About Us

Hello! We are Megan and Denis, and we started Kin and Caboodle as a way to produce gifts the celebrate life's milestones. Our personalized word art is inspired by a variety of sources, including time-honored symbols of love and family, contemporary design, and nature.

Design and Production

We are digital artists, and use a computer and modern tools (such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and a tablet/stylus) to create our designs. As hands-on participants in every step of the production process, we are able to ensure the quality of every print that carries our name.

Once a design has been digitally created and approved for production, it is printed using professional equipment and best-in-class, archival-quality materials. The result is a fine art print that will last for generations. 

Our studio is located in the Pacific Northwest near Olympia, Washington, but our art is found in thousands of homes and businesses worldwide.

Our Story

as told by Megan

In 2012, I was stumped. What could I give my retired mother for her upcoming birthday? The problem was, she didn't  need "things". Gift baskets and gift certificates seemed devoid of meaning, and I really wanted to give her a thoughtful gift to show how much I love her.

I finally had an idea--why not have a family tree made for her? Together, my mom and I have studied genealogy and family history over the years. We've been both amazed and amused by the stories of our ancestors. But, the more I thought about it, I realized our family isn't really suited for the traditional family tree. There are too many family members that don't quite fit the standard labels, and too many empty spots where we have yet to uncover the names of our ever-elusive ancestors.

I pondered… Why is it so important for family trees to be perfectly defined, anyway? How can we incorporate all the half-siblings and step-siblings/step-parents? What about those who are adopted, or in a same-sex marriage?

Inspired by my thoughts, I headed to the computer and began designing a monstrosity of a family tree. It didn't have lines or titles to describe who was who. In fact, it had little organization altogether. Just a jumble of names going in every direction. The people who were most important to the recipient had their names displayed in a larger font than distant (yet still dearly loved) relatives. The result was a family tree that focused on the family as a whole unit rather than separating it by branches, labels, titles, and connections. It was perfect for our modern, blended family. I loved the finished product, and, more importantly, so did my mom!

The result was Mighty Oak:

Initially created for my mom's birthday, Mighty Oak received overwhelmingly positive feedback from everyone who saw it. Thus began Kin and Caboodle, my gift-focused personalized art business. Today, Mighty Oak remains one of my most popular designs, and my husband, Denis, and I continue to create new word art designs that celebrate family and love.

Although Denis is not involved with customer service and filling orders, he does help with behind-the-scenes tasks such as providing assets for print design (doodles), creating custom order management tools, and assisting website design. He indirectly assists with every single product, and Kin and Caboodle would not be possible without his support.

Thank you for your interest in our story. We'd love to help you create a meaningful gift for an upcoming anniversary, wedding, or other special occasion!