6/28

Our New Look

Uncategorized
By A Beautiful Mess

A Beautiful Mess New DesignWe're so thrilled to share our new look with you! Here's a rundown of all the new features… 

At the very top of the site you'll see links to Everyday Elsie + Everyday Emma. These are our new personal blogs. Emma formerly had a blog called Food Coma, which she has moved to this new space. My new blog will be a photo journal of my personal life. We've had lots of talks for the past six months about our desires to share both informative articles and just-for-fun content. This is our solution and we're so excited about it! These blogs will be a part of the A Beautiful Mess network, since they are all linked together, but they have seperate feeds. We are really looking forward to sharing more everyday life over there and we hope you enjoy them! 

The colorful category tabs under our banner will take you to our archive galleries. If you click on each one you'll see our favorite projects organized there. We blog often so this is one way to help you find your favorite past articles at a glance, or discover things you missed! 

Next you'll see a project slide show. You can click the arrows and scroll through our favorite articles from the past week or two. This is a new way for us to highlight our favorite content. 

The photos are larger (yay!) and the sidebars are more simple. We spend so much of our efforts on our photography, that it only made sense to choose a design that highlights it. We hope that you find the new site fresh and easy to navigate.

One last major update… Emma and I are now officially partners! I invited her to become a co-author in January and I have to say, it's one of the best choices I've ever made. She's a wonderful partner and she is incredibly passionate about making this site an inspiring place. We have big plans for this site… It's going to be a wonderful year! 

Thanks so much for your kind words about the new look! We are really thankful for your support and we look forward to sharing this next season with you. Love, Elsie

ps. A huge thank you to Ryan Strong, who collaborated with me on this design. If you have any questions about the new site design, let us know! 

175 Comments

  • This is such a clean and fresh look…very different to your last but I like it just as much 🙂 I wish I could make my blog look as pretty as this! Did you do all the changes yourself?

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  • I love it! Congratulations on your partnership and everything else. Thanks for the daily inspiration. 🙂

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  • Hannah, I didn’t do the changes myself. I worked with Ryan Strong (linked above) on the design. He helped me take our style and simplify it into a cleaner look. We also had a programmer to do all the code. 🙂

    Glad you like it, thanks so much!

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  • The new design looks wonderful! I think it’s an even better version of what it has been until now. I’m so excited for the bigger pictures and your new personal blogs – I predict that infinitely more inspiration is bound to come our way from you, and I can’t wait! I’ve already spent too much time reading through Everyday Elsie & Everyday Emma, and I can’t get enough 🙂

    Last but not least, I have to say congratulations on all your accomplishments! Your hard work and resulting opportunities are a great example and motivator for me (and I’m sure many others as well!). Happy Thursday! 😀

    Reply

  • I did like the old layout, but I can really see the merits to this one as well! I like the idea of linking blogs together. I own several websites (author blog, art blog, fashion blog) and could benefit from having them all under one space (without them actually BEING under one space!).

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  • It looked great before and it looks awesome now!
    I love you guys

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  • Thanks so much for the kind words, everyone!

    Kat, there is not a mobile version at this time. The new design is much more mobile friendly, though!

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  • Oh great ! I love the new site !
    Well done, you did a nice job 🙂

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  • I love the new design. However, are you still running the store, and what about your dress line and art work. I miss reading about those.

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  • Brandi, Our online shop is on vacation for the summer because we are writing two books and we needed a break. We will have an Autumn dress line… it’s in the works & we’re so excited about it! And I do plan to keep doing artwork… I’m moving soon and a small painting studio is a part of my new house plan (it’s been packed away since my last loft). So still LOTS of creative stuff coming up… plus the books!
    XO

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  • I don’t really care for the colorful tabs on top but it still works. I guess its the colors but I know that’s just about personal taste. I do enjoy the simplifying of everything though.

    I actually really really really love the everyday elsie blog. I didn’t realize how much I missed the personal side of your blog. Thanks for being brave enough to start sharing that side of you again.

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  • You did a great job. It’s very clean and easy to navigate. I’m glad you’ve also kept a spot for more personal entries, I feel in love w/ your blog because I love you guys.

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  • Hey ladies! I just wanted to let ya know that the about, faq, ecourses, advertising, new reader, and about emma + elsie links aren’t working for me. Maybe you guys are still working on the links? Just wanted to let ya know.
    xo Moorea

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  • Amazing new layout! I love how easy it is to find posts we loved in the past thanks to the categorised tags! Thanks!

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  • just wanted to say how much i love your blog and the 2 new personal additions!! beautiful layout and so fun!

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  • what a wonderful idea to have the sort of online magazine style, yet have a link to the ‘everyday’ feed. i love the Everyday posts; very glad you will continue to do that style of post. what a treat for us you already made several posts on it!

    And thank you for keeping the archives. i love all the business tips posts.

    Wish you much success in all your endeavors, you have been an inspiration to me ^_^

    -michelle

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  • It’s wonderful! So clean and easy to read. Thanks for all your hard work. I know a website redesign is no easy task.

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  • Wow you are such a huge inspiration! The blog is beautiful and you have grown so much. I love the new site and it really does creat such an inviting space. Your blog has always been a favorite of mine and becomes even better everyday.

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  • I like it because it feels brighter and more spacious. But I was a big fan of the older design–it felt more whimsical and less commercial. Looking forward, as always, to the new posts that will be going up on here!

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  • I love it! Everything is clean and simple and still perfectly whimsical. Can’t wait to check out your guys’ personal blogs, too!

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  • At first, I was so surprised to see the new site. But now I love it! I am so excited for Everyday Elsie and Everyday Emma. I love Food Coma and I can’t wait to read more of Elsie’s blog. WIll you bring back 10 Things I Love Sunday? That was my favorite segment. Lots of love to you both!

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  • I love everything about your blog! Even more now, with the new design. I’m always looking forward to see what you’ve come up with. You are a true inspiration!

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  • Is there a way to follow Everyday Elsie and Everyday Emma seperately? For example in Bloglovin’ so new posts show up? xoxo

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  • LOVE the new design, Elsie! And I also love how you and Emma have your own blogs linked to this one…that’s such a clever idea!
    I’ve had a lot of fun reading over both of your personal blogs!

    Happy Thursday…it’s almost the weekend!
    xo, Allie

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  • I absolutely love this!! It’s clean and fresh like a magazine, but way better and more environmentally sound 🙂 Loving the personal blogs as well. You have me wanting to revamp my own corner.

    You two are always inspiring!

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  • I love the new look! It is simpler and easier to navigate. I had a hard time finding things with the old design, and was distracted by side bars. This new design is so clean and simple! Also SO excited about your personal blogs.
    xoxo
    Rhiannon
    calicocolored.blogspot.com

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  • I love the new look! It’s clean and fresh and will really highlight your photography! Will I need to follow your separate blogs on bloglovin to be following them? Or will simply following a beautiful mess have the other blogs show up on my feed?

    ♥Sarah♥
    theantiquepearl.blogspot.com

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  • You guys just get better and better. This is my absolute favourite blog to read and its a several times daily visit!! xxx

    Reply

  • Whoa! I ALWAYS check this site everyday but rarely comment but this time I have to. The site looks fabulous and am so thrilled for both of you!

    xx

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  • I might be being dense (or you might not have implemented them yet), but I can’t see slideshow arrows? I’m using Firefox and had to head over to Internet Explorer to see all of your subheadings, so thought I’d give you a heads up in case it’s a coding thing? Either way, it looks great – clean and organised without losing the prettiness. Great job!

    Reply

  • The site looks so wonderful, and I’m so glad to hear your officially a team! Your sister style posts are some of my favs 🙂 Good luck in the next year!

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  • I’m literally in love with the new site! I think it looks personal, still while being much cleaner and easy to navigate! It looks wonderfully professional and I’m so happy you’ll be sharing more of your day to day personal lives with us! This is amazing new look! <3

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  • So gorgeous. I know you’re getting a lot of this, but I really, really just love it. I’ve been wanting to update my blog, and this makes me want to even more! It’s so clean and fresh, while still professional and fun.

    Also, I adore the Everyday Emma and Everyday Elsie blogs. I love the feel of them.
    Again, just simple and lovely!

    I’m 16, and I’ve been following ABM for like, two or three years. 🙂
    And I must say I think you guys totally nailed (!) the new design.

    Reply

  • I’ve been following your blog for a while and I just wanted to say congratulations on the new look of your blog, it all looks beautiful!!

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  • I love the new look…will you also be adding the links/blogs you read/love section back?

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  • Elsie,
    I’m not able to get the link for ‘new reader’ and about to work either for me. I was viewing the new site in Chrome, and saw your comment to another reader asking about what browser she was using, so I tried it in Firefox, and it isn’t working in that browser either. Thought you’d like to know so you can figure out what’s going on.

    Looks great though! 🙂 Enjoy the time away with your mom & Emma.

    Reply

  • I think to go along with this new look you should add a page where people can post pictures of their handmade goodies after they take a try at your ideas, I’d love that.

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  • I love this new layout so much more!! I love your content but the other layout was honestly hard to read cuz it felt cramped so I’m happy to see this new look! It’s lovely!

    ps you’re the only blog I visit so often and I know the website link to cuz I typed in so many times haha 🙂

    you’re always an inspiration to me and I love the “dream job” course I got

    <3 Lorina Daiana
    http://creativebalorina.com/

    Reply

  • Love the new look! Clean & simple. I especially adore the “a beautiful mess” logo at the top, your handwriting is so cute!

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  • I really love this new layout. I started out as a fan of your photography years ago on Flickr, so it’s great to see it highlighted here! It’s really fun to see all the new changes – very very inspiring!!

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  • It is awesome! I really enjoy your website! Congratulations on your new look!

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  • I love this new design! the best redesign I have seen in a while. So clean and simple. and so easy to navigate! I am so excited for this daily read!

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  • I really, really miss the look of the old site. It was so unique and artful. I found it very inspiring. Is there any way there is an archive with the old look? Anyway I can get a screenshot of it? I am so disappointed!

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  • Love the new blog design – I was initially a bit afraid of it, because I really enjoyed the old layout. But it looks great so far! You both are amazing!

    -Beth

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  • Love love love love the new design!
    i am a loooooong time reader… love it 🙂

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  • WILL YOU PUT UP THE LINK WITH YOUR FAVORITE BLOGS, PLEASE?! I CAN’T REMEMBER SOME OF THE AWESOME CUPCAKE/SWEETS BLOGS YOU HAD THERE 🙁

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  • love the new look! also, i like what you’re doing on your personal blog, elsie. i think it’s a great idea to disable comments and keep a separate personal blog. ABM has grown so HUGE! and i can really see how you’d want to keep things simple, for your everyday life and for your family’s life 🙂

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  • It’s not anymore a beautiful mess because it’s now a beautiful girls’ site!! So happy to see you officially together in this. And great layout, I love it!

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  • Congratulations on the exciting new layout. Always inspiring to see fresh new designs on my favourite blogs.

    Hopefully, one day will be able to grow my little blog to be as amazing as this. Hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?

    x

    htpp://www.randomlyhappytoday.blogspot.co.uk

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  • love the new look and spent already way too much time looking through it. Thank you so much for creating this wonderful and special blog, it always lights up my day 🙂
    By the way I am just enjoying an iced coffee made with your recipe and it’s great!
    Steffi

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  • oh no, I can’t see the project slideshow! where is it supposed to be? does it mean there’s something wrong with my browser? )’:

    Reply

  • I think to go along with this new look you should add a page where people can post pictures of their handmade goodies after they take a try at your ideas, I’d love that.

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  • Love it! Keep up the great work. You guys are so inspirational, I couldn’t get through my “tough days at work” w/o a few stolen moments at A Beautiful Mess.

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  • really love the new look, thank you so much for doing such a great and special blog! You always light up my day, so please keep up your great work. I am just enjoying an iced coffee done with your recipe, it is really great 🙂
    Greetings from Germany
    Steffi

    Reply

  • Well done on the change! I can appreciate that it took an enormous amount of planning, time and effort.

    I think the new design is great. The two column layout is an elegant and more effective solution for the content you’re hosting than before. The sponsor bar is cleaner and much easier to take in, well done! Especially on having larger photos – they look great.

    The new reader bar is also good, and I like the swipe gallery of recent content at the top of the homepage, but I do feel that the 3 column layout there conflicts with the overall layout of the webpage. Perhaps it would be more balanced if it was text overlaid onto the photo or you used coloured blocks. A slight change in alignment could also balance the content, but could also allow it to blend into the design – which wouldn’t be great.

    I liked the previous masthead photo with the Holga and the clothes – it really embodied what the blog was about, but the new masthead is wonderfully clean and nicely personalized through your handwriting. As great as it is, there’s a slight usability problem in the immediate readability of the handwriting where it could be a little clearer (but I do love the handwriting). Your tag line would also only improve the user experience if it was more descriptive. Regulars are familiar with your blog and are unlikely to pay attention to the tagline, but newcomers would want to know immediately that you run a photo, fashion & DIY blog without having to scroll through the content.

    I was delighted when I saw the new layout – your blog just goes from strength to strength.

    Keep it up, you add something special to very many people’s days.

    x Eleanor

    http://eleanorharding.com

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  • It looks great, girls. Definetely love the idea of the personal blogs. I’ve been reading a beautiful mess for years now and I really missed you personal posts and I feel that getting to know you is what a lot of your readers love. Also love reading emma’s blog as she is hilarious 🙂 one comment I have is that ith would be helpful to have a “posted by” line near the date now that its not only one of you blogging.

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  • Hells Bells girls!!! What a transformation! This is such a fabulous fresh place. Well done and congratulations to you both! ABM has grown-up and become quite the sophisticated young woman. Totally love it. Everything. Huge hugs to you both, xoxo

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  • LOVE this, and how inspiring too! I love how at the top are the tabs for places to visit to share something a bit more personal too. I have done the same with my own blog over time. Course, it is nothing like this, but for now it is Me. Someday when I “grow” up more..LOL:) I hope to simplify it even more as you have done here. Thank You for sharing, and for the inspiration to keep on doing what we do!:)

    Have a wonderful Holiday Weekend, and Happy Fourth of July to you and yours!:)

    Kim
    LilacsNDreams
    http://www.LilacsNDreams.com

    Reply

  • Congrats ladies. It looks amazing. I love everything you do and enjoy seeing your posts every day. Keep it coming!!!!

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  • I have to be honest ( honesty is usually good, right? 🙂 and say that I’ve always loved your site, but sometimes it would make me dizzy with all of the busyness. When I pulled up your blog tonight, it just looked so beautiful and clean, but still you. Stunning! Well done 🙂

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  • I love the new look! It’s much easier to find specific posts. I’m looking forward to reading your personal blogs too!

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  • very cool.. it’s more simple but still beautiful as always,, I love this blog so much.. thank for the inspiration… 🙂

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  • Is there a separate rss feed for the two everyday blogs? that’d be swell! currently the rss link is just for a beautiful mess which i already follow. looks great though!

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  • Congrats for the new look and for Emma officially joining in, too! I’ve seriously come to love your blog, your photos + all the DIY projects you share. The new look is lovely. Definitely simple yet it still screams you! Can’t wait to see what your blog has in store in the future.

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  • Regardez-le et de réaliser elle fera la journée de quelqu’un quand ils sont en mesure de le ramasser pour cette tenue spéciale, ils sont en essayant de terminer pour cette occasion spéciale. Pour moi, ils sont remplis avec des caractéristiques romantiques.
    Ce sont les forcus Louis Vuitton prêter attention. En outre, les fabricants ont déjà choisir l’endroit où chaque case doit reposer à l’intérieur du sac. Les sachets de thé sont très utiles dans le monde d’aujourd’hui.

    Reply

  • You girls are such an amazing inspiration to any blogger, regardless of the style and content. I am always amazed with the brilliant things you come up with and creating an “A Beautifull Mess” network is one of those things. Congrats on the new website!

    xo Leonie

    New Post: Chambray

    Reply

  • Elsie, this is such a beautiful, polished, and sweet update! At first, I really missed the old layout, but as I went through a couple pages with the new layout, I’ve grown to appreciate its simplicity, and it really does highlight y’all’s photos and content! I’m really excited for what you and Emma have in store for us in these upcoming days! Wishing for much love, joy, and success in all your endeavors!

    Reply

  • Where is the information about the other Red Velvet girls on the new site, especially Rachel who started it with you years ago?

    Reply

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