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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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February 3, 2021

A New French Country Dining Table

Twenty-two years ago I went to a furniture warehouse with my mom and bought our first dining table. I was a newlywed with a husband who was traveling a lot for his new job and we were getting ready to move into our first home. My sweet new husband had very few opinions on things like furniture and paint color. This was the guy who furnished his first apartment with an oversized chair that had lost all of it’s stuffing and was pulled out of a dumpster. You may be surprised to hear this, but it didn’t make the cut when we got married and combined households after our wedding.

So, he encouraged me to take my mom shopping to pick out our table and I knew that what I really wanted was something similar to what my parents had in their home at the time. Mind you, this was the late 90’s. I wanted it to feel fancy but not have a fancy price tag.

We found what I thought was the perfect table (we got what we paid for) and I felt oh so grown up when I saw how it looked in our dining room. Never mind the fact that the aforementioned dining room was basically a glorified ‘nook’ and my fancy new table totally overwhelmed the space.

(OLD DINING ROOM TABLE)

Fast forward twenty-two plus years and while I might have been able to obscure it in pictures (the glories of photoshop), the wear and tear on the table was harder to ignore in person. And, after one particular family gathering where some very hot soup left it’s mark (literally) in multiple places, I knew it was time for a change.

But, what to do? I considered painting the table but, if I’m honest, I knew that I would never be able to achieve the finish I wanted. Some people are really gifted in the refinishing/repainting of furniture but, sadly, I’m not one of them.

So, I began to shop around and found the perfect table on sale!

I wanted something that had classic lines and the look of an antique piece. I would have loved to have found an actual antique table but all of the ones I fell in love with were WAY above my price range.

So a newer table made to look old fit the bill perfectly.

I know for a FACT that I never could have achieved this finish with paint and I give a lot of credit to those of you talented people who are able to do that. I’ve come to accept my limitations!

Having a matte finish vs the shiny finish on our old table adds a wonderfully soft touch to the room.

For the majority of 2020, our dining room was used as an office for me when Robb began working from home and a catch-all for our kids’ books and papers when they switched to distance learning. So, I spent a lot of time in here. And, while I am grateful for this space, I was constantly reminded not only that our old table was starting to look very sad but also that it wasn’t being used in my most favorite way.

If the past year has taught me anything (and it’s taught me a LOT!) it’s that we were not meant to live our lives in isolation. We were meant for fellowship and community and gathering. And my dining room saw very little of that in 2020.

So, with a brand new year and a brand new table, I’m eager to make up for lost time. Yes, we will be cautious and responsible, but we will remember that we are called to “not neglect to show hospitality” (Hebrews 13:2). We’ll celebrate special occasions and enter into sacred conversations. We’ll laugh until tears roll down as we swap stories with lifelong friends and we’ll ask thoughtful questions as we get to know new ones.

As I think about who might sit around this table, what kind of meals will be shared and how we will invest in each other, I can’t help but feel that it already has a history even though it’s one that has yet to be written.

If only you could join me here too!

Much love to you friends,

*We purchased the table through Overstock.com and it’s called the Hekman Furniture Wellington Hall Farmhouse Table*

8 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Dining Room Tagged With: decorating, dining room

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Comments

  1. Carol Reddin says

    February 3, 2021 at 12:01 PM

    I love your new table and plan to come over for dinner in June. I do remember shopping for your dining set. Doesn’t seem possible that it was 23 years ago. Wow.

    Lots of love from your Mom

    Reply
    • Michele M. says

      February 3, 2021 at 2:19 PM

      ♥ to your mom.

      Your table is perfect.

      I hope you enjoy many many years of entertaining loved ones at this beautiful table.

      Reply
  2. Jackie B. says

    February 3, 2021 at 12:25 PM

    Love your new table! I was wondering if you could tell me what paint colors you have on your dining room walls and baseboards? Thanks!

    Reply
  3. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says

    February 3, 2021 at 5:03 PM

    Vanessa, it’s always so nice to meet you At The Picket Fence! I always enjoy your posts!

    Your new dining room table is lovely and it looks so “French” — which I love, too! I agree with you about hospitality. We love to have family and friends over for dinner. However, with covid, we are on total lockdown and are only allowed to have the people who reside in your home — which is my husband and I. How we look forward to brighter days ahead when we can have meals together with everyone. We sure miss this. Who would have known that the world as we knew it would be turned upside down. However, we thank God for our many blessings.

    I know you will enjoy having people in for dinner, too. Bless you and your family!

    Reply
  4. Tammie says

    February 3, 2021 at 5:04 PM

    I love the look of your new table, especially the legs! The color and matte finish are perfect.

    Reply
  5. Kristin says

    February 3, 2021 at 5:06 PM

    I love the new table. Can’t wait to spend time around it. 🙂

    Reply
  6. Teri Perrott says

    February 5, 2021 at 9:04 AM

    Love your new table and look forward to hearing the stories of some of the gatherings you will have.

    Reply
  7. Nancy says

    February 12, 2021 at 8:08 AM

    Love the table you found!! Lovely!
    Our dining table was given to us some 39 years ago…the chairs that came with it have long been replaced, but being an extension table I can’t replace this with something I just love. I have tried…but the truth is this table tells a story of two little girls and their homework, the Easter crafts and today holds my quilts that I lay out to put batting on…so it stays…..a love hate relationship….
    Nancy

    Reply

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“Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season “Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season that awakens my soul, your awesome beauty compels my spirit to soar like a leaf caught in an autumn breeze and my heart to sing like a heavenly choir.” Peggy Toney Horton.

Happy October dear friends! 🍂
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
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