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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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December 13, 2011

Banisters and Foyers~Welcome to Vanessa’s Home

As I said in my Doors and Porches Party Post last week (the link is still up by the way so come join in the fun!), I would love nothing more than to fling open my front door and invite you all in for a cup of coffee or hot apple cider…not all at once though…cause that would be A LOT of coffee and cider! 
But, this will have to suffice for now so please, come on in.
Last year I went a little more “blingy” when decorating my banister.
But, this year I just decided to keep things a bit more simple. 
Bows done up with a buttery yellow ribbon provide just a soft touch of color and sparkle.
I used berry garlands (cut down to size) to create these little wreaths at each pick-up.
For some extra umph I wrapped the berry garland around the greenery just at very front.
Smaller berry wreaths are used in between the bigger ones.
Simple and soft.
Two wreaths hang on the doors leading to the office (to the right of the front door).
A simple piece of linen adds softness to my entry table.
Faux Paper Whites take on a more realistic look when placed in a silver soup tureen ( a wedding gift from my grandmother) with moss tucked around the base.
I didn’t even bother to polish it! 
And, an apothecary jar filled with faux cranberries finishes it off.
Walk a little bit further and peek around the corner and you will find my built-in china cabinet.
Simple touches add some Christmas cheer here too!
Thank you so much for coming by to visit me this morning!
Come back this afternoon when Heather will be welcoming you to her home!
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This post is partying here:
DIY By Design: Fall into Fall Party
Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesday
No Minimalist Here: Open House Party\
Ivy and Elephants: What’s It Wednesday
Common Ground: Vintage Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday


31 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Decorating, Holidays

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Previous Post: « Chalkboard Frame Tree Topper
Next Post: Heather’s banister gets in on the act! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marina {Yummy Mummy) says

    December 13, 2011 at 3:40 PM

    Beautiful! I’m happy we don’t have stairs with a toddler in the house… until I see beautifully decorated banisters like this 🙂

    Reply
  2. The Cottage Market {Andrea} ♥ says

    December 13, 2011 at 3:41 PM

    Simply Gorgeous!!!!!! Stunning with a capital S! hugs…

    Reply
  3. Pam@OurAdventuresInHomeImprovement says

    December 13, 2011 at 3:59 PM

    Your home looks beautiful Vanessa! I love the banister with the pretty bows and berry accents. Well done!

    Pam

    Reply
  4. Richella says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:08 PM

    STUNNING, Vanessa! You’ve inspired me to do a little more to my foyer–there’s no second chance for a first impression, is there? I love the welcome you’ve created!

    Reply
  5. Pam - diy Design Fanatic says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:12 PM

    Vanessa, your home is absolutely gorgeous all decked out for Christmas! Every detail is so beautiful!

    Reply
  6. Myric says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:35 PM

    Your home is beautifully decorated! You did an awesome job! You’re amazing!
    🙂

    xoxo
    Myric

    Reply
  7. Shelia says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:38 PM

    Simpy gawjus, Ms. Pretty! 🙂
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  8. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:39 PM

    Everything is so pretty! Love your banister and front door!!!
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply
  9. Lisa @ Before Meets After says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:40 PM

    Your home is beautiful Vanessa! I love the simplicity of the garland and how you can see the cute wreaths on the doors 🙂

    Reply
  10. Kelly says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:41 PM

    Your garland turned out so pretty! It doesn’t look like you skimped on it at all! I like the added berries on it too.

    Reply
  11. Traci says

    December 13, 2011 at 4:56 PM

    It’s really pretty!

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    December 13, 2011 at 5:38 PM

    So beautiful. From the entry on. There are so many good ideas here.

    Reply
  13. Veronica says

    December 13, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    It’s looking de lovely and elegantly festive!! I still need to do my bannister!Oi!

    Veronica
    Tassels Twigs and Tastebuds

    Reply
  14. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    December 13, 2011 at 6:26 PM

    BEAUTIFUL Vanessa! Your staircase looks fabulous and I love the beautiful vignette on you round table. I love the shot looking into your living room where you can see your tree! Martina

    Reply
  15. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    December 13, 2011 at 7:50 PM

    Your entry is stunning Vanessa, and all of your decor is beautiful. I love the pretty little wreaths and the lovely yellow bows. So pretty. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  16. Brooke @ Inside-Out Design says

    December 13, 2011 at 8:52 PM

    Beautiful Vanessa! Really makes me wish I had a banister to decorate!!

    Reply
  17. Ruby Jean says

    December 13, 2011 at 8:57 PM

    So Very Pretty and Festive… Thank you so much Ladies for Making mention of my Linky Party and Joining in as well… Have a blessed week!!

    Reply
  18. Robin says

    December 13, 2011 at 10:15 PM

    Beautiful! I love the stairs garland. It’s so pretty.

    Reply
  19. Ange says

    December 13, 2011 at 10:44 PM

    Wow! Love the banister, that is just a showstopper! The berry wreaths are such a pretty addition. Also those two wreaths on the french doors, those had me at hello! Great job girl!

    Reply
  20. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    December 13, 2011 at 10:48 PM

    This is really lovely, Vanessa! I love that picture from the entry where you can see the staircase and your tree in the living room.

    Reply
  21. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    December 13, 2011 at 3:48 PM

    Beautiful Vanessa!! I love your pretty staircase all draped in garland!

    Reply
  22. Debbiedoo's blogging and blabbing says

    December 13, 2011 at 11:58 PM

    Both you and Heather have done such an outstanding job this Christmas season. You girls are so talented and I think it is the coolest that you do this together, yet are far apart. Love it all!

    Reply
  23. Judy says

    December 14, 2011 at 12:38 AM

    Your foyer and banister look absolutely gorgeous. I love the berry wreaths and the faux cranberries. I am in love with your silver tea set. I have been wanting that forever. It always looks so elegant.

    Reply
  24. Stacy Curran says

    December 14, 2011 at 2:04 AM

    Absolutely beautiful Vanessa!
    Stacy

    Reply
  25. Marianne says

    December 14, 2011 at 2:14 AM

    Vanessa, this looks just gorgeous. You have done a wonderful job decorating your home for the holidays!
    Marianne 🙂

    Reply
  26. Eliesa says

    December 14, 2011 at 6:46 PM

    Beautiful!

    Reply
  27. mrshinesclass says

    December 16, 2011 at 9:23 AM

    Your Christmas decor is so inviting. What a beautiful way for guests to be greeted!

    Sharon

    Reply
  28. Sue says

    December 16, 2011 at 2:10 PM

    Vanessa, what I like is that you’ve placed the garland on the inside of the bannister. So different a look. The foyer looks really inviting. Merry,Merry, my friend! Sue

    Reply
  29. Sandi says

    December 4, 2013 at 10:31 PM

    Enjoying all the beautiful past and present pictures of your home and realizing your entryway wall color is exactly what I’m looking for. Can you tell me the color name and brand?

    Reply
  30. kelly osbourne weight loss says

    August 26, 2014 at 6:56 PM

    I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this
    post was great. I do not know who you are but definitely you’re going to
    a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Heather’s banister gets in on the act! says:
    January 27, 2013 at 5:35 PM

    […] 14, 2011 By At The Picket Fence 25 Comments Vanessa shared her gorgeous entryway and banister with you early today, and while alas I really don’t have a “true” foyer like Vanessa does I […]

    Reply

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?

It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
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And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
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It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offe It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offering a gentle reminder from my own parenting experience after feeling my heart pricked with conviction about what was waiting for my daughter every day after school. I hope it will encourage you! 🌿#tiptuesday
The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now). 

And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kic Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kicking off the year with a brand new series! Each weekly installment will feature a tip for everything from your home to faith to parenting to family life and so much more. My goal for 2023 is to have far more personal interaction with this community while continuing on with the mission of weaving together all things heart and home. I hope you enjoy this first tip and I’d love to hear from you about whether or not you decorate for winter! 
#tiptuesday #organizing #winterdecorating
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. H “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

Here’s to beginnings. Happy new year friends! May you experience the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord in 2023 like never before! ✨
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