I Have No Idea…

…what the point of — or inspiration for — this layout is/was, but it seemed silly and fun and so I thought “sod it”. Don’t ask me, I was just procrastinating (need to read my course docs). For the record, it’s not a real explosion, it’s actually just some clouds. ‘Cause I’m creative like that. Pow! Ninja power.

Ooh, I’ve just realised.. this is apparently my 500th post (according to the auto increment value; not including those lost through database deletion over the years). Whoo for me.

Edit (9/Oct): What the hell was I thinking?! This layout looks bloody ridiculous. *hides the vodka*

Edit (9/Oct – 6pm): Look at this brand new amazing layout I did.. how original am I?!

64 Comments

  1. I love this layout!!! Plus, the l33t ninja rocks!

  2. I loove this layout, it is cute and bright, and the ninja is awesome. like others I was really surprised to find such a colorful layout here, but I think it’s awesome

  3. :O I was just going to your website to check my dailies and “WHAM!”, the second new layout in just a short time, especially since that other layout you had for ages. I can’t say I like this one better than your previous new layout, but it’s still a nice change (: Maybe you should join that clique Arien’s a part of, “I change my layout more than I change my underwear”, or something like that :P

  4. Were you editing it live? I saw it while it was looking a little wonky, and nearly fell off my chair. Nevertheless, I think it looks a lot better now. :P Not that I didn’t like the polka dots but…. this seems more you.

  5. Jem

    08 Oct at 7:12 pm

    @Amber: seems more me?! I think it’s the lamest thing I’ve ever done.. but SO lame that it’s awesome. So, that makes me lame but awesome. I think I can live with that :3

  6. OMG YOU BROKE IT! No, wait a second… *hits ctrl+f5 just like how jem taught me* Aha. Sexy. I like the rounded corners. I’d like to see some space between your navigation / header / content / footer, but other than that, looking good. Your sidebar headers remind me of PSGR.

  7. P.S> Explostion isn’t a word. D:

  8. Jem

    08 Oct at 7:14 pm

    @Rachael: they’re the same sidebar headers I had before, only darker? LOL@typo. Oops.. will fix.

  9. The structure, Jem, the structure! And, yes, is ‘explostion’ a new word? :P I like it. It reminds me of Heroes. Therefore… actually, no, I won’t go into that.

  10. ^ They are? Then my short term memory sucks because I don’t remember them looking like that… Hey ho, I never said they were ugly. :P

  11. I don’t like this layout at all, I much preferred the other! The content area is far too small for my liking. But I like the rounded corners ;p

  12. Very nice. Now make me one.

  13. Amelie, I am waiting to read Jem’s comment back to your for this comment, lol. I like the new design, Jem. But I do like the other one better. This one seems a little thrown together. Almost like you didn’t think about it and just throw it together. It is nice, but I just don’t like it. Sorry, Jem but that is just how I see it.

  14. Jem

    08 Oct at 7:52 pm

    @Hev: that’s probably because I did throw it together ;)

  15. I like this one a lot better than the last. Very nice. Although, the brightness of the “explosion” is a little blinding to me. Still, I like the rounded corners and, of course, your ninja.

  16. I much prefer the previous ninja layout. I dislike the stripey clouds in the header, and then the layout gets boring past that because of all the white.

  17. Nooo, I loved the polka dots! As Amber said though, this layout does seem more “you” :P

  18. I like it :) A bit bright maybe, but it might just take some getting used to :P I like the last one better though ;)

  19. Yeah a bit of ctrl + F5 fixed what I thought was an odd change. I prefer the polkadots though! This is pretty layout too though. The dots just appealed to me!

  20. I like it. It’s quirky, comme toi. Nice use of peaceful clouds to create chaotic explosions, ha ha.

  21. I feel like I’m drowning in a sea of bright white…your content area blends in too much with the light body background. How about a contrasting background? Or at least one a bit darker. I like the header, though. Just not all the white. I think I liked your old layout better…just because. The polka dots were cute, in my opinion.

  22. Jem

    08 Oct at 9:46 pm

    OMG, more polka dots.. :3

  23. Brown polka dots = *sadface* They actually make me kinda nauseous, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. D:

  24. Jem

    08 Oct at 9:51 pm

    They’re chocolate flavoured :9

  25. Any chance of the blue polka dots instead? I don’t like the brown :P

  26. Chocolate != explosive ninjas. These brown dots would be better suited to that old “coffee + code” layout you had…

  27. I much prefer this one over the previous one, but I’m not sure about the words in the header (the explosion-related ones). It screams “the clouds are caused by an explosion” to me, and I can’t help but wonder what has exploded. Even with your explanation.

  28. Great layout, I think I like the brown…. too much of any color can be boring :D

  29. I like the brown and the blue together as well as the POW!, KABOOM!, and EXPLOSION! part of the layout. The rounded corners are also spiffy. You’re so unique. D:

  30. I love the new layout; brown + blue is a great color scheme.

  31. There’s something I really like with this layout that the other one didn’t had. I would suggest making the background blue-grey… or at leats in the blue palette. I like the idea of explosion over your post, it makes it seems like all you say is explosive and of importance :P I’m not sure about the words and the strippy effect, but I still find it better then the baby-blue unprofessional you had just before… but that just my opinion :p!

  32. I really liked the other one! *sniffles*

  33. I miss the old layout, but this is nice. The blue and brown look good together. Yay for 500 blogs. :)

  34. Ooooh, this brown background is much nicer.

  35. this reminds me of your old layout styles. like from last summer-ish, last spring-ish?

  36. It’s not a cloud, it’s a shuriken flying at incredible speed.

  37. I was shocked! New layout! This looks nice. Less of the striking blue and cool brown now :D But the polka dots are barely visible. :(

  38. Hah, the onomatopoeia is funny. Your header makes me think of the cartoon intros. You’re content does look a bit squished though. I like the way the poki dots are more subdued. I say that because I’m no a fan of poki dots. Yay to you for getting your 500th post..

  39. Congrats on post number 500! Let’s hope there will be (at least) 500 more :D

  40. My favourite thing about this new layout is the fact that the sidebar doesn’t drop! Yay for fixed-width layouts.

  41. Why am I missing these polka dots you all speak of? Where are they?

  42. Oooh, now I see. Sorry for spamming up the comments. I didn’t mean to. :P

  43. Oh, I really like this new layout. The rounded borders own :) I liked the other recent one too, though :P

  44. Ewww, poo brown. Didn’t notice that yesterday, ewwwww. Make a nice very slightly gradienty background, dark blue around the header to white. I thought you already had that last night, but perhaps my screen wasn’t tilted enough…

  45. I don’t know why but there’s something about this layout that makes me like it, but I don’t know what!

  46. Bleargh!

  47. The start of comments overlap the date/time. But I prefer this layout over the two other ones you’ve had in between. You should try amaretto next time, instead of vodka.

  48. Jem

    09 Oct at 4:51 pm

    Still fiddling, Julie :)

  49. Ooooer, the ninja is glowing with radio-active powers….

  50. I love the new layout! Why did you have to wait so long to put a new one up? :P

  51. YAY! I liked this layout so much more =P The other one was too blue, but I don’t like the ninja. It just doesn’t go, at least the green doesn’t.

  52. Back to the old layout, thank god! that random out burst of a last attempt was the only 1 of your designs i didn’t like

  53. I prefer the blue color scheme, but I have to admit this layout fits the best with Jemjabella and works the best so far. Good choice :)

  54. Awww, I kinda want the first blue one back! But this is still cool :) So long as the cool little ninja is there somewhere I’m happy.

  55. Looks like someone’s being indecisive. Haha. :) This theme is my personal favorite, although I liked it better when you used Verdana as the font family.

  56. ITS BACK THE OLD LAYOUT THANK THE LORD!

  57. ^ Yes! I agree, I miss this sexy green + gray combo. The green glowing 1337 ninja looks uber-awesome.

  58. It’s like time turned back :P. That ninja makes me smile every time.

  59. I liked the blue layout. :(

  60. Haha, I love the color theme. It looks fantastic! I do enjoy it a bit more than the other color theme with the ninja. PS. Congrats on your 500th post!

  61. Eh, I’m kind of glad you brought this one back. Though my all time favorite would be the minty-green one before this. I’m really digging the green shadowing on the ninja, by the way.

  62. Good change. Funny how the whole tone of your site feels with this new set up. I do miss the old look. ;)

  63. You have no idea how glad I am that this layout made a return.