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Somayah McKinney | DIY & Lifestyle | Mompreneur | GA

@athomewithmayah

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DIY • Home • Top Team Mom of the World • Cozy Luxe ✨
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📧 Mayah@mayahthemaker.com
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Every decision you make can impact the trajectory of the rest of your life…even those made on your behalf. I didn’t choose #SSU - my Daddy, Sam Murphy did. I was annoyed, I was angry, I had my transfer documents ready to go before I had even received a grade - but then I got catapulted into the greatest experience in the world.

It’s like existing in the matrix and realizing that you experienced a blip immediately after you leave. Something that you took for granted while you were living it, wanted to speed up time even and then BOOM - it’s over and all you can envision is going back. When life was simple. Fun was on the schedule, whether you planned it or not - and mistakes were inevitable, expected even.

I’m told all #HBCUs are this way…

My first and worst heartbreak was here.
My greatest and most complete love was found here.
My best friends were found here and nothing about my life, absolutely nothing, is the same without what I lived, learned and felt here.

I took wayyyyyyy too many pictures and still don’t have enough. I hugged tighter, I whispered words of love, light and life into ears. I received love and words of pride from people that I never even knew I impacted.

This #Homecoming was soul anchoring - and I’m ready to take on the world again now…until next year my loves!

#SSUForever #WeAreFamily by @athomewithmayah

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3 hours ago

🧡💙 A Homecoming Prayer for my fellow Tigers! 🐅

Heavenly Father, as we prepare to return to the place that holds so many of our memories, I pray for traveling grace and mercy over every alum making their way back to Savannah.

Lord, cover every highway, every flight, every hotel room, and every gathering. May we arrive safely, celebrate joyfully, and return home with nothing but beautiful memories and full hearts.

I pray for a weekend filled with laughter, love, old friendships, new connections, and the kind of joy that reminds us why Savannah State will always hold a special place in our hearts.

No tragedies. No scandals. No senseless violence. No heartbreaking headlines. Just good music, good people, good vibes, and memories that will last a lifetime.

May every Tiger who makes the trip return home safely to the people who love them.

And Lord, if it be Your will, let us all meet again next year to do it all over again!

In Jesus’ name, Amen! 🙏🏾

Two places I know I’m going… HOMECOMING & HEAVEN! Will I see you there?! 🧡💙

#SSUHomecoming2026 #SavannahStateUniversity #TigerPride #HBCUHomecoming #HBCULove by @athomewithmayah

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3 days ago

🚨 THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!! 🚨

If you’re on the hunt for Black Santa this Christmas, RUNNNNN, don’t walk to @kirklands !!! 🏃🏾‍♀️🎅🏾🎄

Because WHY did I walk in there and find all this goodness?! 😭😍

Now y’all know I wasn’t about to gatekeep! Consider this your official holiday shopping alert! 😂

Kirkland’s, I SEE YOUUUU! 👏🏾❤️

🎅🏾 Tell me which one you’re adding to your collection!

#BlackSanta #BlackChristmas #KirklandsFinds #ChristmasDecor #HolidayShopping by @athomewithmayah

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9 days ago

Is it Homecoming yet?!?!?!?

#ReadyToGo #HBCUPride #AOML #ImSoGlad #912 by @athomewithmayah

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11 days ago

I only have one picture of him like this on my phone.

But before Black Santa was easy to find in stores…he was my Daddy. 🥹🎅🏾❤️

Every October, my Daddy would start growing his beard. He had a Santa suit custom made, and when Christmas came around, he became Santa.

He’d visit local churches and even set up at his barbershop so families could bring their children to take pictures with a Santa who looked like them.

And I LOVED it.

I’ve always been a Daddy’s girl, so whatever my Daddy was doing, I was somewhere nearby supporting it. 😂 But this was different. It felt familiar. It felt safe. It felt like Christmas.

The community didn’t quite see it that way yet.

Black Santa was unfamiliar. He looked different from the Santa people were accustomed to seeing, and not everyone understood it. After a few seasons, Daddy stopped.

But our family never forgot.

As the years went on, if we couldn’t find Santas that looked like ours, we painted them. We made them. Or sometimes, we just didn’t have Santa at all.

And now, all these years later, I realize why finding Black Santas every Christmas means so much to me.

It was never just about Christmas décor.

It was familiar.
It was safe.
It was fond.
It was home.

It was Daddy. ❤️

So when y’all see me lose my mind over a Black Santa in the middle of Hobby Lobby 😂 just know there’s a little more to the story.

Before Black Santa became part of my Christmas aesthetic…

Black Santa was my Daddy. 🎅🏾❤️

#BlackSanta #BlackSantaMagic #BlackSantaMemories #DaddysGirl #GirlDad by @athomewithmayah

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12 days ago

Because between the ribbon, ornaments, picks, garland, lights, Black Santas, “just one more thing” trips to Hobby Lobby AND the fact that I decorate for a living…sir, this was never going to be a reasonable number. 🤷🏾‍♀️😂

…Tuh! And it’s the first Amazon Prime Deal Day???

Anywayyyyy…while we’re discussing Christmas budgets 👀🎄✨

If YOUR budget includes having somebody else make the magic happen this year, holiday decorating dates are booking NOW!

Residential + Commercial Christmas installs available.
DM “CHRISTMAS” to get on my schedule. 🎅🏾✨

#ChristmasDecor #HolidayDecorator #AtlantaChristmas #ChristmasTreeDecor #MayahTheMaker by @athomewithmayah

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12 days ago

I KNOW y’all love Christmas. But how many of y’all need a little HELP with Christmas?! 😂🎄

Not necessarily “come decorate my whole house” help — although PLEASE know I would happily get my hands on that tree. 👀😂

I mean…

“How do I put ribbon on without fighting for my life?” help.

“Why doesn’t my tree look full?” help.

“I bought all this stuff…now where TF does it go?” help. 😭

THAT kind of help.

So this week, I’m diving into DIY holiday decorating and sharing some of the tricks I use to get that luxe, finished look.

First up: RIBBON. 🎀

Drop your Christmas decorating questions below because I’m building this week’s tutorials around what YOU actually want to know. 👇🏾🎄

#DIYChristmas #ChristmasDecor #ChristmasTreeDecor #HolidayDecor #ChristmasRibbon by @athomewithmayah

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14 days ago

…meanwhile, over on the Tok lol.

If you’re a mom, slide on over there. Even if you aren’t, go see anyway 🫣🤣😤 Is it Homecoming yet?!?! Also, yes, I know I have a double chin - ya momma do too 😘

#MommaLife #BoyMom #CoolMom #ContentCreatorLife #MomIsTired by @athomewithmayah

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17 days ago

Because apparently I don’t know how to just GO TO BED. 😭😂

I had been eyeing the football bell that @sharenalatrese posted and fully intended to BUY one from her because listen…I support paying people for their creativity! 👏🏾

Only problem? She wasn’t selling them (according to the comments), so I watched that tutorial like 10xs 👀

And somehow at 2AM before game day, I convinced myself that meant, “Girl, you can make that.” 😭

So I pulled out the Cricut, gathered what I had, followed her tutorial and made PJ his own custom #21 football bell. 🏈🔔

Was 2AM the appropriate time to start this project? Absolutely not.

Did I finish it?

Obviously. 😂

Shoutout to @sharenalatrese for the original idea + tutorial because THIS sports mama needed it! 🫶🏾

And this is your reminder: sometimes DIY isn’t about inventing something from scratch. Sometimes another creative teaches you something, you give them their flowers, and then you go make it your own. ✨

#FootballMom #SportsMomDIY #CricutProjects #FootballDIY GameDayDIY by @athomewithmayah

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a month ago

Three things I’m good at?

Spending money.
Decorating.
Spending money on decorating. 😂

And somehow I’ve convinced myself that being able to make everything myself is SAVING us money. 😭🤌🏾

My husband strongly disagrees with my accounting practices.

But respectfully…LOOK AT THE TABLE. ☕️🎀✨
The numbers will work themselves out. 😂

#DecoratingIdeas #CreativeMom #DIYDecor #TablescapeInspo #PartyDecor by @athomewithmayah

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a month ago

Not me switching accounts to hype up my own work like, “this is niiiiccceee!” 😂😂😂

Listen…event planning is in my BLOOD. Give me a theme, a little inspiration and an unreasonable idea, and suddenly I’m sourcing teacups, designing signs, making favors and turning the house into a whole experience. 😭😂

Do I offer event planning like that anymore? Not really. Will I absolutely show you how to make it shake yourself? YES MA’AM. 🙌🏾

Because sometimes you don’t need an event planner—you need a creative mama friend who’s already figured out where to buy it, how to make it, what’s worth the splurge and what you can absolutely DIY. 💅🏾

So this week, I’m spilling the tea ☕️ on some of the details from Livy’s 14th birthday tea—DIYs, sources, little tricks and all.

And yes…I’ll be in the comments from my personal page hyping myself up. Mind your business. 😂🤭

#TeaPartyIdeas #DIYPartyIdeas #CreativeMoms #TeenBirthdayParty #PartyInspo by @athomewithmayah

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2 months ago

Spill the Tea: Livy’s 14th Birthday 🫖🌸✨

My daughter is a bit of a shy empath and she’s very clear about who she wants to spend her time with, so for her birthday I had a vision of an intimate little birthday tea at home…and watching it all come together for my girl was everything. 🥹💕

From the tiny details to the DIYs, the tablescape, the florals and all the little touches in between — so much of this was created, styled, repurposed and pulled together with love (and probably a few last-minute decisions 😂).

So before I move on to the next thing like I always do, I’m actually going to stay here for a minute. 😂

This week, I’m spilling the tea on the tea. 🫖✨

I’ll be sharing the highlights, the DIY projects, what I made myself, what I bought, what was worth it, what I’d do differently…and how I turned our home into a sweet little tea party for a very special 14-year-old. 💕

Consider this the official Spill the Tea series.

First up: the REVEAL. 🌸🫖

What do y’all want the tea on first — the decor, DIYs, tablescape, favors, or the setup process? 👀

#SpillTheTea #14thBirthday #BirthdayTeaParty #DIYPartyDecor #MayahTheMaker by @athomewithmayah

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2 months ago