I was incredibly honored to be nominated for Best Designed Weblog in the Bloggies this year. When I went to look at all the nominees (for everything, actually), I noticed that there seemed to be a definite division. There were sites that were incredibly crafted, coded out the wazoo, devoted to design with every last pixel of their being. Sites that had perfect CSS; sites that discuss web design on a regular basis.

And then there's mine.

My code is far from perfect. I talk about art, but not about design (web, graphic, or otherwise, although I am an Art Director at my day job and have to talk about it all day). I talk a lot about being a mom and the struggles to meld art and family without going insane.

Oh, and did I mention that mine looks nothing like the other entries?

I've noticed since the noms came out blogs which mention all the other nominees but me, as if I'm in some different group that doesn't belong there, darling. Not one of us. And then there's people who voted for me BECAUSE it looks completely unlike the others. There are people that think that anyone else who has watercolor on the top of their site is ripping me off (ha!) and those who say, "well, it's arty, but... "

So what do you think? Is there a line between what's arty, and what's design? Do you have to have amazing code to have good design? Who did you vote for? (It's okay if it wasn't me!) Be honest. (If I wasn't in it, I would have voted for Subtraction. Hands down. Have been a fan for a while.)