And the winner is...

WOW.

Thank you for the great response to k.Mac's 1st 2009 giveaway! I am so thrilled to have a bundle of names from which to toss in a bowl and tousle my fingers through.

When I first decided to write a blog for k.Mac, I was torn on which direction the blog should go.

I spoke with several of my dearest friends in business arenas for advice and direction.

You see, I love to write. I love finding connections between the simplicities in life and the complexities of the heart and mind. I love to laugh and be silly. I love my family.

The above reasons alone could keep me writing for days whether a single soul read it or not. Just check my closet for the journals of my yesteryear.

But blogging is so much more invigorating to me. For reasons such as:

1. I hate my own handwriting. Thus, typing is right up my alley.

2. I am a visual person. Let's Cap Lock that shall we? I AM A VISUAL PERSON. Hence, I love putting pictures most times multiple in nearly every post.

3. I love to connect. I am a people person and always have been. If somehow I can make someone smile, bring someone a laugh, or make someone want to say, "Man, I feel the same way", or perhaps maybe even inspire someone to step boldly out and reach for their own dreams then I consider this blog a success.

4. I love to talk. My husband. My poor, poor husband.

When deciding the exact direction this blog would go, I heard advice such as "just write about your business adventures and use it to give your designs publicity" and then I also received advice that was more along the lines of "people don't want to hear about your family, they want to hear about your bags."


Then one of my dearest friends said, "Just be you. Write about your life. Write about it all."

And that made perfect sense.

So, like how my kitchen looks at the end of most days, I chose to let this blog meander and mumble of many things. The piles of dishes in my sink could easily be compared to the stories of my boys and all their hilarity's. The stack of mail and newspapers where I have neglected to cut out Sunday paper coupons can be the poems I write about my life. The frappin' and I do mean frappin' dishwasher that ALWAYS needs unloading it seems could be the designs in my dreams, on paper, or products made. The crumbs crusty and crunchy on the floor causing me to wear my house shoes 24/7 are the memories I write of loved ones gone and news one who have arrived. And the refrigerator ON GOING grocery list can always signify the journey of my soul always adding one more thing to my list of "make that happen" or "never forget that."

I consider writing in my top five of my favorite things to do. Just from this giveaway post, I connected with so many ladies that read my blog. Some of them even sent emails to tell me how touched they were and how much they could relate to some of the words and feelings that I had written in other posts. I had several that had no clue that I even had a business let alone a blog too.

Which tells me 2 things.

1.k.Mac is growing. And this does my heart proud. Not by the number of bags and handmade items that I might sell, but because of the connections that are being made. Just knowing the handful of ladies that thanked me for a word I wrote and a thought I shared brings this all to fruition.

2. More connections need to be made. As a business owner, I have a great responsibility. I have the responsibility to create. To create a place where people want to come to read. A place where people want to share a laugh or leave a comment or repsonse. I have the reponsibility to create a place where k.Mac is known for its pride in custom designing and providing the customer with quality products and opportunities for creative one-of-a-kind purchases.

So I am going to continue that whole "just be you" thing and write about it all. But, I am also going to work to make this a place where people come to find joy, relate, begin the custom designing process with excitement, purchase handmade items, AND...

have chances to win something for themselves from time to time!

I hope from now on I can consider you ALL "my happy crowd of regulars!"

Now, what was I forgetting? hmmmm...

OH YEAH! Just teasing!

So, here are the names all ready set:


And here they are all ready to be picked:


[Insert suspense here if you haven't already scrolled down to justgettothewinner]

And the winner is....


Congratulations, Karson!

You have just one a free designing session with k.Mac. Contact me via email (meghan@kmaccreations.com) and we will begin designing your very own k.Mac creation from the ground up!

I plan to document all our email discussions as well as how Karson finalized her fabric collection to share in a post on how the k.Mac custom designing process works.

Hopefully this will help others the see the fun in virtual designing with k.Mac.

And as for the rest of you girlies...

Well, I couldn't leave you completely out! You all each receive a FREE monogram with your purchase of a k.Mac bag design. So, check out our bags and have fun with designing your own bag too! There are also 4 new bag designs on the horizon for spring if you would like to wait it out for some of our newest creations.

Thanks so much for participating. Y'all come back now, ya here?

.mac :-)

Straight Up: A Giveaway

Yo readers,

It's time for a giveaway.

You have until Friday afternoon to comment.

I am not telling your prize.

Okay, I will give you a hint: k.Mac goods.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post.

By Friday afternoon, got it?

Hmmmm. Wonder who's gonna win?

Signed...

Sneaky .mac :-)

p.s. Bloggers, mention this giveaway in one of your posts and your name goes in twice for the drawing. Make sure to let me know by commenting a 2nd time.

Two

It comes after 1 and before 3.
It also happens to be the age of my little baby.
Casey McGill Cobble spent his birthday here:

The boys and I loaded up and headed to Aunt Kristi's (more affectionately known as Tee-Tee's) house. She was gracious enough to have us for the week as Uncle Tony (more affectionately known as Tone-Tone) was out of town on business.

What a great way to spend your 2nd birthday, huh?


When we found out that our second child would be born in late January/early February my first thought was, "What in the world is this kiddo going to do for fun on his birthday?" I mean, we live in Tennessee. We rarely see snow in the winter. Our climate is more of a dismal overcast palette mildly chilly and moderately warm.

So thanks to this fun aunt, whom if you remember also had a BIG bash surfside:

Casey got the beach for his 2nd birthday celebration!

All bundled up, we made our way to the waves with sand toys to play:


We teeter-tottered on the drain pipes playing russian roulette with the icy cold tide:

Chasing sea gulls,
Whipping winds,
Jagged seashells found.

Casey actually became infuriated with the tide as it silently and ever-so-secretly snuck up behind he and his brother scattering their sand toys about.

Casey screamed at the water in perfect Casey style: "No, wawtr! No stealing me and bubba's toys!"

The day was also spent making his birthday cake.



Tee-Tee and I merely watched and provided crowd control around the mixer and sprinkles.


It is here that I would like to thank their cousin, Taylor, for so thoughtfully selecting the cake flavor:


You guessed it: RED VELVET.

Pay backs are gonna be so sweet when it is her turn to have children!

Casey's birthday wish...

I would imagine from the looks of the icing around his face that this is a picture of Casey's birthday wish granted:

(Boys and their immediate gratification...it never changes for them does it?!)

My little boy...

I didn't even know that Kristi had taken this shot until after we returned home and was looking at the pictures once the kiddos were off to dreamland. This picture holds so much meaning for me. On the 22nd of January, 2 years ago at 7:41 in the morning, we were given Casey McGill.

To have and to hold.
To show and to shape.
To provide and protect.
To inspire and instill.

To love.

In this photo, Casey's eyes are fixed intently on the sailboat out in the distance. Not long after this picture was taken, he alerted me to the sailboat so that I could see it too. We stopped and watched it bob and bounce on the ocean's dance floor. We talked about the wind making its sails "go."

Casey kept saying, "I want it, mama. I want it."
To which I replied, "One day you you can be the captain of a sailboat and take it for a rocky wave ride if you want. One day when you get bigger."

And all that I said to him is true.

One day, Casey will have his sights set on something greater, something big, something spectacular just for him. Until then it is my job to hold him tightly in against my skin shielding him from the chlling winds that sometimes may blow. It is my job to carry him with my thoughts and prayers through the good times and rocky spots. It is up to me to show him the turbulence the waves of life have to offer and help him find the strength in surfing through them with the gifts that God has given him. It is my job to keep his eyes fixed intently on the hope his future holds.

And I am lucky to have this little sailor.

Keep your eyes on the sailboat, my sweet Casey face.
Happy 2nd birthday, Rudy.


.mac :-)

This LONG weekend.

Swirls and slushes,
Rumbles. Roundabouts.
A tossin' and a turnin',
Oh sweet son, just let it out.

No-nos plead and stomp with agony,
Make it stop. Go aways shout internally.

Drifts of slumber 10 feet high,
Cascade in and then quickly melt on by.

Try a sip,
Nibble on this,
Maybe too much,
Uh-oh, here comes the re-gift.

A youngun that aches and wants his B,
Waiting and listening for the dryer's final twist,
Out soon will come his bed bud,
From a soiled bathtub swish.

Next it's my big boy,

He awakens to a mucky spill,
Burning the midnight oil...
Mama, Aunt Tee-Tee, and of course, the laundry room bill.

Rinse off, lie back down, cuddle real tight,
Prayers of healing and heartache,
Float out and up into the dark heavenly night.

Temperatures climbing,
Cabin fever sets in,
Rest and tylenol...

Real ready for healing to begin.

Brotherhood is tight when you're both so weak.

Teamwork and togetherness,
Make mama's heart skip a beat.

This LONG weekend...
It's adjective JUSTLY deserved.
Feel better boys.
Fun times are anxiously being held in our family's reserve.

.mac :-(

The Surge

Meet my pals. Steno and Bic Mini. Being left handed, the steno is the absolute perfect journaling/drawing notebook for me. No worries about the spirals catching my sleeve or having to contort my hand in the most peculiar of ways. And as far as pencils go, I have always loved the Bic mechanical sketch and toss version. But who can resist, tell me, the Bic Mini? It is so frappin' cute as it is half the Mama Bic's size. Too presh, I say. These guys are compact enough to tote just about anywhere.

And, they are showing up everywhere at my house...

In my hair...


On end tables...


On top of the baking canisters...


I call it the surge. I have had this affliction and/or gift all my life. I am not the kind to dwell on things or SIT down and think things through when it comes to planning and designing. Matter of fact, setting aside time to draw, map things out, or brainstorm only stifles my ideas. Weird, huh?

Once an idea comes to me, I think about it throughout my day. I carry on with my regularly scheduled programming.

Then time passes. Sometimes a lot of time. Sometimes only a very short period of time.

Finally, the surge hits.

And it is all I can think about and concentrate on for days upon days until my fix is satisfied...my idea or design complete, my trial run done, my kinks listed, and my improvement list made.

I sound like a crack addict, don't I?

Hence, the Bic Mini's scattered throughout my house. I even have 1 stuck in the side door of my car, but due to temperatures too chilly to "spelunk" to the garage, you will miss the pic of that one.


I am in full SURGE mode as we speak, cats. I have ideas swirling about in my head like a tornado ripping its way across Oklahoma soil.

Bag designs, little girls' couture designs, new avenues for paint ideas for our Sunshine for the Soul line...it is outta control up in the ole noggin.

And I like it just fine.


It truly is a fix. I can even feel my body's energy level pick up, my mood heighten. and my creative drive kick in. Hmmm. That explanation kind of fits another area of my life at times...

Anyhoo...

Designing is absolutely my favorite. I love that an idea comes from absolutely no where, surfaces, and then allows me to tweak it and make it just as it should be. Then, I get to find the mediums, color hues, and themes just right to bring this idea to fruition.

One of my bag designs as late is my take on what a ole Nanny from England might carry. It has a sassy twist so never fear.

It is practical, fun, and comfortable to boot.

I have chosen these fabrics for my trial test run.

I like the busyness that these fabrics create when paired together. The plaid has a tiny bit of stretch to it and the best rock star pink/poppy red pin line. Perfect toenail color for summer if you ask me. The black and white checked is actually a corduroy. Mixed textures: delightful!

And to top the ole girl off, I am going to incorporate this vintage belt piece from the 1930's. I love its worn ways and classy sparkle.

I am also considering some bulky type hardware too for the strap. Hmmmm.

Yes, this bag should be a great getmethroughtherestofthewinterbag.


So check back soon! The surge plans to bring good things to your shoulder, wallet, mantle piece, and little girl's bum all in due time!

.mac :)

p.s. Just had to use the word, bum, there. It topped off my English persuasion with the bag!!

Sweet Surprises

Santa's spent,
The elves are bone dry,
Holly, Jolly, Jolly,
The bills are stacked sky high.

Oh January!
I long to like you so,
I want to enjoy your timing,
Alas, after Christmas...we got no flow.

But what to my wondering eyes should appear?
A check in the mail addressed to here!

One hundred eighty-five duckets and ninety-two little rocks...

Escrow overage, baby.
That's right.
Never to doubt again...that Santa: he never stops!

.mac :-)

With This Ring...

I love weddings. I love the inspiration and hope that this celebration brings. Two lives making a commitment to one another for better or worse for richer or poorer. Something about that brings hope to my heart.

Now, I am not a newbie. My band has lost its shimmer. It has dings and nicks. Yet I can't say that I am a seasoned bride either. This June, Kenny and I will have been married for 7 years.

Marriage takes work. The rewards as well as the rumbles are deep. I think no one person can truly anticipate what the entirety a marriage encompasses. This, I think, is never learned completely but is the end result of the journey til death do us part.

But there is something magical about all the preparations that go into making your wedding yours. I love that no 2 weddings are the same. I love that the bride and groom have certain somethings that are clearly important enough to them to incorporate into their special day. Be it a special flower, a handmade dress, a candle lit in memory of or honor for, or a poem or a verse read.

People, no doubt, judge. Can you believe she did that? They will never make it. and What were they thinking? I am sure are said at nearly every wedding. But so what? It's not their place nor is it their wedding. Little or big, easy or extravagant...weddings have a magicalness to them that brings me hope.

It's the gift. The gift of ones whole self to the other. The gifts of what is to come and what lies ahead. The gifts of support, love, traditions, promises kept, and the forgiveness given.

So, with gifts in mind, I decided to give a little k.Mac love to our latest tribute to the wonderment of weddings.

With wedding season just ahead and me-myself being a June bride, I remembered the winter months being the time that I nailed down the finite details of the wedding corners in my mind.


Allow me to introduce k.Mac's "With This Ring" Wedding Package. We do custom bridesmaids and wedding party favor gifts.

Depending on your interest, the following custom design services are available for wedding party gifts complete with monogram and your choice of colors:

- bridesmaid clutches
- bridesmaid totes
- bridesmaid wallets with checkbook cover







The process is fun as you get to design your wedding party gifts from the ground up! Lots of brides like to hand select fabrics that match their wedding colors. Inside each gift is an additional 15% off gift to your bridesmaid for a matching accessory or purse or perhaps an opportunity to create something completely different and new.


And that's not all...

k.Mac gifts the bride too! The girl in white also receives 15% off her next purchase as the Mrs. with her NEW monogram!!!

Many bridesmaids have gone in together to have this new monogrammed bag ready for the bride on her wedding day:

This gift is so special to give and nothing makes a bride happier than heading off on her honeymoon already with a purse complete with her new monogram!

Here is a "With this Ring" Package done for a bride in Maryland complete with a Pretty Petite for the flower girl:

And what to give those guests?
Well, that was easy for k.Mac to decide! Kenny and I received so many compliments on the wedding party favors from our wedding, that we decided this was the perfect way to say thank you for celebrating with the happy couple. Check out pictures from a mere almost 7 years ago...



That's right! Hand poured candles in your choice of colors and scents are the perfect way to say thanks to all of your wedding party guests! With k.Mac's Sunshine for the Soul Home Goods line, the bride and groom have the opportunity to hand select 2 candle colors as well as 2 candle scents and select either our 5 ounce or 12ounce candle to give as gifts to their guests.

And here's the best part...the bride and groom have the opportunity to hand select a charity of their choice to give a portion of this party favor purchase to in honor of their wedding guests. So it's win-win! The guests give to the bride and groom with their presence and presents,the bride and groom give to the guests a hand poured candle, and finally the guests and newly married couple both give back to a greater cause. Perfect!

Here is just a sampling of our 12 oz. candles to give you a looksee. There is soon to be a huge post about k.Mac's Sunshine for the Soul Home Goods line. A hint: it involves giving back!

So as wedding season approaches, join k.Mac and seek the magic in marriage. Look past the doubters and downers who might attend. Find the hope and enjoy all the bride and groom have worked so hard to make a reality. The joys of saying "I do" are personal, intimate, and custom to what matters most to the couple's hearts.

Should you know of any brides searching for just the right something to make their day with others the most unique and from the heart, by all means "With This Ring!" them!

Prilly, Prilly Princess

I'm not high maintenance.

Just ask Kenny.

I have never really been a girl that needs to have her pamper gotten every 5 seconds.

I don't whine.

There is not much that I require other than coffee in the morning and my hair appointment every 7 weeks. Even though this is even evidence that the latter of these two isn't always a necessity.

* I sleep in raggedy jammies and it doesn't bother me.
* I can sleep lotsa hours or a little and I am good.
* I can stay up late and get up early.
* I am not a picky eater.
* I am not the least bit selective when it comes to activities our family does. From mud digging to the movies is all fine by me.
* I don't require name brand clothing.
* It is not mandatory that Kenny rub my back or draw my bath or even pour my glass of wine.


Generic is okay.
Goodwill is even better.
I think I am even pretty good at making a little go a long way.

I preface this post with the above only to say that the buck of low maintenance stops right here.

I have found a high dollar haven and I am hooked.

I have tried to turn my cheek on this paradise, but I can't. I go there by myself for no reasons other than to look around, absorb the friendly service and himandhaw over which of the 4 cookies selections I would like as their complimentary treat to customers.

I know I just said I go there by myself.

Really? I know what you are thinking.


It's not that I do it often, but boy, do I relish in my time when I do fly solo into this blissful establishment.

What in the world is this place you ask?

My place of relaxation and refuge

That's right folks. A grocery store.

I told ya I wasn't high maintenance...it don't take much for this girl to get her skirt all Marilyn Monroe like, huh?

I am a Monday Wal-mart shopper. Every week the boys and I make our trek to the mecca of cost cutting.

And I don't wanna anymore.

I want Publix.

And I want it bad.

Publix is my pedicure simply put.


Why?

Baked Goods
- Their breads are made fresh daily with a plethora of "Panera" type selections. And might I mention, equisitely designed cakes.

Drugs
- Their pharmacy offers certain prescription drugs free of charge. Casey was prescribed Amoxocillin just last week and his doctor informed me that if I went o Publix the prescription would be filled free of charge: and sure enough, it was!

Treats
- Yeah, it's worth another reminder: 4 cookie selections to choose for their "shopping guests"

Hands On
- a huge kiosk with the banner above it that reads: "Bring your family back to the table" where recipes are being cooked right before your eyes so that you may answer questions, see the assembly and cooking, and of course, pick up all the needed ingredients right there.

Friendly Smiles
- The customer service is impeccable. I have yet to enter the store and exit without at least 3-4 employees asking me if I needed any help our how I was doing today. One time, an employee trucked all the way across the store to get an item for me just so that I wouldn't have to with the boys.
- They want to take your groceries out and load them for you with no tip. I mean seriously.

Advertising
- And finally, their slogan: "Where Shopping is a Pleasure."

Their prices are a tad high, but I am finding there are things that are significantly cheaper than Wal-mart.

Produce--cheaper
Cheese--cheaper
Ham--cheaper

They offer weekly specials that could also help my high maintenance argument. I think if I work on cutting coupons then perhaps I can make this meal gathering transition from the High Cut Brief Hanes Her Way of shopping to the Victoria Secret ruffled panty experience.

I sure hope so.

Kenny thinks I am delusional. He has never stepped foot into a Publix though.


Once he experiences this boutiqueness of grocery getting, perhaps he will change his tune.

Like I said earlier, I'm not high maintenance. But can't a girl have the glitter glam wheels on her grocery cart from time to time?


I think so. I mean, I only want the best for my family. Yeah, that's it.

Where Shopping is a Pleasure...

.mac :-)

I'm liking January

January used to be one of the months I dreaded the most. The dreary. The dismal. The dead. The pasty white skin. The layers and layers of clothing making you feel 10pounds heavier than what you are. The lack of money.

Until now.

This January has already brought me some dang good times.

New Year's Eve was a blast with the party we had. Kenny and I actually won the money pot!

I have gotten back into running which I have missed dearly. We have already been on a train walk, had some daily dancing, and have been into "practicing" reading as Eli calls it.

And the boys and I have taken every advantage of the snippets of hours between rains to get outside and explore.

This I love the most. I love being outside. I actually have been so inspired by the monochromatic look the sky has. It has somewhat of a muted crispness to it that I seem to cling to.

Here is just a glimpse of what one January day looks like at our home:


On the hunt for the largest squirrel nest...Casey won.


Who needs pansies? They're overrated I say. Chuck'em. The flower pots make for great digging adventures.

Hide and seek with the ball. Eli won. Pretty clever, huh?


Who needs to plant tulips in your flower box? That's overrated too. Just leave it empty for more mud play.


Painting outside. Mixing colors, changing brushes. The wind. The trees whistling. The boys playing. Ahh, sweet paradise. Right up until one boy pummels the other with A) a toy shovel B) a fist or C) a truck.


Suicide snack....dump whatever is left in the bags and call it an eating adventure...just don't forget the grape juice.


Jack and Jill checking out the boys playing...


Soccer: Cobble vs. Cobble. Dag-blasted, we live on a hill. So, it's more like kick and chase.


Pretend fires that Casey puts out in the nearby trees.


Walking barefoot on the mossy patches around our big trees AND didn't you know? January and February are toenail polish detox months.


Our January Welcoming Committee: the snow tree. Perhaps I should change it the rain tree.


Eli's skillz. We counted. He got five shots in a row as his best! Natural form...I didn't play college basketball for nothing, you know.


Casey's moves. This is his favorite song. Heck, it's our family's favorite song right now. It's real. It's happy. It's just dang good. Doesn't Casey fit that description too? Love that he gets digital technology and at the end wants to see his performance. Too much.

Yep, I'm liking January. I like the the chance to begin again. I like the decluttering and the re-grouping of your home. But most of all, I like the opportunity to see the clarity that can come from the dismal grey.

Hope you are off to a great 2009!

.mac :-)