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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 22, 2016

Christmas down South….

Welcome!  I’m so excited to finally give you a peek at our new home! It seems these days, I’m a day late and a dollar short but here I am with a glimpse into our house dressed up for Christmas day.  It might be sunny and almost 70 degrees on December 22nd, but that’s okay because, “This is how we we roll in the South!”

Shaw Floors 2016 Epic Plus Hardwood Entry resized

C’mon on in and don’t worry about taking off your shoes! Because of my new beautiful Shaw Epic Plus Hardwood Floors, I never have to worry again about heels gouging holes, or dogs scratching them! They are as solid…as well hardwood! grin!

//Front Entry//

Shaw Floors 2016 Epic Plus Hardwood Staircase remodel resized

I’m excited to be showing off my new hardwood stairs and the beautiful installation job by Kemp’s Dalton West Flooring!  I’m in L-O-V-E!! Carpet on steps no more!

Shaw Floors 2016 Epic Plus Hardwoods Foyer and Stairs resized


//GUEST BEDROOM//

Christmas 2016 Guest Bedroom mini tinsel tree resized

Christmas 2016 Guest Bedroom resized

Christmas 2016 Guest Room Bedding resized

//KITCHEN//

Shaw Epic Plus Hardwood Christmas 2016 resized

Coffee and Hot Chocolate Station

chandelier

//BREAKFAST ROOM//

Christmas 2016 breakfast room resized

Christmas 2016 mini wreath  resized

Christmas 2016 Breakfast room-2

 

//GREAT ROOM//

Christmas 2016 fireplace resized

Christmas 2016 Living Room

Pencil Blue and White Christmas Tree 2016

 

Here’s a little glimpse of our new floors up close.  They are mixed width hand-scraped hickory and I can’t wait to show you how durable they really are, so stay tuned next week for our before and afters and our experience with having the entire first floor, and stairs, of our home replaced.

Shaw Epic Plus Hardwood Christmas 2016 1-3

As I am typing this my son, who lives far away now, has walked in the door to spend the week with us…and now it finally feels like Christmas!  As much as I love the beautiful Christmas decorations around our house, it’s the people in it that make it a home.  This year, especially, we are cherishing every moment together.  My father-in-love has terminal cancer and we are more aware than ever that each day is precious and this Christmas, we will be taking time to laugh and reminisce.  To take time to say, “I love you.”   I pray that you are with those you love this Christmas and if you find yourself alone, for some reason,  I want you know that you are loved, you are not ever truly alone and we are praying for YOU!

Front door Christmas 2016 resized
Thank you for visiting my home and taking a little tour of my Christmas home! We want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and blessings in the New Year!

Thank you for meeting me….at the picket fence!

signature*I’m compensated for my partnership with Shaw Floors but all opinions are 100% my own*

12 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Home Tour, Sponsored Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas decor, Christmas decorating, Christmas trees, Shaw

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Comments

  1. Jan Howard says

    December 22, 2016 at 6:03 PM

    We have great taste in flooring! I just had Shaw Hudson Bay, Copper Ridge installed in my new house! It is also the mixed width. The most beautiful floors I’ve ever had. Love yours too. Enjoy your new home. Merry Christmas!

    Reply
  2. Carol Reddin says

    December 22, 2016 at 6:06 PM

    I get to be the first to say how beautiful your home is all dressed up for the holidays. The flooring is gorgeous and I especially like the stairs without carpet. I love all the holiday decor and the two gorgeous trees. It looks like a place where I would enjoy spending Christmas.

    Reply
  3. Pamela LePage says

    December 22, 2016 at 6:10 PM

    I so love the floors and the house looks great. Sorry to hear about your Father in love , will be keeping you in my prayers.

    Merry Christmas to you and your family.
    Be safe
    Hugs

    Reply
  4. Susie says

    December 22, 2016 at 6:11 PM

    Just beautiful! Thanks for the tour I’d love to know your paint color on your walls. I’m looking for a warm white and your walls are lovely. MERRY Christmas!

    Reply
  5. june says

    December 22, 2016 at 6:50 PM

    Love the floors…I also have a variable board in my new wood floors that are hand scraped. LOVE THEM!!!
    Don’t worry when the german shepherd granddog visits.

    Sorry about your father in love. So many suffering right now. My dear friend of 50 years from HS just found out she has pancreatic cancer. I have another friend that is in hospice and may not be here Christmas.
    Praying for all of us affected by family and friends struggling with health challenges.

    Merry Christmas Heather!

    Reply
  6. Vicki says

    December 22, 2016 at 7:05 PM

    I have missed you! That is a lot of news in your post. So sorry about your Father-in-Love. Love your new home and your new floors. I look forward to more! Merry Christmas, enjoy your family.
    Your friend in the South,

    Reply
  7. Vonda says

    December 22, 2016 at 7:30 PM

    Absolutely gorgeous!!! Love it all! You’ve got such amazing style Heather!!! And the hardwood floors are beautiful!!

    Reply
  8. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    December 22, 2016 at 8:21 PM

    Love your new home Heather and you had me at Hand Scraped Hickory floors!….every room is so beautifully decorated for Christmas….my prayers go out to your Father-in-Law. Merry Christmas to you and your family, treasuring each moment you spend with one another.

    Reply
  9. Betty Whatley says

    December 23, 2016 at 5:04 AM

    How beautiful. Thanks for sharing with us your readers. So glad that your son got home and all of you can spend Christmas together. Yes, I lost 2 sisters two years apart right after Christmas with cancer and my heart goes out to you. Enjoy every day and know that you , your family and father are being prayed for. Merry Christmas.

    Reply
  10. Margaret Allegretto says

    December 23, 2016 at 5:12 AM

    Beautiful!! Merry Christmas!!

    Reply
  11. Lisa Mothersead says

    December 23, 2016 at 9:22 AM

    It’s just beautiful!

    Reply
  12. Diane Lawrence says

    December 23, 2016 at 12:36 PM

    Beautiful, Heather! Looks like both you and your sister inherited your creativity from your amazing Mom! I love the variety of plank widths, the texture and color of your new floor! I would love to not have carpet on the stairs. The wood looks so classy, and probably much easier to clean! Merry Christmas to you and your family. Praying for many special memories for you all this year.

    Reply

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Front door wreath….✔️ The very last Christmas dec Front door wreath….✔️

The very last Christmas decorating to be completed and one of the most important since there’s nothing I love more than welcoming people into our home this season.

I bought the wreath for $15 from a wonderful local vendor, reused my favorite bells and added a velvet bow in the color I’m carrying throughout the house this year.

Do you buy a fresh wreath each year or do you use a faux wreath on your front door? 

#frontdoorwreath #christmaswreath #christmasporch
The first day of December and the first Sunday of The first day of December and the first Sunday of advent. As we enter into a month that can be filled with stress, anxiety, worry and even sadness, let us turn our hearts towards the ONE who came as the ultimate, undeserved gift. Because it’s all about Him. 

“Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.” (Corrie Ten Boom)
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form “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! 🍂
Its that time of year again. I share this recipe e Its that time of year again. I share this recipe every November 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!! 🦃
It’s that time of year again!! Chex Mix will be ma It’s that time of year again!! Chex Mix will be made on repeat for the next month and I’ve figured out the secret to getting the BEST flavor.

Want to know what it is? It’s all about being EXTRA! 

Take the base recipe up a notch by using a full stick of butter, extra tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and an extra 1/2 tablespoon of Lawry’s seasoning salt.

I guarantee you’ll never go back!

You’re welcome. 😉🎄

#chexmix #chexmixupgrade
Happy Friday!! I limped my way to the end of the w Happy Friday!! I limped my way to the end of the week and I’m feeling especially grateful for the twinkling lights around my home which give me so much joy.

The great debate on social media over whether or not Christmas decorations should appear before Thanksgiving is one I just let roll on past me. Because I am so unbelievably thankful for this life, my family, my friends, this country, this home and most of all my Savior. 

Having my home all ready to welcome the next sacred season doesn’t take away one iota from my ability to express gratitude on the official day set aside each year where we do that collectively.

And when the last slice of turkey has been eaten and all of the leftovers put away, I’ll be over here ready to be fully present in the month of December and soak up every bit of it! 🦃🎄
IKEA vs Heirlooms: Why we need family treasures “ IKEA vs Heirlooms: Why we need family treasures

“My children have grown up seeing antique books on a coffee table, vintage toys in their bedrooms and even pieces of furniture that were all passed down from one generation to the next. But as my nest gets closer and closer to being empty, I’m keenly aware of the fact that many of these cherished items might not be as welcome in the homes of future generations.”

*Read the rest over at @cleartruthmedia*
All of my CTM articles are saved in my highlights
Not too long ago, someone told me that they liked Not too long ago, someone told me that they liked it better when I just talked about decorating and didn’t mention anything else. This person preferred me to keep any opinions or convictions to myself and just focus only on content about home decor, crafts and recipes. Aside from the fact that I’m always astonished that people feel so free to say things like that, I do agree that it would be a lot easier and more palatable if I didn’t talk about things like a Biblical Worldview, apologetics and the nature of reality itself. For one thing, Instagram wouldn’t throttle my account with its algorithms that are skewed to diminish voices like mine. It would be much easier to be so tethered to this app that I change everything I post to fit into its preferred framework. I would be asked to be part of influencer groups and activities like I was years ago. But I’m not that person anymore. Yes, the core of this community will always be an emphasis on homemaking which will include decorating and recipes but I can’t separate that from the core of who I am as a follower of Jesus Christ.

It would be so much easier for me to just show you the latest Amazon products I’ve bought and tell you to “comment” to get the links. But I’m not called to take the easy path. Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.”

I truly believe that so many have been lulled into thinking that the narrow gate wasn’t really all that narrow. But, it’s never been more obvious that it really is. And every day I seek to stay on that very narrow way.  More than ever before, I believe that our world needs to know that there is objective truth and a solid foundation to stand upon as we navigate our lives. My role as a homemaker is predicated on that foundation and everything else flows out of it. Talking about these things isn’t going to get me lots of views here. 

But I live for an audience of ONE.
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As our feeds are filled with so.much.stuff, I want to offer you a reprieve. A place where you will find less emphasis on what’s happening in our homes and more on what’s happening in our hearts.

More than ever before, I can see just how much people are needing the hope found in Christ and that will always be the focus here. 

So, while you may not see me unpacking a massive, new tree or telling you to “comment for the link”, what you will see is encouragement to turn our hearts to what matters the most and let that reflect in every corner of our homes this season and all year long. 🌲

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #homemakerschristmas #club31women
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