'Tis the Season

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?

My New Favorite Way to Hang Pictures

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?

A Splash of Color

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

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!

Travel Table

I decided the only way my guest bedroom would be complete would be with a suitcase nightstand.  I saw so many cute ones on Pinterest. 

Source: None via Kristin on Pinterest

Source: finecraftguild.com via Maddie on Pinterest

Source: finecraftguild.com via Maddie on Pinterest

Source: greenupgrader.com via Monica on Pinterest

I knew I needed one, so I went on the hunt for some vintage suitcases. 

I actually first inquired about a few on Craig's List, which brings me to my pet peeve. If you post somethng on the site and someone emails you about it, you should respond, even if it's just a "I sold it." Really ... what's up with all the Craig's List sellers not answering emails? It bothers me.

So, giving up on Craig's List, I thought I would try the Antique Mall down the road. And, guess what? They had three that were perfect! 

After a little cleaning, I stacked them to create my table.

What do you think?

This now means that my original nightstand is going to have to go somewhere else. I'm not sure where right now, but I'll find somewhere for it!

A New Display

This post has been a long time coming. I actually received a gift in the mail a few weeks ago and am just now getting around to showing you. What is it, you ask? It's a homemade quilt fresh from Miami!

This was made by my mother-in-law who lives in Coral Gables. You may remember she also made the quilt in the guest bedroom. Yes, she has a knack for this!

She actually made this one as a tablecloth but it's so pretty, I don't think I can risk getting food all over it (because I'm sure I would)! 

The backing is black and white, so I could also use that side.

I think I might display it instead, at least for now. I may pull it out as a tablecloth for a special occasion. Either way, it's a great new keepsake!