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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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August 30, 2016

A Few of My Favorite Things

Hello At the Picket Fence friends, it’s me, Julie from redheadcandecorate.com. I wasn’t able to stop by last month due to a busy time at our house. Summer is supposed to be a relaxing time, but somehow it turns into a busy time for a lot of us. We went on a few impromptu mini-camping trips and the packing and unpacking had my head spinning. I’m finally beginning to settle down, and we are preparing for our teen girls to head back to high school. Maybe next year I will consider a “stay-cation”!

So, this month when I sat down to think about what I would like to share with you, my mind went back to our kitchen. I thought it would be fun to share a few resources for some of my favorite things in our kitchen. From the light fixtures to my favorite spatulas…I’ve never really told you what they are, or where they come from.

Best DIY Kitchen Makeover

Before we get to “A Few of my Favorite Things”, I have some exciting news that I couldn’t wait to share with you. We recently were blessed with 2 “Home Tour” features in magazines (yippee!). It’s kind of crazy how they both ended up being published so close together, but one is a local Detroit publication, and the other is a national publication. If interested in viewing the 6 page article in Detroit Home Magazine, you can see it all on my blog here: “Romancing the Rustic”. If you are interested in viewing the full 12 page spread of our “Harvest Homecoming Fall Home Tour” in Cottages & Bungalows, it’s on newsstands now (page 90). Ironically enough, Heather from At the Picket Fence also has a project featured in Cottages & Bungalows (congratulations to Heather!). I will also be posting the full Cottages & Bungalows spread on my blog soon (Aug. 26th to be exact).

kitchen us

Okay, so enough about magazines, and more about where I get stuff. I’m not a big shopper, in fact I detest shopping. Most of my “shopping” is done on the internet. I know that’s not for everyone, so I will be sharing items in stores you can actually visit, too.

light fixture kitchen

*** Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Read full disclosure policy here.

People ask me about our light fixtures in the kitchen often. Especially the chandeliers over the island. Unfortunately, these chandeliers were on clearance from Pottery Barn when I purchased them, and they no longer carry them. However, I found similar ones here: Chandelier Pendant.

Now, as far as the recessed lights, we purchased these “Recessed Light Caps” in bronze which install onto your basic recessed light fixture. They give it a little more style and finish them off nicely.

recessed light fix

If we mosey on over to our cooktop area, you’ll notice those large “EAT” letters. In my experience the best place to purchase wooden letters is Hobby Lobby, or HomeGoods. They both usually have large selections. If not, there are several companies that make them to order on line. You can pick your size, color, and they even come in different patterns.

Beautiful Brick Backsplash Tutorial

Do I have any tea drinkers out there? My Mom always had her tea kettle on the stove, and still does. Now I put mine there, too, even though most of the time I drink my Earl Grey from a Keurig. This cute chrome tea kettle I found at Marshall’s for about $30. For some reason Marshall’s always has a very large and interesting selection of tea kettles. Not sure why that is, but it’s true.

Oh, before I move on I better tell you that my husband bought me the black Kitchen Aid mixer at Kohl’s at Christmas time and he used a 30% off coupon. You can also find those on line here.

I love to cook, and one of my most beloved utensils to use while mixing is the rubber spatula. I can’t live without them. Here are a few cute ones for you…

spatulas

While I’m on the subject of utensils, my best friend’s husband just complimented me an our “curly” flatware when they were visiting last weekend. I thought it was so funny that he noticed. Here it is on our Thanksgiving table a couple years ago. They are still holding up well.

Beautiful Fall Harvest Tablescape with Corelle & Corningware

Before I go, here’s a few more of my favorite things from our kitchen…

Roman Numeral Wall Clock

Round Vintage Chandelier Bulbs (small socket)

Silver Candle Holders

White Cotton Cloth Napkins

Thankful Kitchen by Redhead Can Decorate

If you have any questions on any of the product above or in our kitchen, just shoot me a comment below or visit my blog redheadcandecorate.com and leave me a message on my most recent post.

I would love to help!

Julie signature from ATPF

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This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the pa When the Lord blesses you with a glimpse of the payoff of your investment in your children, it is truly one of the greatest gifts. We had that experience twice this week with our 18 year old son and were overwhelmed by this opportunity we had to watch as he handled two very different situations (one personal and one professional) with grace, maturity, integrity and courage. Those of you mamas of little ones, don't ever minimize the job you are doing in raising this next generation. 

Every story read at bedtime
Every correction made to strengthen character
Every outdoor exploration
Every nose wiped
Every bandaid applied
Every time you say no when the world says yes
Every night of helping with homework
Every difficult conversation
Every prayer uttered

The final pieces of the puzzle of his childhood are falling into place and the picture revealed is one that is more wonderful than we could have imagined. And we know that it is only by God's grace on us as we sought His wisdom and guidance that we have come to this point. We have been FAR from perfect parents, but one of my most sincere prayers for the past 18 years was that the Lord would stand in the gaps that were surely to be revealed by our imperfections. And He has answered those prayers again and again. He's taken my humble petitions and most sincere intentions and knocked our socks off with the young man we are so privileged to call our son. And we can’t wait to watch as his future unfolds!
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