I have a love for style and art. The southpaw in me says it's so. I've always loved colors and shades and movement. Oh, how I love movement. Texture, fine lines and the theatrical story are just some of the concepts behind creating that entices me so.
I love people, connections and learning too.
The human electricity we call relationships is so magnificently 100 watt to me.
So creatively & uniquely in this year of twenty-twelve, I wanted to story my journey of being a better me by melodically using a mixed bag of my favorites:
{Kinda like the 5 bean medley soup we are having for dinner tonight simmering in the crock pot right now.}
And, I want to take time to celebrate and share on the last day of every month.
my word
my mission
my status
my memories
It is my hope that this end-of-the month progress report is obtuse with growth.
I promise to be truthful even if I suck it up at success.
You have my word.
In the world of blogging and for the 7 people who read this bad boy, it seems anything is worth chronicling.
So chronicling, I will commence on this 31st day of January.
Allow me a warm-up exercise with the ensemble photographed above.
Ensemble Statistics:
shoes-
Target clearance for $6.96 circa 2010
They are the coolest pink/purple color. I call them Puce inspired by this movie I adored when I was a little girl. Anyone else remember the color of the candy canes?
They have real grosgrain bows with silver tassels on the end.
The style name for the shoe on the tag was "Meghan" Destiny, I tell you.
They are totally patent leather pleather and that is freaktastic fun if you ask me.
jeans-
bought last weekend at 50% off Goodwill in my little East Tennessee town.
paid $1.50 for them
They are the perfect shade of charcoal grey denim.
They have little black studded rhinestones scattered about.
AND, they have black lace appliques too. EEK!
Casey's response when he first saw me in them, "Mama, it looks like your underwear is sewn to the outside."Nice. Kenny would be proud.
shirt-
Goodwill
$1.00
perfect length for layering and covering the tush
great neckline for necklaces or to give that barely there skin vibe
would be super for cleavage, but I don't have any
tiny tuxedo buttons with the elongated cuff look
black-n-white stripes
jacket-
It's that weird length that you're always guessing about. You know, like, is this length in style still or not?
I opted to go for it anyway.
Goodwill.
Merona brand
$1.29 paid
I feel all Michael Jacksony in it as it has the gold metallic zipper action goings-on and some ad hoc pockets too.
cUhRaZy about the mustard color.
scarf-
$5.00
Big Lots
a flat silvery shade
flimsy
I kinda tend to choke myself with over wrapping if I'm not careful.
I have a small and quite long neck, hence the above observation.
sunglasses-
$4.00
bought at a killer cool boutique of all things AWESOME in my new-to-me little town, The Steamer Trunk. The house is painted a mint chocolate chip shade on acid. Love it. The owner is so cool. She is all trendy & classy and so witty too. Real down to Earth, which I love.
earrings-
They straight up look like they are heirlooms inherited from my great, great grandmother.
Antiquey diamonds surrounding a black onyx riveted center stone set in an oxidized ole world silver
paid $7.00 for them
The Steamer Trunk, yep.
There is a room in this boutique, I KID YOU NOT, that is floor to ceiling jewelry.
hair-
brought to you by Dove.
washed 2 days ago and slept on
bangs are pulled back as I am due for a haircut and I can't stand them in my eyes all skateboardy like.
TOTAL financial investment in outfit: $26.79
Chronicling can't stop there as my fingers have just primed themselves for the most important. So for you readers ready for the real meat of this post, I will gladly serve you now.
January 2012
My word:
My personal word of growth for the month of January was {act}.
My mission:
I wanted to dissolve all anxieties of I can'ts and I don't have times.
try new designs.
make time for my personal reading (1 book a month)
reach ones I love far away (cards, calls, presents in the mail)
I wanted to see a need and fill it.
be there when someone needs you (by phone or by physical presence)
remind someone that you are thinking of them in a special way
I wanted to take a chance and push myself in something I love to do.
write more on this blog
advertise my designs more
do a Bible study with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law
I wanted to push myself in patience.
listen to the boys stories and dive into the details asking them questions.
speak less negatively to the things that irritate you
snuggling more with my boys when I want to jump up and get something else done
I wanted to really put myself in someone else's shoes.
I wanted to listen and REALLY hear their heart song. I wanted to envision myself in their place with their hurts and happys too. I wanted to remind them of the hope they have within His plan.
I have not finished my personal reading book for the month. {Don't think for one second that I haven't considered pulling an all night reading marathon tonight just to check this off my January list. It's the overachiever in me. But, alas, I have sewing to do, so the book will move on into February.}
My memories:
I have a glorious feeling inside me looking back on January 2012. A sense of accomplishment resonates my being. I can be better than my yesterdays. I can grow with the love I have for myself and the love I have for others. I can find peace in what God prepares for my soul's next mission even if it is in my ordinary everydays. I can smile at the woman God wants me to be.
Ready for February,
.mac :)
p.s A special thank you to my lead photographer, Eli Cobble.
The role of mother is quite different from the role of the aunt.
Aunt Meghan can worry less about the rights-n-wrongs and focus more on the spoilings-n-sillys of adoring. And, I've got a new niece on the way. Remember my excitement here and here?
Miss Mallory Alaine Casey will be here soon! You can only imagine my excitement when I made these matching outfits for next year's Valentine's Day for the sisters.
It's like yesterday I can remember Mollye joining us in this world. I am reminded of my unbridled anticipation and my intense love for her the moment my eyes met her face.
Now, it's so hard to believe that these are the size clothes I make for Mollye Addison!
I cannot tell you the amount of fun I had with constructing this ribbon looped initial heart. The picture really does not do justice to the shirt's cute factor. It's all bubbly and fluffy and 3D. I make it a point with handmade items to encourage a client to order a size up in tees. I do this only so that the client will be able to potentially get 2 years use out of a custom order. This shirt is a 4/5.
Now to these SUPER DUPER DREAMY pants! Oh, how I heart these! Mollye looks so adorable in the large ruffle look. I love the double ruffle heart-dot combo. I'm even kinda drooling as I stare at these now. And, for a one louder for practicality's sake, I have enough extra fabric in the waistline so that next year all I will have to do is unstitch the band, remeasure Mollye's height and re-install the elastic so that she will be set for one more Valentine's only this time with her little sister!
I opted to showcase k.Mac's newest Hair Happies in Mollye's platinum locks. These are called Florets. They are not yet on the website, but I am thinking they are gonna be a popular addition. These come in your choice of clasp. {aligator with no teeth, alligator with tiny teeth or lobster clasp} Coordinating fabric mixed with ribbon sprouts...um, that's a party I wanna go to!
And, may I officially introduce to you the very first outfit I have made for my new niece, Mallory Alaine! Kim opted for a jumper as Mallory will be about 8-9 months next Valentine's Day. At that age, easy diaper access is key. I can just see her now with some black leggings and platinum peach fuzz with her Nanny T's blue eyes! EEK! I cannot wait!
Along with the double heart-dot ruffle, I wanted to capitalize on the crisp, clean white hue of Mollye's shirt in Mallory's jumper. I opted to use a dainty tea cup pocket with her monogram trimmed in the same ribbon used in Mollye's shirt. I enjoy the whimsy-ness this pocket has to offer the overall jumper aesthetically.
And, there you have it. My one heart is FULL of the 2 MAC hearts God has entrusted to me as their Aunt Meghan. I have no doubt I will aDoRe every second of loving on these girlies.
How fitting that my first big sister/little sister ensemble is for Valentine's Day.
.mac :)
p.s. These designs have premiered already on my Facebook page. For those blog readers who want just one more avenue of k.Mac goodness, I would be honored to have you!
{taken at Mollye's 3rd birthday party: July 24, 2011}
I am a derivative of industrious souls.
Human hands hard at work; inventive minds methodical in making.
I come from the creative.
And, like breathing, this is my way of life.
There are many times I find myself mindstobbling {yes, I just made this word up} through my life's routines and neglecting my creative heritage. I take for granted the heart I have for giving life to fresh ideas; in being the dreamer and the do-er.
I discredit my ignorance for potential failure and my hope in it just might work.
Then man in the photograph above is my grandfather, Harry Grady Cook.
He is my Dad-Daddy. I've honored him by writing about here once before.
He is the forefather to my creative rhythm.
And, with 2012 being my year of rhythm, I wanted to settle in on my grandfather for just a bit.
My grandfather went to Henry Ford Trade School in Detroit, Michigan. I adore looking at the pictures of him from this time in his life. Everything back then seemed so crisp and dapper. Skinny ties are so handsome if you ask me. He recounts the rules at the school were strict as were the levels for achievement. My grandfather went on academic scholarship as his family had not the money to send him.
After graduation, he received a job working for NASA as a test engineer. Basically, NASA asked him to create specific inventions for projects they were involved in. Having the privilege to listen to my Dad-Daddy tell of the inventions he created and perfected as well as seeing the photographs from this time in his life has been such a joy.
The time and labor put into these ideas is unbelievable. It resonates with me now even more as I am firsthand witness to the time bandit otherwise known as the creative.
Later, my Dad-Daddy left NASA and with just $1,000 cash started his own business with my grandmother. Custom Sound Record Shop, a music store, was a success from which he and my Mom-Mommie retired after almost 30 years.
In the beginning stages of starting his music shop, he also built the house that he still lives in to this day. He built this house ALL BY HIMSELF. I kid you not. The only person who helped him was my dad. It took him over 2 years, but every single brick, stone, floor, sheetrock and board was constructed and assembled by my grandfather.
He is a worker.
He is a tenacious soul for knowledge.
He is an artist and master of so many trades.
He hand carved a set of wooden monogrammed initial pins for my mom, my aunt, my grandmother and me. He cross stitched a "HOME SWEET HOME" framed embroidery that hangs in his home this very moment.
He taught me what it means to love to dance.
{taken at my wedding: June 8, 2002}
As a little girl I adored stepping atop his house slippers as he would glide me across the floor. He taught me how to let a man lead and when to listen to his hand in the small of your back.
riptide
noun
an intermittent strong surface current flowing seaward from the shore
And, I honor and thank him for this precious, precious gift.
To be a dreamer industrious, artful, passionate and in pursuit is such beautiful genetic composition to inherit.
Thank you, Dad-Daddy.
For my ignorance of potential failure and my hope in it just might work.
Picked up these bad daddys at my neighboring town's Goodwill a few weeks ago. Brought them home and did the whole 5 hour soak in color detergent with bleach & hot water. Then washed them 3 times.
Paid $1.00 for these girlies.
Wanna know how much they retail for? Click here all you curious cats.
I call this find funktastic.
I've worn them several times already. And, I just gotta tell you. There is spunk in my stride when these mamas team up with my size 8 socks.
Magic happens.
I wanna call these my superhero shoes, but the boys won't let me. They say they aren't magic enough to be superhero shoes.
Hmmph.
Have they ever had them on their feet?
I think not.
So, these are MY superhero shoes. The second they are laced it's like I'm whisked back in time to my days of my Wonder Woman Underoos. Go on, holla if you had some.
There's something about bubble gum pink & the word ALL*STAR that all ladies need in their lives.
{Yes, that dirt on the heel there if from me. I love'em I tell you.}
And, perhaps even men need a little funktastic in their lives too, no?
Guess whose wife packed him an overnight bag without him knowing and surprised him by sending him off with his best friend for whirlwind trip to pay respects to this football legend and to go see the The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?
Coach Kenny Cobble's wife did.
Because we all need a little funktastic in our lives.
It inspires us. It refreshes us. It helps us stretch out and grow.
Now would you look at what $1.00 and a dose of spontaneity will get you?
WE collective breaths measured blistered particles of now damaged by our necessities clouded by our ridiculous comparisons WE perfect the art of masking imperfections stare at labels and covet them more suck in & cover up our race to the top is foot traffic over others
I write this in medley format. And, I fear I may have stumbled upon another session of the paragraph. And, I so promised not to make a habit of that here. But alas, the tightness in my chest, moreover my spirit, engages me to visually formulate these words in a wall of protection from those choosing to read and even more so from the notion that I am choosing to speak them.
Humans have goodness. I seek it out all the time. I yearn to find the tiny hope or the smidgeon of a smile in people. I even look for it in myself. Yet, in a world filled with evil deeds, one-upping and slanderous talk, I am taken back. Whisked back to my junior high years when fitting in was imperative for success. And, simply put, I was a failure. I ate in the cafeteria when all the girls that were the definition of cool did not. I didn't wear a bra until 9th grade (as there truly was no need). You can imagine the ridicule received from this during change times in the locker room after basketball practice. I was always one step behind the synthetic leather, tiny square triangle, excessively long single strap carrying Liz Claiborne handbag girls in my class. When the caramel colored leather jacket was the one, I wore the sand colored.
And, girls can hurt with words. Boys too for that matter. It makes me wonder who might have been my victim of ridicule as some form of therapeutic way of making someone feel they way I did. For those individuals out there, I want to apologize. My apologies cannot compensate for the hurt caused, I know. But my cognizance of the damage I might have inflicted hopefully will be something worth recognizing.
I linger on the sidelines of the world and all it has to offer my boys. Each Saturday, they play in their community basketball league games. I watch Eli and Casey interact and become a part of a larger collective. I peek in at their ignitions of friendships and their afterthoughts on interactions with these new people their size in their lives. It is interesting to note the stark difference in environments between the 2 boys' age brackets. Casey's game is directional yet light hearted. It is full of energy and collective excitement when the ball goes through the hoop. There are high fives and helping outs too. Eli is the next bracket up. Shoulders are more puffed out to establish presence, socks have to be cool. Shoes too. Emulations of SWAG are on the scene. After a bucket, there is less elation and more jaws pulsing and eyes squinting. The heavy blanket of competition and keeping up has covered this age group. And the parents too. Many are hot-n-heavy and hard pressed as secret coaches from the sidelines across from the game bench. There is discontent when their child falls short. Not all parents, but some.
And there I sit. Watching as my children find their way in & amongst this measuring up. I see their innocence and so longingly want to preserve it. Yet, I know that this measuring stick is inevitable to shield them from.
Competition is a sword in which we all live and die by.
I want to teach giving your all; I want to exalt excellence; I want to preach practicing and finding your strengths; I want to praise respect for others.
And, I want to do this all where my boys get it. They get that we all have a goodness inside. That confidence in who you are and just exactly who God made you to be is enough. Enough to eat lunch in middle school if you want. Enough to not wear a bra and it be just okay. Even better to rise above the divisional lines of cool and see the hope and heart of everyone around you. Not just the plastic Liz Claiborne triangles. {No, boys, you will never wear a bra or carry a Liz Claiborne purse, but stick with mama here for the connection.}
WE collective breaths measured seek the good sidle with insecurities remind ourselves of the value of respect WE rise above the clouded remind ourselves & others that you are cool enough God's measuring stick is love. Share it, boys. Live in confidence and shine on for others to see. There is beauty in us all.
I'm gonna do the same,
Mama
{p.s. A special thank you to the $5.00 bouquet in my kitchen that visually encouraged me to write this post.}
Picture it.
A steady spittering rain drizzle.
1 Saturday.
1 mama.
2 boys.
2 basketball games.
2 different tip-off times.
1 daddy with a football banquet right smack in the middle of tip offs.
Mama on cheerleader/team picture form filler-outer/taxi driver/wardrobe coordinator of 4 for banquet detail.
Kenny was completely tied up with all things banquet.
I owned this one.
Once Eli's game ended, we scooted back home for a brief 40 minute adjournment so Eli and I could change into our banquet attire.
{I must break out a fashion boast here:: holla if you hear me. I wore a killer khaki pant suit that also came with a matching pair of dress walking shorts all purchased for the total price of $1.00 from one of my new-to-me Goodwill establishments. That's right. A 3 piece set for $1.00. I paired that bad daddy with my favorite pair of red heels.}
We packed Casey's banquet clothes and were back on the hoop scene in no time.
And, it is here that I will choose not to go into irritable detail about the fact that the wait time for Casey's team/individual pictures which we did not even opt to purchase was an entire 60 minutes while I stood next to a junior high boy's bathroom stationary in heels. Eli was a rockstar and totally patient. He's my guy.
Ahem.
But, the Face eventually played and was victorious and all things elated too.
Now, time to get to that banquet.
No biggie, we are only an hour late.
Out the double doors we go Casey-Mama-Eli hand-in-hand.
I am carrying the camera bag, my purse, and the bag that housed Casey's change of clothes for the banquet.
Rocking the hyper-drive heel-toe step, the boys and I are making our way to the car.
A cascade of cobblestone stairs is on our route.
Hurriedly and with all 3 of us talking in a collective unison about the games {they are so like me in the talking department; it's not even funny}, we begin our descent.
About the 7th step of the dozen before us, my heel catches in between the crack of one of the cobblestones.
I do this whole mental I got thisand began the succession of correctional methods.
The heel was stuck.
Like for realz.
My hands are occupied with Tom-n-Jerry on either side of me.
My shoulders are obese with cargo.
It's flippin' raining.
And, the boys don't have a clue this is happening.
{the above came to fruition in about .5 seconds.}
As if it were April 15th 1912, this mama begins her rattle-trapped rendition of decline.
Boys still walking feverishly forward, I am faced with the immediate issue of immobility.
{now, we are at about 1 second lapsed time}
Panicked, I attempt a lean down drop on Eli's shoulder with my elbow. He supports me yet has no clue what seems to be the trouble. {That's so Eli through & through.} Yet, he's still in forward motion so it became an unfortunate choice for a solution.
So, I'm now cock-eyed and stuck and we are at about the 2 second mark.
Freaking COMPLETELY out now, I am wobbling, upper-body-protruding-over-lower-extremities and heading south bound at lightning speed.
SO I DROP.
I chose to let it happen.
At the 2.5 second mark, I realized correcting wasn't in the cards.
I fall 5 steep steps and, in Twister fashion with 5'9"+ heels on my stat sheet, I crash with the butts of my hands on the 12th step, my knees on steps 10 & 11 respectively and my feet STILL in heels on step 7.
And, I was a perty sight to see.
My heart racing and my entire body in a full-on shake, my brain connects with the reality:
YOU JUST FAILED FELL.
And, little did I know that this incident would serve as a reminder for me in the coming week.
Sometimes you have to "choose to let it happen"
Meghan, you didn't fail.
You fell.
And, you can always get back up.
My rhythm meets my humanity.
.mac
p.s. And, don't think for one hot second I'm not taking a red Sharpie to that scuff mark and moving right along in my reddy reds!
laundry [and put it away, damnit}
clean toilets
reading with Eli
math with Casey
lunch
the blasted dishwasher {hurry, quick and see how fast you can get it emptied}
computer time with boys
email the client back
get the fabric samples ready first
call about the repair man What time is his practice again?
jOuRnAl time be positive & have patience
I need to hang those curtains.
Ooh, those cats are scattering litter AGAIN.
reading with Casey Eli, stop grabbing Casey's face.
The landscape quote is ridiculously too much.
Make next round of candles.
When was the last time I vacuumed?
RUN.
painting with boys What are we gonna eat for dinner?
Quarterly taxes are due tomorrow
finish pillow design
send out orders
I think I'm out of packing tape.
That garage needs to be organized like yesterday.
I can't remember the last time I washed my hair.
Make the note she wants her monogram font changed on her order.
We're outta milk.
May I be mindful. The run-n-gun checklist locked & loaded inside of me is not meant for firing. It's the ammunition inside of it that counts. That potential energy encapsulated. May I use it for good. My day. My attitude. My choice.
I often wonder what they'll look back on and remember? And, what I'll remember too.
When the 2 beside me make their way.
tall
with voices deep
and shaving cream kits
Will they remember the cakes and cookies we used to bake?
The so many snuggles we shared as we read our way through fantastical books?
And, I don't think they'll forget the times we went swimming and on adventure walks, do you?
As for me, I won't.
I'll remember.
Eli, your amazing drive to play and your passion for trains, then states & capitals, the Titanic, and the Civil War are etched in my memory book for certain.
And your "lasterday" and "missed it" and "Eli's light" too.
Turning the pages in a book at just 3 months old.
I won't forget.
Mr. Casey Face, your curiosity, magnificent memory and adoration for sports has been logged in my record books with permanent ink.
Your "on wildcat" times as an infant and your complete & absolute love of mama.
Your imagination and story telling too.
I won't forget.
I'll remember.
But you two? What will you remember?
If not the cakes or the swimming, the tickle fights with Daddy and the kitchen dancing with mama, remember this:
My mother-in-law would say I'm "like a rat on acid".
Skittles do this to me.
I hate the orange ones.
I'm eating them now as I type. Not the orange ones, of course. I just make an orange pile and give them to the boys. Aren't I the sweetest mom?
I've just ripped the top off of my 5th mini-pack and there's no turning back people.
I could choose now to share with you a story of how Heather, my best friend in junior high, and I can make a complete set of false fingernails with a package of Skittles. This was our sleepover ritual.
But, I won't go into detail as rat-like as I am typing this post, we would never get to the fun of what I'm here to share with you.
I think it's one of the things I love most about designing. I am able to share my God given talent with the ones I love so very much.
And, it's time to get the ball rolling for my niece's diaper bag!
I thought it would be fun to post this bag design process and make it a bit interactive so that you are able to see just how a design session works.
1st
I always see what I can learn about my client.
I ask them questions and find out about their personality.
I ask about their favorite colors.
I ask what necessities are required for their bag design.
Kim, my niece-to-be's mama:
She is very organized and timely.
She knows what she likes when she sees it.
She is sentimental and loves traditions.
She is patient.
For colors, she loves blues and pinks.
She decorates with khaki and earth tones in her home.
For a bag necessity, she enjoys several compartments for storage.
She definitely would like a name embroidery.
2nd
I ask specifically what types of fabric hues and color schemes a client would like to see.
Kim, my niece-to-be's mama:
"I don't know. I don't want the bag to look like pink and purple GIRL everywhere. I like softer colors, but I want to do something different and maybe brighter than the nursery colors. I am more into pinks than purples."
3rd
After taking all of this information into account, I send fabric collections to the client to peruse and see what speaks to them if you will.
Below are the collections I have for Kim. She's my niece-to-be's mama if you didn't know that already.
And, this is where I want you to be all cyber-spacey & interactive and VOTE! The votes are anonymous and take nothing more than a click of your mouse. So, which of the fabric collections above do you like most?
Vote here:
And, since you did such a superfly job on that click-n-vote, I need one more from you and I promise I won't ever eat Skittles and blog at the same time.
You see, I asked for a little bag help here in this post just last week, and well, readers' mouses must've been on strike. I only received 7 votes on which bag Kim should carry. I had 124 visits by readers on that specific post. In the words of my step father-in-law, Larry, "that don't add up".
So, I thought I'd try once more only this time I would add visuals aids {cause who doesn't love a good visual aid?} and informational links to help you out with your decision making.
Like before, I am only showcasing k.Mac's top 5 diaper bag designs based solely on past purchased quantities and then I am including the newest Antebellum design.
First up, the Antebellum. It is k.Mac's newest diaper bag and does not even have a place on my website yet. Go here to read all about the details for more information.
Next up is the Miss Merry Mac Pack. Go here to read all about it.
Then we have our ever famous Classic Tote. Go here for information.
Then there's k.Mac's sweet Ruby. Here is where you can read all about it.
And, the Regency! Here's where to go to read all about her bells & whistles.
Last, but not least, is k.Mac's Hipster. Details here.
Now let's do this vote thing one more time for good measure, shall we? You're visually full and your informationally equipped:
How fun was that? You virtually designed, bought a k.Mac bag AND didn't pay a thing!
Thanks for the votes. I'll do an update post to let you know the results as well as what bag and fabric collection Kim, my niece-to-be's mama, selects.
"The power of the resurrection means that nothing but the tomb is meant to be empty."
Beth Moore
I don't usually like to write in paragraphs. For some reason breaks between sentences fit me best. If I'm really honest here, poetry fits me best. But tonight I have this huddle-in-tight together conviction about my words. So forgive me if this writing is but one long paragraphed procession. I promise not to make habit of it.
Have you ever tried to explain love? Like, really explain it to a child? It is the trickiest of definitions to verbally formulate. I've had many failed attempts at a legitimate layman's term definition with just me and my pencil during quiet journal times.
But to know when it's there? Always. You can feel it. It's deep and certain. It's breathtaking and comforting and wholesome. And when my thoughts dwell on those in my life whom I love, feelings permeate my being and my senses awake. BAM. Memories, snapshots and stories rush through my mind sending signals of joy and tenderness to my soul. This spiritual center of my existence stirs breathing action into my extremities. My nerve endings loosen, my breathing intensifies, my face feels full, and my smile widens. These physical effects take place when I purposely focus on those in my life whom I dearly love.
But, then to be one lucky enough to be the recipient of love?What a precious gift. Upon reflecting on those in my life who love me, one word inevitably comes to mind: comfort. There is rest and even more so, peace, that derives from those in your life where the above paragraph is indicative of what they feel for YOU. Trust soon follows this feeling which creates a surrounding that magnifies strength and goodness.
Love is action. It is both the gift and the given. It is what people of all walks seek. It is the story of acceptance. By products of love are kindness, service, selflessness, joy and work. Never once when I think of those whom which I love and those whom I am truly loved by do I think of perfection or judgement.
When you love, your heart is saturated with the daily deposits and withdrawals of this most poignant & coveted emotion. And, inevitably you fail, flub up, find yourself overdrawn or unpaid. But love never leaves you. There's power in forgiveness and making things right.
Tonight thoughts of Kenny and the boys pulsate through me so much that even the keys I am typing feel electric. I think of the ways in which I love them. And, I think of the ways in which I receive their love. It is powerful and so tremendously irreplaceable. Not one minute do I want to live without it.
And, that's just exactly what God thinks about His love for me and mine for Him.
He is the action we call love. He is all that is felt and shared. He is trust. He is comfort. He is energy and expression too.
I am not empty. I have a God who loves me. He plans for me and considers just exactly who I am. He speaks to me. He praises me. He teaches me. He gives me hope. He provides me rest and inspiration too. I am not empty for He dwells within my soul.
It is in only here, in His love, that I will find my rhythm.
In & amongst Army outfits and light sabers, they ration goodness.
Casey: "Mom's pan makes a great spot to keep our new Twistables huh, Bub?" Eli: "Yeah, we can just recycle the packages and keep them all in here so we can use them better."
-all in here-
-use them better-
And just like that, they redefine ration.
What was once a fixed amount to each boy grows.
Doubles
Erases boundary.
I observe taking short shallow breaths so as not to interfere or miss the teensiest bit of conversational work commencing between these two.
There is war.
Destruction erupts with fires and gunshots.
Crayola Twistables and a sketchbook says it's so.
My little lefty.
You find such joy in the details.
The camo Army hat
The black high top boots
The soldiers bending as they fall just short of victory into the raging fire.
A brigade is on attack just 2 feet across the kitchen table.
Tank men
catapults
machine guns
Teamwork defends freedom in a big brother's eye.
And, on this day, he needs no prompting.
Eli's pencil finds the paper with quickness asking for no assistance from mama.
It's as if some secret polka plays to the pencil's delight as she shimmies across the page.
It is in this moment; in this handful of our day together, boys, I am given my rations of joy.
The anticipation, the wait, the wondering, the planning & preparing are all like one big pep rally for the arrival of freshness in something never seen or experienced before.
A little client of mine, along with her mama and daddy, are completely engulfed with joy of the newness they experienced this past November.
Miss Cameron became a big sister.
And, well, she had to have one of k.Mac's Pretty Petite bags to help with all of the toting & doting that was to happen upon the arrival of her new little brother.
Meet Wesley and k.Mac's newest diaper bag design, The Antebellum.
The design session for this custom design order will forever hold a special place in my heart. It was the last appointment in my studio at our home before we moved.
And, these clients are so precious.
I love nothing more than being intricately involved and hands-on when it comes to a client's custom design. Both grandmothers of this client came along with the Cameron & Wesley's mama to help her design and select.
i.so.heart.this.
I was honored to make Cameron's diaper bag when she was born as well, so being asked to make Mr. Wesley's bag sent me over the moon.
And, the Antebellum is becoming so very popular for a choice in diaper bag designs. It has no official page on my website but just from my test prototype sample bag out & about in the public eye, I have made 4 of these diaper bags for clients.
Let me tell you a little about it.
It has a side grommeted design in your choice of bow or sash format. On each side, the bag comes equipped with 2 fabric pieced pockets.
I utilize silver round rings for the one-strap design for added texture and depth aesthetically.
Inside the bag, you will find 6 interior pockets for all of baby's must haves. Not only are these pockets pieced and sufficiently reinforced, but they also make a great space for a personal embroidery message just to mama and babe.
The Antebellum boasts a zipper closure for added security for baby's necessities.
And, how great is a full length back zippered pocket? This has been a feature clients speak so highly of with this new diaper bag design.
Peek-a-boo coordinating fabric corners are a detailed touch of couture within this design. Upon the creation and sketching of this design, I wanted this bag to have ample space for name boasting. I enjoy the way the grommeted sides edge out a polished look with coordinating silver hardware from the bag's silver o-rings.
This design session was so preciously fun. The grandmas were oozing with joy for the anticipation of Mr. Wesley. They showered their daughter/daughter-in-law with happy smiles and excitement as she worked to pick out just the right fabric collection and bag design. I loved that they opted to include Miss Cameron with a Mommy & Me matching Pretty Petite bag as well.
Miss Cameron and her mama were all set thanks to grandmothers' lovin. With handmade k.Mac cuteness over their shoulders, they were ready for their new arrival.
And wouldn't you know it?
NEW is in the air.
I'm going to be an aunt AGAIN!
My brother and sister-in-law Kim along with Miss Mollye are going to be a family of FOUR!
Don't you just adore their Halloween party costumes?
I CANNOT wait to make for Mollye's LITTLE SISTER and Mollye too! k.Mac's {mollyemade} is going to be an absolute blast this coming year I have no doubt.
I am honored to be making my sweet niece's nursery bedding. I cannot wait to share with you the fabric collection Kim has chosen for the sweetheart's room. This must be another post entirely.
And, well, we need your help!
What k.Mac diaper bag should Kim carry?
I am using k.Mac's top 4 diaper bag designs in this poll along with the newest Antebellum design. Go here to check out all of these diaper bags and more in greater detail.
I have no doubt that later on we will need your help on a fabric collection for this diaper bag too. There are SO MANY to choose from. Go here for a just a smidgeon of a peek at what Kim has at her fingertips.
I create. It's an addiction really. I adore sharing my passion for life with others. I think kissing my husband is one of my most favorite things to do aside from dancing all night. My boys are a beautiful mix of southern heathens and brillantly good men in the making. Writing brings a twinkle to my eye and clarity to my heart. Hope is a gift my father so graciously gave me and for that I love him so. My life as a designer in this world is God's sunshine to my soul.
