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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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June 13, 2018

Decorating a Metal Cart for an Office

When my kids were little, I would regularly turn anything that felt like a chore into a game. Usually this involved me coming up with some very cute and clever (at least in my mind!) song to go with it.

“Let’s see who can pick up the train tracks the fastest!”

“How many toys do you think you can find under your bed?”

“Who can guess how many Lego pieces are on this floor? Pick them up to find out!”

There was just something about turning a task into a fun activity that made it more motivating. For some reason though, now that my kids are in the tween/teen years they don’t find my attempts at doing this as fun. I even offer to make up some songs to go with it! Go figure.

But, I know for a fact that one ‘game’ I will never outgrow is the “how cheaply can I re-decorate this room” game.

So, as I continue tackling our office makeover , I’m determined to find ways to cut costs and enjoy the fun of chasing down a bargain.

A couple of weeks ago I hit up Hobby Lobby in search for storage for this little corner of the office. I really wanted something that was just kind of ‘mine’ since the rest of the office is used by everyone in the family. I wandered around and around and around the aisles and saw so many pieces that would have definitely fit the bill. But not the right kind of bill. You see, I was determined to spend under $75.

Just as I was heading towards the exit, I decided to take one more look at the clearance section and it was there I found it! The perfect metal storage cart on sale for $40!!

It was a little bit wobbly and one of the wheels needed to be straightened out but I didn’t care because I have no intentions of wheeling this baby around the house. No, it’s just going to sit right here against the wall and look pretty.

I couldn’t resist placing a stack of my books, Life in Season, right on top. (if you don’t have a copy yet what are you waiting for?!)

As I’m working on the book proposal for my next book (equal parts terrifying/exciting/exhausting), I’m hoping that as I sit at the desk and look across the room, I will see my first book there and be inspired to keep going.

I also thought it would be so fun to display some of the books written by my friends and I can’t wait to add more to this little collection. I’m so proud of all of these women and blessed to have them in my life!


The boxes on the bottom provide some great storage for photos and cards and other odds and ends and I’m sure I will have fun mixing up all of the decor on the shelves from time to time and definitely with each new season.

Isn’t it funny how something can actually look even more beautiful when you know you got it for a bargain?

Now, I cannot wait to show you how my budget decorating game playing paid off with another purchase for the office but until then, I hope you enjoyed getting a little glimpse at how the office makeover is progressing and celebrating with me on my thrifty find! And are you ready to see more thrifty ideas and inspiration?

It’s time once again for our monthly Thrifty Style Team meet up!

Be sure to click on the links for all of the fabulously budget friendly ideas!

Redhead Can Decorate
2 Bees in a Pod
At the Picket Fence
Bliss Ranch
Chatfield Court
Cottage at the Crossroads
The How-To Home
DIY Beautify
Duke Manor Farm
I Should be Mopping the Floor
Salvage Sister and Mister
The Painted Hinge
What Meegan Makes

An InLinkz Link-up

Thank you so much for stopping by today sweet friends,

13 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Good Ideas Tagged With: decorating, home decor, office

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Comments

  1. Cindy says

    June 13, 2018 at 6:42 AM

    What a great score Vanessa! I agree that a bargain item does look more beautiful!! 😉

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 13, 2018 at 10:28 AM

      Thank you Cindy!

      Reply
  2. Mary Beth says

    June 13, 2018 at 7:16 AM

    Oh, Vanessa, I love that cart and the price can’t be beat!

    p.s. I have some of the same books you have displayed in your cart…woot! I love connections like that.

    Reply
  3. Michelle @ The Painted Hinge says

    June 13, 2018 at 7:54 AM

    What an awesome Hobby Lobby score! And I agree that bargain = more beautiful 😀

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 13, 2018 at 10:28 AM

      For sure! Thanks Michelle!

      Reply
  4. Shirley @Housepitality Design s says

    June 13, 2018 at 8:59 AM

    You found a great deal Vanessa!…love the cart and it looks so beautiful with all of your pretties!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      June 13, 2018 at 10:28 AM

      Thank you so much Shirley! Hope you are having a great summer so far friend! xoxo

      Reply
  5. Kristi Dominguez says

    June 13, 2018 at 11:43 AM

    Fantastic score, Vanessa!! And you styled it so beautifully.

    Reply
  6. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says

    June 13, 2018 at 2:43 PM

    Wow! What a deal, Vanessa! That cart just fits perfectly in your office. I always enjoy shopping at Hobby Lobby when we are in the U.S. Their products are just “the best”! Your office looks great!

    Reply
  7. Esther says

    June 13, 2018 at 6:26 PM

    I love, love, love that cart. I have a problem with metal carts. I would have bought that one for twice the price and I already have two in my tiny dining area. I love the wheels, shelves, and size of them.

    Reply
  8. Bliss says

    June 15, 2018 at 8:05 PM

    Cart envy, plain and simple.

    Reply
  9. Jane says

    June 16, 2018 at 2:42 PM

    I’m a little late in coming around to see your cart but I’m so glad I did. Hoping our HL has one on clearance because it is just awesome. Love seeing your book(s) on top!

    Reply
  10. Meegan Fast says

    June 16, 2018 at 5:46 PM

    What a great deal! I love when that happens. And, Hobby Lobby.
    Your new cart is perfect for your office. You create the best vignettes.
    Also, I can’t wait to hear about your new book.

    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?
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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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