Post Comment Love 25 - 27 January

Hello there and welcome to this week’s #PoCoLo a friendly linky where you can link any post published in the last week.  If you were here last week, it was great to see you - and an apology, I will catch up with myself -and if you’re new here this week, then you’re very welcome.  Both Morgan and I know you’ll find some great posts to read, and encourage you to pop over to some of the posts linked and take the time to leave a comment or two so that everyone benefits from some extra love.

The big news this week is that I’ve finally stopped procrastinating and started my tax return! Not one to go half measures, it’s completed and submitted too, but it’s always a worry that you’ve done it right, isn’t it? I’ve learnt lately that I’m becoming much more of a last minute kind of girl than I ever have been before. While part of me respects the ability to be so chilled and relaxed about deadlines, the planning part of me (which is strong) is in utter dismay. I’m not sure the rushing and being just in time is my preferred modus operandi, but at the moment it seems to be working. I’ve a feeling that it’s a necessary because I’m still trying to do as much of everything as I can, and I can’t see that changing, as I can’t obviously see what I should stop. I’m sure I’ll figure it out at some point…

This week my focus has been editing photos from 2016. Yes, quite random I know but in a spate of efficiency I decided to create some more photo year books, and the deadline for the first voucher is approaching - well hello, last minuteness again!

It’s meant I’ve rediscovered some gems though. And it’s prompted some happy memories from our cycling trip around the Loire. Which I’m struggling to believe was so long ago.

So it was only natural that this week’s photo is one of those. This one’s from the gardens at Villandry, which was amazing - I’m sure it won’t be long before I’m sharing more of the photos here. I can’t believe I haven’t shared them yet.

SYMMETRY AT VILLANDRY

Blogger Showcase: April Alyce

April Alyce is a relatively new blogger and already she’s loving it, having fallen in love with writing and like many of us has ideas swirling around her head most of the time. And as a native New Yorker, how can she be anything other than a coffee and cake kind of girl?

You can find out more about April Alyce on Morgan’s blog this week, but before you go pop over and say hello to April Alyce on her social channels: Instagram - Pinterest - Twitter.

An InLinkz Link-up

Sculptures that sum up January for me

These sculptures made me smile when I saw them at RHS Rosemoor in the autumn, but they also have a touch of January about them, so let’s have a light-hearted look at how they sum up January for me.

This one has clearly reached at least the 44th of the month, and realises that there’s still at least half the month left…

And there’s a mascara mishap or two happening. And it still amuses me how the plant is growing around the sculpture, adding a modesty covering that couldn’t have been better placed.

Further along our jaunt around the garden this small sculpture caught my eye. I’ve said before I’d happily hibernate in January, though with slightly more clothes on that this statue, and hopefully without the ornithological audience.

Clearly time has moved on for the sculpture below, and it’s obviously the 91st of January, which calls for a celebration…

….The only thing though about the end of January, is the start of February - and well, that’s not usually exactly full of Spring.

Roll on March, I say - and when January gets to me (as it often does) then I’ll remember to dig out this post, as it’d have to be pretty bad for these not to make me smile.

Bright Designs at the Lavatory Project

Today I’m sharing the second of my The Loo Series meets the Lavatory Project at Grand Designs Live, and you’ll not be surprised to learn this one that is full of colour is one of my favourites. Is it something I’d have in my own house, well sadly that’s a moot point as we don’t have a downstairs loo, I know (we don’t have an en-suite either, sorry perhaps I should have warned you about both of those revelations). A downstairs loo is definitely on our wish list for a future house, but again that’s a moot point right now.

But if I did, then yes, I think I would. I’d definitely go for a full on pattern in a small room, even the smallest room, as despite what you’d expect to think, it really does work.

This room set has relatively few accessories, but what’s there works hard. The floor, with its central pattern defines the area and its larger pattern offsets the repetitive smaller pattern on the wallpaper, which has one of those patterns that draws your eyes along, looking for the pattern and imagining patterns and shapes that probably aren’t even there.

Not many of us would have put yellow touches - the skirting, the splashback and the towel, with a reddy-orange wallpaper and petrol blue and white floor, but again why not? Seeing it together shows it works. We know it’s often the small touches that make rooms work, and for me that’s true here.

The mirrors at differing heights appeal too, and not only because I’m just five foot and a bit, but also because of the visual interest it brings to the space.

And finally, artwork on a patterned wall? It’s magic when it works, like it does here - sorry I couldn’t resist, but I’m sure you know what I mean.

What do you think, is this a style that you’d have in your home?