Wedges...Yes, please!

Easter has come and gone. You know what that means? According to Southern rules, you can dig out all of your white and your summer styles without anyone looking at you with raised eyebrows. Time to paint your toes, find your flip flops, and, if you're like me, wear your wedges.

Wedges are probably my favorite shoe. I can even teach in them all day. Here are some options if you could use a pair yourself, or if you need to replace some that have seen better days.

Tom's   //   Overstock   //   Unisa

Nine West   //   DSW   //   Laundry

LuLu's   //   Indigo Road   //   Target

A super comfortable shoe and wedges go with everything. They look great with shorts, pants of all lengths, and dresses--casual or dressy. Do you like wedges, too? See a style here you like?

Have a great rest of the week...

Kathryn

Simple spring decorating ideas...

I don't know about you guys, but I'm thrilled to be swapping out Old Man Winter for the sweetness of spring. The warmer feel of the longer days reminds me summer is right around the corner.

Have you been spring cleaning? I've done a good bit and should probably be doing some more. I said I was going to clean out one drawer a day during spring break, but that fell through. I'll have to add the drawers to my summer to-do list.

I also like to declutter and lighten up in my home decor this time of year as well. Today I'm sharing a few easy and inexpensive ways to make your house feel and look like spring has sprung.

1.  Add an unexpected pop of color with new pillows or add pillow covers to existing ones.

Here's a great pattern that comes in several spring colors from Hobby Lobby.

18 x 18 Pillow Cover

2. Change the color of dark frames with spray paint. My go-to white/off-white spray paint is Valspar's Churchill Hotel Vanilla.

3. Put your wintry colored candles away until next year. Put lighter, brighter candles in their place.

These are from Walmart.

Spring candles

4. Shop your house and pull together similar items to create a spring vignette. Then, head out to your yard and cut fresh spring greenery to seal the deal.

Do you like the look of blue and white? I've been collecting my blue and white for about twenty-five years. Some pieces are old, new, thrifted, gifted, hand-me-downs, and hand-me-overs. Here are some inspiration pieces if you're interested in starting or adding to your own blue and white collection.

One King's Lane

I hope you found an idea or two for adding a splash of spring to your surroundings. Let's hope the pollen doesn't make us all sick, so we can enjoy the spring season.

Happy Saturday!

Kathryn

WOODBANK LANE IS TURNING ONE...

It seems impossible, but it's true--I've been blogging for one year this month. Last year during spring break, with a little help from my friends and a lot of help from my techie husband Doug, we launched Woodbank Lane.

I have so enjoyed sharing a tiny bit of life with you all. I love bumping into you around town and finding out you've made a recipe or getting a text that says you appreciated "A Sunday Thought." Your comments of encouragement mean so much. I ran into my friend Jan this winter, and she told me she thought she had made every recipe I've shared. They've come from my mom's kitchen, friends' kitchens, old and new cook books, a little of everywhere. I hope to share many more in the coming year, along with a home project from time to time. I have two new cans of spray paint in my possession, so you'll see at least two fresh looks soon!

And now, the giveaway! To say thank you for your support, I'd like to give a WBL reader a $25.00 gift card. Leave a comment below and a winner will be chosen at random next week. Check back Tuesday to see if it's you! The winner will be announced in the comments. Follow along on Instagram @woodbanklane for an additional entry. Look for this image.

Thank you again for your encouragement on this blog adventure :-). Have a great Thursday!!

Kathryn

Inspiration for the Girls... Issue 3

Happy Friday!!

This is the last installment of my first series of related posts "Inspiration for the Girls." If you want to catch up on the first two issues, you can see them here and here. I've shown you pink diamonds and no-paint circles, and today stripes are on the patterned wall menu.

SEEING STRIPES

It's been quieter at our house this school year. If you've been reading along, you know we moved our daughter out in August of last year to start her sophomore year of college. One of my favorite projects around here is the stripes we painted in her room a few years ago. It wasn't a hard project, but it did involve math and a little help from my friend (Little) Leah. At the time of the project, I wanted to spunk up her room by throwing in some color and adding some pattern.

Here is a look at the room before the stripes and before we added an additional color. (A few of these shots were just snaps on my phone. The quality isn't so great.)



And after. . .

Here is the tutorial we (my friend Leah and I) used to get started. She can do math, so she got the title of project manager. And, here are a few other things that changed in her room.

We added a pretty coral color to the baby blue (which is hard to make out in the pictures) and brown. I spray painted her name, her wicker television stand, and two lamps this color.

This utensil caddy became a magazine/book holder. A little more about it here.

I came across this perfectly matching chair at a thrift store. You can see a few more shots of it here.

She'd had these pictures in her room for years and the coral, blues, greens, and browns continued to work even as the space was changing.

We used a small cheetah print on her valance and in the bedding.

It was a pretty space for a season. Now it houses two sets of golf clubs and a make-shift home office. One day, hopefully, it will be an inviting guest room.

This is one of my favorite girl's room inspiration pictures. It's the same room as in the tutorial link above, but it has been updated. Jennifer at Dimples and Tangles is one of my favorites for project ideas. She is super creative and talented.

I hope you enjoyed these three rooms for the girls, and picked up an idea or two for your own update. Did you have a favorite? I love hearing from you in the comments. :-) Thanks again to my friends who were part of the "Inspiration for the Girls" series.

I hope you all have a great weekend!!

Kathryn

Almost bathing suit weather...

Seventy-five and sunny always reminds me bathing suit weather is right around the corner. If it's time to update your swim wardrobe, this post is for you. I thought I would round us up a few options while watching The Blind Side for the 87th time. Here are three I found and really like. All are super cute and mom-friendly, in this mom's opinion. :-)

I really like this halter style from Belk.

I've never worn this blouson style from Target, but I might like to try it. 

I have, however, worn this style with a ruched front. I like it a lot--it hides a multitude of "stuff."

Halter Suit // Blouson Suit // Ruched Suit

Have a great Tuesday!!

Kathryn

A Sunday thought...Raising Children

Yesterday my two oldest, both in college, left for spring break adventures. I know they're adults now and all that stuff, but I've been worrying about them since 1994, and I'm guessing it will be that way until the year, oh let's say, 2062--if I have my grandmother's good genes. We can't help it. Parents worry. I've figured out, though, it's not really them I'm worried about. If I'm honest--if we're all honest--it's our parenting that makes us nervous. The what if's, the if only's, the should have's. Those thoughts are keeping us, or at least me, up at night.

Last year around this time we had stormy weather with excessive wind at our house. Unfortunately, we lost a few trees.

 

Their sprawling roots couldn't hold.

Pulling into our drive one day, I looked at the fallen trees and almost had a panic attack. I had a "what if" moment about my kids. What if we hadn't prepared them well enough? What if the winds of life take them down? What if we didn't grow them strong enough? What if their roots didn't grow deep enough? I'm not sure why we allow crazy thoughts like those to enter our minds, but don't entertain them when they show up. Instead, let's strive to do our best for our kids, and believe in our abilities. And as always: lean on, cling to, and hang on to His promises.

Proverbs 22:6

Raise up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old, he will not depart from it. 

Kathryn

Inspiration for the Girls - Issue 2

Time for the second installment of "Inspiration for the Girls." If you missed last weeks' inspiration room, you can catch up here. 

If painting is not on your schedule or just not the way you'd like to spend your decorating time, but you love pattern on a wall, this idea may be the one for you. 

NO-PAINT POLKA DOTS

If you could meet my friend Sophie, you'd understand why this middle school room update is so perfect for her. She's a spunky sixth grader and just like the look of her room, she's full of life and style. 

The main color in the room is bright pink, surrounded by shades of green with white accents. 

Circles are the dominant shape in the room, and you'll be seeing circles everywhere you look, from fun paper flower accents to decorative plates.

If the thought of creating a wall pattern scares you, but you love the touch of character it adds, do what my friend Staci and her daughter Sophie did. They ordered peel and stick, removable wall decals from Wall Pops. This created a fun focal point for the room.

You could place the decals randomly or in a specific pattern. They'll look great either way. And no worrying with a time-consuming, messy paint project. 

Gray spray paint gave this chest a fresh look. It blends perfectly with the pink and white. 

One of the sweetest accessories in the room displayed on a white wicker shelf is a picture that was originally Sophie's great-grandmother's. 

When it was time for Sophie's room update, her mom, my good friend Staci, headed to the Internet to look for images and ideas for inspiration. Her inspiration for the room I've shared today came from a post she saw on Emily A Clark's design blog. Click the link to see it. 

Three things happened after she found it: Sophie got a precious new look for her room, I discovered lifestyle/design blogs, and the blogger bug bit me.  :-) Thanks to my friend Staci for letting me share Sophie's room. 

Diamonds and Polka dots down, stripes to go. Tune in next week for the final installment of "Inspiration for the Girls."

Have a creative pattern on a wall in your house? I'd love to see it. Email a picture to woodbanklane@gmail.com. 

Happy Friday before spring break!!!!!! (This teacher is ready for it.)

Kathryn

Breakfast Quiche

If breakfast is your thing, and easy makes you happy... this one is for you!

My friend Mary brought these to our ABS (Adult Bible Study) a few weeks ago. The class devoured them--not a crumb left. So, when my week to contribute to breakfast rolled around, I asked her for the recipe. And, again, not a crumb left. I knew then this would be my next recipe to share with you guys.

Ingredients:

1 lb pork sausage with sage

1 teaspoon baking powder

6 large eggs

20 grape tomatoes, halfed

10 ounces of shredded, sharp Cheddar cheese

2 - 9 inch unbaked frozen pie shells

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Before you get started, place the crusts on the counter to allow them to thaw. Brown the sausage in a large skillet. Drain and set aside. As you're cooking the sausage, slice the tomatoes and sprinkle them lightly with salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, baking powder, and tomatoes. Stir in the sausage and cheese. Finally, add the salt and pepper. Fill the pie shells evenly and bake about 30 minutes or until the pies set. 

That's it... Is that easy or what? :-) 

This is the first recipe I've tried from Trisha Yearwood's Southern Kitchen. Looking forward to seeing what else she has on her menu. 

Enjoy!

Kathryn

Inspiration for the Girls - Issue 1

Welcome to the first installment of my blog series, "Inspiration for the Girls."

If you're thinking about redoing or updating a girl's room or just adding some missing flare, I bet you'll find an idea or two in these rooms. There is something for everyone: color, style, old and new, and the most interesting--pattern. If you've been afraid of pattern in the past, but love how it looks in a room, perhaps this series will give you the little boost of courage you need to get it on the wall.

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

My friend Cay is a mom to three girls. I'm sharing some inspiration and starting my series with her oldest daughter's bedroom. Last year she added a diamond-filled, tone-on-tone accent wall to the room.

Supplies:

Painter's tape

Pencils

Measuring tape

Ladder

Paint and painting supplies

Drop cloth

A good friend or willing spouse (it will take two of you :-))

Time, lots of time

The wall is all one color with two different finishes. The base paint is egg shell and the diamonds are gloss. It made for a subtle, delicate finish.

A few more from around the cute room...

Sassy storage...

A big thank you to my friend Cay and her daughter Colbi for letting me share their latest project.

So, are you ready to paint diamonds? If diamonds are a bit much for you, be sure to tune in for next week's installment. I'll be showing you a pattern you can create without any paint at all.

Have you ever painted diamonds? I'd love to see them. Send me a picture to woodbanklane@gmail.com.
I hope your week is off to a good start...

Kathryn