Wow! Very, very nice! It's very close to what I've been trying to achieve with my own blog design.

May I ask what blog platform you are using? Is it Wordpress, or something proprietary?

Just one comment about the navigation...I was stuck for a moment on finding my way back to the main landing page, until I realized that the banner above was the link there. It might help to have a link back to "home", so readers can quickly return to the main page.

Hold on... just found the "Home" link...above the entry's title... very small and not immediately apparent.

Your blog has always been very elegant as well as charming. I'm sure the new design will be lovely - and what I see already looks good.

Hi Miguel! Glad you like the design. The platform is Movable Type as it has always been, with a custom design rather than theirs. Yes, that 'home' link should be bigger, I will add it to my list of little kinks here and there to fix - all part of the process, isn't it? Thanks for dropping by and letting us know.

Susan, you are always so kind, thanks. It has been a work in progress for some time, and will continue for a bit more, so I can hardly believe it's up now.

Love, love the banner!

http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/origins.html Have you seen the smarthistory videos at Khan Academy? Thought of you after looking at some Parthenon mini-lecture videos because I see there are early period ones as well.

Sigh. Your site looks great. I don't think I'm going to have a web designer among my three, alas!

Marly, glad you like this change. I know I'm lucky with having three (!) web designers in the family for I could not do this on my own.

The Smart History site looks fascinating, have bookmarked it, thanks so much!

By the way, you are on 'Blogger', I think. I've noticed some lovely new designs at many blogger blogs out there, and I'm under the impression it is fairly easy to switch even for a non-techie. Go for it, Marly!

The new banner image is beautiful, Marja-Leena, but I think it would be even better without the border. If there must be a border because of the template, could it be white instead of black? Hope you and your daughter don't mind my two cents!

Natalie, what border? There is no border in the design. I know you use a Mac, so that is strange. Well, we'll have to check that out - thanks for mentioning - these are the kinks we need to look at early on.

Funky is good! The new banner rocks!

I didn't see the beautiful new banner with a border, but I like it very much without one.

Thanks, rouchswalwe and Anne! I'm glad that border did not appear on your screens, as it's not meant to be there.

Yes,

Marja-Leena this works! I think it's nice to find more categories and really go on looking wha't up and what are your new inventions!

The font is very clear too. And the vulcanic rock as a masshead picture.

Ripsa, kiitos! I'm glad you like it and that it is working for you.

Looks like the blogging software is not remember my comment information, so I have to input my name, email, and URL every time I make a comment.

If people see a border around the banner it is probably a browser problem. I don't see it, so I think the site works well with Safari. Internet Explorer often has a lot of problems, so you might want to check the site out with all the popular browsers, like Opera, Firefox, Chrome. You may have to put in some provisions in the CSS to compensate for the quirks of different browsers.

Miguel, I am having the same problem with entering my email and URL - me, the owner! I think it may sort itself out. As for Natalie's view of the border, it could be her older Mac OS and/or Firefox. J is very good at this technical stuff so I'm sure he'll take care of it soon when he gets back from a business trip.

Lava! Floating in the sky! I love it, love the lightness of the whole design. Congratulations on your eight years and thank you for each of them!

Beth, I am so pleased, thank you. You have been very much a part of that eight year journey and friendship!