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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 3, 2015

Christmas Home Tour 2015

Welcome, welcome to new friends and old friends!
Holiday Housewalk collage At the Picket Fence

I’m so thrilled that you stopped by today. If you are following along on the Holiday Housewalk hosted by Jennifer Rizzo (click here to start at the beginning of the tour) then you might be coming here after seeing the beautiful home belonging to my wonderfully talented friend Jenna Burger. We’re also so excited because this year we’re teaming up with Joss and Main and Good Housekeeping to bring you some truly inspiring Christmas ideas for your home.

holiday housewalk Jenna Burger design 19  2015.jpg

When I was a little girl, the holiday season didn’t officially begin until we had our Christmas tree.

Front door basket with greenery and ice skates atthepicketfence.com

We would pile in the car and head out to the Christmas tree lot (we lived in Southern California for most of my childhood).

My mom and dad would examine each tree, turning them this way and that way until they found THE tree. The one which had been deemed worthy of gracing our family room.

Christmas entry with garland on staircase

And when the box of decorations was opened, I loved nothing more than to pull out each ornament. I would gingerly pick them up, one by one, and feel like I was greeting long lost friends.

But, of course, the lights and ornaments couldn’t be added to the tree until it had been properly placed in the plastic stand.

greenery spray on banister atthepicketfence.com

One year, when I was about 7 years old, after finding the perfect tree and bringing it home strapped to the top of our Datsun station wagon, my dad brought it inside and began the thankless task of putting it in the stand. And for whatever reason, this particular year the trunk of the tree just wasn’t cooperating. Or maybe it was the stand that wasn’t cooperating. Or maybe it was the tree AND the stand that weren’t cooperating.

Either way, our warm and fuzzy Christmas moment was quickly vanishing as my dad wrestled that beast of a tree. There was some mumbling. There was some grumbling. There were some ‘helpful’ tips from my mom standing nearby. And there were two wide-eyed little girls watching the scene unfold in front of us.

Christmas entry decor atthepicketfence.com

 

(Holy Night Pillow)

No matter how hard my dad tried, that tree just wasn’t going in that stand. And money was tight in those years, so the thought of having to buy a new stand added even more stress to an already stressful situation.

sled with vintage books and little tree atthepicketfence.com

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, it appeared that my dad had achieved success. The trunk was in the stand and as my dad let go of the tree we eagerly moved forward to begin decorating.

branches and greenery in metal basket

But, in that split second, the tree suddenly tipped right over, stand and all!

We all froze.

And one look at my dad’s face told us that the best thing we could do in that moment was to stifle any giggles that threatened to leave our mouths.

french country style Christmas living room atthepicketfence.com

He turned on his heel, marched out to the garage, grabbed a big metal bucket and some bricks and that year our family officially started the galvanized bucket Christmas tree stand trend! 😉

Christmas mantel with noel letters in twig frame

(NOEL Garden Plaque)

This year, as I went out with my own precious family to cut down our Christmas tree, I imagine I had all of the same hopes and expectations that my parent’s did all those years ago.

pine cones and fresh greenery on mantel

A longing to create memories. To enjoy spending time together, celebrating all of the magic of this season.

cream colored snowflake pillow atthepicketfence.com

(Snowflake Pillow)

 After trudging all over a local farm in freezing cold temperatures, we finally found our perfect tree.

wood reindeer ornament

(Wood Reindeer Ornament)

It was shaken and baled and carefully tied to the top of our SUV and we made our way home singing Christmas carols and feeling all of the warm fuzzies that those moments can bring.

metal santos doll angel atthepicketfence.com

My son and husband unloaded the tree and as they were getting ready to bring it in the house, my husband showed me the branches that would probably need to be cut in order for it to fit in the stand.

I expressed concern. You see, I like the branches to hang down lower than the top of the stand and this year we had tried a different variety of tree so I was worried that it might not look right if we cut off too much.

Large Urn on Christmas buffet table atthepicketfence.com

But, my husband assured me that it would be fine so I gave him the go-ahead.

Those lower branches were snipped off and the grand moment of bringing in the tree arrived. As my son removed the twine and we watched each branch fall into place we just KNEW that this was going to be our best tree ever.

My daughter and I stood to the side holding lights and ornaments, eager to get to the decorating.

winter buffet table from atthepicketfence.com

But, when at last the final piece of twine was removed, the truth was revealed.

Those lower branches? Well, we kinda needed them.

There was a lot of trunk showing.

winter bird in nest under glass dome atthepicketfence.com

I wasn’t happy. And I informed everyone of my unhappiness. And my husband informed me that I had given him the go-ahead to trim those branches. And I informed him that I went against my gut instinct when I gave him the go-ahead. And he informed me that even though we’ve been married for 17 years he can’t be expected to be aware of my gut instincts.

And, meanwhile, our kids stood off to the side fighting the giggles with all their might.

As I was alternating between fuming and trying to come up with a solution, praying the tree skirt would be big enough, I remembered a day many years ago.

One involving a Christmas tree and frustrations and situations that go from Norman Rockwell moments to ones we would just as soon forget.

Christmas family room atthepicketfence.com

I realized that out of all of the years of getting Christmas trees as a young girl, that was the only one that really stood out to me.

It wasn’t the years where everything went perfectly. Where all of the light strands worked and the tree didn’t topple over and the cookies didn’t burn.

Winter mantel with white pitchers and greenery atthepicketfence.com

No, it was the years when real life happened. When a tree didn’t stay in the stand and we had a bucket in our family room before they were ever considered stylish.

It was the year that my parents encountered a frustrating situation but came up with a solution and laughed about it later.

And have laughed about it every year since.

Christmas mantel with white pitchers and greenery

So, I apologized to my precious family. And we laughed. We laughed at our tree that looks like it’s trying to show some leg. We laughed at mommy’s reaction and at daddy’s reaction.

And we made a memory. One I’m sure will stand out in my children’s minds far more than the times when everything came together seamlessly.

greenery in white cup on mantel

And when I really think about it, that’s the gift I want to give my children at Christmas. I want them to know that it isn’t about the perfect tree or the perfect decorations.

It’s not about the perfect moments.

simple and sweet hot cocoa station atthepicketfence.com

It’s about the unexpected ones. The ones we don’t orchestrate or have expectations for.

hot cocoa station details atthepicketfence.com

Like when your sweet girl asks if she can help make the banner for the hot cocoa station and you didn’t expect her to add a drawing of a mug of steaming hot cocoa. But you can’t imagine that banner without it and when you praise her talent and see her beaming face you realize that you will never forget that moment…and that you will save the banner forever.

It’s the unexpectedness of life that allows us to really experience it.

simple pennant hot cocoa banner

It’s the unexpected, like a King being born in a barn, that reminds us that really living means embracing it all. The joy with the sorrow, the bitter with the sweet, the gain and the sacrifice.

nativity

My heart’s desire is that my children will embrace the unexpected in their own lives. That they will see it as an opportunity to grow and stretch and get to know themselves better.

Pots spell out Joy to the World

So maybe Christmas trees surrounded by bricks and stuck in buckets or ones that are showing too much trunk are really the gifts that keep on giving.

Because, they are the memories that are made when we least expect them.

And, perhaps, those are the sweetest memories of all!

Vanessa signature

Now, be sure to head on over and take the tour at The Yellow Cape Cod!

holiday housewalk Yellow cape Cod 21 2015.jpg

 

For more holiday inspiration follow our Pinterest board with Good Housekeeping here.

35 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Decorating, Holidays Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas decor, Christmas decorating, Christmas home tour

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Comments

  1. JoeyfromSC says

    December 3, 2015 at 2:54 AM

    I absolutely love your decor! I also thoroughly enjoyed yoyur story!! You are such a great writer!

    I’m going to be putting up my tree & decorations this week & I’mj excited because I have new ornaments to add to my collection:)

    Thanks for making my day with this story!

    Reply
    • JoeyfromSC says

      December 3, 2015 at 2:55 AM

      I absolutely love your decor! I also thoroughly enjoyed your story!! You are such a great writer!

      I’m going to be putting up my tree & decorations this week & I’m excited because I have new ornaments to add to my collection:)

      Thanks for making my day with this story!

      Reply
      • JoeyfromSC says

        December 3, 2015 at 2:56 AM

        OOPS, I was trying to correct my typos ha..I need to be asleep & I’m blurry eyed lol

        Reply
  2. paige says

    December 3, 2015 at 3:47 AM

    love the candles/art/greenery over your mantle especially!! so pretty!
    merry christmas!

    Reply
  3. Courtney @ Golden Boys and Me says

    December 3, 2015 at 4:24 AM

    I loved this post, Vanessa, not just for the gorgeous Christmas decor, but for your words. I could relate to almost every one of them! Merry Christmas!!

    Reply
  4. MimiMatthewsPassionistaAtLarge says

    December 3, 2015 at 4:48 AM

    Fabulous stories. Thanks for sharing what is important!

    Reply
  5. Eilis says

    December 3, 2015 at 5:32 AM

    Lovely post and lovely tree! You reminded me of the scratch on the living room ceiling of my childhood home. We used to go to a “real” Christmas tree farm up in the mountains, where you picked a growing tree and then they cut it for you. One year, the tree was just too tall and scraped the “popcorn” ceiling when my dad was setting it up. As kids, that scrape was kind of a badge of honor….”remember when we had that huge Christmas tree?”
    Eilis@MyHeartLivesHere.

    Reply
  6. Lisa Mothersead says

    December 3, 2015 at 5:33 AM

    Beautiful stories and home! Merry Christmas!!

    Reply
  7. cassie @ primitive & proper says

    December 3, 2015 at 5:38 AM

    glad i now know how the galvanized tub trend started! 🙂 great story and your home is lovely as always- love the mantle!

    Reply
  8. Velia says

    December 3, 2015 at 5:39 AM

    Vanessa, your home looks lovely decorated for the holidays, it evokes warmth and comfort. Your use of greenery throughout the home added a festive holiday touch and your cocoa station is especially nice. Thank you for sharing your childhoid memories, your writing was delightful. Blessings to you and yours.

    Reply
  9. Jennifer Rizzo says

    December 3, 2015 at 5:52 AM

    Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful home and being a part of the tour!

    Reply
  10. Kim says

    December 3, 2015 at 6:11 AM

    Vanessa, what a fun story. Yes, life is not perfect and I remember several trees and accidents through my childhood and with my family. Beautiful home tour!

    Reply
  11. Becca says

    December 3, 2015 at 6:41 AM

    Beautiful post and gorgeous holiday home! I love your “hot cocoa” banner and cute station below! Happy Holidays, friend!

    Reply
  12. Angela says

    December 3, 2015 at 6:57 AM

    Your home is alway so beautiful!! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving…and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
    xoxo,
    Angela

    Reply
  13. Carol Reddin says

    December 3, 2015 at 8:21 AM

    Your Dad and I laughed again this morning remembering the bucket with the bricks. Our tree skirt had a big job that Christmas trying to hide that rather large bucket. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Vanessa! Love you!

    Reply
  14. Vanessa says

    December 3, 2015 at 8:30 AM

    Your Christmas decor is beautiful. I love the basket on the bottom of the tree. It’s great.

    Reply
  15. kristin says

    December 3, 2015 at 8:36 AM

    Your home is just gorgeous, warm, welcoming and loved! I love the story of the tree growing up, such great memories. Ray and I have had that problem a few times with the trunk, finally we went out and purchased a bigger stand, should have just put it in a bucket 🙂
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply
  16. Nikki says

    December 3, 2015 at 8:44 AM

    I enjoyed reading this! Merry Christmas.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 3, 2015 at 9:56 AM

      Thank you Nikki!

      Reply
  17. Maggie says

    December 3, 2015 at 9:56 AM

    We also had a similar story where the tree fell. I remember my parents not being too happy. P. S. May I ask where you purchased those cute felt skates. So sweet

    Reply
  18. Cami says

    December 3, 2015 at 11:33 AM

    What a warm and inviting home you have created for the holidays! It was so fun to look through it!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 4, 2015 at 8:14 PM

      Thank you Cami!

      Reply
  19. Delilah says

    December 3, 2015 at 12:24 PM

    So beautifully written! Thank you for sharing.
    I love your décor!

    Reply
  20. Sheran Steading says

    December 4, 2015 at 2:00 PM

    I love this story!!!!! more than your beautiful home and gorgeous decorations. it’s real. and wonderful. Thank you!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 4, 2015 at 8:14 PM

      Oh thank you so much Sheran! So appreciate you coming by. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Pat says

    December 4, 2015 at 6:48 PM

    Vanessa,
    Thank you for reminding us that truly living is about embracing it all– especially this time of year when rushing around trying to do too much we lose our joy and often forget the very reason for celebrating. The birth of a King, what could be more joyful?
    Your home is beautiful and your words are always inspiring.
    Pat

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 4, 2015 at 8:14 PM

      Thank you so much Pat! Merry Christmas to you and yours! 🙂

      Reply
  22. laura@duke manor farm says

    December 5, 2015 at 2:41 AM

    love your story, love your heart. merry Christmas to you and your sweet family. I will think of you all sitting around your beautiful tree sharing a little too much leg! hugs!

    Reply
  23. Robyn MacLaine says

    December 5, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    Thank you for your beautiful words that go along with your photos. It can be so overwhelming, especially when viewing so many other people’s beautiful homes and decor. Your post was like a breath of fresh air and just what I needed. Gorgeous

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 5, 2015 at 6:26 PM

      Oh that means so much to me Robyn! Thank you for stopping by and visiting!

      Reply
  24. Tonya | Rustic & Woven says

    December 6, 2015 at 9:07 AM

    Everything looks beautiful!! 🙂

    Reply
  25. Janie baker says

    December 9, 2015 at 9:25 AM

    What a precious post! Like a favorite book, I didn’t want it to end!
    Loved it and your beautiful decor!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 9, 2015 at 8:02 PM

      What a lovely compliment Janie! Thank you so much. And hopefully that means you will enjoy our book when it comes out next year! 🙂

      Reply
  26. Beth Moore says

    December 11, 2015 at 1:22 PM

    Yes! I love the truth of this as it mirrors so my own Christmas expectations in many ways. Followed by the wisdom and gentle reminder to embrace the unexpected. Thank you for sharing your heart, and your home. It’s so cozy and stunning all wrapped up in one.

    Reply
  27. Rachelle Reda says

    November 4, 2016 at 6:41 PM

    Silly question. How did you tie that burlap bow on your railing? It’s simple and perfect!

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
.
…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
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It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
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If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

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If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

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