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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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May 23, 2014

Best In Show ~ Dog Themed Party

Best in Show Birthday Party

My daughter has yet to meet a dog without some redeemable quality.  Every dog regardless of pedigree, grooming, or personality is either the cutest, sweetest, or smartest dog on earth.  And if they’re not, well, it’s not their fault and they deserve an extra dose of love and affection.

Dog themed children's birthday party from atthepicketfence.com

Case in point, when choosing a pet to be photographed with during Humane Society day camp, my daughter lovingly chose a large, gray pit bull with one eye.  As I looked at the photo of her with an arm draped around it’s neck and her face glowing, I both cringed at and admired her for her choice.  While I don’t share her passion for canines, every dog must have its day, and her 7th birthday had to be a day for dogs.

dog invitation

One of my kids’ favorite things to do when dreaming up birthday plans is to choose a color palette and this birthday girl was super specific about the shades she wanted.  A trip to the paint aisle to get color chips was helpful and carrying those cards in my purse allowed me to color match to her specific palette whenever I was out shopping.  I love how color can unify a theme and make even a few, simple decorations pop.

party decor

In order to create a more feminine dog party, I brought in dog show elements using paper medallions and frilly prize ribbons (both vintage and diy ones) in the décor.

front door

paper fan backdrop

white ribbon

The table settings featured miniature dog house candy boxes, and the birthday girl ate from her own fancy dog dish.

place setting

dog dish

No dog party would be complete without the guests of honor (which in our case are stuffed) decked out in party hats.  As a surprise for the big day, I designed fancy new kennels for them out of empty Amazon boxes.

party dogs

dog house

dog balloons

Another thing my kids are really specific about is their cake.  This year my daughter insisted on a 4-layer vanilla cake, with creamsicle frosting between the layers and I loved how the citrus-y flavor complemented the bright orange colors of her party.  To make the creamsicle frosting I used our family’s favorite buttercream recipe and added vanilla bean paste, a few tablespoons of orange juice concentrate and a few teaspoons of orange zest, adjusting the flavors until she gave her final approval.

dog cake

sweet treats

large dog bone cookies

cake

After sweets, we passed out dog noses and the kids had a blast playing a version of Simon says (dog trainer says) and competing in relay races by pushing balls around with their snouts and balancing tennis balls on Frisbees.  The noses were such a hit that some wore them for the rest of the party, sometimes resting them on the tops of their heads when they were concentrating like during the draw-a-dog art lesson.  It was totally hilarious.

dog noses

dog artists

dog nose drawing

The favorite activity might very well have been when we gave them all a chance to eat like dogs.  Bowls of cocoa puffs were devoured by kids on hands and knees as they were given permission to forgo all mealtime manners and lap up their food and slurp up their drink.

dog food

In order to truly celebrate my daughter’s love of dogs, we made special doggie bags for each party guest to give to their favorite friend, family or neighborhood pet.  They braided tug toys and filled their bags with peanut butter & pumpkin dog treats, tennis balls, and mini bones.

doggie bag

doggie treats

craft table

braiding

After a round of dog Mad Libs, we watched the 1950s version of Shaggy Dog and, as each guest left, they were given a dog pop and a hand selected dog of their own to take home.

dog pops

dog favors

The dog day was over but fortunately for us, the library hosted a reading event with therapy dogs the very next day, so we could keep the love going.  My daughter’s passion for dogs was totally affirmed and she didn’t ask for a dog all weekend which made this celebration a total success, in my opinion.  Now if only I could find a way to stop my husband from sending me dog listings on craigslist!  😉

puppy love

Julie Signature

24 Comments Filed Under: Celebrations, Children's Parties Ideas, Family, Good Ideas, Kids, Parties Tagged With: birthday parties, kids parties

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Comments

  1. Lauren says

    May 23, 2014 at 4:23 AM

    This is such an adorable and fun idea for a birthday party. Love all of the sweet and creative details!!!

    Reply
  2. Patty Lucas says

    May 23, 2014 at 4:39 AM

    God bless your daughter for posing with a pit bull. I have two pit bulls who own me and you would not believe the discrimination that is placed on these dogs. My red nose pit is 85 pounds who thinks she is a lap dog and is absolutely terrified of our cat. I won’t give you the statistics regarding pit bulls and how many are put down each and every day because they are “bad”. Please give your daughter a kiss and hug from me and thank her for all the love she shares with dogs. And for you, please don’t shop – adopt.

    Reply
  3. Teresa says

    May 23, 2014 at 5:09 AM

    Such a cute party! Where did you find the white trophy cups that are holding the dog pops and also the dog house candy boxes?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 23, 2014 at 8:21 AM

      Thanks Teresa! The candy boxes were an Etsy find (from Bluefin Works) and the trophy cups came from the Threshold line at Target a few years ago.

      Reply
  4. laura@top this top that says

    May 23, 2014 at 5:25 AM

    Oh I just love the details of this amazing party. my lily loves all her animals and this could be perfect for her upcoming birthday.

    Reply
  5. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    May 23, 2014 at 5:34 AM

    This has got to be one of the cutest themed birthday party I have seen….magnificent!!!!…..Happy Memorial Day ladies!!!….Incredible job Julie!

    Reply
  6. Suzi says

    May 23, 2014 at 7:22 AM

    This is incredible. What an effort. The only thing i see wrong with it is that her future husband will never be able to celebrate her birthday right! Ha. Will likely be in the doghouse for i.t too 😉

    Reply
  7. Karee says

    May 23, 2014 at 9:07 AM

    Darling theme that every kid would be sure to like and have fun with!
    Karee

    Reply
  8. Barbara Ann says

    May 23, 2014 at 10:07 AM

    Your daughter has a gift of caring for others already at a young age. A tribute to her patents. Love the theme carries this attribute on. But the cake & cookies are darling. Where did you get the doggie pops in the trophy cups? ?
    I think these would be a cute gift.
    Happy Birthday to a wonderful young lady..
    Barbara Ann http://Www.etsy.com / shop / barbaraannscreations

    Reply
    • Julie says

      May 23, 2014 at 10:38 AM

      Thanks so much, Barbara Ann! The doggie pops came from Oriental Trading and though I didn’t sample them, the kids assured me that they tasted great–they had a nice fruity flavor 🙂

      Reply
  9. Jenn @ My Fabuless Life says

    May 23, 2014 at 12:14 PM

    Oh. My. Gosh! What an ADORABLE idea!! Everything is PERFECTION!!!

    Reply
  10. Shannon @ Fox Hollow Cottage says

    May 23, 2014 at 10:27 PM

    I just want to let you know my birthday is in January and I like Barbie, Hello Kitty and all the evil queens of Disney. Pick any theme and use any colors you like, I’m sure it’ll be fabulous. You’ll need a 4 and a 6 for my cake 😉

    This was too, too cute!!!

    Reply
  11. Brooke says

    December 21, 2014 at 7:47 AM

    Where did you get those adorable stuffed animals?

    Reply
  12. Liz Archie says

    February 20, 2015 at 7:53 PM

    So many great ideas! It looks like the kids had a lot of fun!
    Where did you find the stuffed animal dogs used for the favors?

    Reply
  13. Lisa says

    April 20, 2015 at 4:48 PM

    I love the stuffed dogs you used for your party! Where did you purchase them???

    Reply
  14. Nikki Collins says

    May 4, 2015 at 9:18 PM

    Where did you find the doghouse boxes?

    Reply
  15. Cupcake Porto Alegre says

    May 24, 2015 at 2:47 PM

    nice party 🙂

    Reply
  16. Amy Sterling says

    August 4, 2015 at 7:47 AM

    I love all of this! We are planning a similar party for my daughter right now. Where did you find the dog party hats and the stickers on the bottles?

    Reply
  17. Princess Genevieve says

    January 15, 2016 at 3:21 PM

    This is so cute! I did a puppy party two years ago… for my puppy! I love these colors though. I used red, white, and black- the colors of my puppy/ his collar. One day I hope to reprise the theme for my future kiddos. ox

    Princess Genevieve

    Reply
  18. Kristin says

    April 19, 2016 at 3:35 AM

    Good Morning,

    What an awesome party idea!! My daughter is having a friend party this weekend and has just changed her mind on the theme. We went from Cheetah’s to dogs!! Where did you get the stuffed dogs and the cute little hats for them! Thank you!

    Reply
  19. kris says

    June 7, 2016 at 12:06 PM

    What a great idea, my daughter wants a puppy party. Where did you get the stuffed dogs? they look like a perfect size. Thank you!

    Reply
  20. Ameliorateme says

    August 16, 2016 at 3:30 PM

    ^^looks like you haven’t seen any of these new comments? But I’d also love to know where you found the dogs thank you.

    Reply
  21. Heather says

    January 5, 2017 at 11:39 AM

    OMG! So cute! Where did you get the stuffed animal dogs at? All the ones I’m finding are either way expensive or not very good quality in bulk! 🙁

    Reply

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“Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season “Ah, Lovely October, as you usher in the season that awakens my soul, your awesome beauty compels my spirit to soar like a leaf caught in an autumn breeze and my heart to sing like a heavenly choir.” Peggy Toney Horton.

Happy October dear friends! 🍂
On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the po On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the pouring rain outside contributed to my feelings. But the primary cause was this overwhelming flood of thoughts about how much in our world and in our culture is going off the rails. I’d planned to make pumpkin bread that day but I was tempted to just curl up in a ball on my bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend that this would actually solve something. I didn’t give into that temptation though. Instead, I got out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe and found that, as I worked and prayed and hummed worship songs, my spirit began to settle. When the world feels very loud, the demands of family and home can actually help to quiet our souls. As each family member walked through the door later in the day, they commented on how wonderful the house smelled. It’s better than any fall candle in my opinion! And I knew that the extra loaf that I get from the recipe would be a welcome treat for my widower neighbor. So, if your heart is feeling a bit unsettled this week too, maybe this recipe will come in handy!

Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 🍂
Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"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
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