Blog Design & Focus

Greetings!  Long time no see!  Well I've been visiting once in a while and leaving comments here and there, but I admit I've been neglecting the blog world.  I'm in the state of wishy-washy can't decide which way to go.  I've made umpteen headers for The Cottage unsatisfied with any of them.  Here's a sample:

 I want a new look, but finding that perfect blend of imaginative graphics that convey the message I want is proving to be something of a conundrum.

So what I do I want The Cottage on the Corner to be?  I've thought long and hard about that as I turn the corner toward something new.  The Cottage started out as a garden blog, but morphed into being more about photography as I discovered the joy taking photos brings me. And by the way, this is not my first blog.  I had a couple blogs on Wordpress before moving to Blogger.  I've had blogs about writing, a couple blogs under pseudonyms, and personal blogs. I've blogged with another person and created a blog for a business. 

Learning design and how to create unique blogs has been fun and frustrating, but the bottom line is I really enjoy it. BUT...I can't seem to come up with a cohesive idea for The Cottage on the Corner, which is why it's taking me so long.  I wonder...could it be because The Cottage on the Corner lacks focus?  Is it time to close the doors and head in a new direction all together?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on blogging and honest opinions about the headers up there.  

Blog Frustration

Perhaps some of you have noticed that my blog keeps changing a bit. I said I was in the mood for a change, but change comes harder when I want what I want and what I want is a changeble header without frames or borders. I tried several background colors and decided black shows off photographs the best, so black it is. Now, I want the header to stretch from one margin to the next, not sit in the middle. I want a photograph, that I took, to rest to the right, not be front and center. I want the photograph to fade at the bottom and left. My perfect header would have the blog title beginning at the edge of the photo in a unique font. AND...I want to have the ability to change the photo with the season or when the mood strikes. So for the last week and a half, I've been trial and erroring it through a test blog I set up, changing the template, HTML, and using the preset Layout on Blogger. I'm spending too much time searching for tutorials, suggestions, and how-to's while my frustration level at not finding what I want climbs to the point that I post a blog about it.

So if anyone out there in the blogsphere has any idea how I can achieve what I want, feel free to add your two cents worth and I'll be happy to try your suggestion.

The photo I'm trying to get to the left of the header is of a home that I named, the story book house, many years ago. It sits on a small hill with a brook gurgling behind it. The little barn sports dove cotes and the yard has always intrigued me. I like to imagine a cottage garden gracing the front yard to the entrance.