13 Signs Your Mom Is Your Best Friend

Did y'all know that today is National Best Friend Day? 

When thinking about who my absolute best friend is, the first person that popped into my head was my mother. She is kind, caring, compassionate, and selfless. She is loyal, inspirational, and all around such an amazing woman and mother. Growing up, she was my biggest supporter, my shoulder to cry on, and my best friend. I am so thankful to have her as my mother, but also to have the bond that we do have together. 

Is your mama your best friend too? If so, I'm sure you can relate to most, if not all, of these signs below! 

1. You talk on the phone for hours with her (and going more than two days without talking is weird)
2. You are both equally obsessed with wine and always drink a glass with each other (or a bottle)
3. You always have each others back
4. You are open and honest with one another
5. Going shopping together is one of your favorite things to do 
6. She is the first person you call when something exciting or major happens
7. You call her even when you have nothing to talk about 
8. You can tell exactly how one another is feeling without saying a word
9. You know her coffee order by heart, and she knows yours
10. She's always there to pick you up when you're down
11. She knows you better than you know your self
12. You both ask for outfit advice all the time
13. She's your number one fan 

To say I feel lucky having the relationship I do with my mama is an understatement. When I went on the Camp MacKenzie-Childs trip last month, the theme around the whole thing was "Best Friends". Prior to the trip, we were asked who our best friend was and as I'm sure y'all can guess by now, I said my mom.  

One of the nights was full of crafts and activities, where we got to make letter pressed stationary for our best friend, paint, eat s'mores, and even have a group Medium session. One of the days we also were able to paint a platter for our best friend. (Mom - yours is supposed to be delivered today, so hopefully you get them before reading this! 😉) 

The stationary was so fun to make and made the perfect gift. As for the hand painted platter, what mother doesn't love to receive a hand painted craft from their kid?? I already know my mama is going to LOVE her platter and probably gush over how her daughter painted it every time she uses it when guests are over hahaha

A Little Recap Of My #CampMacKenzieChilds Trip

Last month I had the opportunity to visit MacKenzie-Childs, which is a home decor brand, in Aurora, New York. If you already know of and are a fan of the brands, that's amazing! If you've never heard of it, I was in your shoes about three weeks prior to leaving on my trip. When I was contacted by the brand, I was a little hesitant at first because I couldn't envision how their eccentric, playful, bold brand fit with my very minimalistic, modern taste in home decor. From a quick glance, all I saw was the bold black and white Courtly Check, which just didn't align with my home decor, or so I had thought. 

During our visit to Camp MacKenzie-Childs, we were fully immersed in the brand. Through tours, meals, stories, and hands on activities, all of us girls were able to learn about what MacKenzie-Childs represents and how it came to be. I was so in awe of the process behind creating each individual piece. Guys... one finished piece can take up to a week, if not more to make!! All the pieces made in Aurora are hand painted by the most talented artisans and it was seriously incredible getting to watch them at work. It really did give me such an appreciation for the MacKenzie-Childs brand. I actually now have several pieces in my home and it has been so much fun having the pieces be sort of a "conversation starter" with guests and getting to share the story about the brand with them! 

Each piece is intended to tell a story or inspired by a significant story which I absolutely loved. My favorite collection of MacKenzie-Childs is the Parchment Check pattern, which is basically a softer, more neutral version of the Courtly Check. The story behind this collection is just as beautiful as the pieces. Rebecca, the creative director (pictured above at the head of the table), has been with MacKenzie-Childs practically since day one and has really grown and evolved the brand. She is such a spunky, spirited, passionate, and kind women. Her love for the brand was undeniable. One day, Rebecca had stumbled upon her Grandfather's love notes that were written to her Grandmother while he was at war. The old notes were folded up into small squares, and when unfolded, they revealed a checked pattern. The creams and tans that make up the Parchment Check pattern were inspired by those notes. It's little stories like these, that transfer into the pieces, that made me fall in love with the brand and grow to understand and appreciate it so much.  

During a lunch with Rebecca, she told us that home decor should be our own personal diary. When someone tells her, "oh I love that, but it doesn't go with my decor", her response would be along the lines of, "Why not? It goes with it if you say it goes with it." This really stuck with me and honestly, made complete sense. If you really love something, how you decorate your home is your decision and if you say it goes together, then it goes together! She also talked about mixing patterns with one another and to just have fun. At the end of the day, decorating and home decor should be fun! MacKenzie-Childs represents that to a tee. 

Why MacKenzie-Child's Pieces Make Perfect Gifts

When reflecting back on the MacKenzie-Childs pieces, I really loved learning about how they make the perfect gifts. Hearing stories about how customers will collect pieces here and there over time from M-C, and that many times relatives or friends will gift others a pieces from a MacKenzie-Childs collection was so unique and heartwarming. Often times, what starts out as a simple M-C gift, turns into a life long love affair for the brand, adding pieces to their collection along the way. The brand also carries a sense of tradition. Bringing this full circle to the best friends theme, one could gift their best friend their very first MacKenzie-Child's piece, and then year after year, for holidays, birthdays, etc., continue to add to their collection by gifting them another piece. I am a lover of traditions, so I absolutely fell in love with this idea. 

I already know my mama is going to love her MacKenzie-Childs pieces and I look forward to the day when I can pass along my MacKenzie-Childs collection to my future daughter, and begin her love and passion for the brand.  

I also wanted to mention that they recently came out with a wedding collection, SweetBriar, that has the most beautiful pieces and would make perfect wedding gifts! Here are some of my favorite pieces from the brand: 

I bought several things from the Parchment Check collection and can't wait to share how I've incorporated them into my home in an upcoming post! So stay tuned (: I hope you all have a wonderful day, don't forget to send a sweet message or get together with your Best Friend today! XO Heather  

Thank you MacKenzie-Childs for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own. (: