Part of me hates long weekends, obviously the sensible half loves them!! But when I have no plans it offers too much “thinking” time. By thinking time I mean internet time. This 3 day weekend provided much much unnecessary needed internet time.
I broke my blog 3 times during the weekend! A record I believe.
Anyhoo, instead of trying to do what I was trying to do I decided to settle (and I’m not a settler!) and change my theme. What’s that? My theme is still the same? You’re a clever little sausage aren’t you!
I’ve downloaded about 6 new themes to try out; I now have a grand total of 71 themes. Excessive? Much! But I’m indecisive, although I might delete some to shorten the long short-list.
(Get to the point Jen!). Last week I was discussing blog themes with my only in-the-flesh blog friend and then in a bizarre coincidence another blog friend msgd me on 20sb with a theme related issue.
Ok, the reason I struggle when choosing a blog theme is that I feel like it should represent me. Half the people who read my blog will probably never get to meet me (yes, I said “half”, you other half are like totally super lucky and you don’t even know it yet!) and I feel like it needs to represent me well! If I have pink you’ll think I’m a girly-girl (wrong), if I go blue you might think I’m a boys-girl (wrong), if I go green or yellow you might think I’m quite earthy (lol, I don’t even know what I mean by that), would yellow be a happy colour? I’m happy but not sunshine happy all the time. If I pick a pastel colour you could think I’m calm (seriously? Calm?), or a florescent colour might make me look a little crazy (accepted).
I love my current theme, but it just doesn’t sit right, it looks like a notebook, and I’m not the note-booky type (not that I know what “note-booky” looks like, or even is!).
Are you still with me?
I hope so!
So, I was discussing with in-the-flesh friend how a simple white background can look elegant, but also like you’re boring and lazy so it’s totally out of the question – I’m not saying white / plain / undecorated is bad (see: elegant), but it isn’t for me because I’m (lol…I was going to say “I’m not a white person”…interesting!) more than just an anonymous blogger (good save?), I want people to know me and I think your theme is a massive representation of yourself. Am I talking rubbish (read: useless information, a jumbled mess…not trash!)?? The blog friend who msgd me had actually been upset by a comment that had been made insinuating something she didn’t agree with (I believe a reference was made to her not being able to handle cussing or something) but the commenter had got this from her blog and the fact that she had flowers in her theme and so that was the image he had built up of her (even if its an untrue representation I think that’s fair – you only have the info you’re given to build a picture of someone online, you don’t have the actual person in front of you). Am I making my point yet?
An example….Every time I see Lilu’s blog I know she’s a naughty girl with a wicked streak but she’s also kinda cute (see: livitluvit.com header image!). I hope think this is a good representation (you can yell at me if not Miss Lilu).
Can you see why I’m struggling? I want more than just a theme – I want an extension of me!
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I AM WITH YOU!!!
last night i spent an inordinate amount of time changing my blog look only to still be disappointed because wordpress has such a limited ‘variety’ and none of them represent me as a person.
i would honestly love to get a blog designer to do it for me but my bank account tells me to keep dreaming that dream and i HATE settling for anything in life. the things you write in the blog is only the spoken part of you and the theme and colours are another unspoken part if tht makes sense?!?!
and i love change am all for change!!!
rambles25’s last blog post..homesick?!?!
Completely makes sense! Wordpress has more themes than blogger at least. My issue is too many choices – with self-hosted Wordpress there are literally thousands of themes to download and use! But I’m struggling! x
Every time I change my blog theme, I always end up changing it back. I agree with Jen–too many choices! I’m dying for a new theme too, but nothing seems to fit.
Mara’s last blog post..What Would You Do?
On the contrary, my dear… that is EXACTLY what I was going for, and I’m glad it comes across that way! I hope you find your perfect home too…
LiLu’s last blog post..I’m Calling a Switcheroo
Totally get you…I’ve downloaded themes I haven’t even looked at yet and even though I love my theme at the moment; I’m inpatient and feel I’ll be getting bored quite quickly…how annoying!
Serena’s last blog post..The ridiculous lessons I’ve learnt…
This is an interesting topic! And, it’s something that I never really explicitly thought of, but it does make total sense. The layout of a blog really does have the ability to represent who you are as a person. Having said that, however, do I have any suggestions for you to make this blog an extension of yourself? Not really (sorry!) As far as I can tell, you’re a fun-loving, honest, outgoing girl…so…bright colours??! Ha. How terrible, sorry.
Jess’s last blog post..Woo-Hoo!
When I was looking to set a theme for my blog I struggled with the same thing. At one time I was just plain over thinking it and was seriously getting irritated. I just finally had to make a commitment. I came to the realization that the theme was never going to encompass the whole me..so I picked a part. Make sense?
Lady Jane’s last blog post..You suck Rite Aid!!
i dealt with what you are going through a lot when i got my blog redesigned and what stinks is that i’m still not happy with it, it’s better than it was but i still don’t think it is 100% me. it’s hard!!
I absolutely love your design because it fits your blog name perfectly!!! In a way I think that’s a bit better because it’s clearer that it’s not 100% you (I.e you don’t look like a plum!!) and so for the rest your writing takes over. I hope that made sense! X
What do you think when I see my blog?
Theme is why I changed my previous purple and pink layout, people see and get the impressions I’m a total cute girly girl, which is not entirely true. Now that I think about it, its not even true much.
Red, yeah deep red, kinda more like me. Don’t you think?
andhari’s last blog post..Can I order a shoulder to cry on?
I really liked your previous theme, but I know what you mean – it was a bit too cute for you (not that you aren’t cure – but it didn’t show the rest of you). I do love the deep red though, it’s definitely more you. X
Awww…I’ve had the same problem too. Last time I changed my theme on blogger I had to cry my eyes out! Something went wrong and I had the most horrible polka dot theme ever. lols… Choosing takes time, choose wisely and carefully. =) Or, if you have trouble with choosing and don’t have much to write about in your next blog post, well, you can always show us the themes and we can choose which one we think represents you and then you can choose from the top 5 or whatever…I dunno. Just a thought.But hey, whatever theme you decide to go with, you still have all your followers who love reading your posts. =)
ChinkyGirLMeL’s last blog post..Party Time!
Viewer choice might work! I don’t want a theme that I love but that burns your eyes out!!! Hehe x