Wednesday 5 October 2011

This is not today's official post


Posted by Tania Kindersley.

It is more of a question.

I have, as the regular readers will notice, finally bitten the bullet and redesigned the blog. The original was based on a very old template, so old that it does not officially exist any more. I was rather fond of it, and liked the retro nature of the thing. But in the end, logistics won, as they so often do. This one is just much, much easier for me. Formatting, commenting, putting up pictures, everything is smoother and less trouble. Which, if one is posting every day, does make an awful lot of difference.

It has also served as a shocking piece of displacement activity. I actually need to do a Step Away From the Implement moment, as far as the book goes. Tomorrow I start my penultimate edit. (There is still obviously the semi-colon edit, which goes last.) For this to work, I need to take an afternoon thinking about anything but the book, so that my eyes may come back to it fresh. Or as fresh as two staring things which feel like boiled eggs from too much gazing at a screen can get.

Anyway, the point is: Dear Readers, what do you think?

That question is a slight hostage to fortune, since I am a little stressed and strained at the moment, and so rather vulnerable to robust criticism. I don't want to sound too pathetic and bathetic, but go gently.

Now, I am going to hide behind the sofa.

Quick Pigeon picture for you; proper post and photographs will come later.




This is her special yearny face. Which actually means: I am bored to death of posing, so can we please throw the stick now?


17 comments:

  1. Honestly? hand on heart, it's perfect. I was all set to click through politely, but no. Lovely, and I was barely even swayed by the endearing dog.

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  2. Julie - how very kind you are. So glad there was no polite clicking through. :)

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  3. It gave me a scare when it loaded - but I like it! I cannot see a link to email you anywhere so I have to ask publicly - do you want me to stick in a link to the streamed feed of Velka Pardubicka steeplechase which will run on Sunday afternoon? There will be a few 'stories' - a dainty elderly mare, Sixteen, time record holder of the race, not having shown much will to race this season but some improvement in the last race she ran, might surprise. The big gentle Tiumen will attempt its third consecutive victory under his almost sixty years old seven-times winner jockey Josef Váňa. I love your blogs about racing and brave horses and I would feel honoured if you watched our big race :) However I do understand that you may want to do something else with your Sunday afternoon so I can always send a link to the recorded programme.

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  4. Sabina - how very kind you are. And how incredible that you remember my Pardubicka obsession. The racing people I grew up with used to tell tales of that race. Would absolutely love link to the live stream. Thank you.

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  5. Ellie - thank you so much. *HUGE smile*

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  6. It did give me a little fright when I hit reload earlier and the design changed.
    The layout is nice and the background is pretty.

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  7. Tania hi,

    I like the way the header pics change and the flower patterned wall paper looks pretty when it sandwiches your text but... I find it tends to distract the eye when it comes to your beautiful pics of the garden, Pigeon and the hill as they seem to be slightly overcrowded by the floral competition down the sides.

    liz from Paris

    ps. had a quick squizz at your other website, I liked it a lot and pity about dropping tumblr it looked really sleek and beautiful

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  8. Mona - you are so kind. Thank you.

    Liz - really good point about the background. Had not noticed that it does clash a bit with the pictures. Am going to continue playing around a bit.

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  9. There was actually an audible 'oh' when it loaded as I was not expecting a new look! Often when bloggers do this they entitle the post with some clue - like the 'grand reveal' in makeover programmes. I really like it. There I said it. My only comment is this: the (ugh corporate speak here) 'branding' of your book is about the fabulous illustrations which now I feel I could recognise anywhere. Whilst they are there in the background, I found myself searching for those swirls of flowers. Strange behaviour on my part but then I was never that good with change! But I love how the pigeon looks in her new 'place' and I like the modernity of it all. Good. Well done you. Lou x

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  10. Lou - such a lovely comment; thank you. Do know what you mean about the swirling flowers. Tried to put them in the header, but it would not take. I shall take yr excellent point under advisement and consider a possible solution.

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  11. I love the background splash; is it the Marta Munoz work from Backwards? I plan on getting my grubby paws on another copy of the book just so I can tear out the pages with artwork and throw them in frames around my house. (I refuse to desecrate my only copy that way.) I love Munoz's work, and I like the connection to the book. Backwards isn't the reason we stay, but it is how at least some of us got here.

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  12. Am only viewing this on iPhone at present, but anyway... Most of revamp is lovely. Main query is re the illustrative 'swirly flowers' AND your lovely lavender - I think one or t'other. And much as I fully agree that the Backwards flowers are like old friends and how many of us got there, I also agree with Liz that they rather argue with your beautiful photos. We do at least still have the image of the book to remind us!

    While this blog started, if I've got it right, both for you and for us, it's grown to be so much more... your photos feel like the best illustration of how it is now, and they need room to speak.

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  13. Oh, dear. Second para meant to say 'while this blog started with Backwards...' - otherwise it makes no sense! Blame tiny iPhone screen...

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  14. Amy - yes it is. Love the thought of you tearing up second book for art.

    Cassie - very interesting point; thank you so much. Shall keep tweaking.

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  15. I think one of the wonderful things about blogging is it's not all that serious, visually speaking. You can change this, tweak that, or just go completely lime green if you feel like it. It's all good! I happen to like the new look, but if a couple of months goes by and you decide to change it again, I'll look forward to whatever your imagination cooks up then too. As long as there is Pigeon, it cannot go too far wrong. 8-)

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  16. Marcheline - your kind comment made me laugh. There shall indeed be tweaking, and I so agree with you about the Pigeon. As long as we have her, all manner of things shall be well. :)

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