Evolution of a Blog Header... (Guest Post from Kathleen Higgins)

When I (the "I" here being Holly Schindler, administrator of Smack Dab) received a blog header in my inbox, I was thrilled. To know that a follower is so invested in the blog that she redesigns the banner is high praise indeed, I think. (How many times have you loved a blog so much that you spent time redesigning its header?)

Plus, I just happened to love the header. I put it up right away, sent it to my own web designer to have it included in the Links page on my author website, and asked the creator, Kathleen Higgins, to write up a guest post about the header design:

"I’m Kate Higgins. I redesigned Smack-Dab’s header…up there...just imagine an arrow pointing up. I am a graphic designer by day and an author/illustrator of hopefully someday published picture books and middle grade fiction the rest of the time. I’m literally smack dab in the middle of pictures and words, which is also the title of my own blog.

When Holly Schindler first mentioned the creation of a new middle grade blog, I was excited to visit Smack-Dab in the Middle. I often read middle grade books and author interviews to learn more about writing the halfway world between the little kid and teen phase. It’s truly one of my favorite stages of a child’s life. Eight to twelve year old middle graders are always open and honest (except when they’re not). What other age enthusiastically tells you their ages in fractions; “I’ll be 9 and half in two months!” That’s nine and four twelfths or more precisely 9 1/3.

When I saw the initial blog header I knew something was missing. The middle.

And I knew I could make it more…well…middle-er. The idea gnawed on me and I waited for the header to miraculously change. It didn’t.

You know that itch on the bottom of your right foot as you are driving? The one you can’t scratch and try to forget about it but you just can't? That’s how it felt until I finally sat down and created a blog header that closely resembled the original one and hopefully didn’t offend the original creator and solved my little itchy middle problem.

I meekly sent it to Holly (and the rest of the authors) as a holiday gift with apologies and my fingers crossed that I didn’t come across as some graphic design wacko perfectionist and get tossed into the middle of nowhere.

Then guess what? I clicked open Smack-Dab for an update and my new version was right there on top…the blog header that scratched my itch…Smack-Dab in the middle…right where it belongs.

Middle is good."

...On behalf of everyone at Smack Dab, thanks to Kathleen for the header...and for loving our blog!