Fun New Blog Stuff!

So every now and then I get the itch - a desire for something new, fun and different. Sometimes I think about dying or cutting my hair; other times I buy some new shoes; but this time...this time I wanted a new look for the blog. My little sister probably gets a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when she sees this subject line in an email from me:

Because it's usually followed by a barage of emails like this:

Note the ratio of my messages to hers. Yeah, she must love me to put up with such an obnoxious 'client'! I must say it's nice to have a graphic designer in the family. I really loved the original header that she designed for me - the watercolor look in the background, the cozy gray cats, and the handwritten-looking font were all right up my alley:

I wanted to keep some elements from this header but definitely wanted a change. First we tried changing the colors:

I liked it, but that still wasn't enough of a change for me, so I sent my sister some of my favorite blogs for inspiration.

I love the warm and inviting colors of Creature Comforts.

I also am drawn to the simple and, well, just plain happy design of Oh Happy Day:

So far I had inspiration photos that pointed me toward warm colors and a simple design, but I also wanted some whimsy in the equation. I found that inspiration in little. lovely.

After both my sister and I played around with the design for a while, I think we were finally able to get all of the elements I was looking for:

Simple, happy, warm, and whimsical. I may still play around with the background and About section a bit when I have some free time, but for now, I am happy :) Thanks so much to my awesome sister for putting up with my insanity and helping me to come up with the perfect new look for with two cats!

Love, your obnoxious favorite sister :)