Summer Blog Makeover

After nearly two years of using the standard blogger template, I decided that it was time for a blog makeover. I have been (and will continue to) make adjustments and improvements. Many of the features that I have incorporated into my blog came from carefully reviewing YOUR blogs and noting things that I liked. Here are the tools that I am using:

• The header of my blog was created in Photoshop with instructions from this site.
• I used the new Blogger template designer to setup the overall structure of the blog. I am using a modified form of the Picture Window theme.
• Live traffic feed from Feedjit. Provides an easy way to see which posts are popular and where visitors are coming from. 
• Twitter badge provided by twitterbutton.com. If they don't have a button you like, it doesn't exist!
• Social media buttons above posts provided by The Yoboo. I really like the "pencil" look of the icons he created. 
• Social media sharing below each post provided by AddThis. 
• I was able to embed my Google Profile in the "About Me" page using the script created by Carter Cole. This was a nice way to include links to various social media sites without including a long list of text links or going to the trouble of finding icons and linking them to the correct source. 

The new Blogger template editor is a much needed improvement. I was ready to leave the Blogspot platform because of its lack of features and updates however the new revisions have made it worth my while to stay put.

Throughout the summer I hope to be able to blog more than I have been over the past few months. As always, I appreciate your thoughts and comments.