No Ordinary Cole

Twice the Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 17:00:00 +0000

I realize that my last post was about babies and so is this one, but it seems I'm surrounded by pregnant friends right now. My good friends, one of which just happens to be the youth minister at church, are preparing to welcome two bundles of joy next month. That's right ... twins!!

So, of course, a few of us felt this was the perfect opportunity to shower them with love with a double dose of fun and a church-wide shower.

I've only helped with a few church-wide showers but I've attended a ton. The tricky part with them is that you sometimes have no clue how many people will show up, and they aren't very conducive to the typical "shower games." But, that doesn't mean you can't have a little fun!

There were quite a few of us planning this particular shower, and it could not have happened without the help of each and every one! Since we were expecting twins, we decided to go with a Noah's Ark theme of "two by two."

My friend, Julie, and I took on the task of food and some special decorations. We wanted to be cost efficient but still throw a great party. Thanks to the Dollar Tree and Sam's Club, we were able to do just that.

I found some really cute pastel animal napkins at the Dollar Tree, which we paired with clear plastic plates and cups. Because she is having a boy and a girl, we decided cupcakes from Sam's Club (which are yummy) -- some with blue icing and others with pink icing -- paired with blue and pink punch would be perfect.

Also, I bought some simple supplies for Julie and I to get ambitious and make cupcake stands, including: foam board, foam squares and wrapping paper. Because we knew we wanted the blue cupcakes on one and the pink on another, we made two stands. We cut the foam boards down so there were three layers and wrapped them and the foam squares in yellow wrapping paper.

Then, we hot glued the entire thing together for a three-tiered cupcake stand!

The next craft project was cutting out "raindrops" to hang from the doorway. I somehow didn't take pictures of this process, but it was very simple. We used varying shades of blue and cut out a raindrop template, which basically looked like a tear drop. From there, we just traced and cut. Once done, I used a teeny tiny hole punch to put a hole in the top of each and strung fishing line through them so they would hang. I also used a little bit of scotch tape to ensure they stayed in place on the fishing line. On the day of the shower, we hung them from the doorway.

Because the air was blowing them, they even had some movement to them!

For food, we went with the "animal" theme and kept it simple. From Sam's, we bought animal crackers, gummy bears and goldfish. We had two tables of food -- a blue and pink side. And, at the last minute, someone thought to bring Zebra cakes, which were a perfect addition.

You might notice the plastic cups on the bottom of the cupcake stand. Once all the cupcakes were on, we decided they needed a few reinforcements, but they still worked great

I also used the shower as a great excuse to buy a new Cricut cartridge so I could make some decorations. I purchased "Create a Critter," which I must say is one of the cutest cartridges, and I made some animal garland to hang on the tables.

We also draped garland around another table and printed off copies of the "Wishes for Baby" (made available on http://hankandwhit.blogspot.com/search/label/baby) for people to fill out.

It was so much fun planning all the little details, but even more fun to see people showering our friends with so many gifts!

Julie's daughter decided to help open gifts, too

I can't wait to meet the twins next month!

Month-by-Month

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 17:00:00 +0000

This post is way overdue because it's actually about a project I completed in January, and I think I started it in August, if not before!

See, in the spring of 2011, our best friends in Nashville announced they were expecting their first child. Once we found out it was a girl, I knew I wanted to make them something special for her. So, after scouring Pinterest and blogs, I found a project I thought I could handle .... month-by-month onesies.

Not being able to sew, I thought the onesies could be made with my Cricut machine.

First step was purchasing the onesies, at least 12, if you want to do every month. I decided to buy bigger, rather than smaller, knowing their was a good chance this little one would be tall, given her genes. So, I only used the 0-3 for month one and two, 3-6 for month two, three and four, etc. You just never know how quickly babies will grow.

Next, I bought three different types of fabric. I chose two prints for my backgrounds and a solid for letters and numbers. I actually found some really cute packs of one-yard fabrics at Michael's.

I also bought some Steam-A-Seam, the easy, no-sew solution. I only bought one pack of five 9x12 sheets, but ended up needing more, so if you decide to do this, buy at least two, three packs to be safe.

Once I had all my supplies, I started by first starching my fabric with heavy starch. This is needed to help make it a bit stiff to run through the Cricut.

I honestly never starch (much less iron!), so as silly as it sounds, I was a little nervous about this part. I know, silly, but just being honest. Apparently my dog, Bug, was, too (See him in the doorway wondering what this crazy contraption is? Yea, the ironing board is not seen a lot at the Cole house), but, I made it through.

Next, I decided to cut my Steam-A-Seam the size needed for my Cricut mat and then iron it onto the back of the fabric, per the instructions on the packaging. Just follow the instructions on the Steam-a-Seam and you will be good.

Next, it was time to put it into the Cricut and cut out the circular backgrounds. I tested this first with plain ol' paper to make sure I had the correct sizes for each onesie. I highly recommend this because you will need a much smaller circle for a 0-3 month onesie versus a 12 month.

Here are a few tips I learned when cutting fabric on a Cricut. First, make sure your fabric is really adhered to the mat. The stickier the mat, the better (I'll talk more about this below). If it starts coming up, it's not going to be pretty. Also, you want to slow your cutting speed low and the pressure high.

You should get something like this and then, all you have to do is iron the circles onto the onesies. Once again, follow the instructions on the Staem-A-Seam.

Easy peesy!

I was feeling really good at this point in the project, but then came the hard part, and the part that actually made me want to give up ... the numbers and letters.

You don't realize until you look at that tiny little onesie just how small the numbers and letters need to be. I, once again, tested everything out with paper, but when I went to cut the fabric with the Cricut, it just pulled and made a mess.

I neglected to take any pictures of this step because I was so frustrated, not only because I was doubting my ability to actually complete these but I was also wasting my fabric! If I remember correctly, there may have been a few tears, too. I was just certain I was going to ruin this special gift.

Remember I told you I started this project in August? Well, at this frustration I put it aside and didn't want to touch it again. Then, as we neared the due date in December (yes, four months later), I decided I better try again or this would be all for naught.

I went to the Internet and after a bit of research about cutting out fabric with a Cricut, I decided that my problem might be that I wasn't working with fresh supplies. So, I headed to the craft store and bought a new, sticky Cricut mat and a new blade. I came home, held my breath and guess what? It worked!

Whew!

I used the same steps of cutting my Steam-A-Seam and ironing it on. Once again, keep your cutting speed low and your pressure high. And, get a nice sticky mat and a sharp blade. This is critical for those small, intricate letters.

Once I got this step down pat, things started going much smoother. I even had some extra fabric and was able to make a few other simple onesies to go along with the month-by-months. Here's the final product ...

I think I actually got these to my friend about a week before her daughter's one-month birthday, but I did make it on time. And, when she posted the first pic on Facebook, I was thrilled to see them!

And, it gets better every month. Seriously, how cute is she?!?

So, if you decided to tackle this project, do not get discouraged! It is possible, and the end-results are so worth it!

And, She's Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Well, this is just sad. Do you ever have things that you just keep putting off and the longer you put off, the more guilty you feel about starting back up? I know; it sounds crazy but that is what has happened with my blog. I got out of the habit of posting and before you know it, five months had gone by!

The good news is, I'm back at it. Now I just hope you'll jump back in with me!

So, what have I been doing the last five months, you ask? Sadly, not much! Posting on this blog is a huge motivator for me, and so hopefully this re-emergence will inspire me to get into action. But, I have done a few things and will be posting about them over the next few weeks.

First, let's start with a project I did one weekend while Landon went out of town. It's actually kind of dangerous for him to leave because that's usually when I decide big changes need to be made. I guess I just have too much time to think while he's away!

This particular weekend I decided it was high time to paint the entry way. When we moved in it was tan, or as I like to call it, band-aid, because that's what it reminded me of.

I decided that in order to flow well with my dining room, which you may remember we painted a dark gray, I would paint the entry way a lighter shade of gray. And so, having been inspired by all the "light and airy" paint colors I have seen lately, I decided to pick a pale shade.

Now, my first mistake was rushing this project. I literally decided on Friday I would paint over the weekend. That would have been fine except for the fact I didn't have a color picked.

I threw up a few paint swatches on the wall. After looking at them with the door open and natural lighting coming in as well as with the overhead light, I finally picked Benjamin Moore's "Horizon." Then, I headed to Home Depot to have them color match it. Since I didn't want to have to paint more than one coat, because I was being lazy, I opted for Behr's paint and primer mixture (actually, I decided on Glidden's brand but the machine wouldn't mix it so Home Depot gave me the more expensive Behr paint for the same price ... score!).

So, on Sunday, I prepped the room and began painting and it soon became apparent that perhaps I picked a color too light and airy.

I thought, as with my past painting fiascoes, I would let it sit and dry, hoping it might darken.

It didn't.

So, when Landon returned home the next day, I asked him what he thought. He didn't say much, which indicated he wasn't a fan. So, the next weekend, I thought I'd give it a second coat -- the one thing I was trying to avoid -- thinking that might help.

It didn't.

So, at this point, I decided I, once again, missed the mark on choosing paint colors. Seriously, between this and the bedroom "cotton candy blue," I'm about to give up.

But, I've decided the light gray is not something I can't live with. It may not be exactly what I wanted but it's not horrible. Plus, the bottom wainscot needs a new coat of white paint, and I do think that might help.

So, here is my new entry way in all it's glory ... in some of these pics, it looks white. There just really isn't enough contrast, but it is what it is!

I can tell you the room really lightened up, which was my goal! Oh, and see the gold chandelier? Let's just say that will be receiving a fresh coat of black spray paint very soon!

Have you found any great paint colors lately? My bedroom still has six different colors on the wall. It's about time to make a decision, and I'd love to know what has worked for you.

Birthday Cakes

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:30:00 +0000

I'm afraid I might have lost all my blogger friends since I haven't posted in a while. 2012 has started off with a bang and as busy as ever.

Over the weekend, we celebrated my husband Landon's birthday. Well, we actually celebrated last week by having some friends over because I had to work all day Saturday, which was his actual birthday.

I gave Landon the choice of what he would like to eat, willing to prepare anything he wanted. Of, course, he defaulted to his favorite food -- pizza. So, I asked him about what type of cake he wanted. Not much of a sweet eater, he said he didn't really want one. But, I don't think you can have a birthday without a cake.

With it being my choice of cake, I decided to make one of my favorite cakes that is easy and oh so good. This is a cake that I got hooked on in college because my roommate Kate loved to make it ... and we both loved to eat it!

It has several names but I typically call it Heath Bar Cake.

Source: favfamilyrecipes.com via Ilene on Pinterest

Here's what you need:

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces caramel ice cream topping
3 (1.4 ounce) Heath Bars, chopped or crushed
1 (8 ounce) container cool whip, thawed

As I said, it is one of the simplest cakes to make. Just bake the cake mix in a 9x13 in pan according to the package and let cool for about five minutes.

Next, poke holes all over the cake (but don't poke all the way through). You can use your utensil of choice for this. I read where some people like to use a fork to get even coverage. I just used the end of a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, mix your condensed milk and caramel sauce in a saucepan over low heat until blended. Then, pour the mixture over the top of the warm cake and let it sink in. Sprinkle your crushed Heath Bars on top of the cake, but reserve a few to decorate with. Finally, once the cake is completely cool, spread the cool whip over top and decorate with your remaining caramel and heath bars. Refrigerate and serve!

This is one of those cakes that gets better as it sits, so if you can make it the night before, do!

All our friends loved the cake and I took the leftovers to work Friday where it also received rave reviews. So, I highly recommend!

Relax

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:49:00 +0000

I always like to give my co-workers a nice Christmas gift, especially since they work so hard all year long. Many of them are Pinterest addicts, like me, so I thought it would be appropriate to get some inspiration from there for this year's gift.

As you know from when all our visitors came, I love thoughtful gift baskets, so I thought I would make a mini basket for all the girls at work.

First, I started off by making a homemade Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub. I found the recipe on Stephanie Lynn's blog, Under the Table and Dreaming. It is super easy and only requires a few ingredients: brown sugar, sugar, vanilla and sunflower oil. The last may be the hardest to find. I discovered it at Whole Foods, so I would suggest looking there or a similar "natural" food store for it. Check out Stephanie's blog for the full recipe.

I mixed up the scrub and bought some simple mason jars to put it in.

While the scrub can be used all over, I decided to pair it with gifts that would allow each lady to pamper their feet. So, I bought a few things to go with it.

I found the socks at Ross, bought some foot lotion from Avon (which was also on sale) and found some mini nail polishes in a gift pack also at Ross.

Plus, I found these cute baskets at Target in the dollar section. They weren't Christmas colors, but they went perfectly with all my other fillers.

I loved the end product and so did all the ladies at work!

Not sure how I'm going to top this one for next year. Hopefully Pinterest will give some good inspiration!

Homemade Christmas Goodies

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:27:00 +0000

I always feel really guilty when I haven't blogged for a while. The thing is, you would think I didn't realize Christmas came each year on December 25th, because I waited until the last minute to do everything this year.

Last weekend I was busy. Including making some Christmas goodies for Landon's co-workers -- chocolate covered pretzel rods.

These have become my signature Christmas gift. Not only do they taste good but they are so easy to make look good. I'm not sure if the recipients like them as much as Landon. It is always his requested gift for co-workers, mostly because he knows I'll make extras that he'll get to eat.

So, here's what you need to make these: pretzel rods and two types of chocolate (I use almond bark because it melts so easily, though I have also used chocolate chips in the past).

Next, melt the chocolate in two separate pans. Here is one step that I wish was a little easier. Not that melting chocolate is hard, because it's very easy, but it's choosing the right pan that is the problem. See, I think someone needs to invent a tall, skinny sauce pan in which I can actually dip the pretzels. Instead, I usually just use a regular sauce pan and spoon the chocolate over. Not nearly as easy, though it's still not hard.

There is a very important step after you spoon the chocolate over. Once you do that, you need to spin the pretzel in small circles to make sure to get rid of all the excess chocolate. Otherwise, when you lay it down to dry, all the excess runs off in a puddle. It takes a bit away from the beauty of them.

After you have done this, place the pretzel rod on wax paper and let them dry.

Once dry, here's where the fun part come in. Grab a fork and dip it in your other chocolate. Feel free to dip generously. You want your fork to be covered with a good layer.

Then, take the fork and fling it over the dipped pretzel rods. Now, this process doesn't have to be perfect but you will want to be somewhat careful not to fling too hard. The first time I did this, I ended up with strands of chocolate all over my kitchen.

The end result should be a beautiful pretzel rod.

You'll want to let this layer of chocolate dry as well, but then you can bag them up. I usually buy the tall, cellophane gift bags at Wal-mart or Target and use those. It's the perfect size.

I dip my pretzels in both the chocolate and white chocolate and simply decorate with the other color. You can also decorate with white on white or so forth. It makes for a nice sophisticated look. In the past, I've also gotten creative with my flavors, using dark chocolate and even mint. You can really do whatever you like.

What "staple" Christmas goodies do you make every year?

'Tis the Season

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:30:00 +0000

You would think that with all the wonderful Christmas crafts being pinned on Pinterest, I would be staying very busy, but it's actually just the opposite.

Over Thanksgiving, Landon and I stayed home and were very lazy. Then, it took us a full week to recuperate from being lazy! Now, it's gotten cold and my house is so frigid that all I want to do is sit under a blanket by the fire. So, needless to say, I have not gotten an abundant of wonderful things done. Hopefully that will change soon.

But, the one thing I did do over the past week was get our home ready for Christmas. I love pulling out decorations. I think they multiply every year. I never realize how much I have until Landon keeps bringing boxes out!

When we moved into the house in Nashville, we inherited a Christmas tree that the previous owners didn't want to move. It's actually a better tree than the little one we bought right after we got married. The only negative is that it is not pre-lit, but that's a minor luxury I can go without.

So I decided to make this our "fancy" tree. The first year we had it I bought a few red and silver ornaments. Then, apparently, right after Christmas I bought a bunch more on clearance. And, I may have not remembered that and bought a few more the next year. Needless to say, we have lots now.

We didn't decorate our current home last year because we were traveling over Christmas, so it has been fun to figure out where things should "go" in this new home. We decided to put the "fancy" tree in our living room. We had to move the couch over a bit so you could walk by, but it's the grandeur of the tree is perfect for the over-sized room.

The smaller tree is used for all our Christmas ornaments from childhood and the ones we've bought since getting married nearly seven years ago (yes, for those of you who attended our wedding, it has been that long!).

As much as I love the "fancy" tree, because it makes me feel all grown up for having a color coordinated tree (silly, right?), I really cherish the "memories" tree. It has some of my favorite ornaments on it.

Like the Barbie bride and Ken groom, which was used as our cake topper on March 5, 2005.

And the Cinderella and Prince Charming we bought at Disney World on our honeymoon.

And the ornaments we've bought along the way. We try to buy one any time we go on vacation or even special trips. I have a few from business trips (an NYC ornament and White House Christmas Tree), a couple from Disney World (we buy one every time we go) and some that special people have given us (a Billy Graham Library ornament from Landon's grandmother and a few Florida ornaments from the Coles). Plus, some of my most favorites are ones, which I have been hanging on a tree for as long as I can remember.

And while ornaments are my thing, Nutcrackers are Landon's. This is a tradition started by Landon's grandmother. She would get him one every year. Now we have lots to decorate with!

And, of course, we set up our nativity.

We also decided to let our "guard" lion take a break and replaced him with this little guy.

I'm working on decorating the dining room but am not quite done, so I'll have to show you that later.

Have you gotten your decorations up yet? What is your favorite?

29 Years Young

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Today I woke up one year older.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Sara on Pinterest

I was born 29 years ago today. As I was thinking about what turning 29 meant to me, a lot of things ran through my mind. I am now officially the age that most women jokingly claim the rest of their lives. I also only have one year left to be a young 20-something.

For many, turning 30 is dreaded, but I'm excited about what my 30s will bring. Still, before I get ahead of myself, I'm ready to cherish one more year in my 20s and and celebrate the many things I've accomplished in just 29 short years.

So, since it's my birthday, I'm giving you each a task to eat a piece of cake in my honor! Enjoy!

Giving Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is a monumental Thanksgiving for Landon and I because it is the first time we are not celebrating with any family members. Because our family all came to visit us a few weeks ago, they are obviously not coming back, and due to a lack of vacation time and expensive flights, we decided not to travel this year.

I am a little saddened that I am not sitting around the table and enjoying good food and great company with my family, especially since my older sister, who I haven't seen in a year, is in Nashville with her kids. Plus, my Mema makes the best Thanksgiving feast you've ever had in your life. No, really. It's the best. I definitely wish I could be with them.

So, you ask, what are we doing today for Thanksgiving? Well, while everyone is stuffing their face with turkey, Landon and I are taking a less traditional route. We decided to buy some nice, juicy steaks, asparagus and potatoes and have a complete steak dinner. Plus, we plan to hit up a few Thanksgiving Day sales. I figure if the stores are going to have them, someone needs to go shop them!

But don't worry. On Friday, we are celebrating the traditional way with our friends the Johnsons, for whom we are very grateful. I'm providing the green beans and turnip greens, which are always a staple at my family's Thanksgiving (though they won't be fresh from the garden). And, since I'm not a pumpkin pie fan, I decided to try out this Praline Pumpkin Dessert.

Source: flickr.com via Kristin on Pinterest

Also, I should mention, we had a few offers from some very gracious people who invited us over to join their family celebrations today, which we were very grateful for, but decided to stick with our unconventional plans and enjoy each other's company instead.

Regardless of the celebration, I have many things to be thankful for this year, including:

A God who loves and provides for me more than I deserve
A husband who is my best friend and is still the person I want to spend every day with after nearly seven years of marriage
Parents who love me so much and continue to offer me guidance, even though I am grown
In-laws who love me like their own daughter
Sisters with whom I can laugh and cry
Friends who care about me and brighten my day (I won't list you all ... you know who you are!)
A roof over my head, which also happens to be a beautiful house
A pantry and fridge full of food
Good jobs that allow us to provide for our family
A job that I love and enjoy getting up for everyday
Coworkers who are like family
A church where Landon and I can serve
A church family who loves and supports us
My health
And the list could go on ...

What are you giving thanks for this year? Perhaps it's been a difficult year for you, but I challenge you to take the time and write out what you are most thankful for this year. I guarantee you will discover many things for which to be grateful.

Not So Extreme Couponing

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:30:00 +0000

Last week I traveled to Chicago for work. While I don't necessarily love traveling, I do enjoy staying in hotels for a few reasons.

First, I am absolutely obsessed with hotel shampoos, conditioners, soaps, etc. I have an entire drawer full of these from various trips. I know which hotels have the best and which ones don't work with my hair or which lotions are a bit thin. Seriously, I can't get enough.

Second, I love hotel bedding. It's so comfy and fluffy. Plus, King size beds are great. I may have to get one, one day.

Lastly, there's cable. When Landon and I first got married, we decided cable wasn't in our budget. So for years, we used the bunny ears. Then, we decided to splurge and get the "basic" package. Many people are not aware this even exists. It's simply the same channels you get with an antenna but without having to move around the bunny ears to find the signal. So, we still only get the basic channels. It's just a small way we've decided to save money. Plus, we still get to see plenty of various TV shows through Netflix.

All that to say, last week, I was flipping through the plethora of channels in the hotel when I stumbled upon TLC's "Extreme Couponing." I had heard about the show from many but had never seen it myself.

I love a good deal as much as the next person, but I couldn't believe the things some of the things these people go through to save money. Sorry, but I'm not into dumpster diving. Still, there was something inspiring about the show.

Source: bit.ly via Recipe.com on Pinterest

So, over the weekend, I tried to take my couponing to the next level. I do clip coupons and I do try and use them with the sales, but I have never had any true couponing victories. Saturday I sat down, looked through all my coupons and sale papers and tried to match things accordingly. I also used couponmom.com to help. I decided I didn't want to go to every store, but I chose three to hit up.

I'm pleased to say that though it took a while, my efforts paid off because I saved over $30 at Target on my $70 bill. That included soap, razors, moisturizer and face wash, which I think can be expensive. While some of you are probably thinking that's not that great, I figure it's the small steps.

I don't ever expect to get $4,000 worth of groceries for $13, like on "Extreme Coponing," but if I can save money each week, I'll be happy.

So, what tips and tricks have you found when couponing? Are there websites you have found are helpful? Certain stores you have found that give better deals? Let me know! I'd love to hear from some of you pros!

Pumpkin + Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:30:00 +0000

When Landon's mom was in town a few weeks ago, we made Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins with Streusel topping. Of course, this was a Pinterest recipe and it is definitely one I will be using again. They were oh, so scrumptious!

Half of the batch was made with my new cute little IKEA muffin tins ... I love them!

These muffins are the wonderful creation of Laine at It's Just Laine. The full recipe can be found here: http://www.justlaine.com/2011/09/pumpkin-spice-muffins-with-cream-cheese.html

I highly recommend them. Not only were they absolutely scrumptious, but they were also easy to make, unlike some of the recipes found on Pinterest. So, add these to your list to make this "pumpkin" season.

Oh, and please check out Laine's blog! You won't be disappointed!

I Do

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:30:00 +0000

Recently, my co-worker Lauren got married. So, recognizing a good occasion to put Pinterest to good use, I decided to make a little DIY wedding gift for her.

I had my other co-worker Monica do a little investigating a few weeks before the big day to find out what song Lauren and Max would dance to first. Monica was able to help me figure out their first dance would be to "I Do (Cherish You)" by 98 Degrees.

Next, I bought a frame with a large mat.

I removed the mat and used a thin sharpie to write the words of the song. Honestly, I was very nervous about this. I didn't want to mess up and have it say something wrong. So, I took my time writing out each line.

I started by using painter's tape to keep my lines straight, but when I pulled it off the first time, I discovered it was sticking too much and pulling some of the mat with it. So I just grabbed a piece of paper to help me.

I also started writing small, only to realize the song was not that long.

So, I decided to start to write it out again from the beginning. When it was all said and done, I had the full song almost twice.

This was such an easy gift, but hopefully one that they can use to remember their special day many years to come. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Whitemyer!

My New Favorite Way to Hang Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:30:00 +0000

I am not the best at hanging pictures, especially when trying to hang them in a straight line or in a pattern. But, thanks to my new technique, I no longer have any issues.

This is a modified idea of one you may have seen on Pinterest. All you need is your nails, hammer and a roll of painter's tape.

First, lay out your pictures on the ground how you want them to appear on the wall.

Next, cut a strip of painter's tape the same length as the pictures and line it up over the hangers.

Then, take your nail and poke a small hole right where it would hang. Once, done, place the painter's tape on the wall where you want the pictures to hang.

Using the holes in the painter's tape, hammer the nails into the wall.

Remove the tape and viola! Straight pictures!

These pics were hung when I was getting my guest room completely ready for our marathon of guests.

These particular pictures are very special, because they were a gift from Landon's sister, Allison, and her husband, Adam, the Christmas before we moved from Nashville. They are actually pressed leaves taken from the backyard of our Nashville house. They are absolutely gorgeous, and even though we no longer live in that house, they are a very sweet memory.

I also took the "Nashville" pictures and hung them up beside the bed.

And last but not least, I hung up my DIY Tennessee and Texas art.

I also added in a few "Texas" books for visitors to peruse.

I actually feel like, minus a bit of paint and some curtains, this room is almost complete.

What do you think?

Welcome to Texas

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:30:00 +0000

Our final house guests left on Monday. It was bittersweet. We had such a good time with everyone! While we didn't do anything crazy, we were able to explore some of our town and just spend great time hanging out.

While our parents and Allison and Adam (Landon's sister and husband) have all visited Texas, it was when we lived in Fort Worth, which was several years ago.

So, in order to ensure they received the full Texas treatment while they were in town, I decided to make welcome baskets for each.

I started with some white "popcorn" bowls, some red and blue raffia and some authentic Texas items, including:

Texas Monthly magazine;
D.L. Jardine's Texas Chili Mix (because chili is the official dish of Texas);
Texas hot sauce;
Our favorite salsa, Clint's;
Lammes' Texas Chewy Pecan Pralines (because the Pecan Tree is our state tree); and
Dublin Dr. Pepper, made in Dublin, Texas, with Imperial Pure Cane Sugar.

I also bought some Texas Blue Bonnet seeds for Landon's mom. She loves to garden and while I have no idea if the state flower will grow in Miami, I still thought she would enjoy trying.

I decided the basket wouldn't be complete without a "welcome" card to go along, so I got out all my scrapbooking items, which had been collecting dust from such little use!

My friend Ashley had bought me a Texas stamp a few years back. I remember her giving it to me and saying, "You may never use this, but ..." Well, it was perfect for my card.

I had also bought some bottled water, originally planning to include it in the welcome basket until I decided the Dr. Pepper was a much better choice. Still, I wanted to include the water in the guest bedroom, but felt it needed a little sprucing up. So, I decided to remove the label and make my own.

Once it was all put together, the baskets looked really cute, if I do say so myself.

It was a fun way to welcome all our guests! So, what would you include in your town's welcome baskets?

A Splash of Color

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Sorry it's been a while since my last post. Landon's parents were in last week, and we had such a great visit with them. We hadn't seen them since Christmas, so it was nice to have them here for nearly a week. They were also able to help us with a few projects around the house, which was also nice.

Today, our third and final set of guests arrive -- Allison and Adam Dye. Allison is Landon's sister and Adam is my fellow "outlaw" in the Cole family. We are very excited for them to come! They live in Nashville so it hasn't been so long since we've seen them, but they haven't been to Texas since 2007.

They'll be staying in the guest bedroom like the rest of our guests have. When I was planning what to do in that room, I really wanted a comfy, white bedding like these.

Source: blog.hgtv.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: marleyandlockyer.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

Source: canopybed.com via Sara on Pinterest

But, I quickly realized that just wasn't me. So, I bought some new colorful sheets for my guest bed.

BEFORE

AFTER

Not sure if you can tell, but the color of the sheets is also found in the quilt, so it actually ties in really well. Plus, I was able to score these Kate Spade sheets for a great price at HomeGoods, so that makes them even better!

It's Finally Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I feel like it took forever, but we have finally gotten some cool weather here in Texas! Yesterday, it didn't get above 55 degrees. Brrr. So, I now feel like it's fall. Now, if it will just stay this way so we can light a fire in the fireplace!

I don't have a ton of decorations for this season. I have typically stayed away from Halloween decorations for a number of reasons, but mostly because they can only stay up through Oct. 31, whereas fall items can be enjoyed for an entire month more!

Last week, I finally was able to put out the few decoration I have ...

Happy fall!

A Perfect Weekend and Color Choices

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:31:00 +0000

Well, yesterday, I waved goodbye to my parents as they drove back to Nashville. We had such a good time while they were in town! To be honest, we didn't do anything huge. Dad had a conference to work on Thursday and Friday, which gave mom and I some great mother-daughter time, which we often don't get when I come to Nashville because there are so many people to see.

We had perfect weather the majority of the weekend with temps in the mid to high 80s. Mom and I explored around town a little and discovered great little shops in downtown Plano, including a bake shop called Bake Rejoice. The cakes were amazing and we enjoyed sitting with a cup of coffee and just chatting as the bakers made magnificent works of art around us.

The next day, we decided to visit McKinney Main Street. We were so surprised to see how cute the downtown square was. It was a perfect day for popping in and out of stores. In one of the stores, I saw a cute little crocheted hat, which prompted mom to teach me how to crochet the next day! So, expect to see some of my creations soon ... well, as soon as I get better at it.

Overall, it was a great visit, and I am so glad they could come. I can't wait for them to come back soon!

Tonight, Landon's parents are coming into town, so we are looking forward to another great visit. I'll let you know what we discover while they are in town!

Oh, and remember the three things I wanted to get done before our guests arrived? Well, one of them did not get done. Because the dining room chairs took so long, I did not get the master bedroom painted.

Still, I thought I would show you the colors we were considering. I know they are all very similar, but we've chosen the one we want. Can you guess?

I'm not going to reveal just yet. You'll have to wait and see!

Today is the Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:00:00 +0000

The guest bed is made. The towels are set out. The air fresheners are abound. The house is clean. Why?

Because my parents are coming into town today! I'm so very excited! They haven't been able to visit us in Texas in quite some time so I can't wait to show them around and just visit with them.

Safe travels, mom and dad!

While we're having fun over the next few days, check out my new "Before & Afters" tab at the top of my blog.

Pinterest Mexican Fiesta

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Over the weekend, Landon and I had some friends over for "taco night." We've started the tradition every Sunday evening thanks to Kroger's homemade tortillas. These are by far, the best tortillas around. I don't think we can ever buy regular store-bought tortillas again.

Anyway, in honor of "taco night" with friends, I decided to try out a few Pinterest recipes.

For an appetizer, I made white queso dip.

Source: annies-eats.net via Kristin on Pinterest

At first, I didn't think I had let it cook long enough because it wasn't quite "burn your mouth hot," but within less than 30 minutes, the entire bowl was gone, so I'm thinking it was a success.

And, of course, I had to try a new dessert, so naturally I went with sopapilla cheesecake bars.

Source: allrecipes.com via Kristin on Pinterest

I must say, these were so easy to make. I did have to make one substitution. I looked all over for Mexican vanilla -- well, all over Kroger -- with no luck, so I simply used regular vanilla. They were still absolutely wonderful. Really, one of the best desserts I've ever made, especially since we ate them hot out of the oven.

I will definitely be making these again, but I will say they were not as good the second night around. unless you warm them up in the microwave. I had read online to eat these not long after they came out of the oven, and that was a good tip that I would pass along to anyone else.

If you are looking for two great recipes for your next "Mexican night," I definitely recommend these!

I'm planning to try out several more Pinterest recipes this week, so stay tuned for reviews! Oh, and if you aren't on Pinterest, you have no idea what you are missing! Go try it out now!

Finally

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Well, it only took nine months but I have finally completed the redo on my Craig's List table and chairs!

Just as a refresher, here is what I started with ...

I painted the table back in May. That was the easy part ...

But, it was those chairs chairs that I kept putting off. You'll remember we fixed them so they were no longer wobbly, and we creatively came up with a new "topper" for the one that was missing.

Well, three weekends ago, I set out to finish these chairs. The funniest thing is I thought I could get it done in one weekend. Ha! Not so much ...

First, I had to sand each chair down. When I sanded the table, it was easy, because I could use the electric sander. But the chairs needed to be done by hand because of the intricate details. Plus, as I started sanding, I realized a few chairs that needed a little more reinforcement to ensure their stability.

So, three hours later, the sanding and fixing was done. Next, it was time to wipe everything clean and start priming.

I was clearly disillusioned with this entire process. I had no idea how long the priming would take. But, four hours later, I was done with one coat.

That was about all I had time for in one day. But, Sunday, after church, I started again with the first coat of paint.

Four hours later, I had six of the eight chairs complete and was running out of daylight. I was realizing that the excitement of finding a table with eight chairs was no longer a good thing because it only meant more painting!

At this point, I was pretty frustrated. Plus, I was sore from painting all day. I was really wanting to give up and spray paint the rest, but having hand painted the table, I didn't want the chairs to look different. So, I persevered.

The rest of the week, I rushed home from work to paint a chair or two before it got dark. By the next weekend, I was able to get the second coat and the sealant on, but it took all day Saturday and all day Sunday.

So, with the chairs drying, it was time to tackle the cushions.

Landon's mom gave me a lot of good tips for this task. She suggested I starch the fabric before covering the chairs, so that's what I did first.

Then, I turned these ...

Into these ...

If you have never covered chairs, the key is to pull the fabric tight.

With the help of Landon screwing the cushions on the chairs, I'm proud to reveal the final product!

After nine months, I am so glad to have this project complete. Plus, Landon will let me move onto another project!

Match Made in Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:30:00 +0000

Remember how I said I have really bad luck with shower curtains? Well, I finally found one that I love.

My guest bathroom has neutral tile, paint and countertops, so I really wanted a shower curtain that would offer a pop of color.

I took a trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond and looked at every shower curtain they have to offer, which is a lot. Finally, I saw what I thought was the perfect one. In order to be sure, I didn't buy it the day I saw it but instead decided to wait, thinking if I still wanted it after a few days, I would go back and buy it.

Well, after three days, I decided it was "the one." Of course, I went to the Bed, Bath & Beyond by my office and they didn't have it. So, a day later, I stopped at the store on the way to church and they were out of it. So, I finally made it last weekend to one last store and got lucky.

So, meet my new shower curtain!

I couldn't be happier. So, check one thing off my list of things to do before guests arrive!

Changing Things Up

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:30:00 +0000

First, I must say happy birthday to my little sister, Allison! I hope you have a fabulous day full of celebrations despite all the classes you have to go to today!

Allison with her daughter, McKinlee

Next, I must tell you some good news and some bad news. The good news is I was able to work all weekend on my dining room chairs. The bad news is I didn't get them finished. So, you'll have to wait a little longer to see the final product.

In the meantime, I thought I would tell you about a little change I made a few weeks ago ... I decided to switch the guest bedroom and office.

I'm going to tell you this, but I don't want anyone getting any ideas. See, you might remember we put our desk in the closet of the office.

We decided that we really liked it and we wanted to keep it that way. Well, being a "planner," I decided that if we did ever have a baby, I didn't want to get rid of the closet office, so naturally, we would need to use the room that was currently being used as a guest bedroom as a future "baby's" room.

Now, I told you, don't get any ideas. "Future" is the key word here. It's just I didn't want to decorate an entire room knowing it would one day change. Hence, why we decided to make the bedroom / office switch.

Landon was going to help me do this, but one night I got impatient (I know, hard to believe, right?), so I decided to do the move on my own. Thanks to our handy, dandy furniture movers, it wasn't too hard.

And, today, we have this ...

Excuse the mess ... we're still cleaning this room up!

The pictures above the bed will be going soon. Landon jokingly said our guests would enjoy the wall of "us." But, I have many other things to put on this wall.

Really wish I had time to paint these rooms before our guests arrive, but considering how long the chairs are taking, I don't see that happening. So, "deep in the heart of Texas" will still be around to welcome them!

Three Weeks and Counting

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:47:00 +0000

I have three weeks and counting to get my house ready for the "TX Visitor's Extravaganza"! That's right, we are prepping for lots of guests to come. First, will be my mom and dad Oct. 19-24. Then Landon's mom arrives Oct. 25, with his dad following close behind. They leave Oct. 31, but Landon's sister and brother-in-law join us Nov. 3-7! So, we are going to have a full house for nearly three weeks!

I am looking forward to every one of their visits. This will be the first time any of them have seen our home and our new neighborhood. I'm also excited because:

For three whole weeks during their visits, my house will be clean! This rarely happens, but I will make it a point since we have guests.
This gives me an excuse to try out some new recipes for dinner and eat at some of my favorite places around town.
And most of all ... this gives me great motivation to finish some projects on which I've been dragging my feet.

So, here's the list of "must-do's" over the next few weeks:

Paint and recover my dining room chairs. Seriously ... how long have I been talking about doing this? Well, I'm procrastinating no more. The temps are supposed to drop over the weekend into the 80s (yes, it's currently still in the high 90s) so it will be a perfect time to get in the garage and get this done. Plus, we're going to need a table to eat at with all our guests!
Buy a shower curtain. Since I think everyone will want to shower while they are here and I removed the glass shower doors, this is really a necessity. I have found "the one" at Bed Bath & Beyond but the two stores I went to this week are both out of it. I'll hit up one more near my house (yes, we have one on every corner; that's the advantage of living in a large city). If they don't have it, I'll get the store to order it.
Paint my bedroom. The hideous "cotton candy blue" with various other "sample" colors on top is just not doing it for me. I have three more samples to throw on the wall tonight and then we are making a decision!

And, if there is time, I have a few other things on the "wish list" of to-do's including spray painting the entry way chandelier and painting a few other walls but we'll see if I get that done.

So, the next few weeks are going to be busy for me. What's on your to-do list?

P.S. I know that all my future guests read my blog, and I expect they will all say, "You don't need to do anything for me!" but please know I want to do this. All these things are tasks that need to be done. Consider yourself good motivation! :)

Goodbye Glass

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000

If you paid attention closely, you might have seen a pair of glass doors in the yard sale items in my last post.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, these were firmly secured to my guest bathroom tub/shower, but I decided they needed to go.

I never really liked them, since the moment we bought the house. Plus, in addition to the look, this is also the tub used for the dogs' baths (we thoroughly clean before our guests come), and the doors were simply in the way.

I read several websites that told how to remove them and had seen some success stories, so I decided this was something I could do on my own.

Knowing this was a project on my list, Landon surprised me one Friday while I was at work and did the difficult (or heavy) part of removing the glass part. All that was left for me was removing the frame.

I wasn't sure if removing this was going to be easy or difficult. In some of the online forums I had read stories about people needing crow bars to get the job done but that seemed extreme. Also, a couple of people mentioned chipping the tile during this process. All of this made me a little nervous.

First things first, I removed all the screws and took the top bar off.

Next, I ran a metal putty knife down the caulk along the frame to "cut" it. Then, I slowly started pulling. To my surprise, once the caulk was "cut," the rest was a snap. That was, until I got about halfway down. As much as I pulled, it just wouldn't budge. Then, I realized there were two screws we had not seen to remove. They were hidden behind a little black rubber piece. Once these came out, it was easy peasy.

I was so proud when I got the first bar off. Matter of fact, I ran into the living room where Landon was and yelled, "The first part is off! Woohoo!"

It left quite a bit of caulk residue, but nothing a good scraping couldn't remove.

I think the worst part was removing the bottom bar, which sat against the tub. It was absolutely disgusting from years of mold and mildew.

Eww.

It took a LOT of scraping to get the remainder of the caulk off, so much so that my fingers hurt the next day.

But, it was completely worth it, because now I have a beautiful, shower-door free tub!

Now I'm on the hunt for a shower curtain. I've had really bad luck with picking curtains in the past. Matter of fact, I sold three different ones that I no longer liked in the yard sale. I have my eye on a few so hopefully I'll have this dilemma fixed soon.

The Smell of Sweet Success

noreply@blogger.com (Kristin) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 16:00:00 +0000

I am happy to announce that our yard sale was a HUGE success. Seriously, I don't think we'll ever be able to have another sale because we will NEVER be able to do as well as we did at this one!

Here is what we started with on Friday morning ... (actually this pic was taken about 30 minutes in because we are already missing a few items on the table)

Even though you can't tell from this pic, the two six-foot tables were stuffed full of stuff, and there is actually another card table full of curtains, a desk, two end tables and a small entertainment center of which I forgot to take a picture.

Also, you might have noticed Landon sitting bundled up on the couch. It was actually a beautiful morning but because our driveway is in the shade, it was quite cool.

We put out our signs the night before and set all the "merchandise" out around 7:30 a.m. As we were moving it out from the garage, our first early bird arrived. The others followed shortly after. Within an hour, we had already sold a huge chunk of our items. Then we had a small lull and that's about the time Landon got bored.

But, then he started counting our profit and once he realized he was making money, he quickly changed his tune. (This was his favorite part of the sale and even motivated him to look for more items on Friday night to sell Saturday.)

Our friends Ernie and Susan also brought over some items to add to the sale around mid-morning, which helped restock our supply.

We had steady traffic until about 10 a.m. and probably sold about half of our items. Then, it got pretty quiet. What we realized later is that is about that time our signs were taken down.

Yep, I didn't quite read the city's "rules" to realize that despite the fact I had gotten my "garage sale" permit, I had placed my signs on city property which is a "no no." As a result, the city took them. Grrrr.

So, that meant Friday night I had to go back out and buy supplies to make new ones. I decided to be nice and knock on the door of all the houses on the corner to ask if I could place my sign in their yard. I did this twice with no answer, so I decided to take my chances and hope they didn't care.

For Saturday, the signs made all the difference. We had steady traffic from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. We were amazed that the big items like our couch and chair didn't sell until 11 a.m. on Saturday. They were both very reasonably priced. Matter of fact, several people told us that, though they didn't need them. We had several "low ball" offers, but luckily, a man who was furnishing his twin daughters' apartment for college bought them for our full asking price.

We had a few people offer us way below what we wanted on a few items, but overall, we got what we wanted. And, I'm happy to say, when all was said and done, we had several hundred dollars profit and only a few items left.

I've already put the chair on Craig's List in an attempt to get rid of it. Everything else will either be stuffed somewhere is a closet or given to Goodwill.

As I said, I don't think we'll ever be able to have this successful of a yard sale ever again. I had no idea we would do this well, considering the stories I had heard from others. But, I think we had two things on our side:

Weather. This past weekend was probably the nicest we have had in Texas since summer. There were lots of people out and about and it made perfect "yard sale" conditions.
Location. Our street connects two main roads. Because of that, we were able to put a sign on either end and draw traffic from both.

I can say, it was an exhausting experience. It was a lot of work and wore me out. I'm just glad it was also a good experience!