhile. I found it when I first started wanting to learn to make quilts. I have kept reading all along and never comment because I never have got up the nerve to start a quilt and just keep watching along hoping one day to figure out what to do. But during this time I have come to anxiously await each new blog post from you about your life with quilting, knitting, chickens and Vince. I thought this was a good time to come out from lurking only.

  32. Judy, it looks wonderful! I agree whole heartedly with Marlene that reading your blog makes me feel like we are neighbors… I missed reading it while I was on vacation with the family and imagine my surprise when I finally got online!! It’s clean, elegant and straightfoward…. beautiful!

  33. Judy – it looks great!!!! Have had fun going through the different things on your blog! Congrats!!!! And Sara – you did great!

  34. Judy, I’m so glad you are back! My morning cup of coffee did not taste as good without your blog. The new format is wonderful, very easy on the eyes. Thank you for keeping some of the older information, especially the longarm quilting and feather tutorials.

  35. congradulations for finally getting the blog of your dreams. Sara is a dream maker and hope she gets a lot of work from this job..Great Job, Sara. Now Judy, sit back, relax, and tell us all about your quilts, needlework, chickens, garden, the wonderful place you live, your cooking/canning, and everything else you tell us, your faithful readers….OH!!! Forgot to mention that cute husband of yours with the green shirt…hehe

  36. I love the cleanness of the new blog. There’s no clutter to wade through. Congrats!

  37. What to say without sounding negative…. I don’t want to be. But, I find that the blog lacks “charm” now. Yes, it’s clean, loads well, easy to read, absolutely nothing wrong with it. But, it’s not “homey” anymore.

    It lacks…. you.. your humor, your charm…

    But, in the end, if YOU are happy that is what matters as this is your blog.I will always come back to read your escapades, no matter what your blog looks like. I congratulate you and Sara for finding a combination that makes you happy.

  39. I use Chrome and do not have “previous” and next” buttons. There is no link via the titles either. Can you have Sara look into this? Thanks!

    • Mel, For me, in Chrome, it works just like in IE or Firefox. Beneath the comments, all the way to the bottom, there are “next” and “previous” buttons. Beneath those are titles which are the next and previous blog post titles. You have to click those titles themselves and not the next and previous buttons. Please try again. I think you’ll find them there.

  40. I love the new blog, it’s very clean and easy to read and loads so quickly too. Very pleased for you that it is all sorted out now and you can get back to sewing/gardening time without worrying about the blog issues.

  42. I love your blog so much that it never occurred to me to leave it, even with the problems.
    You’re very much my friend even if we have never met. Although we almost did a year or more ago….you were going to be a guest speaker at our guild in Springdale Arkansas but you were in the process of relocating so had to cancel.
    I have learned a great deal from you and your blog and I’m very thankful you are here. You also pick me up when I am down with all your adventures!
    And something else! If I hadn’t joined the UFO group, I wouldn’t have gotten all my projects done!!!
    I thank JudyC from N Carolina for introducing me to your blog almost 2 years ago.
    So, Thank You Judy M Laquidera and JudyC from N. Carolina for being in my life!!!

  43. The blog is working fine with the tablet…I see the header and all of the buttons appear to be working. It’s looking great in the tablet format (android). Nice job,Sara and Judy:-)

  45. Even though I’m way on the other side of the world, I read your blog daily and just love everything about it. I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you have such a caring and sharing nature. Don’t ever change. And I LOVE the new, uncluttered look.

  49. Judy, I’ve finally had time today to look around and I really like it!! Nice and visually clean and doesn’t take FOREVER to load like some do. I have a tendency to hit next before some of them even load.

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