• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

May 2, 2011

Blog of the Week and a Winner!


Before we unveil our Featured Blogger of the Week, we have to take care of the little business of announcing the winner of our
Math Blaster Giveaway!
And the winner is….
Martina from Northern Nesting, who said,
“I think my 9 yr. old son would love this! Thanks for sharing this information with us!”
Congratulations Martina! Please contact us so that we can get you signed up for this wonderful 3-month trial Membership.
And now, our Featured Blogger this week is someone who has become very near and dear to both of us. Vanessa first “met” her while still blogging over at Southern in my Heart. What started as a bond over similar decorating styles and interest, quickly flourished into a wonderful friendship.

This is Judy…

[IMG_1444_edited-copy.JPG]

And her blog…

On Judy’s blog you can see everything from her incredible Kitchen Makeover
 (get ready to drool!)
To her ingenius way of using this…

To make this!

And her gorgeous Mud Room Transformation!
But we are pretty sure that what you will also find over at Judy’s blog, is what we have found there as well. And that is someone who is warm and welcoming and genuinely LOVES this Blogging Community. She has been such a huge supporter of us here at the Fence, and we have so enjoyed getting to know her better even beyond the blog!

Judy also hosts a fantastic Linky Party every Wednesday so be sure to add this one to your list of favorite places to party.

Judy is the kind of gal who not only has the talent and knack for coming up with beautiful creations for her home, she also has the knack for making everyone who visits feel like they are apart of a community. And you know how much we love doing community!
So, please take a minute and pop over and visit Judy at DIY By Design.
We know you will be glad you did!
Thanks for visiting us today at the Fence,

14 Comments Filed Under: Featured Blogger

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Inspiration Friday No. 13!
Next Post: Replacing a recessed light is easier than you think! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Judy says

    May 2, 2011 at 1:44 PM

    I stopped by as I do everyday and was shocked and so honored to find that you had chosen me as your featured blog of the week. You both have come to mean so much to me and I completely and utterly appreciate your friendship. Thank you again for this wonderful honor. I am truly humbled by your kind words.

    Reply
  2. Pam @ Our Adventures in Home Improvement says

    May 2, 2011 at 2:06 PM

    Congratulations to Martina and Judy! I love both of their blogs!

    Reply
  3. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    May 2, 2011 at 2:31 PM

    I love Judy’s blog. Her home is indeed stunning and yes, she really is such a warm and gracious person. Great choice for your feature. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  4. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    May 2, 2011 at 2:41 PM

    Thank you girls, I can’t wait to tell my son when he’s gets home from school, I am sure my girls are going to want to get in on the act too:) Martina

    Reply
  5. Val says

    May 2, 2011 at 2:51 PM

    Her home is AMAZING. Be still my heart.

    Reply
  6. Ange says

    May 2, 2011 at 4:11 PM

    Congratulations Judy! 🙂 So happy to see your smiling face and beautiful home on here. I love her blog, if you haven’t checked it out yet, head on over!

    Reply
  7. michelle says

    May 2, 2011 at 4:32 PM

    What a gorgeous home and blog! I will have to go take a peek over there and say hi. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Shelia says

    May 2, 2011 at 6:33 PM

    Judy’s blog is marvelous! How nice of you to feature her. She’s just too talented. Ain’t fair, is it? 🙂
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  9. Vivienne @ the V Spot says

    May 2, 2011 at 6:39 PM

    Love Judy! Great choice!

    Reply
  10. LowCountryLiving says

    May 2, 2011 at 7:55 PM

    Wow, everything is so gorgeous! I’ll have to check out more.

    Reply
  11. Kathy says

    May 2, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    Great choices! wonderful pics – would love to have a mud room.
    Hope you have a great week,
    Kathy

    Reply
  12. Ann from On Sutton Place says

    May 2, 2011 at 11:23 PM

    I think your “blog of the week” feature is so great…I have followed DIY by Design almost since the beginning. Her house is truly lovely. Makes me wish I could win the lottery and start all over again! Have a great week…~Ann

    Reply
  13. Debbie says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:04 AM

    I know that blog!! She gives me the worst inferiority complex in blogland half the time.

    Great choice!

    Reply
  14. Gina says

    May 3, 2011 at 1:07 AM

    I found Judy’s blog recently & I love it…good choice!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Take the Quiz

Stay updated!

Get all the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • Lessons From Growing Out My Bangs March 12, 2021
  • Painted Staircase Handrail Makeover March 4, 2021
  • A New French Country Dining Table February 3, 2021
  • Open Now December 17, 2020
  • Tradition and a Christmas Home Tour December 9, 2020

Get all the latest straight to your inbox

Footer

Instagram

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!
Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2021 At The Picket Fence