Looking towards 2017

It's that time of the year when like many of you I start to look forward to what next year might bring and how I can shape that, even if that's in the smallest way. For the last few years I've chosen a word for the year - last year it was shine, the year before focus and before that active and I've had mixed success with using them as a guide for the year. But as I still think I'm more likely to have success with a single word than a raft of New Year's Resolutions I'm sticking with this approach. 

I've learnt for a word to stand the most chance of being successful I have to love it and what it stands for.

So for 2017 the word I've chosen is flourish.  Not in the curlicue, decorative way or in the wave about kind of way, I mean in the grow and prosper meaning. Although I'm not sure I can commit to there not being any of the other meanings throughout the year!

I think it works as an all rounder for my home life, work life and blog life. I still want to get things done, and do them well but I also want to grow and prosper as much as I can too. At work that means continuing to shape my role in my new organisation, implement changes and generally make the job my own, and I think that's entirely do-able.

Here on the blog, I've realised over the past year that it's the gardens and gardening posts that I really enjoy and you seem to as well, so I want to grow those (sorry!) this year. For Christmas I received membership to the RHS and I'm looking forward to getting out and exploring all that has to offer. I still plan to write about homes and interiors and the projects underway in our own home but this year I'm also a RIBA Friends of Architecture member and I'm looking forward to making the most of that too.

In real life both MOH and I will be celebrating our fiftieth birthdays, and our tenth wedding anniversary this year so we hope to do that in style and I'm also hoping there'll be a holiday (or two) to celebrate along the way too. I'm off to Munich in January, and very much looking forward to that and sharing all of that here too.

Share your hopes and dreams for 2017

As I said at the start of this post, I'm probably not the only one thinking about what 2017 can bring, so if it's something you've been thinking about I'm keen to know what your hopes, dreams, goals, resolutions, aims or whatever you call them are. You don't have to be a blogger to take part in this, just leave a comment to let me know.

If you're a blogger I'd love to read your post, so add your link below - I'll leave this linky open until mid-January. And if you add the badge to your post and tweet me @Lifeat139a I'll share your post too.

An InLinkz Link-up

Being wowed by The Sail Loft

All too often we hear of pubs shutting, so when we cycled past a new pub in Greenwich right on the River Thames I made a mental note to visit it at some point. That mental note got lost for a while, but recently one lunchtime by a quirk of coincidence I found myself at leaving drinks in the very same place I'd made a mental note of months before. And wow, what a place The Sail Loft in Greenwich is.

I couldn't help but take a few pictures, and try their lunch menu - although I was too busy eating, as usual, to photograph that!  I knew when I walked in and saw the floor, it had potential.

The whole interior has an industrial style to it and some glorious wood too. It has that feel of being well put together and it'll be interesting to see how that develops as it ages. It was one of those places that everywhere you looked there was plenty more to see.  And it looks a practical space too, just look those tables are on casters.

The concrete pillars were embraced with ironwork that wasn't only decorative but functional. It housed the lights and yes, they are coat hooks on the bottom of the light too.

It was also interesting to see how such a modern space was decorated for Christmas, and as I was coming to expect it was done with style. These glass orbs were subtle but totally in keeping with the space. There were more decorations - more on those in a bit - and the staff were in Christmas jumpers, but it wasn't overly decorated which worked here. And I bet there was a bit of "we've just decorated so you're not sticking that there" going on, which let's face it is real life in action isn't it? We still don't put things on our 2013-wallpapered walls.

The pub is right on the river so it has good views of the Thames, and there's a fantastic outside space, which no doubt will be well used in warmer weather, and perhaps the not-so-warm too as it's equipped with patio heaters. I've not seen people out there yet, but I expect it'll be hard to find a spot as the word gets out and the temperatures rise.

There's plenty more to discover in the Sail Loft, but as my lunch arrived - a Grilled Brie, Black Cab Stout & fig chutney, roasted cherry tomatoes, ciabatta sandwich arrived, there was much more important things to do. Lunch was good, the sweet potato fries excellent - I *might* have tasted one or two from a colleague, and the pumpkin and chilli soup looked good too.

Back at the bar I had a chance to take in more of the surroundings and decor and spot some more of their Christmas decorations. It'll be interesting to see how this pub adapts with the seasons as it definitely has the potential to become a special place in Greenwich. 

I've already been back for an evening visit where we enjoyed a fantastic meal and a bottle of wine while in comfortable leather easy chairs watching the world go by. And I'm certain I'll be back, because there's a whole upstairs area to discover too. The toilets too are likely to feature in a future Loo Series, but I'll have to go back for that as those posts need pictures and I currently don't have any!  Did you spot my cunning plan?

A Christmas stocking, or two

It's been a few years since I hung my Christmas stocking up, but when Turtle Mat got in touch recently and invited me to take part in their Christmas Stocking challenge, my interest was piqued. I remembered - and still have - my Christmas stocking from when I was a child and thought it would be good fun to dig that out, as well as make another.

I'm under no illusions that I'd be able to make something as lovely, as what I can only call my vintage Christmas stocking, gorgeous isn't it? I remember hanging it at the end of my bed on Christmas Eve and leaving a glass of milk and a mince pie out for Father Christmas, and then waking in the morning full of awe that he'd been. And at the same time investigating to see what he'd brought.

I'm sure there's a story behind this Christmas stocking that I don't remember all of right now, but my brother had one similar too. I'm sure mum and dad will fill me in. But onto the other stocking. In the box of craft supplies I received there was some hessian, felt, tinsel, cotton lace trim, some bells, a robin or two and some glitter.  It was clear that I'd be making a different style of stocking. 

I used my stocking as a template and discovered how messy hessian is work with. And how awkward this open weave type is. I remember making a hessian cushion in needlecraft in Senior School, and remembered that the fibres played havoc with my black school blazer, it was no better with my navy cords this time around. 

But eventually I had a stocking edged with blue felt. How to decorate it took me a while to decide on, and then inspiration struck. I'd use the cotton lace trim to form a Christmas tree and add some bells as decoration and top it with tinsel. And so I did.  

It wasn't long before a robin took up residency... 

I’m rather pleased with how it turned out, different to my hopes, but nice in its rustic way, but still not a patch on my vintage stocking, is it? 

Have you hung your Christmas stocking? Let's hope Santa comes...  

* This is a collaborative post, but all views and opinions are my own.