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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 12, 2011

Chalkboard Frame Tree Topper

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Whew! Anyone else feel like their head is still spinning from all of the fun last week?
I don’t think I have ever written more adjectives in my entire life than when I was leaving comments for all of you. Words like…
Gorgeous! Creative! Beautiful! Clever! Fabulous! Fantastic! Elegant!
Crazy! Scatterbrained! All over the Map….oh wait…those last ones were just adjectives describing 
ME last week!
Winking smile
You are some seriously talented folks and it was such a pleasure to get to have you share that talent with us. 
And, there is still time for you to share some more!
We will be leaving the links to the Christmas in the Kitchen Party and the Doors and Porches Party open all week long so please come on over and share some more of your gorgeous, creative, beautiful, clever, fabulous, fantastic, elegant selves with us!
And there is plenty of time to enter to win one of 8…count ’em 8 incredible prizes at the Giveaways for each party. You don’t even have to link up to enter so get on over there and do it!
Now, how about a fun and easy way to customize your Christmas Tree?
This is my Chalkboard Frame Tree Topper!

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We have 6 Christmas Trees in our house. Small ones in each bedroom and playroom and then our real tree in the Living Room which we go chop down each year.
This slim “faux” tree has been dubbed our “Family Tree” as it is filled with all of the paper angels and snowflakes, candy canes and even ornaments from my childhood and my hubby’s too.
Plus, it’s in our Family Room so it kinda makes since, right?

Here is my sweet boy setting up the train around the base.
I love this tree so much and pretty much want to cry every time we pull out the decorations for it. So, it seemed only fitting to create something extra special for the top.
I also wanted something which could be updated and reused year after year!

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This could not be more simple!
I purchased 2 (since we have 2 kids!) wood frames from Michael’s and gave them each a coat of
Chalkboard Paint.

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I then added the pictures of each of my rascals (fresh from their baths) decorating this exact tree this year and wrote their names on the bottom and the date on the top.

A ribbon wrapped around the frame and tied off with a bow finished it off and then it was tied onto the top of the tree. I seriously love the ribbons I found this year! 

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And there you have it. 
Sweet
Simple 
Sentimental

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My idea of the perfect Tree Topper!

I promise I don’t have a popcorn ceiling in there even though it looks that way in this picture!
Who edited these anyway? Sheesh! 

I just had to throw this one in for good measure.
I can show it to them the next time they are getting on each other’s nerves!

Thanks so much for joining me today at the Fence,

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This post will be partying here this week:

holiday home button centsational girl


My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesday’s Treasures
Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Ruby Jean’s: Sew Crafty Tuesday
Stuff and Nonsense: Friday’s Unfolded
DIY Showoff: DIY Project Parade
You’re Talking Too Much: Meet Me on Monday

20 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, Decorating, Holidays

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Previous Post: « Doors, Porches and Kitchen Highlights from the Christmas Block Party!
Next Post: Banisters and Foyers~Welcome to Vanessa’s Home »

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Comments

  1. Tanya@takesix says

    December 12, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    I always tell me kids (who fight alot) as I’m taking their picture together on Christmas Eve, “Just pretend that you love each other!” ;0)

    Your tree topper is a treasure, Vanessa! I love it! Thanks for sharing it with us!

    Reply
  2. Savvy Seasons says

    December 12, 2011 at 2:57 PM

    The kids are A D O R A B L E!! Love their jammies. What a great idea for a tree topper. I never would have thought of that, but it really is special. Thanks for sharing, I may have to steal this idea for next year. =)

    Happy Holidays! xoxo ~Liz

    Reply
  3. Honey at 2805 says

    December 12, 2011 at 4:03 PM

    It’s adorable! Love the frames and your children are precious!

    Reply
  4. Pattie says

    December 12, 2011 at 4:24 PM

    How cute and a great idea…

    Reply
  5. Linda @ A La Carte says

    December 12, 2011 at 4:30 PM

    That is so cute! Great idea! Love the pic of your kids. hugs, Linda

    Reply
  6. Maria Elena says

    December 12, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    Beautiful idea! Your kids are so adorable! Enjoy them! They grow so fast! 🙂

    Reply
  7. Becca says

    December 12, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    Aw, Vanessa … the last picture melts my heart … so, so sweet! I love your tree, and the picture frames at the top are such a wonderful, sentimental idea. You guys are so blessed! xoxo

    Reply
  8. Judy says

    December 12, 2011 at 6:38 PM

    Love the tree topper…but I especially love that photo of them in their pj’s hugging. That’s sooo cute. Beautiful family.

    Reply
  9. Honey at 2805 says

    December 12, 2011 at 7:06 PM

    I adore the tree and the tree topper! The little rascals are so adorable!

    Thank you for linking to the Christmas Blogger’s Block Party Christmas Tree Party (in progress). You add even more dimension to the fabulous inspiration!

    Reply
  10. Richella says

    December 12, 2011 at 7:44 PM

    SO cute! Aren’t they darling?! And your tree topper is just right. I’m assuming that you’ll use this next year with photos from 2012–unless, of course, blogging inspires you to create something new! 🙂

    Reply
  11. michelle says

    December 12, 2011 at 7:46 PM

    What a great idea and it is perfect. 🙂 Oh my gosh girl 6 trees!!? You were very busy putting up all your decor. I bet they are so beautiful and my kids love having their trees in their room too. 🙂
    xoxo

    Reply
  12. Laura says

    December 12, 2011 at 8:57 PM

    Wow! You are a Christmas crafting genius! So glad I found your project via Centsational Girl.

    Please stop by for a visit to my blog. I am currently in the midst of a Gifts to Make series.

    Be Merry and Bright!

    Reply
  13. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    December 12, 2011 at 10:11 PM

    What a fabulous idea Vanessa, I love it!! Your kids are adorable and I love their pj’s! Love the ribbon you used for the top too. Martina

    Reply
  14. Kelly says

    December 12, 2011 at 11:58 PM

    What a cute idea! I love being able to write on those frames like that and know that it can be changed if needed too. Chalkboard paint is so great, isn’t it?

    Reply
  15. Laurel says

    December 13, 2011 at 12:19 AM

    Love this!! Great idea…I’m thinking our kids look like the same ages, boy/girl same too 🙂 chat soon, laurel

    Reply
  16. Michele Smith says

    December 13, 2011 at 1:10 AM

    I LOVE this, what a fantastic idea. Your kiddos are adorable too, love their little jammies. Love chalkboard paint too!

    Reply
  17. Linda@Coastal Charm says

    December 13, 2011 at 5:32 AM

    Thanks so much for sharing with us at NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY!!!

    Blessings,
    Linda

    Reply
  18. Debbie says

    December 13, 2011 at 2:20 PM

    The chalkboard paint is downright inspired. Why, you could post it on your own Friday party! I love the topper. BTW, that Ian is just plain cute to me. I still remember the video he did explaining the game for the giveaway. If I had a son, I would have wanted one like that. Maybe a grandson…

    Reply
  19. Ange says

    December 13, 2011 at 10:46 PM

    What a great idea! So easy and cute too. I love the last picture of sibling love, so sweet. You need to do a post on how to tie a bow because if that was my tree it would look like a rat’s nest of ribbons! 😉

    Reply
  20. notes of sincerity says

    December 14, 2011 at 12:40 AM

    Oh so cute! :o)

    Reply

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The month of June is coming to a close and it has The month of June is coming to a close and it has been JAM packed! The highlight by far though was my son's graduation from high school. When I started blogging, he was only 6 years old and some of you have been apart of my community here for that entire time. Now, he's 19 and there is a reason parents are told not to blink because the years truly do go faster than I ever could have imagined. He has become such an incredible young man we are so excited to see how God is going to unfold the next chapter of his life. We celebrated with parties galore (SO many open houses to attend!) and made memories we'll forever cherish. My mama heart was filled to bursting with the joy of it all! Now we're taking some time to just enjoy these warm, summer days making even more memories because, when you’re at this stage of parenting, you know all too well how much you need to grasp every opportunity to spend time together.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
“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
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

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.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

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We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
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