At The Picket Fence

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

Being Mom and Friend

She likes to have one us (either me or her dad) lie in bed with her for a few minutes each night before she falls asleep. I don’t think I pictured us still doing this when she was 12 but these are sacred moments which I know will not last forever (pretty sure I’m on borrowed time!) so I cherish them.

The other night, we talked about the youth group trip she would be leaving for in the morning and I told her how much I would miss her. She said, “I wish you could come with me mom.”

I smiled and felt all warm and fuzzy inside and replied, “But if I did, you wouldn’t really want me around anyway because you’ll want to be with your friends.” She smiled knowing I was right but then she said, “But you’re my BEST friend, Mom.” (Cue the waterworks!).

After I wiped my face and gave her a million kisses and hugs, I left her room overwhelmed with gratitude. Because I honestly never really set out to be her ‘friend’. I’m Mom. I’m her parent first and I always will be.

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I Cried at Home Goods

I was at Home Goods recently (let’s not talk about the fact that I was there twice in the same week, ok?) and after perusing the aisles, valiantly trying to avoid loading up my cart with everything in the clearance section, I took my few purchases up to the front of the store and noticed that there weren’t any cashiers. I was only standing there for a few seconds before a lovely sales clerk came over to ring me up.

I recognized her as an employee with whom I had interacted a few times before (because finally having a Home Goods in our city has been a pretty exciting thing!) and we began chatting about the silverware I was purchasing and how it was going to be replacing the set that we received as a wedding gift.

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Summer Book Bundle Giveaway!

*THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*

 

One of the things I love to do most in the summertime is to sit outside on our deck with a tall glass of iced tea and a good book. It’s those really simple moments that are the most relaxing to me this time of the year and I find myself getting lost in the pages while the sunshine warms my skin and my spirit.

As an author, I’ve had so many awesome opportunities to support other authors and friends and one of the big perks of this is that I get A LOT of books sent my way!

I noticed recently that my stack of books was getting bigger and bigger and that I even had duplicates of some of them. So I decided that the only reasonable thing to do would be to have a GIVEAWAY!!!

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Grandma’s Banana Bread

“Did you know that this is the same recipe my grandmother, your great-grandmother, used to make banana bread. It was passed down to my mother who passed it down to me and now I’m passing it down to you.”

She was just four years old, standing on the stepstool so that she could reach the kitchen counter, big brown eyes looking up at me excitedly because this girl LOVES to bake. We carefully measured each ingredient, but when it came time to add the bananas, she knew what was coming and had the potato masher at the ready. As we squished those bananas through the masher, we squealed, “Ewwww! It’s the banana worms! Banana worms everywhere!” This was our silly tradition when we made banana bread. She had watched her older brother do it and now she was taking over this sacred duty.

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The Fish Funeral

“MOM, I think there’s something wrong with Coral!” I heard my daughter’s frantic cry from upstairs and knew in my heart what had happened. We had just arrived home from school and I was in the kitchen getting started on dinner when she called out to me from her room. By the time I made it upstairs, the tears had already begun to well up in her eyes. And, after a quick look at the tank confirmed our worst fears, those tears began rolling down her cheeks.

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My Favorite Decorating Tip

I am on a mission. A mission to help you discover how amazing it feels to live in a peaceful home. More than ever, I believe that we are yearning for spaces where we can shut out the craziness of the world and just ‘be’. With access right at our fingertips to all of the things all of the time, somehow as a culture we are becoming more anxious and less connected.

And there’s a reason it’s said that our homes should be our havens. So, I am passionate about helping you build a foundation of peace in your home which will sustains you when all of the craziness of life comes at you.

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We Were Going to Remodel a Bathroom But…

Our kids’ bathroom needs updating. Badly. Other than a few minor, inexpensive cosmetic changes that we made after we moved in 11 years ago, that bathroom still has the same look it had when the house was built in 1992.

And, the thing is, we’ve had the money to do it. We save and save and save some more and then when it’s time to pull the trigger we look at each other and just know that we’re going to do something else with that money.

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Just Sweet and Simple

I attended a university that was two hours away from home. It was the perfect distance for me. Far enough to feel like I was “away” from home but close enough to be able to get a break from campus life and do my laundry for free.

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Fun Announcement!

You know those moments where you just wish you could push a button in your mind that would act as a sort of ‘screenshot’ and be saved forever so you could pull it up again and again and immediately be transported back to that time and place? I’ve had more of those in my life than I can count and most involve my children. But, one such moment happened last year that seemed so simple at the time but was truly so impactful.

I had the great privilege of being a speaker at the incredible Becoming Conference which takes place each year in the beautiful hills of North Carolina on Lake Junaluska. During one of the breaks, I wandered down to the lakeshore to just bask in the sunshine and soak in the beauty of my surroundings. I saw groups of women sitting together, happily chatting and I had that fleeting moment of wishing I was there with my best friends.

As I walked past one particularly happy group, they said hello to me and invited me to come join them. So I did. And as we sat and talked and laughed together, friendship was born. It was such a seemingly simple act, the inclusion of someone new to them, and yet it reminded me of why I love this particular conference so much.

No pretension, no exclusiveness, no cliques. Just women who are genuinely enjoying a weekend filled with inspiration for making your home a haven and doing it all on a budget.

And, you guys I am SO thrilled to announce that this year not only am I going to be keynote speaker but I am also going to be one of the co-hosts! I’m teaming up with my amazing friends Jen of Balancing Beauty and Bedlam (original founder), Karianne of Thistlewood Farms and Dana of A Slob Comes Clean .

During the weekend of July 26-28 we will be bringing you some of the most amazing classes and sessions which will encourage you to live intentionally by becoming more creative and purposeful. And we will have SO.MUCH.FUN.

Registration is now open and this is definitely a case of the early bird getting the worm because anyone who buys their ticket before March 31 will be entered to win two free conference workshops (furniture painting, crafting, calligraphy, etc.) AND two free boat cruises on beautiful Lake Junaluska!

To get your ticket(s) and read more about what you can expect from this amazing weekend head over to the Becoming Conference website.

And, while I know that for many of you it won’t be possible to make this trek, I’ll be bringing you along with me through Facebook Live videos and other online activities so that you too can join in the fun!

This past year has been filled with a lot of highs and lows for me and I went through a period of time when I experienced a bit of a crisis of confidence when it came to the calling God has placed on my life. But, over and over again He has affirmed that this is exactly what He wants me to do. To be available to listen and encourage, to support and share. And to encourage women in all walks of life to invite more peace into their hearts and their homes. Whether I do it here or in person at a conference or retreat, it is truly the greatest privilege and joy!

Please let me know if you have any questions about the Becoming Conference or if you would be interested in having me speak at an event near you!

Much love,

How to Decorate an Entry Table

Did you know that harem style pants (a la MC Hammer) are making a comeback? Yep. The other day, in a Facebook group I’m apart of, someone shared a photo of an advertisement for an outfit that was a romper version of this ‘style’ and I couldn’t help but think that there are some trends that were so bad the first time around that they really should never make a comeback. And they actually made it even worse! I mean, can anyone actually pull of that look? Every time I see those pants they remind me of when my kids tried to walk around with fully loaded diapers.

And, it made me thankful that I am at a stage in life where I know what works for me and what doesn’t, both in my wardrobe and in my home. I wasted so many years trying to fit into a certain look or trend and I can’t even begin to explain how much freedom there is in embracing your own style.

Case in point, this table in my entry has seen many manifestations. Some of them make me cringe now when I look back at them. Because it was just trying too hard to be something it wasn’t.

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