My New Makeover and More!

Branded by Lori | June 8, 2008 .

Finally, after I don’t know how long, my new makeover is done! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts (good or bad). I realize it’s a little more on the girly side but that’s exactly what I wanted. You boys are just gonna have to deal with it!

I have 2 people I want to thank. Kathy Murdock my designer and cowgirl creater! She made that cute cowgirl, which happens to be me but way more beautiful, and has done so much more behind the scenes. She rocks and I hope you consider her for your website needs. She has different services that you can check out at Kinetic Solutions.

I’d also like to thank Meg from Lucchese to Louis Vuitton. She gave me my tag line that I absolutely love. “Writing for the Brand” - It’s perfect!

WHAT’S NEW?

Template/Theme

Only one sidebar
3 sub-header boxes–These contain my most popular posts based on comments, a subscribe to my feed box, and links to different parts of my blog and some new stuff!
id tab box in the sidebar to maximize space. This is also where you’ll find current announcements.

Design

My very own logo which includes a copyright!
Signature colors of black, pink, and blues.
Cute little favicon.

Blog Categories & Sections

Blogging with Cents link will take you to all posts that are under the blogging category along with it’s sub-categories. Some include money makers, business, tutorials, wordpress, blogger, etc.
All Chick Stuff link has it’s own set of sub-categories. Fashion, beauty, weight, etc.
My Reflections are my main stuff like ranch life, photography, etc. My life in words & image.
Cowgirl Critiques doesn’t have a link in the box but it’s new as well. This will consist of reviews of products, services, etc.

FUN NEW ADDITIONS!!

HORSESHOE HANGOUT is my new forum. I thought long and hard before I decided to add this but because I get so many questions about numerous topics on a daily basis, I felt it would benefit everyone. Forums are really hard to get going in the beginning so I hope that you will join, participate, and help me make it a success. I’ll be having surprises for my forum members too so you’ll want to join One random member every month will get a surprise as well!! I have several categories and topics so that your questions will have a home. If you don’t see something or have a request, there is a place for that as well. If you are interested in being a moderator, please email me at lori [at] acowboyswife [dot] com.
A COWBOY’S WIFE POSSE (Top 100 Blogging Junkies) is my new plug board. You can add your site and get your blog noticed! This was just something I thought would be fun and a free way to help you promote your blog. I’ll be giving shout-outs here on my blog sporadically for the Top 10 members.
CREATE A SELF HOSTED WORDPRESS BLOG EBOOK is a tutorial on exactly what it says. It has step by step instructions to make it super easy to follow. It comes in pdf format and is available for download now! I did this because I get SOOOOO many requests on how to start a blog with a web host. I have a blogger tutorial coming soon along with some new ebook tutorials.
BRANDED GEAR — I’ve created 2 stores with my logo and web address on them. I have lots of tweaking to do on those stores but they’re up and running and anyone who buys something, will get a shout here and a link in my sidebar More products and more variations of sayings, logos, and more will be added.

Well, I think that about covers it. I hope that you all embrace the changes with open arms. With this new launch, I have a special surprise for you!!!

Leave a comment telling me your HONEST opinion about the changes of the site and you’ll be entered to win a $100 ebay ecertificate! Yep, ya heard me right people! $100 smackaroos! You have until June 15th to comment and enter, which happens to Father’s Day! I hope you have bought your father or a father something for that special day.

Want an additional entry? Join the forum If you do, let me know your username with your comment!

Be sure to let me know if you find any bugs k!

My Virtual Makeover

Please Vote 4 My Ugly Blog

What Lies Ahead

My Parent’s Garage

That 70’s Kitchen

Posted under Random, Reflections | Like this article? Subscribe to our RSS feed

If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.

58 Comments so far

Christina Griggs June 9, 2008 6:12 am

I love the new makeover. I think it is very beautiful and I love the logo and signature colors. I’m interested in the forum but my work is blocking (what do they expect us to do, work? lol). Congrats!
Meg June 9, 2008 6:33 am

Good morning beautiful! I am officially in love! This place is insanely gorgeous!!! I want you to know I was up at midnight last night still, clicking on it to see if you had it going yet! I am soooooooooo proud for you sweetie!!!! Yup, it’s girly alright, but with that “funky” cowgirl edge that I am so fond of!! Congrats to you and many blessings your way, buena suerte with the new diggs, YOU and your new place are going to be amazing!!!

Hugs from the Hill Country!

Megs last blog post..Cultured Cowgirl~The Early Years
Treasia June 9, 2008 6:59 am

I really like the new layout and all about it. Love the cowgirl header and colors. I don’t think there is any room for improvement as it’s perfect.

Treasias last blog post..Now there’s four
Sugar and Sprouts June 9, 2008 7:44 am

WHOA! This site is awesome - very beautifully laid out. Congratulations. You must have worked your butt of, and with moving at the same time you are like a Super Woman. It looks really terrific!!
TheCottonWife June 9, 2008 7:46 am

I like it! Great job!

TheCottonWifes last blog post..Farm Pets
Loretta June 9, 2008 7:55 am

Everything looks GREAT!! I love how you categorized things …. it’s so organized and tidy and easy to find everything. Your new logo and tagline are adorable! I knew you working behind the scenes, but I didn’t realize just how much you were doing! It came out fantastic.
Laurie June 9, 2008 8:03 am

Aww Lori… everything looks great and your header and graphic are so cute! I love the little pink Texas too!

I’m viewing in FireFox and some of the ads in your sidebar are on top of each other. I’m not sure if that’s my browser or not. I usually use IE.

Lauries last blog post..18th Annual North Texas Race for the Cure
Lori June 9, 2008 8:08 am

Thank you Laurie, it must be the firefox because I can see it firefox too even though I use IE. I’ll see if I can figure that out!
The Hunter's Wife June 9, 2008 8:58 am

Site looks great. Very creative logo. Cute.

The Hunter’s Wifes last blog post..Rescue Me - I Will Need Counseling
laren bridges June 9, 2008 8:58 am

Lori - What a nice change! I think it is strong and much cleaner looking than your last *also wonderful* site! and, that cowgirl in the header looks just how i see you…hope things are going well for you guys. we are crazy busy & i can’t wait to find more time to poke around and see exactly what all you have accomplished! do you remember when we met at that cutting and you were thinking about doing some things online, but didn’t know if you could! YOU CAN! Incredible! Such an inspiration…

laren bridgess last blog post..Discussing Heaven with a 3-year-old…
farmnwife June 9, 2008 8:58 am

I like the colors. The stripes will take some getting used to. The pink bar under the post is hard to read the blue writing. Will be joining the forum. Heading over there now.

farmnwife
Laura June 9, 2008 9:14 am

Lori I love the new look, the logo is fabulous. I find the green from the links a little hard to read, but as soon as the mouse is on top the links look perfect. Congratulations.

Lauras last blog post..Answering my daughter’s questions 1
Lori June 9, 2008 9:39 am

I agree…I might have to change that color cause it’s hard for me toread!
Lori June 9, 2008 9:50 am

I hope someone joins…It’s not looking so good yet
Karin June 9, 2008 9:57 am

WOW girl! I cannot even begin to imagine how much time you put into this makeover, but just know that it was all worth it! VERY COOL! Love the subheaders, the tagline, the graphics, AND you’re taking on forums?! Wish I had your energy!

Here’s wishing you all the best in this new venture ~ looks like you are taking personal website world to a new level! Congratulations Lori ~ I’m looking forward to exploring and discovering all the fun new changes! Everything I’ve seen so far looks fabulous!
Sommer June 9, 2008 10:07 am

Lori, I think it’s nice to have everything merge. It will give you more writing, marketing and blogging time verses tech and management time. It’s a lot to keep up with one blog and all the technical stuff. I was a bit surprised by the pink and black but seeing that I love those two colors (next to green and blue), I like the choice. It sexes the blog up. Let’s me know, “Hey I’m tough as nails but I have a feminine side to!”

As for the layout. I like how the text is on the left. More SEO friendly. I think two columns makes a lot of sense if you can keep the buttons under control (it’s hard to do I know). I love the box at the bottom. If I care about your blog, I’ll scroll down to read that box. Everything is really easy to navigate and find. I appreciate that.

Great job! It’s hard to do a launch/relaunch, I know! Keep up the good work.

Sommers last blog post..Organize your toys the eco-friendly way!
Pete June 9, 2008 10:33 am

Love the new design - very professional and girly. Love the “popular posts” links at the top, as well as the cool logo and tag-line.

The only thing bad i noticed was that the ads in the top right look a little strange in firefox, like they’re not lining up quite right.

Great job on the redesign!

Petes last blog post..Summer Savings Series #1: Food is a big expense. How can you save?
Jenn June 9, 2008 10:56 am

Looks great I like it !
Tanya M. June 9, 2008 11:30 am

Hi Lori - Great new look! I love the colors. I love that it’s a little more “girly” but not over the top! Congratulations! I think all your hard work paid off - looks great! I joined the forum (hootyboosmom)!
~Tanya
Lori June 9, 2008 11:59 am

That’s great! Don’t forget to confirm your registration…check your spam folder
Jenny867-5309 June 9, 2008 12:17 pm

Good grief, Lori! I thought you were just in the middle of a move! You…have been busy. Love the look (and brand!).
lace June 9, 2008 1:44 pm

That logo is wonderful. The forum looks like it’s going to be a great place.

the girliness is great. I agree the guys will have to live with it.

laces last blog post..Father’s Day Gift Guide at From Dates to Diapers
Wild Squirrel June 9, 2008 2:01 pm

I found this site through Wooden Spoon, and I think I only saw it a couple of times before you unveiled the new one, so I can’t really compare. But, looks good to me so far! Looking forward to roaming the range a little in the coming days to take it all in…

Wild Squirrels last blog post..Menu Plan Monday
Tina June 9, 2008 4:59 pm

Lori, I absolutely LOVE your new design! Very professional and girly at the same time, awesome! Congratulations hun!!

Tinas last blog post..Menu Plan Monday 9 June
Sandy June 9, 2008 5:12 pm

Looks good. The only thing is that I couldn’t find where to leave a comment because I was expecting it to say comments, but then I saw it and laughed. Funny!
Annie June 9, 2008 7:06 pm

I signed up for your forum under “friedporkchop”. Love the idea!

The new look? It. Rocks. Hardcore!

*drool* E-bay gift card? I’m all over it! I would purchase (like, immediately) a dough press kit. Only $12, but I’m a firm believer in not buying anything off E-bay unless the money is in my paypal, so I haven’t done it yet!

Hope others love your blog look, too!

Annies last blog post..Netflix, anyone?
Anna June 9, 2008 7:21 pm

I like it. I really like the colors - girly is good. Living on a ranch with all those guys doesn’t mean you can’t be a girly girl, does it? I like the logo and the sub-header boxes, too. It makes me want a change, too.

I joined your forum, too (username bcmom) - all the headings and topics you have set up look really interesting. I hope it becomes a busy place. I’ve started a couple forums in the past, but they died. Yours looks more fun. Now I just have to remember to hang out there!

Annas last blog post..Tillie and the Rain
Naomi June 9, 2008 7:27 pm

I like the makeover, overall, but I think the turquoise text is really hard to read against the white background. It hurts my eyes when I look at it too long. If it was slightly darker, I think it would be more reader-friendly.

Naomis last blog post..The Stay-at-Home Survival Guide
Connie June 9, 2008 7:30 pm

It was worth the wait! Woo Hoo You know how to think outside the box and that is what makes your blogs something for me to come back for more all of the time. I not only enjoy your writing but I also look forward to what new ideas you bring to blogging.

This is truly unique. The logo and favicon are just perfect for you too. The only problem I find is the color for your links is hard to read.

I joined the forum and just have to activate my membership. Looking forward to that too.

Connies last blog post..Father’s Day
Connie June 9, 2008 7:32 pm

BTW my user name is ConnieFoggles on the forum.
Chrystal June 9, 2008 7:40 pm

Love the new make over!
bunny June 9, 2008 8:33 pm

Love your new design!! Very sweet and girly. Woohoo!
Deborah June 9, 2008 9:08 pm

Great new look! I especially like how organized your side bar is…great headings!

Deborahs last blog post..Girl Talk Thursday - Gone Vintage
Sweetpeas June 9, 2008 9:49 pm

I’m new here, but it looks great!

Sweetpeass last blog post..Menu Plan Monday
Creating RSS Feeds for Everyone’s Needs | A Cowboy's Wife June 9, 2008 10:15 pm

[...] My New Makeover and More! [...]
Tanyetta June 9, 2008 11:22 pm

Love the new look. I am off to check out the forum! You know I’m a regular round these parts

ps.. I have a question. What does writing for the brand mean?

Tanyettas last blog post..Train up a child….
alemos June 10, 2008 9:45 am

Love It!!! Not only have you been making major changes in your life , you made a major one here too.
Erica June 10, 2008 9:53 am

I love the makeover. “Writing for the Brand” is so clever and catchy! Good job Meg

Ericas last blog post..Peanut Butter Cologne
misty June 10, 2008 10:47 am

I LOVE your new look. But I may be biased because my favorite colors are pink and black. Instead of the blue I may have went with light gray, or red. But the blue is definetly pretty. Thanks so much for the opportunity to win something.

mistys last blog post..What do you meme I do too many memes?
Kelli June 10, 2008 3:27 pm

I like the girly side - looks great - and thanks for the chance at such a great prize!
Jen-The Mom June 10, 2008 3:56 pm

Looking good Lori! I love the color combo and the hot cowgirl, it’s much more personalized!!

Jen-The Moms last blog post..Please Hold While We Make You Craz(ier)
Chef June 10, 2008 4:26 pm

Looks fantastic, Lori - I love the ‘Posse’!

Chefs last blog post..Easy Broccoli Salad
Heather June 10, 2008 5:36 pm

I love the colors! And your cartoon self is way cute. I’ll be back to poke around when I have more time.

Heathers last blog post..Ten Things That Annoy You About Work
ciara June 10, 2008 7:02 pm

great design! i like that everything looks less cluttered and all the sections are easy to browse. i’m gonna have to check out the forum.
Domestic Diva June 11, 2008 12:04 pm

look at your new design! It is so cute!!! Love, love LOVE!!! So happy for you, I love it when people get new designs. This is so super cute.
stacey moore June 11, 2008 1:59 pm

love the new look the colors go great together. my favoirte part is horseshoe in the header!!
great job!!

stacey moores last blog post..Win a Lowes Gift Card!!!
Katy Castro June 11, 2008 3:44 pm

OK… you asked for honest…(remember I’m a designer so I look at everything with a different eye)….

The background hurts my eyes. While I realize most people don’t have a 22″ monitor, I do and there’s too much of a background that’s too bright.

I’m confused by the combined blogs and feeds, the sidebar seems a little unorganized and all together, I’m simply lost.

To leave a comment I scrolled right past the box because I didn’t expect it to be above the posted comments.

The 6 boxes/widgets need to have consistency. The font size in Archives is different than the font size of the Recent Comments. Then your BlogCatalog widget has a ton of underlines that makes looking at it plain difficult. Up top your Popular posts are aligned left while Recent is center aligned. Feeds go back to left.

Previously the separation between your blogs made you feel more professional, this doesn’t have the same type of feel. The design leaves the impression that you’re a personal blogger not someone that’s professional, even though I know you are. Your wealth of knowledge and great insight is lost and now difficult to find.

I applaud your effort and your attempt at branding. It’s generally a cute design for someone with a personal blog. But having previously discussed what I know you were attempting to do here, it doesn’t feel like mission accomplished.

Katy Castros last blog post..All In One SEO Pack No Longer Supported
Cowboys,Kids, and Sunsets June 11, 2008 4:02 pm

Very cool! I love your new site makeover!!

Cowboys,Kids, and Sunsetss last blog post..My First "Name that Photo Contest"
Lori June 11, 2008 4:14 pm

Wow…crush a girl why doncha I almost cried when I read your comment Katy. Of course, I wouldn’t expect nothing but the truth from you.

Okay…
The background- I didn’t even think about what it would look like with people that have the bigger monitors. I should have but I didn’t. I’ll definitely make an adjustment.

I really thought my sidebar was organized……the boxes-the archives font looks to be the same as the other 2 boxes at the bottom to me. I see no difference. I barely see any pink lines in the box but I’ll go ahead and change that as well.

The boxes at the top….I did align the middle box in the center because I wanted it to stand out more. Since I didn’t get to do what I really wanted (and you know exactly what that is), I was just trying to make it easier for people to get to those particular posts.

The comments….I don’t like it either but that’s what came with the template and I love the template. I don’t know how to change it or I would.

I do agree that the professionalism is not all there but this is what I could do on a limited budget. I can only hope that the people will continue to read me that were followers on my Blogging with Cents.
threeundertwo June 11, 2008 6:18 pm

I don’t know if I’m fit to comment, since my blog is still in it’s early morphing phase. I like your title graphic, layout, and the colors, but the black sidebars are hard on my eyes.

threeundertwos last blog post..Haiku Wednesday III
Amy June 12, 2008 8:18 am

Love the web site and the colors!!

I also subscribed to your newsletter!

THanks!
Jen June 12, 2008 11:53 am

Hey I just found your page and not sure what it looked like befor but this is awesome. Thanks

Jens last blog post..Little Cowboy
Dee Jordan June 12, 2008 12:33 pm

I really am enjoting your site. As a blogge with a frontal lobe head injury, the clean colors and text make it very easy to read and little strain on the eyes. Now as far as the design, YOU ROCK! I love it. a Wyoing transplant to Texas just wilting in the heat. We love all all things cowgirl here on our ranch, Crazy J’s. Best of luck and I am looking forward to the read.
Dee

Dee Jordans last blog post..
Melody June 12, 2008 8:24 pm

Love the colors! I think it looks less cluttered, too! Congrats!!

Melodys last blog post..I know, I know…
Summer June 13, 2008 5:33 pm

I like it. The colors really pop, though the blue links on the side are a touch bit hard to read. But I might just need glasses.

Summers last blog post..Discipline and Abuse
Caryn Bailey June 14, 2008 1:18 am

Hi

This is my first time visiting your site so I don’t know how it looked before. I really like it. Fun, clean look. I am also in the process of moving to wordpress….I hope that this will be a good thing! I actually really enjoyed your posts on forums. Thanks for the info.

Caryn Baileys last blog post..Reminiscing…
Ann June 15, 2008 7:46 am

I love your new site! Your Cowgirl is adorable and I love your tag line. I agree about the colors being “girly” but not too “girly. Congrats on the new design!!
Lori June 16, 2008 6:47 am

COMMENTS ARE NOT CLOSING BUT CONTEST IS OVER.