Wonderful Wedensday #147

 {Prettiest light + winter berries = loveliness!}
Would you judge me if i told you that i *almost* stuck my head under the duvet and cancelled #wonderfulwednesday {imagines that the inward gasp of breath the world over causes some kind of climate-shaped disaster. Jokes!}.  But i DIDN'T.  I'm HERE!  I'm sort of falling apart at the seams from the most horrid of colds that there ever was.  And i NEVER catch colds, i NEVER do!  The appeal to just come home from work tonight {Tuesday evening} and have the hottest bath and the earliest night has been rescued by the promise of pizza.  I'm a fickle bean at times.  SO i've had a cup of Lady Grey as big as my head, I'm wearing my comfiest slouchy blue indigo dungarees and my sheepskin slippers AND said pizza is in the oven {speck ham, black pepper, rosemary and mushrooms with mascapone incase you're wondering - my favourite!} and we are going to DO this!  I need me some HAPPY people! Send forth all that is good and happy-making!


1.  Being warm. Something that hasn't come easy to me this week.  Scratch that, maintaining any kind of normal happy medium where body temperature is concerned has been a real effort.  I've either been about a million degrees {or felt it} or frozen cold to the bone.  Queue lots of 'i want a hot water bottle, no I'm too cold you can have it, no GIVE ME MORE DUVET.'  If i haven't said it already, that Mr of mine is a lucky, lucky man.  


2.  Soup.  If I'm honest largely for insulation purposes since as i can't taste a thing.  But actually I'd live off soup.  You know if i wasn't already living off porridge, Lady Grey and crumpets.  Is there anything more comforting than a huge bowl of soup and really lovely bread to dunk in it...?!  


3.  First mince pies:  Warm and slathered obscenely with brandy butter with little or no shame incurred whatsover.  T'is the season and all that.  Fun fact:  I went years and years before i even tried a mince pie - i mean we could be talking only in the last five years or so - purely because i really wasn't keen on the smell of the mincemeat itself.  Then i tried one and i have never looked back.  I feel as if I'm legitimately allowed to eat at least a couple a week purely on the grounds that I'm making up for lost time/pies.     


4.  Pukka Elderberry Syrup.  Ironically I bought a bottle a couple of weeks ago in a desperate attempt to boost my immune system and avoid colds like....oh the one that is currently residing in my little nose.  All the same i've been keeping up my daily spoonful and adding in another one when i get home each night and it's the most soothing little tincture of yum and it does make me feel better and keep me away from Beechams, Lemsip etc etc.  {Fun fact #2:  I always see it as some kind of personal challenge to get through a cold without medicine medicine.  Not sure why.  I'm not keen on taking tablets and so instead i ramp up all the green and good and try and be extra kind to myself.}.  It's a delicious mixture of Manuka honey, elderberries, echinacea, rosemary and ginger and honestly?  I could drink a whole bottle.  


5.  Chilli-shaped plans.  Don't tell him i said so but that Mr of mine makes the worlds' BEST vegetable and lentil chilli that there ever was.  It's crammed full of great things like celery, peppers, carrot - sometimes even squash or sweet potato - and lentils and we always eat it with tortilla chips and a wonderful pineapple salsa.  He's promised to make me an extra spicy one later on in the week in a bid to blast away this horrid cold and i am more than excited.  Better still it means I'll have leftovers for lunch for at least a couple of days after.  


6.  Over the top earrings.  Not surprisingly because of what i do and where i work i rarely buy jewellery and accessories anywhere else but Accessorize.  This week though i treated myself to the greatest, tassell-ey most OTT earrings form H&M to wear over Christmas.  They are black and gold and wonderful and i just know that Mr of mine will make some smart and sarcastic joke about them being like curtain tassels or who knows what but you know what?!  I don't care.  They're a bit OTT but if you can't go OTT at Christmas then really when can you?!?  


7.  Crumpets, banana and creamy cashew and cinnamon butter greatness.  Don't panic, i haven't fallen out of love with porridge but lately i can't get enough of crumpets.  I'm working slightly longer hours at work now {woe is me come this time of year and working in retail!} and have been sneaking any extra available time under that duvet of mine.  Crumpets have just been quicker and just as spicy and filling and yummy as i've wanted lately.  And the crumpets, the bests ones?!?  M&S Five Grain Sourdough Ultimate Crumpets hands down.  Better than any other trust me.  And i've pretty much tried them all now....


8.  Wearing golden stars on my face.  For no apparent reason other than i found them in a little drawer and Monday was grey and miserable and i thought well why the heck not?!  I felt all Abba-esque, snot or no snot!


9.  Belated birthday presents.  It was my birthday last week and so i took a few days of work to simply pootle about.  That meant going back to work on Monday i received several belated cards and presents and i've still got more to come!  Hurrah for birthdays that go on and on and on!  


10.  A day off.  I sometimes wish i could capture that feeling right before you go to sleep the night before your day off - pause it and savour it because sometimes looking forward to a little rest and not very much else other than keeping warm is better than the event itself.  I often think the same about my birthday, about Christmas or other things I'm looking forward to.  Life seems to zoom so fast lately that sometimes it's all just too fast!
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And we're DONE!  Pizza is calling my name and a day off tomorrow is calling it even louder.  There might even be more mince pies but they'll definitely be crumpets and tea and hot lemon, ginger and honey and all of the hot water bottles!  Don't forget to fill your heart and soul with even more lovely by bobbing on over to  Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri's, Mimmi's, Martina's AND lovely Isabelle's blogs and reading their very own #wonderfulwednesday 's.  Better still share what's been making your week so lovely down below in the comments.  Or chit-chat with us all online and over social media using the #wonderfulwednesday tag as per.