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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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August 22, 2014

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I’m working my way through a GK Chesterton Adven

I’m working my way through a GK Chesterton Advent devotional and the first day there was a line in his writing that has been running through my head ever since I read it. “Advent is a desire in the Now for Not Yet”.

Every Christmas there’s this ache in my heart that accompanies my love for the season. I take such pleasure in decorating my home and making all of the preparations but there’s often a sense of melancholy that creeps in. I used to worry about this feeling and analyze it to death. But then I realized that it’s actually a good thing. God created in me this desire for something, Someone, beyond this present world. As such, my soul is longing for the ‘not yet’ even while I’m going about the work of living in the ‘now’. That tension is always with us whether we acknowledge it or not but it’s even more present at Christmas.

As we prepare our homes and our hearts to celebrate the birth of the ONE who came to fulfill the prophecies and promises, may we embrace those feelings and let them serve as a reminder of the hope we have in Him.

#adventdevotional #wearethehomemakers #advent #gkchesterton #proverbs31woman #club31women

This is such a busy time of year and I’m always

This is such a busy time of year and I’m always on the lookout for easy recipes that use minimal pots and pans therefore requiring minimal cleanup. 🙌🏻

This one sheet roasted veggies, sausage and gnocchi definitely fit the bill! And I don’t know how I’ll go back to boiled gnocchi after tasting it roasted. 😋

Here’s how easy it is to make:

Preheat oven to 425

Use any combo of veggies you like. I used sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and red onion.

Dice into small pieces and spread on a sheet pan.

Slice up the sausage and add to vegetables. Then add the uncooked gnocchi. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. You can also add any herbs you like!

Roast in over for 25 minutes stirring once halfway through.

While it’s in the oven, melt a stick of butter in a saucepan and add in two teaspoons of garlic.

When you remove the pan from the oven, drizzle the butter/garlic mixture over the top and stir well to coat everything. Top with Parmesan cheese!

Easy peasy and SO yummy! ✨

#sheetpandinner #sheetpanrecipes

The first weekend in December seems like a good ti

✨ The first Sunday of Advent is upon us and this

✨ The first Sunday of Advent is upon us and this year I created a super simple centerpiece for my dining room that incorporates the candles we will use each of the four weeks leading up to Christmas. While we will only light one candle each week, I used more than four so that the centerpiece would look a bit more filled in. In keeping with my goal to embrace a softer approach to my decorating, this arrangement works perfectly and helps to keep our focus on the beauty and the meaning of the Advent season. For more ideas like this, check out my previous Advent post! ✨

#advent #adventcandles #simplechristmas #wearethehomemakers

In this season of motherhood, my soul is feeling a

In this season of motherhood, my soul is feeling a bit more tender. When Christmas rolls around and I no longer have wish lists that include Lego sets or dollhouses, I find that I want my home to reflect this craving for all things gentle.

So our hot cocoa station this year is much more simple and done in a neutral color palette that just subtly blends in with the rest of the decor. It still feels festive and is definitely still “user friendly” but it’s just a bit less…well…less.

And, that’s ok. It’s not that this area won’t ever again have bright colors (maybe even pops of red!) but, right now I’m happy to have things this way.

With all that is going on in the world right outside our door, my desire is for our home to truly feel like a respite. I want it to be where we come and let our guard down, our heart rates slow and to be flooded with a sense of peace in knowing that here is where we can just simply be. I want it to be a place of rest. Rest from the constant onslaught of news and information. Rest from the seemingly small struggles of school and jobs that can so often feel like big struggles.

And, most importantly, we rest in the comfort of knowing the One who is Sovereign over all and is the reason this month is so very special and sacred.

Many blessings to you dear friends as we kick off this wonderful season! ✨

Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary

Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary to popular belief, the celebration of Advent is VERY different from just simply doing a ‘countdown to Christmas’. It’s not about having little drawers filled with candy or doors to open with prizes inside. Those things are so much fun and definitely help to build anticipation as you head closer and closer to the big day.

But Advent, from the latin word ‘adventus’ meaning ‘arrival’ or ‘appearance’ keeps the focus completely on celebrating the arrival of the King who came in the form of an infant.

This is one of our favorite family traditions and over the years I’ve figured out how to incorporate the Advent candles into my decor without using the traditional wreath. I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration as we head into this sacred season. 🌲

#advent #adventdecoration #wearethehomemakers

Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Bec

Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Because it’s the Saturday after and my house is almost completely ready to start the season! So I’m sitting with my coffee and just soaking it all up knowing that now I can focus on shopping, hosting and preparing our hearts for the start of Advent. The only thing left to do is get our fresh tree for the front room and then the decorating is done.

Starting early is a gift I give to myself and I’m always grateful for it! 🌲

#simplechristmas #traditionalchristmas

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest fo

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours dear friends! 🍂

Christmas has arrived in the family room where I k

Christmas has arrived in the family room where I keep things simple but festive! We’ll get a fresh tree after Thanksgiving which will go in our front room bay window but this slim faux tree with its colorful ornaments tides us over for now. Which room in your home gets the Christmas treatment first? Or do you just start doing a little at a time in each room? 🎄

*pillow covers are from @jshhomeessentials

I share this recipe every year because it’s JUST

I share this recipe every year because it’s JUST.THAT.GOOD!

And I have a confession ...I’d rather have cranberry sauce smothering the turkey on my plate than gravy any day!! And this, this right here? Well it’s the best (and easiest!) cranberry sauce ever!! I eat on crackers and sandwiches and sometimes just by the spoonful. It’s so yummy! And I’m just so very thankful for all of you that I’m going to leave the recipe right here instead of making you go to the blog to get it. I promise you won’t regret having this on your Thanksgiving menu but be warned...you may find yourself up in the middle of the night sneaking some helpings of this deliciousness. Or maybe that’s just me!

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh or frozen cranberries
2 oranges
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup white wine.

Instructions:
Wash and pick over berries, removing any that are soft. Peel and dice oranges removing any seeds. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a full boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking until cranberries pop open and mixture is thickening.
For best flavor, prepare and let stand for several days before using.

Gobble, gobble!! 🦃

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