Pumpkin + Pinterest

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

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

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

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

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!