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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 22, 2015

A Lazy Summer Tour

Hello! It’s me, the redhead and I would like to invite you over to our house today for a Lazy Summer Tour…
The crazy lazy days of Summer are upon us, and all I plan to do is bask in the sun and sip fresh brewed iced tea,with little lemon wedges on the side of the glass.

The-Last-Peonies-of-2015

Well…actually, I gave up sunbathing years ago, but I will share that lemon iced tea with you 🙂
I hope you don’t mind if I take you on a little tour of the best parts about the exterior of our home…

Front Yard 2015

The peonies, oh the peonies. They remind me of the Fourth of July fireworks the way they reach into the air and fall.
They explode with layers and layers of sheer beauty.
Open up peony…let us in!!

Pink Peony

Out back you’ll see we live on a lake called Pung’s Lake.
It’s more like a pond…so who ever declared it a lake was fibbing!!

budding tree

We have a family of swans that swim by daily. The baby cygnets are a lot bigger now.
The swans are so peaceful.

Swans Baby 2015

We also have magnificent mature Michigan pine trees in our neighborhood. We don’t have ones like this on our property, but when I go for walk I am fascinated by them. Bunnies love to scurry under them, especially in the morning as I drive my girls to school.

Big Tree

We have to keep it real around here, so unfortunately we needed to “fire” our lawn guy. We decided to bite the bullet and buy a rider. My husband, Rick, is seen here taking our daughter for her first ride.
I think they like it.

20150609_194351_resized-2

We love to sit on our front porch at night because the sun sets on this side of the house. That means warmth and less bugs.
Can you spot the Robin’s nest?

Summer Front Porch

I collect bird houses, but purely by accident.
If you look really close you can see a 4th bird house on the ground (center of photo). That birdhouse was made by the previous owner who passed away. He had it perched on top of a tree that was dead. The tree had to come down, but we saved the bird house. If you look extra, extra close, you may even see the iron bird that’s on the tree above it.

bird houses

I think I could possibly write a book called “Tree Tales”…
Our big Oak in the back yard came down during a storm and demolished our homemade fire pit my husband made out of extra bricks. We finally built a new one last Summer. (If you need details, let me know!)

DIY Fire Pit Kit
I hope you enjoyed the tour…
Petunias

Happy Fourth of July!Turn a grill grate into an American flag with t-shirt & jean scraps!Follow Redhead Can Decorate on:

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15 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Gardening, General

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Next Post: Summer Tablescape and Mikasa Giveaway »

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Comments

  1. Kim says

    June 22, 2015 at 3:58 AM

    Lovely yard….enjoy! I am jealous!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:31 PM

      Thank you, Kim! The bad part is the leaves. You should see them in a few months!!! YIKES

      Reply
  2. Stacey says

    June 22, 2015 at 4:47 AM

    Beautiful!! I can’t even imagine peeking out to see swans in the pond. Your trees are huge too and so different from what we have in Texas. Loved seeing this.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:32 PM

      So kind, Stacy. I would LOVE to visit Texas. Never been…yet!

      Reply
  3. martina says

    June 22, 2015 at 5:30 AM

    Beautiful yard and gardens!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:32 PM

      Thank you, Martina!

      Reply
  4. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    June 22, 2015 at 5:56 AM

    So loved touring your gorgeous property today….from that marvelous pond to the very enchanting gardens and those magnificent peonies!…..So nice that you still have that birdhouse made by the former owner….I am sure he is looking down with great approval. Must be so very relaxing overlooking the beauty of the pond and the graceful swans…Happy Summer Julie!!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:33 PM

      I love ya, Shirley!! Thank you!!!

      Reply
  5. Nikki says

    June 22, 2015 at 8:50 AM

    wow wow wow! Love those peonies! and the baby swans…….

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:33 PM

      Thank you, Nikki!

      Reply
  6. Pamela says

    June 22, 2015 at 9:25 AM

    Great looking yard. The pond was really cool and to see the family of swans everyday that would be so great to watch them grow..
    Have a great day.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      June 22, 2015 at 6:34 PM

      Pamela, the swans sold the house!!!!! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Pamela says

    June 22, 2015 at 6:50 PM

    Awwww….is that what is called bitter sweet……maybe you can get visitions….lol

    Reply
  8. Georgia @ Silver Spiral Studio says

    June 24, 2015 at 10:49 AM

    BEAUTIFUL. You must absolutely love living there. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
  9. Lorrie says

    August 3, 2015 at 7:38 AM

    Looking for details on your firepit. Specifically where you got the hindged grate.

    Reply

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There’s nothing quite like enjoying the rewards There’s nothing quite like enjoying the rewards of your labor! The whole family pitched in to get our bark spread around the yard (I’m the master at raking it until it’s nice and even) and by the end of the day we were all done. Now we can head into summer with our big yard projects completed! 🙌🏻 Do you put in fresh bark every year?
Welcome June! I’m so glad you’re here! What’ Welcome June! I’m so glad you’re here! What’s your favorite thing about this month? Mind can be summed up in this quote…

“In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different.” John Steinbeck
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom and the principles upon which our country was founded. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
I’ve been on the lookout for small side tables t I’ve been on the lookout for small side tables to pit next to our outdoor couch and when I spotted these plant stands at @walmart from their @betterhomesandgardens line I knew they would be perfect…and they are!! 👏🏻 This is not a sponsored post. I’m just happily sharing this great find and why we should always be open to thinking outside of the box when it comes finding solutions for our decorating dilemmas.

Now we’re ready to head into this beautiful weekend! ☀️
What do you do when you want to use a bunch of boo What do you do when you want to use a bunch of books in your decorating but it can cost $50 or more for just ONE brand new book? Head to the secondhand bookstore of course! I’m so excited about this new look in my family room and this easy, inexpensive decorating tip I’m bringing to you for this #tiptuesday
Today feels like one of those days that is worthy Today feels like one of those days that is worthy of a chef’s kiss. Blue sky with nary a cloud in sight, perfect mid-70’s temps, a gentle breeze blowing through my hair as I walk around my yard to see the status of my flowering plants.

This morning I was running errands and the weight of hard things that are happening in the world, the culture, my own community and even in our circle of friends just felt so heavy.

But, as I was exiting a store, I passed a couple who were in their late 60’s/early 70’s and holding hands as they walked through the parking lot. I happened to glance over just as the husband lifted his wife’s hand up and planted a kiss right on it. It was a moment that reflected such love and tenderness and it was made sweeter by the fact that they weren’t spring chickens. I felt honored that I had been the one to observe and appreciate that moment.

What an incredible thing it is that as humans we are able to hold so many emotions in our souls all at once. To feel sorrow for the pain a friend is enduring, grieve the decline of a culture drifting further from the Lord, ponder how to navigate a challenging school situation, marvel at and enjoy the beauty of creation right outside my door and feel joy at getting to see a tangible example of lasting love while walking through a parking lot.

I truly believe that as we mature in our lives and in our faith, we learn to embrace the tension that comes with the collision of different emotions and recognize that they can all coexist at the same time without one taking something away from another. Simple joys make the hard stuff a bit easier and hard stuff makes us appreciate those simple joys even more.

What’s a simple joy that you are thankful for today?
Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here are some highlights…

*Friday night I joined some wonderful ladies at church for a time of fellowship and yummy desserts. I made a strawberry lemon coffee cake and it was amazing if I do say so myself. ☺️ We are new-ish to this church and have just felt so warmly welcomed and folded in which has been very healing.

*Saturday was filled with getting our outdoor spaces spiffed up and my guys got our new table put together!

*Sitting outside for lunch with a yummy salad and iced tea felt like a little slice of heaven.

*Sunday we went to the iris gardens with my in-laws and then came home for naps and the most mouth watering ribs that my sweet husband had on the smoker all day.

*This glorious weekend ended with some ferocious rounds of UNO-corn (a hilarious version of UNO) and brownies my sweet daughter made for our dessert.

How was your weekend sweet friends? 🌸
I am absolutely and completely a better version of I am absolutely and completely a better version of myself when the sun is shining! Raise your hand if this is true for you too.

And, not only do I feel myself seeming to physically rise up from a slumbered state to greet the sunshine we've been longing for, I find that it seems like my house is rising up too. Every room, every nook and cranny (even though I now see dust bunnies that I missed during my cleaning on the dreary days), every leaf and flower outside...it's all coming to life and breathing fresh hope into my spirit. What a gift it is to be able to enjoy this home in all of the seasons of the year and of our lives. Now, I'm going to head outside and clean our deck and maybe there will be some time leftover for those dust bunnies!
I’m slightly obsessed with these glass dispenser I’m slightly obsessed with these glass dispensers! They come with pre-made labels for SO many different options and would make a great Mother’s Day gift! I love how they add a bit of pizzazz to my kitchen. And they go perfectly with some of my antique accessories like the little dish my mother in law gave me for salt and pepper and the tiny toothpick holder which belonged to my great grandmother. 

If you’d like the link to order them, just leave a comment with the word ‘bottles’ and I’ll send it your way. They’re even on sale right now! 🙌🏻
The lilacs are coming! The lilacs are coming! This The lilacs are coming! The lilacs are coming! This is what I’m thinking (and sometimes saying out loud) every time I pass my dining room window and see my lilac tree bursting forth. I should probably just go full Paul Revere and ring a bell while I shout the news for all to hear. I’m sure my family would love that!

Lilac season is so bittersweet because it’s over way too soon but, fortunately, I’ve figured out how to capture the deliciousness of the fragrance by making my own lilac scented room spray. It’s SO simple!

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.

This sweet little project was first featured in my book Life in Season and is definitely one of my favorites.

Have the lilacs started blooming where you live?
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