<a href="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/ktin-glasses.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-243" title="ktin-glasses" src="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/ktin-glasses.jpg" alt="" width="395" height="296" /></a>
<h5 style="padding-left: 270px;"><em>Photo by Jason Berg</em></h5>
In the span of a week, earlier this month, I got five inches cut off my hair <em>and</em> I got new glasses. I felt <em>so</em> different that I pretty much avoided mirrors for a few days, just because my reflection startled me so much.

As I ventured out into the world—going to the cafe, mingling with other parents on the school yard, meeting a friend for lunch—I felt more self-conscious than I think I have since I was 14. It wasn't that I didn't like the new look. I just didn't want all of the attention such drastic change would surely attract.

But no one noticed.

Well, Jason noticed (he also knew I was getting my hair cut, and he helped me pick out my glasses).

Also, another regular at my cafe, whose name I don't recall, noticed.

For the most part, though, I walked around feeling like a stranger to myself, and just the same old person to everyone else. I guess I could be grateful that I didn't get the attention I didn't want to get. It felt strange, though. I tweeted this:
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em><span class="entry-content">when your haircut seems extreme to you &amp; no one notices, does that mean you're overly self-aware or that others go through life half asleep?</span></em></p>

<h4>Shining a spotlight on what's new</h4>
I don't want to go through that weirdness again, so I'm just going to make an announcement here: <strong>I have a brand-new, super great blog design!!</strong>

A couple weeks ago I hired the wonderful Ryan and Sarah of Oktober5, in honor of publishing my 100th post, <a href="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/?p=221">Eeking some magic out of a milestone</a>, on January 15. And here we are, releasing the new design just as I reach the halfway mark of being featured as part of <a href="http://chuckwestbrook.com/introducing-kristin-tennant-and-halfway-to-normal/">Chuck Westbrook's under-appreciated blog project</a>.

So? What do you think? Do you like it?

I realize that many of you will hardly notice the change, but I'm almost giddy with excitement over the new design. First of all, it looks very light and clean, and the colors and mood feel like a good reflection of who I am.

I'm even more excited about how the new design functions. I think it will be much easier for you to find and read the posts you want, as well as follow and participate in the discussion.
<h4>Here are a few new features for you to check out:</h4>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- The <strong>index tabs</strong> at the top (home, about, contact, archives, bloglist, portfolio) keep that info always-handy, freeing up space on the sidebar for other cool features. The "contact" tab lets you send me a direct correspondence, the "archives" tab lets you find all 100+ posts by month and year, or by category. (The bloglist will come soon, I promise, and an online copywriting portfolio will eventually make an appearance.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- As some of you know, problems with my RSS feed button in my old blog design gnawed at me plenty. Now the <strong>buttons to subscribe and find me on Twitter</strong> are impossible to miss. Not only are they very visible, but they're very pretty, thanks to my husband's drawing skills. (You will also be able to subscribe via email very soon. The button is there, I just need to get the service.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- Now that there's extra room in the sidebar, I'm able to <strong>highlight recent reader comments</strong>. This is a great way to follow discussions—particularly the ones happening around older posts, that would otherwise be buried. (To get your picture to show up next to your comments, register at <a href="http://en.gravatar.com/">Gravatar</a>.) There's also a <strong>"Most popular" posts list</strong>. If you're wondering what defines "popular," the auto-generated list pulls in the five posts with the most traffic.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- If you're looking for something in particular, you can go to the <strong>archives</strong>, or use the <strong>tag cloud</strong> (for instance, if you click on "sex" or "Christians against Christians," you will pull up all the posts I've tagged with that word or phrase). There's also a <strong>search tool</strong> below the tag cloud. (Jason immediately typed in his name and felt very loved when he saw how many posts mention him.)</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- Finally, my favorite part of the new design: All the way at the bottom of the most recent post, you'll see three columns, each with a new category header: <strong>Belief, doubt &amp; hope; Culture, ideas &amp; paradigms; and Love, family &amp; community</strong>. I have boiled what used to be eight categories down to three. What you see at the bottom are the three most recent posts in each of the three categories. Not only does it give you a quick way to find nine recent posts, but it lets you focus in on your favorite category, if you want. (Plus, Ryan designed that whole section so it looks super cool.)</p>
One of the things I like best about this change, though, is how it came about. I didn't think to myself "I have to hire someone to redesign my blog" and then go out searching for someone to do it. I got to know Ryan and Sarah on their blogs and Twitter, and the very day I was writing my 100th post, Ryan posted a Tweet saying he wanted to build a blog design business and needed to beef up his portfolio.

The timing was right, Ryan felt like the right person, so I went for it. In the end, it feels like another example of being open and <a href="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/?p=200">striving to live "less intentionally"</a> in 2009. And I'm liking it.