Making it Lovely Turns Two

Today the blog is two years old!

To celebrate, I’ve freshened up the design a bit. Yes that’s right, I celebrated by creating work for myself. ;) Nothing drastic, but I’ve cleaned up the layout a bit, changed the proportions, and quieted the color scheme. This is the fifth design I’ve done for Making it Lovely.

Making it Lovely Redesigns

I still have some refining to do and a few bells and whistles to add, but the new look is nearly done. Let me know if you notice anything odd (I’ve been working on this very late at night while very sleepy). Oh, and I’ve added support for twitter avatars as well as gravatars, so if you have one or the other your picture should show up when you comment.

Thank you all for reading and commenting, for your friendship and support, and just for all around making my day!

66 Responses to “Making it Lovely Turns Two”

  1. amy purple January 9, 2009 at 4:45 pm #

    Looks super sharp – as always! Two years already?

  2. Erica January 9, 2009 at 4:45 pm #

    i love seeing your creative process! the layouts keep getting better and better ;)

  3. Jessica January 9, 2009 at 4:50 pm #

    Congrats! And I am liking the new layout/colors…
    Jessica
    http://blackwhiteyellow.blogspot.com/

  4. megan January 9, 2009 at 4:54 pm #

    Looks great!

  5. ileana January 9, 2009 at 4:56 pm #

    Looks great, Nicole!

  6. Desiree Fawn January 9, 2009 at 5:08 pm #

    Lovely! I just did a revamp on my blog too — http://desireefawn.blogspot.com

    It’s so nice to have a new look!

  7. Sherry January 9, 2009 at 5:10 pm #

    Of course it looks flawless. Loving it.

    xo,
    s

  8. Miss B. January 9, 2009 at 5:10 pm #

    As always, just lovely! Happy B day!!!

  9. Holly January 9, 2009 at 5:16 pm #

    Wow! Only two years? I’m super impressed. I’ve been blogging for almost 3 and my site still looks MUCHO GENERICO!

    You are talented!

  10. Renate January 9, 2009 at 5:17 pm #

    Absolutely perfect layout. :) Congratulations on the two years!

  11. Michelle @Everyday Celebrating January 9, 2009 at 5:23 pm #

    I heart your blog. I just gotta tell you that when I come here.. I just sigh and relax. I love the colors and the layout. It’s just… relaxing to read. Thanks and happy 2 years!

  12. lori January 9, 2009 at 5:25 pm #

    so lovely!

  13. Bernadette January 9, 2009 at 5:26 pm #

    Love it!

    You have indeed made it lovelier!

  14. Casey January 9, 2009 at 5:31 pm #

    This is my favorite so far! What plugin are you using to display Twitter icons? Very cool.

  15. cherilyn January 9, 2009 at 5:33 pm #

    Nicole – Happy 2 years! The new design looks great, very fresh, I like it a lot!

  16. rachel best January 9, 2009 at 5:37 pm #

    Oooh, I love the new the layout! Seems perfect!

  17. Jessica January 9, 2009 at 5:40 pm #

    This looks great. I love the pictures you added to the sidebar.

  18. flights of fancy January 9, 2009 at 5:46 pm #

    Loving the new layout…very pretty.

  19. Making it Lovely January 9, 2009 at 5:46 pm #

    The pictures are part of the planned bells and whistles… each time the blog is reloaded they’ll change (and possibly link to the post that the photo came from – I’m not sure yet).

    Casey, the plugin is brand new from Smashing Magazine: twittar.

  20. Dara January 9, 2009 at 6:00 pm #

    Oh! It is VERY lovely. I can’t believe its been two years! I love watching your progress. You are super-talented.

  21. Jules January 9, 2009 at 6:05 pm #

    Happy 2 years! I love the new look.

  22. Birdie January 9, 2009 at 6:14 pm #

    It’s like a cute bathroom floor in here. Nice!

  23. nichole January 9, 2009 at 6:24 pm #

    Love it!

  24. Carrie January 9, 2009 at 6:26 pm #

    Gorgeous, as usual!

  25. Sarah January 9, 2009 at 6:33 pm #

    Wow, I just stumbled upon your blog via retroaudrey and i think i’m in love! Can’t wait to look around endlessly!

  26. Amy January 9, 2009 at 6:36 pm #

    happy 2 year! love the redesign too, very classy :)

  27. John January 9, 2009 at 6:38 pm #

    Inspiring as usual, Nicole!

    Must resist urge… to… redesign… our… blog..

  28. decor8 January 9, 2009 at 6:51 pm #

    You are so talented and this is gorgeous. The new color scheme is very neutral and so it gives your photos a chance to really stand out. Fantastic job. I love the background grid paper and the hive pattern as well. It’s there but it’s not THERE. Excellent work.

    Do you still have a Amazon store?

  29. Allison aka HaselBride January 9, 2009 at 6:51 pm #

    I am so dying to redesign… Love the new look as always!

  30. Making it Lovely January 9, 2009 at 7:04 pm #

    Holly, the Amazon store’s still here, I just took down the sidebar link. I’m not sure if I’ll add it back up or not (the link is also listed under the ‘pages’ section up top).

  31. Kylie January 9, 2009 at 7:08 pm #

    It looks gorgeous!! I love the softer colours. :)

    I don’t know if it’s just me, but on the main part of the blog your wishlist doesn’t show, but then now that I’m commenting I can see it.

  32. MMW January 9, 2009 at 7:26 pm #

    Looks lovely Nicole. I hope I can look as great at my next birthday.

  33. Caitlin @ C³ January 9, 2009 at 7:37 pm #

    Wow, two years already?!

    Was this redesign finished (or at least partially finished) yesterday? I swear I saw it then…

    Looks GREAT! ^_^

  34. Krissy January 9, 2009 at 7:54 pm #

    The redesign looks lovely! Well done.

  35. Michele January 9, 2009 at 8:27 pm #

    As usual, amazing design!

  36. Pen & Ink January 9, 2009 at 8:59 pm #

    Congratulations on two lovely years! The redesign is gorgeous!

    – Lisa

  37. marcy wacker January 9, 2009 at 9:10 pm #

    the sites looks great! simpler, calmer, i love it. i really like your new photo, too!

  38. Had January 9, 2009 at 9:47 pm #

    Love the new flowers — more sophisticated.

  39. catherine January 9, 2009 at 9:52 pm #

    i love the redesign. but now that the really cute ceramic owl is front and center, i want to know where it’s from! or at least a link to the post that tells me more about it.

  40. Design Lovely January 9, 2009 at 10:37 pm #

    Looks gorgeous! I like this cleaner look but of course they are all lovely!

  41. Tracy January 9, 2009 at 10:49 pm #

    Happy B’day to your blog! I’ve been reading for a couple of months now and really love your style. (Especially love your idea boards and would like to know what kind of magic you use to create them!) Your new layout looks great!

  42. Taylor January 9, 2009 at 11:23 pm #

    I noticed earlier today and it looks great!
    Happy 2nd b’day!

  43. alivicwil January 9, 2009 at 11:46 pm #

    It’s lovely (of course)!

    I’m having a little trouble with the ‘hex tiles’ though – the resolution seems a bit screwy. I’ve tried playing with my resolution, but it’s not making much difference,

  44. gabbi January 10, 2009 at 1:45 am #

    Loved the look before, but this is even more fabulous!

  45. dv January 10, 2009 at 2:15 am #

    smashing job =) i love your blog and all your ideas – i wish you had a tv show!

  46. Danielle Melnyczenko January 10, 2009 at 6:21 am #

    Happy 2nd Bday

  47. Shannon January 10, 2009 at 9:14 am #

    Beautiful! You have impeccable taste and SUCH style! Of all the blogs I read (and there are lots), yours is my favorite. I wish I could hire you to decorate my house!

  48. Manda January 10, 2009 at 10:50 am #

    Fantastic job, love the new design. Congrats on two years, can’t wait to see how it evolves over the next two!

  49. Valerie from Studio Rose Flash January 10, 2009 at 11:05 am #

    Very streamline, yet cosy at the same time. I love your new design! Sometime a dab of paint here and there just refreshes the room,… err, blog :) Nice job, and Happy 2nd bloganniversary! Cheers!

  50. At Home with Kim Vallee January 10, 2009 at 4:18 pm #

    Your latest blog design kept its personality but your refinement better highlights the content. I like it! Your new picture is adorable.
    Happy 2nd Anniversary! I wish you many more years because I enjoy what you are doing.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks:

  1. A Sneak Peek at the Site Redesign! | Making it Lovely - January 5, 2012

    [...] colors, and maybe even some patterns thrown in for good measure.I haven’t redesigned the site since 2009. I used to do it every year, or even more often than that! This feels really [...]

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