The Sweet Pea Chronicles

I’ve created an `About Camille’ page that’s on the header-bar … for easy access to major posts regarding Camille [birth, monthly updates, photo pages I particularly like]. 

Here’s a link, in case you don’t see it:
http://www.sweetpeablog.com/?page_id=926

I’m also going to keep her updated growth chart, at least for the meantime, there for ease of reference.

If there’s anything else you think makes sense there - or other useful pages - just let me know.

Thanks for visiting!

I am currently trying out a new blog design, which you may or may not end up seeing in the next week or so. The redesign, especially of the front page, should allow people to focus better on what they came for, along with seeing an overview of all recent posts and categories.

While I do like this design, I would like to make the browsing of the various categories more centralized - which will allow me to expand the focus of this blog by allowing readers to focus on their interest easier.

Suprising to me, I’ve seen visitors from around the globe beyond the expected friends and family. It’s a welcome development, and would love to hear from them as I’d like to learn how to keep them returning, and eventually, involved in discussion. The redesign will better allow me to see where people are browsing, to see what people don’t seem to want to read about - and focus on what people find interesting. Gauging what it is interesting is difficult just from web-statistics, and while I enjoy blogging for my own sake - I’d rather spend time working on what people will look at or enjoy most.

It’s been almost a decade since I did web design in a serious fashion, and with Camille keeping me occupied much of the time, it’s been slow learning what I need to modify the blog/pages to my liking. I’ve been very impressed with Wordpress and the community of folks helping each other and contributing the great free theme I’m currently using and the one I am modifying currently.

Please feel free to comment on what you like, and don’t like, on either the current or any future designs. I’m still new at this, and will always be learning more about design, writing, content creation, and photography … if you’ve got anything to add, please don’t hesitate to post or email me.

As many of you know, I spent time in Pakistan during the mid-90’s; and have kept my eye on the region since that point.  Given my interest in the area, I find it hard not to speak as relations deteriorate and it appears our military actions are only inflaming the region further.  Sadly, I will probably be posting a lot more on this situation as it is passing into a very active and concerning state of affairs in the last months.

I will of course keep my main focus of the blog on Camille, but as I see visitors from Pakistan and other nations have found this blog … I will indulge my interest in the area by posting editorial comment on current news as well as eventually getting stories from my travels posted as well.

But have no fear, Camille is a much more positive and interesting subject who will always be the main focus of this blog, my thoughts, and my posts.  I am currently considering a static front page to this blog which will more easily allow people to read one topic vs. the other. 

If you only want to read one topic - click on the category you wish on the right column to browse just those posts.  Do note that all sub-categories are included if you choose `All About Camille’.

Feel free to comment and let me know what you find useful or if this mixing of posts is a positive/negative for you.  Thanks for visiting!

Currently I’m working on a couple possible designs for the blog. Sometime in the next days, you may see a couple of different designs pop up as you look at the site … or for a longer period of time.

Please let me know any problems you have, or if you particularly like one design. I’m going to try to post what I’m calling that design … so if you love or hate it, you can let me know.

As someone who did web design for a few years, then went onto color printing [and at very least, looking at good/bad design and learning what I could from it] … I really like this Wordpress blog software. Design changes are almost too-easy to make, which allows me a lot of enjoyment taking someone’s great template and making it my own over time.

Let me know what you like [or have problems with] - and I’ll continue to improve it. Comments for this can be found on this page if you don’t see the box below.

I guess I’d call this one `green iTheme’ given I’ve based it on one called iTheme that I’m customizing - if you’d want to express like/dislike of it.

Welcome to The Sweet Pea Chronicles.

This blog was started to provide Kris and I [Mark] to have a place to post information, photos, and the like as we become parents and continue down life’s path together.

Please feel free to comment - whether just to say hello, give your opinion, rate a photo, ask questions, give suggestions … or to start a discussion. One great feature of blogs is they are not static or a one-way-communication … please feel free to contribute and make this an even better place.

I’m learning on the job here, so advice, tips and tricks, and guidance are appreciated … as well as your understanding while I get the hang of things. Links to your blog, or great blogs for inspiration are appreciated.

I would like to thank my brother Ed for getting me up and running with this blog, making this such a simple and easy process to get going.

Please feel free to comment, or email Mark directly if you need.

Anyway, thanks for visiting and come back soon!

Mark