Don't Fool Yourself! Looks Are Everything!

From the layout tab, just click on template designer link.  (see previous post) It's on the top right ish of the page.  Then you will get the above options:

Templates: Click on a style that you like and then from that, it allows you to have other choices.  See how the top right template is chosen and then linked to the templates below it?  Lots of choices!
Background:  Allows you to choose background color(if template allows) and a few other things but why worry about those details right now?
Adjust widths: Allows you to make columns on your blog bigger or smaller.  Also has a default choice just in case you goof it up.
Layout:  See below: too much to type up here!

As you can see above, the layout is how your blog will look.  This I think is important because if it looks good, people will stick around, read your blog and maybe even come back!  Choose one, try it for a week or so, then maybe change it and see what you think.  Remember then you can go back and add some gadgets.

Advanced:  Ok, it's just that, advanced!  Not really important in getting your blog up and running but something you can tinker with when you have spare time.  Or just leave it be!  Just allows you to have default fonts, background colors, text colors and such.  I'd just leave it at first.  I waited till just recently to mess with this stuff.

Pick a Gadget, Any Gadget

This blog is so great, you get to choose what the layout is.  What does that mean?  You get to choose where stuff is laid out on your blog.  You can also add "gadgets" to make your blog your own.  Below is an example of a layout.
Remember:  anytime you have a dark gray bar on the left side of something, that means you have the ability to move it up or down.  

Gadgets:   used to enhance their personal web experiences, or the web experiences of visitors to their personal sites. Ex: subscribe to blog, page views,  translator, share to social media, etc.  There are over 1,000 gadgets you could add.  

Add, remove, edit gadgets on your blog. Click and drag to rearrange gadgets. To change columns and widths, use the Template Designer.

Above is an example of a layout.  It's actually of my classroom blog.  Check out my next post to see how to change the layout format.