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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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September 12, 2016

Fall Home Tour 2016

Hello and welcome friends! I’m so happy to have you here. My door is open and I’d love for you to come inside and take a look around because fall has definitely arrived at our home.

Black front door with wheat wreath atthepicketfence.com

 

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the word ‘home’. You see, things are a bit crazy right now and I feel like we are all going every which way.

I see our calendar getting more and more filled up with work trips and fun trips and deadlines and school activities and…and….and…

Simple and elegant fall entry decor atthepicketfence.com

And no matter how grateful I am for the many wonderful things happening in our lives right now and no matter how much fun it is to experience new things and have grand adventures, the greatest adventure to me is the one experienced right here within the walls of this place I call home.

Cotton stems in a milk jug

Marriage and motherhood and writing and running a business and so much more all happens right here. There are definitely big moments but there are many, many more small moments and frankly those are my most favorite of all.

C.S. Lewis said that “the homemaker has the ultimate career.”

fall decor on a sofa table atthepicketfence.com

For me, the making of our home is definitely one of the greatest joys in my life. It’s not so much about the decorating, even though I do love that part. It’s about creating a haven, a respite for my family from the craziness of the world.

Fall farmhouse style family room atthepicketfence.com

And that is why I have to agree with Laura Ingalls Wilder that, “Home is the nicest word there is.” And I thought that perhaps if I wrote these words on a giant chalkboard in a prominent place it would serve as a reminder for us as we enter this new season in our lives.

Fall fireplace mantel decorating idea atthepicketfence.com

Because when home is a place you long to be in and when it is where you get to be with the people you love the most, it’s simply the best.

Mason jars with corn kernels and candles atthepicketfence.com

Now, don’t get me wrong, this home of ours and this life of ours isn’t perfect.

It’s often messy and hard and all sorts of imperfect.

Fall fireplace decorations atthepicketfence.com

But, perfection isn’t what makes home such a wonderful word.

Simple fall kitchen decor atthepicketfence.com

I believe that what makes home the nicest word there is, is that you can have all of the imperfect and the messy and the hard stuff and still have all of the love.

wheat bundle on top of cinnamon sticks atthepicketfence.com

That you can fail and succeed, get it wrong and get it right, feel like talking or feel like being silent and always, always know that you are safe to be just who you are.

Wheat in a white pitcher

As I type these words to you I can hear the sounds of ‘home’ happening all around me.

Farm Grown grain sack wall art

My husband and son working in the yard, chatting about this and that. Lessons being learned and relationship being built as they work side-by-side.

I hear my daughter riding her scooter in the driveway. If I listen closely I can actually hear her talking and singing to herself. It’s the sweet, precious sounds of imagination that I know in the not so distant future will only be a memory.

French country fall mantel

The sliding door is open behind me and I can hear the wind blowing through the leaves of my maple tree whose color reminds me that despite the warm temperatures fall is definitely on it’s way.

white pumpkins and french country painting

And I’m reminded once again that home has very little to do with a house and everything to do with our hearts.

Wheat in a vintage rusty oil can

So even as the world tugs and pulls at us and one season of life slips into another, home is never really more than a heartbeat away.

Apple cider station with copper mugs

And I think that is really what makes it the nicest word there is.

fall dining room centerpiece atthepicketfence.com

 

Now, speaking of homes, there are so many more all decorated for fall for you to tour as part of the 2016 Finding Fall Home Tour hosted by Laura of Finding Home Farms!

FINDING HOME FARMS

Stonegable 

STONEGABLE

 Four Generations One Roof

FOUR-GENERATIONS-ONE-ROOF

Thistlewood Farms

THISTLEWOOD-FARMS

 Inspired By Charm

INSPIRED-BY-CHARM

 French Country Cottage

FRENCH COUNTRY COTTAGE

 Home Stories A to Z

HOME-STORIES-A-TO-Z

 Jeanne Oliver

JEANNE-OLIVER

 Ella Claire

Ella-claire

 Julie Blanner

JULIEBLANNER

 Zevy Joy

ZEVYJOY

And as always, thank you so much for meeting me at the fence today,

Vanessa signature

30 Comments Filed Under: Autumn, Decorating, Good Ideas, Home Tour, Tablescapes Tagged With: Autumn, decor, fall, fall Decorating, fall home tour

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Comments

  1. Patty says

    September 12, 2016 at 4:22 AM

    your house is beautiful. Is the picture of farm fresh a kitchen towel? Love that. Very simple but beautiful.

    Reply
  2. Laura says

    September 12, 2016 at 4:59 AM

    As always, your home and your words are so lovely and welcoming! Thank you so much for joining us!

    Reply
  3. laura {not a trophy wife} says

    September 12, 2016 at 5:19 AM

    Love the reminders of home…. lovely tour! Thank you! laura

    Reply
  4. Cecilia says

    September 12, 2016 at 6:06 AM

    Oh, I’m so enjoying this tour! Finding new friends and seeing so much beauty! I love your thoughts about home…those words echo deep into my heart. Your home looks like a wonderful place to be too. Love your beautiful Fall decor!

    Reply
  5. KariAnne Wood says

    September 12, 2016 at 6:58 AM

    Happy fall touring to you!

    I love all the details in your home. The straw, the hydrangea, the chalkboard, the EVERYTHING!

    You are a rock star!

    Happy day!
    karianne

    Reply
  6. Jen @beautyandbedlam.com says

    September 12, 2016 at 7:29 AM

    oh friend – every little touch is just beautiful. So wish I could sit on that comfy couch with you and have some coffee . 🙂 xoxox

    Reply
  7. Carol Reddin says

    September 12, 2016 at 7:43 AM

    Love all the fall touches in your beautiful home. Gives me ideas and inspiration to decorate. Thank you for the reminder of what “home” really is all about.

    Reply
  8. Beth says

    September 12, 2016 at 7:48 AM

    Beautiful sentiments and beautifully decorated! Home is definitely the nicest word there is. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Annie says

    September 12, 2016 at 8:03 AM

    What beautiful fall touches here and reminder about what home truly is. I very much enjoyed all of it!!

    Reply
  10. Lisa at Texas Decor says

    September 12, 2016 at 8:43 AM

    Loved your fall home tour! So many beautiful touches throughout. You’ve given me lots of decorating ideas too. 🙂

    Reply
  11. Marty Oravetz says

    September 12, 2016 at 8:44 AM

    I always love seeing your home and your fall is beautiful.

    Reply
  12. Jane Windham says

    September 12, 2016 at 12:30 PM

    Beautifully expressed sentiment of what makes a home, and I enjoyed seeing your seasonal decor!

    Reply
  13. Courtney says

    September 12, 2016 at 12:42 PM

    So beautiful Vanessa!! Love your home and style! xo

    Reply
  14. Bonnie says

    September 12, 2016 at 12:50 PM

    Thanks so much Vanessa for sharing the tour of your home and your thoughts on what Home means. You are so right.

    Reply
  15. Julie Blanner says

    September 12, 2016 at 1:15 PM

    I just adore the cotton and wheat you’ve integrated!

    Reply
  16. Jessica Bruno says

    September 12, 2016 at 6:05 PM

    So warm and cozy!!! Love how festive everything looks and I need some cotton! I have been seeing it everywhere and I want some too 🙂

    Reply
  17. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    September 13, 2016 at 9:45 AM

    Hi Vanessa,
    I so agree with you. Being home and being able to work at home is the very best! Your images show how much you love and care for your home and I would love to visit and chat! Your home wears fall beautifully!

    Reply
  18. Carol Reddin says

    September 15, 2016 at 8:11 AM

    As always, your home is beautiful. And, hearing the “sounds of home” resonates with me. Brings back lots of good memories.

    Reply
  19. Deborah says

    September 16, 2016 at 6:13 AM

    Oh, I love your words and pictures!

    I feel many of the same sentiments about home. I am a homebody. I like to go and do things, but I often tell my husband that it always feels so good to come home!

    Happy September!

    Reply
  20. Laura Ingalls Gunn says

    September 17, 2016 at 9:11 AM

    Beautiful tour, beautiful sentiments!

    Reply
  21. Michelle says

    September 18, 2016 at 4:55 AM

    Thx for the inspiration. Your home is beautiful. I am wondering where your pillows came from that are in the chairs near the fireplace? I have been looking for something similar for a while now and can’t seem to find what I want! Enjoy your day!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      September 18, 2016 at 7:00 PM

      Hi Michelle! I purchased the pillow covers at a shop on Etsy called Porter Lane Home. She does beautiful work! 🙂

      Reply
  22. Rosemary says

    September 18, 2016 at 11:41 AM

    I love your outlook on what home is! I would love to find out where you got the white framed chalkboard or if you made that. Everything is warm and beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your home!

    Reply
  23. carol says

    September 24, 2016 at 9:15 AM

    Beautiful fall decor, and beautiful words.

    Reply
  24. Calypso in the Country says

    September 25, 2016 at 6:59 AM

    Such a beautiful home filled with so much inspiration! Thanks for the lovely tour!
    Shelley

    Reply
  25. Valerie says

    October 4, 2016 at 12:09 PM

    Loved this! Such a lovely home! Question though – do you drink hot drinks out of your copper mugs? I wasn’t sure if that was possible! I’d love to know if it gets really hot or if it works like any other mug! 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle Olson says

      October 4, 2016 at 1:07 PM

      Thank you for your spiritual take and reminding us of the specialness of Home!

      Reply
  26. Nicki Parrish says

    October 5, 2016 at 12:01 PM

    Ohhhh, I just love your Fall Home Tour! and the words are so beautifully written. I’m not sure if you remember me, but we were in the same mentor group at Haven. It was a pleasure meeting you, thanks for inspiring me with this post!

    Reply
  27. monette Lawson says

    October 16, 2016 at 5:15 PM

    In the Cottage White Magazine on page 117 in the Fall Simplicity article the chandelier on page 117, did you paint it white or is persain white? How many lights is on chandelier? I’m trying to find it in Wayfair.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      October 16, 2016 at 7:20 PM

      Hi Monette! Here is the link the chandelier from Wayfair. I ordered it in Persian White. 🙂 https://www.wayfair.com/Quorum-Salento-9-Light-Transitional-Chandelier-6006-9-70-QUF4890.html

      Reply

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
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It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
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And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

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Here’s to beginnings. Happy new year friends! May you experience the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord in 2023 like never before! ✨
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