And on Valentine’s day, we moved.

I know I’m behind on the new home updates (and the old home projects) but life keeps whirling by.  And last week, we finally moved!

It’s a funny thing spending a year building a new home, watching it every step of the way, anticipating the time when you’ll be there, kind of longing for the next big thing.

And then when the big day comes and all that’s left in the old house is your tiny daughter, slurping down a lemon-berry slush the size of her head….you suddenly realize how good this home was too you….and how–just like your favorite college roommate of 4 years–you’re really going to miss her blue personality and smooth blonde feet.

I honestly didn’t think I’d be so sad saying goodbye to our first home.  I mean, it’s just 3 miles down the road from the new place.  I can drive by any time.  But even typing this makes me a little teary eyed.  Maybe because I see how much we’ve grown as a family and how MADE has grown as a blog here in this house.  And it makes me think back to how it was when we first moved in…..

…and the moving truck didn’t show up for 4 days, so we hung out in camping chairs with Grandma and Jenga.

I keep thinking how little the kids were then.  Owen was the same age that Clara is now.  And how personalities (and faces) never change….

Life seemed simpler, and yet harder in other ways.

Being in a new state and far from family, we learned to make new friends, explore new places, to steer clear of fire ants, to eat Texas BBQ at gas station restaurants.

We watched our place go from a house to a home.



We watched Lucy’s feet touch the ground,

and Owen’s knees pass up the handlebars.

We had ice cream on the back porch,

and pirate adventures.

And then one day, there were three.

This will always be the house that Clara came home to.


and where she grew into the spunky little two-year-old we love.

Some things will come with us to the next house.

And some time-outs we’ll leave behind.

And we have you–little blue house–to Thank for the good ride.

Of course I still have many home improvement posts to share here on MADE, so I guess it’s not an official goodbye yet.

It’s just time to make new memories at the new house.
But with the same old hearts.

More to come!

  1. What a beautiful post Dana. I especially love those pictures of then and now. Have an amazing Blessed adventure in your new home with wonderful new memories to be made with the kids. Looking forward to see more posts on the new home!

  2. You are making me cry here! Beautiful post. When one door closes, another opens. Enjoy the new chapter in your lives!!

  3. 3) Laura J.

    I totally just cried for our old house while reading this. And we moved almost three years ago. It was the first house we owned (we technically still own it but rent it out), and it’s where we brought our baby home and enjoyed (and survived) her first 9 months. ACK! Tearing up again!! Our new house has been a fantastic adventure, but there will always be something special about that first home. Cheers to you & yours on your new place!

  4. You almost made me cry too 😉
    How precious are all those moments and photos! That house is, of course, full of beautiful memories!
    In my family, we’re not used to move at all! My parents still live in the house they bought when I was 5… My husband designed ours so we can stay there when we’re really old and barely can move 😉 I really have a hard time imagining living anywhere else… except for moving to a total other country maybe 😉

  5. 5) ira lee

    awww!!! look at how they have grown!! i loved the comparission shots!

  6. 6) J

    Beautiful. Congratulations on the move!

  7. 7) Nicola

    Lovely post, made me cry, we are moving soon so I sympathise with those highs and lows.

  8. Oh, you made me cry…

    What a beautiful post.

  9. 9) Penny

    sweet sweet sweet post
    treasured memories for your family for sure – hurray for photography and pictures
    new memories in another beautiful house to make – which will make it your beautiful home for your beautiful family – congratulations and enjoy!

  10. 10) Dagny

    Ah, that post totally made me tear up. It’s so fun to see how much your kids have grown. It’s funny how attached our memories are to places. I was so ready to move from our small condo two years ago but I was a little sad to leave when the time came. Thanks for sharing.

  11. 12) Krista Hansen

    I’m tearing up thinking about our old house we left almost 2 years ago. The first house we lived in and brought our first two babies home to. A house our youngest never knew. We still drive by it sometimes, only 20 minutes away.
    “Life seemed simpler, and yet harder in other ways.” So True for me too!
    Thanks for the sweet post today!

  12. What a beautiful farewell post to little blue house! Can’t wait to see all the new memories you make in your beautiful new place!

  13. 14) Elizabeth

    What a sweet tribute to your house!

  14. 16) Jean D

    What a sweet post. I can’t wait to see all the happy celebrations you have at the new home. How exciting for you all! I wish you all the best.

    -from little ol’ Tucson

  15. 17) Carolyn Thornley

    Going to be hard to say goodbye to ours at the end of the month.
    Good times in one place always converts to good times in a different place. I keep holding onto that thought.

  16. Though as a military family we do it more than “normal” folks, it is always a little sad saying goodbye to somewhere that was home(even if it was just for a year).

  17. 19) Sara

    This post made me emotional! Ha! Those pictures are absolutely priceless- the two of Owen making the same expression literally made me lol. So sad but so fun too. Fun trip down memory lane. Feels like just yesterday you told us you were moving there as we sat on the side of the altisma baby pool (is it weird that I remember that?)

  18. 20) Yolande R-J

    Awwww, you totally made me cry over here…Such a sweet post….Keep up the good work and I wish you all the best at your new home. Looking forward to many more wonderful blog posts from you.
    Cheers!!!

  19. 21) Gail

    …made me tear up too… we built our log home 23 years ago but I still miss the other house, the neighborhood, and friends. It’s hard to let go… Looking forward
    to new post of your new adventure in this home….

  20. 22) Charlotte

    This is just so beautiful and what brilliant ideas! Xx

  21. This blog post. So many emotions it invokes. You’ve got me thinking about our little house and the incredible things that have gone on there in the lives of our three little ones.

    Thank you, Dana.

  22. 24) mrs r

    Awww… what a beautiful goodbye! I love the photo of Owen on the circular mat (and Lucy’s sweet smile, the then-and-now duck faces and Clara’s little leg rolls – oh, I love all of them!). We moved a few months ago from a home we had spent 10 years renovating and refreshing to a new-to-us home a few miles away and I feel the same way: So many memories, so much of ourselves poured into it, so many things learned about life and ourselves. But now there’s a new canvas (with beautiful light that streams through the windows and trees all around) for a whole new book of memories. Thank you for sharing your journey with us. Good luck in your new home – I can’t wait to see decorating posts (and new sewing posts from your new studio)!

  23. 25) dannyscotland

    You made me cry and I didn’t even go anywhere! Congratulations on your move!

  24. Congratulations! That was a very sweet post even to those of us who don’t know you personally, so I can only imagine how much it means to you! Happy unpacking and new homing! 🙂 Lisa

  25. aw how fun are these photos?! love that you recreated some old ones, that’s adorable. moving is always bittersweet but so exciting too – can’t wait to see your new home all decked out. 🙂

  26. 28) Claudia

    Awww! Only the best as you feather your nest! My own new home awaits me too. Not down the road tho, but 200 miles away. After son graduates high school we begin anew! Love to my lil nest of 18 years that beautifully held my family! Hello to our new place anxious for us to fill it with our love! We are all so very lucky indeed! ❤️

  27. Sooo sweet.. the before after photos of them riding bikes and feet touching the ground are all simply so nostalgic.. very nice.. loved it.

  28. 30) Katy Roberson

    I totally know the feelings you are having right now. I was eager to leave the town that we owned our first home, but now I can only look back on our times there with a smile on my face. Families sure do make our time on earth more bearable and memorable.

  29. 31) sorahart

    What a lovely tribute to your old home and how to look forward to the future while remembering the past. I have been reading your blog for a long time–I think you still lived in CA then!

  30. 32) Cammie

    We built a house and finished about 5 months ago, but since my husband is in the national guard we haven’t moved in, instead we moved to CA for a year and some renters moved in. Thinking about that house there are a few elements that I still question, like our fan. Then I saw it in your house and I feel confidant with my choice. Thank you for that!
    Your former house was darling and your new house will be darling, too. I can’t wait to see the rest of it!

  31. 33) margaret

    How wonderful that you have documented it all for your children to enjoy in the future!

  32. Aww man. I teared up. Good luck to you and your new home!

  33. Love this so much Dana. You do have a way with images and words and storytelling. A great great quality to have. I can’t wait to hear more about the new place!

  34. 36) skye

    Congrats on the new house! Soooo many new memories to be made!

    I was tickled to see in your pics what appears to be the very same fruitwood china cabinet that I own. Mine was a medium-varnished cast-off from a friend (it was heading to the dump) that I rescued by painting it black and papering the back with black-on-white toile wallpaper. It’s in my dining room, filled with silver pieces, metalware and stoneware, and is a favorite perch for my cats (sigh).

  35. 37) Lynne Tilley

    That was just a wonderful post! I love all your before/after pics, and look forward to the new ones! Good luck in your new home. It’s always fun to start a new adventure. I’m a Texan, and I hope you are enjoying being here, and continuing.

  36. 38) angie s.

    Congratulations! I just did that very thing this summer. We left our home of 13 years where we got married in, brought home our two babies, and my fur baby. It was sad, but wonderful to build a house together. It reminds me that home is where my heart is- my family.

  37. 39) jas

    Great post. We just sold the home we built and raised our family in and will be moving to be closer to the kids! We decided life is too short and precious to be far from those you love. We look forward to this new adventure as I am sure you do. Enjoy!!

  38. 41) Allison Hansen

    Most beautifully written post to date. XO.

  39. 42) Queenie

    Beautiful family… Love to read your blog.

  40. 43) AA_Mom

    I can see that MADE is going to soar higher and higher in the new house if you write as you did here – truly from the heart.

    It is such a joy to watch your beautiful children. God bless.

    Congrats on the move Dana.

  41. What a sweet post! And, I have to say, I’m so impressed with your photo organization! To have all those photos you can post side-by-side to illustrate the changes…What a treasure.

  42. thank you for sharing your memories – I have tears in my eyes!

  43. 46) Denise

    Dana, this was a beautiful post expressing so many lovely feelings….many of which I’ve too have had in our moves. BUT I LOVE your new flooring! Please tell me more…brand, color, etc. We’re getting ready to build and it’s gorgeous! Please share 🙂

  44. 47) Connie

    Very NICE Dana!

  45. 48) Nan

    Awwh, that brought tears to my eyes. Those are wonderful memories and thank you for sharing that with us.

  46. 49) mindy

    Ohhh… I’m another one who cried! It is so sweet that you captured so many darling photos of those precious kiddos. You will Love your new home. There is nothing better than designing your own special spaces. Blessings on your memories and the future in your new place. I’ll be waiting to see more here on MADE! {PS, I’m still making skirts from several of your patterns for the little girl in my life..Thanks for that}

  47. You have a beautiful smile, and that’s a compliment because I’m a dental hygienist

  48. You have a beautiful smile, and that’s a compliment because I’m a dental hygienist

  49. You have a beautiful smile, and that’s a compliment because I’m a dental hygienist

  50. Smooth transitions to you, Dana! And happy thoughts for a big new adventure in your new pad.

  51. 55) Käthe

    WOW! What an amazing before and after. A great way to say goodbye and look forward to tomorrow.

  52. 56) Jackie

    I have to admit- that tugged at my heart strings a little. I feel like I have been with your cute little family as mine has grown alongside yours. You helped fuel my love for sewing/crafts and helped give a SAHM a little sanity:) Here is to new adventures in your gorgeous new home!

  53. 57) Sian

    This just totally made me cry! We’re packing up the house our 1st and 3rd babies came home to (with a 4 year stint in Australia in between) and although we’ve outgrown this home and we’re so excited to be going to somewhere bigger I suddenly feel so sad for this little house, especially as its been bought by an investor so will be rented out probably have a stream of people in and out for a while. I hope one day it’ll get a new family to love it like we have :)xx

  54. 58) iHeartQuilting

    Aw, I got teary just looking at your pics of the kids. Congratulations on your new home and you will now have many more memories to build.

  55. Sniff, sniff. Why am I teary eyed?! Maybe because I am one of many who has been privileged to watch these little babes of yours grow up for YEARS! Just CRAZY to see…they have grown up so much!! It’s happening over here too and it’s just kinda hard to take but totally exciting at the same time. I’m so happy for you.

  56. 60) Ebony

    Oh, this post! The comparisons you made were just beautiful. You have so many memories to make ahead of you. My little family & I packed up our lives {& our beautiful family home} and made the move from Australia to Thailand nine months ago. We’re here for at least another year & a half, but I often get bouts of homesickness, & I miss the place where my children first came home to. Looking forward to your future house posts!

  57. Wow that was strange. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but after I clicked submit my comment
    didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over
    again. Anyhow, just wanted to say excellent blog!

    • 62) Dana

      Ah man. Sorry about that 🙁
      But thanks for leaving a comment and for stopping by!
      – Dana

  58. Congrats Dana! Good luck with getting everything in order with the new house! Beautiful memories.

  59. 64) Spencer

    This is a very touching post, Dana. Thanks! It made me think back to the places we have lived with our family, adding new babies to the count and watching them grow up. It’s really an important experience to take a seemingly simple idea of a house that becomes a special place with a soul called a home.

  60. oh gosh this post just made me cry!!! THE HORMONAL PREGNANT LADY SHOULDN’T BE READING BLOGS.

  61. This was so sweet, Dana. You’re so good at capturing memories. Just lovely.

  62. I really love this post. Your photos are beautiful, and I laughed out loud at Owen’s faces matching.

    My then two-year-old son asked about “our old house” for months after we moved into our current one, even though it was just a short term rental while we finalized buying this one, and my husband loves to point out the houses in this neighborhood he lived in as a child. Houses can hold a lot of memories.

  63. What a fun adventure! We built our home too, so I so know what you mean! It’s crazy that our new baby (he’s almost 2) is bigger than our “other” baby was when we moved in! I know you’ll be making many many more amazing memories in the new place! Congrats!!!!

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