As you can probably tell, a few things have changed on Arianna’s Random Thoughts. Over the past couple of months, I have been working hard on polishing the site to transform it into a beachfront retreat for us all to enjoy.

After 4 years of blogging with wordpress.com, I recently decided to move my blog to a self-hosted site. I had thought about it for a while (a year actually) and decided this spring was the perfect time to launch.

Initially, I started the blog as a place for my own healing and personal growth; over time and through your support, this beach space has grown into a collective retreat space for us all to gather. I wanted the design to reflect the transition.

I reached out and asked the amazingly creative designer and fellow Canadian, Rita Barry (Blog Genie), to help me make the transition from wordpress.com to wordpress.org. The process is quite challenging and technical, so I asked for an expert’s help.

I reached out and asked the amazingly creative designer and fellow Canadian, Rita Barry (Blog Genie), to help me make the transition from wordpress.com to wordpress.org. The process is quite challenging and technical, so I asked for an expert’s help.

Up until this point, I had done everything, except for the logo, myself and it was amazing to have a set of expert eyes to work with. Thank you, Rita, for making what can be a stressful process so enjoyable!

Through talking with Rita, she helped me polish the design and did a few technical tweaks. Some designers look at your vision and want to change it – Rita emphasized how awesome the space was: just the way it was. Rita’s message to me, that the site was great just the way it is, was so fitting with the core theme of Arianna’s Random Thoughts.

What you will notice, though, is that for the most part – the site remains the same. I will continue to keep doing the work myself as I always have, and will carry it on in the new space.

The location of the server may be different, but the site remains the same. Don’t worry even with the new things happening, I’m not going anywhere. The site and the community mean so much to me.

I am so proud of the new self-hosted space. I have so many more stories to share! Look around the updated space and celebrate with me - you have left your mark on the site too.

THANK YOU for your presence on the site! Have a look around and while you are here, why not leave a message in the sand, in the ‘Comments’, to let me know what you think.

Hope you enjoy your stay!

Arianna

Thank you for reading and your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the comment section below.

See you at the beach!