Sunday Sundries

November 30, 2014 by Barb 12 Comments

Sunday Sundries is simply a collection of random happenings, suggestions, and a few questions in no particular order.

sundry |ˈsəndrē|adjective [ attrib. ]of various kinds; several, various items not important enough to be mentioned individually

I’ve done a bit of baking, and I may or may not have eaten some of this cookie dough …

cookie dough760

… but for sure I’ve eaten a few of the baked results …

Sunday Sundries

If you’d like the recipe you can check it out here, but I’m warning you they are a bit too yummy.

I decorated my step for Christmas and was quite happy I did before the big storm hit.

Sunday Sundries Yes, it’s quite beautiful … snowy trees1

I’ve been housebound since the snowstorm hit on Wednesday night. The hubs hasn’t been able to clean the driveway and there’s a ton of snow on it. I don’t mind, really. I am perfectly happy staying at home, cozy and warm. I’ve been baking and listening to music … speaking of Christmas music, do you have any favourites you care to share? I’m always looking for new ideas. Here are a few of mine:

Joy: A Holiday Collection by Jewel
A Very She and Him Christmas by She and Him
Christmas by MichaelBublé

How many scrapbookers are visiting Keeping With the Times? If possible, if you are a scrapper, could you leave a quick comment letting me know? And even if you’re not a scrapper, do you use Photoshop for any of your blogging tasks such as photo editing, or templates?

I’m having a guest blogger for the next “app” happy wednesday! That’s on December 3rd, and then starting in January, it’s going to return to it’s regularly scheduled weekly linkup. I’m going to keep it easy though, as there won’t be app or camera reviews every week, just a fun linky party. I hope to see you all come back!

I needed to get a post created and published from my new computer to break the ice. I’m not going to waste any time leaving my old Lenovo behind, I went to use it this afternoon and truthfully I could have punched it! It took so dang long to load even the tiniest thing. So for this post, I’ve used the new Mac versions of Photoshop, Bridge and Lightroom. It’s amazing how quick it is … oh my … I am in love …

Anyway, it’s getting late and I need to get a few things cleaned up around here. I hope you’re having a wonderful Sunday!

Good Monday Morning!

November 3, 2014 by Barb 5 Comments

bare branches back home

Good Monday morning! I’m just popping in to say hi! and ramble on a bit.

I just sent out my newsletter, and oops … embarrassed face here … I neglected to check all the links and regrettably a couple don’t work (argh). If I was hiring myself, I may very well have gotten myself fired. My apologies to all my readers! What good is the test email I send to myself if I don’t check it thoroughly? Well, now I have a checklist written down, and am not relying on my memory.

Hubby and I are on a bit of a vacation in Arizona right now, in an effort to extend our autumn? summer? We spent the whole day yesterday at the Champions Tour. Not only watching great golf, but enjoying the warmer temperatures and just getting out and about.

Both of us were so tired last night we fell into bed before 9:00 pm. It’s going to be a busy couple of weeks, golfing, shopping, and sight-seeing. I’ll be making a side trip to California for a few days … so excited to be attending Gather California, but more on that later.

If you are an iPhoneographer, please remember that “app” happy wednesday is on November 5th. Come link up your art and share some tips and techniques. I’m so hoping to see you!

Thanks for stopping by!

Question For You …

October 27, 2014 by Barb 25 Comments

Autumn Leaves, question

Well, I actually have a few questions for you … if you care to answer one or two, I’d love to hear …

Do you have a twitter account? Do you tweet? Do you follow Twitter and if so, what/who do you follow?
What would happen if I deleted my Twitter account? Who would care? (I’m saying this rather facetiously.)
How do you decide on a method for allowing comments on your blog? Does your blog platform give you a choice? I’d like to quit commenting with my Google+ account, but sometimes I have no other option. WordPress.com won’t allow me to comment, and I don’t have an Open ID. I didn’t even know what Open ID was until today when I finally decided to check it out … the explanation left me baffled …
Sometimes I can comment with my FB account, but not always, and there is no rhyme or reason to it as far as I can tell.
How do you follow blogs?
How’s your autumn going? Mine’s going … going … going to be gone …

Autumn Leaves_2

SEO Friendly Blog Post Part I

September 29, 2014 by Barb

Welcome to Part I of my series on how to write an SEO friendly blog post. Why would you care about SEO? It may not be a top priority for you, but it can’t hurt to try writing with it in mind.

I’m using WordPress but you could apply this with any blogging platform. Just Google it (insert smiley face) and you will find all the advice you need. I’m simply sharing my experience.

Friendly-Blog-Post

I recently employed the help of a “tech guy” to assist me in keeping WordPress and the Genesis framework updated, as well as all plugins, widgets and gadgets … he’s also helping me navigate the confusing landscape of Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools. I tell you, some of the questions I asked … he must have had more than a few chuckles … I know I did (at myself)…

If this sounds dry, well maybe it is. But the reason I blog is to “keep with the times” as well as “learn something new, try something different“.

When my blog was updated and I went to write my first post, I was surprised to see a checklist that was interactive. At first my SEO was bad but as I wrote and re-wrote, eventually it gave me a good rating. I didn’t go for the best because there was one item that I didn’t feel suited my style. Good is good enough for me and I want to remain authentic.

WordPress SEO Friendly Checklist

Choose a focus keyword for your post and then keep writing until you get a “yes” for all these points.

Your focus keyword was found in:

Article Heading: Yes
Page title: Yes
Page URL: Yes
Content: Yes
Meta description: Yes

… so that concludes Part I of my series. For professional advice, check out this article from Yoast.

So, can you tell what my focus keyword is? This is the first post for me that scored 100%. Join me next time where I’ll divulge my “test” results, complete with a screenshot!

I really hope this has piqued your interest and that I’ll see you for Part II!

Sorry … comments are OFF due to SPAM! arghhhh!

Blog Tour–What am I Working On?

May 19, 2014 by Barb 8 Comments

A few weeks ago I was invited to take part in a blog tour. Each blogger is to answer four questions about themselves and their work.

I agreed so here we go!

What am I working on?

Rather than say I’m working on some exciting post for my blog, I’m going to keep it real and tell you that most months my first priority is to write and produce a video tutorial for Digital Scrapper. From inception to completion it dominates my mind, my time, and my energy.

While the technical aspects have become easier, the hardest part remains “what am I going to teach?” Has not every single thing been written about Photoshop? Well yes it has, but it’s my job to take a technique and turn it into something that comes directly from me; from my knowledge, my experience, and my creative centre.

But do you know what I’ve come to realize? It’s not just about the perfect tutorial. It’s about community. It’s about the lovely people who try my tutorial and proudly post their creations in the gallery. It’s always a thrill when someone tells me they’ve learned and grown as a result of something that I’ve taught. That’s what keeps me going.

white space, keeping with the times

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

As far as my blog goes, I’ve accepted the fact that it’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that—nothing extraordinary.

In my scrapping and photography and writing I like clean, simple, and to the point and while I’m drawn to many styles, white space makes my heart sing.

white space, succulent, Keeping With The Times

Why do I write/create what I do?

Over time, I’ve realized that I love to share what I’ve learned. There really is no better way to learn than by teaching!

I’m influenced by the world around me. I see a pretty flower and feel inspired to capture its beauty and share not only the image, but how I captured or edited it. If I find a great recipe, I share that.

Because I love phone photography I started the weekly link-up “app” happy wednesday, where people can share their artwork and give tips on how they used different apps. It’s a very caring and accepting community I hang around with and they inspire me every day to keep on keepin’ on!

white space, keeping with the times

How does your writing/creating process work?

I started blogging with the intent to keep my mind active, and literally to “keep with the times”… so here you will find posts on photography, Photoshop, baking, and gardening. I also share my experiences with the technical aspects of blogging, from moving to a self-hosted web site to Setting up a WordPress Gallery.

I’m mostly an “in the moment” blogger.

I work best when sharing things that are going on with me right now. That’s pretty obvious really … you don’t see too many Christmas tree decorations in May … you see salads, and herbs, and flowers.

I usually start writing in WordPress. On occasion I’ll make a few notes on my calendar as I get ideas but later they just look like cryptic scribblings and I can’t remember what they were about! So, I have to admit I kind of fly by the seat of my pants!

From Above Photography

Thank you so much for stopping by!

How to Create a Project Gallery Part III

March 14, 2014 by Barb 5 Comments

If you’re new to this series, I’d suggest that you check out Part I, and Part II, before continuing on.

Create a Page

From the Dashboard, choose Pages > Add New, and give it a name. I’m calling mine PIES.
Click Publish. Don’t worry, it won’t automatically appear on your blog.

Create a Gallery

Open your blog in another tab on your browser. Navigate to a post that you want to link to the Gallery, and copy the URL.
Go back to the Page and click Add Media, then click on the Media Library tab. Find the image that goes with that post. You can search for an image and it’s especially easy if you gave that image a descriptive name when you saved it. I searched for “pear” and this is what popped up.
Click on the image you want to use as a thumbnail to select it.

In the Attachment Details, paste the URL in the Gallery Link URL box.
Choose New Window for the Gallery Link Target. You always want to open links in a new window – always!
IMPORTANT: Because this is the first link, you have to click Create Gallery on the LEFT Side of the screen, and then once you have all the information filled in, click Create a new gallery in the Attachment Details (as shown in the image below).

You will be taken back to the Page and you should see the thumbnail.
Click on Caption this Image, and give it a name.

In the Gallery Settings, choose Link to Attachment Page.
Choose the number of columns that you want. I like to have 5 columns.

In the Attachment Details, click Insert Gallery.
You will be taken back to the page, and a blue box will have appeared. This is your gallery.

Edit the Gallery and Add More Links

Click on the Blue Box to activate the Gallery and then click on the Edit Gallery Button that appears (not the red Delete Symbol!)

Click Add to Gallery, then repeat the same steps to add the rest of your links as desired. Click Update Gallery when you are finished, then Update your Page.

Add The Page to the Menu Bar

Choose Appearance > Menus. In the Pages dialog box, click the box next to (~~PIES)~~ “Your Page Name” to select it and choose Add to Menu.
Click Save Menu. Go to your blog (refresh the page) and check it out, you should now see the new Page on the Menu Bar. Congratulations! that’s the start of your first gallery!

So there you go! That’s how to create a Gallery in WordPress using the WordPress Gallery Links plugin.

How to Create a Project Gallery Part II

March 12, 2014 by Barb 3 Comments

In Part I of my series on setting up a Project Gallery, I went over some reasons on why it is a good idea to have one, and what you can do with it.

Today I’m going to give an overview of the process, and outline the steps because there are quite a few (but don’t be put off by that).

Slow and steady.

Create a project gallery using the WP Gallery Custom Links plugin.

But first, I want to talk a little bit about the WP Gallery Custom Links plugin vs Inlinkz.

I’ve used InLinkz (Project Manager) since I started my blog in 2010. I was on Blogger at that time and then migrated to WordPress in January of 2013. Inlinkz came with me and I have to say it is a really great tool. It has a lot of different applications but I use it solely to create galleries. So what’s the big difference? Well for me, it’s ease of use, and control.

InLinkz is an off-site application where I go and create a database of links that point to my blog. I go to InLinkz, sign in, add my links, get the code, copy the code and then paste it into a page in my blog. On a side-note, InLinkz charges for some of their services and indeed they should. Someone has to bring home the bacon, right? And I would pay for it if I was going to continue using it. Right now I have 74 free links to go, after that I have to pay a monthly fee. No big deal, but …

The WP Gallery Custom Links plugin is installed on my blog. It’s free (but you can make a donation to the developers), and I don’t have to leave my blog. I have complete control of my links and my images. All the images that are on my blog are now saved on the server at HostGator. My blog is self-hosted; it’s not a WordPress.com blog (there’s a big difference).

OK! Enough of all that. As promised, here’s an overview of where I’m going with all of this!

Download and install the WP Gallery Custom Links plugin.
Create a Page.
Add the Page to the Menu Bar.
Create a Gallery.
Add more images to the Gallery.
Add another Gallery to the Same Page.
Create a drop-down Menu.

First of all, if you haven’t already, back up your blog!!

How to Create a Project Gallery using the WP Gallery Custom Links Plugin

Download and install the WP Gallery Custom Links plugin:

Go to the Dashboard.
Click Plugins.
Choose Add New.
Search for WP Gallery Custom Links.
Click Install Now. That’s it! It’s installed and you are ready to go.

So that concludes Part II of my series. Please join me on Friday where we will really get down to business!

Hope to see you then!

How to Create a Project Gallery Part III

How to Create a Project Gallery (and 5 Reasons You Should Have One)

March 10, 2014 by Barb 10 Comments

Today I want to talk about how to create a project gallery using the WP Gallery Custom Links plugin, and why you should use galleries.

Many of us have some type of navigation system, typically situated at the top of our blogs in the form of tabs, or pages, etc.

There are also Archives, or Categories, or Search Functions, which are usually found in the sidebar. These are all fantastic tools to help your reader find what they are looking for.

A Project Gallery is simply another way to organize and promote your work, and is used for many of the same reasons as Archives, etc.

So why should you have a Project Gallery?

Your best posts aren’t lost forever. You put a lot of work into them, why should they have only 15 minutes of fame?
It gives readers a convenient visual tool, and people respond better to visual prompts.
It keeps you organized.
It’s not just for home projects or recipes. I also use it to organize Blogging Tips, Photoshop Tips, Word Art, and Photo Art.
If done right, it adds a feeling of professionalism to a blog.

My blog is set up using the Genesis Framework and the Lifestyle Child Theme.

In a series of posts, I’m going to share how I created a Project Gallery (with drop-down capabilities) in WordPress using the WP Gallery Custom Links plugin. I am not a technical guru or an expert in WordPress, or the WP Gallery Custom Links plugin. This is based solely on my experience. Please take that under consideration before doing anything drastic to your blog!! Oh, and make sure to back up your blog before installing any new plugins!!

This is an example of what you can do with this plugin. You can put a Project Gallery anywhere (well, almost anywhere).

My Arizona Holiday (click on an image to be taken to that post)

: Doors of the Barrio Viejo

: There’s a New App in Town

: Doors of Tucson

: Butterfly Wonderland

: 10 Things I Love about Arizona

So that concludes Day 1 of my series on Creating a Project Gallery.

Please come back on Wednesday, where I’ll go over my thoughts on InLinkz vs. this plugin. At the moment I’m using both systems, but I’m slowly drawing away from InLinkz and I’ll tell you why. BTW, I think InLinkz is a fantastic tool, I’m just ready to move on.

In the meantime, back up your blog!!!! I can’t stress that enough. It’s just good practice.

How to Create a Project Gallery Part II

How to Write an Action to Re-size and Save Images for your Blog and a Special Offer

February 16, 2014 by Barb 25 Comments

Writing Actions in Photoshop I’m pretty sure most of us know that our images need to be re-sized before uploading to the web. The photo needs to fit within the width of your blog, and it needs to load fast or you will lose readers. True story.

I’m no expert on this subject, but I found a great article at photoshopessentials.com which gives an in-depth look at why, and how to do it. It’s very informative and enlightening and explodes a few myths about size, resolution, etc.

However, I thought I’d go over how I do it and show you how to write an action to automate this task. One click of a button and your image is re-sized and saved in a folder. Perfectly sized and hard for someone to steal it for printing purposes, although they could steal it and use it for the web, but that’s just not cool.

Actions can only be written in Photoshop, but don’t despair, I have a little surprise for you and you’ll find it at the end of this post.

Since Photoshop CC has a bit different dialog box, I wrote this action in CS6. So here we go:

How to Write an Action in Photoshop to Re-size and Save Images for Your Blog

To start with, make sure you have a folder created where you want to save your re-sized images.

Open a photo that you have already adjusted exposure, white balance, and cropped etc. Make sure all your edits are complete before re-sizing.
From the Actions panel, make sure that Button Mode is not checked. Actions can’t be written in Button Mode.
Click on the down-facing arrow and choose New Action. In the Dialog box, type in the name you want to use for your action. I’m using the name “Resize and Save for Web”.
Choose Default Actions as the Set. This will save the Action in the Default set (of course). You can create your own sets, but I won’t go there right now.
Choose None for the Function key, and choose a Color if you like. This will give the Action a Color when in Button Mode. For this Action, I did not choose a color.
Click Record. Everything you do from now until you press the Stop key will be recorded. It doesn’t matter how long you take, PS will sit there and wait all day if it has to so you can go slow and make sure you take only the steps that you want recorded.
In the Menu Bar, choose Image > Duplicate, and click OK.
Choose Image > Image Size.
Make sure that Scale Styles, Constrain Proportions, and Resample Image are checked.
Click on the down-facing arrow and choose Bicubic Sharper (best for reduction).
Set the Resolution to 72 Pixels/Inch.
For the Pixel Dimensions, set the Width. I set the width to 760 Pixels/Inch because that is the maximum width for images that will fit on my blog. Yours will most likely be different. Accept the Default Height to maintain proportions. Click OK.
In the Menu Bar, choose File > Save for Web. Choose JPEG, Medium with a Quality of 45. Click Progressive. I left the rest of the settings at the Default. Click Save.

Free Photoshop Action

Navigate to folder where you want to save your re-sized images. Accept the default name of your image. If you give it another name, the action will save every image with that name and of course will end up overwriting every image you run the action on.
Close the duplicate image, then close the original image (do not save the changes).
Click the Stop key.

Here are the final Pixel Dimensions for my image. Notice that the file size went from 28.7M to 1.11M. The other thing to note is that I do not touch the Document Size dialog box when re-sizing. It gets reduced automatically.

Free Photoshop Action

Clean as a whistle and faster than a speeding bullet!

But the fun part today is my little give-away! I will write a custom action for the first 10 people who comment. I can only record it to the point of re-sizing the image since I can’t create a path to a folder on your computer. Once you run this action on an image, you will have to then save it yourself.

If you want a custom action, make sure you say so in the comments, and make sure that I can contact you.

You give me the info – I give you the action!

Want a few more tips on Photoshop? Check out my page “Photoshop Tips”!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Google+ and AutoAwesome

December 16, 2013 by Barb 6 Comments

This is so fun!

Google is adding an extra sparkle to photos posted on Google+ and look what they did to my rosemary tree!

A Look At Popular Cloud Storage Providers

December 11, 2013 by Barb 12 Comments

How do you protect your files? It’s something I think about all the time, and I kind of need to get up to speed on the latest and greatest. As a matter of fact, I just backed up my blog to my computer and the file is almost 500 MB!! I need to guard it with my life!

So today, I bring you this informative and interesting guest post by Kyle Mercer written exclusively for my readers!

Cloud_12

It seems that in the past few years, cloud storage has shifted from being a new, trendy technological concept to a widely implemented tool used by companies across the board. We hear more about cloud storage just about every day and for those who haven’t “dived in” yet, the specifics can be a bit confusing.

The basic concept, actually, is rather simple: Essentially, cloud storage allows you to save digital data on your “cloud,” rather than on a specific device such as an iPhone, desktop computer, tablet, etc… And the benefits of doing so are numerous: Your data is accessible from any device with an internet connection (just log into your cloud account); your saved files are safe from technical errors (or loss or theft) that can occur with devices; and you will enjoy more digital storage space. Naturally these perks can be handy for innumerable practices, businesses, and hobbies including digital photography.

But where it gets trickier for those starting off in cloud computing is picking a specific provider. There are now a number of very capable mainstream providers on the market, each offering some unique features and benefits. So to help in your decision-making process, here’s a brief comparison of some of the top cloud providers.

Dropbox

Arguably the biggest name in cloud storage, Dropbox is seen as a very simple, easy option for individual or small group use. The free package gets you 2 GB of storage space, and people love the user-friendly system that includes a handy mobile app and the unlimited file size uploading ability. You can get more storage at various pricing levels.

iCloud

The cloud that comes with new Apple products is very simple, but very handy. Basically, it’s built-in cloud storage on your Apple computer, tablet, phone, etc…, and it offers 5 GB of storage with no additional priced options.

Citrix Sharefile

In some ways a more advanced option, Sharefile is typically meant more for business environments than personal use. That being said, it can definitely be useful for your own small business. There is no free option offered. Instead, for $30/month, you can set up two users with 5 GB of total storage space and there are higher-tiered options beyond this starting point. The benefits of Sharefile are in its top-of-the-line security and organization.

Google Drive

To some extent, this is Google’s version of iCloud. The Google Drive offers 5 GB of free storage space, though it does have paid options for more storage. The main perk of Google Drive resides in its organization and integration with existing contacts lists, calendars, etc…, for those who tend to use Google products and programs.

Ultimately, these are just a few of many options that exist to satisfy your cloud needs and desires. But with the concept of cloud computing becoming an everyday reality, it only makes sense to get comfortable with one that sounds like a good fit for your use.

This is a guest post by Kyle Mercer. Kyle is a freelance writer and tech enthusiast who frequently covers new releases in gadgets, software and programs.

Have you Thought About a Business Card?

December 5, 2013 by Barb 11 Comments

You might remember that earlier in the year I attended “Blissdom“, a blogging conference in Toronto, Ontario.

One of the things I was advised to do before I went was to get a business card ready. Uh, oh… this was going to cut into my clothes and boot shopping time…

Nevertheless, because I love designing things, I set about to design my very own business card. The first and biggest hurdle was that I had to stop and think hard about what my blog was about. I decided that I had to come up with three words that would best define Keeping With The Times, without boxing myself into a corner. In the past I’ve written posts despairing about the fact that my blog seemed to be all over the place. Some days I act like a food blogger, some days I act like a diy and home decor blogger, and some days I act like a photography blogger, and then I’m an art blogger, and on and on…

So, after much thought and discussions with my trusted advisor (hubby), I came up with “photography, homemaking, and life”.

I don’t claim to be an expert in any of these areas, but I am passionate about them, and always strive to do my best in each area.

KWTT-Business-Card-Example

I was advised to make sure to put all of my contact info on the back, such as my name, e-mail, Twitter handle, etc. As you can see here, I didn’t listen… but do as I say, not as I do…

KWTT-Business-Card1125x675-back-copy

Now, you may think you don’t need a business card, but I beg to differ. It’s a great tool to get the word out, and to help people remember you. I gave out dozens at the conference, and I received dozens – all of which I kept and have referred to on many occasions.

I’ve also handed them to my friends who give me a blank look when I tell them that I blog… so frustrating…

I used Costco to print mine and I was pretty happy with the results, but a couple of other places you could try are YouPrint, or Moo.com.

I really do believe that by having a business card, you will be able to promote yourself so much better, plus it’s just kind of fun to have something tangible with your blog’s name on it.

You put a lot of time and effort into your blog (I just know it), and it’s a gentle reminder that may bring new visitors to your site.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful day!

Veni, Vidi, Vici

October 12, 2013 by Barb 28 Comments

I came, I saw, I conquered!
Headshotsday2-12

Headshotsday2-11

…that would be my fear I conquered.

I went to Blissdom Canada and I survived. I’m gonna tell you right now, I was a good 15 – 25 years older than the majority of the over 400 attendees. In fact, I could probably count on both hands the people that were my age (and most of those were speakers). I truly enjoyed it all. Everyone was beyond friendly and helpful, and the conference was first class.

Here’s how it went…

I did not get lost on the way there. I wrote about that fear in my earlier I’m Scared post. Really, all I had to do was take a flight to Toronto, find my luggage, call a cab, and check into the hotel (ha! but yes, I was scared).

Have I mentioned that I met up with my daughter, Jo-Anna? She blogs at A Pretty Life in the Suburbs. It was the highlight of my experience to be able to spend time with her and watch as she navigated her way through the conference. She knows her stuff and is an inspiration to everyone who meets her.

She is also an extremely forgiving roommate. It’s quite possible that I snore. Add to that the fact that I picked up a nasty cold… and nasty cold plus snorer = well, you can imagine…

I rode my daughter’s coattails the whole time. We ate together, attended sessions together, and went to a couple cocktail hours together. I disappeared to my room to avoid the parties, but other than that I didn’t miss much.

Every day I was in awe as I listened to all these young women as they discussed working with brands, choosing advertising companies, and writing sponsored posts. They have created a business from their blog, and they want to grow it. Blogging is big, and companies are noticing.

For the hands-on workshop, I choose to participate in “Creative BIG storming” with Marilyn Barefoot. A bit out of my comfort zone, but that was the whole idea. Take a totally random image or word, and by association, come up with as many new ideas as possible. Nothing was too crazy. Write them down.

I enjoyed the inspirational speakers, I laughed and I cried (really) at their words, and came away with a renewed sense of what my blog is about.

So here’s the truth:

Just thinking about working with ad agencies and brands exhausts me.
Sponsored posts are fun, to a degree. When I write a sponsored post, it has to be about something I like, and something that I believe in. However, I don’t expect to be inundated with offers any time soon…
Social media is king. If you want to attract advertisers or sponsors, you have to have a large reach with Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. For some reason, G+ was not even mentioned (I was a bit disappointed in that).
Twitter is like a tunnel (think Alice in Wonderland) but I am proud to say I’m experimenting with it (learn something new…). During sessions and while people were speaking, everyone was tweeting constantly (about whatever the subject was at the time). This was encouraged, and the tweets would show up on a big screen at the front of the room… all new to me. I have to admit, I had a hard time following it all.
At times I felt invisible (to brands). No offence to anyone… this was a conference aimed at young entrepreneurs, and I knew it. It did not diminish my sense of self-worth at all.
Quite simply, I just like to take photographs and write about them.
I know who my tribe is (and you know who you are).

And now, about the photos…

Blissdom Canada had employed a lovely photographer by the name of Anna Epp to take portraits. I thought, what the heck, and went for it. Whenever else would I be wearing a jacket?

Bless her soul; she managed to clean me up a bit while still keeping it real!

I’m Scared

September 22, 2013 by Barb 30 Comments

blissdom

There are only 10 sleeps until I board a plane all by myself and head to Mississauga, Ontario to attend Blissdom; a Canadian blogging conference. I don’t travel alone… ever. I get flustered, and have been known to get lost even in my own territory. OK, I’m not scared… I’m terrified.

It was months ago that I bought the ticket, booked my room, and made the flight arrangements.

Since then, I’ve been getting ready; working hard to make sure that my blog is running smoothly, and that all my content is easily accessible through menus and links. I’ve been posting regularly, both to my blog and to all my social media sites.

I’ve had my hair cut, purchased a few new clothes, a purse, a small suitcase, and even a pair of boots… seriously… I’ve never owned a pair of boots in my life (I also stocked up on corn pads and cushiony socks…).

And now the doubt is setting in. What was I thinking? I’ve spent more than one restless night with that bouncing around in my head. Last night was particularly hard, so this morning I walked around the yard, and tried to focus on the beauty and wonder around me. I felt compelled to write about my fears in the hopes that I can just get it out and move on. I have a lot to do in the next few days and I can’t be getting all paralyzed like I quite often do.

What do I hope to gain from the conference? I keep seeing that question on the Blissdom fb page, and they advise that you should have an answer. I can’t just say “oh, I thought it would be an interesting experience…”

As I was lying down on the grass staring at this leaf, my simple answer came to me “I want to post meaningful content, grow my blog, and see where it takes me”.

So, I guess going to this conference was part of that plan, or I wouldn’t have committed to it.

Leap, and the net will appear.

John Burroughs

I so appreciate you dropping by and lending me an ear…

Have a wonderful, peaceful, and relaxing Sunday.

InstaBG for Twitter and Google+

September 4, 2013 by Barb 7 Comments

Google-Plus-Cover-Template-Keeping-With-The-Times

Caution! geek post alert!

I discovered this neat site, InstaBG that generates a cool image of an Instagram feed. It’s so simple to create, I just signed in with my Twitter account, and let InstBG access my images in Instagram. Seconds later, I had a snapshot to use as my background. How cool is that?! I first saw it on my daughter’s Twitter page, and I knew I needed to have one too!

Well, I took it one step further and I am also using it as my Google+ header. Many of you will know that the Google+ header is ginormous, so ginormous, that at first I decided not to put anything on it… until now. This background works because the images are so tiny, and it kind of balances the ginormity of it all… is that even a word?

Next, I went on to optimize my Google+ header, following this great advice from Ann Drake at On Sutton Place. Make sure you scroll down and read comment #8 by Stephan Hovnanian, before you decide on what to name your header. He hadn’t left that comment when I was naming my header, or I might have done it differently. I’m not going to bother now, sometimes, things are better just left the way they are.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

5 Things I Learned When I Moved my Blog

August 25, 2013 by Barb 9 Comments

This post is simply about some of my experiences when I moved from Blogger to my own dot com, and started using WordPress.

The Layout

At a whopping 1400 pixels wide, a blog is very difficult to read on a laptop.
My new WordPress layout is 1200 pixels wide, and I have it from a trusted source (hubby) that that alone improved my blog 100%. Not so overwhelming, and no more scrolling from left to right.

The Photos

The maximum width for my photos is 760 pixels.
The maximum height should be no more than 760 pixels. At that height, people may still have to scroll up to see the top of a photo, and scroll down to see the bottom of it, but I am partial to a square format so there’s not much I can do about that. Whenever I add a photo that is more than 760 pixels in height, I know it’s not going to display as well (the scroll down factor). And yes, I still do it (naughty)! Here’s a prime example of a really bad one: “Follow Your Art“.

Speaking of Photos

All photos should be re-sized and saved for the web. The result is that a blog loads faster, and potential readers might not flee after 30 seconds of waiting. If you don’t know how to do this, check out my Photoshop Tips.

760px x 509 px at 72ppi, saved for web

Do Not Delete Your Old Blog

When a blog is transferred, the photos stay exactly where they are. In my case, I was with Blogger, and therefore, all my photos stayed with Picassa. The images are simply re-directed.
After the move, all images uploaded to my dot com are now on the server, and are under my control (not Picassa’s). I’m slowly re-doing old posts and uploading new photos to my site (not necessary, but I want it that way).

Get Help

I had Kristi, from Linaur Designs move my blog for me. I could not have done it myself, since I was in a big enough tizzy at the time. Kristi charges for WordPress coaching after the move, but I ‘m exploring and learning at my own pace, and it doesn’t seem so overwhelming.

My World Did Not End When I Lost My Google Friend Connect

Heresy to some, I’m sure… and yes, I was choked at first. I had worked hard to gain my followers and respected them all so much that it felt like a betrayal. But life goes on, and I didn’t fall off everyone’s radar.
I’m happy with my stats (Google Analytics), and my following is growing. I now use Feedly to read blogs and honestly, I like it better than Google Reader.
There are other ways to connect… more on that later.

Please don’t get me wrong – I am not making light of losing my Google Friend Connect. I am also not by any means recommending it, but when I made the decision to move to my own dot com, I accepted it, and moved on. It’s what worked for me, and I’m quite happy with where I am now.

Thanks for visiting today, and I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

Getting Ready for Blissdom, and Eating Spinach

July 29, 2013 by Barb 8 Comments

In October, my daughter (www.aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com) and I are going to a blog conference in Mississauga together! How amazing is that?

Tickets and flights are purchased, and a room at the hotel is booked.

So now I’ve been following Blissdom Canada 2013 on Facebook and Twitter, and am getting a teeny bit nervous.

I know the majority of attendees will be my daughter’s age. That could be a bit intimidating. So what to do?

Be prepared, I think.

First up, I wanted to get my “business” card ready, and that meant I had to narrow down what my blog is about. I put a ton of thought into it and this is what I came up with…
Business Card

So simple, so plain, so white. My blog in a nutshell. I think it makes the right statement for me. What do you think?

I didn’t run the design by anyone else, but because they cost less than $30.00, I ordered them through Costco this morning. May as well strike one thing off my list of to-do’s.

Now, how to look 20 years younger in 60 days…

No, actually, I’m going to go forth as a proud grandma. I think I’ll keep this jingle in my head while I’m there though…

Oh, I’m Popeye the Sailor Man

I’m Popeye the Sailor Man

I yam what’s I yam and that’s all what’s I am

I’m Popeye the Sailor Man

OK, I’m off to stock up on spinach!

Summer Classes and Challenges

June 26, 2013 by Barb 14 Comments

I’m taking part in several classes and photography challenges this summer. I can’t believe that July is only a few days away… where did May and June go?

I wanted to get everything straight in my head, so I thought I would share my schedule with you (in order of appearance)…

The Phone Photography Project at Big Picture Classes starts on July 1st and runs until August 1st. It looks like a ton of fun! Lots of yummy new apps to try!

summertimeatthelake

Nurture Photography, Summer 2013 is a Photography Challenge from Kristi of Live and Love Out Loud, and Rebecca from Bumbles and Light. It starts July 5th and runs until August 2nd. I find this one a bit challenging, so I’m hoping I can keep up.

Poppy-Rain

From Start to Finish at Kim Klassen dot com. It starts on July 9th, and runs for 8 weeks. I don’t have to say anything to you about Kim… we all know how talented, creative, and generous she is.

scattered

The Art of Blending at Digital Scrapper, taught by Linda Sattgast starts July 10th and runs for 10 weeks.

Linda Sattgast has the most straightforward, precise, and friendly teaching style I’ve ever come across, and you always get good value for your money at Digital Scrapper:

All class materials (videos, manuals, textures, etc.) are downloadable. View the videos on any computer, tablet, or cell phone that has internet. You have “Forever Access” to the classroom materials, so no need to worry about a computer crash or accidentally losing something. You’ll have personal access to Linda Sattgast, Adobe’s Scrapbooking Expert, in the class Gallery and Forum for the 10 weeks of class, so go ahead—ask her any questions you want about blending! The class Forum and Gallery will be available for posting during the 10 weeks of class, and available for viewing (but not posting) after the class ends.

lakeviews

Whew! So there you have it!

I wonder if I’m going to be able to keep up… the lake beckons…

Google Reader on the Way Out!

March 14, 2013 by Barb 6 Comments

Have you heard? Can you believe it? It just never ends… I’ve been having fits because my feed was not showing up in Google Reader and now they are abandoning it anyway.

Do I hear a collective “arrghhh” out there?

Well, my lovely daughter at A Pretty Life keeps me on top of everything and that’s where I first found out this was coming down the pipe. Apparently Google Reader is going to be gone by July, yes this July. I guess you could call that advance notice.

My lovely daughter also suggested a solution that I might want to try, and that is to start using Feedly. I tried it this morning and it seems to have worked like a charm! With a few clicks it pulled all my subscriptions from Reader into Feedly and this is what I see:

google reader, feedly,

So far I’m pretty impressed. It literally took seconds and everyone is still there!

I haven’t figured it all out yet but I was so excited I wanted to share.

Check out this Feedly article for yourself and see what you think.

Bloggers UNITE!

A Helpful Little Blogging Tip

February 20, 2013 by Barb 21 Comments

A little visitor at our bird feeder yesterday.

The other day I was looking through Google Reader and saw a post by fellow blogger, Jennifer at Town & Country Living. She had recently moved her blog to WordPress and knew that she wasn’t showing up in people’s blog rolls as a result (and I know that for sure because I hadn’t seen her for a while). You see, for some of us, when we move to WordPress – our followers from Google Friend Connect can’t see our feeds any more (so sad…)

Then how could I have seen her post, you may ask…

She had simply gone back to her Blogger dashboard and published a post from there! I just about fell off my chair… you mean you can do that? I thought “how brilliant”!

I immediately went to her WordPress blog and left a comment about how I had found her, and then I re-subscribed to her new feed.

We had a little discussion and she encouraged me to try it for myself. Since she had been subscribed to my old Blogger blog, she said she should be able to see it.

I signed into my old account, wrote a post about how I had moved my blog to WordPress, where to find me at my new address – www.keepingwiththetimes.com and published it. And guess what? she could see it – plain as day! Eureka!! Since then I’ve had several friends visit me and tell me that they had been wondering where I went and were glad to have found their way back.

So for the next few months I’m going to have to publish the odd post to Blogger to remind people that I haven’t dropped off the edge of the earth – I’m simply at a new address and to please, please come see me.

If you’ve moved your blog from Blogger – perhaps this little tip is just what you were looking for! If something I wrote here isn’t clear – please give me a shout and I will try to answer your questions!

Where I blog and what would I be doing if I wasn’t blogging

November 14, 2012 by Barb 9 Comments

Well, I missed TT yesterday. I had an assignment that needed to be done and to tell you the truth my creative juices are not flowing.And yet I’m still creating. How can that be?

I think I have too many creative ‘shoulds’ in my life. As I was lying in bed last night I fell asleep wondering what would I be doing if I wasn’t blogging or planning a blog post, and what would I be doing if I wasn’t working on an assignment for my scrapping duties.

Don’t get me wrong – I love doing both and I’m grateful that I have these interests and am able to pursue them. There are some mornings I can’t wait to get up and get started on a project that was simmering while I slept–and I don’t expect things to change.

I just have this question lurking in the background lately when I’m doing a project–is this what I want to be doing?

I guess what it boils down to is that some days I’m on fire, and some days I’m just showing up. And showing up is good. I resolve to be content with that.

Today I’m going to show up and visit a friend with real problems.

I am grateful. I will not take anything for granted.

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