Another New Look

Well, what do you think?

Is this background more Tiki Hut?

I can see the water at the bottom using Chrome. On Internet Explorer, all I get is sky. But the same oranges and blues are here, even with just sky showing.

Blogger offers an option with palm trees, but there's very little color with it. I LOVE COLOR.

If this still doesn't give you the right feel, I'll continue experimenting. After all, Under the Tiki Hut is all about you. I want you to feel good when you visit here.

Speaking of feeling good when you visit . . . have you ever visited someone at their home and gotten a completely different impression of them than you had before you saw where they lived?

And when it happens, does it totally creep you out?

I want to write a character like that.

He would be the antagonist . . . that's the easy call.

But what if she were the protagonist?
Could she carry a novel?
Could readers relate to her?
Would they want to?

How would you write a character like this?

Comments

Ooo great idea for an antagonist! I like the idea of showing the home as representing falseness or creepiness! One thing I like about this new look is the white background. So easy to read!
Mason Canyon said…
Love the colors. Your idea of the house giving a different impression of the character sounds intriguing.

Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Lydia Kang said…
I love the colors, but on my computer screen I can only see about a centimeter of it around the white.
It's fun experimenting!

I like that house vs personality set up. Great idea!
Carol Kilgore said…
Karen - Creepy antagonists are good. No matter what I do with the color part, I plan to keep the white background for text.

Mason - Thanks.
Carol Kilgore said…
Lydia - I've no idea why you can only see a tiny bit of the color. Nor do I know why it shows differently on different browsers. Wish I knew the answers.
Arlee Bird said…
I mostly see white background with black print. I like that. It's easy to read. I like a blog page thats like a standard book or magazine page. I go to a blog to read what someone has to say, not for fancy effects and gewgahs.

Lee
Tossing It Out
Joanne said…
I've got water and sky going on here on my screen. Love, love the colors. Can you add a hint of a tropical island, where the tiki-hut would be?
Aubrie said…
I love the new look!

Sometimes people's homes don't seem anything like them and it does weird me out. Very true. It's great material for a character.
Unknown said…
I'm with Lee, I love that the text is on white but I love the color behind it. It pops!

As for your character, I can tell you've really thought about it. I think it would be interesting to read what you come up with.

CD
Carol Kilgore said…
Arlee - I like what the blogger has to say, too. But I also enjoy the packaging.

Joanne - I'm glad you see it all! I haven't found a tropical island yet, but I'll keep looking. That's what I'd love. Maybe Blogger will come through for us :)

Aubrie - Thanks.

Clarissa - I'm glad this template works better. This character and another one who seems very different are playing together in my head. I don't know yet what will come of them.
Elspeth Futcher said…
First impressions can be wrong. Someone can strike you one way and then you see their home and your views change. Why? Because it's not your style? It's not clean enough? It's TOO clean? Too many knick-knacks? Too few? What IS THAT in that basket?Interesting premise, Carol.
Talli Roland said…
Oh, I like this better than the orange. It's definitely you!
Carol Kilgore said…
Elspeth - Yeah, like that. And why are there no mirrors and stacks of newspapers everywhere?

Talli - Great! Thanks.
Maryannwrites said…
I like the white background with black text. It would be nice, however, if the whole center was a bit narrower so we could see more of the sky and the ocean. Looks lovely.
Southpaw said…
I like the contrast in a character.

I like the new background. Now I really, really want to see a tiki hut or parrots or a fruit drink in you header. :)
Carol Kilgore said…
Maryann - Good idea. I think I can tinker with the width. Thanks.

Southpaw - I'd really, really like to add something to the header, but I'm not sure I know how to do that. Anyone?
VR Barkowski said…
Love it, Carol. Very Tiki Hut worthy. How the page appears depends not only on the browser but on the resolution of the user's monitor. Lower resolution means less background. On my Mac, I see it all in both Firefox and Safari. On my laptop and Desktop PCs (using Explorer) I see less of the color, but it's still lovely.
Very summery! I like it! I want to sit in those chairs, but my feet up and drink some lemonade. Ahhh summer!
Mason Canyon said…
I didn't see the chairs in my earlier visit. Nice touch. They look like they belong with a Tiki Hut. :)

Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Carol Kilgore said…
VR - Ah. I think I get it. Glad you like the look.

Kathi - It's always summer Under the Tiki Hut.

Mason - I just added the chairs tonight. Tried to add another photo that said it was public domain and received a nasty pop-up instead. Deleted it.
Anonymous said…
Most people's homes aren't anything like you imagine them. Or maybe that's just me and my skewed view of people that I develop.
I think a character like this really could carry a story and they would probably be very interesting as we delved into the facets of their personality and the different discourses they operate within.
Interesting thoughts and I love the background.
Carol Kilgore said…
Thanks, Cassandra. I'll put all that into the mix when I start thinking a little more about the character. I'm glad you like the new look.
Helen Ginger said…
Love the new look. It is totally Tiki Hut.

Problem is, what would creep you out might not creep me out. Unless it's something really creepy like the guy having his stuffed dead mother in a rocking chair. Or something equally creepy. But, then again, maybe that's just creepy to me.
Carol Kilgore said…
Totally Tiki! I like that.

True about the creepiness factor. I'll think on that.
Anonymous said…
I think the colors are beautiful.

I see you all over the blogosphere. I figured it was time I drop in to say hello.

Hello. ;)

- Corra

the victorian heroine
Ann Best said…
This template is lovely! If you're like me, you'll may keep tinkering with it. But the colors--the borders especially--are soothing, more like tiki hut, I think.

I'll have to think about the character... An intriguing idea you have.
Carol Kilgore said…
Corra - Hello!
I'm so happy you visited and commented. I always like knowing who's here. Come back any time you like. No doors here, so pull up a chair and order your favorite drink - no charge :)

Ann - Thanks. I've tinkered off and on for a week or so, so I'm hoping I'm done. At least for a while. I'll probably keep checking every once in a while to see if Blogger offers new designs, but that will be about it until they do.
notesfromnadir said…
I love color, too! I also think this does go w/ the Tiki Hut theme very well.

That's a nice challenge you're presenting yourself w/. Sometimes the impression can be positive. She can dress in old clothes but actually lives in a fine home. Or vice versa.
Carol Kilgore said…
Exactly!

I'm glad you like the new look :)

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