GIRLFRIENDS. WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT THEM?

October.

So much to love about this month.

Cooler air.
Candy corn.
Football.
Boots.
Sweaters.
Pumpkin-flavored everything.
And, for the one Tennesee fan I know, orange.

I love everything in this list (minus the orange), but for the past couple of Octobers, my favorite thing has been a reunion with some incredible friends. We've known each other for what seems like forever, but in reality, we didn't turn into a party of five until the eighth or ninth grade. Of course when you're our age, that is forever.

Last year the destination was Atlanta. Here we are breaking from shopping and soaking in a little sun at Ponce City Market. It's an old factory/warehouse turned into an interesting industrial, kind of rustic retail destination.

Roof top garden.

Dining area.

This year our reunion will take us further South. Seafood, sand, and a lot of catching up are on the agenda.

When I think about this group of friends I feel so honored to know, there is an article that almost always pops in my mind. It is written by Kari Kampakis who is from my home town and entitled, "Why Women Need Their Girlfriends."  You may have come across Kari on the Internet. Her work has been featured all over the place: The Huffington Post, The TODAY Show, Yahoo! News and many others. After you read a few of her articles, you'll see why.

Kari Kampakis
via karikampakis.com

My friends and I have shared in all the good things, and, unfortunately, all the bad things Kari mentions in her article. I think my favorite line from her post is the advice she was once given, "Don't ever lose touch with your girlfriends, sweetheart. The older you get, the more you'll need them." That is definitely a time-worn truth.

If you have girlfriends you've lost touch with or don't see as often as you'd like, I would encourage you to set aside some time to reunite. It's rewarding to be with friends who really know you and still manage to love you unconditionally. :-)

Kathryn

FRIDAY'S FIVE

Friday... Don't you love that word? :)

House Beautiful Color Trends

This blue... #swoonworthy

           

Gracefully Done

The pretty portfolio of a local favorite.

Magnolia DIY Wreath

I think I could actually do this!

Quatrefoil Mirror - Target

If only I needed a mirror...

I saw it in person while shopping for school supplies and it's really pretty. 

Denim for Fall at Loft

Because denim goes with everything.

Enjoy your weekend. I think fall may actually be here to stay in Alabama.

Kathryn

And, a quick Happy Birthday to my father-in-law. (Your gift is in the mail!)

FALL LINKS: FAVORITE FALL RECIPES

Today I'm linking to my favorite fall recipes shared on the blog over the past few years. Y'all know I'm a working mom, so most of these are easy and perfect for a weeknight or a weekend. Just click on the blue link and ENJOY!

Game Day Chili

(Double the recipe if you're the hostess for the game.)

Chicken and Dumpling Casserole

(I'm making this one as I type.)

Turkey Taco Soup

(I take this to lunch for days after I make a pot.)

Bundt Bread

(This is a great bread for any meal.)

And for dessert...

Pumpkin Roll
(The only pumpkin thing I eat.)

Ghost Cake
(Takes forever, but it's so cute!)

I hope you see something you'd like to try. They're all good, I promise.  :-)

Kathryn

DEAL ALERT: GREAT SANDALS

Good Tuesday to you, friends...

Rembember those oh-so-comfy sandals I told you about in a post a few months back? They were in my round up of summer favorites? They are now on sale + another 15% off!

I decided as much as I wear and love teaching in the brown ones, I could use a black pair as well. I got online this weekend and found them to be down to $30.00. AND, if you use the coupon code LEAVES, you will get another 15% off. Franco Sarto is one of my favorite shoe brands. Here is the link to Famous Footwear. That's where I found the black pair.

In the South, we get a few extra months of sandal weather, and I'm excited to scoop up the black ones! I hope they have your size, too, if you could use some cute, and really comfortable sandals to finish up the fall or to put up until next year. If you have a question about the fit or sizing, you can leave it in the comments. I'll get back with you after school.

Kathryn

TWIN BED IDEAS FOR YOUR HOME

A room with twin beds has always been a favorite of mine. I love the look! It's probably more about the symmetry for me than the actual beds themselves. Any room decorated with symmetry built into the design always gets my vote.

My youngest son had twin beds for several years. Then he out grew them, literally. Feet and hairy legs were suddenly everywhere after about the 8th grade. Boy moms, I know you know what I mean; they seemingly become little men over night.

We are down from three kids to one now, and I hope to one day add twin beds back to what will eventually become a guest room. If you like them as well, here's some inspiration for us. I think I've rounded up something for everyone.

Bright...

Kristi Lee Interiors via Eye for Design

Blue and white...

Designer Jessica Waks via Style at Home

Girl-y...

Emily A. Clark via BHG

For the boys...

Photobucket via Pinerest

Antique chic...

Better Homes and Gardens

Country...

O So D via Pinterest

Rustic...

Home Proper Interiors

Crisp...

Andrew Brown

Red, white, and blue...

Livinator

Color...

Decoist

And finally, traditional...

Pinterest

So many ideas to chose from and so many directions you can go. Twins can be stunning! Did you have a favorite? I love the last one. But I bet you knew that. ;)

Kathryn

FRIDAY'S FIVE

I'm excited to bring you another Friday's Five post. If you missed the first one, you can check it out here. Click on the blue links for ideas and inspiration!

ONE - Rachel Maser's Instagram account is amazing. @CleanFoodCrush

TWO - The portfolio of Southern decorator James T. Farmer
(One of my favorites.)

THREE - 60% off these blue and white canisters from Birchlane 

FOUR - Better Homes and Gardens kitchen inspiration

FIVE - A pretty, elegant barrette 

I found a similar one here. 

Enjoy your weekend!

A MATTRESS GIVE-A-WAY

Could you use a new mattress? I found a give-a-way you might be interested in if so!

One of the sweetest people I've met on Instagram, Jane at Home, recently did a blog post on the Agility Mattress. Her post is super informative, and she explains the entire process of ordering and setting up an Agility mattress.

Image: Jane at Home

We have two memory foam mattresses in our house already--one in my son's room and one in the guest room. They aren't the Agility brand, but my son and visitors say they sleep great. I'm thinking I'm ready for one too. Agility is giving away a mattress valued up to $1299. I've registered, and my fingers are crossed!

Here's Jane's beautiful bedroom with her new mattress in place.

Image: Jane at Home

To register for the give-a-way, click here. Or you can go to the Agility home page here and click on the yellow give-a-way bar at the top of the page. You have until September 30th to register. The winner will be announced via social media on October 2. And the winner will be contacted by email.

If I don't win, maybe you will! Good luck.

Are any of you guys sleeping on a memory foam mattress yet? I'd love to hear how you like it.

Kathryn

A ROUND MIRROR BEFORE AND AFTER

I recently painted my first round mirror. For those of you who have been reading along for a while, you know I've painted many mirrors over the years without too much trouble. If you're new to Woodbank Lane, you can see those projects here, here, and here. The round one was a bit more tricky to paint than the others and required a little more prep work. 

The mirror has primarily been in our foyer, but I've used it some in the dining room over the years as well. Here it is in the foyer with a spring look.

I always liked the silver color and details, and the hints of red were pretty, too.

So, about that prep work...

Very few areas of the mirror would allow me to simply slide the paper under.

I had to use the painter's tape on the spots with no space between the glass and the edge of the wood. And I couldn't use a big piece; only small pieces would work because of the angle. Once the tape was on, I used my thumb nail to make a firm crease.

Next, I used a razor blade to carefully trim off the tape.

The mirror is 36 inches.

The color of the paint I used is Indigo by Valspar. I picked mine up from Lowe's. It covers well, but takes its time drying. 

 

One more before look in the foyer...

And here's the after in the dining room. Blue!

It's a little hard to photograph; the lighting is only good for about an hour a day in the room. It looks darker to me in the picture. It turned out just like I hoped it would, and I love the navy with the brass lamps (more about those here) and green apples. It also looks good with a pile of blue and white in front of it. :-)

My husband thinks I'll grow weary of the blue. He may be right. But for now, it fits right in. You can see more of the room here. 

Hope you have a great weekend!

And Happy Birthday to my daddy who is 70 years young today!

Kathryn