Today we are celebrating AnchoredScraps Five Year Anniversary Blogging Daily! Overnight the new layout for the website has been brought live. The most noticeable difference is we now have a Home Landing Page.

In describing words best for today it is expressing what a joy it is continuing to be on this daily blogging journey with you. And, I’m needing to say a hearty welcome to my new email blog subscribers!

Let’s get started!

New AnchoredScraps theme photographs are by BrianQuinby.com

The beautiful new header image has been beautifully photographed by BrianQuinby.com. Furthermore, all of the theme photos have been captured by him too – including my new social media portrait! And just to avoid any confusion, the images of the blog post thumbnail images view listings are displaying their respective images, otherwise, all of the images on the theme images for the site are by him.

When I look at the images he has captured, he truly has captured the AnchoredScraps soul encouraging letter writing. Thank you Brian!

With today’s debut of the new look, there are parallels bringing to mind when posting my first blog here five years ago today. At that time I shared I knew there were lots to figure out with using WordPress, knowing over time it would evolve.

There have been two years of research behind today’s new look. It is a delight deciding on Elementor Pro and Ocean WP Theme which is driving what we are seeing. My heartfelt thanks to Brian for his encouragement to stick with Elementor and Ocean, in addition to his help with testing. 

I am aware there are many additional features I’ll be adding in the future.  I’m avoiding the temptation of gold-plating the site (to borrow a phrase from Project Management).

My sincere thank you to the testers!

Thank you to several dear buddies volunteering to test the new Theme layout prior to today’s cutover: Vicki, Susan, Ellen, Jimmy, Debbie, Tally, Patti, and one fester the tester.

Because they are email blog subscribers here they were familiar with my enthusiasm for letter writing and my wanting to make the new layout more obviously proclaiming it!    

The cutover last night went very smoothly. I’m grateful for having a full staging server for testing prior. Having access to do testing and viewing the past week with everyone was helpful prior to apply the changes in production. Furthermore, doing the cutover on the live site myself overnight I am happy to report saw no glitches.

This is (obviously) my first posting where I’m using the “Edit with Elementor” instead of the WordPress Classic Editor.   

Thank you Red Dirt In My Soul

Before wrapping up, I would be remiss if I did not share the inspiration of the beautiful Red Dirt In My Soul blog celebrating Ranchlife in Wyoming. She “photographs and blogs daily about ranch life.” Carol’s been blogging for over 12 years now, and I still remember writing my blog post “Celebrating Red Dirt In My Soul Tenth Blogoversary!”
Her header image of the wide vistas of the landscaping there is fantastic and inspiring for when working with BrianQuinby.com in us designing the new header image layout for AnchoredScraps. Be sure to check out the adorable video on her Aussie Pups Video, think there are seven, eight, or nine of them?!

It is Ash Wednesday! As I’m writing this, Cooper is happily snoozing with a morning nap and the sun is streaming in through the plantation shutters onto him. Today begins my looking forward to writing Lenten Letters to friends.

Thank you so much for being on this daily blog journey with me. Today is daily blog post #1827. In wrapping up, I’m mindful today’s 5 Year Milestone has been focused all on launching the new layout user interface for AnchoredScraps. It is a joy announcing it today with you!

In looking ahead, there is a beautiful Pictorial Postmark for AnchoredScraps Daily Blog Post #2000 Milestone, for August 17, 2020, already in design by local Wilmington Philatelic Society member Richard Porcelli! It is following in the footsteps of his previous designs commemorating #1000, and #1500. My heartfelt thanks to Richard!

Finally, we are just days away from our monthly blog recap and Leap Year! Join me tomorrow as we continue our shared enthusiasm for encouraging putting pen to paper with our letter writing.

Helen