• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

October 11, 2012

Fall Front Porch

Before I jump into sharing my Fall Front Porch with you, I just wanted to give you a heads up!

The sisters At the Picket Fence are hitting the road this weekend. 
Heather will be a speaker at the Southern Bloggers Conference and Vanessa is on her way to New York City to attend the Food and Wine Festival and participate in some fun promotional events with LG.
You will definitely want to make sure you are following us on Facebook and Twitter as we will have lots of fun updates throughout the weekend!
Because we are frantically getting ready to leave, we are doing something we’ve never done before.
We are postponing our regularly scheduled 
Inspiration Friday party this week.

Our party is something that we put a lot of time and effort into and we don’t want to skimp on it just because things are crazy around here. We know you will understand!
But, be sure to come back next week for lots of fun inspiration and ideas as well as the Features from last week’s party! 
Now, how about we take a looksie at my
Fall Front Porch?

Earlier this week I shared with you my Thrift Store Door Decor for Fall which hangs on my front door. You all were so kind about my bad penmanship…could you write a letter to my mom?
I kept the thrift store theme going when I scored this fabulous wooden box for $2 from the Goodwill.
We are serious about our Salmon in the Pacific NW so this was a particularly fun find!
I filled it up with some of fall’s bounty.
OK.
So, technically only some of that is real.
Should I say that it is filled with fall’s bounty and craft store bounty?
I love the word bounty. 
When I say it, I feel like I’m on board the Mayflower.

This lantern (found on Clearance) may be missing the glass in the front but that just makes it easier to see the goodies tucked inside, right?

Thanks to an idea from BHG, I gave my front porch pillows a little touch of “spooky”. 
This is about all we can handle around here!
Spiderweb Pillows
I made a quick slipcover for the pillows out of leftover drop cloth.
Then, using a hot glue gun, I attached a doily to each one.
Start by looping white string to a hole in the doily and knotting it.
Then go back and forth across (and around) the pillow creating the “spiderweb” effect. 

Finish by tying off the end of the string after looping it back through the doily.
And, of course, you can’t have a spiderweb without a spider. 
I just used some plastic spider rings.
My kids got such a kick out of this!
Some twiggy pumpkins resting on top of urns got a little “umph” in the form of berry garland…

…and a strand of white lights.

I also tucked in some berries and more “faux” bounty around the base of my boxwood topiaries.
Simple.
Once again, it seems to be the theme for our Autumn Decorating this year.

Now, speaking of Autumn.
Not only do Heather and I have voices that sound exactly alike.
Drive the same kind of car.
Say the same things at the same time.
Have the same memory of scratchy matching dresses (you know the ones Heather!).
We also have something else in common and we celebrate it every Autumn.
We share the same wedding anniversary date!
On this day, 20 years ago (woot!),  Heather and her wonderful husband were married.
And, on this day, 14 years ago, I married my incredible hubby.
Yep.
10/10 is special date here at the Fence!
And we owe our guys a huge thank you for putting up with the craziness of being married to sisters who blog together! 
And for letting us pursue our passions. We love you guys!
But, just so you know boys, the odds of La-Z-Boy contacting us wanting us to review an oversized recliner with a beer fridge on the side are pretty slim.
Hope you are having a very wonderful Autumn, and enjoying it’s bounty, (still love that word) so far!
Sharing this here:
Open House Party
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits

Email Updates
Facebook Page
Pinterest

33 Comments Filed Under: Good Ideas

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « How To Make a Creepy Crawly Halloween Canvas
Next Post: My Better Home and Gardens Feature is here…a perfect weekend! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Shenita @ Embellishments by SLR says

    October 10, 2012 at 11:27 PM

    Vanessa, I love all of your fall decor! Your front porch is so welcoming! Happy Anniversary to both of you!!!

    Reply
  2. 20 North Ora says

    October 10, 2012 at 11:33 PM

    Congratulations to you both on your wedding anniversaries!! Have a good and safe trip.

    Judy

    Reply
  3. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    October 10, 2012 at 11:43 PM

    Happy Anniversary to you both!! Vanessa your porch looks fabulous, love those chairs and love the twig pumpkins in the urns! Have a blast this weekend girls!!

    Reply
  4. Dewdrop Gardens says

    October 10, 2012 at 11:49 PM

    Happy Anniversary to all of you! Enjoy your special day. And enjoy your special trips this weekend!
    Love the decor at your front door.
    Debbie 🙂

    Reply
  5. Cindy Ritchie says

    October 11, 2012 at 12:34 AM

    Beautiful front porch! Gorgeous brides! Have fun you two! Cindy

    Reply
  6. Holly says

    October 11, 2012 at 12:36 AM

    Gorgeous and welcoming. Not too creepy. Love the wicker pumpkins in the urns.

    Reply
  7. Pam - @diy Design Fanatic says

    October 11, 2012 at 1:08 AM

    Happy Anniversary to you both!Love your Fall front porch!

    Reply
  8. Two Succulent Sisters says

    October 11, 2012 at 1:09 AM

    I have that exact lantern and I put an old globe light in it filled with Christmas lights for outside. It’s like a moon out there. 🙂 I like yours for decorative purposes. Beautiful. Linda

    Reply
  9. Suzy says

    October 11, 2012 at 1:27 AM

    Happy Anniversary to the two of you! Today is my daughter’s birthday too. what a special day it is! Love your porch and I’m coveting your twiggy pumpkin bounty.

    Reply
  10. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    October 11, 2012 at 1:42 AM

    Happy Anniversary to both of you! Your porch looks great, Vanessa. I love simple and am very much into that this year myself. Have a good time on each of your trips and safe travels!

    Reply
  11. Laura from Top This Top That says

    October 11, 2012 at 1:43 AM

    how cool is that- was that planned ( the same day)? Vanessa have fun in NYC and Heather I will see you in Raleigh!

    Reply
  12. It's All Connected says

    October 11, 2012 at 2:36 AM

    Happy anniversaries and have a blast on your trips! ~ Maureen

    Reply
  13. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    October 11, 2012 at 4:30 AM

    Vanessa…your front porch is gorgeous!!…Have a great time in NYC…I will see Heather this weekend at the Southern Bloggers Conference….you two are quite busy!!…Happy Anniversary to you both….!!!…

    Reply
  14. Debbiedoo's says

    October 11, 2012 at 11:34 AM

    How pretty Vanessa! Love your porch. Cute pillow too. Enjoy your time away girls. Both very exciting trips indeed.

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    October 11, 2012 at 1:33 PM

    Beautiful porch, Vanessa. And, you both were such beautiful brides. October 10, your anniversaries, is a day we remember with great pleasure. We’re proud of Heather and you and your families. Mom and Dad

    Reply
  16. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    October 11, 2012 at 1:34 PM

    Happy Anniversary!!!!! YOur front porch is gorgeous and have a great time on your trips. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  17. Patty (Patty's Pretty Things) says

    October 11, 2012 at 4:25 PM

    Thank you for the front porch tips. I have the same planter with a pumpkin on it but want to go out and get the berry garland now. Also love the doilies for spider webs. So cute. Enjoy your trips and Happy Anniversary to both of you!

    Reply
  18. Fishtail Cottage says

    October 11, 2012 at 5:15 PM

    loved reading about your tips! we are in the middle of remodeling our family/great room….too much clutter laying around the house, thinking the fall decor isn’t coming out of hiding this year – i may however, have to decorate the front door!xoxo, tracie

    Reply
  19. Barbara Hiatt says

    October 11, 2012 at 7:11 PM

    Gorgeous front porch! Congrats to you both on your anniversaries!
    Barbara at Chase the Star
    chasethestar dot net

    Reply
  20. Erika@BeBookBound says

    October 11, 2012 at 8:18 PM

    Happy anniversary! The front porch looks lovely—almost as lovely as your wedding pictures. You two look gorgeous. (Maybe if I had gotten married on October 11th, my wedding pictures would have looked better than they do. Bummer.)

    Reply
    • Erika@BeBookBound says

      October 11, 2012 at 8:21 PM

      Ha ha ha. I just rechecked my dates and I guess getting married on the 11th would have made any difference for my wedding pictures since you two got married on the 10th! Hope you enjoy your trips!

      Reply
  21. Athena at Minerva's Garden says

    October 11, 2012 at 8:22 PM

    Have fun while you are on your fabulous trips! I love your front porch, and those pretty twiggy pumpkins.

    Reply
  22. Judy says

    October 11, 2012 at 8:33 PM

    Vanessa-I love your fall decor! It’s just beautiful. Super cute idea with the spider-web pillow. Happy anniversary to all of you. Heather – I was also married 20 years (sept 20).

    Reply
  23. Marty Walden says

    October 12, 2012 at 1:06 AM

    Happy anniversary to both of you! I’ll be in Raleigh as well. Visiting from blogtalk.

    Reply
  24. Kerry Rossow says

    October 12, 2012 at 4:29 AM

    Happy Anniversary, ladies! My husband and I were married on his parent’s 44th Anniversary- Oct 1st!
    Enjoy your week!
    Kerry at HouseTalkN

    Reply
  25. Ramblings of a Southern Girl ~ Rhonda G says

    October 12, 2012 at 1:29 PM

    The the outdoor fall decor! …simply beautiful! And Congrats to you both on your Anniversaries!

    Looking forward to meeting Heather this weekend! 🙂

    Reply
  26. Debbie says

    October 12, 2012 at 1:52 PM

    Happy belated anniversary to both of you! It’s amazing how the wedding styles changed in just six years, isn’t it?

    Heather, I did so want to be able to attend that conference, and it would have been wonderful to meet you! Unfortunately, the job situation has sort of dictated our fall. Maybe next time. Have fun!

    Reply
  27. Lisa @ Shine Your Light says

    October 12, 2012 at 8:00 PM

    Awww…happy anniversary to you both! How special that you share the same day!

    Reply
  28. Shelia says

    October 13, 2012 at 1:50 AM

    Happy Anniversary, sweet ones! How wonderful to have the same dates! Your wedding snaps are just beautiful! I think I’m a tad late in my wishes but they are sincere! 🙂
    Blessings and you two are sweeties,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  29. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    October 13, 2012 at 1:47 PM

    Happy anniversary to all of you, The wedding pictures are beautiful and I love your Fall decor.

    Reply
  30. Carol says

    October 13, 2012 at 5:23 PM

    Happy Be-lated Anniversary to you both! That is so wonderful!

    Your front porch looks awesome, Vanessa, with all of your “bounty” of different things. I really like the chalkboard, too!

    Reply
  31. Vivienne @ the V Spot says

    October 15, 2012 at 6:29 PM

    Awesome! I love that you’re all married on 10/10 and I love that the boys are hoping for a recliner review! Everything looks phenomenal!

    Reply
  32. Lisa says

    October 16, 2012 at 5:47 AM

    Can you tell me where you got the twig pumpkins? Love the porch! Happy anniversary!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Barbara Hiatt Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • Why We’ve Chosen Vacations Over Projects April 26, 2022
  • A New Look for the Family Room March 1, 2022
  • Christmas Kitchen and Family Room December 19, 2021
  • Christmas Home Tour Part One December 10, 2021
  • Easy Hot Cocoa Station November 21, 2021

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

Happy Independence Day!! 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙 M Happy Independence Day!! 🇺🇸❤️🤍💙

May we never take for granted the freedom given to us not by earthly authorities but by the ONE true authority. And may we live in such a way as to honor those who fought for and protect freedom and liberty. 

“Independence Day, freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.” Dwight D. Eisenhower
Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to sha Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to share all of the details of our family room shelving makeover but I’m super impatient and just had to give you all a sneak peek!! We are SO happy with how they turned out and it finally looks like I’ve always envisioned. Our quick fix years ago (scroll to see the before photo) never felt quite right but now? Soooo much better!! 🙌🏻 Big shoutout to our amazingly talented friend Matt @redemptive_woodworx for bringing our vision to life and doing such impeccable work.

I hope you all have a great start to the 4th of July weekend and make sure to check my stories later for Friday Funnies!
The month of June is coming to a close and it has The month of June is coming to a close and it has been JAM packed! The highlight by far though was my son's graduation from high school. When I started blogging, he was only 6 years old and some of you have been apart of my community here for that entire time. Now, he's 19 and there is a reason parents are told not to blink because the years truly do go faster than I ever could have imagined. He has become such an incredible young man we are so excited to see how God is going to unfold the next chapter of his life. We celebrated with parties galore (SO many open houses to attend!) and made memories we'll forever cherish. My mama heart was filled to bursting with the joy of it all! Now we're taking some time to just enjoy these warm, summer days making even more memories because, when you’re at this stage of parenting, you know all too well how much you need to grasp every opportunity to spend time together.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
“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?
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 At The Picket Fence