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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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November 28, 2016

A Winter Inspired Christmas Mantel

I’m so excited to share with you my Winter Inspired Christmas Mantel today. But first, a little insight into life around my house.

“Hey guys, remember the year that I decided to draw a picture on a napkin with permanent marker while we were decorating the Christmas tree and it soaked right through onto the kitchen table and Mom kind of freaked out?”

“Oh yeah, I think that was the same year when Mom offered to let me help her spray fake snow on the panes of a vintage window and instead of the light dusting look she was going for I ended up making it look like there had been a blizzard?”

Winter woodland themed Christmas mantel decor atthepicketfence.com

 

Memories are funny things, aren’t they? While I would love for my kids to remember that this was the year we tried out a really amazing new Christmas tree farm or that we all had such a magical moment as we trimmed the tree with their childhood ornaments, I know that it’s much more likely to be the not-so-magical moments that will really end up standing out.

And, I’ve finally reached a point in life where I’ve made peace with that.

Because, let’s face it, those crazy moments bond us together as a family every bit as much as the sappy ones.

And maybe, just maybe, they bond us together even more.

Vintage windows with faux snow on mantel atthepicketfence.com

Because as I knelt down next to my daughter’s bed to pray with her before kissing her goodnight, she apologized for the aforementioned permanent marker incident which had occurred earlier that night.

I told her that I had already forgiven her and that I knew it was just an accident. And I reminded her that this is what happens in a family.

You take all of the good stuff with all of the bad stuff…and the crazy stuff…and the accidental stuff.

Snowy vintage window with olive bucket and greenery

You mess up and apologize and forgive and move on. You do your best to clean up the marker on the table and don’t stress over the blizzard-ish conditions on the vintage window and finish decorating the tree and watch a Christmas movie together in front of the fire.

Flocked tabletop pine trees from wayfair.com

And you realize that you wouldn’t really want all of the memories to only be the picture-perfect ones.

Because that’s not reality.

Winter cabin themed Christmas mantel decor

 

Reality is a home where you are safe to be your perfectly imperfect self.

Where you know that you are always, always loved no matter what.

As you head into this season, my prayer for you is that your own homes are filled with perfectly imperfect moments that create the most special kind of holiday memories to cherish for a lifetime.

Vanessa signature

 

I’m so excited to have shown you my little slice of the Pacific Northwest with my winter Christmas mantel here today and I’m thrilled to be teaming up with these fabulous bloggers who are going to show you just how varied decorating styles can be all over North America.

christmas-mantels-around-north-america

CANADA:

This Mama’s Dance

EAST:

Atta Girl Says  ||  Golden Boys & Me  ||  In My Own Style  ||  StoneGable  ||The Everyday Home  ||  The Rustic Life  ||  Worthing Court

CENTRAL:

Cedar Hill Farmhouse  ||  Edith & Evelyn  ||  House By Hoff  ||  It All Started With Paint  ||  Maison de Pax  ||  Town & Country Living

WEST:

At The Picket Fence  ||  Classic Casual Home  ||  Tidbits  ||  Twelve On Main

10 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Decorating, Good Ideas, Holidays Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas decor, Christmas mantel, decorating, mantel

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Previous Post: « There’s a Refrigerator in My Hallway
Next Post: My Christmas Home Tour »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Peg says

    November 28, 2016 at 3:57 AM

    Gorgeous!

    Reply
  2. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    November 28, 2016 at 7:15 AM

    Such a most wonderful Holiday mantel so befitting of your beautiful State!…Hope you had a most wonderful Thanksgiving.

    Reply
  3. Courtney@GoldenBoysAndMe says

    November 28, 2016 at 7:35 AM

    Your mantel is just lovely, Vanessa! I love all of the natural elements with the pop of plaid. It is a breath of fresh air… as are the words to this post. I could relate to everything you said. Looking forward to seeing more of your Christmas decor!

    Reply
  4. classic•casual•home says

    November 28, 2016 at 9:43 AM

    What a beautiful story and gorgeous mantel, Vanessa!!! I am proud to be on the West Coast team with you!
    Merry Christmas,
    Mary Ann

    Reply
  5. Gail Peterson says

    November 28, 2016 at 11:46 AM

    Hi! Lovely to see the different mantles your sharing!
    A beautiful Holiday season to all East to West-North to South!
    Love from Casual Loves Elegance -Southern California!

    Reply
  6. Ashlea @ThisMamasDance says

    November 28, 2016 at 2:58 PM

    Your words are so very true, thanks for sharing from the heart! Your frosty windows look just perfect! I love that plaid throw- and those mini skis are too cute.

    Reply
  7. Suzy Handgraaf says

    November 28, 2016 at 4:23 PM

    A lovely story and lovely thoughts to go along with your oh-so-lovely mantel, Vanessa. You are so right about the quirky moments being the ones that are most often remembered and laughed about!

    Reply
  8. April Hoff says

    November 29, 2016 at 12:26 PM

    Beautiful sentiment and mantel! I love the old window as a centerpiece for the whole vignette! Gorgeous! 🙂

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      November 29, 2016 at 6:57 PM

      Thank you so much April!

      Reply
  9. Linda @It All Started With Paint says

    November 30, 2016 at 8:42 AM

    Whenever I clean up the house and move things around for those days when I’m taking room pictures on the blog, my son says it’s weird. Just not right. Too perfect. And not our house. Because, honestly, I’m the queen of imperfections and clutter!!! So thanks for the reminders that life is not perfect — and that my son much prefers when our house imperfect!

    Lovely mantel. Pinned!

    🙂 Linda

    Reply

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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
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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.

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