Surprise! (The Eleanor Approach)

Does this new design make my butt look big?

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When my best friends discovered they were pregnant, they decided two things*.

One: they would not find out the gender of the baby.

Two: they would select a girl's name and a boy's name, and they would not tell anyone what those names were until after the baby was born.

Basically, they believed that telling people their name selections before the child's birth sort of opened the door for unsolicited feedback.

Them: Oh, we're thinking of calling him/her _____.

Random Person: Really? ____? Because I had an uncle/aunt named _____ and they were awful and every time I hear that name I will be reminded of them and their _______.

Them: Thanks for that information. Very helpful.

Anyway, they named their daughter Eleanor (Ella) Elizabeth. And she's incredibly photogenic and even though I've already featured her here before and even though she's well over a year old now, this remains one of my favorite pictures of her:



And so...well, right. Even though, sure, Emily might never speak to me again for comparing refacing my blog (without asking for feedback) to the naming of her beautiful child, there it is.

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Big, BIG, BIIIIG thanks to all those who helped me get this new design.

There was Jenny at BlogStudios, who's still working out the tweaks. (If you're looking to have your own blog updated, I recommend them highly!)

There was also the fab-u illustrator whom I've never met, who created the "breezy" blond up top based solely on a sputtering email I sent her.

But especially there's Merideth (beautiful designer, see?), who both hooked me up with said illustrator and who -- ohthatsright -- designed this whole layout. She is owed many, many drinks. And dinner. And possibly my first born.

YAY!


*Probably they decided more than two things, but whatever. Artistic license.