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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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February 8, 2012

Envelope Chair Backer and Giveaway Winner!

 

It’s time to announce the winner of the
$100 HomeGoods Giveaway!!

And the winner chosen by Random Generator is:
Heather of My Shabby Dream!
Congratulations Heather!
Please send us an email with your address and we will get your HomeGoods card in the mail to you.
And, thank you SO much to the rest of you who not only came over to enter the giveaway, but also left us such wonderfully sweet comments as we celebrated our 1 year Blogiversary. To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement for sure!
picketfence_20010_thumb[18]
And now for a short and sweet Valentine’s Project!
I spotted some cute Valentine’s Day towels in the $1 bins at Target a couple of weeks ago.
Is it just me or do those bins just call out to you? 
I try to steer my cart away from them but the force of the bargain just pulls it back in!
It took me awhile to figure out what I was going to make with them and then I saw these cuties from
Pottery Barn Kids on Pinterest.
 
Now, if I had been willing to give an extra 10 minutes of my time and a little more energy, I probably could have recreated these more accurately. But, you know what? I didn’t wanna!
So, this is my…
I’m-Lazy-It’s-Kinda-Sorta-Not-Quite-Pottery-Barn-Envelope-Chair-Backer-Knock-Off!


Here’s what you’ll need to make these.
It’s a lot, I know.
And this is going to be a really tough Tutorial so prepare yourself!
Turn your towel over so that the pattern you want showing is facing down.
Fold your towel a little more than half-way up.
Using “No Sew” or any other kind of liquid stitch, glue the edges in place.
Fold in each corner so that they meet in the middle and create a point which will be where your “envelope” opens. I warned you that this would be a challenging tutorial….stick with me folks! 
Liquid “stitch” it in place.
I went back and added a little more glue to these corners just to secure it better.
Add a button for the cuteness factor!
Tie a fancy ribbon around it to distract anyone from realizing it’s a dish towel.
And hang it on the back of your kid’s chairs.
Oh look! Someone already has some mail!
I think it probably says,
“Dear Mommy, we know we look at you like you are crazy when we see you doing things like gluing a dish towel into the shape of a giant envelope. But, you know we love you anyway!
Love, Your Rascals”
Thanks so much for joining me today at the Fence,
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This post is partying here:
Chatty Chics: Wild Wednesday
No Minimalist Here: Open House Party
From My Front Porch to Yours: Treasure Hunt Thursday
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday
Stuff and Nonsense: Friday’s Unfolded
Common Ground: Vintage Inspiration Friday
Redoux: Friday Link Up

15 Comments Filed Under: Giveaways, Good Ideas, Holidays, Valentine's Day

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Comments

  1. Poppy says

    February 8, 2012 at 2:52 PM

    aah…so cute and pretty! I can just visualize how lovely it will look all the chair backs dressed up in these pretty covers! Love the tut,Vanessa! Congratulations to Heather! Have a lovely day!Hugs~Poppy

    https://withadashofcolor.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  2. miss flibbertigibbet says

    February 8, 2012 at 3:33 PM

    That’s funny…those stinkers…..It’s adorable!
    Lorraine

    Reply
  3. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    February 8, 2012 at 3:58 PM

    This is really cute, Vanessa! Congrats to Heather!

    Reply
  4. Kelly says

    February 8, 2012 at 4:08 PM

    That’s such a cute idea! I love it! Your kids probably really appreciate these projects more than you know. That would be cute for a classroom project too.

    Reply
  5. Judy says

    February 8, 2012 at 5:53 PM

    That’s an adorable project Vanessa. Congrats to Heather on winning your awesome giveaway.

    Reply
  6. Kristin says

    February 8, 2012 at 5:53 PM

    Love this idea! I just found out my kids’ preschool doesn’t exchange Valentine’s 🙁 so I have to do something for them, and this would be soooo easy! Thanks, Vanessa!!

    Reply
  7. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    February 8, 2012 at 5:56 PM

    Oh my gosh Vanessa that is so cute, I love it! You could make these for every holiday!!

    Reply
  8. It's All Connected says

    February 8, 2012 at 6:19 PM

    Pinning! I prefer the country feel of yours to PB and the price is right! ~ Maureen

    Reply
  9. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    February 8, 2012 at 6:49 PM

    Love that idea!!…Better than PB!!…

    Reply
  10. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    February 8, 2012 at 7:53 PM

    That is so clever and creative. Love it. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  11. {Adventuresindinner} says

    February 8, 2012 at 2:41 PM

    Hah! Hah! This would be my husband’s reaction. Love, love that this is a no-sew project.

    Reply
  12. Deserae says

    February 9, 2012 at 12:40 AM

    Love it….very cute idea!
    ~Des

    Reply
  13. debbie refresh restyle says

    February 9, 2012 at 4:05 PM

    Love it! Congrats to Heather! Have a great day!
    Debbie

    Reply
  14. classic • casual • home says

    February 9, 2012 at 6:33 PM

    How sweet and festive!

    Reply
  15. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    February 10, 2012 at 3:47 AM

    Vanessa, So cute and very creative! Thanks for linking to the open House party this week. Hugs, Sherry

    Reply

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Front door wreath….✔️ The very last Christmas dec Front door wreath….✔️

The very last Christmas decorating to be completed and one of the most important since there’s nothing I love more than welcoming people into our home this season.

I bought the wreath for $15 from a wonderful local vendor, reused my favorite bells and added a velvet bow in the color I’m carrying throughout the house this year.

Do you buy a fresh wreath each year or do you use a faux wreath on your front door? 

#frontdoorwreath #christmaswreath #christmasporch
The first day of December and the first Sunday of The first day of December and the first Sunday of advent. As we enter into a month that can be filled with stress, anxiety, worry and even sadness, let us turn our hearts towards the ONE who came as the ultimate, undeserved gift. Because it’s all about Him. 

“Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.” (Corrie Ten Boom)
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Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours dear friends! 🍂
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And I have a confession ...I’d rather have cranberry sauce smothering the turkey on my plate than gravy any day!! And this, this right here? Well it’s the best (and easiest!) cranberry sauce ever!! I eat on crackers and sandwiches and sometimes just by the spoonful. It’s so yummy! And I’m just so very thankful for all of you that I’m going to leave the recipe right here instead of making you go to the blog to get it. I promise you won’t regret having this on your Thanksgiving menu but be warned...you may find yourself up in the middle of the night sneaking some helpings of this deliciousness. Or maybe that’s just me!

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh or frozen cranberries
2 oranges
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup white wine.

Instructions:
Wash and pick over berries, removing any that are soft. Peel and dice oranges removing any seeds. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a full boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking until cranberries pop open and mixture is thickening.
For best flavor, prepare and let stand for several days before using.

Gobble, gobble!! 🦃
It’s that time of year again!! Chex Mix will be ma It’s that time of year again!! Chex Mix will be made on repeat for the next month and I’ve figured out the secret to getting the BEST flavor.

Want to know what it is? It’s all about being EXTRA! 

Take the base recipe up a notch by using a full stick of butter, extra tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and an extra 1/2 tablespoon of Lawry’s seasoning salt.

I guarantee you’ll never go back!

You’re welcome. 😉🎄

#chexmix #chexmixupgrade
Happy Friday!! I limped my way to the end of the w Happy Friday!! I limped my way to the end of the week and I’m feeling especially grateful for the twinkling lights around my home which give me so much joy.

The great debate on social media over whether or not Christmas decorations should appear before Thanksgiving is one I just let roll on past me. Because I am so unbelievably thankful for this life, my family, my friends, this country, this home and most of all my Savior. 

Having my home all ready to welcome the next sacred season doesn’t take away one iota from my ability to express gratitude on the official day set aside each year where we do that collectively.

And when the last slice of turkey has been eaten and all of the leftovers put away, I’ll be over here ready to be fully present in the month of December and soak up every bit of it! 🦃🎄
IKEA vs Heirlooms: Why we need family treasures “ IKEA vs Heirlooms: Why we need family treasures

“My children have grown up seeing antique books on a coffee table, vintage toys in their bedrooms and even pieces of furniture that were all passed down from one generation to the next. But as my nest gets closer and closer to being empty, I’m keenly aware of the fact that many of these cherished items might not be as welcome in the homes of future generations.”

*Read the rest over at @cleartruthmedia*
All of my CTM articles are saved in my highlights
Not too long ago, someone told me that they liked Not too long ago, someone told me that they liked it better when I just talked about decorating and didn’t mention anything else. This person preferred me to keep any opinions or convictions to myself and just focus only on content about home decor, crafts and recipes. Aside from the fact that I’m always astonished that people feel so free to say things like that, I do agree that it would be a lot easier and more palatable if I didn’t talk about things like a Biblical Worldview, apologetics and the nature of reality itself. For one thing, Instagram wouldn’t throttle my account with its algorithms that are skewed to diminish voices like mine. It would be much easier to be so tethered to this app that I change everything I post to fit into its preferred framework. I would be asked to be part of influencer groups and activities like I was years ago. But I’m not that person anymore. Yes, the core of this community will always be an emphasis on homemaking which will include decorating and recipes but I can’t separate that from the core of who I am as a follower of Jesus Christ.

It would be so much easier for me to just show you the latest Amazon products I’ve bought and tell you to “comment” to get the links. But I’m not called to take the easy path. Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.”

I truly believe that so many have been lulled into thinking that the narrow gate wasn’t really all that narrow. But, it’s never been more obvious that it really is. And every day I seek to stay on that very narrow way.  More than ever before, I believe that our world needs to know that there is objective truth and a solid foundation to stand upon as we navigate our lives. My role as a homemaker is predicated on that foundation and everything else flows out of it. Talking about these things isn’t going to get me lots of views here. 

But I live for an audience of ONE.
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The peace we long for in our home begins with our hearts. If you want your home to feel more peaceful during the upcoming holiday season, I have five things to consider that will make that not only possible but predictable.

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#club31women #wearethehomemakers
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What I’m unboxing are the decorations in the attic that  I’ve had for years and figuring out how to give them a fresh look. I added new lights to an old pre-lit tree that no longer worked because I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it. I’m putting out a different set of mugs at the hot cocoa station and the advent candles are arranged with greenery from outside.

As our feeds are filled with so.much.stuff, I want to offer you a reprieve. A place where you will find less emphasis on what’s happening in our homes and more on what’s happening in our hearts.

More than ever before, I can see just how much people are needing the hope found in Christ and that will always be the focus here. 

So, while you may not see me unpacking a massive, new tree or telling you to “comment for the link”, what you will see is encouragement to turn our hearts to what matters the most and let that reflect in every corner of our homes this season and all year long. 🌲

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #homemakerschristmas #club31women
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