Hen do fun and sneaky peeks!

It’s many years since I went on a hen weekend! My niece Chloe is getting married in July, and it was a pleasure to go to visit mad dogs and vintage vans in Gloucestershire, surrounded by quirky little caravans (although fortunately we were in a separate barn conversion!)

The first day was over 30° outside! So, perfectly balmy for an evening around the campfire! There were lots of games, quizzes, lovely meals, courtesy of the venue, and entertainment – including a life drawing class! I won a prize for this one!

I did a Vlog whilst I was there, on day two when we all dressed up in camouflage gear, and had team games galore including egg and spoon, sat Grace, three legged race et cetera!

Mum who is 80 next year joined in. And what did she look like? Before you see the picture below, why don’t you have a little think about what you can picture her looking like? Well, I bet you didn’t picture this…miniskirt and everything! She is a one off!

It was an absolutely full-on weekend but I loved spending time with my gorgeous daughter and family and seeing them all enjoy themselves so much. So different for mothers like Lolly who are breastfeeding and are used to being stay-at-home mummies : Devon niece Jodie too, who was also in attendance, as she is Chloe’s sister. Their mum Nicky did everyone proud, as did the other super organisers Farnoush, Fay and the bridesmaid and in-law posse! I’m off for the wedding weekend as well as Lauren is bringing the babies down – can’t wait to see them! It will be six weeks, which is just too long. Eventually, when my Devon place is sold, I aim to spend more time in Wales seeing them grow up.

Snippets

Roses grow on you…

On one of the hot days this week, I went back to water the plants we put in recently at my dad’s grave and just look how the roses have come on! Amazing how beautiful they are. I took a few back to put in a vase. Bootiful!!

Keith’s turtle mug

Many of you will know that I regularly do a Facebook live every Thursday evening on my page, (#thursdaybantz) and one of the regulars is called Keith Parker who runs Turtle Paradise rehoming service on the south coast, rescuing turtles on a regular basis. Well, his friend hand-painted a mug and it arrived through the post at QVC courtesy of kind Keith. We love hearing his news every week about the latest additions and some of the videos on his Facebook page are fascinating! My pens are now pride of place in the mug, on my dressing table!

Caring carers

On a different note, I helped mum and her partner out this week because their friend Dennis needed a little caring. Usually mum and David go there every day, in his place near Box Hill, but I stepped in to help. I took my Bissell handheld carpet cleaner, remember those? Did some stain removal. Did a bit of weeding in the garden, and made sure he was okay. When I left I set out some cheese and ham sandwiches ready for the meals in between the carers’ four visits. It really is a sobering experience, bless his heart. He is 94. Would be lovely to reach that age for all of us, wouldn’t it? What a life he has led and the changes he has seen. I am also on watering duty on my mum’s balcony, even more populated by plants than mine! I will have my work cut out for the next week until they come back that’s for sure! good job I enjoy it 🙂 .

Watch

The Staircase. Well it’s Colin Firth and Toni Collette so what’s not to like! Based on a true story (there’s a documentary about it on Netflix), what really happened the night the wife fell down the stairs? Who was really to blame? Colin Firth is just such an amazing actor and excels in this docudrama, as a famous American author and ex-marine with dark secrets, hauled through the public eye during his trial. Catch if you can!

Meanwhile, I can’t wait to see Elvis at the cinema!

Blooper

You’ve got to check out Miceal’s ‘birthday dance’ video on his Instagram this week! Hilarious!

Podcast

This week, Will caught up with beauty expert Alison Young to find out more about QVC’s June Beauty month celebrations. Next week he’ll be speaking to the founder and CEO of Sea Magik, Kate Bunyan, about the history of spas, their product formulations, and about working with family! You can listen to all the Inside Q podcasts here.

Book

Well, I have been rattling through the Ruth Galloway series, by Elly Griffiths! I’m now on book four! It’s a great romp – along the lines of an Agatha Christie, if truth be known – except with a modern day twist, but always with a historical foundation (obviously, because Ruth is an archaeologist!) There are 15 or more of these novels, so I promise not to bore you every week with them, but so far I am loving spending time with the characters. I’ve just finished ‘The House at Sea’s End’, and I’m now on ‘A Roomful of Bones’. All based in Norfolk, with some recurring themes (including a few political snipes I overlook!), the development of the characters’ relationships is really promising:  an illegitimate love child , great subsidiary characters and dynamic new subplots with every book. I don’t want to give too much away because there’s still time to go back and start at book one if you want!

I had a chat with three lovely customers on a Zoom meeting this week (okay, it was Teams but it’s like Zoom), and one of them said that each week she likes to see what I’m reading via my blog – although she told me some of them are highbrow! I was shocked – and complimented –  in the same measure! Vast majority of my recommendations are definitely not literary fiction or anything, although I do have a few non-fiction thrown in every now and then :-). Mostly I just lap up commercial fiction, crime fiction, ChickLit, fantasy, and romance! What do you read most of?

Meanwhile, I have just bought an audiobook, the latest from C.L.Taylor, called ‘The Guilty Couple’. I do like her books very much and she used to visit us at Retreats For You in Devon! She is a very talented writer! Looking forward to getting stuck into it at some point soon. They are usually standalone books rather than being written in consecutive tales, so if you don’t want to start one that is part of a series, try this one!

QVC top deals for the next seven days

Friday (today) – go here to see and buy what’s left of the delightful JM by Julien Macdonald set of two tall lotus flower candle holders. Had a big sale day all day long! I’m looking forward to my 9pm show launching…

Saturday – …an amazing Sealy mattress. It’s the response gel and memory sense deep pillow top mattress. Really affordable. GelTex and memory sense give you two layers of comfort in Sealy’s advantage gel memory pillowtop mattress. Five Easy Pays, you’ll find it online now, don’t miss it! Hopefully the stocks last for my final airing at 10pm, after the 9pm launch of…

Sunday –…a fab new TV, the Hisense A7200 GTUK Roku smart 4K 50″ LED Freeview TV – you won’t believe the price! Please join me if you can and remember we will come and get it if you’re not completely happy with it.

Big deals are available on air for usually a week, they may be longer online if stocks last. New ones every Sunday night!

Hairfix 2-Piece Follicle Max Advance Volume Collection
Aimee Kestenberg All or Nothing Multi Compartment Crossbody Bag
Cook’s Essentials 12-Piece Terracotta Swirl Melamine Dinnerware Set
Bosch Series 2 700W Stand Mixer
Monsoon Pure Linen Longline Rosewood Top
Ultrasun 3-Piece SPF 50 Collection
Denim & Co Printed Slub Sweater

Go here to see and shop them all

And here are the new Big Deals launching on Sunday 26th at midnight:

Finery London Kira Multi Spot Print Tiered Midi Dress
SBC 3-Piece Resurfacing Acids Face & Body Collection;
Easiyo 10-Piece Yoghurt Selection
KochBlume Set of 10 Assorted Extra Absorbent Microfibre Cloth

Now back to the Today’s Special Values for the rest of the week:

Monday – Dannii Minogue brings us her embroidered jersey fluted sleeve top in different lengths as usual, going on sale early, click here to see and buy the Regular design and click here for the Petite design. And I’m looking forward to launching at 9pm, the…

Tuesday – …This Works Deep Sleep Bedtime Collection. There are some things that we  presenters choose to use all the time and This Works nighttime sleep spray is one of mine. I love the new balm that goes with it in this new Today’s Special Value! And always the best way to stock up. We don’t see TSVs from them very often, so get it while you can!

Wednesday – it’s another beautiful lantern dress from Marla Wynne in her famous jersey, looking forward to seeing this one.

Thursday – Haircare time with Philip Kingsley‘s Rose and Lychee three-piece hair collection, another good stocking up opportunity. And there is yet another one with…

Friday – …the Imedeen Prime Renewal 50+ four-months supply. Makes a massive difference, this marine collagen ingredient, in a supplement that is tried and tested and available on the High Street, but we have the best prices, in my opinion! Catch it on Friday. And I’m looking forward to launching at 9pm, the…

Friday 9 pm – …L’Occitane five-piece Almond Benefits collection! Going on sale mid-week! And believe it or not I’m also doing the next two launches after that as well!

Next week – Celebrating the nieces’ end of their exams, out with my pal Gill on the riverbank, and a massive self publishing event in London! Busy busy!

Best wishes,

Debs

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