Remember that hot spell, the one that some are referring to as our summer? Yes, well I hope it's not our summer, but that one - in the midst of the heat I popped along to a pool party at John Lewis at Oxford Street and the weather couldn't have been better for it.
The Poolside I'm talking about though was indoors on the third floor - and is open to the public until 12 May - so it really doesn't matter what the weather's like outside. Although wouldn't it be good for it to be warmer than the six degrees that's forecast for tomorrow, the last day of April, surely the zaniest of months for weather so far this year. (By the way 2018, that's not a challenge!)
Image courtesy of John Lewis
The inflatables were great fun, and for this one I'd go as far to say it was FAB (sorry!), but you know what I mean...
By the Poolside there were plenty more inflatables: toucans, doughnuts, pineapples, flamingos and unicorns to name just a few, not forgetting the watermelon ring and the clever 'virtual' pool. It looks real doesn't it, but it's not - it's a place where you can paddle without getting wet, but you have to mind your head on the mirrors as you leave the pool!
There's plenty more too - summer hat anyone? I hope it won't be too long before these will be needed again.
And it seems that pom-poms and pineapples that we've seen as interiors trends aren't just for interiors - yay! - as this straw bag and sarong show.
I was quite taken with these lemon wedge pouches, and not just because they matched my shoes (but that could have been part of the reason, I'll admit). I think they'd be useful for all kinds of things, on the beach to keep things sand-free, or to prevent your suntan lotion covering everything it shouldn't, or maybe just a fun bag as an accessory or for your lunch.
You can see I've given this some thought can't you?
I mentioned a riot of colour at the start of this post and I stopped to take a closer look as I left the pool - it really was my kind of colourful place, complete with zingy colours and fun touches too, like the parrot on the jar with lemons and limes.
But even if colour - or so much colour - isn't your thing, there are still more subtle ways to add some zing to your summer. Whether that's the cute beaded cactus table linen, the colourful bowls, or the cushions.
And yes, it's another of 'those' chairs - I've had to look up their name, it's an Acapulco Chair, I thought it only right as this is the third picture I've shared of this style on my blog so far this year. Had you noticed I might be slightly smitten?!
* This is a collaborative post, but all views and opinions are my own. Thanks to John Lewis for inviting me along to immerse myself in the colour and for wowing me with the Poolside mirrors and inflatables.