Skip to main content

Coming Soon: Updates to This Blog

I started this blog, Bats in the Belfry, Cats in the Attic, in 2011. I began this blog as a young person shouting my voice into the void, hoping others would respond. Like many young people who find themselves interested in an alternative subculture, I wanted another space to express and explore my authentic self away from the push-back alternative kids receive in the "real world." So, this blog became that space. For that I am grateful.
A throwback to 2010 in Baltimore, near Edgar Allan Poe's grave

Since 2011, I've graduated high school and college, moved out on my own, got married, and have a different sort of life as a young professional in the corporate world. I've spent time in and out of the goth subculture proper. My heart still beats for all things dark and weird, but I am a different person than I was in 2011.

While I've grown as a person, this blog has stayed, for the most part, stagnant. I want this blog to grow as well, and I have some plans to help it along.

I work in marketing and communications. As such, I've been thinking about the purpose of this blog and how it can add value to its readers' lives. I want it to have meaningful content. I also want the this blog to be more visually appealing and easy to navigate.

Here is what all I plan to update:

  1. New name: Bats in the Belfry, Cats in the Attic was a good name in this blog's infancy. But don't worry, the new name won't be unfamiliar to old readers. Because of its simplicity and appeal, I've decided to re-title this blog Odd Ghoul Out after my screen name. 
  2. New look: I want to update the banner, choose a few good fonts and a nice color scheme. 
  3. Easy navigation: I want the new layout to make my posts more accessible to the reader. I'd like the visuals of the content to be front-and-center. I also plan to simplify my blog tags/labels and create some tabs along the top for easier navigation.
Due to my work schedule, I've been slowly chipping away at these tasks. If I hurry to make these updates, I risk the quality of this blog. For that reason, these changes will take some time. In the meantime, I've been coming up with ideas for new content.  

If you've made changes/updates to your blog or website, what are some helpful tips and tricks you can offer? If you're a long-time reader (and you're still here after all these years), how do you feel about these changes?
Labels:

Comments

  1. SarahWalrusJune 13, 2019 at 11:43 PM

    The best thing I did to update my blog since moving on from the basic layouts of my youth was to find a layout that ticked alllll of my boxes and buy it. That way it's consistently updated by someone that isn't me, and has everything I need without the need to meet them in the middle.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OddGhoulOutJune 24, 2019 at 9:08 AM

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. OddGhoulOutJune 24, 2019 at 9:12 AM

      Thank you for the suggestion! I love your blog's layout. I've contemplated moving my blog to another site like Wordpress, but I'm not sure yet. So I can find a reputable place to search for a new layout, can you tell me where you found yours?

      Delete
  2. boyJuly 2, 2019 at 11:37 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Insomniac's AtticJanuary 3, 2020 at 10:22 AM

    You're not the first blogger I've run across in the past six-eight months I've heard say they miss the old days of blogging! I - personally - am too damn lazy to change everything right now on my blog - other than the header graphics, but that I actually enjoy doing. I did get rid of a few old posts that no longer had working links, but so far that's about it. I'm more worried about coming up with a suitable topic to write about now that I'm semi-committed to actually start writing again!

    I look forward to whatever you share, and I will make sure that I am still following you on my Blogger feed - which I am ashamed to admit I haven't looked at in two years. Eeeep!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OddGhoulOutJanuary 6, 2020 at 6:15 PM

      Part of my problem is that I'm also too damn lazy to change everything, even though I have a lot of ideas. I tend to get side-tracked as well. I've been working on another post for the new year (which I just published). I look forward to reading your blog again,whenever, and whatever, you choose to write. Cheers!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Catch Me on Wicked Paranormal Radio Tomorrow!

Picture taken by Moments by Monica for Ghosts of Marietta Two of my fellow ghost hunters with Historic Ghost Watch and Investigation host Wicked Paranormal Radio every Tuesday evening on Paramania Radio. Tomorrow, I will be their guest on the show from 8:00 pm-10:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Join me for fun conversations about ghosts, my personal experiences with the paranormal, as well as my time as a ghost tour guide. This is a fun, conversational show, so prepare yourself for plenty of jokes and other random side conversations. You can listen in by going to paramaniaradio.com   tomorrow (Tuesday, June 8) at 8:00 pm EST. Just  click the "play" button at the top of the screen to start listening. If you miss the live stream, the show will be recorded and archived on Wicked Paranormal Radio's main page . Make sure to  RSVP on the Facebook event page . 
1 comment
Read more

Let's talk Goth, Consumerism and #zerowaste

Disclaimer:   I do not claim to be an expert on low waste (or "zero waste") living —far from it . The purpose of this piece is to explore what it means to belong to the Goth subculture in the context of consumerism and making sustainable choices. There are many ways to live sustainably, but this piece will focus on reducing waste. This piece does not seek to shame or blame anyone but rather to challenge throw-away attitudes that dominate our world—and the modern Goth subculture—by offering another perspective. Respectful discussion in the comment section is welcomed.  W hen I hear the words "zero waste," I often think of people making videos to show off three months of trash fitting inside a little mason jar, their magical Whole Foods shopping trip, or even a tour of their impossibly-tiny capsule wardrobe. Search #zerowaste on Pinterest and you'll come up with pictures of tidy little beige pantries with uniform mason jars filled with chia seeds, nutri
2 comments
Read more

Odd Ghoul Out's 2019 Concert Clip Show

It's been a decade since I first got into goth music and subculture. And, with my tongue firmly stuck to my cheek, I observe how I am  still  a baby bat! I'm young enough to still be called a "baby" at shows and club nights yet old enough to recall, with deep nostalgia, vying for a spot directly in front of the stage at my first Peter Murphy show nearly 10 years ago at a now-relocated venue in Atlanta... I also remember with fondness—and some embarrassment—writing a cliché poem for Peter Murphy, referring to him as the "original Bat." And, instead of keeping it to myself, I actually threw the typed poem up onto the stage directly following the show, hoping he'd pick it up and keep it in his breast pocket. Ah, the folly of youth! I don't recall there ever being this many bands of the goth or goth-adjacent persuasion playing in Atlanta since I got into the subculture. That's not to say there weren't plenty of bands playing this city. I only f
2 comments
Read more