Boom! Done.

We took liberties with the pattern (and I mean LIBERTIES). But I like this more than the original pattern. All in all I'm in love with it.

A special thanks goes out to Mama Eaton who made this skirt possible.

Since my parents have been doing the whole "empty nester" thing since 2008, my Mom turned an empty bedroom into her "sewing room." There's still a bed in there. So I told my Mom to stretch out on the bed while I sat at her sewing machine. And I set up season 1 of Downton Abbey on my laptop on the ironing board. She would then direct me from her post and I (to quote Ms. O'Brien from Downton Abbey) "sewed like a cursed princess in a fairytale." We finished this baby in about 4 hours total, spread out over 3 days.

Today I finished up the last few things on my own now that we're back in Palo Alto. I made sure something British ("Emma") was playing though while I finished it up. This is partially because I got a migraine last night. I've been getting migraines since kindergarten, and missed school (on average) about once a month because of it. In high school the nurse's office basically had my emergency contact card memorized. While I waited out my migraines at home, my usual routine was to have Gwenyth Paltrow's "Emma" playing in the background (on VHS! Doesn't that sound weird?) while I curled up on the couch with my eyes squeezed shut, munching an occasional saltine cracker to tame the nausea until the pain slowly petered away hours later.

Well, last night during scripture study, just before lights out, my vision blurred in a distinct way-- the tip off that a migraine is coming. When this happens, alarms go off in my brain and it's almost like I can hear someone shouting "ABORT! ABORT!" I immediately said, "Harry! Migraine! I need Aleve and water STAT!" I may not have said that verbatim but I may as well have. He jumped out of bed lightning fast. He knows the migraine drill pretty well. I downed the pill (normally I take 2 Excedrine but I knew I wouldn't sleep at all if I took that at night), we turned off the light, and I feverishly prayed that I'd fall asleep for the migraine got too terrible to ignore.

Thank Heavens (no, seriously though-- I feel like this was an early Christmas present from Heaven) this morning I woke up, having slept right through the migraine.

Sorry, Universe. You lose.

I guess since I still HAD a migraine last night I felt compelled to watch "Emma" today while I hemmed my skirt and attached the hook and eye to the back. It somehow felt right.

Coming up next: our end of the summer trips to Duck Creek and Monterey Bay. Here's a preview:

So long, summer

Yes, I know what you're thinking. The Dashboard Confessional song is called "So Long Sweet Summer." But I'm not 14 anymore, and it's not 2001, and I don't listen to that song anymore because it still really does make me feel like the fact that summer is over will make me completely depressed for decades to come. And I don't actually feel that way at all.

Speaking of something else, which we weren't, I thrive on routine. I know most people do, so I don't consider that an earth shattering revelation. As much as I've been completely smitten with summer and having nothing to do except be around people I love, my brain is sort of free-floating around in my skull, while it likes to be tightly tethered to its post with a to-do list, a plan, something stable that I can have maximum control over.

So, summer, since you're on your way out the proverbial door, it's been great. I really enjoyed what we had. But… it's not you. It's me. I've realized I have needs. These needs must be met. Or my thighs and waistline will expand faster than you can say "helium balloon." Don't take this too personally. I think you're great. You have so much to offer. Hey, in another year, our paths will cross, and we'll spend time together again, with swimming suits, watermelon chunks, linen skirts, Target sandals, and sunscreen. Until then… I'm going to be spending more time with my good friend, Autumn. We'll be running in the crisp morning air around Palo Alto, meandering around pumpkin patches, making family-recipe Butternut Squash Soup, and not sitting in a swimming pool all day munching homemade cookies. Instead I'll indulge in wooly socks and anything cooked with cinnamon. There may even be a basket-weave hand-knitted scarf or two involved.

Don't take it too hard. We had some great times. I will always remember the tan you gave me and that time I burned my hands on my steering wheel after my car sat in the Las Vegas sun for an hour in an asphalt parking lot.

But you and I both knew this day was coming.

Not-really-so-much yours,
S.A.R.

PS Would you please apologize to Harry for giving him that scalp sunburn? It's not right to treat him that way just because we buzzed all of his hair off.