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If you tried to access my blog last night, you may have been greeted with a white page. Just a white screen. Everywhere. Also known as the WordPress white screen of death. Dude, I felt like I death when I saw it. I couldn’t access anything. No access to the admin login, nothing. Just white screens. Everywhere. How on earth was I going to be able to fix something I couldn’t even, well, SEE? I spent some time GTS’ing(*) and the news was not good. And it was also confusing. It was all in smart people code language and I was lost. I downloaded this Cyberduck thing that is suppose to let you login and fix code some special way, but umm, I couldn’t figure it out.
Hours later, when I was just about to cry I decided to review some of the options in my Bluehost control panel (I use Bluehost as my blog host) . I zoned in on one called “Site Backup and Restore”. Now I certainly had not backed up my site myself, but I liked the sound of this option. I clicked “Restore” and then “Website Files” and then “Daily System Backup”. I crossed my fingers, closed my eyes and hoped for the best.
And what do you know? IT WORKED. Everything was back. Bluehost saved my ass. Recently I was wondering why exactly I used Bluehost anyways? Umm, this was my answer.
How did this happen you ask? Well, I was trying to adjust the code to change the colors of bar under my header. I don’t want it to be black. But clearly something went wrong because as soon as I changed the code, it all went to sh*t. I’m going to do a little more research on this before I give it another go ;).
And now for the good blog stuff. As you can see, I got a little blog makeover this past week. I still have some final touches to do, but I am LOVING it. Instead of paying someone big bucks to do a full custom site design, I have my friend Erynn over at Four Leaf Prints make me a header and a blog button and I do the rest.
I don’t know if you all have looked into the prices of custom WordPress blog designs on Etsy, but they are INSANE. Ain’t nobody got the money for that! By having FLP make me only a custom header and a blog button, I can save a ton of cash and do more giveaways! She does birthday invites, holiday cards, birth announcements, etc. as well.
I also mentioned the other day that I was looking to get business cards made. And what do you know, my friend Kate over at Custom Paper Works was like I can help you with that! I need to e-mail her to get the ball rolling, but I know she will do an amazing job.
Her passport wedding invitations may just be the coolest thing ever.
I bought the little social media buttons from ItHasToBeYellow on etsy and bugged from friend Jen over at CAMP for some help with the code for one of them. Little does she know, but I am going to get some more coding help from her about that pesky menu bar color problem.
And that’s it people. The rest I did myself. You do NOT have to pay a million dollars for a custom WordPress design. You just don’t. I like to change up my site kinda often, so I really can’t be dropping hundreds of dollars every few months you know? I am learning a lot about blogging and codes and photoshop and everything as I go and I am really enjoying it! So what do you think of the new design? And have you ever encountered something like I did last night?? OMG so scary!!!
(*) And saving the google cache of my subscription box list since I didn’t have it saved anywhere – spare me the lecture.
So glad your blog didn’t disappear. I like the makeover, you did a great job, but the yellow letters (retiree, blogger and hoarder) are really hard to see on my desktop. I can see them just fine on my iPad though.
I had that problem a few weeks after I started my blog. I basically just started from scratch and re-loaded wordpress. Talk about a big ole hassle.
I do my own layout, header and buttons. They aren’t the best, but until I have $$$ I am just going to use the skills I have and beg the hubby for some help since he is one heck of a graphic artist. I would post a link to his website but I don’t want to step on toes.
I am glad you were able to get it back and I hope you have a good rest of your week!
I am so bad at codes and other blog stuff! Great recovery!
I’m not sure how you are editing… but can I assume you use an FTP software of some sort? If so, a little tip that may save your fanny here. When you are going to change code in a file and you aren’t real sure what is going to happen, go in and rename it before you upload the altered version.
Example: You’ve edited index.php. Before you upload and replace it with the new one, rename it to indexOLD.php. Then, if you found you screwed up, just delete the new one and rename the old one back again. Of course, this little tid bit might be all for not, cuz I might have lost you at FTP. LOL
If you want me to take a look-see, just ask. 🙂 My nerdy self likes doing that kind of stuff.
I have had that happen before and I was horrified!
I think I may have to get married again just so I have an excuse for those passport invitations. OMG those are AWESOME. So is your redesign. Looking good.
I almost cried when I read your FB post about your blog being gone… And then I logged on the next morning and it was there, I was so excited!!! Reading your blog is a must have staple in my everyday since I stumbled across it!
I looked at your friend Kate’s Passport Wedding Invitations…those would be so cool to have her make for my invitations but for 1 I don’t have the money, boo and b I’m running out of time, lol, that and we are not really inviting any one to the wedding, just the reception.