evolution of a maven

hello folks!  i was reading the blog peanut butter fingers the other day and stumbled across a post about her number one blogging tip.  i was eager to read it because julie's blog is pretty awesome, and she has quite a following : )  her advice was simple: create a blog you would want to read.  though i definitely try to do that here at lifestyle maven, her post struck me as a much needed challenge.  how can i improve?  what small changes can i make?  what do i look for in the blogs i read?  and (if you didn't notice) it led me (in a moment of creative insanity) to redesign my header and layout.  so yesterday afternoon, in only about an hour's time, a new look for lifestyle maven was born.

my first header

my second header

i am so drawn to blogs with a clean, simple look.  white background.  gray lettering.  pops of color.  cutting edge fonts.  so....why didn't i have that look here at maven?  good question.  i'm not sure if the new look is the ultimate look for my blog...more likely, it's just another step in the transition and development of my brand, but it feels good to be getting closer to my true maven.

et viola!  my new header!

morning tea : ) my first gif!