I like to pretend that I am creative. I copy decorating ideas from magazines, crafty ideas from my friends, but really, there isn't a lot of original thought that comes directly from my brain. At Christmastime, when my best friend and I host a table at the annual tea party, she is the one that comes up with fabulous ideas for decorating the table. I am the one that makes the checklist and makes sure we have silverware, sugar and cream.
The non-creativity spills over into the realm of the look of my blog too.
I have no business messing with my blog design. That's what I decided after I almost obliterated the entire thing this weekend.
I've been meaning to update my blogroll, but have been putting it off because there are just too many to add and it seemed entirely too daunting of a task. But this weekend, I decided to be brave. I've seen blogs that use the drop-down menu for their blogroll, and I thought that was just perfect.
There was just one small issue - I had no clue how to do it. So I googled. And about 10,000 sites popped up.
I just love it when the instructions say, This is super easy. Just do this, cut this, copy this, paste this, delete this. Foolproof.
Except that when I do what they tell me to, I end up deleting my entire existing blogroll. And in its place, a drop-down list of labels shows up. What???
I panicked a bit, and then when I tried to copy and paste my back-up copy of my original template back in, it told me my HTML wasn't acceptable and the tag wasn't closed. Or something. Then I really freaked out, thinking that my entire blog was never to be seen again.
Which didn't happen, but I was good and scared, so I just closed out of everything and went and read a book. So much for my burst of creativity. Now I have no blogroll whatsoever.
And I know I could put my blogroll into a separate post and then link to that post from my sidebar, but I really have my heart set on the drop-down menu. Anybody out there know how to do that?
This pretty much puts the kibosh on any plans I might have had for trying to re-do the actual design of my blog myself. Guess I'll have to hire one of you brilliant people out there to do it for me.
And to those of you that teach yourself how to do this stuff, all on your own, my admiration for you knows no bounds. Send a little of your creativity my way, will you?
20 comments:
you're brave to even mess around with it at all! i went into my blog's html one day to change the background and freaked out when something similar happened...some wierd error message!
i'm not sure about the drop down menu type blogroll that you are talking about, but i really do like bloggers new feature blogroll that i'm using...you can always see who had updated most recently straight from your blog w/o a reader.
just an idea!
That's what techie husbands are for my dear...
I have no clue how to do anything other than
-check my email
-post to my blog
-comment on blogs
and answer Disney Moms Panel questions.
Not much help. Sorry. :( I do know a great web designer though. I just so happen to live with him!
I have done the exact same thing. I finally gave up and had Shauna do it...totally worth it :)
Hope you get what your heart is set on!
I wish I could help, but I feel your pain. I long to design a super pretty blog, because I don't want to pay for one and the freebies just aren't as good. Maybe I should take a class?
I hope you find the instructions for the dropdown blogroll!
I think you're brave to try!
Okay, don't feel dumb when I tell you this...
There is a 7th grader's blog I read, and she does blog designing for free. You should email her.
http://princessblogdesigns.blogspot.com/
Don't know about the drop down menu. All I use is the customizing features that Blogger offers. I like that it's pretty cut and dry.
Bless your heart! I may be creative, but the tech gene is among my brethren, not me. :)
So sorry! Funny the way you tell about it tho! :o)
Blogger is fairly easy, just follow the instructions. You can do it!!
Hee, hee! I feel that way sometimes too.
I have a friend who is a genius at all that technical stuff. She made my blog header and helps me when I get stuck.
She told me that she just kind of "played around" with her computer until she figured it out.
That makes me a little sick to my stomach.
Looks like you're not the only blogger is computer illiterate. I did a similar thing when I first started blogging, then decided to leave that kinda computer technical stuff up to the professionals. I'm doing good if I can upload a picture or video to my blog.
I actually won my blog design and she did everything for me. It was wonderful! Seems to be the best and easiest thing to do ... just pay somebody to do it.
I deleted my whole blog trying to put up that crazy mister linky! Sigh!!
You know, I think being "creative" and being "computer savvy" are mutually exclusive! ;)
I'm convinced it must be a right brain/ left brain type thing that is impossible to bring together!
At least that's my story and I'm stickin' with it!
Happy Day!
Good luck! I can relate. I know I could figure this out, but I don't have enough time in my lifetime to deal with updating my blog at all . . .
Honey, I'm too new to help with the fancy-schmancy stuff like a pull-down blogroll. Don't have a clue!
But I think you're probably more creative than you give yourself credit for...or else you wouldn't be writing!
Figuring out the techie stuff is just the technological know-how. You can do it!
I like the drop-down idea too...but I have NO clue!!!
Oh, that could have happened to me. Please let me know when your figure it out, I'd love to do the same. Great idea!
thats why I don't changemine. And I am to cheep to pay someone to do it.
You were very brave to even attempt it! I've tried some of those "it's so easy!" DIY blog design instructions. I find that (like home improvement projects), it never turns out as easy as they say it should be! I wish I could offer some help, but I haven't a clue.
I am determined to teach myself how to design my own blog. I tried for about a week. I too just about lost what I had and decided I should practice on something else. I've searched the net. I've downloaded freebies...and I've put it on the back burner. But someday, someday I'll teach myself to do it, and when I do I'll share my insights!
I'd love to pay someone to do it, I'd also love to pay someone to clean my house and cook my meals, but at the moment buying things like shoes and food for the fam take slight priority. although that doesn't stop a girl from dreaming! =)
Unfortunately I use wordpress rather than blogger. I could probably help out better with that one.
Good luck! You can always look for alternative blogger blog templates to use, one probably has a drop down box for the blog roll.
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