More than Mildly Frustrated

Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

Huh?

So, I cannot use the Blogger design function in FireFox, but I cannot get the layout part to work right in Chrome. I really don't want to use Safari as my main browser. Earlier today, I couldn't even post using Chrome. Browser restart fixed that, thankfully. Saying I'm frustrated seems like a bit of an understatement ...

BUT, I am loving how this is turning out. I'm having fun tweaking and playing with the design. And, I am really loving how it is coming together. I'm using the same graphics I've been using for a year or so now (custom-made), but I've still found a way to make it feel fresh. That makes me happy.

So, while this has been a royal PITA, I know that it'll be worth it in the end. I think the issue is with one of my widgets, which was fine until I moved it to a specific spot. So, I'll be playing around with that shortly.

Anyway, thank you for waiting patiently while I got myself together back here on Blogger. It feels good to be here. I think I'll stay.

It's coming along

I am slowly getting things back together. Next up is adding the widgets I want to have back here. Thank you for your patience as I figure this out. I haven't been able to get the design function to work in FireFox at all, but it works in Safari. It also works (not surprisingly) quite well in Google Chrome. (I might have just found a new browser ...)

Anyway, thank you for your patience. I'll try not to keep changing things too much on you! ;-)

Did I say I'm Back?

What I meant was that I'm TRYING to come back. Stupid Blogger's stupid new designer stuff won't work in firefox on my computer. (A conflict with an add-on, perhaps?) So, I'm having to go back and forth with Safari and Firefox. AND I can't get my design to work right, so I'm gonna scrap it and start over. Except, I don't know how to start with a clean slate design-wise. Is that even possible?

Frustrated, to say the least ...

How cool is this?

So, I've been around the blog-block a lot lately, and I noticed that people do many different things with the navbar here in Blogger-land. Some have found a way to move it to the bottom of the page (or replace it with something very similar that is anchored at the bottom), some have tweaked the colors, and others even have removed it altogether. Initially, I always chose the color that either best matched my blog's color scheme, or the one that clashed least. Then they had more colors, and it became somewhat simple to pick one that worked. Then it got better - transparent navbars! That made me happy. I'll admit, though, that I kinda liked the pages without the navbar, except that it was frustrating trying to find my way back to my Blogger dashboard! But, I liked how they looked. But, again, there was the no-quick-way-back-to-the-dash issue ...

Then I saw it. A blog with a navbar that disappears, but reappears when you hover at the top of the page! BRILLIANT! I wanted it. I contacted the first person I saw with it, but she had someone else design her blog, and that was part of it. Finally, I did a Google search for "blogger navbar hover" – or something like that. And viola! I FOUND IT! And it's so simple. So easy! As easy as adding an html widget to your blog. Check it out on Shabby Creations Freebies here:

Disappearing Navbar

I did have to tweak the margin at the top of my outer wrapper in the html part to get it spaced the way I like it. That was the easy part. I actually did it on Proud Book Nerd first, then realized I wanted it HERE, too!

How cool is this? Pretty cool, if you ask me! ;-)

Friend Making Monday ... on Tuesday

Yep, I'm late - again. Sorry. I saw yesterday's post, and thought it looked like fun. But, last night while we were cleaning up after dinner, Grant split his forehead open! So, I spent the night (well, a few hours) at the emergency room with him. They were able to glue it together, so I was happy we were able to avoid stitches! Today has subsequently been nuts - I kept him home just to make sure he wasn't going to pick at it or anything. I finally have a chance to post!

Amber wants to know what home decor style we gravitate to. There's a quiz on Sproost that she'd like us to take. If you wanna take the quiz, go here.

According to the style quiz, my personal design style is:

57% Classic (I LOVE this picture!)

 

29% French Eclectic

 14% Modern Elegance (I must admit this one surprises me a little)

And here's the description to go with it:

Classic

What's old is new again! The beauty of Classic Style is how well it takes all of the beautiful forms, colors and textures of the past and reinvents them in a way that feels both fresh and inspired. The style itself is a mix of European influences and French, English and Italian antiques and replicas are often used together. Furniture is well proportioned and comfortable and the rooms give off an air of sophistication and grace. Oil paintings depicting a still life or nature scenes and emphasizing symmetry of pairs helps maintain the Classic nature of the room. Windows are often covered with opulent fabric shades and/or drapery. Classic rooms give off an air of history that seems to say: "I was here long before you, and will remain long after you've gone." And yet, even with this level of sophistication, the rooms are soft and inviting.

More >

Materials

Classic rooms are filled with texture and deep color. Walls are often saturated in color and many times have an old-world faux finish to hint of days gone by. Dark stained wood is very common and is often distressed. Additionally, gold, bronze and silvers have a natural-looking patina to them that softens their shine. Maps and animal prints are common, and fringe and tassels are often used to trim pillows, drapery and cushions. Genuine antiques are mixed with replicas and found objects become sculptural elements in the room. Wallpaper is a very popular way to bring additional color and texture to the room, and the patterns are usually reminiscent of traditional European styling.

Colors

Common colors are creams, and rich versions of traditional colors such as burgundy, dark green and navy blue. Golds and yellows are also popular as many Classic rooms have a very warm tone to them. That being said, greens and blues can also be tailored to take on the Classic feel. The color, whatever it may be, almost always has a regal air to it and many times you will see faux finishing to highlight the aged feel of the color.

Now, if only I could afford to remodel so my house looks like that first pic! LOL

So, what's YOUR personal design style? Head on over to Sproost to find out! Don't forget to share your results!

Testing

I have a beautiful new signature I wanted to test. Yes, it's one more thing done by The Cutest Blog on the Block! They do AWESOME work. I'm almost done with the design part of the blog redesign. After that, I'll be tweaking font colors and sizes - something I can do without help! ;-) Thanks for your patience - and feedback - as I slowly make this transition!