Wonderful Wednesday #113

{Clear blue almost cloudless skies & a carousel - is there anything prettier?!}
 Good morning, good afternoon or goodnight to YOU!  Depending on of course when you swing by to catch this week's dose of happy.  How are you?  Is your week off to a spectacular start?  Care to share the secret?!  Just joking.  I'm not going to lie.  My Monday was a struggle.  I'd had an unexpected weekend off - which, since i work in retail it's something I'm not really used to!  I used it wisely and got jobs done, this little attic tickled and many a mug of tea drank and extra hours of 'zzz's' all caught up on.  Not to mention eating the very best chocolate eclair that i think I've ever eaten.  Maybe even ever will eat.

  Don't judge me if i tell you that it *might* have been the highlight of my whole and entire weekend.  It was a fancy-pants M&S 'Dulce de Leche' one and it was so flipping good it sort of put me into a little happy creme patisserie-come-belgian chocolate fondant coma.  That aside Monday hit me HARD.  Call it a sugar-shaped come-down or just a case of getting a little bit too much into the swing of two whole days off in a row; coupled with a really dreary grey start to the day.  Either way, I'm pleased to report that i took the bull by the horns and by Tuesday i already felt miles better and 'on it.' Whatever 'it' is.  I've lost my point.  I think i got too excited by the mention of those eclairs again.  
Shall we get down to business?! 


1.  Pasta.  Because after what felt like the longest, greyest Monday in all of eternity; it was promptly fixed with an hour of body balance/barre workout-ing and an almighty plate of tomato-ey, herb-y pasta with oodles of grated courgette, capers and olives.  And afterwards?  Well my faith {and happy} was restored.  

2.  Korres Wild Rose Butter.  A brand i adore not *just* because of their beautiful holiday-esque packaging {if you know them you'll know what i mean - you can just imagine any of their products in a holiday beach bag} but also for their ethics, ingredients and celebration of all things natural and good.  Oh and their unusual flavour/scent combinations.  We won a massive hamper full at work and so i got to pick a couple of products.  The Wild Rose cream is heaven-scent {see what i did there?!} and smells all deep and heady and mmmm just magical slathered onto skin after a hot shower, straight before cotton pyjamas and the heaviest most delicious sleep


3.  Candles.  Some might argue that the little ritual of candle-lighting is reserved solely for the colder months.  I'd disagree.  Not that there's been anything tropical about our weather up north so far this week.  Have I mentioned 'grey' already yet?!    To me there's nothing better than lighting a few candles as dusk falls and our kitchen windows are open just a little.  The soft scent of our current Vanilla and Lime candle mingling with the sweet scent of a damp, grey Spring evening is a little bit delicious. 


4.  New shampoo.  Before we kick this off can someone please invent a way that ensures that you run out of shampoo and conditioner at exactly the same time?  I forever run out of one before the other and then I'm ready and raring to find the next miracle combo that will give my hair enough guts to look Alexa-esque with the softness of pure-spun silk.  I'm usually left with a third of either one left-over.  And then i feel wasteful and guilty splurging on new ones and it feels almost sinful...dirty even {tell me it's not just me?} mixing one brand with another?  I digress {because this point didn't veer off...point at ALL} to say that i side-stepped said conundrum with a different scent/type of my favourite Organix Shampoo.  I dipped my toe in the coconut shampoo.  That's right, because it's the smell of warmer weather hair if you ask me.  


5.  Good skin.  'Cos hell bells and beyond this is worth celebrating.  I feel like I'm finally starting to understand my own skin.  Hey it's only taken me.....thirty-one years?!  Here's to finally achieving an even, natural complexion that doesn't feel angry, stressed or unhappy.  And one which leaves me feeling like i could actually scamper off out without any make-up on!  My secrets?  Water, nuts and avocados.  A bloody good cleanser {Lush Ultrabland}.  A treat-worthy 'packed full of great stuff' facial oil {Good Things Jojoba & Argan Oil facial oil}.  Not over exfoliating {only once a week now instead of every other day}. It's that simple.  I can honestly tell you that my face has never felt so lovely.  


6.  Last Shadow Puppets.  Namely their new album which has been exhaust-ably listened to forwards, backwards, upside down and inside out.  If you didn't know {and really where have you been?!} The Last Shadow Puppets are a musical collective formed from Miles Kane and Alex Turner {from The Arc....Oh surely i don't have to tell you that too?!}.  Oh ARGH i cannot even begin to tell you how flipping ACE it is the have these guys back in my ears with new material.  Alex Turner is a lyrical genius and i will forever fall hard for that guys northern charm and ability to write so beautifully.  Combine him with the licks, flicks and grittiness that you notably get from Miles and this album is just HEAVEN for the ears and a musical symphony for my sunshine-starved soul.  




7.  Toast.  Because sometimes there really is nothing better than toast and tea.  Lately I've been ploughing through loaves of dark and malty rye bread toasted until it's crispy and slathered with almond butter and slices of banana whilst it's still warm.  All washed down with a floral cup or two of Lady Grey.  It's the yummiest 'fixer upper' in all of the land!




8.  Unexpected blue skies.  Even more appreciated than those that last all day and have you reveling and gallivanting outside like there's no tomorrowThis weeks' kinds have been out of the blue {or grey as the case may be} and they disappear as fast as they arrive.  But seeing that flash of blue makes for a little burst of happy all of the same.  If not also an urge to break out of the door at work and lie in a star shape on the floor and feel the sun on my cheeks.  Me?  Crazy?  Pfft.  




9.  Bake Off 'Creme de la Creme.'  Best.  Idea.  Ever.  If only to bridge the gap before the actual 'GBBO' starts back up again.  It's a programme which pitches professional pastry chefs against each other each week.  They have challenges to complete and each one gets scored by some very posh judges. It's SO flippin' good.  The tension is off the chart and i spend most of each episode utterly gripped!!! Please tell me you've been watching it too?!  If not, it's on BBC 1 at 8pm every Tuesday.  Go and catch up quick-march!!!!




10.  The smell of Spring rain.  We've certainly had more than a taster of that this week up north.  But Spring rain is a little bit magical.  It's not been cold, the days have still felt longer than ever {and i still feel a little bit upside down and inside out because of it - I'm sure I'll adjust soon}  And the rain?!  Well it's just different somehow.  You really smell the green, the sweet smell of an almost al fresco outdoors?  You know if we had a patio or a garden bigger than a postage stamp or any grass to speak of.  There's something a little bit lovely about rain this time of year.  Are you with me?!  



*   *   *
Now my DEARS it's over to you!  I'd love to know all about what's been making you smile so far this week or what you're looking forward to for the other half of it.  Don't forget that I'm no longer alone in my quest for happy and love of digging deep in the pockets of my week so far, to find the precious little things that have been making me smile.  Go and visit Michelle, Kate, Cat, Helen , Jo and our newest recruit Katie, over on their blogs and read their own #wonderfulwednesday 's.  Better still write your own - you'd make our flippin' WEEKS i can tell you that much.  Better still there's a special kind of feeling that comes from sitting down and really thinking about the gems hidden in your week so far.

If you'd like you could always post your own interpretation of #wonderfulwednesday on Instagram or Twitter too, using the #wonderfulwednesday tag so we can all see!  I'm @sallytangle on both.   But i bet you knew that already!

Have the loveliest rest of week!