Wonderful Wednesday #217

 {If ever there was a time of year to simply look up more...}

Oh well hello there.  How the devil do you do?!  I write this lovely letter post to you after feeling like i have walked and cycled approximately ALL the live long day and feel THE most spaghetti-legged that i ever have.  I think the fact that it's bloomin' windy out there has done nothing in aiding the whole aero-dynamics of everything either and what i'm left with are lessy-legs and feeling like i could eat the whole of our weekly grocery shop that we've just completed.  Yes.  All of it.  I think i might still be hungry afterwards too.  

Ravenous-ness aside i'm doing pretty well.  I've had a few days off in a row from work {always a recipe for clear skin, less dark under eye circles and many crumpets consumed and mugs of Lady Grey drank - ie:  My idea of a good time} and there's been sunshine {albeit icy, 6 degree sunshine} and lots of sleeping and bike riding and making nice things to eat and predictably leaving all kinds of less-fun 'stuff' to my last day off {tomorrow} such as Depop-ing half of my wardrobe, pesky weeding in the garden and hoovering.  But it's all about balance.....

Let's get our list-on!  

1.  Basil.  I mean to be honest i tend to think of Basil as more of Summer herb BUT sometimes i just really crave something and lately; this has been IT.  Maybe it was last weeks pesto-chat {oh MY my wild, wild life}, who knows!  This week i've been tearing up the stuff into anything and everything.  It's been {predictably!} tossed through quinoa and olive bolognese at the last moment alongside a generous glug of olive oil.  I've been loving just eating it raw in tomato and rocket salad AND i had strawberries and ricotta on toast the other day for lunch and the addition of ground black pepper and torn up basil leaves just made the whole dish!

2.  From line, to bed.  Yes that's right here i am back harping on about line-dried laundry but THAT SMELL  - well if only i could bottle it you can bet your bottom dollar i'd wear nothing else!  On Sunday i managed to wash our duvet and towels AND put said duvet, sheets and pillowcases back on the bed after my early evening shower.  Not only did i feel a little bit like a domestic goddess x 100 BUT the smell!!!  Falling asleep in clean pyjamas after a steamy shower underneath a duvet that had been line-dried in the the fresh air.  There are NO WORDS.  Well you know except the fair few i've just tip-tapped out to you....*cough*

3.   Reliving the past.  In so many instances you're told to move forward, forget the past and keep on.....keeping on.  One huge exception to the rule {in my book at least!} is with music.  I can't even put into words how much i love it when a song just pops into your every day and takes you right back to the last time you listened to it.  The mark of a beautiful song, whatever genre; and it's power to take you somewhere - to make you travel on a journey and to tug at your heart strings:  Happy or sad.  That is just a magical feeling, don't you think?! This week i stumbled across some old CD's:  Razorlight's 'Golden Touch' and a couple of old Arcade Fire ones and suddenly i was back at uni, not caring about any kind of tomorrow and only about dancing until my legs ached and singing until my throat was too croaky to manage anymore.  Of course i studied hard *cough*.  Naturally i've added everything to my Spotify and i'm enjoying power-walking to and from home singing 'Golden Touch' by Razorlight pretty much on loop.  Sorry neighbours!

4.  Florence. I mean it's really in a very similar vein to the above point but it's my #wonderfulwednesday and i'll cry if i want to  have two points that are very similar right next to each other if i flippin' well want to!  Have you listened to Florence and the Machine's new song?  {listen here} Do.  Please do!  There's no one else that can tug at my heart strings more than her and that voice. I sometimes struggle to sing her songs myself because my voice just goes and my eyes over flow with tears.  Does anyone else get you like this?!  I'd love to know.   

5. The scent of bluebells.  Nothing says Spring quite like it.  It's only really been this week that our forests and pathways have sprung to life with a brilliant violet blanket of bluebells and the smell is HEAVEN:  All fresh and green and florally-good.  

6.   White cotton tops.  Okay so maybe worn with frayed and well-loved indigo jeans and sometimes still boots, a chunky cardigan and a green slouchy army jacket and not quite in the bare-ankled, cropped jeans and sandals and sunnies way that i had anticipated but Spring-like and joy-filled all of the same.  Have you got an outfit that makes you feel all Spring-like too?!

7.   Freshly washed hair.  Even if it takes all of the will in the world and all of every scrap of energy i have to be bothered to wash it {yes i'm that person} and to stop giving in to the 'not-so-catchy' mantra of  'Well what's another day of dry shampoo?' The second i step in the shower and start to wash my hair, it's suddenly all worth it.  There really isn't anything i love more than the smell of freshly washed hair.  You just can't beat it!

8.   Feeling exhausted.  Not my usual 'exhausted from work' sort of exhausted either:  No the 'I've cycled and walked so much that my legs are aching in the very best possible way and my little heart is thumping in my chest and i feel like i could move MOUNTAINS' sort of an exhausted.  Which is funny really as sometimes i struggle to open a new jar of peanut butter....  When i use to do be made to do cross country at school, my teacher would tell me that one day i'd learn to love that thumping in my chest and aching of my legs and i would forever argue that i never ever in a million years would {whilst trying every excuse in the book to not have to do it each week}.  Turns out i just needed to find my thing.  Running is not it.  Cycling and walking though?  I've got all the time in the whole wide world for cycling and walking as much as i can in the fresh air.  

9.  New sunnies.  So what if i mostly wear them to keep my hair back off my face and then forget where they are and spend a large proportion of the time either a)looking for them or b)not even realising they're there to start with?!?!  I picked up these tortoise-shell ones from Topshop and when i do remember to wear them i feel ALL kinds of cool and sassy!  Now if i could just book a good spell of consistent sunshine that would be great thanks.....

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And with a blink of an eye {that's a bit of a white lie.  I wrote this weeks post over several hours, with several millions cups of tea in between; a lovely open window and experimented by writing the middle, followed by the end and then the beginning.  I like living on the edge.  I probably won't do that again.  I feel a bit like i have been on a fast spin in a washing machine.} we're all done for another week:  All lovingly listed out.  Don't forget the rest of the ever-lovely #wonderfulwednesday gang:  Jo, Helen, Michelle, Sarah, Kate, Cat, Sam, El , Kerri's, and Peta's and Ellie's  who also share their very own #wonderfulwednesday -shaped happy list.  ALSO don't forget to give either one of us a nudge or leave a comment below if you write your own or something similar - i will forever love a happy list and there's no such thing as too many if you ask me!

Until next time...