Welcome to my world JanMary

Five Minute Friday - Song

2013-05-17T18:36:00.000+01:00

Five Minute Friday is when bloggers write for 5 minutes on a specified topic - this is my take on SONG:

My earliest memory of a song is my mum singing to me as a child. If I couldn't get to sleep, or had a nightmare, my mum would stroke my forehead and gently sing Psalm 23 "The Lord's My Shepherd".

She would stay by me for the first verse, then leave slowly and quietly, continuing to sing. As she went down the stairs she would continue to sing, getting quieter and quieter - finishing the final verse at the bottom of the stairs.

The combination of the comforting words and beautiful tune helped me settle back to sleep.

I managed to find a clip of it HERE

Growing up as part of the Reformed Presyterian Church, we had a split-leaf Psalter (hymn book of just Psalms which we sung in church - unaccompanied). So as well as announcing which Psalm we were about to sing, the tune we were going to sing would be announced too. So with Psalm 23 my Mum used to sing it to the tune of Crimmond. Hearing it again immediately takes me back to my childhood.

This is a picture of an older Psalter I own, dating back to 1880, so it doesn't actually have Crimond in it!

And here is a little about the composer of the tune Crimond, and the origin of it's name. (You can read the article in full HERE

In the Church of Scotland, there is a strong tradition for worship songs to be sung without musical accompaniment. This is still in eveidence today, particularly in the Free Church of Scotland and some Reformed Presbyterian Churches. In 1650, the Church of Scotland published it's metrical psalter - a collection of 150 psalms for unaccompanied singing. Originally, psalm 23 was sung to the "Wiltshire" melody. However, by the 1930's, the "Crimond" tune had become the most popular setting to this Psalm.

The Crimond melody was originally composed by Jessie Seymour Irvine, from Scotland. It is said that she originally wrote the melody as an exercise for her organ lessons. Initially, a David Grant was credited with writing the work. However, it later emerged that Grant only devised a piano accompaniment for the Crimond melody. In 1929, the Scottish Psalter corrects cites Jessie Seymour as writer of this famous hymn. Irvine was the daughter of a Church of Scotland minister. For a period of time, the family lived in Crimond in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, hence the title of this famous hymn tune.

My other song memory from my childhood is my Dad singing "Some Enchanted Evening" from the musical South Pacific.....but only under certain situations - when my brothers and I were squabbling! Whatever the reason for our fighting, it was all forgotten as we united in pleading with Dad to stop singing ..... worked every time.

So ...... do you have a song or two from your childhood which brings back particular memories?

Do share - either below in comments, on my Facebook page, or even by email - all welcome!

Finally, to see what other bloggers have written on the topic of "Song" visit the lovely Lisa-Jo and tell her I said "hi"!

Have a lovely weekend, wherever you are.

A Family Celebration

2013-05-14T11:27:00.002+01:00

I was glad I took the photo of the sunny warm day with the blue sky last week, as there has been very little blue sky since, and even less sun! Mostly rain and even hail this week.

However the weather didn't spoil our weekend, when my parents, my brothers, their wives and kids (all but 1) and my own husband and 3 kids all headed to Burrendale Hotel in Newcastle, Co Down for a night away to celebrate my Mum's birthday. There were 15 of us in total.

We headed into Newcastle for coffee and ice creams at Mauds, dodging the showers, and managed to get a few photos. I took my DSLR with me, but only took photos with my iphone! So here are a few pics from the weekend:

The kids enjoyed the pool before we had a delicious meal in the hotel restaurant. There was some reluctant posing for photos!

There was a lot of reminiscing and my daughters enjoyed learning a bit more about how we were as teens.

The next morning we had breakfast and farewells.......but no more sun - this was the view on Sunday morning

Thanks Mum and Dad for a lovely time away.

Review of Skylanders Giants Lunch Bag from the Internet Gift Store

2013-05-13T21:35:00.000+01:00

As a parent blogger I am sometimes given the opportunity to review some products for my family.

When was asked to pick a character lunch bag from the online shop Internet Gift Store, there was really only one to be selected.

My son is a HUGE Skylanders fan, so the opportunity to have a new Skylander Giant Mini Bag lunchbox was perfect.

Here, in the words of my 8 year old, are his views on the Skylander Giants lunch bag

It is very cool
It has 2 parts - one for break and one for lunch which is useful
The sides of the lunch box and the zip pulls are decorated with the Skylander elements : Magic, Water, Tech, Fire, Earth, Life, Air and Undead.
It's awesome!

So there you have it - the perfect lunch box for all Skylander Giant fans.

For a great selection of character lunch boxes, check out the Internet Gift Store. There are also lunch boxes featuring Hello Kitty,One Direction, Mr Men, Moshi Monsters and much, much more!

Disclaimer : I was provided with the Skylanders Giants lunch bag for review, but all opinions expressed are my own or my son's!

Decisions, decisions - help me choose new MINTED business cards

2013-05-12T20:47:00.000+01:00

Hello lovely readers

I need your help. As well as my janmary designs business cards, sometimes I just want to give my contact details on occasions where it is not my jewellery business we are discussing.

I have been given the chance to choose some new personal business cards from Minted - a lovely online stationery website powered by a global community of independent designers.

New stationery makes me happy! There was so much choice, but I have narrowed it down to a final 4. I was able to add in my own personal details to see exactly how each design would look.

I have yet to decide what I would put of the reverse of options 2, 3 and 4 - I can have a pattern design, plain or add my own photo - still undecided! With each design I can also select from a range of colours, these are just the colours that instantly appealed, and are subject to change!!!

But help me choose the front first :) I think I am looking for quirky, striking, uncomplicated and memorable (just like me - lol!!!)

Here are my final four - which one do you prefer?

Option 1 - Call me business cards

Option 2 Heart business cards

Option 3 Ikon business cards

Option 4 A pleasure business cards

Leave me a comment below, or comment on Facebook, as to which you prefer.

Thanks

Lessons Learned This Week

2013-05-07T21:38:00.000+01:00

Quick post tonight, while I am watching the first episode of The Apprentice - here are this week's lessons

I love The Apprentice - and this year's candidates look as eccentric as ever. Are you watching?

Blue skies and warm sunshine - it has been so long, that I took my iphone photo for today of the sky!

Moshi Monsters are taking over our house - resistance is futile

It was lovely to be back up at the north coast this weekend

We have a new family tradition - when out for Sunday lunch, instead of ordering desserts we head to the local traditional sweet shop - what was your favourite sweets from your childhood?

So there you have it - my lessons this week. As usual I am linking up to Julie, from Inmates to PlayDates.

What have you learned this week? Please let me know!

Review of a Colour Consultation by Jennifer Kelly, Bangor

2013-05-04T19:20:00.005+01:00

I met Jennifer (Jennfer Kelly, Image Consultant) last year, after she got in touch to order some pieces of my jewellery for her new shop in Grays Hill, Bangor.

She has been encouraging me to have a colour consultation for some time, but I have always been a bit wary of having my colours "done"! What if my favourite colours are not recommended? What if I hate the colours that are deemed to be most suitable?

When I arrived in Bangor last Friday, Jennifer explained the process...

"It's not just about the colours you like/don't like, I will provide you with a range of the most flattering colours."

Jennifer started by giving me a mini-facial, and then used a hairband to keep the hair from my face, so that hair and make-up are kept out of the equation on the initial colour analysis.

It's about choosing the colours you can wear, not having a colour "wear you".

The processes of draping colours against my skin tone began

We started with pinks, and a fuschia pink was definitely most flattering.

With greys and browns, the clearer and less-dull/less-muted were the clear winners

As we progressed through the the colours, I was definitely heading for Cool/Clear/Deep colours (also described as Winter)

Jennifer explained that although some colours may not be ideal for you, by choosing a piece of jewellery or scarf in a colour from your pallette, it was still possible incorporate different colours.

Some of the colours Jennifer used to test against my complexion were "extreme versions" used for testing and comparison. I was not to be scared by the strong colours she was demonstrating with - I could chose a subtler shade.

The conclusion .... I was Cool/Clear/Deep (Winter)

The good/great news - black and navy where on my pallette

The ones I had hoped to also be there were brown, and a dusty soft pink - no colours are "banned/excluded" but it was recommended that I included some cool/clear accessories. I also tend to be drawn to more muted colours, as well as cream, but was encouraged to try brighter/bolder/sharper colours.

More good news was that yellow and orange were not for me ..... not that I ever thought they were, but it was nice to have that confirmed!!

Interestingly some of the colours of significant outfits from my past were deemed to be within my range-

My uniforms from my Northern Banks days started with teal (mid 80's), then electric blue (early 90's), and ended with navy (late 90's/early 00's) - were ALL in my pallette. (The less said about those triangular teal pinafores and lemon blouses the better!)

The mint green bridesmaid dress I wore in 1990 was definitely a good colour for me

My wedding dress (ivory) and going-away-outfit (jade green with a navy camisole) also perfect!

After the colour pallette was finalised, I had my makeup applied by Jennifer using the Art Deco makeup she is a stockist for. Jennifer also sells a great selection of tops, accessories, and of course some Janmary Designs jewellery! Definitely worth visiting her shop if you are in the North Down area.

For a Cool/Clear/Deep person, pink-based makeup is recommended - as I tend to prefer browns for my eyes and natural/nude colours on my lips, this will be more of a shift for me.

Finally I received advice on hair colouring, and I agreed that ash blonde was preferable to golden blonde highlights.

So, the whole process was an enjoyable two hours, with lots of advice from Jennifer.

I left with my pallette of colours - not as a definitive list, but to look out for colours which blended with them.

The wallet includes - samples of the Cool/Clear fabrics, advice on hair, makeup, accessories (shoes/bags/jewellery/even glasses)

Since last week, when clothes shopping, I have been keeping the recommendations in mind, and it has helped me decide against some of the more muted colours I would probably have been drawn to.

Thanks to Jennifer for her expertise and encouragement to go for a Colour Consultation.

Have you ever had your colours "done"? Have you considered going for a Colour Consultation?

Disclaimer : Jennifer Kelly provided me with a complimentary Colour Consultation, but ALL opinions expressed are my own - I promise!

Guest Post - Expert Tips for Fuss Free Travel with Kids

2013-05-03T13:08:00.004+01:00

This is a guest post by Jane Blackmore

I have always adored holidays and travelling; before the children arrived I enjoyed staring at sunsets in Costa Rica, being overwhelmed by sensational scenery in Kenya and living the high life in New York City. Since having my family, our holidays have taken a more conservative turn; we are more prone to discovering beauty spots in the UK, or jumping aboard a plane to soak up the sun on cheap package holidays.

The fear of travelling with small ones is something that bites many parents and turns them from being fun loving backpackers into avid promoters of staycations. Owing to my love of hotels, beaches, and adventures we have never fallen into this parent trap, and over the years we have developed six fail safe ways to travel with the children.

1. When flying, ensure you consider and plan the journey to the airport in precise detail. The more organised you are the more everything is guaranteed to run smoothly. Book your car park, know when the shuttle bus will collect you, allocate one parent to check in (if you have not checked in online beforehand) and one to play eye spy in the airport with the small ones. Prior planning makes pleasant parenting!

2. Again when flying off to sunnier climates make sure you prepare the children for the sensation of take-off - ear ache for three hours is painful for both mother and child. Have some sweets ready to suck, or a bottle or breast for a baby and get them to swallow hard to relive the tension.

3. Take food, and plenty of it. In short it is hard to run wild when tucking into your favourite snacks. Every journey we go on involves us making a packed lunch of epic proportions. It contains all the kids’ favourite things, and as our children are still young we try and delight with dinosaur shaped sandwiches and mystery parcels which hide chocolate treats. We have had car picnics, airport lounge lunches and feasts on ferries.

4. Flying with a toddler is always challenging; they get restless easily and won’t settle for long. While they simply adore playing ‘race up the airplane aisle’, this seems to annoy passengers is frowned upon by air hostesses after their feet have been stamped on one too many times.

Ways to keep your energetic terror entertained include taking favourite books, stickers, small etch a sketches, but the way that seems pretty failsafe is to introduce a DVD player or tablet on which you can stream their favourite TV shows.

5. For primary aged children, classic puzzle books and school work seem to be a great way to keep them occupied on a long flight. My two seven year olds always bring their homework on a plane because they know once they have got it done it doesn’t interfere with the holiday. A great incentive to get ahead and an easy way to keep them happy.

About the author: Jane Blackmore is a freelance writer, editor and blogger whilst also being mum to three. In her spare time she can often be found gazing at holiday brochures, watching trashy TV and looking forward to her nightly G&T.

What I learned this week

2013-04-23T20:51:00.000+01:00

A few lessons to share this week

1. Getting my photo taken for some PR pics for my business is not as painless as I thought it would be - the lovely Trazanne Norwood really put me at my ease, did some wonders with her makeup brushes, and when I went to pick the images there were a few I actually liked! This one is probably my favourite. If you in Northern Ireland and looking for some new head shot photos (and expertly applied makeup) I thoroughly recommend Trazanne - don't let the "boudoir" part put you off!

This was probably my favourite image.

2. I have fallen off my proposed weekly iPhone Friday posts - but life comes before blogging! Maybe I will post this week - time will tell....

3. Having daughters practicing for their Home Economics cookery practical many times is great when you get to sample the results.

4. It is finally warming up ever so slightly! Spring might be in the air! Daffodils always make me feel spring-y, and these were how a bunch opened up over 4 days in my kitchen.

5. One of my daughters has just replaced her phone - and today got her first iPhone - so I am no longer the only iPhone fanatic in the house. Looking forward to her pics on Instagram!

6. We got our PhotoPass images from Disney last week - I am looking forward to completing our album - here are a couple of my favourite images.

7. When you are asked to speak at an Old Girls Association of your daughters' school, you might just underestimate how embarrassing they find it - and that is before I actually even do the presentation The working title is "from banking to blogging and beading" and I will be sharing how I got started with my jewellery business www.janmarydesigns.com, this blog, iPhoneography and more! I'll let you know how it goes!

So there you have it - my lessons learned this week. What have YOU learned this week? Please share!

You can find out what other bloggers have learned over at Julie's From Inmates to Playdates (she is now a mum - she used to be a prison officer ... hence the name of her blog!)

A review of The French Rooms in Bushmills - Bon Apetit!

2013-04-17T20:47:00.000+01:00

When we come up to stay at the north coast, near the Giants Causeway, it is always interesting to look out for new things happening in the village of Bushmills. New shops and restaurants are always eagerly anticipated, and where possible we like to support local businesses.

I had spotted The French Rooms a few weeks before, and checked out their website. A friend texted me the weekend it opened with "You will LOVE it - check them out" so I immediately booked in for dinner the following Friday, our last night of our Easter break.

When we arrived I was immediately struck by the architecture, decor and attention to detail.

The staff were warm and welcoming, and if the food lived up to everything else we were in for a treat

....... and it did!

I ordered a well done steak, with pepper cream sauce. Delicious.

Everyone else enjoyed their meals too, with a good selection to choose from, but not so overwhelming a choice either!

Loved the instructions that came with my husband's coffee

This was our view looking up from our table - a sky light / light fitting made up of wine glasses. I will definitely come back to see it illuminated at night.

and this is a closer look at it later, from upstairs.

The wee touches such as the bill coming inside a box made to look like an old french book just added to the whole experiences.

Sensibly they are starting with a phased opening, with reduced hours for the cafe / restaurant, but the shop and garden terrace should be opening soon - can't wait!

Here are a few more images

I have NO affiliation to The French Rooms, and have not been compensated for this review in anyway. All opinions expressed are my own, and all photos taken on my iPhone.

So, if you are up on the north coast at all, check out The French Rooms in Bushmills, along with some other great shops in the village, including 1608 Gallery - where my www.janmarydesigns.com jewellery is now selling! (another iPhone collage)

The community of Bushmills are working really hard at encouraging more visitors to stop to shop/eat/spend. Over Easter they had an Easter Trail hunt for kids

Thanks for reading (and commenting) on my blog - I really appreciate it!

Memories of Boston and Praying for Boston

2013-04-16T17:15:00.002+01:00

I usually share Lessons Learned on my blog on a Tuesday, but following the news of the two bombs in Boston yesterday, this post will be a bit different.

Twice I have spent a holiday in Boston. The first time (before kids) my husband and I spent a few days in Boston in the mid-nineties, as part of a fly-drive holiday in New England.

I remember the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market and the original Cheers Bar. The most notable thing that happened was being asked for photo id to prove I was over 21 as we entered the Cheers Bar - I was 26 at the time!

A couple of years ago we had a wonderful house-swap holiday to Boston and Cape Cod. Here are a few of my favourite pics of the city.

We all enjoyed the New England Aquarium

and my son especially loved the Duck Tours (driving the "bus/boat" on the river)

and the fountains on Boston Common!

I love the centre of Bostonthe mixture of old and new, and managed to go on a photography walking tour - right in the area where the bombs went off yesterday.

When the news came through last night, we immediately thought of friends of ours, originally from N Ireland, now living outside Boston. The husband is a keen runner, so we knew there was a strong possibility that they would have been at the marathon. Fortunately there was an update on Facebook, sharing that they had been at the finish line 30 minutes before the explosions, had been coming out of a coffee shop when the bombs went off. They were home safe and well.

But my thoughts and prayers are with those families who are not home safe and well.

For those injured, for those bereaved.

For some I am sure it was hours before they were reunited with family, not knowing if they were safe or caught up in the trouble.

Those who ran to help and assist must also be traumatised by the experience - some of the photos have been truly horrific and graphic.

So today ........ no lessons to share ....... just a request - pray for the people of Boston, and those effected by the events of yesterday, when it should have been a celebration of sporting achievement, raising money charity and celebrating Patriots Day.

Thanks

Digi-Scrapping with Scrap Girls Simpler Times Charity Kit

2013-04-13T20:18:00.000+01:00

I used to do a LOT of digital scrapbooking, but not so much recently. However, recently Debbie Cleek, President of Scrap Girls Digital Scrapbooking approached me and asked me to create a digital layout to promote their Simpler Times bi-annual charity kit. A full 100% of the sale proceeds will go to the charity Food For The Poor.

"The money raised by this kit will go toward digging wells in some of the poorest regions in the world. This is the ninth year that Scrap Girls has created a kit for Food for the Poor and to date their efforts have supported the digging of 13 wells in countries all over the Caribbean and Latin America, most recently in earthquake-damaged Haiti."

So on to my layout!

I saw on twitter during the week that is was National Sibling Day on 10 April in America.....so in honour of National Sibling Day here is a layout including myself and my 2 big brothers .... back in the seventies!

We were probably aged 6, 5 and 4 in this photo, taken in our back garden when we lived in Enniskillen.

Sorry Dave and Jonny for the trendy 70's clothes - we can blame Mum!

So here is a bit more of the kit, to tempt you to purchase and download it - remember all $9.99 goes to a great charity providing clean water for thousands.

Scrap Girls Simpler Times Collection

If you have yet to try Digi-scrapping - go for it!

Thanks to Scrap Girls for letting me review the kit - and for getting me back to digi-scrapping again!

So - what do you think of the digi-layout, or the kit, or our 70's fashion? Let me know in the comments below!

What I learned this week

2013-04-09T16:32:00.003+01:00

I'll get straight down to my lessons learned

....we have had probably our coldest but driest beginning of April ever - sun shone every day (which doesn't usually happen!), no April showers. LOTS of blue skies!

and stunning sunsets.

....wee spring lambs are very cute

....when a new French restaurant (The French Rooms) opens in the village, prepare to be impressed. I will do a separate blog post about it, but the food was delicious. he building beautifully renovated, the staff friendly, and the little extra touches all added up to a wonderful evening.

.....Navy! I seem to be addicted to buying/wearing navy - there is a whole lot of navy going on in my wardrobe right now! I recently purchased a navy blazer which I am very pleased with. I am however on the look out for some linen trousers - maybe not navy though!

....sometimes you are invited to an event, and you aren't sure whether to go, but when it is BizCamp Belfast I am so glad I did. I was only able to stay for part of the day but I learned lots including - cloud accounting, pitching your story to the media, how I should be using MailChimp, and more! I also met some great people, and definitely made a few useful contacts for my jewellery business and blogging.

....travelling over to Donegal by ferry (even if it is only a 15 minute trip) is worth experiencing, especially on a such a sunny day

.....when you are going over to meet blogging friends Elizabeth and B, it is even better. We met them for lunch, then walked around the city walls of Derry/Londonderry/Stroke City. Check out Elizabeth's blog - she is a talented photographer, and they have just relocated from Florida to chilly Donegal, so it makes for a fascinating read too.

.....trying to explain to your kids you are driving west and taking a ferry to getSouthern Ireland, to then drive a bit south back into Northern Ireland, then west again back into Southern Ireland, to get to a restuarant to meet Elizabeth and B is confusing! At various times during the day we were asked "so are we in Northern Ireland or Southern Ireland now?"

Think that is enough learning for this week.

For more lessons learned, visit Julie at From Inmates to Playdates - each week she prompts us to blog and share our lessons.

What have YOU learned this week?

iPhone Friday - app of the week - PhotoSynth

2013-04-05T16:05:00.002+01:00

Welcome to another iPhone Friday

This week I want to share my favourite panoramic app = Photosynth - not sure why it sounds nothing like a panoramic app!

Here are a few recent panoramic photos taken with the app.

Ballintoy

Runkerry Strand (down on the beach)

Looking over to Runkerry

The path down to the Giants Causeway

As well as cropping them to easily share them online (Instagram, Facebook, on a blog etc) it is also possible to share them through the Photosynth website.

Here I am on Photosynth (as Janmary of course!)

By viewing them there you get a much more interactive and involved view of the images - you can scroll/sweep around, looking up and down and around, giving you a much better appreciation of the space.

This one of inside the Pantheon in Rome last June illustrates this very well

It is a easy and fun app to use. Just tap the screen, wait for the green rectangle, shift the camera round slightly, it will add to the image and warn you if you are going too fast or too far on! Try it, and let me know how you get on.

On to some images from my week.

Ballintoy

The ferry over to Donegal

City of Derry

Portrush Surf Festival

And another stockist for my www.janmarydesigns.com jewellery

I seem to be using collages MORE and MORE! Are you tired of them? I think part of it is that I can't pick just one image to capture an event or day, and I don't want to clog up other's Instagram or Facebook pages with numerous images.

Also playing around with collages is fun!

And a few NON-collaged images

This old abandoned cottage is just across the lane from our holiday cottage - very atmospheric, and I would love to know the history of who once lived here

We have had some glorious (but chilly) sunny days this week - and some spectacular sunsets. This was my view in the car wing mirror as we drove home the other evening.

And from the same evening, the sunset from the dramatic Dunluce Castle

So how was your iPhone photography week? I always add place to linkup to below, and very occasionally someone does, so I will keep going with that! Why not make my week and add an image or two?

Finally, remember you can still sign up for my iphone newsletter HERE

A Photo-drive to Murlough Bay with snow and sheep!

2013-04-02T10:05:00.003+01:00

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We headed east from the cottage for a drive round the coast this morning. We drove from Ballycastle to Cushendun along the scenic road (narrow, twisty and steep in places!) which passes Fair Head, Murlough Bay and Torr Head. The coast line was stunning with the snow still lying it lots of areas. It is less accessible (especially for the big tourist buses) and so has a lovely remote and unspoilt feel to this dramatic coastline.

Usually I share "photo-walks" on this blog, but is was absolutely freezing, and I only managed a couple of minutes outside the car at any one time, so more of a "drive" than a "walk".

So not many words - just lots of photos:

These are my favourite images from our drive

Murlough Bay

Mummy sheep and her twins

and the "3 amigos" sheep!

and here is the rest of the photos :

Fair Head (with Scotland in the distance)

More of Scotland

Snow drift in a bus shelter

Scotland!

One of my favourite places - Murlough Bay

Sheep on the road - there were several on our journey

A lot more snow

Unsurprisingly the picnic spot was not too popular today!

This shows how deep the snow was here before it was cleared by the snow plough

And then some more of those sheep

At one point my son said "I see a pig - no it is a wool-less sheep, a naked sheep!" - it was a sheep which had been shorn - made us laugh!

So there you have it - my photo-drive around part of the north coast of N Ireland.

I am sneakily adding this to What I Learned this Week too - over at From Inmates to Playdates - what I learned this week - Murlough Bay is a stunning place, especially in the snow, but it was SO cold!

What have you learned this week? Please share in the comments below, and make my day/week!

An Easter/Spring Update

2013-03-31T11:33:00.002+01:00

I seem to have been neglecting this blog with "ordinary" posts - without my routine of Lessons Learned and iPhone Friday, I doubt if I would ever get around to posting.

So, here is an update for you all.

The snow is still lying here in quite a few areas, despite it being over a week since the day of the heavy snow fall. Aparently this is has been the coldest March since 1962!

A friend renamed the season SPINTER which seems appropriate.

We are now up at the north coast at our cottage, and yesterday afternoon headed out for a drive with some photo taking opportunities.

Of course the wee lambs were everywhere, and here are a few

We headed on round the coast a few miles, and stopped just after Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge.

Fair Head looked stunning with snow on top!

I am not sure when I have ever seen Scotland so clearly! That is part of Rathlin Island in front, but all the rest is Scotland - you can even see the wind turbines!

The road to Ballycastle was also lovely, a few more photos before we returned to the cottage to warm up again.

In other news, I have recently joined our church choir, and last Sunday evening (Palm Sunday) we sang a cantata "Halleluja, What a Saviour" which was a challenge, but very meaninful to sing about the days leading up to the crucifiction and ressurection of Jesus.

On Thursday evening we sang a couple of the pieces again as part of the Communion Service, another signicifant day in the Christian calendar as we remembered the Last Supper.

I pray that wherever you are this Easter, that you will know the real reason for the celebration - Jesus Christ, Our Lord.

iPhone Friday - Pinterest links on iphoneography

2013-03-29T21:56:00.000Z

Hello and welcome to another iPhone Friday post.

This week, as well as sharing some of my iphone photography images captured this week, I want to encourage you to use Pinterest to find great iPhone photography tutorials and inspiration.

My favourite jewellery I created for www.janmarydesigns.com this week were my new Instagram pendants using pics taken with my iPhone

I plan to offer these for sale soon on my website, and will also be able to make pendants and key-rings using YOUR own photos - so if you are interested, get in touch.

First my photos from this SNOWY week in Spring - or as a friend on facebook renamed this season - SPINTER!

I created the following collage using TurboCollage and Phonto apps

Most of these pics of Castle Gardens in Lisburn I took with the proHDR app and the text was added with LabelBox app

It was definitely a week for collages on my phone - one of Moira (love the doors) and one of the Easter decor for sale in Dobbies!

Finally, occasionally I like to convert an iPhone image to black and white - if there is a lot of colour and a lot happening in the background, reducing it to black and white simplifies the image, and draws the eye to the faces (at least I think so!). This was my Dad and my son this afternoon.

Now on to Pinterest.

Here are a couple of great Pinterest tutorials by the lovely Jo-Lynne Shane (Musings of a Housewife) - one of the first bloggers I connected with when I first dipped my toe in the blogging waters (!)

Getting started on Pinterest

Using Pinterest

Best Travel Games for Kids - a guest post

2013-03-27T10:39:00.004Z

Anyone who has been on a long haul journey with children will know how difficult keeping them entertained can be. When just ten minutes into the journey, cries of "Are we there yet?" and "I'm bored!" can have you tearing your hair out before you've even reached the motorway.
Chessington Holidays have put together some ideas to keep the whole family entertained until you reach your destination.

0-1 Years

Very young children can feel a little unsettled in unfamiliar surroundings. Taking along a favourite toy can help keep them entertained and comforted, whilst singing nursery rhymes and playing peek-a-boo can make them feel more "at home". Try putting something silly on your head, a newspaper or drinks cup for example and asking "Do you like my hat?" This can lead to lots of giggles from your little ones (N.B. Please don't do this if you're the driver).

2-5 Years

Treasure Hunt

Prior to setting out on a long journey draw some pictures of things you are likely to come across on your trip, such as a man in a hat, a girl with a dog, a fluffy sheep, or safari animals — give each player ten things to find and the winner is whoever finds all of the things on their card first.

One or the Other

A lovely simple game which can be lots of fun for all involved. Give two options and ask the child to pick their favourite. Jelly Babies or milkshake? Pink or green? Dancing or splashing in puddles? You could make it more tricky by picking two things they don't like and making them choose: kissing a frog or smelling Daddy's socks?

In My Suitcase: A classic memory game

The first player thinks of a word beginning with the letter "a" and then says the sentence "In my suitcase I have..." adding their word, "an apple" for example, at the end. The next player repeats the sentence adding a word beginning with "b", e.g. "In my suitcase I have an apple and a banjo" and so on through the alphabet until a player either forgets the list of objects or can't think of an object to add to the list. The game can be adapted to make the words as silly or as difficult to remember as you like.

One Word at a Time

Each member of the party helps to make a story, but only by adding one word at a time. Each player can say just one word to take the story in a completely new direction.

Just a minute?

All players, except the timekeeper, close their eyes. The timekeeper starts the clock or stopwatch. Each player puts up their hand when they believe that exactly one minute has passed. The winner is whoever gets closest to 60 seconds — a lot harder than you may think!

Keeping children entertained on long haul trips can be difficult but it can also be lots of fun with just a little forward planning and a few games up your sleeve, and remember, please be considerate when choosing your music.

Of course, if they fall asleep, enjoy the peace and quiet while you can, or listen to your own choice of music!

Disclaimer - This guest post has been brought to you by www.ChessingtonHolidays.co.uk

What I learned this week (the snowy Spring version!)

2013-03-26T14:26:00.000Z

I learned

Never underestimate the amount of SNOW we can have in March

I am very glad when it is snowing heavily and all the family are home safe and warm

I dislike driving in snow. It is now Tuesday, hasn't really snowed heavily since Friday, but still too much snow around.

I am thankful for good neighbours - my husband and most of the men in our street spent several hours clearing snow so we could all get out!

It is possible to have more than enought snow (like us), NO snow just a few miles from here in one direction, and have HUGE snow drifts and roads closed for days in the other direction. This was my back garden onSunday

I am thankful for electricity! We only had no power for about 10 minutes (and as soon as it came back there was a rush to charge ipads and mobile phones!), but I know of several friends who had NO electricity for 3 full days, in these freezing temperatures - brrrrr!

I love doing kids jewellery parties, even on snowy afternoons (www.janmarydesigns.com - available for bookings - hint!)

got a cat? There's an app for them too! Game for Cats

I need to do some ~~spring cleaning~~ spring clearing out - lots of stuff to clear out, and I have just found out about a new website for clothes recycling (you can also send dvds and cds)

I love having the kids off for 2 weeks - no school runs and homeworks (however lots of dentist appointments, hair cuts, sleepovers etc instead)

I have started making some photo jewellery from my instagram photos - loving it. Let me know if you would like me to make a pendant with one of YOUR photos - which image would you pick?

That's it for now, what have YOU learned this week? Do share.

For more lessons learned, as always you can visit the lovely Julie, where she hosts a "What I learned this week" carnival each Tuesday, and tell her I said "hi"!

Old School Blogging

2013-03-25T21:46:00.002Z

WAY back when, back in 2007, when I first started reading other blogs, and eventually took the plunge to write my own blog, I used to love "meme"s - a serious of questions we would answer on our blog, tag others so they could join in too, and link back to the blogger who initiated it.

Over the last few days a few of my favourite bloggers have been joining in, so I am too :)

What were you doing 10 Years Ago?

10 years ago, I had just started a 2 year career break from the bank. I was at home full time with our daughters, then aged 5 and 3. We were planning to move to England for at least a year in August 2003 as part of my husband's medical training. I spent every evening on our huge PC with dial up internet, trying to sort out a house to rent, school and nursery places for our kids, and trying not to panic!

We ended up in a lovely house, kids at great school/nurseries, met some life-long friends, and moved back to N Ireland 8 months pregnant!

I never did return to the bank - I now work from home - I get to create jewellery, blog, take photos....and be a mum :)

What 5 things are on your to do list?

Buy new curtains for our daughters bedrooms

Get all kids hair cut this week

Prepare jewellery stock for a new craft shop opening in Bushmills (delivering on Saturday - will tell you more then)

Clear out our freezer, and get rid of those unidentified frozen parcels that I never lablelled!

Back up our Disney/Florida holiday photos to an External Hard Drive

What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

strawberries

fresh pineapple

mango

anything with peanut butter

honey roast cashew nuts

Name some things you would do if you were a millionaire

set money aside for our kids - first car/house

give money to support charities and missionary friends

pay off the mortgage

buy a house with a sea view on the north coast

buy a VW camper van!

Name some places you have lived

Enniskillen (N Ireland)

Ballymena (N Ireland)

Belfast (N Ireland)

married and moved to Lisburn (N Ireland) spotting a pattern here?!! This was our first home.

moved to another house in Lisburn

Bristol (England) for one year

back to Lisburn (where we remain!)

Name some bad habits you have

I am a clutter bug

I procrastinate

I have a very sweet tooth

(I am sure my family could add more, but I am not going to ask!)

Name some jobs you have had

babysitter

kids camp leader (in Belgium)

bank official

jewellery designer

So there you have it - a wee bit more you now know about me.

If you blog, considered yourself tagged if you want to join in - just leave me a comment and I will come read your post.

To find all the other bloggers who have taken part..... visit The Miss Elaine-ous Life

Coffee Time - a guest post!

2013-03-24T16:31:00.000Z

When prompted to write a blog post about coffee, it was definitely a challenge..... as I haven't touched the stuff in over 20 years!

I did drink coffee as a teen, but as I gradually took it weaker and weaker, sweeter and sweeter, I realized I didn't really like the taste of it any more! Apart from the odd coffee flavoured chocolate picked from the box of chocolates at Christmas I tend to avoid all things coffee related. So I know nothing really about coffee machines, cafetieres or french presses, although they look pretty! I do feel a bit anti-social when I meet friends for a coffee, and they order they various coffees..... and I usually order a diet coke!

So ..... back to my prompt to write about coffee

I turned to my husband for help ..... he loves his coffee-fix(es) as you can see in this special guest post and photo by him.

Coffee

the first point is simple - less is more

Just give me a coffee. Just a coffee. No extras.

I am not impressed when you ask if I want a shot of whatever. It's coffee and it does not need to be anything else. Yes I'll accept milk, even frothy milk, and yes I am a sucker for a latte.

However vanilla is for ice cream. Caramel is for mars bars. I don't want to think what a mocha is.

Then there is that habit of clever chocolate powder pictures on the surface of the foam. Pretty yes. Necessary? No.

One of my favourite times to buy coffee is on the way to work. Imagine I have slept poorly - I'm feeling jaded. Not quite awake. The temptation builds on the way to work to pick up that latte to go - after all it's almost on my way. On my gym mornings it is after all just opposite the gym. Anyway hopefully it's hot enough to get to my office and still be just right. Starting my day with that warm, satisfying arousing aroma.

My favourite time of the day to make coffee at home is a weekend morning. Freshly ground beans, poured into a cafetiere for one. Boiling water added, plunged slowly. Dash of milk in my favourite blue denby mug, and watch the rich dark liquid as you pour. Then sneak outside (in summer anyway) in my PJs and sit on a private garden seat listening to the morning chorus. Nothing beats it. It is a lot to do with the coffee ceremony.

My second favourite time is a summer evening after a stressful day at work. Tea dishes sorted and retire to the back garden. Savour the aroma. Sit on that favourite but private bench. Feel the sun's final rays of the day. The day is over and it' s ending well.

And my third choice is an espresso after an enjoyable meal out. It's just the way it's supposed to be. Small but punchy! It belongs. If I have decided to throw caution to the wind I may be daring and and order a double espresso, waving goodbye to a restful nights sleep.

How do you like your coffee? (if at all!)

Disclaimer - this post was brought to you by John Lewis, but all opinions expressed are my own, or my husband's!

iPhone Friday - using Phonto to add text

2013-03-22T13:12:00.000Z

Today, on this very snowy MARCH day (when will winter ever be over? - my wee daffodils are buried under the snow!) I plan to share my favourite way to add text to an iphone photo - Phonto, but first a pic of our walk to school this morning

App of the Week - Phonto

Here are a few of my images using Phonto to add text

There are lots of fonts already available to use with Phonto, but my font-celebrity friend Kimberly Geswein shared how to download and install ANY font available for download. (Kimberly is a talented font designer, with over 25 million downloads of her fonts on dafont.com alone!)

She wrote a blog post about how to do it using the Dropbox app. It takes a wee bit of effort, but it is worth it, especially if you are tired of Comic Sans or Papyrus

The best thing of all for me is that not only can I install any of Kimberly's lovely fonts, but I am especially keen on a font called Contrary Mary - because it's my own handwriting - literally!!! (it's had over 22,000 downloads!)

You can also add shapes such as speech bubbles (as shown above) and use plain backgrounds as well as photos.

So although you probably won't have your own personal font, I am sure you can imagine lots of fun to play with and be creative, even if you just use the pre-installed fonts.

Do you add text to your iPhone pics? Which app do you like to use?

To finish this week's iPhone Friday, a few more images from the past 7 days through my instagram feed

(feel free to follow me on Instragram - I'm Janmary - hint!)

If you want to join in by linking up to any of your iphone images this week, you can add your link below, or use the hastag #iPhoneFriday on your instagram photos.

St Patrick`s Day iPhone Photowalk on the bewch

2013-03-17T13:45:00.003Z

Just spending one night up at the cottage for St Patrick`s , and this morning we wrapped up warmly for a walk on the beach. There are quite a few beaches nearby to choose from, but we opted for Runkerry Strand wish is near Portballintrae.

From the carpark in Portballintrae it is just a short walk down a path with stunning views

Then over the River Bush by a wooden foot bridge

And on to the beach

The tide was quite far in, so there was little sand to walk on, mostly rocks.

Lots of bright seaweed to take pics of - this is not photo editing, it really was that orange.

Despite being such a cold blustery day, it was quite sheltered on the actual beach, despite the hugs waves.

However we didn't linger too long.

Back over the bridge

Up the path to the car park. There is a small stone stile which I remember climbing over as a child, and now it is my son's turn.

So there you have it - all photos taken on the iphone.

Happy St Patrick's Day wherever you are.

iPhone Friday - tips and updates on iphoneography

2013-03-15T07:40:00.000Z

Welcome back.

I will start this week with an app I am using more and more....

SQUAREADY

When I first saw this app on a list of "must haves" I wondered why an app which probably just turned your iPhone Pics into a square was such a big deal. Surely every editing app can crop images square. However, as I have discovered, SquareReady is in fact perfect for when I DON'T want to use a square image, but still want to share it on Instagram.

Let me demonstrate with a few recent examples

Squareeady is an easy and perfect way to "mount" a non-square image in a white square and helps add impact to your images when you don't want to crop. However, I realised that on my white background on my blog it is trickier to see them, so I have added a black background to show them off better on my blog!

An added bonus is that it also gives you plenty of room to add text (which I usually do with the Phonto app).

IPHONE IMAGES FROM THIS WEEK

I am managing to keep up with my photo-a-day-with-my-iPhone challenge, and here are a selection

Choir Practice

Another brooch created for Janmary Designs

Took my daughters to see One Direction

It was Mother's Day here last Sunday

And usually somewhere in the week our cat is the subject of my iPhone camera (he objects less than the kids do!)

NEWS about my NEWSLETTER

I now have a monthly iPhoneography newsletter - it will include a roundup of some of my recommended apps, articles from the blog you may have missed, and some exclusive content!

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If you want to share some of your own mobile phone photography images link them below:

Lessons Learned at a One Direction Concert

2013-03-12T22:27:00.003Z

This is what I learned this week, courtesy of taking my daughters and their friend to a 1D (One Direction) concert last night.

1. If you are under 14 you must have an adult with you to attend a concert at the odyssey, Belfast.....so I just HAD to accompany my younger daughter, along with my older daughter and her friend. This is my older daughter and her friend

2. We purchased the tickets OVER A YEAR ago! So fortunately the girls still liked them and the band hadn't split up!

3. I was "allowed" to come along as long as I didn't embarrass them .... Think I succeeded but maybe I should ask them.

4. There is much more planning into what you wear to a concert than there was when I was young(er)

5. It is useful that the only cd played daily in my car since Christmas has been the One Direction album "Take me home" so you know ALL the words (not that I was singing along of course!)

7. We had great seats in a tier in the south stands - but I was glad I was not the one who slept out overnight to queue when the tickets went on sale!

8. "Big" cameras not allowed, but girls enjoyed using their point and shoot cameras and I of course had my iPhone. All the pics in this post were taken by my elder daughter (I had to point that out and make it bold!)

9. Some teens get so emotional when 1D appeared they started to sob (while simultaneously trying to sing and scream - not an easy task!). There are photos, but I am not allowed to share them.

10. It was great to be able to "hear" the music over the crowd singing/screaming - by using ear plugs! It took away the deafening part, and the lyrics were audible. Ear plugs are my new best friends!

11. One Direction were punctual on stage - and performed for two hours - no diva (or Beiber) delays or performances cut short.

12. I realise how old I sound when I comment on the band's punctuality and I take ear plugs to a concert......

I think I don't just sound old .....

I am old!

13. You can write an entire blog post while waiting in the treating room at the Health Centre for a blood test (a routine checkup following my surgery for hyperparathyroidism - it's been two years!) and it took 90 minutes of waiting for the blood to be taken!

More lessons learned over on Julie's blog.

What have YOU learned this week?

Please share

Skylanders Half Term Homework!

2013-03-10T16:41:00.002Z

My son is a huge fan of all things Skylanders, so when a parcel including a yellow folder, a new Skylanders figure and a "homework" book he was delighted.

When he realized the "homework" book was actually for the PARENTS to learn about all things Skylanders he was even more delighted!

For the uninitiated (or those who don't happen to have 8 year old boy at home) it is an adventure game which uses both a games console (we have a Wii) and actual physical toys which can interact on the screen during the game. My son often just plays with the toy figures, acting out his own imaginary stories, without the need for a screen, which is great too.

It has been fun learning more about the Skylanders, and my son has loved quizzing me on the Skylanders facts. He really is the expert, and I am probably frustratingly slow to pick up the difference between an Elemental Source, a Portal and a Portal Master. Never mind learning how to pronounce Arkeyan or Kaos.

There is an incredible array of characters - Skylander Giants, Lightcore Skylanders, Series 2 Skylanders etc but my son is always at hand to ~~correct me~~ keep me right.

Each Skylander has a strength against certain characters and a weakness against overs - so some tactical use of characters seems to be important too.

So, my time at attempting to learn about Skylanders is up - I wouldn't say I am an expert, but I definitely know a wee bit more than I did before!

Thanks to the Skylanders PR team for providing our family with the homework pack and folder. The folder is proving particularily popular as a schoolbag, and as it is so distinctive he hasn't manage to lose it or forget it ....... yet!

All opinions expressed are entirely my own - promise!

Welcome to my world JanMary

Five Minute Friday - Song

A Family Celebration

Review of Skylanders Giants Lunch Bag from the Internet Gift Store

Decisions, decisions - help me choose new MINTED business cards

Lessons Learned This Week

Review of a Colour Consultation by Jennifer Kelly, Bangor

Guest Post - Expert Tips for Fuss Free Travel with Kids

What I learned this week

A review of The French Rooms in Bushmills - Bon Apetit!

Memories of Boston and Praying for Boston

Digi-Scrapping with Scrap Girls Simpler Times Charity Kit

What I learned this week

iPhone Friday - app of the week - PhotoSynth

A Photo-drive to Murlough Bay with snow and sheep!

So not many words - just lots of photos:

An Easter/Spring Update

iPhone Friday - Pinterest links on iphoneography

Best Travel Games for Kids - a guest post

What I learned this week (the snowy Spring version!)

Old School Blogging

Coffee Time - a guest post!

iPhone Friday - using Phonto to add text

St Patrick`s Day iPhone Photowalk on the bewch

iPhone Friday - tips and updates on iphoneography

SQUAREADY

IPHONE IMAGES FROM THIS WEEK

I now have a monthly iPhoneography newsletter - it will include a roundup of some of my recommended apps, articles from the blog you may have missed, and some exclusive content!

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Lessons Learned at a One Direction Concert

Skylanders Half Term Homework!

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