diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 4bede5d..21a11cb 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -259,37 +259,44 @@ loadScene(RenderState* rs)
 
 	shader_program* s_default = getShaderByName("default", rs->gl_ctx);
 	shader_program* s_debug = getShaderByName("debug", rs->gl_ctx);
-
-	if (!s_default || !s_debug)
-		return false;
+	if (!s_default || !s_debug) return false;
 
 	// TODO: full lighting model
 	model* tex_cube = getModel(rs, "../data/textured_cube.gltf");
 	assert(tex_cube != nullptr && tex_cube->num_meshes > 0);
 	GLmesh* texmesh = getFreeGLMesh(rs);
+	if (!texmesh) return false;
 
-	if (texmesh) {
-		*texmesh = loadGLMesh(s_debug, tex_cube->meshes[0],
-					GL_TRIANGLES, glm::vec3(0, 0, 0));
-		*texmesh->model_xform = glm::mat4(1.f);
+	*texmesh = loadGLMesh(s_debug, tex_cube->meshes[0],
+				GL_TRIANGLES, glm::vec3(0, 0, 0));
+	if (texmesh->vao_id == 0) return false;
 
-		if (texmesh->vao_id == 0)
-			return false;
+	// ========
+	// NOTE: testing new loadGLMesh interface
+	texmesh = getFreeGLMesh(rs);
+	if (!texmesh) return false;
 
-	} else {
-		return false;
-	}
+	GLVertexAttrib* pos_attrib = getVertexAttribByName(s_debug, "position");
+	GLVertexAttrib* normal_attrib = getVertexAttribByName(s_debug, "normal");
+	if (!pos_attrib || !normal_attrib) return false;
+
+	GLBufferToAttribMapping attrib_mappings[2] = {
+		{ "position", nullptr, pos_attrib },
+		{ "normal", nullptr, normal_attrib }
+	};
+	*texmesh = loadGLMesh(s_debug, tex_cube->meshes[0],
+						GL_TRIANGLES, glm::vec3(10, 0, 0),
+						2, attrib_mappings);
+	if (texmesh->vao_id == 0) return false;
+	//
+	// ========
 
 	for (u32 i = 0; i < NUM_CUBES; i++) {
 		GLmesh* gmesh = getFreeGLMesh(rs);
-
-		if (!gmesh)
-			return false;
+		if (!gmesh) return false;
 
 		*gmesh = loadGLMesh(s_default, cube, GL_TRIANGLES, cube_locs[i]);
-
-		if (gmesh->vao_id == 0)
-			return false;
+		if (gmesh->vao_id == 0) return false;
 	}
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/src/shader.cpp b/src/shader.cpp
index 3a03e6b..d5711ca 100644
--- a/src/shader.cpp
+++ b/src/shader.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include "util.h"
 
 
-
 // NOTE: forward declarations
 
 const std::string dumpTextFile(const char* filepath);
@@ -77,7 +76,7 @@ addShaderProgram(memory_arena* arena,
 		s->name = arenaCopyCStr(arena, name);
 		s->hash = hash;
 
-		// TODO: replace std::string w/ utilAllocCStr() ?
+		// TODO: replace std::string w/ utilAllocateCStr() ?
 		std::string vert = dumpTextFile(vs);
 		std::string frag = dumpTextFile(fs);
 		GLuint vs_id, fs_id;
@@ -227,6 +226,38 @@ loadGLMesh(shader_program* s,
 	return gm;
 }
 
+GLVertexAttrib*
+getVertexAttribByName(shader_program* shader, const char* name)
+{
+	for (u32 i = 0; i < shader->num_vertex_attribs; i++) {
+		if (strncmp(shader->vertex_attribs[i].name, name, 256) == 0)
+			return &shader->vertex_attribs[i];
+	}
+
+	printf("%s, attribute: %s, not found on shader: %s\n",
+			__FUNCTION__, name, shader->name);
+	return nullptr;
+}
+
+GLmesh
+loadGLMesh(shader_program* s,
+	const mesh& m,
+	GLenum draw_mode,
+	const glm::vec3& pos,
+	u32 num_mappings,
+	GLBufferToAttribMapping mappings[])
+{
+	GLmesh glm = {0};
+#if 0
+	// TODO: store gl_buffers on gl_ctx
+	// TODO: loop over mapping array to get buffer attrib info
+	WRONG! gl_ctx->num_vertex_buffers = num_mappings;
+	gl_ctx->vertex_buffers = ...
+	for (u32 i = 0; i < num_mappings; i++) {
+	}
+#endif
+	return glm;
+}
 
 // NOTE: internal
 
@@ -438,10 +469,9 @@ bool
 parseAttributes(memory_arena* arena, shader_program* s, GLContext* gl_ctx)
 {
 	printf("\n---------------------------------\n");
-	printf("%s(), FIXME: dumping attrib info for programe: %s\n",
+	printf("%s(), FIXME: dumping attrib info for program: %s\n",
 			__FUNCTION__, s->name);
 
-
 	GLint num_attribs;
 	glGetProgramiv(s->prog_id, GL_ACTIVE_ATTRIBUTES, &num_attribs);
 	printf("active attributes: %d\n", num_attribs);
@@ -449,7 +479,7 @@ parseAttributes(memory_arena* arena, shader_program* s, GLContext* gl_ctx)
 	s->num_vertex_attribs = num_attribs;
 	s->vertex_attribs = ARENA_ALLOC(arena, GLVertexAttrib, num_attribs);
 
-	GLchar attrib_name[256] = {0} ;
+	GLchar attrib_name[256] = {0};
 	GLsizei length;
 	GLint size;
 	GLenum type;
diff --git a/src/shader.h b/src/shader.h
index a0b3216..d18073a 100644
--- a/src/shader.h
+++ b/src/shader.h
@@ -203,6 +203,14 @@ GLmesh loadGLMesh(shader_program* s,
 	const mesh& m,
 	GLenum draw_mode,
 	const glm::vec3& pos);
+// NOTE: testing new loadGLMesh interface
+GLVertexAttrib* getVertexAttribByName(shader_program* shader, const char* name);
+GLmesh loadGLMesh(shader_program* s,
+	const mesh& m,
+	GLenum draw_mode,
+	const glm::vec3& pos,
+	u32 num_mappings,
+	GLBufferToAttribMapping mappings[]);
 void initTransforms(memory_arena* arena,
 	transforms* xforms,
 	gl_buffer* xform_ubo,