Retro Minute #14: Blog Map

To sort of celebrate 18 years of blogging, I'm sharing 18 of my favorite posts from previous blogs. Here's the fourteenth post from August 15, 2012 from Don't rain on Mondays blog. Note: This post was written for Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday meme.

Blog Map
"I have an existential map. It has 'You are here' written all over it." – Steven Wright
Since some people (okay, maybe it was just one person but it still counts!), they said they didn't know how to navigate my blog, I thought I would provide a blog map. This would also be an excuse to make commentaries on why I prefer to do things a certain way on this blog. If you do get lost, don't panic, there's always a way out -- simply direct your fingers to move your mouse to the 'home' link or the header graphic and you're back home. More or less.

{ The Blog Map } (click on image for a larger view)

{ The Details }

1. Start > Tag Links:  pages of some importance.
• hello - a short introduction with some links to favorite posts
• follow - follow me through these four ways
• dailies - blogs I try to visit daily & blogs I admire & is often inspired by
• buttons - some buttons to memes & useful blog stuff
• gallery - some of my artwork
• contact - send me a email
• home - where nothing really happens but some might refute this

2. Home > Header: a pretty image that somehow relates to the blog title but not really. It will lead you home if you click on it. The lovely header font is by Kimberly Geswein. I like using script fonts for my header. I choose colors base on what looks good to me at the time. The tag line {fiction, drawings, photographs & idle ramblings} really sums up this blog very well. Some other tags I might have used are: 'wasting my time blogging until something better comes along' or 'if you read this blog, then congrats, you are a winner! please direct yourself to a cupcake or better yet, go outside and do some somersaults.'

3. Detour Road >  Blog Content:
• Post title - I know you're suppose have interesting titles but for me, I like to keep them short & direct but there's always the occasion nonsensical titles that I like to use
• Posted by…on… - I thought about using various quirky wordings but decided the 'posted by' sounds more honest and have no extra frills
• Labels - what the post is about
• Comments - I really wanted to use some other wordings such as 'leave your words,' or something silly like 'bug me if you can' or 'share your opinions here although I probably will dismiss you if you say something demeaning,' but sometimes the easier the better, I think.
• Home - back to home page
• Older Posts - browse the older stuff
• Newer Posts - browse the newer stuff

4. Short Stop > Footer:
• Box Quote - I love quotes. I used to have a quote section under my blog header in another blog that randomly change to a different quote each day but somehow the html coding doesn't work on the new blogger. Bummer. The current quote by Vincent Van Gogh says, "For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream."
• What's on this blog - labels that I use to sort my posts. I would like to have more labels but since I always hate having a post with tons of labels, I restrain myself and keep them to 3 or less for each post.
• Blog Archive - I would have a lot more if I have stayed on just one blog.
• Copyright Notice - in case someone says I don't have any say in my work and in case some people feel the need to steal what's not theirs.
• Umbrella graphic with 'go here to follow my blog' - follow my blog in four ways

5. Exit  > End quote:
Just something I added for no reason. It says,"This blog is powered by Blogger, music & a goldfish named Lightning."  I do have a goldfish named Lightning only he is stuck inside a photograph and couldn't get out. I think a witch must have put a spell on him or something. He might be stuck there for a hundred years or so. I'm willing to wait for him because he's so darn cute!
 
So there you have it! A blog map of my blog. Or a what I would call my own private island. If only it was a treasure map, maybe then we can go treasure hunting together, eh or is it ah hoy?

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Notes, Credits & Links: Fonts used are from Kimberly Geswein Fonts and Fonts for Peas. Texture used on the map is from Bittbox.