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Site Name: Amour Chaleur
Owner: Dayna
Reviewed by: Georgina
Reviewed on: 1st January 2009
Site Name
Amour Chaleur is a beautiful site name. The rhyming makes it easier to remember. I have a good first impression already!
Coding and Validation
Coding: valid XHTML 1.0 Strict!
CSS: valid CSS 2.1!
So very wonderful of you to note that in your footer. Two thumbs up, Dayna. Most of your pages off the index page are also validated.
Browser Compatibility & Usability
The site looks great in most browsers according to Browsershots.org.
The tabbed navigation is really easy to see. The hovers are great and I really like the colours. ‘Weblog’ should be something like ‘Home’, which is easier to understand for those unknowing.
While the tabbed navigation is really good in Firefox, in Internet Explorer, on hover, the content under the navigation is dodged downwards.
The ‘Site map’ link is handy and a great addition for usability.
Your header image is a good size and your layout would look great in even the smallest screens and resolutions.
Layout
This has got to be the cutest layout I’ve seen in a while.
The colours are really appealing. The little characters are adorable, and I love the matching footer, and the fixed background.
The CSS is simple and matches the layout well!
Content
Spirit (About Me)
Dayna, since your site is a personal domain, I find that this section really reflects you. A lot of the articles are very well written. Since I’m not a ‘proof-reader’, I might not correct every single mistake on every written piece.
The links here would be more organised if they were in alphabetical order, but it’s really your choice.
On your web history page:
graphics designing should be graphics design
winter-eclipse should be Winter-Eclipse
quilting bee should be Quilting Bee (and consider linking this to the Quilting bee site)
know should be knew
mood should be moods
I feel that a part of me is should be I felt that a part of me was
I feel that it is should be I felt that it was
Now here I am now should be Here I am now.
On your preferences page:
at too should be at two.
Your education page made me have a good think about choosing design as a career, as you mentioned that as a hobby, it should be enjoyed.
I’ve lived in Australia all my life so I know what it’s like to have a summery Christmas like in Singapore!
All other pages I haven’t mentioned are intact.
Essence (Domain)
On the main page, desire should be desires.
In your layout archive, when describing the current layout:
colors used was should be colors used were
launched should be launching.
On your linkage page, direct-linked should be direct-link.
Credits page is great; you’ve made sure you credited what you used. You should also add WordPress here, even if it’s in your footer.
On your disclaimer page:
had put up should be have put up
direct-linked should be direct-link
livejournals should be LiveJournals
hesitant should be hesitate.
While all the links to your site’s reviews work, it might be an idea to link back to the site that reviewed you, if possble. These reviews are on old sites you’ve owned so I would suggest taking them down; they don’t need to be displayed on your new site.
All the other pages in this section are good. Your search function works as well.
Inspiring (Design Gallery)
Everything in here is beautiful, just like your current layout. Since it’s basically a portfolio of works, there isn’t much more to say.
Thoughts (My Writings)
Having something ‘in progress’ on your site isn’t a good idea. Visitors may not like to be given the impression that something’s unfinished. I suggest taking the link to the article down until you’ve finished writing it.
On your professionalism article (which is excellent, might I add):
step foot should be stepped foot.
I love your thoughts on colours! You definitely support the article with your wonderful layout!
Top job on the hotlinking article. I put a small replacement image 
do happens should be does happen.
On your web page review article:
their after should be they’re after
html should be HTML.
On your copying article:
the link article should be articles
frustration and disappointment should be frustrated and disappointed.
I won’t be reviewing your reviews as it’d be silly to review a review. All the links are fine though, and I believe you review well.
On your little article on ‘hypocrites’:
am are we someone should be are we people
Everyone have should be Everyone has
when you’re should be you’re
nerve should be nerves.
This article sends out a good message. Not only are the people hypocrites, they could be trying to impress certain people, in habit of “being cool”. Great article once again.
On your online trading article:
meet people should be met people
receive should be received
responsible should be responsibility
you’ve choose should be you’ve chosen
a negative should be negative
picture should be pictures
will seems should be will seem
they emailed should be they email
atm should be ATM
Vice verse should be Vice versa
trick but should be trick,
That are should be Those are
cheated should be cheating.
This is another handy article that can open people’s eyes about risks online.
Visitor
You’ve chosen to write the text ‘visitor’ on the navigation thab for this section. I think that to keep things consistent, the other sections (Essence, Spirit) should be named similarly such as ‘Owner’ and ‘Site’.
else where should be elsewhere
website XHTML should be website to XHTML.
Under your reviews request section, you state that you don’t do private reviews, yet you have one under your reviews archive. I’m assuming the reviews you’ve done are old, and if so you should remove them, or at least remove the privately requested one or state that you no longer accept private reviews on the archive page also. You have reasonable rules here.
Your premade layouts are lovely and look very professional and well coded. Unfortunately Getty Images no longer allows the distribution of their images, as you’ll find in this article.
Your graphics are, like the examples I’ve seen in your portfolio, lovely. Your adoptions are very cute, though they aren’t the best. Your wallpapers are beautiful and so are your avatars. I love the avatars that are from your current layout. They’re very cute!
On the validating your website tutorial:
does not might should be does not mean
have to have to have should be have to have
Depreciated should be Deprecated
discourage should be discouraged
get you should be get your.
On your WordPress plugins tutorial:
message had been should be message has been.
I’ve only briefly read through your WordPress tutorials. I don’t know much about WordPress but I read through these tutorials and think they’d be really helpful.
The tutorial on the butterfly effect is good and has a nice result, but where you have ‘just look for this icon’, the icon image doesn’t appear.
Originality & Creativity
Loads and loads of originality here. All your content was unique and for the most part, enjoyable to look at or read.
Your writings are excellent, though you have some spelling errors. I think they all address interesting issues. You don’t offer many graphics but the ones you have are great. With your graphic skill I expected to see more visitor content in the form of graphics, but even your writings were excellent.
All your graphics and the content in your portfolio showed me that you are definitely a creative person. Your layout was also a evidence of this.
Organisation & Errors
Everything was pretty well organised. Links could be in alphabetical order. I didn’t find any broken links except for the dead image on your butterfly effect tutorial.
It’s understandable that you have a few spelling or grammar or punctuation errors here and there, as English isn’t your mother tongue. You do write very well and you seem to take great care in your writing.
Overall Comment
Dayna, your site was packed with content which did take me a while to sift through, but your layout and coding really blew me away. Your coding looks great and is validated, as well as your CSS. Your site looked very professional on the outside.
Your layout is very unique and I enjoyed it while I reviewed your site. As you know I didn’t read through everything, but a lot of your content was original and extremely well organised.
I feel that you deserve five cookies as you have obviously worked very hard on your site. While I love a lot of your content and writings though, you have a lot of personal information. This might not be read by visitors as much as your articles. Though it really projects your site as a personal domain, it’s a lot of content that not everyone will read. I’m not suggesting to remove it but it might not be as worthwhile to spend time writing a lot of these. Personally I don’t think visitors would really read much of the information.
Overall your site was excellent and your layout left a lasting impression on me. I’d love to come back to read any more articles you write. Congratulations on such a great site.
