Orange hands

This last week has proved that Spring sprang and the promise of Summer is coming. This current weekend, however, has proved that we live in England and should know better! This photo nicked off Facebook proves it all.

Today I will probably be mostly wearing warm clothing and lots of it! 

The postlady delivered the sweetest smelling letter I've ever had! Suzanne from No.38 http://lifeatnumber38.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/crafty-and-medical-week-ahead.html?m=1 sent it to me. I didn't know whether to drink it or bathe in it! 

Thank you Suzanne X The Rose lemonade is divine. I'm not sure of the spicy chai at all. I'll give it another go!

Orange hands.

I'll tell you the story before I show you. 

Monday it was cold, Tuesday it was warmer so I went and gardened, but when I sat out it was only halfy warm. Where the half of you is facing the sun, the other side is freezing cold. Wednesday, however, was 360 degrees warm. So, because I couldn't walk properly or bend or anything due to  non athletic gardening thighs from the day before, I sat and read my book. It was an unputdownable page turner. I read it til the end. 

Now, I have always always loved being outside and love to get a tan, despite all the skin cancer warnings. But now I'm getting quite the old biddy I seem to have developed a skin condition called PMLE - poly morph light eruption or something?!! It's an allergic reaction to one of the lights in sunlight. It triggers prickly heat all around my collar bone and shoulders, my forearms and the top of my feet and my shins. It's unsightly and sometimes itchy. So I now use factor 30 minimum when I go outside. I have yet to find the one with the right formula for me as some can aggravate the condition making my skin react faster!! So as I was reading I had factor 50 on round my neck chest and shoulders. I'd rubbed some in on my arms and legs. 

But I was out in the sun for a good two and a half hours from 3pm . I was so engrossed in the book I didn't realise I was getting sunburnt. 

After I came in and had a shower, I used my new expensive 'Atfersun'. I lathered it on. I went to bed. The usual prickly heat areas were hot and angry, so throughout the night I applied it liberally and often. Not needing to look where it was going. It did the trick. Soothed, moisturised and I looked forward to the effects of the - what I thought - deeply moisturising and nourishing - mysterious 'tan intensifier' it proclaimed proudly on the front. 

I got up next day, never noticed anything, went about my chores. It was only when I was doing some mending I'd been going to do all fortnight, mending bras - death by underwire was imminent unless I took action - that I stopped. And looked. And thought. Bloody hell Rachel your hands are filthy. My brain reasoned I must have picked something rusty up. My brain then reasoned, I had no rusty things TO pick up. 

These photos MASSIVELY UNDER ESTIMATE how orange my hands and between my fingers were.are.

These photos were taken after frantic scrubbing with exfoliator and pumice stone. 

Turns out, 

Tan Intensifier

Is sodding fake tan!!! 

They are still orange now. Four days later. In Gateshead yesterday I kinda fitted in with the locals but I was still mortified! 

My arms and legs look healthy, if a bit stripey. My face, where I rubbed in the residue, looks healthy where it touched. 

Orange betwixt my fingers.

It's as bad today. The photos really do not show up the orangeness. 

I'll be back soon to share the beautiful flowers and plants I've bought today from the garden centre! Bet you can't guess the colour! 

Lots of love from 

Rachel *oompa loompa* Radiostar xxx