It really is tough to decide exactly where to draw the line. I definitely don’t want to post pictures of my daughter or her name, etc. I’m overly protective like that. I did have a family web site for a while, but I often do great with updates… then 6 months go by without anything, and I’ve got a huge back-log of photos and events to add, etc. lol. I need to get that going again – that’s strictly for family and close friends, so we can help keep in touch and get to show them what our daughter is up to, etc.

And while I’ll be giving this site to our friends/family, I know the business content won’t be of interest to (most) of them either.

I guess there is a place for everything, lol, as well as a personal decision as far as how much information to share, and where to share it, etc.

Your site looks FABULOUS!

I’ve subscribed because I was a regular at the other blog and loved what you wrote there. I suspect this blog will be just as valuable.

Thanks so much for the great comments on the design! That’s interesting about the white on black being more difficult to read than the white on pattern (technically very light grey, lol). I also find it a bit stark after the pattern fades away. It just looses the interest that it has up top with the pattern. Thank you for pointing that out – there’s a very good chance that I’ll do something about that by carrying the pattern all the way down the page.

LOL, thanks on the pronunciation key, too.

@James – Thank you! LOL on the trinity – totally unintentional, but it kinda does sound something like that.

Merging sites seems to be more common than I thought. If you’re working with business cards, I’d definitely think that would be difficult to have more than one – and have to decide which one to use, etc. It was difficult enough for me having to decide which URL to give, so a card would make it more complicated, I think.

I was thinking similar to you as far as if someone doesn’t realize I’ve got a life with other interests and passions, etc… well maybe those aren’t the type of people I’d want to work with. But I think I’ll still keep it safe and keep the blog away from the main site. At least for now, anyway.

Thanks again for your kind words! It would be great to work together in the future!

I already told you this but I love your site – looks great! Also I think it’s super to bring all three into one (sounds like the Trinity) and will make life easier.

I’ve been contemplating this move myself over the last couple of months because, in some way, I think it’s funny to market Branding Shed as a company when it’s run by one person and most people refer me by my personal name. I also have several things I’ve always wanted to explore artistically and design-wise and really don’t want to have a handful of business cards or websites going on.

I think some people will be turned off by incorporating your personal side into the freelance side but the deal should be about your work and its quality. You are a human with different interests and passions; we all are! If someone has a problem that you are more than a web developer I say forget ‘em. Maybe I am convincing myself on the strategy too!

So ROCK ON and I hope we’ll do some work together in the very near future!

Then I changed my mind and decided to create an Etsy store to sell my items and then created a blog/website to talk about business things and point towards my Etsy store. At that point I decided to make my blog more informal, but still not overtly personal. I have not fully created my Etsy store yet (I plan to finish setting things up on Monday, I hope) and I have not yet decided but do I think I will go ahead and link the store back to the blog. I also have my biz blog linked to my personal blog. But since the things I am selling have a family angle, I don’t think it will hurt to let them see that I am a family woman.

See?? You’re not the only one thinking in circles?

By the way, I love the background with that gorgeous pattern at the top and bottom! I also think the pink and the green complements the background well. The only thing I’m not crazy about it the middle of the page where I’m reading the white words against the really dark background. Other people may not mind as much, though. And I think the entire main site looks fabulous!!

Ok, and this comment is already so long, I guess it won’t hurt to add one more thing: I got a smile out of you explaining how to pronounce your name at the bottom. I like that.