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\nAfter another really long day in the garden planting out the water feature that Colin has now completed and a hanging basket, all with my QVC Summer blooms collection, I seem to have spent half the night going over and over things that really don\u2019t matter at all!\u00a0 I am a notoriously bad sleeper \u2013 my hot flushes purgatory on a warmer night \u2013 but I can\u2019t imagine I\u2019m very different to many of you.\u00a0 It was a relief to have the slight easing of restrictions but I know for many of us, it\u2019s not really made that much of a difference.\u00a0 Trying to stay positive and motivated is difficult, but I had to smile at some of the headlines I\u2019ve found online: \u2018Is now the time to consider buying a second home?\u2019; \u00a0\u2018How to secure a new role and get a pay rise in lockdown\u2019 and excitingly, \u2018Thinking of cutting your own hair?\u00a0 Do not do it until you read our \u201chow to\u201d guide\u2019!\u00a0 Well that last bit of advice was a week late for me, and having attacked my rather stylish cut with a pair of nail scissors I was really pleased to have so many folk say it looked good!<\/p>\n\n
I\u2019m not going to touch the colour \u00a0\u2013 although I do look a little like a badger up close \u2013 but I\u2019ve decided to make do with Philip Kingsley\u2019s One More Day Dry Shampoo<\/a> to lighten it a bit \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Trying to keep my nails at a reasonable length and my cuticles smooth, is proving to be a challenge. \u00a0I didn\u2019t realise how difficult it is to get a good shape on the nail, although using my Crystal Nail File<\/a> definitely helps.\u00a0 I\u2019ve started using Margaret Dabb\u2019s Nail & Cuticle Serum<\/a> for my feet and hands and am currently using Nail Envy Samoan Sand<\/a>, but with all the gardening I am finding I need to repaint for work each time.\u00a0 That said, my hand to eye co-ordination has definitely improved. \ud83d\ude42 Talking of gardening, my huge scented lilies have finally surfaced, and the beautiful rose that Kathy Tayler bought me for my birthday has bloomed!\u00a0 Have a look at the label \u2013 how kind and thoughtful of Kathy.<\/p>\n Thanks so much for writing to me, and keeping in touch.\u00a0 It really does make me feel less isolated when I read about how you\u2019re getting on.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s been tough for many and for a myriad of reasons, but I hope that Jo Downey is doing OK?\u00a0 I \u00a0realised having answered your comments that not everyone in England, Wales and Scotland is getting the sunshine!\u00a0 Forgive me, I rarely watch the TV news and weather now, and hadn\u2019t realized.\u00a0 I hope that things will warm up for you very soon, and you\u2019ll get a sense of the summer.\u00a0 \u00a0We\u2019ve had a few BBQ\u2019s over the last few weeks, and I was so pleased to see my son Jack the week before last, and Sam on Sunday.\u00a0 Very hard not to hug them, but we were easily able to stay apart and it was so good to physically see them after all this time.\u00a0 There was a lovely story in the news last week about a hugging curtain.\u00a0 It was basically a large sheet of plastic with two sets of armholes in it so that people could actually physically hold onto each other, while wearing a mask obviously. A dear old soul was able to hug her son and I found it really emotional to watch.\u00a0 I wish I could get my hands on one with small armholes so I could hug Honey\u2026 We\u2019re still keeping up with our drawing games, and have had a lot of fun with a memory game.\u00a0 Honey loads a tray with objects and then one by one she removes them and I have to guess what she\u2019s taken.\u00a0 I am SHOCKINGLY bad at it, but it makes us both laugh.<\/p>\n I had every intention of sorting out my summer clothes this year, as I don\u2019t tend to get rid of things, I just add the occasional new dress or pair of shorts to my wardrobe! I realised that I\u2019m also bad at keeping old flip flops and Birkenstocks – so I am very excited to see that next Tuesday\u2019s Today’s Special Value from Moda in Pelle<\/a> is a fabulous pair of wedges with a peep toe and sling back (item number 183525).\u00a0 They\u2019ve been made especially for QVC and come in five different colour options.\u00a0 There are two snake prints \u2013 one blue, and one metallic \u2013 and the premium quality leather for these has been sourced from a luxury Italian tannery.\u00a0 There are two suede finishes in a soft blue and a fuschia pink, and one polished leather in a nude tone. They have a four-inch wedge but the platform is at least an inch so that you don\u2019t feel as though you\u2019re pitching forwards when you walk in them.\u00a0 The wedge itself is covered in an off white woven fabric and you can see the beautiful embellishments not just on the buckle but around the base of the shoe too.\u00a0 What I\u2019m really impressed with is the shaping around the toe, so that you don\u2019t see too much of your toes!\u00a0 No chance of a pedicure at the moment, and so that\u2019s probably for the best in my case.\u00a0 I\u2019ve gone for the nude because I think it will work with anything, but what about you?<\/p>\n Something else I\u2019m equally excited about, but for different reasons, is a 15-piece Lock and Lock<\/a> Airtight Food Storage set (809557).\u00a0 \u00a0I\u2019m trying not to visit the shops that often, and so keeping fruit and vegetables in my Lock & Lock containers has really kept them fresher for longer.\u00a0 But they\u2019re great for freezing extra portions of food too \u2013 in fact anything you want to keep safe and watertight, you can put in them!\u00a0 It\u2019s going to be under \u00a320 for the set, so that\u2019s definitely on my shopping list.<\/p>\n From the practical to pretty and perfectly made jewellery \u2013 yes, Diamonique<\/a> is back on Sunday with a full hour of Michelle Mone\u2019s<\/a> own big, bold and original designs.\u00a0 Michelle won\u2019t be able to make it in but I am going to be joined at 6pm by Lee Clarke, who is as passionate as I am about the designs.\u00a0 Lovely Caroline Archer, our Liz Earle Ambassador will be with us that day because she has a four-piece Brighten & Boost Superskin Facial Collection<\/a> with four EZ pays!\u00a0 Perfect for the summer and at an incredible price.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be available to buy now on our website (240150) prior to the day though, so do have a look at QVCUK.com<\/a>.\u00a0I\u2019m then on at 8pm on Tuesday as always with my regular Diamonique show.<\/p>\n Well, I must head off into the kitchen now as it\u2019s Colin\u2019s birthday on Saturday and I am planning to make him some shortbread biscuits and also a cake!\u00a0 I\u2019ve been ordering gifts for him online, so he has a few things to open, but like so many, families, we\u2019ll be celebrating properly once life is closer to normal.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be recording this week\u2019s short story for Ali\u2019s Story Time this Saturday and it will be posted on my Alison Keenan QVC Facebook page<\/a> and also on Instagram<\/a>. I’m so glad you are enjoying the stories and taking the time to comment and share them.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great way to feel connected.\u00a0 And thank you very much also for the overwhelming response to the children\u2019s story my daughter Lucy introduced me to which I read and she dropped the illustrations in for.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0You can find it here<\/a> (along with all the other short stories I\u2019ve read on YouTube) and if you have small children or grandchildren in your family this is a lovely way to remind them that even though you can\u2019t physically be with them, you are always joined together.\u00a0 It\u2019s called The Invisible String\u2026. Good for adults too \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Take care, stay safe, and do stay in touch.\u00a0 Thinking of you.<\/p>\n With my love,<\/p>\n Ali xxx<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After another really long day in the garden planting out the water feature that Colin has now completed and a hanging basket, all with my QVC Summer blooms collection, I seem to have spent half the night going over and over things that really don\u2019t matter at all!\u00a0 I am a notoriously bad sleeper \u2013 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":96982,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[251,21],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/stories.qvcuk.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Image-3-scaled.jpg\")
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