Too Gone For Too Long
January 30, 2012 Country music fans will recognize that title from this Randy Travis classic. Oh gosh, the next line of that song is "it's too late to come back now" ... ??? ... geez, I hope not!!!
I really didn't think I'd be down for 2+ weeks. But I am. Now I'm waiting for my new Photoshop software to come in so I can start showing you what I've been up to.
In desperation, I dug around my old photo files and found this ... you may recognize it as my blog banner on steroids.
In fact, I made it as part of an exercise for a blogging course I took from Holly Becker of Decor8 last year. My banner is the edited version of this collage.
Ooooh, wait ... I just had an idea.
Back story required.
When I first discovered blogs, one of my very favorite things was when bloggers changed their banners. And when I started my blog I SWORE I was going to change MINE every.single.month.
Yeah, right! Sometimes I can't even stand my own delusions of grandeur.
When I came up with my current ... oh, let's be honest here ... ONLY banner, I really fell in love with it. I mean really. I'd never done anything like that before - made up a collage of my favorite things - and now I'm afraid it was a creative fluke and I'll never be able to make a new one that is just as pretty ... kinda like a one hit wonder.
That said, I wonder if you're getting bored of it.
But on the other hand (another Randy Travis hit ... I'm not really a Country music fan, I just happen to know a few of his tunes), I wonder if you guys still like it and would prefer I just keep it forever and ever ... amen? LOL, ok now I'm just messin' with ya!
So how 'bout YOU tell ME if I should keep my current banner or try to come up with something new.
(See how I'm trying to trick you into talking to me?)
Reader Comments (65)
I LOVE your banner. I think it is one of the best I've seen. I bet you can do it again. So, I love this one but would like to see more! You can always go back to this one if it doesn't work!
I love your banner. It is so 'You'. But I suspect if you decided to change it, you would find something equally 'you'. Or, if you wanted to keep the theme, you could crop the bigger collage into different sections and swap those out regularly.
Remember, this is your blog so make it what you want it to be. If you love your banner, keep it!
You know that you don't have trying to trick me into talking;-) I love your banner but I'm sure it isn't a one-hit-wonder. If you feel like creating a new one just do it. How about keeping a few things of the current banner (like the pins)? And hey, there's hardly a more creative woman than you out there (expect for Camille ... and me,hee;-)
Hildy
It's your thing, do what you wanna do!! I can't tell ya.... Look what you did to me. Now i can't stop with the songs. I like your original but I think it would be great to see one that also incorporates your beautiful embroidery work (sans french knots)!!
I love love love your banner. Part of the fun in blogging is changing things around and having fun doing it! I think you should change it, we will all enjoy seeing what you come up with. After a while, you can always change it back if you still like your original one the best :)
I love your banner. I stare at it in awe. Having said that, I would love to see what new lovely pretty by hand banner you could come up with. I too would love to see some beautiful embroidery incorporated in what you love.
Quilting in Texas
Vonna
Love your banner. But you could most likely do another that would be just as good, or better. You're just talented that way, you know?
I LOVE your banner. I really wouldn't worry about it unless YOU are just dying to change it. I probably pay more attention to the loveliness going on in your posts than in your banner (since I've seen your banner so much~)
Amber
In my humble opinion, you have THE best blog banner! I love it! It makes me sigh. :) I don't think I could ever get tired of it. That being said, if you are wanting change, I believe you would totally nail another one. You are uber-talented that way. :)
Krystine,
I am trying to find a way to contact you. Do you have an email address? I wanted to ask you about possibly being a guest blogger on my blog (featuring you and your creative space). Please email me.
Amber Johnson
Gigi's Thimble
adctd2qultng@gmail.com
http://www.alittlebitbiased.blogspot.com
I love yours...but certainly understand that sometimes you need to freshen up!
I love the banner now - it seems like a signature, like a classic. I'd keep it. But if you feel like changing, how about embroidering your logo in a Flower Sugar color and incorporating the FS prints into the collage? We KNOW that you can embroider letters!
I had read that bloggers should design a really good banner and keep it. No changes, no modifications. The basis of this was branding your image. People come to recognize your banner as you, and don't like it to change. Now, I think changing it subtly is fine, but keep the basic feel the same. I love your banner, and personally think you should keep it. My blog banner I paid someone to design (well, I designed it, and they made it happen), so it's not going anywhere...I'm too cheap to do another, and I still love it anyhow =)
I love your banner - please don't change it!
I love your banner - it tells me about you and what to expect on your blog! Don't change it unless you have something more wonderful - which I can't imagine.
Yes! Keep it! It is a party for my eyes.
Keep it - gorgeous!
LOVE your banner but I think you need personal blog growth...just fiddle around with your beautiful things and snap some pics. If you don't like them...figure out WHY you don't like it and change that element. Sounds crazy? Nope.
This is the exercise we went through for an entire year with kitchen design magazines. If we liked a picture we had to say WHAT it was we liked. Same for the reverse. If we didn't like a picture...what didn't we like. It really helped us to figure out what we wanted and why.
As Miranda Lambert likes to sing: 'I'm your crazy ex-girlfriend'...
I love your banner! That was one of the things that attracted me to your post. I read about you on Simplify and I had a "look" but when I saw what you did!!!!! I felt when I started to read your blog that I was looking at my self! Not trying to creep you out but the whole Laura Ashley thing ( I still can't throw out my old catalogues and my girls rooms and clothes were from L.A.), all the fabric collections (I don't know anyone else who likes Susan Branch) the tech issues, and that you work at my favourite quilt store in Calgary! Anyway...I have been wanting to send you a comment for a long time. I just love love your blog and all of your beautiful projects and colours and especially what you did with Camille's book! I checked it out from the library and am also attempting to go through my stash as I too" saved" collections. I still have oodles of Seaside Rose! What am I waiting for!You have inspired me! Anyway keep posting and showing your beautiful work! Did you really only start blogging last year? I have gone back and read your entire blog from the beginning!
Kerry
I say if you like it, keep it. I think it's pretty! :) I change mine every now and then because I get bored of things pretty quick. I'd change the furniture around in my house if my husband would let me. :)
I absolutely love your banner!! But you are so creative I know you could make another one just as cute if not cuter! Like you probably need another thing on your plate though, huh!
Your banner is fabulous. I love it and it really gives a good idea of what to expect on your blog. Still, if you had fun playing I say go for it and try another. You can always go back.
I think we just love the content of your blog best! I love your banner and you can do whatever you want as long as you keep posting. And don't worry I think we will all be patient with the whole new computer thing. :) you're the best Kristyne!!
Love your banner but if you decided to try something new, then I'd wait and see and no doubt adore that one as well.
Welcome back. :D
I absolutely LOVE your banner! It is gorgeous. I hope you do decide to keep it, but I'm sure that whatever you create will be wonderful.
I love your banner, it is beautiful and it is so you! Your blog wouldn't be the same with out it.
In general, I hate when bloggers change their headers (unless maybe they one that is truly generic). I follow many blogs and I am a visual person, so I identify blogs/bloggers by their banners (especially for bloggers that don't have a picture of themselves on it). It sort of becomes your identity in my head. Then when they switch, I have no idea who they are?! It takes me a while to connect two and two (if ever).
Ok, so I don't deal well with change.......however, I would be ok if you changed it, if we had the option of getting this one back. I do love the current one, but I imagine you would do another just as lovely. Now I do have one pet peeve......I do not like the banners that take up my whole screen, thus forcing me to scroll down to see if there has been a new entry. Yours is the perfect size as it is now. It is just easier to check for new posts maybe 3 or 4 times a day...I mean once daily.....if I don't have to click on it and scroll. Just sayin"
Truthfully, I love to visit periodically just to look at your banner. I think it's so pretty and organized and fresh and soft. Then after staring awhile, I may scan the blog, LOL!
KEEP IT! I love looking at it each time you send out a new blog! It's one of the best that I've seen!
To be perfectly honest, your banner is what drew me to your blog, I love it... it speaks volumes about you. It made me feel like doing a collage of my favorite things too, and made me think it was ok to embrace my own 'pinkness'. Lol Kim in Australia. xxxx I think i would miss it if you scrapped it....
are you kidding me - this is YOU ... I see you in front of me every time I look at that banner - the two of you are one and the same ...
It is crazy how much it is you!
However, if you want to change it you should ... just keep this one in a very very safe vault so you can always find it when you need to go back to it!
Love ya!
Bxx (btw ... have you been over at www.bmdesignshop.com ... a new project is on its way :) )
I'd keep the current banner because I think it is very "you." Also, Ii don't like it when bloggers change their banners frequently because I don't recognize the blog when it pops up.
I love your banner and if you know anything about branding, sometimes keeping it the same is a good thing. I also love Randy Travis, not that that has anything to do with this post.
Love it!
I think it is very pretty as it is, but I would love to see what else you could come up with.
Your banner is what drew me into reading your blog. But after seeing all the neat things that you do, I'm sure another one would be just as good.
I love EVERYTHING that you do, so you can't go wrong! Thanks for sharing yourself with us- we need our Kristyne fix!
I promise to always love your blog and be a faithful reader, regardless of what your banner looks like!!
i get all warm and fuzzy when i hit your banner on my google reader... it makes me happy and i know i'm in for a great post whenever i see it!
Your banner is one of my favorites! That said, it's your blog so you should do whatever you want with it. I'm sure if you make a new banner it will be just as lovely. And I know every one of those songs!
If it ain't broken, there's no need to fix it! Like it just the way it is.
LOVE your banner! It makes me happy when I see it!
Just going to ditto all of the above, but sure wish I could think of a country music song for my answer. Hard to keep up w/you girl.
Love the banner! Don't change it until you want to-
I like your banner, it's very you. While it can be fun seeing people change/update the look of their blogs, it's equally great to have it stay the same. Recognisable - kinda like branding.
Like you I have considered changing the skin on my log. But I love it. Then I thought of maybe rotating through different colours. But I love the reds. So it'll stay, and everyone will know it's me :)
I love your banner! its perfect!but your are a creative women so I have faith you could whoop out another just as pretty.
I think you should KEEP your beautiful border but how's this - make up a surprise one every once in a while to pop in for a day or two? I'd love to see what else you could come up with, but your current border is near and dear to my heart :-)
The "Man Child" arrived on the 22nd. All 9lbs 10 oz of him. He's a little sweetie and he's even given me a day to sew since he's been born. :-)
Kristine, I love the banner, but as a blog reader, a change up would be fun. Maybe consider making seasonal banners, so you are making them only 4 times a year? I like the monochromatic look of yours (mostly all pink), so maybe make a spring color and use all kinds of things you like (doesn't have to just be sewing stuff)... like stamps, cards, flowers, anything that inspires you. That will tell us a little bit about you, too. Prep the spring one now so you have it for April/May and prep one ahead of summer, etc. That might be fun! If not, what the heck...have a glass of wine, start stitching and just forget about the banner. A joke: my friend says the first 2 weekdays are the only important ones that matter, because the initials of the remaining three days spell out "WTF"! LOL. Have a nice week! Keri in CA
all i have to say is that you totally crack me up.....i like your banner, it's pretty, so i'm sure a new one would be pretty too, HOWEVER...i come to your blog because you make pretty things, you take pretty pictures and you seriously crack me up. SO, if you don't make a new blog banner i will STILL come to your blog, BUT it would be fun to see something else you make, SO a new banner would certainly be fabulous, just like everything else you do!
do whatever you feel like....GOSH! (that was suppose to be napoleon....as in dynamite...i wasn't angry at you)
have a fantabulous day.....i hope i do because i just had a little case of vertigo this morning....ug!!!
you are too funny. i've been tricked. love your banner, but i'm sure you would easily be able to come up with a new no problem. if you don't like it as much, no worries, who says you have to change. it.