Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Welcome to the New Bubby and Bean!


Welcome to the New Bubby and Bean!

I am absolutely thrilled to welcome you guys to the new Bubby and Bean! This major overhaul of the blog design, features, and brand itself has been a long time coming, and has been quite the labor of love for me over the past couple of months. You may have noticed some of the changes already happening (like post contributions from new Bubby and Bean team members, who I'll introduce in a minute), but the vast majority of the work has been done behind the scenes and is just going live today. This project has been an interesting process - and a learning experience. I designed all of the graphics and did the majority of the coding myself, but recruited a little help from a web coding expert friend during a minor meltdown over things not lining up (there were no tears, but it was close - thank you Brent!). I was also only able to really focus on it during periods when Robbie was off the road to help with Essley, since I don't have a whole lot of extra time on top of daily work and being a mama when he's away. So it ultimately took quite a while to complete. But it's finally done, plus or minus a few tweaks, and I'm very excited about the end result. I hope that you like it as well! (Please contact us if anything looks strange to you or doesn't seem to be working properly. If you're seeing the old blog right now, try refreshing your page or clearing your history.)

Some of the changes you'll notice include:

A NEW LOOK
We've completely updated all of the graphics, buttons, logo, and the overall look of the blog. The design is much cleaner and less cluttered, more cohesive, and more neutral to allow for the content itself to really pop. Post photos are now larger, as is the width of the blog itself.

NEW NAVIGATION
Topics have moved from the sidebar to right below the header, and there is now a drop-down menu with subcategories for each topic. For example, when you hover over "STYLE," a drop-down menu will appear with "Fashion," "Beauty," and "Outfits." This is a huge improvement over our old categories, which were all lumped together. Above the header you'll find another navigation menu that features the main pages of the blog.

UPDATED SECTIONS
Each of the following main pages/sections has been completely redone, with new information and a new look: Our StoryShopSubscribeAdvertising Info, and Contact Info.

MAILING LIST
In the right sidebar, underneath our partners and our gray social media banners, you'll see the option to join our new mailing list. We'll send out occasional emails (monthly or every other month) with exclusive extras, special coupon codes to use in the Bubby and Bean Art shop, events we'll be attending, etc. I'd love for you to sign up! Just enter your email address and click "join."

MISC. CHANGES
You'll also notice other small changes and additions, like a "Pin It" button when you hover over photos that will allow you to pin them directly to Pinterest, a new search bar, an updated "Popular Posts" section in the right sidebar, and dozen of other tiny updates.

NEW TEAM MEMBERS
One of the biggest (and best!) changes here at Bubby and Bean is the addition of a small staff featuring some absolutely wonderful contributors and an equally wonderful assistant. Those of you who are regular readers know that I recently made the decision to close down my eco-fashion company after 15 years, so that I would be able to focus more on both my daughter and Bubby and Bean. This blog has grown immensely in 2014 (thanks to you!), and it was time to expand and bring in some really great folks who have already made this space better in countless ways. Please join me in welcoming Home Contributor Paige Ronchetti, Food/Drink Contributor Sara Little, Beauty Contributor Morgan Rainwater, and Blog Assistant Kari Saul! Each of the new contributors is incredibly knowledgeable in her topic and is bringing so much more to the blog than I was ever able to do alone. And having my assistant Kari (who was the long-time customer service/fulfillment manager at my clothing company) to help out will allow for growth and constant improvements for our readers. I'm really looking forward to seeing what we all make happen together as a team! You can read more about each team member, their roles, and their favorite things (and see their gorgeous faces) on our new About Page.


I know that I gush on a regular basis about how grateful I am for all of you, but I genuinely mean it you guys. This little blog that started out as a part time project has grown into one of my favorite ventures of all time, a business of its own that helps support my family, and a community of truly wonderful people all over the world who stop by here to read, comment, and share. I hope that you'll take some time to explore the new Bubby and Bean and let us know what you think.

P.S. Although completely off topic, I have to wish my bad ass of a husband a very happy third wedding anniversary today. You are the coolest dude I've ever known, and an absolutely incredible father to Essley. I love you Robbie - more than words can say, man.

ALSO FIND US HERE: BLOGLOVIN' // INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK // TWITTER // PINTEREST

54 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Love the new look. And how exciting that my Etsy teammate Paige is partnering with you as your Home Contributor! I'll definitely be using the new Pin feature.

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  2. Wow! It's gorgeous! I love the new navigation bar with all of the categories and the design is just beautiful. I can't wait to check it all out. Congrats on this and on your anniversary! =)

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  3. That blog looks great. I can see why all that coding took a while! This is something I really need to do to my blog as well to make my posts larger and the sidebars more streamlined.

    Happy Anniversary :)

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  4. Congrats on the great new layout and CONGRATS on your 3rd anniversary!!!

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  5. the new design is so beautiful, i can only imagine the work that went into it. it's cool to read about the new staff and to see all of the changes. congrats on all of your success.

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  6. Awesome layout, love the changes! My blog is currently undergoing construction as well. Can't wait to see your new posts for your sub categories.

    Fellow blogger,
    Priscilla Ivette
    http://modeamen.blogspot.com/?m=1

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  7. Love it, Melissa! Everything looks fab!! Can't wait to see what the future holds for you at Bubby and Bean. :)

    Love and light,
    Jessica

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  8. Hooray! Congrats on the relaunch, everything looks great.

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    1. Thanks again for your magical coding help! We couldn't have done it without you, for real.

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  9. This is 100% awesome! It's so fresh and clean looking. I love it and I'm happy to be part of the team. :-)

    Also, Happy Anniversary!

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  10. Melissa! It's freaking gorgeous! Very chic. Love the categories and the clean design. Congrats on all your growth this year!

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  11. It looks fantastic! I love how clean the overall look is, and I also like the drop down menus. Nice work!

    (And a happy anniversary as well! :) )

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  12. You've done an amazing job, Melissa! I'm impressed!
    And also, happy anniversary :)

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  13. I am loving this Melissa! Congratulations on the new direction, I can't wait to see what is in store. :) And happy happy happy anniversary to you and your hubby!

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  14. The new site looks great! :) Looking forward to watching and being a part of the growth and changes. Congrats!

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  15. The new look is incredibly stylish. Looking forward to continuing my daily visits. Congratulations on all of your success and happy wedding anniversary as well!

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  16. Oh my gosh, Melissa!!! I love, love, love the new, fresh look! My favorite is the new navigation (the entire top header area). I'm also excited about your new mailing list (you know I'm signing up, of course). And I'm really glad to see that your MOTM assistant Kari is still with you here on the blog. That is awesome!
    I'm wondering...Since MOTM is no more, will you be changing your twitter handle?
    I did this earlier this year, and it was a smooth transition. I notified everyone a month in advance, and I still have the aka in my name section. Just a thought that I wanted to throw out there, as I think it would add to the overall cohesiveness of everything you've built here. The site looks amazing. I love it! Great job - and Happy Anniversary!!!

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    1. I've considered changing my twitter handle, but it's just linked too many other places (and when you change, there's no way to forward). I actually also have @bubbyandbean on twitter (although it's inactive), just case there is ever a way to merge. :)

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  17. It all looks great, Melissa! :)

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  18. Melissa, this is wonderful!! So excited for you. I totally adore your blog and can't wait to see what 2015 brings:)

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  19. Gorgeous styling, love all the upgrades!

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  20. love what you did with it sis! looks amazing!

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  21. Congratulations on a fabulous blog makeover, Melissa! And happy anniversary to you and Robbie, too - wishing you many years of happiness.
    xox,
    Cee

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  22. Everything looks fantastic, so clean and very on trend. ;-) Here's to continued success!

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  23. Lovey congrats, the new site looks fab-u-lous!! Love the updated pages and the drop down menu is so, so great!! What a beautiful refresh + happiest anniversary to you & yours!! xo

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  24. So cool! amazing design! unfortunately I haven't seen the before version but this one is lovely!

    Lyosha
    Inside and Outside Blog
    P.S. by the way, would you like to follow each other?

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    1. Thanks Lyosha! Looking forward to checking out your blog.

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  25. looks so good babe!!! i love how clean it feels. love love love!

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  26. I like the new design! I need to clean my blog as well, I just need to find the time and motivation, haha :)

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