FRIDAY'S FIVE (A NEW POST)

Happy Friday, friends!

I'm adding a new kind of post to the Woodbank Lane line up. These fun, new posts will include 5 things of all varieties that I've come across. They might be things I enjoy or find interesting, maybe things I've used or seen online, or people I've met during my blogging journey. The list is endless. And because I think you may like some of them too, they are now wrapped up neatly in a post I'm calling "Friday's Five".

Here's the first edition. Click the blue link and ENJOY!

ONE - Fashion blogger Cindy Spivey

TWO - A "Blue and White Home" blogger

Image: J K Kling via Blue and White Home blog

THREE - My current book  

I had no idea what it was about when I picked it up. What a surprise.

FOUR - Tips for using baskets as wall decor

FIVE - Mini retro alarm clock

It comes in lots of colors and is so stinking cute!

Have a great weekend and feel free to leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you. ;)

DIY ART FOR YOUR HOME

Today I'm sharing a DIY art project that helped me wrap up the dining room refresh. It only took one afternoon and just a few materials. 

What I used

Copy paper or card stock

Ruler/Yard stick

1/2 inch paint brush

Painter's Tape or Frog Tape

Paint 

Several months ago--I think it was before Christmas--I came across these gold frames at Michael's. They were marked down to 9.99 in a clearance bin. I had to get them. I knew I would put them to good use, eventually.

So one afternoon as I was trying to figure out what direction to go in the dining room, I had the crazy idea to create my own art and use the gold frames that were patiently awaiting a tenant.

These will give you an idea of what I was hoping to accomplish.

Birch Lane

Pinterest

Hayneedle

I didn't want anything too fancy, just some color and some character which abstract art definitely gives. 

What I did

I started by taping off an area slightly bigger than the opening of the mattes in the frames--about 5 1/2" by 7 1/2." Next, I simply started making marks, swirls, some cirlces, half circles, etc., with the small paint brush. The first three came easily and only took one draft. I liked them immediately. But for some reason, I had trouble getting the fourth one to look acceptable and blend with the other three. It took at least three tries before I was happy with it.  

After each one dried, I took the mattes from the frames, placed them over the paintings, cut them to size, taped them in place, and put the frames back together. 

Where I hung them

I ended up putting them vertically on both sides of the China cabinet.

I also think these would be really cute in a nursery or child's room in other colors. The paint is less than $1 and it really took no time to complete the project. So the next time you come across inexpensive frames you love, go ahead and grab them. We'll find--or create--something to go in them!

Kathryn

A SUNDAY THOUGHT: HOPE

I can't watch a movie without analyzing almost every word of dialogue. I love uncovering a beautiful, catchy, or a particularly moving phrase or sentence. I often have my husband--protector of the remote--stop and go back so I can hear something again or even record it in my phone. Last week I was looking through some of my thoughts I'd saved, and this one was recorded on July 3 at 3:35 in the afternoon:

"Stimulated by the elixir of hope."

I assumed it was a quote from a movie, but I couldn't put my finger on which one. I then did what anyone does when trying to determine just about anything: I Googled it. Turns out, the quote wasn't from a movie. It was from a book I finished reading this summer called The Kitchen House. (I'll tell you a little about that in a future post.)

So, why is hope today's theme?

Have you heard of the book Hope Heals? It's by Jay and Katherine Wolf.

It just so happens they are the guest speakers at our church today. I'm really looking forward to hearing them in person. I've heard their story on a podcast from the Passion City Church in Atlanta. If you're curious yourself, you can listen here.

Katherine was 26 when she suffered a massive stroke. Her story is so incredible, and the hope she found in Christ is simply hard to fathom.

Just thought I would remind us all that putting our hope in "Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" is always a good idea... Ephesians 3:20

I hope you have a great week.

Kathryn