Blog Personalization Customization?

I've seen a few homeschool blogs (as well as others) that have their blogs personalized. I don't mean some really cool background they got from some other website. I mean their very own personalized background and graphics.

Like....ok, I'll use this blog as an example.

We now have our school crest completed. I'd like to have that either on the top left corner, top right corner, or one on each corner with a banner in between with the name of our homeschool. With the background and other customization being the colors in the crest.

But I don't know how to do that.I know how to MAKE the graphics, I just don't know how to code it so they go where I want them to go.

Any suggestions?

Summer Vacation

The boys are away for seven weeks with their Dad for Summer vacation. Well, sort of. He has to work, so for at least two weeks they are up at their paternal Grandparents without their Dad. I miss them so much already, and they've only been gone two days.

While they are gone I am taking the time to begin compiling lesson plans and resources for the unit study we are going to do after the first unit study when they get back (Creation Week). Our second unit study will be a character development unit study based around The Book of Virtues by William Bennett. I found the book for only $10, but it's awfully thick...both in size and comprehension. I'm going to take a look at The Children's Book of Virtues to see if it's a little less deep. Somehow I doubt it will be. From what I gather already, it's just a minimized version of the book I already have.

First unit study: Creation Week (7 weeks)
Second unit study: The Book of Virtues (length yet to be determined, could be 10, could be 20)

I'm finished creating the lesson plans for Creation Week and am in the process of creating the website documenting the unit study lesson plan. It's up and running already, just not complete. I'll place the link on the right side of this blog. I'll be adding the BoV unit study to it, too, once I'm done with Creation Week.

Right now I'm going through the BoV one chapter at a time, determining which stories and poems I want to use, determining which virtue they discuss, and then I'll be finding other books from the library to complement the stories/poems. THEN I'll be developing lesson plans that include History/Geography/Social Sciences, Science, and some field trips. Although Science may simply be Behavioral Science as opposed to SCIENCE Science.

I did come across a BoV lesson plan that another homeschooling mom created and shared. I'm probably not going to use it, because going over it I don't think it's as extensive as I'd like it to be. It's not a bad unit study she created, not by any means, it just doesn't include things I'd like to be included. So while I'll be creating my own, I'll be adding the link to her blog for those who may be interested. A bit of warning, however.....it is a 990 page unit study lesson plan. She has some good resources in there, and you don't have to use all of them. She's just provided activities for multiple learning types, which is why it is such a large document.

So that's pretty much everything. I'll be adding the links in the near future, so keep an eye out if you're interested.

Peace out!