Lunar Eclipse from our Texas deck

Holy cow!
The Harvest Moon + Super Moon + Lunar Eclipse combo last night was outstanding!
And we caught it just at the right moment, on a bit of a whim.
Like the first time we saw the Austin bats....just hanging out on a deck and looked up to see a stream of black painting the sky.

We thought the eclipse was going to be later around 11pm/midnight.  But around 9:30pm Central time, Casey walked out on back deck and he immediately knocked on the window for me to come out.  And there she was, all gorgeous in her red gown....like she was going to Homecoming or something.

So I grabbed my camera and tripod and snapped as best as I could.
It was hard to grab focus because the moon itself was so dark.  But here you go.  From our Austin, TX backyard.
Canon 60D, 300mm zoom lens, f 5.6, ISO 800
I especially love the little scatter of stars.

Wow.  How vast is our universe.  How small is our own little world.
Another great reminder of the larger picture.

And just like that around 11pm, it was back to white.  It's cool to see the how the moon has rotated in just one hour.

And I hate to sound so silly by simplifying the obvious....but Space is truly amazing and fascinating!  Just like the internet.  And the human heart.  And cotton candy.

Were you able to see the moon last night??
I loved some of the shots floating around from the west coast, where the pink moon was floating in a pale sky of blue.  So cool! 

red + aqua Texas-Day Dress

I never understood the whole Texas Pride thing until we moved here.
I'd always heard about it.
I'd always wondered about it.
Everyone told me everything's bigger in Texas---(which might be true, especially the square mileage of dusty brown land). 

But once you come live here---or even just visit---you get it!
It's not an ego thing, or feeling like it's better than somewhere else.
And it's not because of that pretty brown grass I know you're jealous of below.   Believe me, I miss California grass and ants that don't bite every day.

It's just that Texans really, really love where they live!
And they want everyone to know it! ---and to come join the fun if you want! 
And if not, we'll eat an extra pound of brisket for you. 

Every Friday at my kids' school, after saying the Pledge of allegiance, and the Texas pledge, and having a moment of silence, they sing a version of "The Stars at Night are Big and Bright".  My favorite line is "living is fun in the Texas Sun...clap, clap, clap, clap.....here at our schoool in Austin!"

Because it is!
We have loved living here in this big land of Texas.  And I've written multiple posts about it here.  There are waterholes for fishing and swimming, football games for cheering, wildflowers for loving, and tons of great food and music for enjoying and date-nighting.    

And I love that my kids get to learn all about Texas at school.  I remember doing a similar thing in California---learning about the history, early settlers, the California Missions....and then making our own 3D mission from sugar cubes and cardboard.  Please tell me they still do that in school....

So for Clara's first "Texas Day" at preschool I gave her my own little version of Texas:

This is a variation on the First Day Dress, which I never seem to get tired of.  There are so many ways to mix it up!  I often think I should put together an "add-ons" package to go with the pattern....with more sleeve options, collars, etc.  Yay? Nay?

Changes I made to this version:
• front and back necklines are cut lower.
• puff sleeves with bias tape binding and elastic strung through the binding.
• gathered skirt, rather than the circle skirt included in the pattern.
• back ties, rather than button closure.

Gingham was a little cliche, but who doesn't love a picnic tablecloth on a tiny body?...mixed with aqua and wildflowers?

Then we threw it together with red boots, which I bought at a thrift store years ago, and which she insisted on putting on herself, and which totally fell apart at school so I glue-gunned the sole back to to the boot for our photoshoot.

The best part about the dress: she loves it.
And wears it almost every week to church.

The best compliment this little cowgirl could give me.
Have a great week my friends!

And thank you, thank you for your kind and honest words in the last post.  It's taken me a couple weeks to shake things off and get back in my groove.  So I appreciate your love.

In the words of Tim Riggins,
Texas Forever.

NEW Pattern --- The Anywhere Skirt! --- for Women + Teens + Girls

We all need a skirt that works for any occasion.
And this skirt can go anywhere!---to the party, to school, to work, to the beach.

It's dainty, but flirty.
It has pockets. YES.
And though it's a gathered skirt, it's quite flattering on all body types.

The Anywhere Skirt Pattern - $9

 

For a while you guys have been asking for patterns for women and teenagers.
This skirt pattern works for both!....and for little girls as well.  But I really love how tailored and fun it looks on the older group.

The Anywhere Skirt is a custom-fitted skirt for ALL ages and ALL sizes.
It comes with a high or low waist and there are minimal gathers at the hips...so it lays beautifully on your body.  And it's made to fit your body dimensions perfectly!

Of course you can also make the skirt FULL--with gathers all the way around.  Cause that's adorable too.  And this black + white gingham version is darling as an extra-full, extra-short beach skirt.  You'll find that the beauty of this pattern is that there are so many ways to mix it up, for any body size, for any occasion, and for any season.

• There are button closures in the front of the skirt (or you can wear the buttons around to the back).
If you've never sewn buttonholes, no worries!  We'll walk through everything together.

• The skirt has an optional sash, which ties around the front or back.

• There's only ONE page of pattern pieces you need to print! Yay!  No piecing pages together. 

• And with a separate waistband, the door is wide open for all sorts of creativity:
Gold pleather?  Satin?  Lace?  Color-blocked?
Options, options, options.

Here are the details...

This is a 25-page PDF document, with detailed information and pattern pieces for sewing the Anywhere Skirt, for any size or any age.

Instructions are easy to follow, with beautiful photos and illustrations, and a conversational tone that helps you feel like I’m right there next to you, joining in the sewing fun! 

I've also included a simplified Cheat Sheet of instructions + Measurement Chart, which you can print and easily reference for future sewing projects. 

SKILL LEVEL

Advanced Beginner - Intermediate
Because this pattern requires a bit of math/calculations, and the ability to sew buttonholes I've labeled it at Advanced Beginner.  Of course I encourage anyone to push themselves and take on a challenge.   So if you’re a true beginner, don’t be scared off...because you know I like to share ALL the details with you in my patterns.   Just be prepared for the process to take a little longer than a beginner project.  So if you're up for the challenge, give it a shot!  Or grab a sewing friend to coach you along the way.  Sewing is always an adventure!

STYLES

The Anywhere Skirt comes in multiple styles and lengths.

Each style has a fitted waistband, front plackets with button closures, and pockets!

Styles shown in this pattern:

• Partially Gathered Skirt

• Full Skirt
• Skirt with a Sash
• Various Lengths: Mini Skirt • Midi Skirt • Maxi Skirt • Knee-length

SIZING

This pattern is for ANY age and ANY size.

It's all based on your exact waist measurement, with ratios and a few calculations.  

So what you end up with, is a skirt that fits YOU perfectly.

FABRIC and NOTIONS

For each Skirt you need:
• 1 1/2 to 3 yards of fabric
• 5-10 buttons
• 1/2 yard of interfacing

The exact amount of fabric needed is dependent on your waist size and the style/length you choose.  It's sort of a choose-your-adventure pattern.  Exciting, right?  It's safe to say that for a woman's or teen size skirt you will need 2-3 yards of fabric.

FABRIC TYPES:

There are so many gorgeous fabrics that work on this skirt--and the best types are wovens. 

My recommendations are: 

Linen, Cottons (quilting weight, light-weight, medium-weight), Silk + Rayon.

DOWNLOADING the pattern
After purchasing, you are sent a link for downloading the pattern to your computer.  This is sent to the email address attached with your paypal account.  It's best to open the pattern link and download it on a computer or laptop (rather than mobile device).
When you open the file:
• First do a "save as" or "export" the file directly to your computer so you always have a copy.
• Then open the file from that saved copy and print the appropriate pages indicated.
• You can then send that file to your phone or ipad.
• The file size is 1 MB

PRINTING
The most exciting part of this pattern is that there's only ONE page of pattern pieces to print!
Hooray!  No piecing pages together!
• Pages print to standard 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper (for printing outside of the US see below)
• Included is a shortened Cheat Sheet of Instructions + Measurement Chart for easy reference, each time you make a skirt.

Printing outside of the US
The pattern was created for standard US printers but should work for other countries as well. There's a measuring box on the pattern page, so you can see if you’ve printed to the proper print size. The pattern images do NOT print to edge of the paper…so I recommend printing to your standard size paper, checking the box, and make adjustments if needed.

And that’s about it!
Ready to Sew??

PURCHASE
The Anywhere Skirt - $9


• Instant payment is through Paypal
• E-check payment through Paypal will delay your pattern download a few days.
• MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE PROPER EMAIL ADDRESS ATTACHED TO YOUR PAYPAL
ACCOUNT. This email address is where the info about your purchase and download instructions will be sent.
• You will receive a few emails confirming your payment and providing info about downloading the pdf pattern to your computer.

When you’ve finished sewing, share your photos with us!
• Instagram them with the tag #anywhereskirtmade and tag me as well @danamadeit
• Share them in the You Made it Flickr group.

3 years old!...and finallly talking

Remember when Clara was a baby and I blogged her progress each month?
I know people always say this---but it really feels like yesterday.
NOT over three years ago.
Three.

Of course when I look back at pics and see the other things that were going on in our life at the same time, I realize how much time has passed---
• Lucy was once in Kindergarten (and still had all her baby teeth still--kids change so quickly when those front baby teeth are gone)
• There was another Celebrate the BOY series
• Casey learned to pickle beets,
•  Owen started school and played 3 seasons of baseball. 
• And we moved into our new home! and said goodbye to the old one.

Things have happened.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, Clara turned into a kid.

That's it!
I have no more babies.
Sorry.  Don't mean to be dramatic.  It's just fun to have documented her milestones these years---since I never did that with the other kids---and to see the girl she's turning into.

She's a girly little goofball.
She can rarely keep a straight face and is often looking at you out of the corner of her eye.
Or she completely closes her eyes with the old "if I can't see them, they can't see me" act.

She loves pink.  She wants to wear a dress every day of her life.
She like cats.  Correction: she loves cats.  And dogs.

She really makes me laugh!
And it's fun to look back at baby pictures---having a better idea of her personality now---because it's like I can see that same little person in her all along....through the serious moments and the needy ones, the sleepy faces, and the giggles.  

She's that same Clara, just a little bigger, and with so many wonderful things to learn.

Raising kids is really amazing!
How are we allowed to do this?

The biggest thing that's changed since my last update is that she talks!
If you follow me on instagram (@danamadeit) I've mentioned a few times that Clara doesn't say much, but I've never gone into the details of it all.
Maybe because there aren't any real details.
We don't know why she hasn't been talking, but she's about a year behind her peers.

When she was 2 years old I didn't worry too much about it, since the other two kids were late talkers.  But by 2 1/2 she still wasn't progressing.  So we went to see a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) and had her hearing checked as well.

The good news is that her comprehension was right on-par for her age, and her hearing checks out fine.  It's always amazing how much you can communicate with your child without words.  90% of the time I know exactly what she wants and needs and what's bugging her.  But I know there is so much more she wants to share with us.

So she mostly has a problem with her articulation and making the proper sounds.  Her language is behind as well, but mostly because she can't articulate what she wants to right now.
BUT.  She has made huge progress in the last 6 months since we started therapy!
I am amazed.
For the last year I watched her peers spouting off sentences with detailed words like "eagle" rather just "bird" and all I hoped was that one day Clara could simply say, "milk?"

It's silly to compare our kids to other kids, because each child has their own timeline.  It's the same battle we face as adults---the compare and contrast. 
Why do we do that to ourselves?
It seems extra ridiculous as I type this out.  
I guess we all want to fit in, and feel accepted....which ironically, is exactly how her school friends treat her!  When Clara walks in the room the girls yell "Clara!" and smother her with hugs.

So, we continue to see a Speech Pathologist once a week, and we work on words with her at home.
And just this week she said to me, "Mom. Watch a show?....turn it up please."
What?!
Um, no we're not watching a show right now....but a sentence!  A (mostly) full sentence!

She can now say all her colors, family names, and is making real efforts to try saying new words....which is a huge improvement. 

So that's our little Clara Cat in a three year nutshell. 
Such a blessing to our family, as our your kids in your lives.
Parenting is one of the hardest things most of us will ever do.  But it has rewards you can never gain anywhere else in life.
Enjoy those crazy kiddos.