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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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November 24, 2017

Cozy Home Decor Gift Ideas

Hello everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving from redheadcandecorate.com. It’s hard to believe that we are entering the holiday season, but here I am in my fuzzy slippers (as small snow flakes fall from the sky) and straight across the table from me in our family room is our Christmas tree 1/2 decorated 😆 . You see, we decided to put the tree up a bit early this year, and it really has added that “cozy warm” feeling that we all crave when it turns cold outside. I truly believe that is one of the reasons Christmas trees are so enjoyable to have in our home. They add a warm cozy comforting atmosphere that is difficult to achieve otherwise. Now, although I can’t send you my cozy Christmas tree…I can recommend a few simple ideas, tips and products to help bring the cozies into your home. You might also notice that the household items I have chosen below would also make amazing gifts this holiday season.

I know most of you probably enjoy a nice cup of coffee, right? In fact I bet you could go for a cup right now 😆 . Well, I couldn’t help but start out things today with this colorful coffee cup tower that received a lot of attention in our “Colorful Family Room Makeover“. My daughter uses them for soup, too. Can you spot them in the back right corner?

*** Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Read full disclosure policy here.

Ceramic Coffee Cup Tower

I admit folks that I have way too many pillows, and I still gravitate towards them when I enter a home decor store. I’m thinking the reason for that is because pillows are usually affordable, but still make a huge statement in the room we use them in, and are so easy to switch out. I fell in love with these large checkered pillow covers and the price is reasonable.

Classic Checker Black & Cream Plaid Pillow 18×18 inch Pillow Covers

(several choices available)

Now, if you are going to have pillows, you just got to have a “throw” near by so you can get cozy right on the spot next to those pillows. This creamy blanket is very pretty, but I also want to let you know that I have found some gorgeous thrifty afghans at the thrift store. FYI, just remember to wash the used afghans twice in very hot water when you bring them home. The dryer should be set on hot, too. Don’t worry…I have done this several times and they always turn out perfect.

Cream Herringbone Throw 50×60 inch Blanket

(several choices available)

Here’s a photo of one of the thrifty afghans I found at the thrift store. Isn’t it just beautiful?

Candles are another way I love to add not only a warm glow, but the scent can be very soothing as well. I found these seasonal aromatherapy pine soy candles that I bet would help a faux Christmas tree smell like the real deal. Bonus…the jar turns into a cute juice glass for later. Remember to always be very careful when burning candles.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Soy Candle Iowa Pine Scent

(many scents to choose from)

Moving on to the bedroom which is probably the coziest, warmest room in the house, right? If not, flannel sheets are the ticket to the comfiest sleep you will ever have. I have a few sets of flannel sheets and I actually use them year round. The more I wash them, the softer they become. Here’s the full tour of our Christmas Bedroom if interested…

Here is cute collection of flannel sheets for pretty much everyone in the family. These sheet sets would make an amazing gift for Christmas. They are worth every single penny because they last a long time.

Flannel Sheets

(several patterns available)

A few years ago I mentioned on my redheadcandecorate.com Facebook page that I couldn’t live without my heated mattress pad. I guess I just assumed everyone knew what they were. Well, it turns out that many folks were very interested and couldn’t believe they existed (these are very different from “electric blankets”). My husband and I have one that has separate controls, so if I want it on, and he doesn’t, then we are still okay. I like to turn my heated mattress pad on about an hour before bed and then I turn it off after my feet warm up. I will tell you I miss it so much when we go to hotels that I actually bring a heating pad with me to warm up the bed in the hotel. I’ve become quite the heated bed queen.

Heated Mattress Pad

Speaking of heating pads…I purchased this exact one for my husband for Father’s Day and he still thanks me over and over for it. He has shoulder pain from bow shooting so this really helps him because it wraps around the shoulders. Ahhhh…what a very useful kind gift they make.

Wrap Around Heating Pad

Now that we are all warm and cozy in bed, the last thing we want to do is hit the cold floor with our toes. This cute faux sheepskin rug is perfect for right next to your bed or vanity sink. I would absolutely love this as a gift. I wonder if my husband is listening?

Faux Sheepskin Ivory Area Rug

(available in many sizes)

Lastly, is one of my all-time-favorite ideas if you have always wanted a fireplace in your home. Electric wood burning fireplaces really give off some wonderful heat, and they are truly so cute when you put them into one of your favorite cozy nooks. I actually just purchased one for our cold family room that has many windows in it. The entire family spends so much more time in there now because they aren’t cold. I will be sharing ours with our Christmas tree this year. I hope you will subscribe here so you don’t miss it.

Electric Fireplace

Join Julie from redheadcandecorate.com and 1319 others in her first ever “DIY Home Decorating & Cooking Group” on Facebook. It’s a very warm, friendly atmosphere where folks enjoy sharing their home decor & cooking ideas. Members also love to help with decisions and color choices. Julie would love to have you join the fun!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN

2 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Decorating, Good Ideas, Holidays

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  1. Norma Rolader says

    November 24, 2017 at 5:02 PM

    Thank you for sharing all the adorable items

    Reply
    • Julie says

      November 24, 2017 at 5:37 PM

      Merry Christmas, Norma!

      Reply

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“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?
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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. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

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?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
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