Plus the usual sneaky peeks of the week ahead on QVC, of course!
But first, on Sunday it was time for the medical detection dogs fundraiser / belated 60th birthday treat for me. We had an afternoon tea event, and we raised about £300 via a visit to Dotty’s Teahouse in Carshalton, one of my favourite places to be. Everyone put themselves in for a delicious full afternoon tea and we had a little raffle and an auction – for a day at the Milton Keynes headquarters of Medical Detection Dogs, who help fund dogs who help humans. Whether diabetes detection, assistance dogs, Covid detection dogs or prostate cancer detection, the clever canines use the powers of smell to help human lives be better. So I’m proud to be an ambassador for them!
Had a lovely time with all of these wonderful people, and thanks to them, and others including Margaret and Lisa who came down from Liverpool, and obviously Fraser who came down from Scotland (if you’re a regular to my Facebook #Thursdaybantz, you’ll know why I say ‘obviously Fraser’!) Plus a group of mum’s friends meant it was a very successful day. Thanks to everyone involved. So nice to see my friend Denise from school as well, she’s in the middle at the top of the montage. I love Denise so much, whenever we speak it’s like no time has gone by! Hope to do another one at some stage. And I will take the winner of the auction, (Fraser) and a couple of others who bid afterwards, to the medical detection dogs site visit on March 7 in Milton Keynes followed by lunch on me! (Email me via info@(this website), if you want to find out more about how you could come too, at some point).
Thank you everybody from the bottom of my heart!
One of the clever dogs was featured recently in chat magazine, here is the post about it, and you can click through to the link (see it here) to find out more 🙂
It was a super busy day because late morning, my son Brad bought his two around for a visit. I love my mum, they call her ‘gran-nan’, (she now has 19 great grandchildren!) Especially Blake who gave her the biggest cuddle. Little Kaleb played “putting it in and taking it out again“ with the child’s tea set pieces, much to Blakes’s disgust, as she was trying to “feed the dollies”. Then they left and it was off to the afternoon tea and then on to work! No rest for the wicked :-). But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I didn’t have too much to eat at the afternoon tea because I was making a concerted effort in the countdown to my Tuesday appointment for my annual visit to the Nuffield…
SNIPPETS
Nuffield Showdown…
… I mean, health check! LOL. But it felt like a showdown. So what normally happens every year to my annual assessment, is that I go in full of dread thinking ‘oh no, what is it going to be this time?!’ But this year I’ve got myself back on track, as you know if you are a regular. Having lost a stone at the health retreat in the summer, I’ve kept it off and got much healthier. I’ve continued to do my swimming and other activities, which means I’m now another three pounds lighter since the summer. I even got on this bike for a bit of a VO2 Max test but without the max LOL. If you subscribe to my newsletter and got it earlier today, you’ll see the exclusive for subscribers – a photograph of the readout of some of my measurements. It’s one of the healthiest I’ve had yet! Anyway, sister Linda came with me and we both came out with shining colours. Roll on next year. I wonder if I will have lost another stone by then…
Anniversary Top – Update
Also happening next year, is something very special in the QVC Fashion department. This week I had another meeting with the design team to talk about the top I’m designing that will be produced to commemorate QVC’s 30th anniversary. Three of the others are all doing designs as well, which is lovely. One little secret about mine… It will feature a bee somewhere! It’s not going to be out till late next summer, so I will keep you informed with little teasers along the way. This is how far in advance they have to work though! We are looking at fabrics and seams and shoulder designs and hemlines and where to put pockets et cetera, it’s very exciting!
Lollipop ‘nose’ (knows!)
It’s not long now till my daughter will be back with her beautiful children staying at mine for a couple of nights and at Brad‘s for a night when we all have our early family Christmas. (Before then I’ve got a week down in Devon, a big winter event to put on and a whole house to tidy up!) I think Lauren will be sleeping a lot when she’s with me, she’s so tired at the moment still, obviously, with the little ones getting up through the night etc, and this photo sums it up I think! Whilst sorting out little Jasper he decided to give her a tweak of the nose! It’s the look on her face that gets me 🙂 I remember those days! Can’t wait to see her again. Went shopping with my sister to Sutton this week and got some nice Christmassy bags and wrapping paper (recyclable, yay!) and festive jimjams for everyone, but also managed to buy a couple of little tiny first baby shoes for this little one as he is not far off walking!
Watch – obviously The Crown is back but I’m going to wait till I’ve watched it all before I post about it! On Netflix, in case anyone hasn’t started watching it yet 🙂 they are up to 1992, the famous annus horribilis…
But I wanted to tell you about ‘Blackbird’, on Apple TV. I mentioned it a while back but I actually started getting into it this week. One of the best actors in Britain at the moment, Taron Egerton, produced it as well as playing the starring role of the banged-up drug dealer given the chance of early release by snitching on a fellow con. It is gritty and really, really gripping. Highly recommended, so don’t miss it!
And as an antidote to all the darkness in that one, I also watched a Christmassy film, it’s such marshmallow/bubblegum fodder for the brain, I can’t even remember what it was called. I must start writing these down! Ok I have checked back and I think it was ‘Journey Back to Christmas’, about a lady from the 1940s who gets accidentally whisked forward to 2016 in a meteor shower, and her effects on a little town in America. It was very pleasant and the main actress was very good, rather than super cheesy which some of these hallmark type films can be! It won’t be my last…
Blooper/Funny
Thought all of you who get lots of deliveries would appreciate this one this week LOL! (I bet there are more than a few who copy and use it! X
Podcast
Since Friday night into Saturday (18/19th) is the new today’s special value, Will talks to one of our most amazing makeup experts, Laura Geller herself, on his next podcast, out Monday about her best-selling makeup range including our award-winner foundation. (Nb I launch the TSV tonight at 9 pm, don’t miss it! See below for more info.
Go here to get the latest ones.
Vlog – Behind the scenes in the QVC presenters’ lounge this week with my regular Thursday night Facebook live chat! Go here to have a catch-up…
Don’t forget to follow my social media for more like this, up-to-date previews of all the best deals, and also feel free to sign up for my newsletter, which comes out every Friday at about 4 o’clock and remind you that the blog is out on this website! Just go to the newsletter section at the bottom of this page and sign up!
Christmas Tree of the Week
This week I’ve got my one out! Mainly because it’s not over-Christmassy, but also because I like the colours! When I was out with my sister, shopping, I bought a couple of extra little ornaments to go on it, one for Blake and one for Phoebe, modelled around Cinderella carriages with lots of sparkle.
Book of the Week – Rylan’s ‘Ten’
Having been on with Rylan and his new range of Luxenoa Interior fragrance items on QVC last week, and discovered how intelligent the lovely guy is, I got the audiobook version of his second autobiography, covering the decade that really changed his life. It opens with some honest & frank confessions about the split from his husband, depression and a new start, and continues through some ups and downs via funny chats with his mum interjecting into the audiobook (they appear together on Gogglebox to great delight), and some really funny anecdotes – and I mean hilarious. I was swimming over at the gym this week whilst listening on my earpiece, smiling away to myself; and everyone that passed me smiled back thinking I was smiling at them! But really I was giggling at the tales from this Essex boy made good, and his amazing career trajectory. Seriously intelligent! And great listening. Don’t sweat the small stuff, was one of the lessons he learned. And it’s been something I have been revisiting lately with a little challenge I’ve had in one of the associations I work with, where one of those people who outwardly seems very welcoming, and easy-going, really just wants to control everything to the nth degree, and I realised this person is more concerned about being in charge and having things happen her way, even if they’re not logical and aren’t to the benefit of anyone other than her own self-satisfaction, no matter how it’s dressed up to her peers. Fortunately I recognise this behaviour clearly now almost like reading a book. And happily, it’s not something I need to put up with. Life is too short. Rylan’s stories are heartfelt, and thought-provoking. Highly recommended!
I also finished ‘The seven Lives of Evelyn Hardcastle’. Now this is one I had also started quite a while ago and could not really get into, but believe me, once the proper story began to unfold (you will know what I mean if you read it), I could not wait to get back to it every day and finished it in short order! Really cleverly written, with some excellent complex twists, it felt a bit Sherlock Holmes-esque with a very satisfying plot. Made me keen to get back to my own writing. I’m never more happy (apart from when I’m with the kids), than when I’ve had a great day writing. That’s why I’m cutting back on so much else that I have allowed to distract me over the last few years. That is what is most important in life!
QVC TOP DEALS FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS
Friday (today) – go to qvcuk.com and search ‘today’s special value’ to see and buy what’s left of the fab duo of SFIXX multi-function torches. Then join me at 9 pm to launch the…
Saturday – … Laura Geller The Gift of Gold collection. It has the most amazing combination of items and I think will be a sell-out in some of the foundation choices quite early, as it is super affordable, so be warned! Don’t miss the launch and get yours early, the eye palette is just superb!
Go see my tweet (here) revealing it all!
Sunday – Already online and being featured a lot in the shows on QVC, the L’Occitane 6pc luxury festive gift collection. Over £111 worth of value, it’s around half price. Superb for sifting and gifting as well! Search for it online on qvcuk.com. Also don’t miss my two-hour grotto show on Sunday, 10 pm, for some very special surprises! X
Big deals ending Sunday night
Go to this section of our website each week to discover the current ones which often end on Sunday nights if there are any stocks left!
Big deals are available on air for usually a week, they may be longer online if stocks last. Occasionally they last a couple of weeks but there are new ones every Sunday night so come back again and see them on the link above.
Next week should include:
– ABC 4pc skin wash favourites collection on main channel
– new centigrade faux sheepskin coat with patch pockets on style channel
– Margaret Dabbs fabulous Christmas nail serum 4pc cracker, on beauty Channel
– Radley skinny leather print strap watch on extra!
Now back to the today’s special values for the rest of the week –
Monday – Kelly Hoppen large porcelain light-up ornaments.
Tuesday – simply beauty, back with a trifold LED compact mirror with three magnifications, great gift idea.
Wednesday – Homeworx by Harry Slatkin and co – this time, a fab 4-wick candle and reed diffuser set, super affordable, should fly out.
Thursday – Badgely Mischka bring us a colour blocks rollneck jumper, and look out for a fantastic black Friday three-hour preview show from nine till midnight with Miceal and Alex!
Black Friday – With many items up to half price, and previewed online since Monday, it’s well worth having a look on qvcuk.com nice and early this week. So on a day full of deals, the best has to be the VAX platinum smart wash pet carpet washer with additional solution, going on sale earlier in the week.
Friday 9 pm – The superb coat I was wearing a couple of times to tease it, just before the weekend (and probably over the weekend as well!) the centigrade faux down long line coat with hood in two different lengths. An incredible price, too. If you need a new coat that ticks all the boxes, this one really does it for me.
Next week – I’m down in Devon for another writers retreat and it’s a full house. Followed by a busy weekend including a big event I’m putting on down there for my association. It’s all go!
Best wishes
Debs