Reflecting on my week #119

Goodness, it’s been another weekend, another storm for the UK and while we are far from suffering as some around the country are the timing - for every weekend - is starting to wear a little thin now. I know that I am very fortunate not to be more severely affected, and that feeling a little miffed is nothing in the scheme of things, but even so.

Saturday I needed to pop to the shops, as normal, and I thought I’d timed my outing well. It seems not, just as I was ready to head out the door down came the rain, and along came the wind. The only positive was realising that the forsythia fence around the corner from us was doing its best to look cheery. And guess what, yes, as I got home the weather dramatically improved. Hmnnn. I’m not taking it personally.

After marvelling last week at how light the evenings are, I left work again at a reasonable time and though I can’t claim to have made the most of the daylight it was good to catch up with friends at a leaving drink, and then on Friday at the opening night of the new Tatty Devine exhibition taking place in the University of Greenwich Galleries.

The founders, Harriet and Rosie, gave a talk about their story and explaining the exhibition, their creative drive and it was fascinating. They both seemed really nice people, and I’m always pleased to discover that the people behinds the brands you know are. If they aren’t, then it taints the brand for me. Tatty Devine is a brand I’d been aware of, and admired but somehow never really bought from before. Last weekend I decided that should change ahead of the exhibition and with the magic of online shopping, I was fully prepared and necklaced up for Friday evening.

The exhibition contains hundreds of items to celebrate their 20 years and it evoked so many memories of the past twenty years, that it made me wonder how I’d managed to not have anything of theirs, or perhaps I had and in a rare fit of minimalism discarded it. Though I find that quite unlikely, but who knows.

It was great to see their sketches and the resulting necklace - the one above is called ‘Still Life’ and while it’s not my thing seeing the thought process is absolutely fascinating. One of my memories that the exhibition prompted was my love for Silvine notebooks - I’d forgotten that my love of notebooks started at an early age. I know where I bought them from too. There was a shop in the high street of South Norwood where I grew up, and while the name of the shop escapes me, I could tell you the layout of the inside.

If I didn’t buy them there, then my other stationery haunt was near Grants in Croydon. Again I’m not sure if it was part of Grants or next door, but I remember you had to walk through a corridor at the back of the shop to get to the things I was interested in. I had the size notebook shown below, exercise books and the spiral bound ones too. Always with a red cover. I don’t have any now, and it’s unlikely that there’s any at mum and dads, and even if there are I dread to think what the contents would include.

You may be familiar with their lobster necklace, which Rosie was wearing on the night. She carried it off superbly, I think I’d have been fiddling with it - but what’s more, as she spoke it’s pincers moved and just completed the whole effect. My purchases were a little bit more low key, well definitely in size. The colourful parakeet was around my neck on Friday, and one of my colleagues returned from the exhibition to exclaim that “they had my thing (pointing) giant sized, hanging in the window” and he seemed impressed to know that people knew of the exhibition hosts. Technically though, I had their thing (or a smaller version) of it around my neck…

We were hoping to do some gardening yesterday and the weather was probably ok for it. MOH has been missing a good long cycle (see comments about the weather above) and so took his chance to put that right. He arrived home annoyed with himself and a bit dazed, having fallen off after hitting a pothole less than half a mile from home. He has a few bumps and grazes, but is otherwise ok and grateful to the two pedestrians who stopped to help him up, check he was ok and gave him a sweet before he went on his way. I know he’s feeling the bumps as for the first time ever he’s actually following the advice of RICE (Rest - Ice - Compression - Elevation) and has done it every couple of hours. We’ve also been to the bike shop for a check over too, just in case, and everything’s fine there too.

Phew.

Let's talk Office Chairs

*This is a collaborative post with Apres Furniture Ltd

Bear with me. This post might not go exactly where you think.

I’ve realised that over the years I’ve spent a lot of time on office chairs but rarely given them any thought. They’re just there aren’t they? And if I asked you to describe an office chair, we’d all most likely have quite a similar description: high back, wheels, adjustable and a ‘functional’ and often dull colour. Was I right?

I am sure that someone thinks about office chairs in every organisation, some organisations more than others I suspect. I’ve worked in offices where new chairs were part of the refurbishment, where in the 80s chairs were colour coded (I kid you not). I can’t remember if it was red for supervisors, or blue, nor can I remember who could sit on the green ones, the enduring memory is the significance of the colour! I’ve also worked in offices where the chairs are, shall we say, past their best and offices where there’s a mixture of styles and it’s a bit like a cinderella test to get one that works for you.

But given that more of us have home offices, or at least a space to use when we work from home, then we too need to think about our ‘office’ chairs too. Even if our office is a desk in the corner of our living space or bedroom, the kitchen table or a home office. And I suspect for our home office spaces we’re looking for something more stylish than the office chairs of our imagination.

And really, comfort and practicality doesn’t have to come at the expense of style.

Photo by Simon Rae on Unsplash

But here’s the thing, office chairs are no longer just the functional type we have in our mind’s eye.

They can be stylish too, and that means their use can be wider reaching too. Break the boundaries of your mind and think about these chairs as alternatives to dining chairs or for those that are more durable use in the garden. Or perhaps having some extra chairs because you host the most fabulous family gatherings and want a more cohesive look, then consider some of the designs of stacking chairs instead.

So next time you sit down on your office chair, at home and at work, really think about if your chair is delivering what it should be, and what you can do about it if it isn’t. I know I spend a lot of time in an office or in front of a pc, and really, everyone deserves something that’s more than just ‘functional’.

* This post is in collaboration with Apres Furniture Ltd.

Reflecting on my week #118

Going back to work after a few days off is always a bit of a mixed blessing isn’t it? There’s the return to routine, and earlier mornings, but there’s also the emails and catching up. There was a lot of going on at work while I was away and so it felt like more to catch up on than normal, and if I’m honest the whole week has stepped up a gear. But there is also good news, as on top of everything else I’ve been interviewing for some help, who will start on Wednesday, which will hopefully help me get things a bit straighter. The challenge will be finding somewhere for them to sit, but a small thing in the scheme of things.

There was a haircut Thursday evening and I was actually quite shocked that it’s still light at 5pm in the evenings. That just goes to show that I’ve not left work at that time for a while, doesn’t it. It was lovely to walk up to Blackheath and the hairdressers, through Greenwich Park. Along with the daffodils, it really does feel that Spring is on its way.

Not that you’d know by the wind. That’s still here and unsurprisingly blowy! I think it’s hanging around for a little while yet, and no doubt bringing rain with it. Neither are my favourite weather types, but I guess you can’t have it all.

The wind prompted a brief trip into the garden. MOH seemed horrified that I ventured out there to stop the fleece from the agapanthus making a break for it in my PJs and dressing gown. But I’m sure no one even noticed, and so what if they did. Once the fleece had been recaptured I did come in, but being in the garden had sparked my imagination. And once dressed, as the patio table cover was now trying to make a break for it, off I went once more. This time dressed more appropriately according to MOH.

That was soon brought under control and so I thought I’d have a look around. We’ve a few branches down, but nothing major, one of our fence panels seems to have lost the top part of the ‘frame’, which is odd as it’s a panel that I think we’ve replaced several times already, and definitely more times than the rest of the fence put together. I’m curious to know what that neighbour does to our fence, if anything. They will, I’m sure, let us know as soon as the weather warms up, and then expect it replaced immediately, that’s just how they are (and no they don’t have a show garden).

We haven’t gained a trampoline, which is good news, as our neighbour’s one has stayed on their side of the fence. There was though some winter-spring colour. The lime green of the euphorbia, the dusky pink of the hellebores and the egg yolk yellow of what seem to be perpetually flowering primulas.

The weekend did start the right way, and by the right way, I mean in the pub with colleagues. It was much needed, and really does help as people in other parts of the business had had an equally full on week. And it’s good to share, right?

I also got my cooking game on, remembering that I had some venison in the freezer which the butcher said needed a good, long, slow cook. And he was right, after four or so hours in the oven it was gorgeous. Served with mash and kale, it made me look a great cook. And I’m not that bad really, but it’s the type of cooking that looks fancier than it is, though in reality boiling water is the thing that often causes the most mess in our kitchen!

Our first daffodil is out, and while it’s looking a bit windswept it’s great to see it. I’ve been looking at the daffodils in front of the National Maritime Museum from my office window for a good few weeks now, so it’s good that my garden is starting to catch up.

My other culinary success this weekend has been leftover fishcakes. Or rather fishcakes from leftover mashed potato, some herbs I had in the fridge and a tin of tuna, and some breadcrumbs. They made a great lunch, and the fifth one that didn’t have a plate to go to was quickly snaffled by MOH. That definitely makes them a success.

The week ahead at work will bring more of the same I’m sure, but thankfully with a few more people in the office now that half-term here is done and my extra help will be arriving midweek. There’s also a pub visit planned for Thursday to say goodbye to a colleague as they move jobs, and then on Friday I’m off to a public lecture at the university by the founders of Tatty Devine, yes that Tatty Devine. I wasn’t sure if I had any of their jewellery, I’m sure I did at one point, but a quick visit to eBay put that right.

Now I’m hoping that it arrives before Friday. Have a great week!