Digging’s new look debuts
It’s time for the big reveal! After 6 years, Digging needed a fresh look and improved navigation, and I got it with the help of Kyla at Freckled Nest Design, a blog-design studio based in Winnipeg (way up in Canada, folks). If you’re reading this in your reader, please pop on over to my actual site and take a look!
You can see that I’m a more-is-more kind of gal. I wanted color, zing, and fun—and I got it! There’s a new header, background color, fonts, and layout. But what really makes me happy is the navigation bar under the header, with its drop-down menu that offers organized access to all areas of my blog, from a new Welcome page with links to useful and popular posts, to a book page where you can directly order my book, to an accessible Resources menu that includes my plant list, links to public garden tours I’ve taken, nurseries I shop, blogs I read, and more.
Kyla helped me clean up my sidebar’s text-heavy lists and tuck that info into the nav bar. Now the sidebar contains clickable buttons that take you to my most-popular post categories: garden design, Plant This, How I Did It, and stock tanks. She also created three cute shareable badges, pictured at top (the actual badges are at the bottom of my sidebar). If you’d like to share my blog with your readers or just want a quick link to Digging, feel free to grab the HTML code shown below each badge in my sidebar and insert it into your own sidebar.
I hope you’ll take a test-drive around my site. If you haven’t really looked around in a while, I think you’ll find new information and useful links—good stuff to eat up an hour or two in gardeny richness. Such decadence. Have fun and happy Digging!
All material © 2006-2012 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Sorry, but I miss the sidebar list of blogs you are following as it gives me links to other interesting garden bloggers. I liked seeing the blogs with latest updated ones first.
Hi, Ann. I appreciate your thoughts, but I haven’t had a list of blogs in my sidebar for at least a year, maybe two. You see, my blogroll had gotten so long that it needed its own page, so I had a link on my sidebar that said “Blogs I Dig.” One click and you could see it. And that’s still there! It’s now under the heading Resources on my nav bar—just one click away. As far as listing them by latest-updated, that’s never been a feature on my blog. —Pam
I really like this Pam. Great job.
Thanks, Lisa. I’m glad it works for you. —Pam
Wow. It’s great — love the look and all of the different elements/interactivity and search features. I’m sure you’re thrilled it’s finally done.
I can’t tell you how glad I am to be done, Diana. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I’m very pleased with how it turned out. —Pam
Pam, I’m wrong. Got you confused with another blogger. But it is a nice feature to go to a favorite blog then use it as a launching pad to other blogs that have recently been updated so I don’t have to bother with those that haven’t changed.
Your new look is very professional and well organized. Thanks for blogging often and giving us all such great info and beautiful photos.
Ann, I always appreciate your visits and comments! I totally agree about the usefulness of blogrolls. I’ve had readers tell me they use mine to check for updates on their favorites too. —Pam
Looks great, Pam…great job on the re-fresh!
Thanks, Scott! —Pam
The new look is beautiful, Pam! It is very easy to navigate…good job. 🙂
I’m glad you find it easy to navigate, Amy. That was a huge goal for the redo. —Pam
Hey Pam, wow, i LOVE it, i’ve just added your Badge to my Blog. i didn’t know you had sooooo many elements to your blog, i hadn’t had a look before though, but now i’m going to be delving into every nook and cranny. i love the How I Did It section, it’s full of wonderful inspirational ideas…. you are going to keep me very busy 🙂
i just love the new arrangement and i’m sure A LOT of effort went into it. i’m really looking forward to having a good look around but sadly once again time has gotten away from me and i really should be going to bed… it’s 12:30am hehe oops 🙂
i hope you’re having a lovely day pam
Michael
And I hope you’re having a restful sleep, far away Down Under. 😉 Michael, your comments made my day because I really wanted the new design to “open up” my blog to visitors, and it seems to be making it easier for you to discover older posts and categories of posts that maybe you didn’t know about before. And I’m tickled pink, and honored, to see my badge on your sidebar. Thanks for sharing Digging with your readers. I just added My Patch of Heaven to my blogroll too. —Pam
The update and the new theme looks great. The new font is easier to read and the buttons instead of lists are sharper and more professional.
Deciding which one of those pretty badges to choose is the only problem I see so far!
Thanks for your feedback, Shirley! I’m looking forward to catching up on your tour posts this weekend, by the way. —Pam
Your new design looks so pretty! And I love the picture for your third badge… Congrats on the redesign!
Thanks, Renee! —Pam
I’ve been putting off the daunting task of redesigning Sprig to Twig. Believe me, I appreciate how much work and thought are involved. Kudos to you for the smooth mechanics and the fresh look…and your new personal photo is perfect: very friendly and inviting…and also CUTE.
Thanks for your kind words, Ricki. It IS a lot of work to redesign, but now that it’s done it all seems worth it. Kind of like childbirth, I guess. 😉 —Pam
I think your redesign looks awesome! I love all the changes you’ve made. I’ll be grabbing one of those badges and putting it on my blog. I need to freshen up my own blog, but that kind of thing is so daunting, and I just know I’ll mess something up and not be able to fix it.
That’s why I hired a professional to help me with the redesign, Alison. It alleviated most of the worry about messing things up (and a backup before you start does wonders for easing one’s mind too). Thanks for your feedback. I’m glad you like the redesign, and I’m thrilled that you want to put a badge on your site—the ultimate compliment! —Pam
Everything about the site is gorgeous. I love the colors. The photos just pop and I loved reading the reviews on your books. I will be excited to get my hands on a copy as soon as it comes out. Congratulations.
Thanks, Jenny. I appreciate your support. And I am thrilled to have been able to include two photos of your gorgeous garden in my book, one as a full-page image! —Pam
Looks great. I’m anxious to check out all the new elements.
Good work!
Thank you, Linda! —Pam
LOVE the new design and nav-bars, Pam!
Thanks, Katina! —Pam
rather like the gentleman napping in the last photo on your welcome page.
Isn’t he relaxed looking? That was a vignette I spotted on the Seattle Garden Bloggers Fling two years ago. —Pam
I like it! It’s so bright and cheery. Congrats!
Thanks, PP. Perhaps it’ll be a good pick-me-up when one is feeling tired. 😉 —Pam
Looks great Pam, will navigate through some of the links at the top of the page. I especially like that you have recent posts, I go back to see your response to a comment…in your old template it was hard to get to previous posts.
I’m really glad to have that new feature, Janet, especially now that I know it helps you find my responses to your earlier comments. —Pam
Well done Pam and company!
Thank you, Gail. —Pam
Love it!! Great job and a wonderful refreshing look.
Thanks, Bonnie. —Pam
OH Pam!!! It looks AMAZING!! I just LOVE it soooo much. It’s so friendly and happy.
Drool and congratulations!!
Can’t wait for the book!
We are color lovers, aren’t we? I’m so glad you like it. And thanks re: my book, and don’t forget that your lawn-gone front garden is IN it! —Pam
Wow, Pam! I think you’re on to something.
It has both the cool retro look (which I love), vivid color schemes, and a fun feel to it. I think you’ve found a winner way up there in Winnipeg!
Cool weather is a comin’ later this week, yipee!!!
David/:0)
Thanks for your feedback on the new design, David. I’m glad you like it. —Pam