Birthday Wishes and a Giveaway

Today is a SUPER important amazing day...it's my best friend Michaela's 21st birthday!!!!!!!!!

Michaela and I when she came to Louisiana in September. 

I seriously can't say enough good things about this sweet woman. I left her a little birthday love over on her blog today, so be sure to check it out and wish her a happy birthday!

And since birthdays should include presents, let's get on to the giveaway today!

The amazing Angela is here today from {AO3} Designs. This shop is full of stunning clutches that are unique, classic, elegant, colorful, and fun. They take pride in creating all of their clutches by hand and each clutch is a true work of art and impeccably made!

Prepare to be blown away from the beauty in this shop:

Stunning right? Today {AO3} Designs is offering one reader this beauty:

AND the winner can pick any color ribbon to go along with the sweet clutch!

To enter: be a follower of the Mackey Madness blog and like {AO3} Designs on Facebook. 

The giveaway will end November 8th! Good luck!

Love, love!

What's Cooking

Super horrible confession: it has been at least two weeks since I have cooked. 

It's true. We have been living off sandwiches, fast food, chips and salsa, and desserts. Here's my excuse...I have been working SO much, like five 12 hour shifts a week, and I just can't face the grocery store or the kitchen. But hey, all that is changing this week and the husband is doing his happy dance. : ) He doesn't really have a happy dance, but he would be doing it if he had one. 

Here's what's on our menu for this week:

- Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

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- Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti

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- Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken

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- Taco Pizza

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- Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

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And y'all know there is always a dessert over here!

- Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

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- Smores Treats

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- Cinnamon Roll Cake (I made this last week and it was DELICIOUS! So we are having it again!)

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Seriously, menu planning is SO much easier now that I have my friend Pinterest. 

What are y'all eating this week? Anyone been a major slacker like me? Anyone?? ; )

Love, love!

PS: Happy Halloween! Be safe!!

Love and Support

We always joke about how women need emotion and men need......sex. 

Well, that's definitely true. For the most part anyway. But y'all, men definitely need more than that from a relationship. Wives, fiances, girlfriends...our precious men need us to love them, support them, build them up, and make them feel needed, wanted, and loved. They may never admit it...but it's true! : ) And we need to give them this! They deserve it! And if your man doesn't deserve it, why are you with him? 

I want my husband to feel cherished, loved, supported, and needed. This has become a wifely role that I enjoy doing and that I don't take lightly. I try to make every effort to ensure that my husband knows how much he means to me. 

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Some fun and easy ways to do this:

- Leave little notes for him...even just a quick "love you" does the trick!

- Be affectionate! Kiss and hug on him when he gets home. 

- Tell him THANK YOU when he does something for you/the house/the kids/etc. 

- Be supportive when he wants to do something by himself or with his friends. 

- Pray for him!! Daily and passionately. 

- Share good things about him when in front of other people, not negative things. 

- Do something that he is normally "supposed" to do, like take out the trash. 

- Bake him some goodies one day just because. 

- Call him silly pet names. (I use bunny bear and love bunny!)

There are so many little things that we can do for our men so that they know how special they are to us. We should want our love to feel like they are SO appreciated and SO cherished by us. 

My cute hubby. With the dough boy. He texted this to me yesterday. Ha. Who even knows?! 

What have YOU done lately to let your husband/fiance'/boyfriend know how much you love him?

PS: Obviously this is a two way street, but I don't have that many male readers, ya know?! 

These Three Things - So Shay

The absolutely lovely Shalyn is here today from So Shay to have her turn in my "These Three Things" series, talking about three things that define her. I honestly don't even think that I can accurately describe just how amazing Shalyn is...she is so down to Earth, completely hilarious, and one super talented photographer. She doesn't take things too seriously and is able to laugh at herself, which is SO nice to see in this crazy world. She's a Southern girl, so that automatically makes me love her, but more than that, she is a bright happy soul in this world. She always puts a smile on my face. Plus, the girl looks like a supermodel. And we all like pretty friends. ; )

Well hello lovely readers! I’m Shalyn from So Shay (formerly The Nelson Diaries).



I just can’t even begin to express how happy and giddy I felt when the beautiful Mrs. Mackey asked me to be a part of this series. Not only is she one of the most precious, down to earth and sweetest bloggers EVER, but she’s def. one of my absolute favorites.
If you know me, in real life, you will know that I’m the absolute WORST at describing myself. When I asked myself what three things best define me, I went blank. I could easily say my husband, hands down. Photography, of course…and then I’d have to say Sour Patch Kids.

I know what you’re thinking right now. That’s YOUR three things that YOU came up with? LAME-O.
I know, that’s exactly what I was thinking.
So…I turned to my best friend and asked him what he thought.
Our conversation about 3 seconds ago:
Me: Babe…what three things define me??? (I’m yelling this to him from upstairs)
Drew Drew Hot Pants: What? Why?
Me: Cause babe I gotta do a guest post! It’s gotta be good! What would you say?!?
Drew: Babe I don’t know. There are so many things!
Me: Exactly! I’m so random. I’m a compiled mess of everything! How am I going to write this? Will you write it?
Drew: Okay!
Me: Really!? You’re gonna do my guest post for me? (I sarcastically say this)
Drew: Sure! (He might have had a few beers at this point)
Me: Lol, you sure you want to write it for me? Do you even know three nice things that define me?
Drew: Do they have to be nice?
Me: VERY funny…HA.HA. Seriously though.
Drew: Yup babe! I’m gonna tell them three things that define you. 1. Sweet Boobs. 2. Sweet Lips. 3. Sweet tush.
Me: Alrighty then. Go for it sucka. (Hand him his laptop) Type away. Don’t be gross.
Drew: *smiles*
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This is Drew.


My beautiful wife asked me to do this guest post for her, and right about now she thinks I’m writing about her sweet boobs, sweet lips, and sweet tush…and even though it would be REALLY easy to write about this, I think I’ll keep it G rated and tell y’all three things that I think define Shalyn.
Her heart. 


Shalyn’s heart is not your average heart. It’s the most genuine, caring, honest, warm, and kind in this entire world. I know it’s easy for someone who loves her with all his heart and soul to say this about someone, but I truly mean this. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does. She’s the person who always puts others first, and always worries about everyone but herself. She’s the girl who will call you bawling her eyes out and you’re literally thinking she was just in a wreck or something…but no, it’s just her crying because she accidentally ran over a squirrel that "had a family or girlfriend or wife" as she says and they’d never get to see him again.



She’s the girl that prays when she sees an ambulance going down the road and hopes that the person in need is okay. She’s the girl that will see a stranger and say hello and give you a high five just because. She’s the girl that holds open doors for others. She’s that girl that will hold your hand and tell you it’s going to be okay. She’s the girl that will do anything you ask of her, even if it puts her in a bind. She’s the girl that volunteers to help even when she doesn’t have the time. She’s the girl that wears her heart on her sleeve and gladly does so. She’s the girl that will be there for you no matter what, and even when you don’t ask. She just has a way of caring too much, and I guess that’s why I’m the luckiest guy in the world because I know that beautiful heart of hers loves mine forever and ever. It’s really a heart of gold.

Her smile.
Shalyn got best smile in high school and I only know this because she told me how she didn’t understand how she got it because she absolutely hates her teeth. However, I know exactly why she got this because it’s the best smile in the world. It will lift you up, and it will make you happy in an instant. It’s contagious, and it’s genuine. It’s infectious and will just light up a room. You know, she’s got three smiles…the one where she’s up to something and knows that I’m either a.) about to be surprised or scared of what she’s about to tell me or b.) the smile where she is so excited about something and she’s trying to hide it. She has a smile that is just kind, and you can see that she’s a truly happy person regardless of the hardships she’s been through in her life. And then there’s the smile that just beems with laughter and I’d like to say it’s when I’m doing something to make her smile. It’s my favorite smile. It’s the smile that literally swept me off my feet the minute we met. 
Her friends & family
I say this because she literally has a million friends and her family loves her so much. I know they mean the world to her and that she’d go leaps and bounds to maintain her friendships, as well as make new friendships. She will do anything for her friends and her family in a heartbeat. She’s a people person and I love that she’s so easy to get along with. Her friends and family make her HER because it is a real reflection of the type of person she is. She truly believes in being friendly to everyone, regardless of how hateful people can be. Her friends and family mean everything to her, and I know she means everything to them. 
There you have it. A little mushy I suppose but I guess that’s why she married me. 


But seriously, my wife is the best. I really am the luckiest guy in the world. I’m just sayin…

Thanks for having me Megs!

-Drew Drew Hot Pants

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Ahhhhhhhh, I think this is my favorite post ever! I seriously teared up reading what Drew Drew Hot Pants had to say about you, Shalyn! It's SO obvious how much he loves you, admires you, and respects you. And I totally agree with him about your stunning smile...it really is contagious! It makes me smile, even through the computer. Is that weird? It is, isn't it? Great. 
Moving on...y'all really are the cutest couple ever! And he's such a smart hubs...because a happy wife definitely equals a happy life! Amen and amen. 
Thanks so much for being here, Shalyn AND Drew! Go visit them here!

Scary Movie Night

Last night, while flipping through millions of channels, we seriously had nothing to watch. Isn't that the worst thing ever? I mean, what else is there to do? ; ) #sarcasm

The hubs had the great idea to watch a movie. I let him pick. Rookie wife mistake. 

He chose My Bloody Valentine...a movie about a guy who kills people with a pick ax. "For Halloween," hubs said. Just the scariest, goriest, nastiest movie I've ever seen. It will probably give me nightmares for the rest of my life.  

Oh yeah, wanna hear the best/most horrifying part? We watched it in 3-D, which would have been quite hilarious had it not felt like there was a crazy killer in the living room with us. 

Then I tried to make the puppies watch it in 3-D. 

Yeah, it didn't work. 

Hope y'all had a much less scary night than we did. : )

Love, love!!

The Cure

Sometimes, I have baby fever. I see cute babies and naked booties and pink dresses and my heart just swoons. I have discovered a short-acting cure for this fever...it involves road tripping it down to see my best friend and her precious children. 

This past Saturday, I took the two hour trek to spend some time with these sweet loves. I feel like I learn so much about love, life, marriage, and myself when I'm there. 

She wants YOU! 

Playing peek-a-boo. 

Pouting. Can y'all just see this face in 10 more years?! Heart. Breaker. 

I promise that I took some pictures of my sweet nephew, too, but he was sick and most of the pictures involve tears and snot, so I left those out. : )

After eating cookies all day, we then went out for Mexican. Dessert before dinner is how we live. 

Oh hey, Wal-Mart sign in the background. Way to ruin these classy pictures. 

Dance party. Pink undies, anyone?

All in all, it was such a great weekend. These visits are always a great (but short) fix for my baby fever. I usually leave exhausted and pretty grateful to head home to a quiet house where I can sleep for 15 hours. 

But sometimes...oh, but sometimes...(or most of the time)...I leave and the baby fever isn't cured. 

It's intensified. 

Shhhhhhhhhhh. 

Love, love!

PS: The last round of winners: Karen, Genelle, Stephanie, and Michelle! Email me!

Defeating that Devil

This weekend...we kicked the devil's butt. Seriously. 

Over the past 3-4 months, the hubs and I have found a church that we love and feel called to make our home church. It's where we want to grow in the Lord, fellowship, and raise our babies. All that was left for us to do was go to Sunday School and find a class to join. We had good intentions to do so every Sunday, yet something always seemed to keep us from going: someone overslept, we were running late, we were out of town, we had to work, etc. 

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Let's be honest. The real issue was that we were scared, intimidated, big ole chickens. We can both be pretty shy around new people and we were just honestly dreading going to a class and being new and awkward. 

On Saturday night, we prayed about it and promised God that we would trust in Him to lead us to the perfect class the next morning for Sunday School. And y'all...the devil surely did try to stop us Sunday morning. I overslept. My hair wouldn't lay right. Husband's shirt was super wrinkled. Radar wouldn't take his morning pills. We held it together, though. And we went. 

We pulled up to the church and we didn't know where to go. It was terrifying. We felt dumb. We felt silly. We felt totally awkward. But we held hands and we kept going. And God was faithful. Right when we walked into the church, a fireman friend recognized my husband and called us over. He introduced us to several people and walked us to our class. God provided for us. 

I know that sounds so silly. We should be adults about it, but it was something that we were struggling with majorly. The class was amazing, the couples were ALL super friendly, and we really felt at peace right away. We seriously cannot wait to go back and get more involved with this class of couples. 

We should fit right in. : )

Thank you, Lord, for leading us when we can't walk, for comforting us when we can't find peace, and for protecting us when we feel insecure. Thank you, Lord, for loving us. 

Do y'all go to Sunday School? 

Love, love!

Be a Monkey

It's Friday, I'm off this weekend, the weather is amazing, and I get to see my best friend and her babies. 

Life. is. good. 

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That's the attitude I want to have all weekend. I want to be happy, thankful, and positive for having a "new banana." I am so so blessed. I hope that y'all feel the same this weekend! Have a great one! : )

Love, love! 

These Three Things - tales of me and the husband

No more scary faces from me today. Lucky y'all. It's time for "These Three Things!" Bridget is here today from tales of me and the husband to share with us the three things that define her. Y'all are just going to love her. She is the cutest mama to 5 sweet kids, one pretty brand spanking new. : ) With all her spare time (ha), she blogs and covers topics ranging from health and fitness to travel to recipes. It's basically a one stop shop blog for everything that y'all could ever want to read about it. Plus, she has an amazingly hilarious sense of humor and is pretty prone to make me laugh out loud at her sarcasm and wit. Go see! 

Meet Bridget.

(picture by her, obviously!) ; )

these three things define me lately:

music has forever, pictures have for awhile, diapers have lately.

music: i love music.  i have it playing pretty much all the time.  the background of my life is marked by the melodious voice of james taylor, the clever lyrics of paul simon, or the fun beats of some ladysmith.  i love me some ladysmith.  concerts are some of the best memories of my life too (the ones i remember... jk, i wasn't a lush in high school!).  i wish i could play an instrument and made a promise to myself that i'll learn piano at some point in this lifetime.  me + all the seven-year olds in a recital together.  get ready.

pictures: my husband gave me a nice camera for my 25th birthday.  i love it (and him, coincidentally).  with it came the realization that i love taking pictures and documenting life.  perhaps why i love to blog so much too.  capturing my new baby's smile, the kids sledding in the wintertime, the gorgeous landscapes of new england... i like being behind the camera.  i like it a lot.

diapers: well, lately... diapers define me.  there's a lot of them in the hizouse these days.  dirty ones.  smelly?  not yet, we'll get there.  these days, mostly yellow-y, smushy poo in 'em while a happy, kicking baby smiles at me as i take the umpteenth wipe to his bare bottom.  it's not so bad cause he's pretty sweet but ask me again when he's onto solid foods.

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I know, I know...y'all love her already, right?! I thought so. 

Bridget, you are quite the funny woman. Some girls just get it all. So not fair. : ) Thanks so much for being here! Now y'all hurry and go check out her and her sweet family! 

Love, love!

PS: One of my favorite bloggers, Nicole, is teaming up with 3 other amazing ladies to create a blog about loving God and loving others. It's Christ-centered. It's life changing. It's Fearless. Go visit. 

PPS: More winners: Ryan, Holly, The Bays, Just a Jersey Girl, and Emily! Email me, y'all! Congrats!  

Is It You?

I'd like to introduce y'all to my new bff...FALL!! : )

That's right, it has finally arrived in Louisiana. No one knows how long it will stay, but we are hoping it's settling in for a long visit. On Monday it was 90 degrees and I wore a strapless dress and flip flops. Yesterday it was in the 50's. We had heard that a cold front was a'comin (hick words)...and I woke up almost as excited as if it was Christmas morning. Fall and I, we get along well. We enjoy each other's company.

Even the hubs had to put a little jacket on when he was cleaning out the garage last night.

#akaplayingwithhisbowandarrow

Speaking of cleaning out the garage, it's time to announce some more giveaway winners! Nice segue, huh?

I am excited about winners. And yes, I'm in pajamas.

The winner of the Define Design print is..........

Molly!

EXTRA: Sweet Sandrine from Define Design is giving ALL Mackey Madness readers 15% off anything in her shop. Just use the code MAD15 at checkout. Here's a few faves from her shop:

The winner of the Etta Grace giveaway is..........

Heather!

The winner of the Found by Marie clutch is..........

Megan!

The winner of the Showcase 66 wall art giveaway is..........

Michelle!

I still have several more winners to go, but I ran out of silly faces. Plus, husband was giving me the stink eye to come to bed. And y'all know what THAT means. ; )

Winners...email me!

Love, love!