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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 16, 2012

At the Picket Fence is “In the Bloglight”!

Welcome, welcome Hometalk readers!
 We are so thrilled to be sharing with you a little bit about ourselves and our blog, At the Picket Fence.

  It is such an honor to be kicking off this fabulous new series, “In the Bloglight“, and we hope you enjoy learning more about what happens behind the scenes around these parts!

At The Picket Fence
While we each entered the world of blogging separately, it didn’t take long for us to realize that two heads would be better than one. Although, let’s face it, we each only run on about “half-brain” capacity most of the time so joining forces was definitely a no-brainer!Winking smile

As sisters, blogging together has only served to strengthen our relationship and we feel so blessed to be able to be on this roller-coaster of a ride with each other. We are both moms and wives first, but blogging has provided us with opportunities we never could have imagined, like Heather’s upcoming feature of her kitchen in Better Homes and Gardens.

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What started out as a fun “hobby” has now become a way to earn a little bit of income, mostly to help offset the cost of our endless DIY projects! We would consider it to be more like a part-time job at this point but even using the word “job” to describe blogging reminds us of just what a privilege it is to get to come to work in our pj’s  and ponytails….with full cups of coffee too, of course.
Why did we choose At the Picket Fence for our blog name? Well, we really wanted something that would capture the essence of our passion for community and connecting. Our vision was that our blog would be a place where people would gather to inspire and be inspired and perhaps feel encouraged along the way. We pictured folks coming out of their homes, coffee cups in hand, and meeting us there…At the Picket Fence!

You’ll find a little bit of everything at our place…

DIY

“Kitchen Island Modification”

island square
 
Decorating

“When You Don’t Have a White Kitchen”

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Recipes

“Homemade Pepper Vinegar”

pepper, vinegar, southern, homemade, recipe

Crafts

Ballard Designs Coral Topiary Knock-off

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Adoption

“Talking to Your Kids about Adoption” and “A Labor of the Heart Series”

  A Labor of the Heart graphic
 
and everything in between.

We are also home to the weekly Linky party, Inspiration Friday, where we invite you to come by and link up your own projects, recipes, crafts and the stuff of everyday life.
It’s a great place to inspire and be inspired!
Inspiration Friday Graphic_thumb[3]
One of the questions we are asked most often is “how do we blog together?” We recently did a post where we delve into this answer more in depth but here is a little snippet of what we shared there..

“One fear we have had in this joint venture is a lack of personalization.  We are one blog…but we are two sisters.  We will often “sign” our Facebook updates, comments or tweets with our individual names so that others will know who they are talking to. We each have “blog friends” that we feel especially close to and have developed friendships with.  We never want to lose who we uniquely are. We also each have special gifts, talents and subjects we feel strongly about and want our blog to reflect our individualism as well.”

We hope you will hop over to read the rest of Our Number One Question Answered.

heather and vanessa
This photo was taken on our recent trip to the Haven Blogging Conference (we said we were like Thelma and Louise except we didn’t drive off of a cliff…not that there were any cliffs on the way to Atlanta!) and the opportunity we had there to meet some of our blog friends in person just solidified for us what a special and unique community this really is!
It’s also where we met the lovely Miriam, Miss Hometalk herself, which turned into the wonderful role we now have as hometalk Ambassadors. We have been having way too much fun seeing all of the incredible projects everyone shares and we are always amazed at how much talent and creativity there is out there!

Vanessa recently hosted her first Hometalk House Party and we would encourage all of you to host one too. They are super fun and you can find everything you need to know about how to host one here.

Group Shot
Aside from the fact that we have been blessed to turn our passion for our homes and families into a business, our greatest joy has been the connections we have made with other people from around the world. Everyday we marvel at the fact that we have formed true friendships that we know will last a lifetime and that the desire we had, from the very beginning, to help build a community has come to fruition.
Our hope is that anyone who shares from their hearts and their homes will find “blogland” to be a welcoming place. Being your true, authentic self is vital to your success as a blogger. Carve out your own little corner, find your “voice” and be as encouraging to others as you want them to be towards you!
Heather recently wrote a wonderful post entitled, “10 Commandments for Every Blogger“, and we truly believe that these will help you go far in being the best blogger you can possibly be.
blogging, commandments, how to blog, bloggers, 10 commandments
As our blog has grown and changed over the last year and a half, we are ever mindful of our “roots”. While our photography has definitely improved, one thing that hasn’t changed is our passion for connecting with others and we trust that this will remain the one constant in the ever-changing, wacky world of blogging!

Well, that and the fact that we are still just two half-brain gals coming together to form what we hope is one semi-lucid mind…most of the time!

 Thanks so much to hometalk for putting us “In the Bloglight” today and we hope you will come back to visit us again At the Picket Fence!
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16 Comments Filed Under: Good Ideas

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Comments

  1. Beth @Unskinny Boppy says

    August 16, 2012 at 2:09 PM

    Great article ladies! Y’all keep up the excellent work. Congrats on being in the Bloglight! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Eclectically Vintage says

    August 16, 2012 at 2:16 PM

    You girls are rock stars – not only do you share such a fabulous blog (without killing each other!), but each of your personalities manages to shine through.

    Here’s to the Thelma & Louise of bloggers (if only there was a Brad Pitt involved, it would be perfect)!
    Kelly

    Reply
  3. Anne says

    August 16, 2012 at 2:18 PM

    Awesome! Great write-up, I love it!!! and your photos are so gorgeous, clear and bright. I need a new camera!!! lol

    Keep on sharing those fabulous ideas.

    xox

    Reply
  4. Shelia says

    August 16, 2012 at 3:08 PM

    I love this and I saw y’all on the Blogtalk spotlight this morning! You two are the best and I remember when you combined your selves, well, when you joined. You know! 😉 Keep it coming and I just love you two little gals and would die for all of that gorgeous hair you both have. Well, I’d faint for it anyway!
    You are a couple of sweeties,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  5. Four Marrs and One Venus says

    August 16, 2012 at 3:19 PM

    Keep Rocking ladies! Fantastic Blog here, love all your posts- every single one has such an amazing meaning! Thanks for being you and doing your do!
    Jen

    Reply
  6. Debbiedoo's says

    August 16, 2012 at 3:23 PM

    You know, you two sisters really make the best team ever! I bet this entire endeavor has brought you even closer. I would love to blog with my sister. However, she works full time and could never do it with me:)

    Reply
  7. Suzy says

    August 16, 2012 at 3:40 PM

    Congrats on your feature at HomeTalk! You both are such special ladies.

    Reply
  8. Linda@Coastal Charm says

    August 16, 2012 at 3:47 PM

    Congrats on your feature! I’ve been a bit behind and need to check HomeTalk out. See ya later today at the partay.

    Blessings,
    Linda

    Reply
  9. Anna says

    August 16, 2012 at 4:11 PM

    Great post! I think you girls to a fantastic job at being one blog and yet 2 people. I’m starting to “hear” your individual voices in the posts and it’s great. I really wish we had a white picket fence we could all gather at every day, I would love that! I think I should have been born in the 50’s. 🙂

    Anna

    Reply
  10. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    August 16, 2012 at 6:01 PM

    I truly love reading your posts…your blog is not only informative but so inspirational…Hometalk is blessed to have such great Ambassadors as you two…you compliment each other so well. Your blog is like a breath of fresh air!

    Reply
  11. Ruby Jean says

    August 16, 2012 at 7:09 PM

    This was a Great read!!! Congratulations again on your success.
    Blessings
    Angelina

    Reply
  12. Mary Richmond says

    August 16, 2012 at 7:42 PM

    Great post! I really enjoy your blog and I am off to check out your “What to do if you don’t have a white kitchen” post. Congratulations!

    Reply
  13. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    August 16, 2012 at 8:03 PM

    Yay, I just love this round-up of what makes you girls uniquely YOU! I always find inspiration, encouragement and a smile here… thank you for being a bright spot in the big ‘ole blogosphere!
    xo Heidi

    Reply
  14. Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality says

    August 17, 2012 at 3:37 AM

    Hi, girls! I’m so glad I got to meet you both at Haven, even if I didn’t have enough time to spread around and really get to know you both. Now, I’m getting that opportunity through HOmetalk! Love this post, ya’ll are such fun girls and I can’t wait til Heather moves to ATL and we can hang out in person. xoxo

    Reply
  15. Mobil Bredbånd says

    August 22, 2012 at 9:55 AM

    Extremely in getting children excited about their veggies. There is nothing quite like pulling up a carrot and then finding that same carrot, all nicely peeled, on your plate that night at dinner.

    Reply
  16. Funky Junk Interiors says

    August 24, 2012 at 4:17 PM

    Wonderful writeup! It’s been fun getting to know you two through HomeTalk!

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
.
…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole lockdown thing began, I’ve come to appreciate this time of day even more.

It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
When I was in college I would frequently call home When I was in college I would frequently call home and pour my heart out to my mom, sharing with her all that was happening in my life in that completely unfiltered way that you can talk with the person who potty trained you. These phone calls usually took place at night and my mom would patiently listen as I vented frustrations about professors, roommates, boyfriends and the food in the cafeteria. And, inevitably, they would end with my mom saying, “Everything seems worse when you’re tired. Try not to overthink things or make any major decisions tonight, especially when you are feeling emotional.” Dear friends, may I pass along this advice to you today?

If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

My prayer for you in these days is that you will have the clarity to know what is true and that you will be filled with peace even while we live in this season of so many unknowns.
Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

What have you baked so far during this time of social distancing? I’d love some new ideas!
There are a LOT of people out walking in our neigh There are a LOT of people out walking in our neighborhood right now (but still social distancing!) and she decided that she wanted to bring them some joy and put a smile on their face when they pass by our house. Also, the square with ‘say no to coronavirus’ is priceless. 😂 I just love her so much!
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