How Much Blog Bling is Too Much

I'm trying to learn about this social blog thing.  I'm not very social.  I love people.  I love a good joke.  I have blogs I read because I enjoy the blog author's perspective.  I have been a political and social justice blogger for years.  I have floated at the edge of blogging networks made up of Mommy Bloggers for years too.  But I don't know how to evaluate all the themed blogging, the badges, mini-networks, and dare I say it?  Subtexts.

And then there is Bob's first law.  "You never know how much is enough until you've had to much. "

I love Victorian imagery but does putting a certain badge some how put me on the radar screen of religious home schoolers that I try to avoid.  Home school frightens me because my mother kept me out school a lot -- homeschooling wasn't an option so she encouraged me to be ill so she could play teacher. I question peoples motives for wanting to exert atypical control over their children.  And while I love light kindness, and goodness, much contemporary  Christianity seems focused on restricting the health and welfare options available to my daughters and granddaughters.

So how do you decode the symbols and how far do you check into the networks you link to on your sidebar?  How much sidebar blog bling is too much?  What about consistency in bling style?

I'm truly interested in your views on this.  Writing and integrity go hand in hand.   How do you evaluate partnering and participation?