I was going thru my iPhoto account, on a mission to find baby pictures of my kids for a school project, and I came across a folder of my old blog headers. What a hoot.
I will NEVER forget how excited I was when I ordered my first custom designed blog header. I thought I had arrived.
It was a total splurge at the time, because back in prehistoric blogging days, there was no money to be made. It was simply a fun hobby and a social outlet. I wasn’t a “big blogger” but I wanted a design to call my own so I spent $75, which at the time seemed astronomical.
I was on pins and needles all day as the designer worked, and when I finally got to see her handiwork, I squealed with delight. It was PERFECT for me.
Raise your hand if you’ve been around long enough to remember that one! I was still blogging on Blogspot when I had that design!!!
About a year later, I was ready for something new, and I had moved over to Typepad. I employed Jules of Everyday Design (no longer in business) to create a design for me. I can’t find the first one she did; I remember it was pink and green and inspired by a piece of fabric that I loved.
When I tired of that, I called her up again, and she came up with this. I still miss this design sometimes. I think of all my designs ever, this was my favorite.
I wish I had all my old headers. I’ve changed my design so often, I could never come up with all of them. But here is the first one I created for myself, when I started learning design. Keeping with the handbag and coffee theme . . .
And sometime later I went to this. I kept this one and changed the colors with the seasons for quite a while.
Somewhere along the way, I moved to WordPress. When I bought my first premium theme for WordPress, I went all out and had a logo custom made. I wanted something you couldn’t find in stock art, so I commissioned the guy who did all my husband’s Handyguys Podcast design elements to make this coffee-and-handbag logo for me, based on a handbag I own.
The next year, I switched over to a version of what I have now. I kept the custom logo, but I integrated it into a photo header. This is still one of my favorite photo headers EVER.
Since then I’ve been changing up my photos often.
I diverged for a bit last spring and had my good friend Grace design a totally different look for me.
It was gorgeous, but I missed my photos and my coffee-and-handbag logo. Soon I went back to the photo header, but I designed a new logo for myself, keeping the title the way Grace had it.
The only reason I dropped the tagline is because I have no idea where to put it. So for those of you who are wondering, why the coffee and handbag . . . there you go!
I liked the Christmas one so much that I reinvented it for 2011 with the new logo.
And that pretty much brings us to where we are today!
Blog design has certainly evolved in the past six years. The goofy cartoons have largely been replaced by photos or simple logo designs. Headers are not so tall anymore. Everything is becoming more streamlined so as to enhance the content, not over-power it.
How about you? If you blog, how many designs have you had? Most people aren’t crazy like me, changing their design with every shift of the wind. What can I say . . . I get bored easily!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little walk down Memory Lane!
That is so fun! I may have to go look at my old ones too – I definitely haven’t changed it up as much as you but have some crazy looking headers from the good old days! Your first first one I recognize is the Spring ’08 one – love your very first tagline!
Lol, I am totally with you! I have only had my blog up for 15 months and I am on Header/Design #3 with lots of tweaking in between. I even just changed the name, like, yesterday. I love to see new stuff on other bloggers change things up..it keeps things interesting. I also switched over to a picture header. I haven’t come up with a logo that really impresses me or encompasses what I want people to associate with me, so for now, I will just experiment 🙂
I’ve been reading since the very first one…
I love seeing your designs through the years! It’s fun how our style and the things we love change through the years. You are self-hosted right? I’ve been thinking of self-hosting for a long time. Right now I’ve got a free wordpress account. I’m just so hesitant to take the plunge and spend the money.
I change mine with the season! In fact, my new summer design is going up this week–my mom said that my blog needed more color. 😀 My blog has been pretty easy to design, but I struggle with my professional website. I have never gotten it exactly where I want it. It is hard to strike the balance between professional and still incorporating aspects of my personality.
I’ve never changed my header 🙂
I don’t remember your first header – but I do remember the Fall of 2007 one! That’s when my daughter was born and I started reading blogs. I like the small logo and photos type header that you are using now too.
What a fun post! I came along when you had that brown/turquoise look.
I love this!!! It’s so fun to look back and see how blogs evolve! The one you had when I started reading was the 5th one down. =)
That was fun! I remember all but the first one. I really like that teal and brown one. I’d have a hard time parting with that but I completely understand the need for personal pictures to really define your page.
Thanks for the flashback!
HUGS
Kim
Okay, I’m just gonna’ say it…I need that red mug.
That first ironing one just cracks me up! I don’t even remember that one.
Thanks for taking us through the evolution of your blog header. It’s fun to see where you’ve been. They ALL look great though! I like your original tagline…I agree blogging is better than ironing even on a bad day :).
what fun!!!! Now I want to find all of mine. My first logo had a tree with little kids running around it.
Totally love the brown and blue one…it looks very 31ish, lol.
I put together my first headers (and they looked like I did it). It took me forever to decide on a standard tag line, but I finally did and had someone design everything for me last year. I still like it so I’m going to stick with it for awhile.
I love this Jo-lynne! Especially since I started reading your blog sometime in 2009 – so I only knew from that design forward 🙂 I love how you are always changing it up with new photos and color themes – I want to learn how to do that – it gives the blog a little spice and keeps people on their toes!
I remember all of them except the first one!!! I’ve had a blast watching you and your blog evolve over time. Love ya!
I LOVE this!! I have a bunch of my old layouts (screenshots anyway) posted here:
http://anywhere-is.net/site/
I’ve been blogging since 2000, so I have a lot, but these are the ones I managed to save. 🙂
I’ve been around since your first header! 🙂 that was so fun… I remember every one of those headers and have loved watching your evolution. Me? I’ve had 2 blog designs in just a little less than 6 years. I lovelovelove my current design but also crave something fresh and lighter/more open. Maybe in the fall… I like to start fresh on things then.
WOW! You are one busy lady; hats off to you! I still have so much to learn.
Congratulations on your new job. Wishing you the best Mother’s Day ever.
Rita
I first “found” you when you had the chocolate and teal one – loved it!
I too have moved to photos – and love to change them around, although mine are still a bit wintery just now! I actually posted a few of my old headers on my blog earlier in the week, but it wasn’t a trip down memory blogging lane post – but I am feeling inspired – will save this idea for future use 🙂
Isn’t it funny the journey we have all come along while blogging – who would have thought!
And congrats on your new job – just read the newsletter. Go girl!
Love the coffee and purse logo, you should go back to that one. Love all of them. Never paid attention to bloggers until 2019, too busy working, but when I come home from work yours is the first one I read.
That was fun! I enjoyed seeing how your blog has evolved. I am playing around with starting a blog. Not sure how to get it going and starting to question if I am interesting enough for people to want to read it… https://itsthe2ndact.com/
Wow! I loved seeing the evolution of your header design. I wish I’d known about blogs earlier and gotten in at the front like you did. It’s definitely a growing process.
Yes, I got in at the right time. I just wish I’d niched down to fashion a few years sooner!