The Ins & Outs - A Best Selling Author & The Formula For Perfect Panelling

Episode Date: February 18, 2025

We're back after an unscheduled week off and there is so much to catch up on!Polly's renovation is almost done and to cap things off, she's now a best selling author!We also cover valentines day, botox and how to calculate the perfect height for your panelling!This episode is sponsored by fabric and homeware business Tori Murphy. Tori Murphy is an English textile brand dedicated to creating thoughtful, timeless and sustainable products for the modern family home.Visit their website https://www.torimurphy.com/ and use the discount code inandout10% at the checkout to get 10% off and check them out on Instagram @torimurphytextilesInstagramPodcast - @the_insandouts_Jojo - @houseninedesignPolly - @pollyanna_wilkinsonProducer Andy - @andy_rowe_WebsitesJojo - https://www.housenine.co.uk/Polly - https://www.pollyannawilkinson.com/Pod Rowe Productions - https://www.podrowe.net/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Green, the colour of true elation Pond on a summer's day, see I've been waiting for you Hello Innes and Outies and welcome back to this new episode of The Inns and Outs with myself, the very ordinary Jojo Barr and our bestselling author, Pollyanna Wilkinson This week's episode is sponsored again by our very lovely Tori Murphy. Now, I don't think I actually gave this away last time, but Tori doesn't just make curtains at Tori Murphy. She also does beautiful Roman blinds, cafe curtains, as well as those lovely slouchy linen drapes that you'll have seen with bold stripes, cheeky linings, classic details,

lots of little twists, very, very beautiful homewares. You'll see her stuff everywhere. It's in Harrods, so her house, the ned, she makes cushions, throws, curtain poles, tie backs. I mean I know I always say this, I can't recommend her enough. She's just beautiful and the quality is amazing. And also, just to add, she can make your curtains and blinds in 14 days. So if you are in a hurry or you need something done, Swiftie, right? Swift. Very, Taylor.

Please go and check her out. And she's very kindly giving all our innies and outies a discount of 10% to use as a little treat. If you use in and out 10% at checkout. So go and check her out. Tori Murphy. Thank you, Tori. We love you. Thank her out Tori Murphy thank you Tori we love you thank you Tori so on this week's episode we're gonna give we're gonna give you a big one this week because obviously we weren't here last week so apologies about

that we're having a huge catch-up we're talking Valentine's Day, Botox, Polly's renovation is almost at the end of its journey and then the useful stuff paneling heights, essential gardening kit and weather designing is a desk job. So let's dive on in. Hello, my darling. All right, darling. All right, my love. How are you? I'm okay. By the way, everyone, we are actually recording this on Valentine's Day. And I know by the time this goes out, Valentine's Day will have long gone, but big fat snogs and smooches to all of you you bloody sexy Oh yes and a bit of inappropriate rubbing

Yeah you sexy bunch you lalalala lalalalala Do you celebrate? I know we shouldn't talk about it for long because I'm sure you're all over it Do you celebrate? Did Brad pull one out for you? No and it's really funny I ran this morning I ran a card upstairs I scribbled on it obviously like literally this morning, I ran a card upstairs. I scribbled on it, obviously, like literally this morning whilst making the kids breakfast and I ran upstairs and gave it to him

and he was like, you didn't, you got me a card. Cause I never, I'm not a very cardy person. No, you don't strike me as a cardy person. No, only because I think the words sometimes when I'm writing a card, like they always just feel a little bit sort of inauthentic to me. I'd rather say them or like or save or save a moment where I'm not being forced into saying it because of that exact I'm being told to

it. No, I hear you. Yeah, there's a pressure to it. Did Brad get you a card? There's a pressure to it. No, he didn't. And he's usually the one that gets me a card. So that was quite funny. So I felt like that was a real win for me this morning. Oh, God, I got a card from Ziggy. It was the most gorgeous. She'd made a double. so it was an envelope. She made the envelope with little flowers and things on it. One side said M and the other said D and you opened it up and it was a double sided card. So one side of the card you opened that was my side and the other was daddy's. So she very much like, she's just the cutest kid in the whole

world. Did you do anything to celebrate? Just some heavy, heavy petting? Just some heavy petting no a little card and she gave me a very very nice necklace which has like a little love note in it oh wow but we're early aren't we pal? That's so honey mean. Yeah I love it. No I love that well done well done see. Good on you boy.

And then obviously a marathon sex session later I'm sure. Of course yeah multiple multiple multiple, multiple times. Couldn't walk actually. We've actually, we've got the kids. We've got all three of them. So we're having a romantic steak dinner. I love that that's such a thing. If you've got the kids sex is off the cards basically.

That's like a sort of given, got the kids, kids are in everything it's just not right no front of them pal not if not obviously in front of them but you can go off and have a sneaky one can't you little sneaky you know slip it up then you get interrupted I have a dilemma I'd like to hear if any of my in-ears or out-ears have had this. You know, we're a fan of a bit of a Botox in the In-N-Out pod. Here's the dilemma I have. No shame. Love the Botox, but I have a hooded eye. You don't love when it wears off. I hate when it wears off. I have hooded eyes, which means sort of like droopy eyes. You've got droopy eyelids. It's just a vibe, it's just a thing.

And if I get Botox, I have to choose between having even droopier eyes so that I can barely see out, but a lovely smooth forehead. Or you can have a bit around the crow's feet and you can have a bit right at the top, but you end up with weird spock bits because you're trying to keep that bit up whilst trying to bring that bit down and I can't win. Well you can win because your face is absolutely beautiful and you probably I'm going to say you don't need it but I feel you. All of that it's uh so for any of my hooded

girls out there I'm with you. Solutions welcome. Maybe It's, so for any of my hooded girls out there, I'm with you. Solutions welcome. Maybe I'll just get the face tape that you stick on and just put pieces of string around your face. Yeah, it's so funny what we notice on our own faces. Mine's that I've got very low brows. My brows sit very low.

And I'd quite like to lift my brows like up so that they actually don't sort of, because otherwise I look very moody. The reason I very first got Botox was when I was actually 26 years old. 26? You started young, pal. I started really young and it was because I had really bad... Because I've got very low brows, but really bad frown line in between my eyebrows.

And I used to look really pissed off all the time. Resting bitch face. I just looked permanently pissed off. My dad used to say to me, he's like, stop frowning, stop frowning. I used to look really pissed off and I wasn't like, even if it was a sunny day, I'd just be looking really moody. So I got some botox between the old eyebrows.

And there you go. You never look back. Now you can't tell what mood I'm in. You know? I just, I want all the things. It's a guessing game. What else have you injected in your face? He has Jojo today. No, that's it. I'll tell a guessing it's a guessing game. What else?

No, that's it that's what I tell you what I am doing today though never done it before my sister raves about it Microneedling, what's I'm going this afternoon to have microneedling Uh, I don't know. I think they roll like little micro needles all over your face and it's supposed to be very plumping and energizing, all right, so That's my that's my version of tlc. I can't wait to see your face after this. Microneedling? Yeah, I don't do a lot to my face, I'll be honest. I sort of get what's given and I have a little regime.

I use a flannel to take my face stuff off. Next you'll be saying all you do to keep your weight down is just drink water and walk a lot. I'm gonna smack you if that's what you say. Like the celebs, I don't do anything. I just wash my face and I walk. No, no. Screw you and your genetics, Jojo Bar.

Right. Anyway. Right. Enough about that. Should we... Let's trot on. Oh, actually, I don't feel like I've had much of a catch up from you, actually. We've got something so major. I don't even, I can't believe this wasn't like first thing we discussed here, Paul. I'm so sorry. I cannot believe we let Botox come ahead of the fact that you are number three Sunday Times bestseller, your book, number three Sunday Times bestseller. I actually

can't believe I'm sitting here talking to you. Nor can I. I'm too big for you now you are far too big time for me please don't go and get another co-host I can't bear it oh my god I'm a very busy best-selling author and just you're a best-selling author how silly is that round of applause everyone thank you well done love. I'm so proud of you. I really am. That is incredible. Bloody hell.

It's so exciting, isn't it? I didn't, I never, when I was writing it, thought, oh, this'll be in the charts. Do you know what's super sad though? It won't be in the paper, which bums me out because I would 100% cut that out and lamination it. Why? I am that girl. Because the weird thing about gardening books, much like cookbooks,

is they fall under manuals. So despite the fact it was the number three bestseller for all non-fiction, it's they categorize them into different categories and mine would have been printed under manuals and they only print it every other week because they oscillate between children's books and manuals in the printing. So it won't be in the general hardback list even though it outsold like, you know, seven of them in there. We could just do some clever little Photoshopping, couldn't we?

Should we just do that? Yes. Let's do a clever little bit of Photoshopping, just pop it in there. It's technically a number two bestseller because in the manual section it's number two, after Jamie Oliver's Air Fryer cookbook, which I can't be angry about, fair enough.

No, well done Jamie. Can I just burst the bubble of fabulousness? Because it's been such a busy week with the book launch, and then we had our wonderful Henley event, didn't we? We did. And it all looks so fabulous, but the actual harsh reality is I got the phone call about being a bestseller and then I had to get in the car and take my children to football

practice where I sat for an hour and a half and then went home and went to bed so it's not all champagne and fabulous and then after the book launch I vomited in a gutter because I wasn't well at all not from boo So yes, it's been it's been a virusy Sorry guys, we missed the episode last week entirely my fault because I had some hideous virus Which I've been trying to fit life around which I Love yeah, there isn't I don't think I don't think there is much glamour to any of that really is Like I think even when you see celebs out on a red carpet, you've got to think what they're doing beforehand in a hotel room, having their makeup done, running around in joggers and

don't think much of life is very glamorous. I think it's nice to know that it's not all champagne and glamour and actually much more sort of ordinary and then with bursts of loveliness. It's very ordinary. Yeah, but you have got to hold on to those little moments of celebration, pal, because that's pretty big time. Yeah, I you have got to hold on to those little moments of celebration pal because that's pretty big time Yeah, I'm gonna have some fizz this weekend. And do you know my number one thing we talked about it earlier, wasn't it? I want to celebrate things this year. So I'm going to make an effort and celebrate this somehow Perhaps I shall dance under a full moon. That's why not naked. Yes always Good. Should we jump

into some questions? Well is there a renovation update for me though? Anything happened? I have to tell you, gosh sorry guys, I think this is going to just be a regular update of every week now because when you have a sick parent everything tends to take a little backseat so I've been again slightly driving sort of here, there and everywhere to hospital appointments and various things. Because dad's now on his chemo journey, which is so proud of him. He's like 79 years old and he's and it's so it's actually pretty got it's so eye opening all this stuff I tell you. The chemo day ward is literally

a big glass window and inside you go in and we're allowed to sit with him for his very first one but going forward he has to be there on his own and they have these nice high sort of these comfy chairs they sit in and all these people come and go and they come in for their you know they're in like their chemo drips IV that goes into like a port in their arm or whatever they take and they sit there for sort of what six hours well it all goes in and then off they go and some people jump on their bikes and off they go back to their lives other people take it, you know worse than others, but It's just amazing to see how many people just are sitting in there

Seemingly so fine Reading their books. They look absolutely fine. And yet they've got cancer. And it's amazing how resilient I guess people are to that, I don't know, the reality of that. And it's just strangely an upbeat place. The music's playing and the nurses are really upbeat and really fun going around checking everyone's, you know, IV bags. And there's my lovely dad, probably the oldest guy in there by a long way, who's been given this golden ticket that this chemo might actually do something. And he's just so charming and he's so sweet and he's like, you know, flirting with the nurses and just lovely. But he's actually taken it. He's now day four. And it's been an absolute buggery because he has basically

found out because when you have pancreatic cancer, your insulin doesn't work. You're basically your blood sugar levels. It all throws everything out the window. So he's become diabetic because of having pancreatic cancer. So now at the age of 79, he's trying with arthritis. He's trying to work out to use this fucking insulin pen. And he's got this thing in his arm that's telling him that he's got high insulin and all the glutes. It's an absolute shit show. I don't know what, and this is the thing he couldn't do it on his own. And I don't know how so many people out there can do this journey on their own without you know family. It's a lot.

But anyway, hats off to anyone out there who's going through the chemo journey and I've had so many messages from people saying I'm having chemo or I'm going through this or I've lost a parent or whatever it is and I just, God I love you all and I can't tell you how appreciative I am of this community at the moment because I feel very, very loved and looked after and I can feel all these virtual arms around me. You're all amazing, my dad's amazing, I love my sister, God I said it last week, God I couldn't love her more and my mum she's an absolute trooper. So anyway that's my update. So therefore Renault update is that it's sort of slightly grand to a halt. My garage is, yeah, I keep trying to get the scope of works

done for my garage, which scope of works basically is what you want to do to produce for your contractor. Cause you don't just want to be like, yeah, here's the garage, have a walk around. It's going to have a bit of this and this. You've got to produce a scope of works to let them know exactly what's going where so they can give you a price. Haven't even had a price back for my garage yet.

So I don't want to start until I have it all firmed up and then we can get going. Got it. So sorry not very exciting. Don't apologise, life gets in the way. But from your Renault journey obviously like you are so nearly there come on. Today's the last day the builders leave today. Still needs painting and I don't have any furniture but but the builders are gone there are no more men walking into my house at 7.30 in the morning you're gonna miss them you're gonna miss them I'm not sure I will I love them no I guess I'll miss them they just the best builders ever I am actually gonna share their details cuz they're fab they were

a lovely bunch I'd say nice guys I need to come around and see sort of now that they've left. And the dust is... Yes you do, and you can sort of cast your scathing eye on my old furniture and be like, that's gotta go. Oh, I've already done that. Pop that one on eBay. The turquoise clashes with the house night color scheme. I know the turquoise upsets me more than anything,

but I refuse to buy a cheap sofa. It has to be a good sofa. So I'm just... Good girl. So she's learning. Slowly good sofa. So I'm just slowly, slowly catching the sofa monkey. Sofa monkey. Sorry. Catching the sofa monkey. Easy for you to say. Right, enough.

We've got so many questions because we missed a week. Oh my God, we did. Okay. I've got a question from Rosa. She is asking, how high should panelling be on a wall? I mean, it's dependent. This is, it's a little bit like how long is a piece of string this one? Because we're talking about like, you know, your living room, for example, how you got to think about it is if you want to go say three quarter

height panelling, panelling because of exactly exactly like we always talk about with clothes, if you have stripes that run up it's gonna make you look taller and thinner, if you have stripes that run across it's gonna make you wider and you know wider and therefore if you have stripes that run up the wall, if you were to suddenly chop them off and make them three quarter height you're gonna bring the ceiling down and make the room feel shorter oh so it depends what you're trying to achieve if you want to make your room feel lovely and high and push the ceiling away then you want to take the paneling all the way up to the ceiling yeah you see but obviously it depends

also on the type of paneling that you're using so I'm presuming if she's talking about where to well if she's asking how high, pal, she's not talking about full height. She might even be talking about sort of more like a sort of dado height panelling, which is a pretty standard height. That's what I'm thinking she's asking about. That would be that's how I interpreted it. OK, so we want to consider with panelling, you've got to consider your room's proportions.

So if you've got mega high ceilings, usually a dado paneling, dado height paneling, which is that lovely sort of shaker style or molded paneling that sits below dado. It's gonna be anywhere from 900 millimeters up to 1200 millimeters. So 90 centimeters, 1.2 meters. The shorter the room, the shorter the ceiling in your room,

the shorter you can go with your dado. So you've got to slightly consider the room's proportions and aesthetics. So for rooms with higher ceilings, the dado rail can be up to one third of the wall height. Okay? So if you're replacing old rails, obviously match the existing height. But you also want to consider, say if you also want to consider say if you've got another consideration is say you've got a sofa in your living room and it's a small living room and you're putting in half height dado you don't want to stick the dado just so that it's literally

hitting the back of the sofa so that you don't see it so in that instance i might actually raise the dado height up a little bit so at least you get sort of five centimeters of day-to-day Petrified about a peeking above. Yes And is there a rule of sort of like something that looks bad? For example, would you ever do half height so exactly half the height of the room of paneling or does that look no? No, it would look totally wrong. It would look like it would look like you were wearing a pair of trousers up around your sort of under your boobs Like you know any sort of like real like Simon Cowell it would look a bit like a Simon Cowell needs to be more like a third Yes, you want to

Divide the wall height. Yeah Divide the wall height by five and then double the result. Oh I love that. We love a formula. I love a formula so that's pretty much what you're gonna get but I do think you've also got to take it also just draw a pencil line around the room or sort of you know stick some masking tape away you think it's gonna be take a stand back and have a look at it you'll feel the proportions look right or wrong but yes there, there you go. Okay, my darling, I'm going to run outside to the garden to see you. With my green tea, I've got one here from Aoife. Hi, Pollyanna and Jojo. I have a question for Pollyanna. I will probably have lots more for both of you. Oh,

good. I finally now have a garden after making do with a small balcony and many, many indoor plants for years. I can't wait to get stuck in and have pre-ordered your book to help me. But I was wondering if you had a list of a must have starter kit of equipment and tools that a new gardener should have please. And if so, if you have any recommendations of brands for these also please.

Thank you so much, Aoife, kiss. Oh, love this, love this. You like gardening starter kits. Okay, here's what I would have. First up, we need some really good secateurs because we all love a prune. So obviously I'm gonna say newacchi because you know we love newacchi.

So I would get some newacchi secateurs and then you're going to need a really good spade. In fact, you could have two spades because there's different types of spade. You've got like the square ones, like a border spade. In fact you could have two spades because there's different types of spade. You've got like the square ones like a border spade. What's that awesome little Nowakki gold one? The golden spade. I mean that's my fave and then so I love that and that comes in two sizes and I like they've got one which is quite it's like a stubby spade it's

called the small and I love that because it's kind of like a giant trowel. So that's what I use if I'm putting new plants in or just having a little scruffle around. But then also you'll need a bigger spade. So just your regular border spade, so that's that. You're gonna need a rake. Now I enjoy a plastic or rubbery rake because the metal ones are gonna sort of-

A rubbery rake. because the metal ones are going to sort of... A rubbery rake. A rubbery rake. Because then you can, that's for like scraping up leaves, but if you've got a gravel pathway or whatever, the rubbery one again, it helps sort of get rid of, you can sort of move earth and leaves more easily. So a good old rake. Pruning saw, again, would be really good. There's a good brand, I mean, New Acre do great ones, but there's one called Silky.

Is that like a little thing? Yeah, it's like folding. So it folds. Oh, I know what you mean. They're quite satisfying those, aren't they? They're incredibly satisfying. And you can saw little arms off things and branches of things. You've got it, pal. Yeah, they're really satisfying. Exactly. So a cleaning saw would be lovely. Obviously a trowel. Everyone needs a trowel

in their life. Probably several, because if you're anything like me, you'll lose them in the border and then find them. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, I think that's a good point.

Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, I think that's a good point. Yeah, lovely. Obviously a trowel. Everyone needs a trowel in their life. Probably several, because if you're anything like me, you'll lose them in the border and then find them a year later. Oh, nice bit of string. I put that in your kit as well. Nutsene, N-U-T-S-C-E-N-E. They do beautiful, like colorful strings.

Not seen. I always end up just buying the regular beige one, because I don't actually want a purple string in my garden, but they are pretty. This is really fun. I feel like we, I feel like I just want to go on and on and on about this cause I feel like there's so many cool things. Oh I know like garden shopping. There's nothing better. Nothing better.

That'll get you started. Right back inside. I have a question from Emily who says, I have a window question. We're looking at replacing our windows in our older brick cottage 19th century sort of age. We've said no to the fake glazing bars embedded in double glazing, but now wondering about going for black rather than white frames. What do you think? This is a good one. This is a really good question and I love windows. I just think windows are so important in a house

because they- They're the eyes to the soul. Yeah. Well, they actually are picture frames to your beautiful gardens because- I prefer yours, yeah. So not only if you're looking at the house they have to work, they have to look like they belong on that house. I sort of talk about it like mascara, like if

you're opening up the window and what you're using as your frame is so important to get right. So you're talking about this being a cottage and therefore it's slightly scaring me the thought of a black window frame. Now you can have a double sided colour. So you could have it a particular colour on the outside and then you go inside and you could have it say black or dark or whatever you want to paint it. It is much more expensive to do that. It does cost more,'t it? I learned that one. It does cost more, you learned that one as well. I had to abandon that idea. This is why in most cases a lot of people will choose a really nice

versatile white that you can use on both sides because it will go with anything. Now having a black window will create a really stark difference between the black frame and what's going on inside. So if you have very light walls and it's sort of bright inside, you're creating a really strong visual impact. So that's the first thing. They are, black windows do tend to give off a slightly modern aesthetic.

Even in an old house, if you have black windows, it does create quite a sort of contemporary architectural feeling. But as I said, black frames almost act like a picture frame. So they sort of highlight your view outside. So in that sense, a black window, you almost don't see it as much. Whereas a white window, for some reason, when you're in a room and you're looking at white windows, you see them more.

Whereas when they're black, they almost actually blend. They create like a picture frame effect. I think purely based on the style of the house that you're talking about It doesn't sound like it's gonna work with your With the architecture of your house, so I would think carefully about doing it. So Jojo says no It's feeling like a no from me on on the style I mean if you said it was a if you said it was sort of a Georgian or Victorian or and it had big high windows I don't know But I think it's sounding like they're quite small windows and

therefore I just don't know if that's gonna be a wise decision. I think you might make it feel a little bit cold. You know when you're in the Cotswolds and you see the windows that are kind of green? Like a sage green. Sage green. It literally is a Cotswold green. It's beautiful. Isn't that heaven? It's lovely. She was saying what about the the thingamabobs in the middle? The glazing bars. Yes thank you. What about them? Those are literally what divide up your window. She was saying she wasn't sure if she wanted them. Do you want them?

I presume you do. Again I'd have to see the picture of the window because it depends on the size. You tend to have a glazing bar even if it's on cottage casement windows so if it's a quite a small window you'd still tend to have one glazing bar across even if it's on cottage casement windows, so if it's quite a small window, you'd still tend to have one glazing bar across it. Again, it just creates a sort of feeling of interest and otherwise I think they can feel a bit empty, a bit bare. I think when it doesn't, I've seen so many times cottages or houses that don't just have a plain window without the glazing bar and it just doesn't create enough interest for me. I think it needs, I think most of the time it needs it. So in other words go for a cream with a glazing bar.

I would say go for more of a cream. Yeah I would say so. A sort of, yeah a couple of shades darker than your white white. Yeah okay. I've got one here from Nikki. Nikki's asking what patio flooring with internal dry biscuit flooring, Chauncey's. I love dry, Chauncey's, yes please and thank you. So what patio flooring with internal dry biscuit flooring? For anyone that doesn't know what that means, Chauncey's are the best wood flooring supplier ever. As you know, we have our own wood flooring range with them.

Polly now has it in their house. Dry biscuit is a color. We've got butter toast is Toast is our range, but Dry Biscuit is another one of their ranges, which is beautiful and very oaky, lovely colour. So Polly, over to you. What would you say to go with this very exactly as it sounds like a Dry Biscuit oak? So is it a paler version than Butter Toast? No, I'd say it's probably the other way, slightly less pale. Okay, fine. Right, so I mean, any of those sort of oaky floor colors we would describe as buff, that would be our sort of use of language for outside.

So as a no brainer, we're gonna be going with something with a buff or yellow tone outside. You're gonna avoid grays because there's something about gray and yellow, which I just, is not the one. So I don't know what aspect your garden is, but you could consider a York stone. So we absolutely love a York stone.

If you've got sort of older property, period property, then we'd reach for that. And you could have it either sawn, which means smooth, which gives a kind of more contemporary look, or you could go for riven, which is when it's bumpy, which is a bit more oldie worldie, you kind of expect to find that at sort of stately homes. So it does depend on your house. So I would go Yorkstone if you've got an older house. If you've got a more modern house,

I would probably lean more towards a limestone, a buff limestone with sort of beige tones. Try and avoid the really pale limestones. I went to a stonemason last week on a really beautiful sunny day, and this is sunny day in February, Jojo, and they had the slabs of stone, and it was fascinating to see it

because they had so many different limestones, but the pale ones, which like behind me in the studio, which look lovely inside, I saw in large format outside and they just were blinding. So actually you're trying to find the darkest limestone you can for outside so that it's, when it's sunny you're not blinding yourself. It's actually really worth going to any of those stone, you're going to one of those stone yards, they're great aren't they, because you can see it all what it

actually looks like down. It's a big decision. It's brilliant, it's brilliant yes and obviously if you're working with the designer they'll sort this for you and they'll promise you which is the best one but for me I would go with a really nice fossil-y limestone as well because there's limestones which are really quite smooth and sort of monotone and then you've got other ones which you've got bits of shell and fossils in. And I love the soul. I love those ones where you're like, ah, there's a fossil. And actually, JJ, what I thought was really cool is I saw a dinosaur footprint in one the other day. No, no, it's not real though. Yes. No, it can't be. Yes. I'll share

a picture. Of course not. It was. Of course not. Yes. No. Yes. Come on. For real. Course not. It was. Course not. Yes. No. Yes. Come on. For reals. Stop it. I will not. Reals.

Okay, well that, we need a photo of that. Can you share that on the, share that for our in-ears and out-ears please? Yeah, you know it. I will. I've just got a final question for both of us, which I think is quite a fun one to answer. Okay. And this is from Sandy. She says, is being an interior designer or a garden designer a desk job and how much

time are you off your screen? Fucking hell. No, I'd say let's do a percentage, shall we? I'm going to say it's well, so here's the thing. I'm going to speak for myself as an interior designer, actually. So I would say the very start of the project, once you've established the brief, is quite desk orientated because you are literally doing technical drawings, sourcing, procuring schedules, a lot of calls, supplier calls, like, you know, that sort of estimates and budgets and contracts and

that stuff. When it gets on site, when you're suddenly sort of estimates and budgets and contracts and that stuff. When it gets on site, when you're suddenly on building sites and you're needed to be there every week and you're with contractors and you're having to go outsourcing, physically sourcing things, then it becomes not much desk at all. So I would say I'm going to split it right down the middle and say 50-50. Would you say that was true of your team as well? Because obviously, as you, the head of the business, you have to be out and about more for your team. I'm out and about, but not more. What would you describe as?

I'd still say it's 50-50. I think at the moment, we've got, well, what have we got on the table? We've got about 12 projects on the go at the moment. I'd say we're pretty strapped to our desks. They are, because they're the ones that are, you know, doing all the really important technical drawings and delivering all that stuff.

So we are very much desk heavy at the moment, but then I would say then it quickly moves onto being on sites and they are there as well. Most days, most days we're on sites. Whereas I would say for garden design, it's 80% desk job. It is the irony of people thinking we spend a lot of time in gardens. We spend nearly all of it in the design phase and then that 20% is when we are sourcing trees, sourcing plants or setting out plants or doing site visits. Now I am at a computer less than my team

because obviously I'm out and about winning work or meeting new clients or just generally running a business. But yeah, it is a massively desk heavy job. No way around it. It is very desk heavy. Or what did we discuss yesterday when we weren't feeling very well or lying on the bed with laptop on lap. So not necessarily desk lap lap heavy yes just computer heavy it's also very computer heavy well that's enough of that which leaves us to say what is in and what is out you are not going to believe it and I am over the moon what skinny jeans are back in don't yes skinny jeans are back in. Don't. Yes. Skinny jeans are back baby and I am thrilled about it.

I'm not thrilled about the fact that none of my skinny jeans fit me anymore but you know what, somebody's just got to let it go. I love a skinny jean with a biker boot. I don't know that I am pleased about because I do enjoy it. With a big old jumper or a big baggy t-shirt just looks absolutely banging. I love that look. You know I just love that. I think it does look better but I love them on jean but they just aren't you know I don't know I just love a skinny I know you don't. What's what's in for you? What's in for me? Oh do you know what do you know what Valentine's Day means now that it's just gone? Now we have more than 10 hours of sunlight a day. Oh, that's delicious, isn't it? Which is delish, which means that now, if you want to,

you don't have to, you can still wait till March, you can start sowing seeds now and they're probably gonna have enough light. So in for me, light levels. Seeds are in. Okay, light levels. Okay, so what's out? I'll tell you what's out, is brown nails.

I have, I don't like them and I'm gonna get them off and go back to red. No. Yeah. Okay Well, it was a good experiment, wasn't it? Yeah, that's a bit. I know that's lame guys, but I just don't think they see me I don't like my hands. I don't think I have very nice hands I'm not sure it's the best colour for you. I don't want to draw attention to my hands Well, we know they're not after I have my colour thing done and I was told that it's not a good colour on me but I just I rebelled. Whereas me as an autumn I just rock a brown nail. You rock a brown nail. I'll try it but although to be honest I absolutely savaged my nails on a you know when you get them done properly like a shellac and it just ruined them. So my nails are having a break.

Well, interestingly, you know that you can either have, because I really like quite long nails, but there's colors that you get that you should have short nails with. So apparently you shouldn't have really long red nails. You have like little short red nails. Yeah, okay, no, I see that. Yeah, otherwise it's a bit talony.

Yeah, so out is my brown nails. Which leaves me to say, don't forget to like, subscribe and review. I have noticed there's been some new reviews. She's watching. School mom is watching. Yes. Thank you, reviewers. Thank you.

I actually am so flattered that you take the time to actually go and review. And we do read them and they're really lovely. So thank you so bloody much. But that's enough of that it's enough! Right go away I've got work to do. Let's go and celebrate Valentine's Day and yes all right. I'm going to pop her up. Bye my darling I love you big snogs.

Bye bye. Love you all goodbye.