New branding + blog design + GIVEAWAY! || dallas, tx wedding photographer

I wish soso much that I had a screen shot of my first blog design.  It was quite horrific guys.  I don't remember much about it other than the fact that the 3 main colors in the design were light brown, a khaki cream color, and a faded navy blue.  And I'm preeeetty sure I designed my header in picasa.  Quite obviously my brand has evolved a lot since then.

My first year of business, I redesigned my blog 4 times.  I felt like a little girl who was finally getting to pick out her own clothes and dress herself without mommy's help and at first the results were somewhat hilariously ugly...and then slowly but surely I started to figure out how to put together an outfit that actually looked good, and that fit my "style."  (This parallels my own childhood very closely in that when I first started dressing myself at about age 6 I was very confident in my ability to come up with killer outfits.  But my dad used to teasingly tell me when I would come out in a bright yellow tank top, hot pink skirt, and red cowgirl boots--a favorite combo of mine--that if anyone came to the door I should just run back to my room and hide until they left, so they didn't see me.  But hey, I've turned out ok, right dad?!)  And though there was a little part of me that was sad for sentimental reasons to see the old blog go, it was time for it to lose the hot pink skirt and red cowboy boots and put on something a little more grown up ;)

Branding is a process that never really ends.  Because I want my brand to simply be a reflection of who I am and what I love--as my tastes and style continues to mature and change, I'm continually fine tuning my brand to more clearly reflect those changes.  My mantra for my life + business this year is "Simplify."  In every way, at every outlet, I wanted to simplify what I was doing and how I was doing it.  So that became the keyword for the updated brand/design as well :)  One of the things that I definitely wanted in a new blog design was a blog that doubled as a website.  EE photography,  Jessica Claire, and Amy Wenzel are three fabulous photographers who utlilize this type of design and I really like it.  The idea of having just one place for clients to come with links to whatever they might need to see was very attractive to me, AND it fit my mantra :)

Since this was my first time working with a designer I didn't really know what to expect, but goodness gracious it was the funnest thing ever!  It was like magic was happening right before my eyes as I emailed Hannah telling her what I was wanting, sending color swatches, and creating a pinterest inspiration board for her, and then a few days later she would email back with design samples, headers, fonts, and it was a thousand times better than anything I was expecting or could have come up with on my own! :)  She was patient with me every step of the way, making revisions when I'd change my mind about something, and weeded through all my ideas--only keeping the good ones.  And this is what we came up with: http://www.jessicashae.com The entry page to the new "blogsite" and from there you can view galleries, a pricing page, etc. and click through to the actual blog!  I'm still working on getting all the different pages written and set up, so if you click on some of the links  in the navbar up top and they go to a blank page, check back later and hopefully there'll be something a little more interesting to see :)

She is amaaaazing guys.

picture taken from her blog.

So, I have happy news for you all :)  I'd love to give someone else the chance to work with the fabulous Hannah Nicole as well--so we're giving away a blog design!  Mmhhmmm, so if you've been wanting a new blog design here's your chance to have it done by a fabulous designer for free!  Here's what's included:

Blog package ($100 value)
For personal bloggers

• Brand development
• Header
• Favicon
• Blog button
• Signature
• Custom navigation
• Color palette
• Font integration
• Custom layout
• Installation

Here's what you have to do to enter :)

#1. Leave a comment telling me what your favorite part of my new design is.

Other optional additional entries:

#2. (follow both of us on twitter--if you don't already) and tweet this: Friends! @jessica_shae is hosting a giveaway! Go here to enter for a chance to win a new blog design by @imhannahnicole: http://bit.ly/IHlENq

#3. ("Like" Both of our Facebook pages--if you don't already) and post this on Facebook: Jessica Shae is hosting a giveaway!  Go here to enter for a chance to win a new blog design with Hannah Nicole: http://bit.ly/IHlENq
(if you post on FB, write on the wall of my Jessica Shae page letting me know that you posted about it because it doesn't always notify me, and I want to make sure that you get credit for it!)

#4. Pin either the picture below or a favorite picture from my blog to pinterest with this as the caption: @jessica shae is hosting a giveaway! Go here to enter for a chance to win a new blog designed by @hannah nicole: http://bit.ly/IHlENq

#5. (Follow both of us on instagram--if you don't already) and instagram the picture above and post this as the caption:  @jessicashae is hosting a giveaway! Go here to enter for a chance to win a new blog designed by @imhannahnicole: http://bit.ly/IHlENq

So you have 5 different ways to enter for a chance to win! To be entered in the contest at all you HAVE to at least do #1, and then every additional (optional) entry counts as another entry.  Make sure that you tag both of us in all your posts on twitter, FB, etc., because if I don't see that you posted it I won't be able to count it. (edited to add: PLEASE make sure you're actually tagging us, friends! I've already seen at least one post that just copied and pasted the status in, but our names aren't actual links to us.  We have to be tagged in order for us to get notified that you posted about it!  I just want to make sure I'm able to count all your entries!)

And if you don't win, but need a redesign or help re-branding, she's the woman for you!  Check out her site here, she just updated it, and it's suuuuper fun! :)

You can enter now through Tuesday the 17th of April and the winner will be chosen by random.org and announced next Wednesday, the 18th!

Much Love,
Jessica Shae