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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 11, 2011

Doors, Porches and Kitchen Highlights from the Christmas Block Party!

Wow! We are just so blow away by all of the participation and fabulous posts shared this week during the Christmas Blogger Block Party! Every stop along the block has revealed so much talent, creativity and just plain gorgeousness! So humbled to belong to a community of amazing bloggers.
We wanted to feature some highlights from the Doors and Porches and Christmas in the Kitchen parties.  Believe it or not these are just a FEW of the amazing links shared with us…and both parties are still going strong! There’s plenty of time this week to link up new posts and to enter to win the AMAZING giveaways we are offering at both parties!
Vanessa is hosting the Doors and Porches Party.  Here are some of the highlights!
Home Is Where the Boat Is: A Gardner’s Christmas
Fabulous garden themed porch!
A Pretty Life in the Suburbs: Festive Front Porch
Love the wrapped planters, so creative!
Cottage in the Oaks: Christmas Front Porch
So vintage, so lovely!
Kim Macumber Interiors: Red Doors
Wow! The pop of red is gorgeous…as are the two beauties standing watch!
The Old Post Road
Southern charm at it’s best!
Heather hosted the last stop on the party block with her Christmas in the Kitchen party and a reveal of her kitchen remodel.  Here are some of her highlight picks!

Loved the white palette and the sweet country charm of  Faded Country: Country Christmas Kitchen.
country farmhouse christmas
So simple yet so much detail….just beautiful!
country farmhouse christmas
Keeping Up With The Times: Rustic Meets Refined shared how the marriage of rustic and refined can be a perfect pairing!
The pops of red are a lovely contrast with the white and burlap.
Thistlewood Farm: Deck the Halls post is so lovely. Such a lovely arrangement against the back of the fireplace, located in the kitchen.
Ahhh, costal living! Love this costal take on Christmas decorating from
 Low Tide High Style: Coastal Christmas in the Kitchen 
The pops of of turquoise are perfect for this costal home and the sweet touches like the evergreen on the kitchen scale are just perfect!
They say the most amazing things come in Brown Paper Packages.  And this kitchen is no exception!
Brown Paper Packages: Christmas in the Kitchen
A lovely combination of bright and cheerful with a touch of vintage!
This kitchen is truly heavenly!
Heaven’s Walk: Joyeux Noel in the Kitchen
Love the softness and ethereal feel. So calm, so beautiful!
How about some amazing Holiday recipes!
It’s Jello people…amazing!
The Kitchen Cookie: Jello Poinsettia
It’s Rice Krispes! So, so cute!
Sweetology: Rice Krispe Tree Christmas Tree Lights
and I’ll leave you with an invitation to join me for a glass of this lovely Christmas Sangria from Yummy Mummy…gorgeous!
Hope you can take a moment to pay these gorgeous posts a visit! You will leave inspired!
Thank you again to the amazing sponsors of the Christmas Blogger Block Party, be sure to enter to win the amazing giveaways provided by all of these fabulous shops and websites!
sponsorgraphicfinal
Thanks for visiting the Picket Fence and be sure to link up your posts all this week!
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22 Comments Filed Under: Community, Decorating, Good Ideas, Holiday Blogger Block Party, Holidays

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Comments

  1. Yummy Mummy says

    December 10, 2011 at 8:03 PM

    I am so thrilled to have my sangria in this list of amazingly beautiful images of gorgeous doors, porches, and kitchens. Wow, what a turn out!

    Happy Holidays!

    Marina

    Reply
  2. Debbie-refreshrestyle says

    December 10, 2011 at 8:20 PM

    Oh my goodness! These are amazing! I will spend some time visiting! Thanks for putting all these parties together! At the Picket Fence rocks!
    Merry Christmas!
    Debbie

    Reply
  3. Curtains in My Tree says

    December 10, 2011 at 8:28 PM

    It’s all art

    I love the 2 dogs on the pretty front porch or steps

    Reply
  4. Eclectically Vintage says

    December 10, 2011 at 8:55 PM

    Loving that coastal kitchen!
    Kelly

    Reply
  5. Pattie says

    December 10, 2011 at 9:00 PM

    It was a fun week… Great picks.Merry Christmas to the both of you and your families

    Pattie

    Reply
  6. ' Kimmy's Garden ' says

    December 10, 2011 at 9:13 PM

    Hello ,so muany ispiring wonderful ideas ,what a treat to join yor community .Thankyou !

    Reply
  7. Barb says

    December 10, 2011 at 9:49 PM

    I’m so thrilled that you featured my Rustic meets Refined tablescape! thank you so very much!!

    Reply
  8. Betsy@ coastal-colors says

    December 10, 2011 at 10:09 PM

    This was so much fun! Thank you for hosting this Blogger Block Party! I love your features! So much inspiration!

    Reply
  9. Debbiedoo's blogging and blabbing says

    December 10, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    Unbelievable party features. The red door with the two stunning dogs is seriously over the top better than a magazine cover! WOW, all fantastic. I loved the party.

    Reply
  10. Honey at 2805 says

    December 10, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    What fabulous features! They are all so inspiring…love ’em all!

    Reply
  11. Pam - diy Design Fanatic says

    December 10, 2011 at 11:13 PM

    Awesome features! All of them are so gorgeous!

    Reply
  12. Mary says

    December 11, 2011 at 12:30 AM

    I’m honored to be among these amazing features! What inspiration & creativity to be found at this party! Wishing you all the Joy of the Season! Thanks for hosting 🙂

    Reply
  13. NanaDiana says

    December 11, 2011 at 12:54 AM

    OMGOSH girls! There is so much to look at I hardly know where to begin…but begin I shall! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend- xo Diana

    Reply
  14. Brooke @ Spruce Your Nest says

    December 11, 2011 at 2:02 AM

    Wow! Great choices…they are all amazing! There are some super talented ladies out there 🙂

    Reply
  15. Heaven's Walk says

    December 11, 2011 at 3:05 AM

    Thank you both so much for featuring my Christmas kitchen, you two! I am deeply honored and humbled once again! 🙂 Hugs to you!!!

    xoxo laurie

    Reply
  16. A Pretty Life in the Suburbs says

    December 10, 2011 at 8:45 PM

    Thank you SO much for including my front porch in your inspiring round up!! YAY!
    Jo-Anna

    Reply
  17. Shannon@FoxHollowCottage says

    December 11, 2011 at 7:17 AM

    I’m following some new blogs now. What a wonderful event! Thank you. Love all the beautiful features.

    Reply
  18. Elizabeth (Blue Clear Sky) says

    December 12, 2011 at 12:51 AM

    I’m a new follower and I will be coming back many times before I work my way through all the lovely links. Thanks to you both for hosting.

    Reply
  19. Catie @ Catie's Corner says

    December 12, 2011 at 3:30 AM

    Some lovely features ladies! I’m soo bummed my computer is dead and I haven’t been able to join in on the fun. : ( Hopefully next month we can afford a new computer. What a terrible time of year for it to die! And I’m a Mac girl, so that makes a new computer even more expensive.

    Happy Holidays, Heather & Vanessa!!

    ~ Catie

    Reply
  20. Kim says

    December 12, 2011 at 11:54 AM

    Thank you so much Heather and Vanessa for featuring my red door and the “boys”! I love it! I just put up today’s post on my blog and didn’t see this … so tomorrow and the rest of the week I will make certain to link you up!! Thanks again for such a fun time … I will be a “regular” from now on!! Merry Christmas to you both!

    Reply
  21. Daune | Cottage in the Oaks says

    December 13, 2011 at 1:32 AM

    Thanks for the feature! What fun ideas and talent you all have listed….I love them all! 🙂

    Reply
  22. Evie says

    December 13, 2011 at 6:15 PM

    Thanks so much for the feature ladies! I don’t know how I missed this one…didn’t even know about it until a reader mentioned it! Haha! Such an honor to be included with so many other fantastic decorators…thank you! : )

    evie @ brown paper packages

    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?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

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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