Gift ideas for newly weds...

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The weather has been beautiful in Alabama for almost the entire week! Add a little family, and it made for a fantastic day.

I'm guessing many of you did some shopping yesterday. I didn't. I worked around my house getting some of the Christmas decor out and did a little cleaning. I am, however, thinking about shopping and the names on my list, and I will start one of these days.

Do you have any newly weds on your Christmas list this year? I know lots of friends who do. Here are some ideas...


I love the gifts in this Etsy shop.

The Sister Studio

Start a Christmas table setting for them and add to it each year.

Fitz and Floyd

How about a wreath for their front door?

Nordstrom Pinecone Wreath

Or maybe a decorating book to help them get started making their house a home.

Domino

Actually, I bet almost everyone--newly wed or not--would appreciate any of the four of these!

   1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Happy Shopping!
Kathryn

Living thankfully...

These holidays are coming around faster and faster. Didn't we just celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas?

I've decided Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. No gifts to buy, no crowds to fight, only food to eat, and hugs to give and receive. And even though things don't always go our way throughout the year, there is still so much to pause and be thankful for. I talked about a few of those things in one of my first "A Sunday Thought" posts.

From all of us here at Woodbank Lane, we hope you and your family have a beautiful Thanksgiving.

Kathryn

Thanksgiving table inspiration...

I've rounded you up some inspiration for your Thanksgiving table as you get ready to welcome family and guests into your home. And, by the way, these are some of my favorite bloggers.

Color....

Source: Dimples and Tangles

Blue and white...

Source: Emily A. Clark

Plaid...

Source: Our Fifth House

Simple and pretty...

Source: Simpledetails

Fall...

Source: Driven by Decor

Happy Thanksgiving week!

Kathryn

Friendship and the "C" word...

I remember the night vividly. My cell phone rang. It was late, so of course I thought it was one of the kids. When I picked up my phone, I saw Meg's name, one of my best friends from high school. We greeted each other, and in no time, I realized she hadn't called to catch up. She suddenly couldn't speak. I asked if something was wrong, and eventually, she managed a yes.  My swirling thoughts came to a stand still when she told me it was Shannon. What could possibly be wrong with Shannon, our other high school friend? Cancer. Cancer had opened the door and let itself in.

To say this was hard to comprehend is an understatement. There's a popular book out there about bad things happening to good people. I probably need to buy it and read it. Maybe it would shed a little light and provide some explanation to this dose of unfairness life prescribed. I surely can't figure it out on my own.

That's my friend Shannon on the right in her signature color. One of the causes she devotes part of her days to is American Leprosy Missions. She shares some insightful information on leprosy here in a beautifully written article.

See what I mean about good? She's a sweet soul (and a great writer).

Meg and I got to spend a weekend with her in October.

Nothing much better than a girls' reunion weekend! A little more about our fun here. She's almost done with her treatments, and she has handled them with as much grace and beauty as she does everything else. Our prayer--that the drugs are knocking out the "c" word...

So thankful for the gift of friendship...

Kathryn

For more information about American Leprosy Missions click here.

Lamp love follow up...

Those of you who know me, know if you come to my house, there will be lamps--several lamps--on in every room. What can I say? I'm not an overhead light kind of girl. 

Remember these lamps from my great aunt and uncle? 

 

After months of searching, I came across shades I liked and I felt were the right size. Originally I had the lamps in my bedroom on the bedside tables, but the boys claimed they were too tall and didn't look right. I finally, for the most part, agreed with them. So now they rest on each side of the couch in the living room. 

The brass serves as a nice contrast with the blue couch (I need to tell you about that couch one day.) and shows up nicely against the wall.

Two or three Christmas breaks ago, I painted the room Shaker Beige by Benjamin Moore. I haven't regretted the soft, neutral color at all and really, wish I had gone a shade lighter. We don't have much natural light and the brighter color lightened up the space. 

Benjamin Moore Shaker Beige HC-45

The shades are from Ross and were only $8.00 each :-) Lowe's and Target are my two other favorite places for turning an old lamp into a new lamp.

Kathryn

Progress in the pictures...

When I started Woodbank Lane, I had a desire to write, share a few recipes, and show you some you-can-do-it-too projects. I also had a camera that I had no idea how to use. I talked a little about that here. So over the last nine months, I've read up on the camera's directions, taken lots of photography tips from other bloggers and practiced, practiced, practiced taking pictures. I thought I'd show you some of my favorite shots so far. Some you may have seen in other posts, but some are just random pictures I think turned out pretty good and maybe you will too! Hopefully, with each shot, they're getting better and better.

Plants and flowers...

A Sunday thought... Be Watchful and Thankful

I love the simplicity of this verse--small, but powerful. So much promise in the word "watchful."  

I hope it's a good week for you and your family.

Kathryn

Is it time for red and green yet?

We've barely finished with Halloween, so I'm hesitant to pull out the green and red. But lots of people are whipping it out faster than you can say "Happy Thanksgiving." I've seen some pretty decorations on Facebook already and Christmas trees are starting to fill my Instagram feed. I'm going to confess, I would love to have my tree up, too. The days from now to New Year's go by so fast, one month doesn't seem like enough time to enjoy its presence. But, I'll wait until after Thanksgiving. My husband and I do (sort of) agree on that point.

I am, however, thinking about what I plan on doing for the holidays. This is the start of my dining room table.

I have no idea how old the plaid blanket is. When my grandmother died last year and I was helping my mom clean out her house, we found the blanket in the top of a closet. I'm going to use it as the runner. The napkins and jingle bell napkin holders are from Pier One Imports. I bought them last year.

Here's the inspiration for my dining room table.

City Farmhouse

The runner in the picture is actually a scarf. How creative is that? I do plan on putting out a few decorations here and there soon, but the tree will have to wait.

Do you have your tree up? Are you in the before Thanksgiving crowd or the after Thanksgiving crowd? Click on the comment link below and share your thoughts...

Saturday is here!

Kathryn

A passed down beauty secret...

Several years back, I took a long stare at my grandmother's radiant face and skin. She's 91. Right then and there I decided to start doing whatever she was doing. Her round face has wrinkled, but in an age-aint-got-nothing-on-me kind of way. So, I added Dove soap to my daily routine. She's used it as long as I can remember. "One quarter cup moisturizing cream." That line from the Dove commercial always sticks in my mind.

They might be telling the truth about all that moisturizing. Grandmother's face truly glows and seems to have stopped aging.

Her 90th birthday party

Remember those day lilies I shared with you months back? They came from her flower garden. And, in a post for another day, I'll tell you about the time she had a little get-together with a copper head snake--not once, but twice, and lived to tell about it.

Do you have a favorite beauty secret? Click the comment link below and share it!

Kathryn