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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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Meet Vanessa
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Recipes

July 25, 2017

Sun Tea and a Summer Story

June 29, 2017

How to Make Lavender Simple Syrup

June 24, 2017

Weekend Wonderings

May 24, 2017

Patriotic Desserts

March 31, 2017

Baked Lemon Rosemary Donuts

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Simple Fall Decorating Ideas for Your Home September 28, 2021
A New Mirror for a New Look July 28, 2021
Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze May 27, 2021
A New Gig! April 16, 2021
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On my walk today I spotted leaves in the gutter ne

On my walk today I spotted leaves in the gutter next to the sidewalk so I intentionally went over and walked through them, loving the sound of them crunching under my feet. I may or may not have even kicked them in the air a bit and I didn’t even care when the neighbors saw me. ☺️ It made me feel like I was 5 instead of 45. Oh how I love this time of the year! The sunlight streaming through my windows with the trees outside in brilliant autumn shades, the crisp air on my walls and the leaves dancing across the ground just fills my soul with joy. 🍂

A few years ago, in a blog post about fall decor,

A few years ago, in a blog post about fall decor, I casually mentioned that every October I set out a pair of paper bag pumpkins (say that five times fast!) crafted by my children when they were each in kindergarten, respectively.

In one of the comments left for me, a reader told me that she would love to actually see those paper bag pumpkins.

I’ve wanted to share them with you ever since then. But, I always talked myself out of it. I mean, why would anyone but me care about them? And then I began to think about why I take those paper bag pumpkins out every year and what they mean to me.

In this season of motherhood, I’m experiencing that bittersweet sense of not only truly knowing that time is going by quickly but also this deep awareness of how little of it there is left. No longer do I see it stretching before me like some kind of yellow brick road meandering along until it meets the horizon.

So, I do things like putting out paper bag pumpkins every year.

Because sometimes the tangible items serve as the beginning of the intangible thread which connects us to the past, the present and the future.

We need to see a little bit more of this in blog posts and on social media, don’t you think? The things that reflect our real lives. Not the lives that we shove into a closet or hide in the laundry room in order to take the prettiest picture. But the ones that allow for the sweet, homemade crafts to peacefully coexists with the elegant home decor.

Because, in the end, it’s not the perfect lamp we found or the latest paint color we added to our walls which we will cherish the most. It’s those little reminders of the life we’ve lived. They remind us of the joys and the sorrows and all of the gloriously mundane days in between.

So hang up those popsicle stick ornaments on the Christmas tree, drink your coffee from the hand-painted mug you got for Mother’s Day that year, put your fanciest earrings in the little clay bowl crafted by tiny fingers and wrapped up in newspaper with all of the reverence of a sculptor and his masterpiece.

And I’ll be here putting out my paper bag pumpkins. 🍂

It’s rainy and gloomy here today and I’m up to

It’s rainy and gloomy here today and I’m up to my eyeballs in unpacking and doing laundry after our whirlwind trip to Georgia to celebrate my niece’s wedding. It was the most beautiful and poignant event as we watched this young couple commit their lives to each other and to the Lord in front of all who love them. My kids had never been to a wedding before so they were extra excited to get to be apart of this special day. Our family managed to clean up pretty well! 😉

Happy Thursday dear friends!! My home is all dress

I can’t help but think that one of the best thin

Hey friends! Did you survive Monday? It rained all

Hey friends! Did you survive Monday? It rained all day here which made it perfect for staying indoors and editing photos for my fall home tour. It almost made it hard to not want to just snuggle up on the couch and watch movies. ☺️ Here’s a little sneak peek and I can’t wait to show you the rest soon!

I’m so honored to have my latest article for @jo

I’m so honored to have my latest article for @joyfullifemagazine on their blog this month! I’m sharing my thoughts on seasonal decorating plus some super easy tips! Here’s a sneak peek..

“Somewhere in the foggy haze of trying to decide between the corn husk wreath or the bundle of wheat for my front door, I felt a pricking of my spirit. In the stillness of my bedroom, the only sound being the soft breathing of my husband lying next to me, I knew that the Lord was speaking to me.

Why was I allowing my mind to be consumed by these thoughts? When did I go from being someone who enjoyed decorating as an extension of the creativity given to me by my Creator to someone who wasted so much time, money, and energy to get the perfect look for Instagram?

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are challenged to “take every thought captive to obey Christ.”

Suddenly, I became very aware of the fact that the pressure I was putting on myself to create the perfect seasonal décor was causing my thoughts to run around like wild animals, and it was past time for me to take them captive.

So, I did.

With my head on my pillow and tears threatening to spill from my eyes, I confessed to my Savior and fell asleep immediately. Friends, I’ve never looked back.” 🍂Read the rest by following the link in my highlights!🍂

Happy Saturday! I never thought I would be so happ

Happy Saturday! I never thought I would be so happy to wake up to the sound of rain but we need it SO badly here in Oregon that it filled my heart with joy! It also gives me the perfect excuse to cozy up inside and work on my fall decorating. I’m almost done with this year’s mantel(s) but I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of my designs from year’s past.

Which one is your favorite?

I plan to keep things very simple this year and just enjoy the beauty of the season without feeling the need to add too much ‘fluff’.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend dear friends! 🍂

“Ah, September! You are the doorway to the seaso

“Ah, September! You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul... but I must confess that I love you only because you are a prelude to my beloved October.” Peggy Toney Horton

I'm preparing to give a message to a group of wome

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