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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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"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. W Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. We woke up to the sound of chainsaws and rushed downstairs to find that our backyard neighbors were having two of the huge trees that line our shared fence removed. These trees have been here longer than the neighborhood and no, they weren't dead or causing damage to roofs, foundations, etc. They were beautiful and gave us wonderful privacy. We had no notice of this happening so this came as quite a shock. Because we were given no notice, we didn't have the chance to cover our outdoor furniture or plants and everything is now coated in a thick layer of sawdust including the fresh bark we recently put in the garden beds. And now our lovely privacy is gone, replaced by a direct view of an above ground pool and RV. I know, I know, it's totally a first world, privileged kind of problem to have. But, now we have to spend thousands of dollars on plants to try and recapture some semblance of privacy. Now we have days worth of clean up to do after we had JUST done a massive freshening up of our backyard. My overarching feeling has just been weariness at the way our world is today.

I think about how often we try to do right by people, to be respectful and courteous. To be thoughtful and considerate. And it’s not reciprocated. How its starting to seem more and more like people have just given up on those seemingly small niceties. And my soul just feels heavy. Because I feel like so much of what used to be common courtesy is not so common anymore. Drivers on the roads are angrier and more reckless than ever before. Red lights being run are an everyday occurrence around town. On our recent family vacation, I heard more people using the F word out in public than ever before even while around children. Where are manners? Where is kindness? I'm finding myself being surprised when someone is thoughtful because it seems like a rarity. And that's just all on a micro, local level. Don't even get me started on the insanity in our world/culture. After I returned from grocery shopping (which can also be soul crushing), I found myself desperate for a reminder of the truth. 

*Part 2 continued in the comments.*
How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully grasp our strengths or our weaknesses until we are put to the test? Little did I know how much I would love my role as a wife, mother and homemaker until I became one. And that in my endeavor to do those roles to the best of my ability, it would bring to the forefront gifts and talents and blessings that I use outside of these walls.

As I water others, I’m watered too because it brings such joy to care for those around me. But it can also make me see more clearly the areas in which I’m lacking and be a very humbling reminder of how much I still need to grow and learn.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched and one who waters will himself be watered.”

Have you done any ‘watering’ of others this week? How has it blessed and ‘watered’ you in return?
“Mom, this is one of my favorite meals that you “Mom, this is one of my favorite meals that you make.” Statements like this from my kids fill me with so much joy and such a sense of assurance that my role as the maker of this home is one that makes an impact on them in both big and small ways. It’s not just sheet pan shrimp boil. 

It’s nourishment
It’s time together around the table
It’s laughing as we try to get the butter sauce out of the pan
It’s a memory
It’s an imprint on their lives 

The ordinary act of making a meal becomes EXTRAordinary. And I try to keep that in mind as I do this task day in and day out, year after year. 

***

Ingredients: 
1 pound baby red or yellow potatoes
Green beans or corn (4 ears cut in half) whichever you prefer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt and pinch of black pepper 
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
Crusty bread for dipping 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender, about 10 minutes. Put potatoes, shrimp, sausage and green beans or corn on baking sheet. Pour butter over top. Sprinkle with old bay seasoning and salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Bake for about 12 minutes or until shrimp is pink. 

#shrimpboil #sheetpandinner #sheetpanmeals #homemaking
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