Wonderful Wednesday #71

Is there a sight more BEAUTIFUL than a tangle of buttercups and cow parsley flowers against a bright blue sky?!  This photo was taken after a long and stressful day at work.  I took myself to the park on my two-wheels whilst the Mr conjured up dinner.  He's a good egg like that.  I cycled round and round with Florence and the Machine in my ears and then i picked wild flowers and scampered home.  And do you know it did me the world of good.  I slept so well that night.  If only each and every day could look like this?!  But do you know, if it did then maybe we wouldn't hold them all quite so precious!

Whilst we're all here together, i just want to take a little second before normal Wonderful Wednesday service resumes; to say THANK YOU.  Thank you for sticking by me over the past couple of months.  It's no secret that this blog might as well have been called just 'Wonderful Wednesday' for the lack of anything else that's been here.  Truth is, ironically, real life gets in the way sometimes.  Whilst i can cross my heart that i'll share a little more about why over the next few weeks; there has been a few life-shaped changes going on in my little world.  And if we are being really honest, i've been a little all over the place.  I'm grateful for this space and especially for this dear sweet regular post that i started way back when.  For giving me a routine as sure as breakfast at 7am and bed at 11am.  And for really becoming something which i could never imagine skipping.  I'm grateful for a little constant in my topsy-turvy world right now.  But more than anything, i'm grateful for you all and your dear sweet comments, tweets and kind emails and for always being supportive.  Right!  Enough of my emotional mumbo-jumbo!  Let's talk HAPPY!

1)  That Mr of mine.  Because he's had his ears talked and talked and talked at lately and whilst he's not nearly as much of chatter box as me, he has this extra special knack of saying just the right thing at the right time.  Which is just as well as i've always got enough words for the both of us…

2)  Peonies.  For being in season, for being even cheaper and for simply being THE most beautiful bloom always.  Nothing makes my heart sing than a jug of bright and blouse-y Peonies.  Although this weeks bunch are the softest, perfect pastel pink that you ever did see and they are just the most beautiful gentle little pom-poms.  Since their season is so very short, they're another part of my weekly routine that i'm happy to fully and legitimately indulge in for the time being.  

3)  Good friends.  Because ironically you never really and truly realise the power of a good friend until you're having a particularly less-than-good time.  Does that even make sense?!  Whilst my quandaries lately have just been little in the grand scheme of the whole wide world; listening, tea and advise has been wholly and gratefully received.

4)  Sliced cucumber, torn up mint leaves and, sometimes if we're feeling super duper indulgent,  a little squeeze of fresh lime swizzled and swirled around and about in iced water.  Summer in a glass!  For you know, when you are clearly only missing the alcoholic parts of a Mojito!  I jest!  Guzzling this little dreamboat is unbelievably thirst-quenching.  

5)  New shampoo and conditioner.  Not because i needed to change up my haircare whatsoever.  Not because I was particularly unhappy with my hair.  Not even because i had ran out.  Okay well i had almost ran out.  Truthfully, i picked up the new John Frieda 'Beach Blonde: Cool Dip' shampoo and conditioner because they looked pretty and they smelt like mint, sun-kissed skin and a little bit lime-y.  And whilst i was right, they do look super-duper pretty perched on the side of our bright white bath tub, they also make me feel like i'm washing my hair in Summer.  And that's never a bad thing.  Plus my hair has felt soft and tangle-less since.  Win win!  

6)  Gold temporary tattoos from Accessorize.  I know, they sound awful. But if we can all just forget the horrid temporary tattoos we used to get inside bubblegum when we were eight years old for just a moment.  These are delicate gold filigree decorations that are so very beautiful.  I currently have them on top of both feet and they look so very pretty when i've got my summer sandals on.  

7)  The sweet smell of summer rain.  Not the 'it's been pouring down for hours when will it stop i wish it would go away' sort of rain. The kind of rain that you don't really know is there.  Not until you ride through it on a bike.  The kind that feels much more of a mist than a shower and leaves your hair feeling three times it's actual size in seconds.  And the kind that just smells like damp flowers, dewy grass and sun-kissed skin.  It's the only kind of rain i can bear because it's a little bit beautiful.  

8)  A triple chocolate cookie.  Eaten after a long day of scampering about running errands and washed down with a mug of milky tea before bed.  Totally indulgent and so chocolate-y that i immediately felt like i wanted to brush my teeth afterwards.  Totally worth it though.

9)  Ice cold cucumber.  If it wasn't for the fact that too much cucumber gives me the hiccups i could polish a whole one off in one sitting i really could.  No dips or condiments required.  Nope nope!  Just a knife and a tea-plate.  Sometimes i make little cucumber sandwiches too:  Two slices of ice cold cucumber with a mint leaf in the middle for extra zing.  Some might say i had too much time on my hands….I say try it, you wont be disappointed!

10)  Tea in bed on a Monday-shaped day off.  I actually think working both Saturday and Sunday makes having a Monday off totally worth it.  It somehow feels even more luxurious than a whole weekend!  Curled up with a milky cup of Lady Grey in my favourite mug and the sunshine peeping through the skylight.  That's how i wish each and every morning could be.

11)  Cotton-wool clouds extraordinaire!  If you follow me on Instagram (I'm @sallytangle) then you shall have seen the beautiful cotton-wool clouds that i posted on Tuesday. I've never ever seen anything like them before.  They really did look like rows and rows of huge and whopping white cotton wool balls and as though they stretched for an eternity.  Standing underneath them was the loveliest feeling!

12)  Seeing the very first blooms of Elderflower on Monday mornings cycle adventure.  Each year i say that i'll make my own Elderflower cordial and i never seem to get around to it.  Maybe this shall be the year!
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Now it's over to you!  Reading your #wonderfulwednesday tweets, comments and kind words really does make my little week it really does.  What's making your mid-week manageable?  Have you ever made anything yummy with Elderflowers?  Had a particularly fantastic cookie you fancy telling us all about?!  Remember you can leave me a comment below, tweet me your #wonderfulwednesday happiness or better still, tag me in your Instagram photos, not forgetting to use the #wonderfulwednesday hashtag!

Have a beautiful rest of week lovely faces!