Post Comment Love and Blogger Showcase 13-15 April

Hello there and welcome to this week's #PoCoLo - it's Friday the thirteenth today and so I hope that goes by without any mishaps.  If you were here last week, it was great to see you and if you're new here this week then I know you'll be made to feel very welcome by both Morgan and I and all of our lovely linkers.

I feel as if I've been submerged in a vat of grey this week. It's been misty here with occasional bursts of sunshine. There's been rain but I haven't minded the proper rain so much, but I'm not a fan of that stuff that just hangs in the air.  The usual complaint is frizzy hair, but mine of course revels in being different and instead of staying where I'd blow dried it does the exact opposite, and so for most of this week I've just let it be.  Sometimes it's the only way.

The work on our conservatory is getting ever closer and I'll have more to share on that over the weekend.  Somehow I've lost another week, this one in advance as I was convinced we had an extra week to eat the freezer - but we don't.  I guess that means there'll be some rearranging happening this weekend, or a lot of eating. Or both.

The sofa samples have started to arrive and even though it's been grey outside I never realised there were quite so many greys. Some blue, some pink, some brown and some actually grey.  And yes I know the yellow velvet is about as far from sensible grey that you can get but I couldn't help but add it to my swatches.

Blogger Showcase: Nate from Above Average Nate

1. Who are you?

My name is Nate Johnson. I like to read, run, and ramble (in the traveling sense). I have my own blog, www.aboveaveragenate.com where I write whatever I'm feeling for that day.

2. How did you discover blogging?

I discovered blogging through The James Altucher Podcast. James mentioned it multiple times and I felt I should give it a try.

3. Why did you start blogging?

To document my life and allow my children to see my successes and failures in my early 20s. 

4. What do you find most challenging?

Fighting perfectionism. Sometimes I get too scared to write because I think it won't be worth reading. So I don't even try.

5. What is your favourite topic to write about?

I enjoy writing about goal setting and using myself as a case study for how to set and achieve goals.

6. Are you blogging for fun or do you have goals?

I started out writing for fun. I have the goal of being a New York Times best-selling author.

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging?

Giving voice to a topic or opinion that I believe more people should hear about.

8. Have you ever attended a blogging conference?

No.

9. What are your 3 best posts?

• My Ten-Year Plan for a Remarkable Life Option Three

• Beautiful Ashes

• Being Published in a National Magazine

10. Describe yourself in three words!

Creative, Writer, Traveler.

11. Are you a tea and biscuits or coffee and cake person?

Tea and biscuits.

12. What's your idea of a perfect night out?

Going to a steakhouse and seeing a movie.

13. Your perfect night in?

Reading a good book and evening yoga.

14. What would your best friend say is your best quality?

Loyalty and Passion.

Thanks for being our Blogger Showcase this week Nate, finding new blogs is one of my favourite things about this feature.  

If you're not already connected to Nate then do take a minute to check out his blog and social channels:  Twitter  -  Instagram  -  Facebook  -  YouTube 

If you'd like to be featured in our Blogger Showcase then please get in touch with Morgan or I.

An InLinkz Link-up

The Tropical zone in Cannington's glass houses

As the warmer weather appears to have deserted us again I've taken measures into my own hands and today I'm sharing pictures from our visit to the Tropical zone in Cannington's glass house.  It was grey and misty in London for most of today and while the warmer temperatures are forecast, I'd appreciate if they were here now.  I'm sure you would too!

The glass house was hot and humid, replicating the wet tropics of Indonesia and the Amazon Rainforest, I'm taking this post as a kind of acclimatising type of post in readiness and anticipation of less grey, less misty and more Spring-like weather.  

Even just writing this post I can feel the warmth as we stepped into this area, the temperatures aim to be between 26 and 28 degrees, tough hey?

Warm, but lush. 

Just look at all the greens, and the odd burst of colour too.

As we walked around the small but densely planted space, something unusual caught my eye above me.  It was green, but not the usual green of plants. Taking a closer look, I was right, but no less curious. 

I don't think I've ever seen anything like it, and had no idea what it was. We thought it might be pepper, but we'd seen that at RHS Wisley and it wasn't this colour. 

Isn't the colour vibrant? And isn't it fascinating?

Thankfully there was a sign telling us it was a "Strongylodon macrobotrys" or more helpfully a Jade Vine.  I can see how it gets its name!

It's also commonly known as an Emerald Vine or Turquoise Jade Vine and is a native of the tropical forests of the Philippines.  Stems can be up to 18 metres in length and it's a member of the pea and bean family.  Can you imagine if I grew one of these on the allotment...

No me neither, especially in this weather.

But there was more colour for us to see before we headed back to the more temperate areas.  The pink, red and green leaves above, which I'm sure I've photographed before, most likely at Wisley and a much welcomed hibiscus. 

Doesn't it look fresh and full of warmth.  So who knew that you could find such tropical-ness in a small part of Somerset which is well worth a visit if you're close by.  I'm sure you won't be disappointed, and the added bonus is that if it's a chilly day, like us, you can spend time discovering the peculiar, but wonderful Jade Vine.

Those pom poms in the Botanical Bedroom

In my Ideal Home Inspiration post last week I teased you with some pom poms, today I'm sharing the rest of the bedroom - a botanical bedroom room set, at that.  I wasn't surprised to see the botanical theme pop up in one of the roomsets, as it is one of the trends for 2018 and I've spoken about that here on the blog before, but I didn't expect it to be the bedroom.

Nor did I expect it to be quite so stylish.  I'll admit, that even as a plant lover, I'm not so sure about having so many in the bedroom, even though they're fake, but I did love the colours and the effect. 

A FOUR POSTER WITH A POM POM THROW

The muted greens, greys and neutrals were set off with the purple and lavender greys and the overall result for me was a calming and relaxing room. Even the wood of the four poster bed toned with the colour scheme, and what an elegant four poster.

The louvre doors of the wardrobe also work with the style of the room.  The top of my wardrobe would never look so stylish though, I've long since learnt to have floor to ceiling wardrobes so that I can hide things like suitcases and extra storage for the wardrobe I'm not wearing.

Looking across to the wardrobe gives a really good overview of the colours used, and don't they work well?

The other nod throughout the room set to the botanicals look are the black edged mirrors and terrariums, shown well on the dressing table.  I've only just spotted the shaped mirror leant against the wall and it's the little touches like this, that made the room sets feel like proper rooms for me.

But at times I think they can be totally impractical.  The photo below sums that up perfectly - the ivy climbing into bed with you and the very pretty, but less practical bedside table - is it just me?

The room sets often challenge and push my opinions, but at times they're pushed in a direction that I don't expect to like. Take the artwork below, if you'd described the picture then I might be wary. Clearly I can see it's some kind of skull, but it's prettier than you could ever describe it, don't you think?

Lighting is something we often take for granted, and this roomset had some interesting choices.  Of the bedside lights and ceiling lights, I much prefer the bedside lights - although I'm sure I'd walk into them regularly!

And remember that mustard armchair from the inspiration post? Well I hadn't forgotten to include it, but I thought I'd save it until now so you too can fall in love with the room all over again, just like me.  It's not the obvious choice to put with the muted colours, but I really like how its turned out, don't you?