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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 30, 2013

Almost the Best of 2013

We were going to go BIG for this post!

It was going to be the ‘cocktail dress and stiletto heels wearin’, fireworks exploding, dancing all the way until midnight on New Year’s Eve‘ kind of look back at 2013 post.

Ryan Seacrest was even going to host as we counted down our top projects! 😉

But then, we realized that maybe it would just be OK to do a ‘sweats and ponytail wearin’, snuggled in on the couch watching movies and going to bed at 10pm on New Year’s Eve‘ look back on 2013 instead.

Best of 2013 from At the Picket Fence.com

Because, sometimes when you look back over a year of your life you don’t always just see the grand, flashy moments, right?

Oh sure, we did some bigger projects…

How to Build a Window Seat with Storage

window seat slide

Budget Friendly Bathroom Makeover

bathroom_makeover_on_a_budget atthepicketfence.com

 Blue and White Dining Room

blue and white fall dining room

 Bookcase Turned American Girl Dollhouse

Bookcase turned American Girl Dollhouse At the Picket Fence

And some smaller projects…

Framed Fabric Wall Art

How to Make Framed Fabric Wall Art with Target Kitchen Towels

No-Sew Drop Cloth Round Table Skirt

no sew fringed drop cloth table skirt At the Picket Fence

We had parties…

 Detective Themed Birthday Party

invitation

 Ice Cream Themed Party

sweet shop candy bar birthday party atthepicketfence.com

And recipes…

Birds Nest Cupcakes in Mason Jars

Bird's Nest Cupcakes in Mason Jars from At The Picket Fence

Homemade Vanilla Extract

vanilla extract holiday gifts

Roasted Beet Salsa and Pastry Wrapped Brie Appetizers

Two Holiday Appetizers with Roasted Beets

Mason Jar Breakfast To-Go

Breakfast-in-a-mason-jar At the Picket Fence

There was even some sewing…

How to Make a Layered Skirt

layered rainbow twirl spring skirt

We  got personal…

A Different Kind of Makeover

Heather weight loss

Confessions of a Good Christian Girl

confessions of a good christian girl label

And we even took this little ol’ blog on the road at places like the Haven Conference…

Heather and Vanessa

And the Country Living Fair…

Heather at Country Living

But you know what? Those moments, well, those were more like the ”cocktail dress and stiletto heels wearin’, fireworks exploding, dancing all the way until midnight on New Year’s Eve‘ moments. They were fun and amazing and carefully planned out and executed.

And they were almost the best parts of 2013 for At the Picket Fence.

Because the BEST parts of 2013 for At the Picket Fence were the parts that maybe didn’t make it into blog posts or onto our Facebook page.

They were the connections we made with you.

The countless deeply personal and heart-felt emails.

The encouragement and support.

The comments you left telling us how much you relate to a story we’ve shared and sometimes even sharing your own stories with us.

The rallying around us when we were feeling low.

The laughing along with our frequent mis-adventures.

And coming back here time and time again to join us on our journey.

YOU were the best part of 2013!

You bless us each and every day and we are incredibly grateful that we have the privilege of sharing our hearts and our homes with you.

We pray that 2014 will be a blessed year for you and that you always know that you have friends you can count on right here At the Picket Fence!

happy new year

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22 Comments Filed Under: Good Ideas

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Comments

  1. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    December 30, 2013 at 3:39 AM

    Perfect post. I wish you and your families a very Blessed and Happy New Year!!! Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  2. Leslie Stewart @ House on the Way says

    December 30, 2013 at 4:19 AM

    What a great year you had and what a beautiful post! Here’s to a Happy 2014!
    Leslie

    Reply
  3. Amanda says

    December 30, 2013 at 5:44 AM

    So much love for you two and your daily inspiration and amazing creativity! Happy 2014 y’all!!

    Reply
  4. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    December 30, 2013 at 6:54 AM

    Perfectly said! Happy New Year! : )

    Reply
  5. Sue Tait says

    December 30, 2013 at 8:06 AM

    What a great post, Ladies! I love your blog, all your projects are so cute/beautiful/smart/artistic/FUN. Thanks for all the wonderful things you do, and then tell us how to do, too. Keep writing, you are a welcome part of my day and I just want to Thank You.
    (I will be the one in sweats on the couch watching movies and going to bed at 10:00 tomorrow night…)

    Happy New Year!

    Reply
  6. Leo@cottageatthecrossroads says

    December 30, 2013 at 8:24 AM

    Back at ya girls. Jane and I are still big fans.

    Reply
  7. Michelle Paige says

    December 30, 2013 at 8:39 AM

    Always love your posts. What a great year you had! Thanks for all the ideas and inspiration!

    Reply
  8. Linda@Coastal Charm says

    December 30, 2013 at 8:46 AM

    GREAT post!!! It’s been a fun year and I am looking forward to another one in 2014…HAPPY NEW YEAR Y’all!!!

    Blessings,
    Linda

    Reply
  9. Martha Franks says

    December 30, 2013 at 9:05 AM

    Have enjoyed you girls so much since I found you this year. Look forward to you every day! And then I won the wreath! You were so sweet and patient in dealing with Balsam Hill. It was worth waiting for and we will enjoy it every year! God bless both of you. I look forward to getting to know you even better in 2014!

    Reply
  10. Thistle says

    December 30, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    love. you.

    love. your. hearts.

    Happy new year rockstars. 🙂
    karianne

    Reply
  11. Courtney says

    December 30, 2013 at 12:58 PM

    Happy New Year ladies!!!
    xo
    Courtney

    Reply
  12. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    December 30, 2013 at 7:13 PM

    I so love following you ladies…you certainly have had a most wonderful year of projects, travel and personal achievements!…Have a most happy and healthy New Year Vanessa and Heather!!!

    Reply
  13. Kim (TheKimSixFix) says

    December 30, 2013 at 10:14 PM

    What a wonderful year you ladies had! I can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store.

    Reply
  14. Julia G. says

    December 31, 2013 at 9:58 AM

    I didn’t find your post until late in the year and what a find! Thank you for your year in review because I am looking for a “no-sew round table skirt”! I can’t wait to find the perfect trim (on sale) and get started cutting out my big ole circle!

    You ladies are funny and inspiring! May God continue to bless you in the New Year!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 31, 2013 at 1:07 PM

      Thank you so much Julia! So glad you found us! 🙂 Blessings to you and yours in the New Year too!

      Reply
  15. june says

    December 31, 2013 at 11:22 PM

    Right back at you! Happy New Year! Looking forward to more great posts in 2014.

    Reply
  16. Laurel Stephens says

    January 1, 2014 at 10:50 PM

    What a wonderful post recapping a great year. Happy New Year!

    Reply
  17. Linda @ it all started with paint says

    January 3, 2014 at 11:11 AM

    Happy New Years ladies! Loving the recap and all your amazing projects and recipes and stories!

    🙂 Linda

    Reply
  18. Andrea at Opulent Cottage says

    January 4, 2014 at 2:29 PM

    Happy New Year to you both!! I have loved reading your blog from the beginning, and it just gets better and better. You girlies are an inspiration! wishing you a blessed and successful 2014, and I truly hope I get to meet you two sweeties this year 🙂
    xoxoxo, Andrea

    Reply
  19. Sharon says

    January 8, 2014 at 9:54 PM

    I loved this post!

    Reply
  20. laura Madalene says

    January 10, 2014 at 5:26 AM

    WOW! You’ve decorated your house in an amazing way – everything looks so beautiful. I like the black chandelier with some crystals but your dog is definitely one of the cutest ‘decorations’ in this room;)
    Have a wonderful 2014! Home design

    Reply
  21. Melissa @ DaisyMaeBelle says

    January 11, 2014 at 7:05 PM

    You ladies are awesome! So many great projects and so sweet! Happy New Year! Melissa @ DaisyMaeBelle

    Reply

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“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
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Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. 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.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

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#palmsunday
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