Seven Thirty Three (and a Blog Button Giveaway!)

You can Google "blog design" and you'll probably come up with around 307,000,000 results. Actually, I just did. Talk about overwhelming!

For most bloggers, the two biggest priorities in a blog redesign are choosing a company that not only offers affordable packages, but also one whose clients can boast about professional work. You might find a designer who only charges $15 for an entire site redesign, but what kind of work are you purchasing?

I came across Kim's craft blog, Seven Thirty Three, a Creative Blog, a few months ago and just fell in love with her design. (Possibly because we have the same cutesy color scheme?!) The blog is full of freebies, tutorials, a Seven Thirty Three-inspired reader gallery, and fun weekly linky parties geared towards moms of boys and moms of girls. Love!

I was more than slightly awed when I discovered that Kim designed the site herself and also does blog design work for others!

Today, I'd love to share Seven Thirty Three--Custom Blog Design with you!

Kim fell in love with design in college, and while she's been helping others with blog and web work for some time, she made it official and opened Seven Thirty Three's design branch this summer.

Her style is difficult to pin down because she custom tailors each job to the client!

When a new client signs up, Kim emails out a questionnaire to find out more about the person's style, color preferences, etc. To get a better feel for the client's personality, she also visits their current blog so that she can custom tailor a new site specifically for that person and his/her blog. Talk about customer service!

Most designs are completed in a week or less, assuming the blogger is consistent with replying to any questions or corrections Kim directs their way.

Some of Kim's favorite work features a blog called The View from Down Here. The author, who writes about being "vertically challenged," wanted her tagline conveyed in the design of the banner. I think Kim nailed it!

Get Craftin' features fun tabs that go perfectly with the theme of the blog, and Kim has a real knack for taking a blog's theme and crafting buttons to match:

  

Speaking of matching a button to a blog, check out what she put together for my new weekly Weekend Bloggy Reading party! I'm inviting you, my readers, to link up your favorite blog post of the week from your blog here on Fridays.

When I mentioned the idea of new button to replace the make-shift one I attempted to throw together in Paint, she had something to me within a few hours. It was finalized within the day. Not only did she take the initiative to peruse my blog on her own, she matched certain elements of my blog's design and put it all together without even having to ask me what I had in mind--the girl is gifted!

One of you is going to get a chance to see for yourself!

Seven Thirty Three--Custom Blog Design is giving away a Custom Blog Button to one lucky Serenity Now reader!

There are several ways to enter, please leave a separate comment for each entry:
1. (mandatory) Please visit the Seven Thirty Three portfolio and leave me a comment telling me which design is your favorite.
2. Tweet the following, adding a link to today's post: "A 733 Custom Blog Button Giveaway via @SerenityNowGirl"
3. Facebook this post.
4. Blog about this Giveaway with a link to this post.

Good luck! This post will be open for entries until 10 pm (ET) on Sunday.

Hope to see you linking up your best post tomorrow at Weekend Bloggy Reading! I have some good ones from around Blogland to share!

Here's the code for my new party button, in case you want to grab it now:

<a href=" http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/ " target="_blank"><img src="http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae332/Amanda_SerenityNow/Blog%20Party%20Buttons/WeekendBloggyReading.png" border="0" alt="Weekend Bloggy Reading"></a>