Sunflowers always look happy

I always think of sunflowers as happy flowers, which is why this card from Chris, celebrating QVC’s 28th birthday last Friday, was particularly meaningful. It’s funny to think of those two cards being given to me for the same celebration twenty-eight years apart. My family have always marked the occasion, although this year we were unable to have the usual get together… I’ll explain a little later in this blog.

I showed the original card that Chris and our two children sent me when QVC first broadcast in October 1993 live on-air during my Fashion on Friday show with Glen Campbell. Who could have realised just how prophetic the message inside the card would turn out to be? And how adorable is Daniel and Sophie’s handwriting – they were five and six at the time. I’m pretty sure that mine at that age was nowhere near as good – in fact, it still isn’t!

Mentioning our son, he keeps on dropping mega hints about my beautiful Acer, which we dug up from the garden and replanted in a terracotta pot when we had the extension built on our house. His problem is that I love it too, especially as it starts to turn to the colours of autumn. Spot the sunflowers in the picture too. We have two pots of them outside the home gym at the bottom of the garden and another nearer the house on the decking. I have also been bringing them indoors as cut flowers for months now.

Maybe the happy feeling is as much about the colour as the flowers themselves, which could be the reason that I ordered yellow sofas and at long last they have arrived. They are made by Joules, the clothing brand that we sell on QVC, and I absolutely love them. Notice I have some linen sunflower cushions on the sofas already, but there are some velvet Joules ones set to arrive in a couple of weeks-time.

I also shot them from this angle to catch the shelves that Chris has put up. The brackets wrap around the front edge of old scaffolding planks, which Chris varnished – he’s very clever! Also in the picture above the fireplace is my fabulous JM by Julien Macdonald mirror. I was so sad to miss the launch of his brand-new fashion range on Tuesday, but hopefully I’ll have the chance to work with him on shows in the future – maybe even a Fashion on Friday.

I was also sad to miss the Molton Brown Christmas Today’s Special Value. Well, I say I missed it, but as you can clearly see from this photo, I only missed being on-air with it. I ordered two sets of each of the options, and they arrived on Monday – that’s my Christmas shopping started!

So, as a lot of you already know, I’ve been having problems with my vision for several months now. There was no improvement after my cataract surgery so further investigations were carried out and a different issue was discovered. I will be off QVC for at least the next month following surgery, which I hope will start my journey to better sight – the reason we couldn’t have the annual celebratory get together, as Sophie was struggling with a really bad cold and I couldn’t risk catching it.

I also won’t be doing my weekly Permission to Pry chats on my Instagram for a few weeks, although if you want to see the latest one with Emu Australia guest, Sarah Booker, it is still on my grid and will be moved to join the other thirty (yes, I said thirty) P2P chats under the middle symbol above my grid.

I’m sad to be missing the QVC Countdown to Christmas for the first time in twenty-eight years, but sometimes even I have to accept that my health must come first.

Until I see you next, and hopefully much clearer, enjoy all the fabulous Christmas offers heading your way.

Much love,
Julia xx

48 Responses

  1. Hi Julia
    Thanks for the recent blog. So sorry to hear that you will have to have more treatment for your eyes. I do wish you all the best for its success. We will all miss you though. Take care and stay safe.
    PS love the sofas!

    1. Hi Hazel
      So pleased to hear you love my sofas – so does Wilfie the cat who is currently staying with us for his holiday.
      The surgery went well & seems to have corrected what was wrong with my vision.
      Hoping to be back soon
      Love
      Julia x

  2. Hi Julia you have my heartfelt sympathy. Its only when something goes wrong with our eyes that we realise how much we take them for granted. I had early onset cataracts at 40 and had both eyes operated on. However, my left eye has been giving me a lot of trouble lately and i have developed PVT floaters in that eye that are there constantly and so annoying! I have to keep a look out for any changes in that eye because of the risk of a detached retina. Am so sorry to hear that they have found a further problem with yours and i wish you all the best of luck in hoping that they sort it for you. Fingers crossed and a big hug xx

    1. Hi Karen
      I’m sorry to hear you are having ongoing problems with your eyes.
      Mine was to do with the optic nerve and thankfully the surgery seems to have worked well.
      Just the cataract in my right eye to go now.
      Wishing you all the best with your eye issues
      Love
      Julia x

  3. Hi Julia
    Eyes are very precious, I do hope this issue is solved shortly. I am suffering from long covid at the moment…some days better than others. QVC has been a great comfort whilst I have been.off work. Christmas shopping with QVC is so easy so sit back relax and enjoy. By the way love your yellow sofas. 💛 Take care Julia accept all the help and love given and we will see you soon.

    1. Hi Judith
      Thanks for your lovely message. People have been so incredibly kind and their positivity has really helped me over what has been an anxious time.
      The surgery has been successful in relieving pressure from my optic nerve which was causing the visual impairment, so good news 😊
      Glad you like my sofas – I love them
      Love
      Julia x

  4. Thank you Julia for a lovely blog as usual written with your limited vision but sorry to read you need surgery to improve your sight. Sending all good wishes that it will be successful and you’ll be back on QVC soon. You’ll be missed.

    1. Hi Maureen
      Sorry for the lack of blog last week – planning to write one next week.
      The surgery went well & has relieved pressure on the optic nerve which was causing the problem. Just need to heal & stop feeling so tired and I’ll be back on QVC
      Love
      Julia x

  5. Julia , I hope the surgery goes well. Please please rest afterwards, you are always on the go . As much as we will miss you at qvc we want you better and I’m sure that all your followers feel the same. So take care and rest up .

    1. Hi Donna
      The surgery did go well. You are right, I’m usually on the go but my body is not letting me do too much, so lots of watching TV & gentle walks are the order of the day.
      Hopefully back mid November
      Love
      Julia x

  6. I’m sure that your eye op will go well Julia will be a relief to “get it over with”! your lovely living room will be just the place to recuperate in I’ll miss your lovely cheery self on Q x

    1. Hi Anne
      Thanks for your message – it’s all ‘over with’ now and seems to have been very successful.
      I’ve bought a few new things for the living room whilst I’ve been forced to take things easy – I’ll put a photo on my next blog.
      Love
      Julia x

  7. Dear Julia, sorry to hear this but you sound really positive and that’s half the battle! Wishing you a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing you soon.

    1. Hi Lynne
      To be honest, I wasn’t very positive to start with but thanks to the kindness & support of others I was by the day of the operation. I’m pleased to report it was successful and I’m recovering well
      Love
      Julia x

  8. Hello Julia, l don’t normally leave messages but l have just read your blog and wanted to let you know how sad l am to hear of your health issues. I know your latest problem is one of many and l do hope the eye surgery is successful. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Stay safe .. keep thinking of those sunflowers 🌻 to make you smile and l hope you are back on our screens at QVC very, very soon.

    1. Hello Lynn
      Thanks for sending me a message. I’m pleased to say that the surgery was successful in relieving pressure from my optic nerve which was causing the visual impairment.
      Recovery is better than anticipated in terms of how I’m feeling so just need to heal thoroughly & stop feeling so tired and I will be back at QVC
      Love
      Julia x

  9. Hi Julia, love your new sofas, beautiful colour and looks so comfy. Hope all goes well with your op. Take care love Karen x

  10. Hi Julia,
    Wishing you all the very best for your surgery.
    Please can you tell me the item number of the shirt you are wearing in the the last photo?
    Kind regards,
    Merlin

  11. So sorry to hear of your eye problem not improving fingers crossed and lots of hugs for your recovery. Love your new sofas .look forward to your return to our screens xxxxxx

  12. Sending best wishes. I have my mammogram on Thursday. First one after all my treatment. I can truly say, QVC kept me going through the shielding etc.x

  13. Oj Julia, so sorry you’re having such a miserable time at the moment. Very best wishes for the surgery, fingers crossed that it is successful. I am always optimistic … but have to say that I’m having the worst time of my life at the moment. Here’s hoping that both our issues will be resolved soon. Much love xxx

  14. Hi Julia,
    Take care and good luck with your latest eye surgery, you are so right Julia you must always put your health first we only have one set of eyes.
    You will be missed as always but you will bounce back rember your Gok top I am Strong and you are.
    Much love for a speedy recovery
    Linda xx

  15. Thanks for the update Julia, really enjoy hearing about your life outside QVC.
    Your health must come first yes and do please look after your eyes.
    I ordered the Molton Brown but didn’t receive it, very sad. I live in Ireland and believe it was returned by Customs. Sadly won’t be able to order L’Occ Big Deal this coming week either, 1st world problems, eh.
    Mind yourself and stay safe. Loving the Christmas shows.

    1. Hi Julia, I’ve for a hole in the retina in my left eye, and dry eye which came on last year after the flu jab. The Opthalmologist also said I have the very early start of cataracts. I have drops several times a day. I worry so much about losing my sight. Can’t think of anything worse. I do wonder if the NHS is on top of this to be honest. They’re just inundated with people who have damaged their eyes from all the screen time and working from home.. Including myself. I have more floaters than I did, and my eyesight can be a little cloudy when I first wake up. I do wonder if I should go privately…?? I turn 60 at the weekend and, for the first time, I’m not looking forward to my birthday. I wish you all the best in your recovery, and not sure you’ll see this is you’ve been asked to rest your eyes… Take care x

  16. All the very best to you Julia I love your presenting on all the different shows as you are real about things and there’s a down to earth quality that comes across in your shows. Good luck with your ops and I will look forward to seeing you again when you have recovered, by far the best presenter on QVC x

  17. Sorry to hear your news Julia. Eyes are very precious. Hope your op. goes well.
    Looking forward to seeing you back at QVC, always enjoy your presentations.
    Also loved your latest book. Good luck, Andrea x

  18. Such a special lady……wishing you a speedy recovery. FOF won’t be the same without you (but bet your bottom dollar I’ll still be buying! ). Take care, much love Sue x

  19. Good Luck for a speedy recovery from your surgery. You will be missed on air but your health must come first.
    You are blessed with a loving family and I know they will help to get you through this difficult time.
    Stay safe and I look forward to seeing you when you have fully recovered.

    Josephine x

  20. Biggest hugs lovely lady xxx
    I hope all goes well with the operation , and that you are very soon back to full health
    Much love
    Bev xx

  21. Take care Julie,you’ll soon be sorted and back on our screens,am looking forward to the 3rd Nov Kirks Folly back on QVC xx

  22. Julia, so sorry to hear about your recent surgery, I hope you are resting and recovering now. Look forward to seeing you back on the telly soon and listening to Permission To Pry on Instagram when you are ready for live shows again. x

  23. Hi Julia – so sorry to hear that you need further surgery on your eyes. Fingers crossed it all goes well 🤞and you’ll be back on QVC soon. Take care and best wishes for a full recovery xxx

  24. Hello Julia. I have only just seen your 8 October blog.(I have been sunning myself in Lanzarote for 3 weeks). I, too am having trouble with my vision. I had my cataracts done and since then have had laser treatment on one eye but desperately need it on the other one. I can empathise with you wholeheartedly. We only realise how precious our sight is when we have problems with it. It didn’t stop me reading your latest book though which I thoroughly enjoyed. I hope you will soon be back and functioning at 100%. I missed you today on fashion on Friday! It is not the same without you. Take good care of yourself . Best wishes xx

  25. Hi Julia, glad to that your eye is on the mend , I had a Retinal Artery Occlusion now a life time of hospital appointment love your sofa

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