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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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Devotionals

A New Gig!
Lessons From Growing Out My Bangs
Gaining Perspective
My Mama Always Said
It’s Not the Same
Can This Be My Word of the Year?
The Imprint
Being Mom and Friend
What I Learned From the Fumes
Dear Hallmark Channel
I Am Made Like Martha
A Family Emergency (of the bird variety)
Community Doesn’t Just Happen in Front of a Barn
How to Receive Correction
How to Give and Receive Correction Part 1
And the Soul Felt It’s Worth
A Charmed Life
It’s Just One Month
The Harvest
When Following God Doesn’t Make Sense
A Different Beautiful
The One Sure Way to Multiply Your Time
When Life is Falling Apart
Remodeling
The Tightly Wound Woman’s Guide to Hospitality
Peace Forged Through Trials
When Your Quiet Time Isn’t So Quiet
Four Words That Wreck Us
The Shadow
Tied to the Rock
A Masterpiece
No One Warned Me
A Sound Bite Faith
Truth
Mind the Gap
The Standings
Broken Things
The Parade
The Crispy Season
In the Coolness
Pride and Confidence
Big Announcement About Our Book!
Rest Assured
The Cracked Crock
When it’s Not Time to Bloom
Cake and Grace
About Mother’s Day
Tips for a Peace-Filled Home
The Peace-Filled Home Part 4
Tonight
When You Don’t Feel Easter-y
Spring is a Tween
Dreaming in Season
Chatter
My 40th Year
The Heaping of Coals
Certain Uncertainty
In the Drudgery
On Being Important
Before Our Big Announcement
Guilt Is Not a Spiritual Gift
The Big Fork
My I Should Summer Take 2
Build Up Sweet Friends, Build Up
It’s Not You, It’s Me
When Good Friday Does't Feel So GoodGood Friday Doesn’t Feel Good
Making Friends With My Problems
Clinging to Truth in the Pain
In the Doldrums
Treasures
On Being Still
God Won’t Gong You
Breathless Expectation
When Life Gets Unfolded
Enough is Enough
Melan-fall-y
Wanna Be In My Band?
Ain’t Got Nothin’ But Love For Ya!
The Chin Hair
Thankful for the Negative
Drudgery
I Make Her Feel Important
Don’t Let Me Blow Away Mommy!
The Holy Spirit Made Me Do It
The Day I Wore Ankle Boots
Prone to Wander
The Worry Jar
Mason Jar Advent Calendar & Advent-ures
On Feeling Melan-fall-y
Ordering Pizza Is My Spiritual Gift
At a Snail’s Pace
The Time I Wore A Robe To Church
Celebrating a Legacy of Patriotism on Memorial Day
Patty Popular
Hope…
Hallelujah! He is Risen!Hallelujah! He is Risen!
When Good Friday Doesn't Feel Very GoodWhen Good Friday Doesn’t Feel Very Good
When Life is Foggy
Simply Sunday Thanksgiving Week 2

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What do you do when you want to use a bunch of boo What do you do when you want to use a bunch of books in your decorating but it can cost $50 or more for just ONE brand new book? Head to the secondhand bookstore of course! I’m so excited about this new look in my family room and this easy, inexpensive decorating tip I’m bringing to you for this #tiptuesday
Today feels like one of those days that is worthy Today feels like one of those days that is worthy of a chef’s kiss. Blue sky with nary a cloud in sight, perfect mid-70’s temps, a gentle breeze blowing through my hair as I walk around my yard to see the status of my flowering plants.

This morning I was running errands and the weight of hard things that are happening in the world, the culture, my own community and even in our circle of friends just felt so heavy.

But, as I was exiting a store, I passed a couple who were in their late 60’s/early 70’s and holding hands as they walked through the parking lot. I happened to glance over just as the husband lifted his wife’s hand up and planted a kiss right on it. It was a moment that reflected such love and tenderness and it was made sweeter by the fact that they weren’t spring chickens. I felt honored that I had been the one to observe and appreciate that moment.

What an incredible thing it is that as humans we are able to hold so many emotions in our souls all at once. To feel sorrow for the pain a friend is enduring, grieve the decline of a culture drifting further from the Lord, ponder how to navigate a challenging school situation, marvel at and enjoy the beauty of creation right outside my door and feel joy at getting to see a tangible example of lasting love while walking through a parking lot.

I truly believe that as we mature in our lives and in our faith, we learn to embrace the tension that comes with the collision of different emotions and recognize that they can all coexist at the same time without one taking something away from another. Simple joys make the hard stuff a bit easier and hard stuff makes us appreciate those simple joys even more.

What’s a simple joy that you are thankful for today?
Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here are some highlights…

*Friday night I joined some wonderful ladies at church for a time of fellowship and yummy desserts. I made a strawberry lemon coffee cake and it was amazing if I do say so myself. ☺️ We are new-ish to this church and have just felt so warmly welcomed and folded in which has been very healing.

*Saturday was filled with getting our outdoor spaces spiffed up and my guys got our new table put together!

*Sitting outside for lunch with a yummy salad and iced tea felt like a little slice of heaven.

*Sunday we went to the iris gardens with my in-laws and then came home for naps and the most mouth watering ribs that my sweet husband had on the smoker all day.

*This glorious weekend ended with some ferocious rounds of UNO-corn (a hilarious version of UNO) and brownies my sweet daughter made for our dessert.

How was your weekend sweet friends? 🌸
I am absolutely and completely a better version of I am absolutely and completely a better version of myself when the sun is shining! Raise your hand if this is true for you too.

And, not only do I feel myself seeming to physically rise up from a slumbered state to greet the sunshine we've been longing for, I find that it seems like my house is rising up too. Every room, every nook and cranny (even though I now see dust bunnies that I missed during my cleaning on the dreary days), every leaf and flower outside...it's all coming to life and breathing fresh hope into my spirit. What a gift it is to be able to enjoy this home in all of the seasons of the year and of our lives. Now, I'm going to head outside and clean our deck and maybe there will be some time leftover for those dust bunnies!
I’m slightly obsessed with these glass dispenser I’m slightly obsessed with these glass dispensers! They come with pre-made labels for SO many different options and would make a great Mother’s Day gift! I love how they add a bit of pizzazz to my kitchen. And they go perfectly with some of my antique accessories like the little dish my mother in law gave me for salt and pepper and the tiny toothpick holder which belonged to my great grandmother. 

If you’d like the link to order them, just leave a comment with the word ‘bottles’ and I’ll send it your way. They’re even on sale right now! 🙌🏻
The lilacs are coming! The lilacs are coming! This The lilacs are coming! The lilacs are coming! This is what I’m thinking (and sometimes saying out loud) every time I pass my dining room window and see my lilac tree bursting forth. I should probably just go full Paul Revere and ring a bell while I shout the news for all to hear. I’m sure my family would love that!

Lilac season is so bittersweet because it’s over way too soon but, fortunately, I’ve figured out how to capture the deliciousness of the fragrance by making my own lilac scented room spray. It’s SO simple!

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.

This sweet little project was first featured in my book Life in Season and is definitely one of my favorites.

Have the lilacs started blooming where you live?
The cherry blossoms on the tree in our backyard ar The cherry blossoms on the tree in our backyard are at their peak and I’m here for it!
It’s time for another #tiptuesday! One of the gr It’s time for another #tiptuesday! One of the greatest joys of this stage in my parenting journey is getting to see the results of the years spent pouring into my children. The worry, the sleepless nights, praying, questioning our decisions and learning to trust in the Lord Who loves them even more than we do. We definitely didn’t do everything right, but what an an amazing experience it is to watch them become these incredible teens/young adults. My tip this week might seem simple, but I believe it can make a major difference in the lives of our children, in our homes and maybe, just maybe, in the culture too. 🌸
It was the most glorious day to celebrate my best It was the most glorious day to celebrate my best friend! Oregon came through with perfect weather for my wonderful husband’s birthday and we made the most of it by taking the convertible to our favorite winery and soaking up the sunshine, yummy food and wine. Then we had a lovely time celebrating with family at our home. Robb is truly the most amazing husband and father and all around incredible man. He loves and leads us well so it’s such a joy to get to honor him on his special day. 🎂

“The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good.” Matthew 12:35
It’s time for another #tiptuesday! Today I’m s It’s time for another #tiptuesday! Today I’m sharing with you two critical things to determine if you want to create order in your home which leads to a much more peaceful experience for everyone. As a recovering perfectionist, this has been one of my greatest lessons and I hope it encourages you today! 🍃
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