Few words today, friends. Yesterday Héloïse went to school, her heart in her mouth, to find out her Baccalauréat examination results. Would you believe she scored a general average of 19.23 out of 20? Not only did she obtain the highest marks in the school - Mention Très Bien + avec Félicitations du Jury - but is believed to be in the top hundred in France. Heartfelt hugs were shared with so many teachers and I must confess I cried with shock and delight right there in the middle of all those anxious pupils and parents. We arrived home in the early hours of this morning after celebrating with friends my beautiful daughter's success but now, unfortunately, Héloïse is nursing a very painful throat. She really needs to rest after the past few weeks of strain, I believe.
****************
Although it is now high summer and porcelain pink Pierre Ronsard roses are gracing local high walls, paying tribute to our local Renaissance poet, I have been inspired by the exquisite apple blossom wreath which sweet Michele created for me. Do you recall the crown of wild violets Angélique was wearing in early spring? Michele's work is truly lovely and one flowery wreath never seems to be enough! This artist's home overlooks a beautiful apple tree orchard which, in late spring, is cloudy with the frilliest, candiest of all pinks and creams. I think she has captured the magical beauty of blossom to perfection; don't you?
In my formidable yarn stash a few delicious skeins of silky alpaca Old Maiden Aunt sport weight in a peachy hued Blossom colourway were begging to be turned into a simple, delicate top. Leah Thibault's Sakura Cardigan was deemed the perfect pattern.* Peaceful knitting with the rustic luxury of Old Maiden Aunt to accompany me during the intense few weeks in late spring and early summer.
My Ravelry notes may be found right here.
The school summer holidays have started today and we are all more than ready for them. We will be around over the course of July, greeting friends into our humble home, and away in August to Brittany. I'd love to learn about your hopes and dreams for this summer!
Warmest wishes to you all,
Stephanie
* We'll never forget our sweet Sakura.
Such a beautiful post! Congratulations to your daughter and you. I hope her throat feels better. Such beautiful roses! And what a beautiful beautiful top! XOX
ReplyDeleteWow - congratulations to your daughter. GCSE results for my son in August.
ReplyDeleteWe are off to Spain on Monday until the beginning of August. I can't wait! Wishing you a happy weekend. X
What beautiful roses, I can even smell them, but then paused to wonder whether they are scented, so many roses seem devoid of scent these days. Do you know the rose Yves Pascal? They have it in the beautiful rose garden in Lassay les Chateaux? The scent was stunning. The pink roses, the wreath and the cardigan are all beautiful!
ReplyDeleteDear Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteWow ! congratulations to beautiful Heloïse ! That's very impressive indeed.
Your post is a joy for the eye. Charming pink cardigan and wonderful roses. I've just visited Michele's site and I am now dreaming about all her crowns of flowers.
So touched by the reminder of your gentle Sakura.
We'll also be around in July. Maybe visiting Chaumont garden festival during one of the week ends.
Toutes nos felicitations a Heloise et ses parents!
ReplyDeletePhotos sensass!
On aime tellement nos animaux, cela fait si mal de leur dire au revoir!
Bien le bonjour,
Dear Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI close my eyes and a smile broadens across my face as I breathe in the scent from those beautiful roses - delightful, heaven sent! I have some David Austen roses in my garden and they smell so divine at the moment. As always your photographs and words have sent my heart soaring, you paint a beautiful picture with your words, they are always such a delight to read, and for that I thank you.
I am sure you and your family must be overjoyed with Heloise's results, what a talented daughter you have, you must be so proud. The end of the academic year must be welcomed by all in your household, it has been a hectic and somewhat intense few months for you all. Now the Summer holidays are here you will all have the chance to relax and recharge your batteries. Enjoy!
Many, many congratulations to your beautiful clever Héloïse! She will be glad of the rest now and needs look after that throat!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers, beautiful knitting and the memory of a beautiful cat.
Enjoy your summer, my Hb is off for the next week and a half so we have many little trips planned.
V x
Congratulations to your lovely daughter, I know how you feel as we are experiencing those same feelings of anxiety and joy. She needs to take time for herself and just relax.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful pink post which did my heart good to see and enjoy.
Dear Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteHuge Congratulations to beautiful Heloise and you must be feeling so very proud of her. Hope she rests lots and gets better from her sore throat.
Love the pretty pink rose and the little garland and your beautiful sweet cardigan.
Hope you are having a lovely weekend
hugs
Carolyn
The roses and the wee cardigan are lovely - and so is the news about your daughter's results. I can imagine the celebration!
ReplyDeleteThe sweet rose wreath reminds me of the one my daughter wore on her confirmation - so pretty against her dark hair. Such a nice connection, across the continent and ocean - thoughts of two daughters.
Chere Stephanie, je partage les sentiments d'une mere qui grandit une fille comme Heloise. Tu peux etre tres fiere d'elle, je lui souhaite les meilleures choses du monde, elle les merite.Tout est beau, la guirlande fleurie et le cardigan sont merveilleux.
ReplyDeleteJe vous souhaite des bonnes et heureuses vacances.
Olympia
Wow, congratulations to Heloise, that is absolutely brilliant, she has done so very well. Time for a rest before the next chapter, I do hope she is feeling completely better soon. The cardigan is lovely, delicate and soft like spring blossom. Beautiful. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteI can feel your pride in your beautiful and clever daughter. Congratulations to her and wishing her the best in the next stage of her life. Hope she soon feels better. Pretty, very pretty colours of the roses, blossom and the new knitwear. Have no plans for summer. I expect it will just evolve. Enjoy yours.
ReplyDeleteHuge congratulations to your beautiful and talented daughter. I hope she recovers quickly
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful photos and what wonderful news! Many congratulations to your daughter.
ReplyDeleteStephanie!
ReplyDeleteI can almost TASTE the sweet pinks here that you have displayed. I taste pink peppermint, or strawberry ice cream....these icy pinks are what I'm dreaming of this summer, for the ROSE and especially this variety, has been on my mind! Unfortunately here in the coldest state of our union (Minnesota), we are unable to grow the climbing roses I desire.
I am so happy to hear of your daughter's high marks. I know that the rigors of a French education are demanding, impressive and are to be celebrated. Bravo to her! You must be beaming with pride and a bit of relief, for now, LES GRANDES VACANCES COMMENCENT! And for you, August will be a lovely rest for you!
I am going to northern France next summer with a batch of high school students, then moving on down to Paris for the end of our two week tour. The academic year restarts rather early here for us on August 25, which means I need to soak up all the magic of summer that I can in the next few weeks!
Stephanie, everything you share here today is magic. I don't want summer to end, and thank you for adding this special touch to my day.
Grosses bises, Anita
I love to wander through your fragrant posts, :) the delicate pink cardigan is so beautiful and matches the hairpiece so well!
ReplyDeleteMany congratulations to Héloïse! She must have had adrenalin running so high that now her body can rest. Sore throats are usually a sign of that, ironically! I hope you all have a peaceful and restful summer.
Jess xx
Huge congratulations to your very clever daughter! An amazing result! She must be over the moon and exhausted by all the hard work at the same time, but how wonderful for you all!
ReplyDeleteLovely images as ever, the roses and soft pink cardigan are beautiful.
Happy holidays Stephanie!
Gill xx
Stephanie, I am delighted to learn of Heloise's brilliant achievement. Please pass along to her my congratulations. Hoping that she is now enjoying a relaxing time, with all those roses around to bring her sweet scents and beautiful views.
ReplyDeleteAnd, on the topic of beautiful views, may I also tell you that little rosy pink cardigan is truly precious in every meaning of the word. The yarn and design suit each other so well, and as always, your knitting is perfection.
A very happy July to you and yours. xo
Congrats to wonderful Heloise! How fantastic and brilliant she is. Hooray.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Meredith
I'm so glad for Heloise. You must be very proud of her. The cardigan is so pretty, well done.
ReplyDeleteDearest Stephanie ~ Congratulations to your sweet Heloise...well done indeed! Sorry to hear that she is unwell...illness can be dispiriting indeed, particularly during summertime. A bit of herbal tea, along with the fragrance of soft roses, and a mother's gentle touch shall make all the difference surely.
ReplyDeleteYour handwork is ever so lovely...such a delicate colour...rather like the blooms themselves.
Sending hugs your way ...
xox
Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteA million congratulations to your daughter AND to you on such awesome success!
Your photos of Pierre Ronsard roses are so inspiring. In my newly planted little garden, Pierre Ronsard is my favorite climbing rose. I have two of them that are growing happily if at a moderate pace.
I hope your summer travels are relaxing. I too am planning a few road-trips for the summer, as well as an adventure into the world of portrait art that is keeping me busy.
Get-well wishes to Héloïse!
Keri
all that hard work---over all those years....how very very proud you all must be!!!! what a bright future that young lady has ahead of her!!
ReplyDeletebeautiful roses....lovely knitting (as always!!!!)
your daughter is clearly as brilliant as she is beautiful! I can't wait to hear about what this extraordinary girl does with her life. And the roses! lovely. as are the crown and the knit work. (i had a full body allergy attack after I took the state bar exam after law school. stress like that, the body just freaks out! You all deserve a glorious summer rest.)
ReplyDeleteLovely flowers, and sweater, and wreath and what an awesome achievement for Heloise! I hope she rests now and gets well soon. xx
ReplyDeleteHello darling. This news is fantastic! Ho'omaka'i to your talemt and beautifully smart daughter. Hard work pays off and sorry the old stress has now caught up with her. The roses in France are gorgeous and what a cardigan. It is definitely you.
ReplyDeleteA joyful - joy full! - post! Such wonderful news about your daughter, I look forward to hearing what she will do next, she seems destined for great things! I hope she is resting and doing a lot of *nothing* for a while! I find it interesting how the body copes with pressure and stress - it's as if her system knew it had to stay healthy and strong for the exams, and now that they are finished and the results are in, her body just lets go and she catches a cold. That happens to me after most choral concerts, btw! Big hugs to you and yours, I could look at those beautiful, perfect pink roses forever! Chrissie x
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to your daughter!!!! How amazing for her to have such great results, she must have put in an awful lot of very hard work. She definitely deserves a rest, but I hope that her sore throat is better very soon! xx
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to your daughter on such a wonderful achievement (perhaps that sore throat is from all those congratulatory hugs and kisses LOL???)!!! Your pretty pink knit is gorgeous. My hopes and dreams always include a summer trip to Europe, but I have a bigger trip for the fall this year, so it will have to wait! ;-( Have a wonderful summer -- I don't see how it can be avoided given where you live LOL!
ReplyDeleteLiebe Stephanie,
ReplyDeletezunächst einmal möchte ich Héloise ganz, ganz herzlich zu ihrem tollen Abitur gratulieren! Was für ein Ergebnis, Du kannst wirklich sehr stolz auf Deine Tochter sein! Ich hoffe, sie erholt sich schnell von ihrer Erkältung.
Das Jäckchen ist wunderschön, die Farbe steht Dir sicher ganz ausgezeichnet! Ich musste sehr über den "formidable yarn stash" schmunzeln...Du gehörst also auch wie ich zu denjenigen, die Wolle horten, als gäbe es nächste Woche keine Wolle mehr zu kaufen (lach).
Ich werde im August für ein paar Tage eine Gartenreise nach Kent machen, darauf freue ich mich schon sehr, zumal ich schon eine ganze Weile nicht mehr in England war. :-)
Ganz liebe Grüße, Bärbel
congrats to your daughter and that cardigan is stunningly beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteOh Stephanie
ReplyDeleteHow proud you must feel!
Congratulations to Heloise she has done so well. She can now enjoy her vacances!
Because my granddaughters are at school in France I know just how important these exams are!
I planted a Pierre de Ronsard rose last summer - I'm hoping for great things next summer!
Wishing you all a happy happy summer
hugs
Shane
Congratulations to Heloise! That is such an accomplishment! Not that I am surprised as your children are so talented. I wish her a speedy recovery from her sore throat! Ah Pierre de Ronsard roses are so beautiful. I did not know about them before reading your blog. I love the poet though and it's lovely how the flowers are named after him!
ReplyDeleteDearest Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all I am blowing you a kiss from Rotterdam, to thank you for your always sweet and heart warming comments. Whenever I am low, it helps reading them. Your beautiful scarf is one I treasure. I will take it with me on holiday to the UK. It will keep me warm on chilly days. When I remember correctly, I think we are staying close to the town your parents live in.
Congratulations to your beautiful and clever daughter Héloise! Oh to have such high results. Hope she will feel better soon, so that she can enjoy her summer holiday.
The roses and the pink cardigan look enchanting. Such pretty colours!
Wishing you and your family a happy time in Brittany! Have fun!
Madelief x
Well done to Heloise, how fantastic! You must feel so proud. Beautiful images too! :) x
ReplyDeleteHello Stephanie, I've just discovered your lovely blog. Many congratulations to your daughter on a fantastic achievement. I hope she's feeling better soon and getting lots of rest. Your roses are beautiful and so too is your cardigan in that lovely yarn. I look forward to reading many more posts.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Dear Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI know I have already congratulated your beautiful Heloise on FB but such an amazing achievement definitely requires a second round of applause in my book!! (and hopefully a wonderfully long and lazy summer lies ahead before university calls!)
Such a pretty cardigan...I love the colour and the roses are beautiful,,,,
Hope you're having a wonderful weekend,
Susan x
congratulations heloise!!
ReplyDeleterather belated congratulations to Héloïse - that is such a magnificent achievement and you must be bursting with pride. Beautiful knitting as usual from you Stephanie - you always match the perfect colour to the project you are working on and the result is so delicately beautiful. I hope you have a wonderful summer with your family and friends x
ReplyDeletetout est magnifique et rempli de féerie
ReplyDeletebisous français
Nélinha www.mespassionsentoutessaisons.blogspot.fr
What an amazing achievement by Heloise! As intelligent as she is beautiful. I am delighted for her and for all your family. xxx
ReplyDeleteA bit belated from me as I have been enjoying the lake this summer. mI'm catching up on your beautiful posts. Congratulations to your daughter! Absolutely gorgeous pictures with my apple blossom hair wreath flower crown amidst your sweet pink sweater. Many thanks again.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for this nice discovery.
ReplyDelete