Moving On.

...to WordPress!

That's right, y'all ... with a huge shoutout of thanks to Kat (and Steve) for encouragement and technical support, I have launched my very own WordPress blog

mere-et-filles.com

I'm sure the transition won't be 100% smooth ... and I obviously have a lot of work to do - still. But I'm excited about the opportunities that WordPress offers and hope you'll stick with me through the process.

Happy Tuesday!

posted on my new blog today

Weekending.

Looking back on my photos from the weekend, Friday night seems like ages ago (maybe because I've had two solid nights of sleep since then?!)

Yes, I got to spend the evening with my two favorite little guys ... who are full-speed non-stop ... until they fall asleep. I then had almost two hours to myself at their kitchen counter. a pleasant change of pace from my own. as was the pizza salad Katie ordered me for dinner ... and the espresso that I had after the glass of wine. The TV show is The Brief on Amazon Prime. sadly only eight episodes (and I still have one to go).

The rest of the weekend was almost all about the knitting.

The top row was Saturday - with friends, on my own, watching a new Triple Crown winner. And then about 4:30 yesterday ... bound off ... and a little later, Holly-approved.

This morning I wove in the ends, then washed and dried (in the machine!) Super pleased with the results, but you'll have to wait a few more days to see.

Despite what these photos say, I really did not spend the entire weekend inside. The weather was nice. We had blue skies and clouds, a run and a walk (and two rounds of golf). The butterfly bush in our front yard is full of blooms and bees ... and I can only hope the butterflies get the memo that we're ready for them.

Happy Monday!

Cheers | Frosé.

Did y'all know that tomorrow is National Rosé Day? I didn't know that when I started planning today's post, but I'm quite pleased with the timing!

I'll admit that when I first heard about frosé (frozen rosé), I rolled my eyes. But after a few weeks of seeing it over and over in my Instagram feed, I decided to investigate. Turns out there are lots (seriously, google frosé and you get nearly 1,000,000 results!) of variations. Freezing the rosé ahead of time, adding fruit, adding simple syrup, mixing in other liquors ... long-time readers probably know that "make ahead" is not my favorite kind of cocktail and I don't go for sweet. I also love to use more than one bottle from my liquor cabinet.

After a lot of searching and a little experimenting, I think I've found one that meets all my criteria.

Frosé - serves 2
(inspired by Southern Twist)

6 oz rosé (nothing expensive ... think like you're making sangria)
1 oz vodka
1 oz St. Germain
1 oz lemon juice
6 strawberries, hulled and halved
3 cups ice

Add everything to the blender and blend until smooth.

Cheers! and have a wonderful weekend!!

Three on Thursday | Shopping Plans.

I'll be in New York next Thursday and while Sara works, I have plans to meet up with Diane for lunch and shopping at Purl Soho. Purl is one of my favorite yarn shops, but they sell fabric too. I've never spent much time in that part of the shop, but this trip, I will!

Thinking that Sara's blanket is going to leave a nice big opening in my suitcase, I'm planning to buy yarn and fabric. These are the three projects I have in mind:

1. Uniform Tunic, View A, in watercolor linen.

2. Lotta Jansdotter's Kiomi Dress (from Everyday Style) in a Liberty print.

3. Terrace Wrap in Cattail Silk.

Truth be told, I have a couple of other projects floating around in my head (maybe a long-sleeved tunic like View B, or two more skeins of Cattail Silk to knit Sayer) but it's Thursday, so I'm limiting myself to three. We'll see what happens next week!

Head on over to Carole's to see more three-fer's!

Unraveled Wednesday | The Blanket's Tale (part four).

Joining in with Kat and friends to share what I hope is the final in-progress update on Sara's blanket. I leave for New York next Wednesday and my plan is to have the finished blanket wrapped and packed on Tuesday!

As long as I don't lose focus, I should be fine. That row marker (7 repeats into the fifth and final color) tells me I have 23 repeats to go. I was averaging five repeats a day until this past week (when I slowed down a little) ... and if I can get back to that pace I'll finish with a couple days to spare. A few of you asked how big it would be. I'm guessing about 43" wide and 55" long, but the yarn is super wash and it could be bigger (which wouldn't be a problem). I have one more skien of the main color ... the end is definitely near!

The slower pace of knitting was partly because there was less TV (and we still haven't seen the latest Patrick Melrose), but also because there was other cool stuff to do.

Like a pedicure.

same color as last time - a coat of OPI's Frenchie Likes to Kiss topped with a coat of Bubble Bath - new summer favorite!

Two visits with my friend Deena

Deena's knitting Sunset on the Plateau ... it's gorgeous and has us both very excited for Kirsten's upcoming MKAL

and her dog Roxie.

yes, it felt very weird to have another dog on my knitting ... but I know Sara would love Roxie!

and two meetings of the author selection committee for this November's book festival.

I couldn't knit during the meetings because we moved quickly - reviewing over 60 books in the two two-hour meetings! - and I was taking fast and furious notes. But Deena is the co-chair of the committee and had to be there early. No problem, I said!

At the end of last night's meeting, each of us got to vote for our top 22 books. The first 15 or so were easy choices for me ... but the last few were tough. The committee leaders meet tonight to review all the votes; the final slate, taking into consideration the authors' schedules will be available in August. Some of the books I loved are already out and I plan to start reading as soon as I can track them down (these are books I will likely buy because I will - hopefully! - have a chance to meet the authors). More to come (since of course all of this is still confidential!)

I'm pretty sure Sara would enjoy a few of the books, too ...  maybe curled up on her sofa with the blanket!

I hope you're having a good week ... and sharing at least a few good experiences with your knitting!