I have not been in the blogging world for to long but there is one thing that I tell every single person that asks me about how to get started and that is you need to use Studiopress to set your blog up! I am a little biased on this but I 100% believe in their product and it could not be simpler to use for beginners. What is amazing with the templates and the framework they use for wordpress is that you can constantly customize the template. The better at coding you get the more customization you will be able to do.

Change Is Always Good

Over the past year I have moved over 4 sites that I have been managing over to wordpress and then ultimately over to the genesis framework Studiopress uses. Not only do the stock templates look amazing, the back-end makes things so simple, that includes SEO into your site.

I Am A Believer

Brian Gardner is the creator of StudioPress and designs most of them. Now there are designers out there that will make customize sites for you but they cost a little bit of money to hire. To purchase a template it is around $80, if you want unlimited templates and support it is around $300. I can personally tell you that was the best purchase I have made in about a year!

Some Of Their Templates

Go there right now and explore all the great templates that they have!

StudioPress Themes for WordPress

“You get what you pay for”, is a quote that sums up blog templates the most.  With that being said I don’t think that all templates you pay for are good either.  One huge mistake I have made is to solely get a template based on the way it looks.  Of course that is the first thing you look for, but you will soon find out the back end of your blog and how it’s set up matters!

StudioPress Themes for WordPress

They make about 20 different themes with a back end framework called “Genesis”.  With this Genesis framework the simplicity to change all types of features to your blog is incredible.  They have one theme called Family Tree Child Theme which is great for baby blogs as well as another theme called Bee Crafty Child Theme that will work well with baby blogs.  I have worked with the Genesis framework and currently manage a blog called the ObGyn Gal, I couldn’t be happier working with this framework.

DIY Themes

With a Thesis framework, we were running Baby Blog Addict off this framework, which is incredible for web designers that know what they are doing.  You can customize so many different areas on your blog that if you are computer savvy this is the framework you want to think about.

Leelou Blogs

Theyhave some real warm feeling blog templates, one I personally like is called the The Harvest. She can do a lot of different things for you too.  She can help with SEO, Google analytics, social media, etc.  If you are looking for that simple and girly blog to start with this is a great place to start looking.

WordPress Themes Base

Is one of those websites that have every type of theme you can imagine.  One that I came across is called Girly Diary. There are tons of these sites out there, that all they want is to get as many people to buy a theme as they can, you just don’t get a good feeling with these types of companies.  With all that being said they have some great great templates out there for you to get.

5.  Here is a list of other Designers that are up on Baby Blog Addict that we like…..

Blogs by Danielle

Blogs for a Cause

DCR Design

Fabulous K Creative

Krizzy Designs

Pink Armchair Designs

Scrapblog Designs by Hillary

Sweet Cheeky Designs

Trendy Mommy Blog Designs

I can’t stress this enough, if you are looking to step up your blogging game, you need to get a great framework!  ie. Genesis or Thesis, what I like to compare the frameworks to is the template of the blog is what the outside of the car looks like, the framework is the engine of the car.

Hopefully this post helps and if you want any help just shoot over a comment or email.

You might also like Template vs. Content

Next up in our weekly Blog Designer Spotlight here on BBA is the talented Sharon Albright of Redbud Designs.

GIVEAWAY: Redbud Designs is giving away a SIMPLE BLOG DESIGN (custom header design and background) with an added signature to one lucky BBA reader!!!

How to enter:

1) Go to Redbud Designs and search through Sharon’s creative designs for your favorite.

2) Earn one entry by leaving a comment on this post telling us your favorite design.

3) Earn one extra entry by becoming a BBA Follower in our left column and letting us know in a separate comment. If you are already a follower, you can still earn an extra entry by just letting us know in a separate comment.

4) Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

5) This giveaway ends: Wednesday, 3/25 at 7:00 PM ET. We’ll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA and contact them after the contest ends. Good luck!

A sampling of Sharon’s creative blog designs…

We have featured some very creative designers in our weekly Blog Designer Spotlights here on BBA. Next up is Traci Rutledge of Sweet Cheeky Designs. She is very talented and creates beautiful blog designs. Traci is also celebrating her birthday this month, so Happy Birthday, Traci, from all of us at BBA!

How to enter:

1) Go to Sweet Cheeky Designs or the Sweet Cheeky Design Portfolio and search through her creative designs for your favorite.

2) Earn one entry by leaving a comment on this post telling us your favorite design from Sweet Cheeky Designs.

3) Earn one extra entry by becoming a BBA Follower in our left column and letting us know in a separate comment. If you are already a follower, you can still earn an extra entry by just letting us know in a separate comment.

4) Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

5) This giveaway ends: Wednesday, 3/18 at 7:00 PM ET. We’ll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA and contact them after the contest ends. Good luck!

Some of Traci’s creative blog designs…

We asked Traci to tell us about herself and her design background. Here’s what she said…

I am a former teacher and stay at home mother of two who finally found her dream job. While taking my son to special schools and therapy for autism, I learned web design by reading some books in my car waiting for him. Crazy, right? I started playing with the graphics by asking my friends to let me experiment on their blogs.

I started Sweet Cheeky Designs in August of 2008 and I have already been so blessed with customers who want a unique and creative blog redesign.

Since moving from Texas to Northwest Arkansas in the fall of 2008, both of my kids are in school full-time and I get to spend my day redesigning blogs and learning the website end of it all. I enjoy each new customer and will never make the same design twice. I want your blog to portray you and I will work until you love, love, love it!

Here’s what Traci told us about her design services…

Sweet Cheeky Designs will help you achieve your dream blog. I currently only work with Blogger and can do anything from a redesign to any side items of your choice. Including personalized headers, custom signature and side buttons, to navigation bars on your website-blog.

Turn around time is usually less than a week. I will keep you updated on the process by giving you access to the testing site that I use. By working together, I guarantee that you will love, love, love your new blog!

Traci ended the interview by telling BBA…

I LOVE comments so stop by today to browse my website and learn about what I can do for you next!

New to BBA? Check out our welcome message and sign up for our feed or become a follower in the left sidebar, so you don’t miss a thing.

We are excited to introduce you to another amazing blog designer in our weekly Blog Designer Spotlight here on BBA. Next up is Judi Ledford of Doodlebug Designs. She’s giving away a CUSTOM BLOG DESIGN to one lucky BBA reader!!! She’s also celebrating one year in business with an offer of $10 off each custom blog design. But hurry up. The discount ends March 15th.

Here’s how to enter our giveaway for a CUSTOM BLOG DESIGN by Doodlebug Designs:

1) Go to Doodlebug Designs or the Doodlebug Designs’ Gallery and search through her creative designs for your favorite.

2) Earn one entry by leaving a comment on this post telling us your favorite design from Doodlebug Designs.

3) Earn one extra entry by becoming a BBA Follower in our left column and letting us know in a separate comment. If you are already a follower, you can still earn an extra entry by just letting us know in a separate comment.

4) Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

5) This giveaway ends: Wednesday, 3/11 at 7:00 PM ET. We’ll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA and email them after the contest ends. Good luck!

:: We asked Judi to tell us about herself and her design background. Here’s what she said…

:: Judi also said…

I love working with people. I have made many friends through this venture. Some of them have become very close friends. That has been one of the perks of the business. I have truly been blessed.

New to BBA? Check out our welcome message and sign up for our feed or become a follower in the left sidebar, so you don’t miss a thing.

We are excited to introduce you to another amazing blog designer here on BBA. Next up is Krystyn of Krizzy Designs. She is offering a GIVEAWAY too! Krystyn is giving away your choice of either a blog design (with custom header, background and signature) OR the design of a greeting card (you would receive the digital file to print, email or share).

Here’s how to enter our giveaway for your choice of either:

• BLOG DESIGN (with custom header, background and signature)
• OR GREETING CARD DESIGN (you would receive the digital file to print, email or share)

1) Go to Krizzy Designs’s Blog Designs or her Announcements/Invites Portfolio and search through her creative designs for your favorite.

2) Earn one entry by leaving a comment on this post telling us your favorite design from Krizzy Designs.

3) Earn one extra entry by becoming a BBA Follower in our left column and letting us know in a separate comment. If you are already a follower, you can still earn an extra entry by just letting us know in a separate comment.

4) Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

5) This giveaway ends: Wednesday, 3/4 at 7:00 PM ET. We’ll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA and email them after the contest ends. Good luck!

Here’s a little about the designer. We asked Krystyn to tell us about herself and her design background. Here’s what she said…

I am a mom of 2 girls (27 months and 3 months old). I am a high school science teacher with a BS and MS in Chemistry…so graphic design is totally not my background. I’ve learned a little bit through some online classes, but mostly, trial and error and poking around.

I started by redesigning my own blog (reallyareyouserious.blogspot.com) and kept changing it up. Then, I helped some friends out and people started contacting me. I decided to start up a design site and see what happened, and Krizzy Designs was born.

I also am a certified (although not currently teaching) aerobics instructor. I guess you could say that I like to learn and figure out new things. Krizzy Designs keeps me busy on nights and weekends and brings in a little extra fun for me.

Here’s what Krystyn told us about her design services.

I design the entire blog (header, background, signature, column headers, buttons, etc) or just pieces. From scrap book style, to smooth and sleek, to using royalty-free images; I’m willing to try whatever the customer wants.

I also love to do greeting cards (birth announcements, holiday cards, party invites, etc) as well. I like to create a design that totally suites the customer’s needs.

Here are a few more of Krizzy Design’s creative blog designs:

Leave your comment on this post to enter our Krizzy Designs giveaway.

We have received great feedback from all of you on our weekly Blog Designer Spotlights. It seems that so many of you want a new blog look and are turning to these creative blog designers that we are spotlighting here on BBA.

Next up is Berries and Cream Blog Design. Berries and Cream is the re-branded, re-designed version of RS Designs. They just relaunched on February 14, so they are having a two-week launch party with sales and prizes! She is also offering BBA readers a special discount. The details are at the bottom of this post.

Revka Stearns is the creative mind behind Berries and Cream Blog Design. Head on over to her site to check out her store sale and giveaways over the next two weeks!

We asked Revka to tell us about herself and her design background. Here’s what she said.

I am a stay-at-home Mompreneur. On August 21, I will have been married to my wonderful husband for 10 years. We have 4 children – three girls and one boy.

I have always been a creative person; I majored in music education in college and have taught private piano lessons for 15 years. Before I started my personal blog, The Porch Light, in 2006, I knew nothing about blogs or blog design. Once I began blogging, I started visiting other blogs and loved the unique designs they had.

I eventually discovered my computer’s photo editing program and realized that I could create custom images. Then I realized that people would actually pay me to create designs from them, and the rest is history.

Here’s what Revka told us about her design services.

Berries and Cream Blog Design specializes in creating simply delicious blog designs for women, particularly mommy bloggers and WAHMs. With an A La Carte Menu, custom design packages, custom advertising/branding packages, and pre-made designs, Berries and Cream Blog Design offers just about anything you could want or need for your blog’s design.

Although most of our clients use Blogger or self-hosted WordPress, we will work with any platform that allows you to access and edit your template’s code.

Our 100% satisfaction guarantee and no-limit revision policy ensures that our clients have final say in their design. Because our clients’ design vision is what guides us, the designs we have created cover a wide variety of styles from cute to scrapbook to professional to simple.

**Revka is offering BBA readers a discount of $10 off an order of $30 or more. The code to be entered at checkout is BBAreaders (case sensitive). This discount code is valid through March 31, 2009. Thanks, Revka!

:: Don’t miss Hilary’s BLOG MAKEOVER GIVEAWAY at the bottom of this post.

This week’s featured blog designer is the talented Hilary of ScrapBlog Designs by Hilary. She’s the creative designer behind a BBA favorite – Quadville: The McNulty Quads Blog. Hilary is a student at The Ohio State University, majoring in Psychology. Her goal is to become a nurse in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. She tried her hand at blog design and realized it was “a good opportunity for a poor college student to make a few extra bucks on the side.”

We asked Hilary to tell us about herself and her design background. Here’s what she said.

I became a blogger in my early high school years and have been hooked since then! My personal blog is Hilary’s Place in Cyberspace, which I started in October of 2007.

Image and web design has been a favorite hobby of mine that started after I took a few Adobe Photoshop and web design classes in high school. After searching the web for a source that would make my blog look “pretty” and coming up short, I decided to try my hand in blog design. Through trial and error, I have taught myself a lot of what I know now. I also give credit to many different websites that offer free Blogger and Photoshop tutorials.

Here’s what Hilary told us about her design services.

As my design blog’s name suggests, my blog layouts have a scrapbook look to them. I mostly offer full blog layout designs with a variety of add-on options, but if you are looking for just a blog header, button, or custom signature, that can be arranged too. Right now, I am only making blog designs for those with a blog through Blogger.

I currently work with various digital scrapbooking artists to provide unique graphics with a scrapbook look. If you don’t see something offered on my blog design site that
you want to be incorporated into your blog design, just send me an e-mail and I will try my best to make it work!

What’s your turn around?

My turn around depends on how busy I am at any given point, but it is usually ever more than 1 to 2 weeks from the time of payment. I create my blog designs in two different stages…first I create the blog header and then the rest of the blog layouts.

Hilary’s outlook on blog design.

I love providing my blog design services to others. It often leaves the recipient glowing with a renewed motivation to share their lives with others, through their newly “beautified” blog. Since I started my blog designing endevour, I have met countless people who have personally touched my life in a way I never thought was possible. I can say that, without a doubt, the blog designing industry is one that is unique in and of itself…one that I am so greatful to be a part of.

Here are some of Hilary’s designs:

GIVEAWAY- Free Basic Blog Makeover

1) Go to the ScrapBlog Designs by Hilary portfolio page.

2) Leave a comment on this post telling us the title of your favorite design.

3) Enter only once. Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

4) This giveaway ends: Wednesday, 2/18 at 8:00 AM ET. We’ll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA and email them after the contest ends. Good luck!

New to BBA? Check out our welcome message and sign up for our feed, so you don’t miss a thing.

We are excited to introduce you to another amazing blog designer here on BBA. Next up is Lyndsay Johnson of Banners by Lyndsay. She is offering a GIVEAWAY too! Lyndsay is giving away a Basic Blog Makeover here on BBA! The basic blog includes a banner, background and button with installation/template adjustment, like the one pictured here:

**Please note that Lyndsay will be going on maternity leave starting February 15 to get ready for a new little bundle of joy. CONGRATS LYNDSAY! So hurry and get your orders in before then!**

:: How to enter the giveaway: Go to Banners by Lyndsay and search through Lyndsay’s creative designs. Leave a comment on this post telling us the number and title of your favorite design.

:: Rules: Enter only once. Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

:: This giveaway ends: Wednesday, 2/11 at 8:00 AM ET. We’ll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA and email them after the contest ends.

Here’s a little about the designer. We asked Lyndsay to tell us about herself and her design background. Here’s what she said…

I am a graphic designer by trade, and a mother at heart. I have an MFA in Graphic Design, with over 8 years experience in the industry. When my son was born 2 years ago, I decided to take up the laptop and be a stay-at-home-mom/freelancer. Working from home is a wonderful way to give my family the attention they need, while continuing to develop my creativity and skills.

In the past 2 years I have enjoyed working for scrapbook company Glitz Design, and launching Banners By Lyndsay blog design. We are expecting another addition to our family—a baby girl in March! My personal blog is lyndsayj.blogspot.com.

Here’s what Lyndsay told us about her design services.

Banners By Lyndsay offers over 50 ready-made banners to choose from, backgrounds, and customized buttons for your blog.

My style ranges from modern, hip and simple, to more of a scrapbook style. I am happy to install all of the elements on your blog to ensure quality. And I can usually turn designs around in 1-3 days. (Some custom orders accepted on request for an extra fee.)

Here are a few more of Lyndsay’s creative buttons and banners. (She also offers etsy banners):

Leave your comment on this post to enter the Banners by Lyndsay giveaway on BBA.

New to BBA? Check out our welcome message and sign up for our feed, so you don’t miss a thing.

We are excited to introduce another amazing blog designer here on BBA. Jenny of Pink Armchair Designs. She is giving away a Deluxe Blog makeover here on BBA!

How to enter: Go to Pink Armchair Designs and search through Jenny’s creative designs. Leave a comment on this post telling us the title of your favorite design. Enter only once. Make sure we have your contact info (email or blog address) in your blogger profile or comment itself, so we can contact you if you win.

This giveaway ends: Wednesday, 2/4 at 8:00 AM ET. We’ll select a random winner then post their name here on BBA and email them after the contest ends.

Here’s a little about the designer. We asked Jenny to tell us about herself and her design background. Here’s what she said…

Hi new friends! I’m Jenny (also known as Jennifer,) a 27 year-old newlywed from the great state of Texas! When I’m not designing blogs, I spend my time loving the Lord, teaching Kindergarten, learning how to be a good wife, kissing my weenie dog Bailey, leading worship, watching The Office, reading chick-lit, and blogging on my personal blog, Song of my Life.

I started Pink Armchair Designs in February 2008 as a creative outlet with hopes of building a full-fledged home business. My desire is that by the time we have children, Pink Armchair Designs will be developed enough as a business that I’ll be able to stay home with the kids.

Here’s what Jenny told us about her design services.

My goal is to provide custom designs at affordable prices. The majority of the designs I do are “Scrap Happy,” also known as scrapbook style, although I offer other styles as well. Since all designs are custom, we can work together to create virtually anything you’d like!

My design/installation service is for Blogger, but I also offer design services for Etsy banners as well as banners for other e-commerce sites. Come on over and visit my site to learn more!

Here are some of Jenny’s creative designs:

Leave your comment on this post to enter the Pink Armchair Deluxe Design giveaway on BBA. Jenny is also having her own giveaway on her blog, so check that one out too.