Business website revamped

I actually redid the website last week, since I was sending out some magazine article queries, and was hoping the editorial recipients of said letters would be checking my sites to see what I can do (as opposed to tossing my queries in the trash!).

I use an 'idiot-proof' website building program, and my previous design was very 'cute,' with a little coffee cup resting on a piece of notebook paper against a green background.  It seemed relevant to a writer's website when I first put it up.  Before too long, however, it felt way too literal and bore too much resemblance to something you'd turn in as a freshman english project.  I would like to think the new design I have chosen and tweaked is a little more sophisticated and professional. 

Here's the site:  www.SarahBaldwinGuy.com  Please check it out and tell me what you think!  I still have a lot of work planned on it, and plenty to add.  Any constructive criticism would be welcomed!

Also, I've added some photos from our little photography session back in October.  Our photographer, Caitlin Hudnall, is starting out as a freelancer herself, and she did an awesome job.  You should check out her site too!

No one ever accused me of having good taste, but . . .

I've decided to try my hand at some amateur interior decorating anyhow. I may not always be able to match my shoes to my shirt, but I have a secret fantasy life where I could, if unleased on a blank canvas of a room with unlimited resources, make something beautiful. (Thank you, HGTV, for giving my generation of women an overinflated security in our own taste, and an underestimation of the difficulties inherent in decorating and home improvement!)

I've had some hits and misses. Let's say that what design sense I have is . . . erratic. Still, I'm not one to let a few mistakes stop me, and today, I hit the Forum with a goal: find a clear glass container and some festive ornaments and make a beautiful centerpiece for my table. My inspiration was the pretty centerpiece on my friend Sarah's (not a typo- we have the same name) table at our post Thanksgiving/birthday potluck dinner in Virginia:

(It's not actually centered on the table, but you know what I'm referring to, right?)

While out shopping, I didn't find any suitable clear glass thingies (what is that thing? A hurricane lamp cover?) but I did find these really cool gold wire present boxes at Pier One Imports, and they were 20% off. I headed over to Hobby Lobby for some half off Xmas ornaments, choosing a darker, more non-traditional color scheme, and voila:

And just in case that's not enough for you, here's a few more views:

And finally, a close up:

I'm so pleased with my new centerpiece that I might unplug the laptop and set up office at the dining room table for the next few days, so I can gaze adoringly at it in moments of writer's block. Also, I probably need to stay close to it at all times so that the cat brigade doesn't bring it crashing to the ground during one of their high speed chases. This is the only Christmas decor I've put up so far, and while I plan on following with the rest in the next few days, I'm predicting at least one cat-related breakage before the end of the year.

So, what do you think? Don't worry about hurting my feelings if the arrangement doesn't fit your design aesthetic. I'm so enamored of my own creation that I will immediately file any negative comments under "totally joking."