need help starting a blog

[Deb7456]

How hard is it to start a blog and customize it?

I started a blog a long time ago... can't even remember now if it was blogger or blogspot. Anyway, I let it go because I couldn't make it look pretty!

Do I need to know a lot of html to do it? Are there sites that are more user-friendly, as far as using premade designer blog templates, etc.?

Thanks in advance for any tips on sites, tutorials, books, etc!

[MyPinkFlipFlops]

Blogger and blogspot are the same. You've said you started it a long time ago, just to let you know it's changed a bunch in the last little while. Much easier to customize now. I'm pretty sure if you want a pretty background picture you can go to sites like http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/
They have tips on how to add things and it's free.
Also google and blogger have teamed up so if you have a gmail account you can use that to sign in.

[Deb7456]

Thanks! I got my blogger site set up with my google account, and then went to the cutest blog on the block. Got my background and everything.

But... I'm not totally satisfied with the selection at TCBOTB, and I'm hoping to make my own backgrounds eventually. I found a link to this site: http://sjhblogdesign.blogspot.com/
It has some instructions (seems to tell in plain language what the codes mean), but I don't have time to figure it all out tonight. I'll try it sometime this week and see if it works!

[nafeesa]

I came by to wish you luck, more than anything. I can't stand the customization in blogger (I won't even help my husband make his blog pretty, and it's pretty ugly LOL). I have a hard time with it. so, I use wordpress, but it's a LOT harder too.

So, I want to wish you luck, and did ask if you know about the DSP scap blogs forum. A few ladies post new prompts each day to help us always have something to write about, and we read and support each other. It's really fab. I can find the link if you need it, it's in the challenges area, though.

[jessjgh1]

nicole has a blog tutorial for customizing blogger.
http://nicoleyoungdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/12/customize-your-blogger-page.html

I was able to do it, so it must be fairly easy... there is a slight correction:
"For all those with the repeating background issue here is the answer:
background-repeat: no-repeat;
Nicole just missed a small dash. "

Aftr I fixed that, I got mine to work!
http://thenaturalchildcollaborative.blogspot.com/

[Deb7456]

nicole has a blog tutorial for customizing blogger.
http://nicoleyoungdesigns.blogspot.com/2008/12/customize-your-blogger-page.html

I was able to do it, so it must be fairly easy... there is a slight correction:
"For all those with the repeating background issue here is the answer:
background-repeat: no-repeat;
Nicole just missed a small dash. "

Aftr I fixed that, I got mine to work!
http://thenaturalchildcollaborative.blogspot.com/

Awesome! That's one of the most clear tutorials I've seen, for Photoshop users at least. (Cool web site, by the way. :) )

[Deb7456]

I came by to wish you luck, more than anything. I can't stand the customization in blogger (I won't even help my husband make his blog pretty, and it's pretty ugly LOL). I have a hard time with it. so, I use wordpress, but it's a LOT harder too.

So, I want to wish you luck, and did ask if you know about the DSP scap blogs forum. A few ladies post new prompts each day to help us always have something to write about, and we read and support each other. It's really fab. I can find the link if you need it, it's in the challenges area, though.

I did see that forum - the journaling prompts look great!
I emailed my brother, who is a computer programmer, to see if he thinks I'll wish I had started with wordpress. He hasn't replied yet (I just sent the email a couple hours ago). I'm worried the code will be too complex... but I also learn quickly & don't want to be sorry I went with something that seemed easier at the time.

Thanks for all the help, everyone! Now to design my template...