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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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June 26, 2013

My Good Housekeeping Feature!

Good Housekeeping inspired 4th of July decor www.atthepicketfence.com

I’m in this month’s issue of Good Housekeeping!

It’s a teeny-tiny-don’t-blink-or-you-will-miss-it feature.

But it’s there!

And why am I in Good Housekeeping do you ask?

handkerchief 4th of July pillow www.atthepicketfence.com
Well, I’ll tell ya.

I’m in Good Housekeeping because I took two Dollar Tree handkerchiefs, put a pillow between them and tied the corners with ribbons.
fourth of July front porch pillows www.atthepicketfence.com
Then I took two terra-cotta pots and put red flowers in the bottom one, white flowers in the top one, stacked the white one on top of the red one and stuck two American flags in it.
Makes sense, right?

potted victory garden 4th of July decor atthepicketfence.com

Ok, so maybe there was a little more involved in being featured in Good Housekeeping. Just a little though, mind you!

You see, I did this back in the summer of 2011. I had been visiting my parents and working my way through the stack of magazines my mom always saves for me. One of those magazines was Good Housekeeping. And it featured some fun and simple 4th of July decor. “Simple” is one of my most favorite words!

So, I created my own version of their version and took photos of it and put it on our blog.

Fast forward to March of this year and I get a call from my sister. “Where are you?” she hollers at me through the phone. “I’m on my way to pick up the kids from school”, I reply. “Well you are not going to believe the email that you just got!” she says.

stacked pot victory garden fourth of July decor atthepicketfence.com

Good Housekeeping had seen my version of their version and wondered if I would be willing to let them put it in the July issue of their magazine. Hmmmm…let me think about it…. 😉

I may or may not have neighbors who now think of me as the crazy lady who pulled her car over and made high-pitched screeching sounds while waving her hands around wildly.

American flags on stacked pot victory garden atthepicketfence.com

After re-editing and actually re-shooting some of the photos then sending them off to them I waited and waited and waited and waited and waited for the July issue to come out.

When it finally did, I greedily snatched it up and flipped through the pages looking and looking and looking and looking and looking. I reached the end of the magazine and didn’t see it. So I started from the beginning and went flipped through all the pages again and still didn’t see it.

I did this 4 more times.

Until…I saw it.

GH pic

A teeny-tiny-don’t-blink-or-you-might-miss-it-and-in-fact-I-did-miss-it-feature!

But still…kinda cool, huh? 🙂

Just goes to show that you never know whose watching!

1553F4F30A9801A6AFB3E9C624118E7B

38 Comments Filed Under: Crafts, Decorating, Features, Gardening, Good Ideas, No-Sew, Outdoors Tagged With: 4th of July, 4th of July crafts, 4th of July decorating, Good Housekeeping, pillows

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Comments

  1. Diann @ The Thrifty Groove says

    June 26, 2013 at 6:17 AM

    The pillow is adorable and that is very fun and exciting news! Congrats!

    Reply
  2. Gretchen says

    June 26, 2013 at 6:32 AM

    Congratulations! Great idea.

    Reply
  3. Marty Walden says

    June 26, 2013 at 6:41 AM

    I love simple and I love your don’t blink feature! Congrats!

    Reply
  4. Southern Scraps says

    June 26, 2013 at 6:56 AM

    Congrats to you! Cute ideas.

    Reply
  5. Jackie Adams says

    June 26, 2013 at 7:16 AM

    Congratulations Vanessa! So exciting!

    Reply
  6. Michelle Paige says

    June 26, 2013 at 7:30 AM

    So fun to be featured, even if it’s small! Congrats!

    Reply
  7. Tammy says

    June 26, 2013 at 7:39 AM

    Congratulations….what a great idea on the pillows! Very Cute!!!

    Reply
  8. Anita says

    June 26, 2013 at 7:41 AM

    Vanessa, congratulations!! Yay for you:-)

    Reply
  9. carol jane says

    June 26, 2013 at 7:47 AM

    Adorable pillow! No sewing at all? Maybe I can do this too! Ha! I dont have a sewing machine.

    Reply
  10. Richella @ Imparting Grace says

    June 26, 2013 at 7:57 AM

    Very, very, VERY cool!! Congratulations, Vanessa! I love Good Housekeeping. I started reading my mom’s copies when I was 12, which means I’ve now been reading Good Housekeeping for nearly 38 years! And I still love it, because I get wonderful ideas that will actually work in a real home. I’d be really excited if I were you–small feature or not, it’s still a feature! Way to go, friend!

    Reply
  11. Sara ~ Sweet Magnolias Farm says

    June 26, 2013 at 8:05 AM

    Congrat’s on your feature in Good Housekeeping .. No matter how small it is ..it’s still quite cool !

    Love your simple ideas .. sometimes they are truly the best .. and yours’ are too charming !

    Happy 4th ..
    Sara

    Reply
  12. Anjana @ At The Corner Of Happy & Harried says

    June 26, 2013 at 8:13 AM

    Congrats! And I did see it in GH!!

    Reply
  13. Judy Clark says

    June 26, 2013 at 8:17 AM

    Vanessa – Congratulations! Your porch looks darling and very “Fourth of Julyish”. Great job. But then, everything you two do is great and a lot of your items should be published. Again, congratulations. I’ll save the issue and say – “that’s my friend”.

    Judy

    Reply
  14. Leslie Harris says

    June 26, 2013 at 8:41 AM

    You’re in Good Housekeeping because you’re awesome. Love the ideas and I’m sharing this on my FB page.
    xo
    Leslie aka Gwen Moss

    Reply
  15. Ashley says

    June 26, 2013 at 9:27 AM

    You work hard on everything you do and deserve the Good Housekeeping feature. Good for you!

    Reply
  16. Susan @ My Place to Yours says

    June 26, 2013 at 9:43 AM

    Kinda cool? Oh, yes it is! Congratulations. Cute patriotic porch, by the way. 🙂

    Reply
  17. susan says

    June 26, 2013 at 10:22 AM

    Good for you! Very cool patriotic decorating…no wonder they liked it!
    Susan

    Reply
  18. Jessica@designerssweetspot.blogspot.com says

    June 26, 2013 at 10:29 AM

    How exciting to be featured! I didn’t know Good House Keeping ever did features, even if it’s a small one, it’s great exposure! Nice job!

    Reply
  19. Leslie Stewart @ House on the Way says

    June 26, 2013 at 10:57 AM

    That is fabulous! Congrats!

    Reply
  20. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    June 26, 2013 at 12:44 PM

    Oh how exciting. I love it. Your pillow is definitely cute and this is such an honor for you. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  21. Mandy Grimes says

    June 26, 2013 at 12:44 PM

    How exciting to be featured in a Magazine!

    Reply
  22. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    June 26, 2013 at 1:05 PM

    Awesome, Vanessa!! I need to make a pillow like that for my front porch bench — genius! Congrats!
    xo Heidi

    Reply
  23. Angela says

    June 26, 2013 at 1:43 PM

    This is awesome!!! Congratulations!!! Well deserved!~~Angela

    Reply
  24. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    June 26, 2013 at 2:01 PM

    Congrats Vanessa…!!!..Love how you stacked one pot into the other!!…I love placing flags in my planters too!….My porch looks like a parade!!!…:) Can’t wait to get the GH and see your feature!! So wonderful!!!

    Reply
  25. Cindy says

    June 26, 2013 at 3:23 PM

    Congratulations!!! Super cute pillow 🙂
    Blessings,
    Cindy

    Reply
  26. karen says

    June 26, 2013 at 5:48 PM

    Vanessa that is so fun!!!! And what a cute project!!

    Reply
  27. Lynn@Southern Direction says

    June 27, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    I love it! Congrats!

    Reply
  28. MDR says

    June 27, 2013 at 12:46 PM

    So festive! Love it and YOU! Mom

    Reply
  29. Christina @ The Frugal Homemaker says

    June 27, 2013 at 3:06 PM

    Congrats, Vanessa! I already saw your feature in my magazine 🙂 Might have to copy your pillows – love them and how easy they are to do!

    Reply
  30. Claire @ A Little Claireification says

    June 27, 2013 at 5:18 PM

    That’s awesome Vanessa!! Yay!! 🙂
    xoxo

    Reply
  31. Sherry says

    June 27, 2013 at 10:10 PM

    How cool to be in Good Housekeeping!!! Glad you finally found it! 😉 I love that pillow idea…I might have to copy that! Simple is always good.

    Reply
  32. jessica @fourgenerationsoneroof says

    June 29, 2013 at 5:16 AM

    That is awesome! Contgrats 🙂

    Reply
  33. jessica @fourgenerationsoneroof says

    June 29, 2013 at 5:16 AM

    congrats…..I can spell 🙂

    Reply
  34. Liz @ Quirky Vistas says

    July 1, 2013 at 5:48 AM

    So fun! Magazine worthy for sure and I can just see you now out waving your arms and screaming. I would do the same! Congratulations! It is a super cute idea everyone will want to imitate!
    Liz

    Reply
  35. Lauren @ The Endearing Home says

    July 2, 2013 at 7:06 PM

    Congratulations on being featured in Good Housekeeping! I love the pillow and the flower pots too! Such great ideas, thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  36. Zuni says

    July 4, 2013 at 8:06 PM

    I’d be a crazy lady too if I got an email from a magazine!! LOL. And your work was deserving…both cute ideas, photographed well! ~Zuni

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Last Minute 4th of July Decor & Recipes! - At The Picket Fence says:
    February 1, 2014 at 7:23 AM

    […] Good Housekeeping Inspired 4th of July Decor […]

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  2. 31 Last-Minute 4th Of July Decorating Tricks | Sharing Interesting Stuff, Updates News & Free Tips says:
    June 25, 2014 at 8:26 AM

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On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the po On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the pouring rain outside contributed to my feelings. But the primary cause was this overwhelming flood of thoughts about how much in our world and in our culture is going off the rails. I’d planned to make pumpkin bread that day but I was tempted to just curl up in a ball on my bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend that this would actually solve something. I didn’t give into that temptation though. Instead, I got out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe and found that, as I worked and prayed and hummed worship songs, my spirit began to settle. When the world feels very loud, the demands of family and home can actually help to quiet our souls. As each family member walked through the door later in the day, they commented on how wonderful the house smelled. It’s better than any fall candle in my opinion! And I knew that the extra loaf that I get from the recipe would be a welcome treat for my widower neighbor. So, if your heart is feeling a bit unsettled this week too, maybe this recipe will come in handy!

Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 🍂
Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. W Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. We woke up to the sound of chainsaws and rushed downstairs to find that our backyard neighbors were having two of the huge trees that line our shared fence removed. These trees have been here longer than the neighborhood and no, they weren't dead or causing damage to roofs, foundations, etc. They were beautiful and gave us wonderful privacy. We had no notice of this happening so this came as quite a shock. Because we were given no notice, we didn't have the chance to cover our outdoor furniture or plants and everything is now coated in a thick layer of sawdust including the fresh bark we recently put in the garden beds. And now our lovely privacy is gone, replaced by a direct view of an above ground pool and RV. I know, I know, it's totally a first world, privileged kind of problem to have. But, now we have to spend thousands of dollars on plants to try and recapture some semblance of privacy. Now we have days worth of clean up to do after we had JUST done a massive freshening up of our backyard. My overarching feeling has just been weariness at the way our world is today.

I think about how often we try to do right by people, to be respectful and courteous. To be thoughtful and considerate. And it’s not reciprocated. How its starting to seem more and more like people have just given up on those seemingly small niceties. And my soul just feels heavy. Because I feel like so much of what used to be common courtesy is not so common anymore. Drivers on the roads are angrier and more reckless than ever before. Red lights being run are an everyday occurrence around town. On our recent family vacation, I heard more people using the F word out in public than ever before even while around children. Where are manners? Where is kindness? I'm finding myself being surprised when someone is thoughtful because it seems like a rarity. And that's just all on a micro, local level. Don't even get me started on the insanity in our world/culture. After I returned from grocery shopping (which can also be soul crushing), I found myself desperate for a reminder of the truth. 

*Part 2 continued in the comments.*
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