Eighteen months is an eternity in the blogosphere. So when I made the decision to give my blog a makeover today, it was long overdue to make a change.

It certainly wasn’t easy parting with the old design, but it no longer made sense. I had resisted upgrading from WordPress version 2.1 for far too long. I knew once I did, the old design wouldn’t be compatible. So while you’re seeing a new look on the outside, I’m also experiencing a new administrative panel with version 2.6.1.

I will forever be thankful to Jesse Thomas for creating the original look. When he designed it, I had never used WordPress before. He set me on the right path and designed the perfect blog for me.

The new design, based on a theme called Fervens, includes several features that were a priority:

• Three columns to feature more information at the top of the page.
• A FriendFeed widget to show readers what I’m doing (Twitter and Brightkite) and reading (del.icio.us and Digg).
• And most importantly, a new logo designed by a wonderful and creative wife.

I hope it also inspires me to write a little more often.