A Review of 2012

Happy New Year!

As has now become a tradition on my blog, at the end of the year I share a post with  my favourite highlights  and photos of the past year. I love to read back over these recap posts, and thank YOU for taking time to read this one.

January

We started the New Year with a drive over to Ballycastle on New Year’s Day – one of my favourite roads in Northern Ireland. (That is Rathlin Island in the distance … and beyond is Scotland!)

I started stocking my Janmary Designs jewellery with Jennifer Kelly in Bangor.

Our church started monthly Tea Dances of the Senior Citizens in our community through our Damask project.

February

I explored the redeveloped Titanic Quarter in Belfast

We spent half-term up at our cottage near the Giants Causeway. This time we explored a bit more of Ballycastle.

March

I fell even more in love with my iphone – using Instragram almost daily.

My jewellery was selected to be stocked for 6 months in Stormont Gift Shop at the N I Assembly, Belfast (a very grand building)

April

We house-swapped to Donegal

I hosted the N Ireland event of “Incourage in Real Life”  IN(RL)

May

I took part in a 31 Day Blog Challenge in May – so more posts than usual. Here is a link to the first post.

At the end of May my husband and I got to spend 4 days in ROME to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

We had a beautiful room with this spectacular view

June

My son and I participated in the  Big Beach Clean Up with MCS

At the end of June I went to the BritMums Blogging Conference in London

July (are you still with me?!!)

We had quite a few lovelydays and evenings on the beach…. making memories

There was a Peace Camp at Benone Strand with illuminated tents broadcasting poetry at sunset …. it was an experience (!) …. and certainly memorable.

Of course at the end of July saw the start of the Olympics in London and we all enjoyed the opening ceremony

August

We had another House Swap, this time to the Cotswolds area of England.

This was the very quaint Arlington Row Cottages in Bibury

and we enjoyed revisiting Bristol and the balloon festival.

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary

At the end of August it was back to school for the kids – love this pic of my husband and son.

September

I took a night-time photography workshop – this is the result!

October

Our son turned EIGHT!

I shared some of our Autumn colour – the colours seemed more vibrant and longer lasting this year

November

We started a makeover of our hall/stairs/landing

this is the before :

and this is during

December

I failed in blogging daily in December this year …. it just wasn’t to happen!

The makeover was complete – new doors/carpet/storage/repainted walls….

I was then ready to host my bloggy Christmas home tour

then shared our traditions on Christmas Eve

and Christmas Day

Which brings me up to today, New Years Eve. We are staying in by the fire, watching DVD’s with the kids, and will watch Big Ben strike midnight in London on the TV. What do you do on New Years Eve?

Happy New Year wherever you are, and thanks for making it a great blogging year.

I’m joining in with Jo-Lynne and her Blog Recap Carnival