Hope you’re all well. I don’t know about you but getting back on track in January after all the festivities can be quite a challenge. Whether it’s losing those few extra mince pies from the hips and the waistline, or trying to get going with even just one of our New Years resolutions, it can all get a tad on top of us by mid/late January! (Particularly if it’s connected to diet and fitness!!).

Well whilst QVC cannot personally take over and implement your new diet and fitness strategies, we can however offer a couple of solutions that are far easier to be getting on with and offer a more or less immediate lift to the spirits. I’m talking about a couple of Today’s Special Values (TSV’s) coming up in the next few days.

The first is Saturday and it’s from Alpha H. Many of us have been enjoying the incredible results that come from their Liquid Gold regime, but this offer is the Rose Gold version and a real treat for not only the skin but the senses too!!

It includes a fabulous Balancing Cleanser and the most incredible Rose Lip Balm, which I have been enjoying this past week, and of course the Rose version of the Liquid Gold itself. I have to say that for about the past couple of years I’ve been struggling a bit with dry lips and seem to need to keep reapplying a lot of product. Since trying this Lip Balm though it appears to be doing the trick.

The whole collection is an amazing offer at an incredible price!! Do not miss out, especially if you’ve never tried the range… it’s three products that could make a huge difference as to how your skin is looking in a dull January. You of course as always have that 30 day money back guarantee cushion!!

But maybe it’s your wardrobe that needs a bit of a new lease of life? And maybe all the glitzy party sparkly numbers have been put away into the dark recesses of your wardrobe and you now realise that it’s a few of the basics that you’re lacking.

Well, help is at hand with Monday’s TSV from Denim and Co. Now this piece will see you right the way through to spring too. A fabulous waffle knit, cosy Cowl Neck Tunic in a variety of colours, it’s also great for layering. Please tune in for lots of styling tips and ideas from our very own Glen Campbell.

So there you have it…..Resurfacing (your skincare or your wardrobe) made easy for you this January! Enjoy!

Take care,

Anne xx

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Not just a new year but a new decade indeed, so I guess I’m asking myself where I want to be not only a year from now but also in ten years too.

Not an easy question to answer, but I have it on good authority (although I can’t remember whose exactly) that if we aim for nothing we will indeed hit with 100% accuracy every time!!

Now I’m not necessarily talking about the big stuff like work or where we’ll be living… or even how much we will have in the bank (although that’s always worth considering).  No, I’m talking about the really big stuff… like how much time we spend with those we love, how we can be less anxious and more at peace with not only ourselves but those around us, how to take more time to appreciate what we have and of course, how to better look after ourselves too.

It’s a tall order but the long journey always begins with the small steps. So what can we do now in order that this time next year we can be that bit closer to where we want to be? Sometimes I think that if we started with changing just one thing (even a small thing), we would make huge strides in the end.

So what would be your one thing that you would like to change in 2020? What’s your 2020 vision?

Me? I want to “eat the frog first”! And if you’re not familiar with this concept I shall forgive you for thinking that I’ve completely lost the plot!! “Eating the frog” means avoiding procrastination. Do you ever make lists and lists of things you need to do but there always seems to be one thing that keeps getting transferred onto the next list and the next… ad infinitum?

That’s obviously because it’s the one thing we’d least like to do and so we keep putting it off. I currently hold a gold medal in this arena!! It’s crazy, I put off all sorts off; phone calls, emails etc. and when I finally get round to them, they’re never half as bad as I think they’re going to be!

So from experience I know that if I would just jolly well “eat that frog” first, then the rest of my day would be far more pleasant. (By the way I do feel it necessary at this stage to be perfectly clear that I am in no way promoting the active consumption of actual frogs… merely an expression). So name that frog folks!! What will be that small change that potentially could bring big results for you in 2020?

Finally, I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I have included some photos of a particular activity that our backstage team got involved with this year. Ash, their lovely manager, set them all a task to keep themselves out of mischief over the festive season. There are essentially four shifts, but they’re all mixed up over the holiday season so as part of a team building exercise, each group had to make a little gingerbread house. I tell you, this is one lot of talented individuals we have working here!! Just take a look at these wonderful creations.

I have included a photo of the winning team with their beautiful (and very clever) Narnia Scene Gingerbread House.

Can you spot the lion, the witch and the wardrobe? (In loving jest they had their manager Ash as the Snow Queen!!) I just love the candy cane Narnia lamppost!! There’s even a version of Mr Tomlin too!! So big Congrats to Hannah (pictured bottom left) and her Christmas elves for coming up with the winning entry!!

Just thought you might like to see what we get up to at times behind the cameras here at QVC!!

Right, well all that remains for me now is to wish you all a very Happy New Year for 2020.

Now I need to go and eat that frog… it’s called having a barney with my energy supplier!! (Not mentioning any names!! Lol).

Take care,

Anne xx

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Just checking in to see how all things festive are progressing.

Everything was going so well chez moi and I was particularly pleased with the choice of tree this year. If you’re into real trees you will of course be very familiar with the annual saga of trying to get the perfect shape with just the right amount of branches for an all-round, full and bushy effect.

Well check out the photo… not too bad I thought, maybe you do too… but as per the blog title it wasn’t always the case. As the finishing touches were being added we had a slight accident (I say ‘we’, I mean ‘me’!!).

If you look at the enclosed photos, you will see the tree in all its glory and beside it a table with a Christmas ornament on top (a QVC purchase from 20 years ago incidentally and quite heavy). I have also enclosed a close up of the said ornament. It lives in this position every Christmas, but this year I decided (in my infinite wisdom) to try moving it elsewhere. Please don’t ask me how I managed this but somehow as I lifted it, I stumbled and literally threw it at and assaulted my newly decorated tree?!

An incredible feat of genius I might add, which I would like to say left me speechless, but this was not the case and several words did in fact tumble out of my mouth which I would definitely not wish to include in my blog!! If it had been filmed even I would have laughed hysterically (many days later of course!). So there I was with half the decorations now on the carpet and a great gaping hole in my tree. Now, if this had been an artificial one it would have simply been a question of bending those branches back into shape… but alas no!! It took a lot repositioning and replacing those decorations with all the precision and expertise of a top class surgeon in order to achieve the final result. I am quite pleased with the finished product, although I reckon if you look closely……!!

As yet however there are no gifts underneath my precious Christmas tree, purely because I haven’t got round to the wrapping of any as yet. Speaking of which… if you haven’t got Christmas ‘all wrapped up’ yet you have until close of play Friday night to do precisely that. If you are looking for inspiration we have some cracking Big Deals available. I particularly love the Elemis Winter Saviours Face & Body Collection and the fabulous Maison Bedding Set offer that we are bringing you. The bedding is ideal if you’re trying to spruce up a spare room for those Christmas guests… and the Elemis set could be a relaxing treat for you once all those guests have gone home!! (Only joking of course).

Now this will not be the last you will hear from me this side of the Big Day as I fully intend to give you the low down on our presenters Christmas lunch. There are always two dates available to allow maximum participation. The first has already been and gone (everyone still in one piece I believe) and the next one for the shy, retiring and ever so slightly more sensible presenter, is taking place today! I can hear those protests now! Lol!!

Anyway, “Keep Calm and Carry On” as they say, during this final countdown and I shall be in touch very soon.

Lots of love,

Anne xx

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I’m sort of organised. By that I mean that because I bought a load of presents and ordered the turkey a while back, I can end up lulling myself into a false sense of security that all is well and I’m truly on track for the festive season. Its only when I actually start wrapping what I’ve bought (not the turkey of course!!) that I realise how much I still have to do! Hey ho (or ho ho ho), it’ll all get done in the end.

And the great thing is at QVC we all have until Friday to do any last minute Christmas shopping, knowing that it’ll all be here on time. Joy of joys! As I was at my local coffee shop earlier today, we were all discussing how on earth we managed it before the internet and Shopping Telly? (And QVC!!). When I think back to years ago traipsing around the town, kids in tow, not even knowing half the time whether the shops had what you were after in stock (and that’s if you knew what you were looking for!).

Life should be a lot less stressful these days when you think about it… but I’m not totally sure whether one stress ends up being replaced by another! Never mind!!

I love Christmas and I love the build up too!! That includes all the Christmas jumpers that were being proudly displayed by our behind-the-scenes QVC staff on National Christmas Jumper Day last Friday.

I thought I’d include a few piccies of just some of the valued individuals who keep the great QVC ship steered in the right direction!! Check out our lovely camera shy Tina who would only show the stars on her sleeves… and Dave, with his striped red shirt and Christmas antlers!

Enjoy… and don’t forget our last minute four day Christmas Shopping Event that started today! Last orders please!!!!

Anne xx

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In fact for so many of you now, you only want to be walking this way with the genius Vionic technology that our feet have been crying out for!! My feet were positively screaming for this technology earlier in the summer, and I’m pleased to say that Vionic more than stepped up to the plate for me!

It’s all in the design and the fact we need support in this area like no other… our feet take such a pummeling on a daily basis. Of course if it was just a question of addressing our foot concerns practically then that would be great… but Vionic do it with such stylish flair. Not only is the research and technology involved incredibly impressive, but the variety of options in shoes and boots is fantastic.

Nowhere is this more prevalent than in our upcoming TSV tomorrow, with a stunning Suede Ankle Boot in a host of colours with half sizes and a super price.

I love this style, it definitely has the western edge to it but very comfortable indeed. They look perfect with jeans but also, as we will see on our lovely models, there’s more than one way to wear these, whether it’s casual or a more dressed up vibe.

Keith will be here too showing us just how this fabulous technology works and we will certainly be seeing many more great designs throughout the day.

So if you’re looking to give your feet a treat, do join us!!

Take care,

Anne xx

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Hi everyone and hope you’re all well and getting organised in the run up to the big day.

Five weeks to go!! Can’t believe it!!

But I interrupt this blog to bring you as titled, a Red Alert announcement.

Today sees the pre-launch of our Red Limited Edition Dyson Supersonic Hairdryer! Red Limited Edition because of the fabulous Christmas red colour hairdryer in the beautiful red presentation case. What a gift!! Anyone who has to blow dry their hair will truly be “blown away” (bad pun I know) by the absolute last word in hairdryers… The Dyson Supersonic!!

I was the biggest skeptic of all when I first saw this technology. Not because I didn’t think it would be any good, but because I knew how bad I was at doing my own hair!! This has utterly revolutionised my blow drying skills. So much so that for the very first time in my life I’m getting compliments when it’s me doing my own hair… unbelievable! There is zero skill involved. It so does all the work for you.

It’s lightweight, so it’s easy to do the back of your hair, it comes with a full set of the necessary attachments and is kind to the hair too. That’s a lot of boxes ticked indeed! All down to the amount of rigorous research Dyson put into their space age-like technology!!

Top that with an incredible price offer of over £50 off plus six interest free instalments (easy payments) and zero P&P, and you just have to get on board with this. It truly is where we stand head and shoulders (that could be taken as another bad hair pun but let’s not go there) above the others, in so much as there will be many skeptics out there as I was, …but where else are you going to be able to try this stunning piece of Dyson genius for just £45.83 on the first instalment and send it back if it doesn’t float your boat?!! Also, don’t forget that money back guarantee lasts until the 25th January if it’s a gift.

But it’s all in the presentation of this one I can tell you… absolutely stunning in the Red Limited Edition. It is the official Today’s Special Value (TSV) for this Saturday and promises to be one of the biggest of the year. But why wait until then? You can simply click on the link and beat the rush. Then sit back and relax at the weekend enjoying Abi and the girls hints, tips and demos, knowing yours is on its way!! This Red Alert is a guaranteed redundancy for virtually all your old hairdryers… nothing even comes close!!

I shall be thoroughly enjoying all the excitement in the 5pm Saturday Dyson Show.

I hope you’ll join me.

Take care,

Anne xx

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Hope you’re all well. Now with Halloween and Bonfire night firmly behind us, we are well and truly on the countdown to the Big Day itself!!

I’ll jump straight in and share the excitement of what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest weekends of the year here at QVC. Transformations all around.

Firstly, the ever popular Shark brand is coming up on Saturday with a fabulous Today’s Special Value (TSV). It’s the Duoclean Anti Allergen Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. I hear time and again from you lovely people (and friends and family) how your favourite tool for cleaning is from Shark… cordless or not!! They truly are tried and tested, and certainly built to last.

In this case it is the cordless option that will allow you to whizz around the home and effortlessly swallow up both the dirt you can and can’t see (the machine is of course doing the swallowing… not you!!). It simply has the most incredible ability for edge to edge cleaning too.

Not only that but Phil Parker, our lovely guest, will be showing us amongst his array of fantastic demonstrations, it’s anti allergen element efficiency with a smoke machine. It illustrates amazingly how this vacuum cleaner can even consume smoke with no leakage!! If you’re not familiar with the brand or you are in the market for cordless vacuuming, please tune in Saturday. We have an astonishing saving too (as of course you would expect!!).

Now… drum roll please! No let’s make that 712 drum rolls please (random figure but it illustrates my point) …THE BIG ONE is here from Elemis!! Now although this will be dominating our screens on Sunday, it is available immediately for you to purchase. It is of course our biggest collection offer of the year…

The Elemis Christmas Today’s Special Value!!

I don’t know how the team do it every year but it just seems to be getting better and better! This year for the first time ever, not only do you get a seven piece (yes seven!!) collection, but the choice of aromatics include skincare and bodycare products. Both choices include the multi award-winning moisturiser (last seven years here at QVC) Pro Collegen Marine Cream and also Soothing Apricot Toner.

Then it’s entirely up to you whether you go for ‘Rose’ or ‘Skin Nourishing’. Both are stunning and come in a beautiful corresponding velvet case ready for gifting, self-indulgence… or a bit of both.

Can you believe that after everything described above I am now going to say that you can get it home for just £12.49 if you take advantage of easy pay, plus P&P (which remember is only £1.95)? Amazing!! I know many of you will be stocking up! I certainly will.

Just thought I’d add that the number seven is the number of perfection (remember that it’s seven pieces and a seven year award winner for the marine cream). Is that intentional? Who knows… but what we do know for sure is that for many of us Elemis is definitely the “perfect” choice for top-to-toe skincare!! (Love it!!).

Enjoy the weekend everyone. Remember for ordering tap the app or go online… it’ll be a busy one!!

Anne xx

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It feels like we are well into the autumn months now, but for me it’ll only be when the clocks go back this weekend that I will feel completely justified in snuggling up in front of the fire in the evening, writing Christmas pressie lists and thinking about getting the house ready too!! In fact the latter part can be more involved than present buying, especially since we make it so easy for you to Christmas shop here at QVC!! (Please note my own piece of submitted photographic evidence that I am indeed building up a secret stash of QVC parcels and ticking more than a few names off that above said list)!

So back to getting the house ready… and even more so since I have my lovely daughter-in-law Anna’s family over from Texas for the festive season. I will in fact have around 12 to 14 bodies (live ones of course!) staying at mine between Christmas Eve and the day after Boxing Day (…and a few more besides not staying!!). Which brings me neatly to the point that this Sunday’s Today’s Special Value (TSV) from Gtech will be a must have!!

The K9 AirRam & Multi Handheld Vacuum System & Accessory Kit

This is genius cordless cleaning made easy. Perfect for when you need to clean sudden mess, not so sudden mess and everything in between. You have the main upright and then a fabulous independent appliance that you can just run around the house, the car, the caravan… the list goes on.

The attachments are brilliant… even a feather duster! Gone are the days of cordless cleaning for like five minutes and the battery needing recharging too, with 40 minutes run time when fully charged! Like I said… genius!!

It’s a great offer as you would imagine so make sure you tune in!

Also… if you’ve not spotted it already, don’t miss the TSV on offer today. It’s a set of three Pop Up Lanterns from Securebrite, which are so fabulous and handy that I reckon they will be going by the bucket load.

They are perfect for illuminating understair cupboards, dark spots around the home, the garage (or even the garden)… and what about for getting those Christmas decorations down from the loft?! I have a strong sense of a multi buy coming on!!

Finally, the girls from LAB will be here on Monday to bring us the latest in anti-ageing microderm technology that will get us looking our best for the festive season.

The Microderm-Pro with Diamond Tip 30 Filters & Treatment ElixirSo busy times ahead this weekend but lots to look forward to… including that extra hour in bed this Sunday! Happy days!!

Take care,

Anne

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With the above title I’m going to deal with the “last” bit first, and the “first” bit last. Make sense? …Probably not but I’m sure all will become clear… (maybe)!!

Okay, so I write this blog travelling on the train from Calabria in Southern Italy going back to the airport for my return flight home. It is the last and final visit of the year and so it’s always with a slightly heavy heart that I leave this beautiful part of the world. On a previous blog I showed some photos of this slice of heaven and several of you wrote comments asking where they were taken.

I apologise for the length of time it’s taken for me to tell you, but yes it is the Calabrian region of the South. For me very much the real deal, very Italian, and the main tourists are the Italians themselves from the north of the country. If the map of Italy is shaped like a boot, then this is the foot (opposite Puglia which is the heel and is also stunning). Having said that, the Calabresi describe themselves as the “poorer cousin of Puglia”.

In any case I love it!! And not just the scenery and the food, but the people too!! I have made so many friends here over the years. Just in case you’re imagining some amazing villa in the rolling countryside with an Olympic size swimming pool… well nothing could be further from the truth!! Lol!!

I’m in a village in the middle of nowhere (I like that!), in an apartment where all my neighbours in the building are Italian and live here all year round. At 1,000 feet above sea level I’m lucky enough to have the top floor and the roof terrace which has 360 degree panoramic views. To the one side is the old church (I love the sound of church bells) and the mountains, and then to the front is the sea, which is only a ten minute drive away.There is a gravel parking area where if your windows are open you can hear cars drive in and out. I am hardly ever in my flat more than 10 minutes before there are several knocks on the door and the arrival of a whole array of delicious home cooked food appears before me… because “I’m obviously hungry” after my journey!! Strange but this custom seems to continue through my stay?

They’re a noisy lot, my neighbours. Not only do I wake up to the sound of chickens and the goat herds with their little bells on, but also Maria shouting across to Rosella asking what the fish was like the other day (there’s a little fish man who comes around in his van a couple of times a week). At the beginning I thought they were all arguing, ’til I got a better hold of the language and realised they’re just a passionate lot… about everything!!

Then there’s the beach, and the wonderful family who run it. The daily routine goes something like this… I arrive and have my coffee at the lido and wait for them to write on the blackboard what dishes they are preparing for lunch that day (although to be honest, they will cater if possible to any request). I then place my order and mosey on down to my parasol and sunbed (some people have had the same ones for 40 years, so me at 13 years I’m virtually a newbie!!).

When I decide I’ve had enough sunbathing and relaxation I then drag myself up to the little restaurant, where at whatever the time of my arrival they start to prepare my previously ordered food. The rest of the day is spent enjoying the sun and the sea, only punctuated at times with the odd gelato or three (all homemade of course!).I could go on but hopefully this description coupled with the previous blog photos gives you a taste (almost literally) of why I’m so in love with this part of the world. Also if I continue too much I may decide to stay here another week!!

Not a chance… too much happening in the next few days at Q Towers!!

Which now having covered the “lasts”, brings me to my “firsts”, and roll out the red carpet for the Today’s Special Value (TSV) on Monday from Centigrade. Now I of course realise that we have enjoyed many a fabulous TSV over the years from this fabulous brand… but never a Biker Jacket!!

Very exciting indeed in a host of colours and I’m sure Glen Campbell will be waxing lyrical as no doubt we all will. I just love this style and we’ve really seen it increase in popularity with other brands (and in general). It’s not only a great looking style, but is also perfect for this time of year as we start the whole season transitioning process (having said that I’ve just looked and it’s a forecast of sun and 24 degrees this Thursday in the south!!).

I will also be launching Saturdays TSV from Lakeland. If you haven’t already seen their Laundry Airer you really must tune in.

Okay, I realise that many of us don’t get terribly excited about doing the laundry but I can assure you I wouldn’t be without mine. It just saves so much time… and money! No more hassle trying to dry things over radiators when either you don’t want to incur the cost of tumble drying when it’s raining, or just simply when there are items that you can’t put in the dryer. Great company, great guest and importantly a great price too!!

So that’s about it for now folks, I’m now at the airport (there were a few interruptions) and there is my final gelato of the year to enjoy before getting on that plane. Not quite on par with that of my friendly lido family but who knows, if my flight is delayed… I may have to have an extra one!

Well it would be rude not to. No?

So it’s a big arrivederci Italia…. and an even bigger buongiorno QVC and some great offers coming up this weekend!!

See you all then hopefully.

Take care,

Anne xx

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Hope you’re all well and have survived the extreme temperatures we’ve had of late!! It’s been playing havoc with my sleep pattern (but then again that’s not been helped by a dodgy foot I’ve had of late… explanation in a later blog).

Of course we all love the sun, the holidays etc., but again that too can play havoc with your skin and your hair! Well Gatineau to the rescue for your skin needs with their Today’s Special Value (TSV) coming up this Sunday… and I’m super excited to be presenting the 11am and 2pm shows.

Now many of you love their Melatogenine range (think fine lines and wrinkles), well 20 years on and its even better than ever (I can remember when we first introduced it here at QVC, none of us could even pronounce it!). Introducing the Melatogenine MorphoBiotique range… a combination of of their youth activating molecule Melatogenine and their new MorphoTriPeptide complex.

If this is all sounding a tad over scientific, I’m sure Andrew Bagley from Gatineau will explain exactly what the excitement is all about. Suffice to say though, as always, the research will have been extensive and the results won’t disappoint either. And apart from all that it’s a wonderful TSV collection!

Included is the new range serum, moisturiser, eye cream as well as a cleanser, but what I particularly love is their brand new Alkessence… an Ionactive alkaline soothing mist… it feels wonderful on the skin after cleansing. All at an absolutely fab price and for those who’ve been tempted in the past but not taken the plunge, don’t forget our 30 day money back guarantee!!

Well the Wow factor isn’t just about Gatineau as by the time this goes live, we will be enjoying addressing our post-summer hair concerns with a TSV from Color Wow too. If like me you never end up wearing a hat as much as you should during the summer holidays, or the regular processing of colouring your hair has taken its toll, then please consider today’s Dream Regime offer. It’s designed to help with the dryness, lack of condition and lack of healthy shine of your crowning glory!!

You could end up saving a few pennies too as not only will this preserve your colour that little bit longer, but remember every purchase is going towards those all important vouchers (that of course goes for Gatineau too)! See the terms and conditions for our voucher promotion here.

So folks, until we next catch up when I will be revealing why you’ve seen me perched on a stool of late rather than darting about the QVC studios (yes I know… like that usually happens!!) I shall bid you adieu. Enjoy your weekend with us and the remains of our summer. Do the schools really go back next week? Already? Well where on earth did those weeks go? Must be an age thing!!

Take care,

Anne xxx

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