Ever since the launch of WordPress 2.5, everyone is excited about new ideas for themes, as well as the new ownership of WPDesigner.com!

These are some exciting developments, and I am getting excited about the future of my blogging life - including getting a new theme for this site. I have tried to keep my content and appearance fresh, but I am ready for some changes that will help me feel like I’m getting a good return on my blogging investment.

There have been some serious setbacks with this site, including loosing my archives to a twitchy finger, gaining a Google PageRank of 4 and watching it drop to ZERO.

But, it is almost the middle of 2008 and it is time to claim my destiny!

I’m looking for an affordable theme designer who is willing to work with me to create a new identity for this site as I work toward improving my site’s brand.

Of course, a new theme should have plugin compatibility and have a fresh, timeless look that is appealing to my core audience. Even if we tweak an existing theme, I want it to feel personalized and more unique than the average theme.

Leave your suggestions for designers and themers in the comments or send me an email.

UPDATE: I kept looking and looking and found this theme, the Mandigo theme by tom, which has enough pink to make me happy as well as widget support - no more hand coding for me (I hope!) . Okay, that theme was really bothering me and I just had to switch back to old faithful. However, keep the comments and suggestions coming, and I will do a roundup in a few weeks. ~ Ellie

It’s 2008!

Take a few minutes to take inventory of your blog - from the way it looks to how it functions and everything in between. What things do you want to change in order to give your visitors a great experience when visiting - and you a wonderful experience as a WordPress user?

Change your theme. Your old theme may look great, but it can also cause “blindness” for your visitors. They may be ignoring great features in your sidebar because they are so used to the same old same old design. Be adventurous - choose a theme that will stand out and provide some freshness for your blog!

Start a weekly series. There’s no reason NOT to start a weekly series. It can be as simple as a weekly post rounding up some of your favorite posts from around the blogosphere to your own reviews of software, books, movies or just about anything. Everyone will be looking forward to your weekly posts - and it gives you something to look forward to as you further your blogging skills.

Delete, update and install plugins. Check your WordPress plugins list and get rid of those that duplicate functionality or are no longer useful to you. Update those plugins that have published updates, so your WordPress powered site remains secure and well-functioning! Install new plugins that add better or new functionality that can help you better your experience as an administrator or add features for your visitors.

Step #32 in the 101 Steps to Becoming a Better Blogger.

Create a custom blog design. Your blog is a symbol of your brand. Make it uniquely you.

I’ve tweaked the current theme alot, but there’s definitely a lot more that can be done. I’m not a coder by trade, but I do like poking around and finding new ways to make my site easier to use and better looking!

One thing that did help in customizing this current theme was enlisting the services of a graphic designer to create a custom banner and logos for the site.

If you are looking for a great designer, contact me, and I can send you a few names and contact information. It is worth it to pay $20-30-40 for logos, because after all, this is YOUR brand that you are talking about!