New Look!

Okay, so raise your hand if you've ever had blog envy.

C'mon be honest.

Yeah, you there in the back - is your hand raised?

Well, I have!  I see these beautiful, simple yet well-designed blogs and I want one for myself!  However, I am not a big time blogger and I don't want to pay a designer to do it for me.  Some may call it cheap, I call it being thrifty!  So my big project this summer (and yes, it took most of the summer), was to design my own blog.  I took it step by step.

Here is the new and improved Reading Is Elementary!

My first step was to choose a color scheme.  I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but my favorite color is brown.  I knew that I wanted to have brown be the focus of color for the blog.  If you just type in color schemes into Pinterest, you will see so many choices, it will knock your socks off.  Here is a link to my Pinterest board on all of the color schemes I looked at.  Here was my winner:

This was the start.  I loved the combination of bright colors with the brown and stone colors.

Then I went and read my Bloglovin feed and perused through so many different blogs to get an idea of what I liked and what I didn't like.  I love the simplicity of some of the latest designs, so I knew that was the style that I was going for.

Next, Google became my best friend!  I would literally type into my search engine, "How do I bring my header down from the top of my blog?"  I would research every little thing I wanted step by step.  Then I would try it out on the test blog that I have that is not view-able to the public.  I wrote down every step that I did with links to websites and videos that I used.  I remember how the hubs teased me because I got so excited when I figured out how to round the corners of the top of my blog!  I believe his exact words were, "Whew, now I can sleep.  That was keeping me up nights!"  Mr. Comedian!

Then right before school started, I finished!  I have been so busy that I didn't have time to put the whole thing together in one sitting.  Then, I didn't care anymore and big, fat did it anyway!  I started on Saturday and then stopped to go to a softball game and then a football game.  Came home and finished up.

I still have some finishing touches.  For some reason, the same code that worked on my test blog for my signature post and post divider is not working on my real blog.  That has me stumped!  I will, however, persevere and not give up!  

All that hard work.  I think it is something to celebrate, don't you?  My store will be 20% off until Wednesday to celebrate!  I am excited and exhausted!  I am proud and a little ashamed that I know so much about HTML and CSS codes now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Letters

I have been reading this gal's blog pretty much since the beginning, and I think she is wonderful.  I am linking up with Michelle at Big Time Literacy this week for the first time with this incredible creative linky.  It's called:

So let's get started!

Dear September,

In the past, you have always kind of hit me like a Mack Truck.  With all of the testing that is needed before I get my program up and running, to the hectic schedules that both of my daughters have, you always keep my struggling to catch up!  I feel like this year I am ready for you.  This has me a little concerned that you may have something else up your sleeve.  Please take it easy on me if you can.

Anxiously Awaiting,

Amy

Dear Fellow Cheer Coaches,

I have had so much fun with you all and our squad of 16 second graders so far this year.  I am by far convinced that we have the cutest batch of little "Bears" around!  Thanks for making this experience so much fun!

Let's go Bears!

Amy

Dear Theo James (the actor),

I loved the way you played the character Four in Divergent, and I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the trilogy.  I now want to see pretty much everything you have ever acted in.  It also doesn't hurt that you are easy on the eyes.  You sing, dance, and have a great sense of humor.  My kind of guy!

Your stalker (but not in a bad way),

Amy

Dear Hubby,

Thank you for being understanding with this crazy fall schedule that we always seem to have.  Thank you for understanding when the dishes aren't done or I am behind on laundry (let's face it, that is all the time).  If we have a dirty house and happy family, I am okay with that!

Love,

Amy

Dear Lilah,
You have been with our family since December and I have since come to understand that I am your favorite person in the house.  I understand that you will follow me everywhere around the house, lay right outside the door when I am in the bathroom, and constantly try to sit in my lap.  I love you too, but you could sometimes love on someone else don't change a thing!
Love,
Your Mama


This is so fun!  Thanks Michelle for these great reflections on the week!