Decluttering My Blog Layout

A very talented person told me to set this intention in my mind from this second "I am like a sponge that soaks in knowledge & inspiration but wrings out only productive action". Productive action is the key. I'm still summarizing my goals for this year, and having some difficult time to choose what I shall do first in my blogging world.

I chose to start the year with an ordinary month in January, and to fill February with sew-alongs. And while doing them, I tried to examine my blog structure, and what ??? a very messy messy sidebar (in my opinion) and unstructured menus. My sidebar was fat, I mean, too long. I put too much informations there. The menus didn't represent my true self. So I decided to give my blog some organizations. I want my blog looks clean and neat

So, what I did with my Sidebar ?

I've ever tried to make a 3 columns blog, but I ended dislike it. So I stick with a 2 columns blog, and had some hard times to choose sidebar widgets that were fit to my style. I changed most of my sidebar widgets few days ago, and here are what I did :

- Added "Search This Blog" widget in the top of my sidebar

- Slimmed my Categories (Label) into 4 Popular Categories

- Added "Recent Post" widget, so the reader can find my latest post easily

- Slimmed up "Blog Archive" into a drop-down widget

- Deleted "Blog Roll" ==> I will add it into "Link Love" Menu (that I have not created yet)

- Deleted my favorites links, from "Creative Connections" until "Indonesian Bloggers" (maybe I made 5 or more links widgets) ==> I will add it into "Link Love" Menu (that I have not created yet)

- Rearrange the widgets. I'm the master of an always changing sidebar, so you may find my sidebar composition change time after time. But mostly, I love my current sidebar composition :

1. A search widget
2. Popular Categories
3. Links to find me elsewhere
4. Recent post
5. Blog Archive
6. Current Sew Along Button & Grab Button Box
7. Giveaway sponsor buttons
8. List of my friends (GFC & Facebook)
9. Subscription form (RSS)
10. Bloglovin subscription
11. Blog & SEO statistics
12. Copyright & license

Blog Header :

I don't have enough budget to pay talented blog designer out there to create my blog header. So I make some experiments with digital scrapbook kit that I have collected. I'm still a beginner, so here is what I come up with :

My previous blog header was in bright colors,now I want to make it more pale, and I also add a transparent scallop background (from blogger.com) to create a pale layout.
Comparing it with my old header, which one you like most ?

Remember this ? My old blog header :

Blog Menus :

I wrote a (not completely) new "About Me" page and found it not enough describing my passions, so maybe I will write a new one.

The "Tutorials" page now comes back. I had made a same page few months back, but I deleted it. Now I have enough confidence to add it again

I also add a "Sponsor A giveaway" page, so if there is anyone who is interested in helping me doing this, she can find the way to contact me

Having some done, changed and deleted, now feel that my blog's pageload is even more faster ! No delays and un-opened image like what I experienced before

So, what changes you made onto your blog lately ?