A Southern Thing

I have a lot of clients in and about the southern region of the United States.
And in the south, we like names.
Yes, we like names so much that we want to be called by all of them.
One of our babysitter's for the boys is named Taylor Raye, for example.
One of Eli's good pals from church is John Mark for even more southern proof.

And Jack Watson's mama wanted him to be called just that.

Jack Watson

A client of mine ordered a baby bundle for this mama for a baby shower gift. His nursery colors are blue and black children's toile.

My client chose to off set the toile with a funky yet classic twist on this black and blue color palette.

The black and white stripes jazzes up the toile and the blue and black gingham lends itself to the classical theme of the nusery toile.

Free motion top quilting in wavy swirls just to mix it up a bit.
And for the backing, my client selected a soft minky dot. k.Mac baby blankets come with your choice of a coordinating satin backing as babies love the soft satin feel or you can opt for a coordinating minky dot to add a heavier weight to the blanket. And babies love the raised dot for a change in texture feel. My blankets are sized so that they are roomy enough to completely bundle a wee one up for the 1st year of life. Then the blanket becomes justtherightsize for the security blanket a little one cAnNoT sleep without. Just ask my niece, Mollye.
The nice part about k.Mac's baby bundles is that you can choose how you want to bundle your baby gift. This particular client selected to do a baby blanket with a coordinating burp cloth set.

Other baby bundles combinations can include:

1. diaper bag with matching changing pad
2. diaper bag with matching changing pad, mommy wallet, and burp set
3. burp cloth set and matching appliqued and personalized onsesies (set of 3)
   That's the beauty of purchasing customized and couture baby gifts.
   You can make it exactly what you want it to be.
   Just like Jack Watson.

Completely unique.
An individual.
Set apart from the rest.

Double names may, in fact, be prominent in the south, but giving exactly what you want as a baby gift doesn't have to be thanks to k.Mac!


.mac :)

The Lucky Leaf

6:30.
Percolating bumbling commences.

A crisp autumness of freckled leaves dances its way onto my eyelids.

s h i n i n g

The air is cool; our quilt is cozy.

With minor rotations and simple shifting, my hand fumbles through covers across the mattress's width, over a soundly slumbering tot.

{fingers sucking. B snuggling}
{A wee hour thief of our bed}

I reach to find him.

My hand's reach is interrupted by the touch of his hand simultaneously seeking my mine.Joining fingers intertwined, we rest them on our thief.

Halloween morning is here.

Sweet slumber steals yet another hour.

Up an attem fills our bellies full of sausage, eggs, Mamaw Hook's homemade cinnamon rolls, and orange juice fresh.

Chatter and squeals are the guests in our home just in time for Halloween.

"I'm gonna get a lot of Kit Kats, bubba""Not as many as me.""Uh-huh. I will too!"

A charming, bubbly anticipation is in the air.
And all 4 of us can feel it.

Daddy sketching out templates for Tin Man's cardboard chest while mama is knee deep in yellow felt with hums and turns of the needle.

And the boys couldn't be happier running in and about us.Pelting out ideas of just.the.right.belt.accessories to consider and "Make sure I have a heart, daddy!" only add to our handmaking jubilee.

Mama and Daddy are on it.

While the boys make one last trip out to find just the right funnel hat for our little Tin Man, I flutter about cleaning up breakfast and thinking....

Bliss.
This is what is feels like.
Pajamas on.
Slippers dancing a 2 step across my kitchen floor.
Dishes clanking out rhythm of my family is full.
Full of love.Full of togetherness.
Full of excitement.
And I am in love.

"Honey, do you think I should use Velcro to close up Case's chest?" to "Kenny, just where exactly should the Batman logo go?"

We are in sync.
Partners in giving our very best to these two we call son.

Pitter patters of little feet and hot wheel squeals die down as evidence of a late night prior is quickly upon us.

Napping with ease, Kenny walks down the steps and the time together is ours.

It is a magical day.

A day where the world around us is still and unnoticeable.

Our minutes pass by diligently jubilant about our tasks at hand. Bouncing finishing touch ideas off one another we stop and smile; our connection as husband and wife only magnifies the love and adoration we have as mama and daddy.

Scissor snip-snips, last minute hairdryer antics, a little crushed velvet hot glue gun action, and a few ziplines of stitches to nip and tuck have us greeting our Halloween rendezvous in a festive flurry of glee and giggles.
Orange plastic buckets never looked so good.

The commotion and bustle of cars on our trek to our spooky destination had all 4 of us chirping of "Ooooh, look I just saw a ghost!" and "I wonder what candy I will get the most!"
And it is at this very moment that I realize I am home. Whether my footsteps are 10 or 10 million miles from our family's residence, it matters not.

I am home.

Home with the memories of this very day, this very moment; my heart is overflowing with right.now.

Eli Garrett is growing taller.
Taller and more in his skin.
He is the super hero of our home.
A delegate of goodwill and fairness.
Of compassion and creativity.
Already established in the pride of hisveryown and confident in not being store bought.

Even when friends are becoming more important to him.
Yes, he is growing into his skin.

And then there's our Tin Man.
A lover and a fighter, this juxtaposition suits him to a tee.
Melting your heart with his bubbly, contagious, passionate personality and then ripping it out with his quick temper and utter desire for justwhathewants.
And about 60% of the time...
it's mama's undivided attention and affection.

A carnival of games and candy tossed in buckets filled our night.

Our boys unafraid to do any impromptu candy switch ups right there before the giver's eyes.
Candy inventory and on-sight preference management is of utmost importance you know.

These 2 are brothers best.

Amid the block building, book reading, train track clicking, and ball tossing, they have one another.
To have and to hit.
To laugh and to love.
To pick and to pester.
To be each other's constant.
Brothers.

The gift of candy.
Free.
Welcomed by the giver and the recipient.
Happy.
Highly anticipated.
Hopeful.
Melt.in.your.mouth.good.

Kinda like life, huh?

Cause we all have the choice to passover the fruit flavored Tootsie Rolls and the generic lollies.
Spitting anything out that need not consume or waste our taste bud's time.

But these 3 morsels?
Are everything I want in my candy bucket.

Our day ended with Halloween clad Tennessee Vols to watch, our traditional pumpkin chili, and mama and daddy sneaks of sweet loot.
With little boys in full slumber only to match the fullness of their candied bellies, Kenny and I nestle in under that same cozy quilt intertwining limbs like a cobweb spun. The crisp autumness is now but the swirling sounds of leaves tousling to and fro in the late evening's air from our bedroom window cracked.

An infinite number of God's glorious beauty just waiting to dance and then find their place.

I am lucky to be one of those leaves.
.mac :)

aLl hAlLoWs' eVe EVE

Man, it's getting spooky around here.

I have jumped and screamed really loudly not once, but twice today.

Bring it, baby!

I thought we would do a little Halloween costume parade here at k.Mac headquarters as somewhat of a pep rally for the BIG 10.31.

1st up...

Eli Garrett in his 1st costume. He was almost 7 months old and what sweet little lion he did make. Believe it or not, this costume is store bought. It is a Tom Arma. These were the years prior to me teaching myself how to sew and beginning k.Mac.

2nd up....

A cowboy. I put the ensemble together and made Eli's vest that said "Sherrif Cobble". I really wanted my kids to be exactly what they wanted to be each and every year. Eli couldn't really say his 1st year, but I worked that boy to death this 2nd year to have him make his very own choice! We even practiced knocking on doors and saying "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you" at the end.

Perhaps the last costume I wore as I child made me this way.

{I have searched the world over for a visual for this only to realize that the only copy of this picture is hanging in my Mom-mommie and Dad-daddy's bedroom.}

My last year of trick-or-treating my mom MADE me be a bag of jelly beans.

5th grade

I.AM.DEAD.SERIOUS.

Not cool, I know.

A bag of jelly beans???

5th grade?

Geez.

What a way to go out, huh?

Well, I think I may have made up for it Eli's 2nd Halloween.

Yep, I think I found peace with my bag o' beans if you will.

By this time, you see, I had begun the beginnings of teaching myself to sew. And well, let's just say I got crafty.

Anybody see Casey face in this picture?!

That's right! I was 6 months pregnant with Casey on Eli's 2nd Halloween. And well, I just had to be a belly dancer. A belly dancer who actually won a Halloween costume contest at that! I like to say Casey helped nudge me into the win column.

How's that for a bag o'beans?

Closure feels good.

Onward to Eli's 3rd Halloween and Casey's 1st

{on the outside of my womb}...

Eli got to pick for the both of them. Eli's was a cinch to make. He specified that he wanted a green collar for his cow bell. Of course, wish granted. I struggled with what to do for Casey. I opted to make a headress that would do nothing short of SCREAM CHICKEN for this sweet nugget of mine. I used a soft felt for the cap and then went to town with a couple of boas and hot glue. Yep, I think my mission of chicken screaming was accomplished. I did think it was strange, however, how Eli decided with such quickness that he was going to be a cow and Casey was going to be a chicken. I mean he was only 2 1/2.

Then one morning in play time on the floor I look over and see this:

Voila. A cow and a chicken.

Observant fellow that Eli is.

Eli's 4th Halloween and Casey's 2nd Halloween...

A green train and a football.

Kenny took the train and I took the football.

We each completely winged it on patterns. Me with my sewing machine and Kenny with his carboard, we worked it out.

Eli aDoReD his costume. It actually had a wood frame on the inside complete with an adjustable safety strap.

Casey was only a 1 1/2 here. He cracked me up not wanting to put his hands outside of the football through the arm holes. Each time I would try to get him to put his arm through, he would shake his head and say "No bootball, mama! No bootball, mama!" The boy was clear in letting me know footballs don't have arms! I had to carry around his candy bucket all for the sake of real.

Which leaves us to this year...

Batman and The Tin Man.

Eli began wanting to be a lobster and then thought lobsters weren't scary enough. Then he decided he would be a bat. Yes, bats were lots scarier than lobsters.

Until...

He eyed a Toys-R-Us catalog and saw a picture of a Batman costume. He has never even seen a Batman cartoon, but came running to me to say, "Look, mom! A bat and a man. I have to be this!"

And so he will be. I have the belt and mask left to make.

And Casey's looks oh.so.fine in his mommy-made silver lamay jumpsuit awaiting the addition of his daddy's craftiness with silver spray paint and carboard. Funnel hat...we are on the look out for a silver one. I have some back up ideas should one not turn up tomorrow on our hunt.

Never fear.

Let's take the time to state here that Casey's intial request for his costume this year was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz not the Tinman.

Kenny quickly made clear to Casey that boys don't be Dorothy.

Casey is infatuated with Dorothy. Her voice, her sparkly shoes. We got ourselves a celebrity crush, there's no denying it.

The boys think Kenny would make a super vampire or dracula and I couldn't agree more. We will see if that Coach Cobble decides to play dress up with us or not.

And me?

Well, as much as I want to be a purple sequined belly dancer AGAIN this year, I can't. Belly dancers only look cute when they have pregnant bellies.

So, I am going to be a witch!

This was my all-time favorite costume to wear on Halloween. A close 2nd was a gypsy, but the black hat always did it for me!

My costume has yet to be made.

This witch better shake her broomstick and get on it or all she will have on for Halloween is that black hat!

Now THAT is scary!

.mac-a-boo :)

The Batstreet Boys

Halloween is just my favorite.
It is.
I really think to be born on Halloween would be the ultimate.
Think about it.

Free candy
Parties to attend
EVERYONE in costume.

{THE BEST.}

Now, I have 2 boys. And with 2 boys, you kinda have to think outside the sewing box when it comes to making handmade shirts for Halloween.

Me: "I can't wait to make the boys some cute shirts for Halloween."

Kenny: "Do what?"

Me: "You know some appliqued shirts with their names on them."

Kenny: "Meg. Seriously?"

Me: {SIGH. GRUNT. STOMP} "Look, I am making the boys cute Halloween shirts. I am. I don't have a girl and making for my children is what I adore. It's GOING to happen."

Kenny: "Okay. Just don't do any kind of patterned fabric."
{SHAKING HIS HEAD AS HE WALKS OFF}

Well, I went with a little patterned fabric, didn't I?
And their best buds had to have matching shirts too.

Why?

CAUSE THEY ARE THE BATSTREET BOYS!!
Let's meet the band, shall we? Meet Eli.

The eldest lover of trains and follower of all safety protocol in our home.
Age: 4 1/2
Favorite food: carrots
Favorite hobby: drawing trains in his journal {as of last week}
Favorite mischief: tempting his little brother to race him in the house
Halloween costume: Batman

Meet Garyn.

A ratta-tat-tapping marching band man.
Age: 27 months
Favorite food: grapes and bananas
Favorite hobby: playing with his train table
Favorite mischief: screaming holy terror when his mom and dad drop him off at his Sunday School classroom.
Halloween costume: Lion

Meet Casey.

The youngest spitfire in our home obsessed with his mama, getting his way, his "B", and playing football.
Age: 2 1/2
Favorite food: chips {great, I know.}
Favorite hobby: tackling
Favorite mischief: tackling
Halloween costume: The Tin Man

And last but not least, meet Brayden.

Neighbor one street over and full of handsome mischief and squeals of fun.
Age: 19 months
Favorite food: string cheese and LOTS of it.
Favorite hobby: block building and tearing down
Favorite mischief: climbing stairs when you already have told him no.
Halloween costume: dinosaur

Of course, my boys got to break their Batstreet Boys stage gear in first.

Nick Carter and A.J. McLean don't have nothin on these faces.

And we struck a mean face pose to be sure daddy would agree that real men can wear appliqued shirts.

Daddy approved.

Eli gettin' spooky with it.

Casey in true mean form.
Then The Batstreet Boys were off to their 1st gig.
The Pumpkin Patch on Signal Mountain. A playground of true bliss and kid wonder. Some of the best sliding action you can find this side of the Mississippi.

Garyn ready on the drums to pound out any swing set beat.
And Brayden hip on the mike with squeals of joy.
After a gig, The Batstreet Boys need refreshments.

Pumpkin frosted sugar cookie from The Bread Basket will do just fine.

But wait!

The Batstreet Boys ain't no fools.

They know any good band has one amazingly beautiful and totally decked out hot chic on stage with them.

Wearing something like this maybe?

Complete with all the girly bells and whistles.

And hair accessories.

One must not forget hair accesssories.

Or their mama.
And frosted pumpkin sugar cookies too.
Meet Mollye.

Back up singer with vocals and head bobs like no other.
Age: 15 months.
Favorite food: Goldfish
Favorite hobby: Playing dress up.
Favorite mischief: throwing herself on the floor and playing dead with evil stares at you when she doesn't get her way.
Halloween costume: A Pink Ladybug

So, anyone in need of a great band or great handmade outfits and shirts, contact The Batstreet Boys' manager at meghan@kmaccreations.com.

"Cause I want it that way."

.mac-a-boo

Cleaning Off The Cobwebs

Life is full of cobwebs.
Being the week of Halloween, I thought this post was only "fitting".

Think about it.
There's this spider in your life.
She works ever-so-dilligently plotting and planning her next architectural silk design.
And then she begins her spinning.
Spinning.
Spinning you that is.
Out of control.
Off track.
Twisted and confused.
Stuck in a fit of YOU.
{thank you to my neice for allowing me to capture this fit in full swing}
Yes, before you know it, you are all tangled up in YOUR matters.
Laughter and love flow lessen.
Rage and inner fits of bad, twisted talk set in.
And well, you lay straight down on the floor refusing to participate in life around you.
No one can provide a way out of this silken maize. {note Eli's feet and hands on the ready}
You just lay there until you've made the choice.

The choice to climb up out of the twistedness stretching and tearing each spin of ugly.
And that's not to say that same spider in one form or another won't try to spin you back into her evil clutches.

Her web is masked with complacent people, negative attitudes, catty comments, self doubt, poor planning, and just down and out laziness at times.

But breaking free only takes an attitude of goodwill and strength.
Consistent stroking and swatting of the webs will hack your way out.
And then you just stand up and dust yourself off.
Grab hold of something real and something steady in your life.
And don't let go.
Clean yourself off.
Regain your focus.
And with clearer vision be on the ready to duck and avoid the cobwebs in your path.

.mac-a-boo :)

p.s. A special thanks to k.Mac's thematic cobweb inspired Halloween Mollyemade outfit with matching hairbow for visual post enhancement.

Quick and Sweet

That would be Eli and his learning as well as the announcement of the winner of April's k.Mac Sling Fling!

He wanted to help.
Stuck right by my side and figured out our total number contestants too. Then wrote the numbers.Waited patiently for mama to cut them up quickly and then it was showtime!

Congratulations, MysteryHistoryMom! Contact me at meghan@kmaccreations to hand over those 3 little letters and one nice address!

Thanks to all who entered this giveaway. I really liked hearing your answers to my questions of choice. Toenail polish, Halloween candy, and good books are totally some of my favorite things!

If you weren't the winner, no worries! You just keep right on playing. There will be several giveaways within the month of November as to gear up for Christmas and the season of giving!

Now off to tend to my little helper who has now a fever of 103. :(

My sweet sick little man...

.mac

~A Delightful Delay~

Ladies and yes, the ONE gentleman that have entered the BIG k.Mac handbag giveaway,

Blame the tardiness in my unveiling on these girls. They arrived a bit earlier than anticipated, and well, the boys and I have had to just scoop them up ever since.

Cousin lOvE never felt so good.

The winner will be announced Tuesday, October 20th FOR CERTAIN peeps!

Keep those fingers crossed until then!!

.mac :)