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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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November 16, 2016

Five Cute Christmas Ideas

5 Cute Christmas Ideas from redheadcandecorate.com

Good morning, friends! It’s me, Julie from redheadcandecorate.com, stopping over today to share 5 cute Christmas ideas for decorating your home this holiday season. I really enjoy decorating for Christmas the most out of all of the holidays, and sometimes I try to think “outside the box” when doing so. It’s funny, because in a lot of ways I am very traditional in my decorating style, but then I love to throw in an element of surprise to kind of catch folks off guard. I like to have fun with it, and between you and I, sometimes my kids have to settle me down when decorating and tell me it’s time for bed!

I truly hope my ideas inspire you to try something you’ve never tried before…or maybe just sit back and drink hot cocoa while I do all of the decorating. Doesn’t that sound good about now?

Hat as a Tree Topper

Christmas-Tree-2015-1

 

Here’s our beautiful fresh tree from last year. There’s a lot going on in this photo, but what I really wanted to point out to you is the “hat”. I usually top our Christmas tree with an angel, but I had a little fun last year placing my daughter’s black & grey long striped ski hat on top. You can’t see it here, but the hat has a little green jingle bell on the end. You’ll note that I also used my other daughter’s ice skates down at the bottom, and the tree is covered in flannel bows. Together, with the scarf and furry tree skirt (made from faux fur fabric) it all gives off a cozy, fun vibe. A top hat, baseball hat (baseball lovers), chef hat, etc. would look great, too. It all depends on your family and what they love.

Decorating the Bedroom

best-cozy-christmas

I admit that I have only dressed our bedroom for Christmas once. Decorating the bedroom may sound like a lot of work when no one may see it, and it is…however, I had a lot of fun doing it just this once. Of course my husband thought I was nuts, and didn’t even realize he was sleeping with a wreath hanging over his head, but he went with it. Sylvia our rescue kitty, also didn’t seem to mind. To make it extra cozy, I made a faux fireplace out of a broken electric wood burning fireplace, and the “Merry Christmas” pillow I designed myself (see below for more details).

Here are some sources to help you achieve this cozy Christmas look:

Small Red Ornament Wreath

Merry Christmas Pillow

Santa Pillow Cover

Plush Red & White Christmas Stockings

Gold Christmas Stocking Holders

Faux Fur Blanket

Christmas Ornament Lanterns

magazine-2-lanterns

These “Christmas Ornament Lanterns” are still one of my most popular Christmas ideas to date. I just checked and there are well over 38,000 clicks on this fun and easy Christmas decorating idea. I was inspired by Pottery Barn when I noticed they stuffed lanterns with ornaments for a living room they were advertising. Little did they know that thousands of people would want to stuff lanterns with ornaments! Here’s the secret to mine…I put a small set of white Christmas lights in the bottom of the lantern and then put the ornaments in. Battery operated led lights would work perfectly, too. Here’s a few sources to help you create these…

Lantern

White Christmas Lights

Battery Operated Led Lights

Thrift Stores are wonderful for inexpensive ornaments!

Gumdrop Tree

gumdrop-tree-by-redheadcandecorate
You won’t believe this, but I made this “Gumdrop Tree” 3 years ago, and I still have it. The real gum drops still look great, too. This “Gumdrop Tree” was so much fun to make with the kiddos. All I needed was a foam cone and tooth picks (gum drops were from the grocery store). I recently learned from a follower that her Mom uses pins to attach the gumdrops. Totally up to you how you would like to make one, but either way, just start at the bottom, and work your way up. Make sure the bottom is glued to a base when you work so you have leverage when pushing the gum drops in. Be sure to let the little kiddos know that these gum drops are not to be eaten.

Leftover Pine Tree Swag Wreath

wreath-2
Lastly…this ” Christmas Swag Wreath” was absolutely free, folks. I know it’s a bit different than a traditional round wreath, but it still looks so beautiful. To assemble, just grab left over limbs off of the bottom of your Christmas tree (we always end up needing to trim ours), and gather at the top with twine. Tie tightly together, and leave some of the twine to hang it at the end. I decorated this right on our front door and tied the big ribbon on last. It was very simple with no glue required.

Happy Thanksgiving, and see you next time!

julie-signature-from-atpf

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16 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, Decorating, Good Ideas, Holidays Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas craft, Christmas decor, crafts, decor, decorating

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Comments

  1. florida1 says

    November 16, 2016 at 4:37 AM

    The decorations are lovely if Christ-mas was just about ANY old thing. But it’s not. Christmas literally means ‘The Mass of Christ’; the worship of Christ. Not even one angel? Christ child? Nativity set? If you have children; they see thru the ‘behind the scenes’ thing So much more than we ever thought. I KNOW this as I raised three who are now grown and older than you with kids of their own. The secular folks have tried SO hard to; take away Christmas-turning it into a Winter wonderland, Santa, elves, snowmen, etc. They tried to turn Easter into bunnies, baskets with candy, ect. . Halloween originally was All Saints Day and we all know what it has descended into now. They argue that the Christian Holi-days are based upon pagans, Dec 25 was not the actual day of Jesus Christ’s birth, ect. They miss the Point. We Honor our Christian faith and the holy days we celebrate on those special calendar days. Yes snowmen, santa, ect are harmless on their own. But to have NOTHING in one’s own home about the little baby Jesus….well one is telling their children thru their actions—what ones’ heart and mindset are really about. Sad, I think.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      November 16, 2016 at 6:53 AM

      Hi there! This is Vanessa replying even though this post was written by our friend Julie who is the author of another blog and who we asked to share something with our At the Picket Fence community. Julie’s only goal was to share some simple and cute ideas for Christmas decorating. Yes, for those of us who are Christ-followers, Christmas is about celebrating the birth of our Savior. But, we believe that honoring His birth, death and resurrection is about so much more than having a nativity in our home (even though you WILL indeed find those in my home). It’s about pointing to Him through our actions and words which in the end are always going to do more to advance the kingdom than having symbols of it in our homes. When I pack away my nativity set each year, I don’t pack away my passion for sharing the gospel with it. And if someone has never claimed to be a Christ-follower (you are assuming that Julie is), it serves no purpose to call them out for something that they may or may not believe. What really points people to Christ isn’t how we celebrate these holidays, it’s how we honor Him every day of the year and love His people with so much grace and mercy that they see Him in us and are drawn to Him.

      Reply
      • Sandie Luck says

        November 16, 2016 at 6:10 PM

        THANK YOU for sharing such kind words regarding your heart felt beliefs! My heart was touched…~Sandie

        Reply
      • june says

        November 16, 2016 at 7:42 PM

        Vanessa….very well said. I too was touched by your response.
        I loved Julie’s post today.

        Enjoying your book!!!!

        Reply
        • At The Picket Fence says

          November 16, 2016 at 8:05 PM

          Thank you June and I’m SO glad you are enjoying the book!! If you have a minute, would you consider leaving a review of it on Amazon? We would so appreciate it! We’re grateful that you are such a supportive and encouraging part of our At the Picket Fence community! Blessings, Vanessa

          Reply
          • june says

            November 17, 2016 at 6:47 AM

            Absolutely…I had planned to just have been busy.
            You are so kind.

    • harold says

      November 16, 2016 at 8:59 AM

      You need to get a life. And now aren’t you embarrassed that she does, indeed, have a nativity set somewhere
      in her home. Why would you assume she didn’t have a Nativity just because it wasn’t under the tree. Your comment without knowing certainly makes you look very unchristianlike.

      Reply
    • Julie says

      November 16, 2016 at 9:16 AM

      Although I think Vanessa explained my thoughts perfectly, rest assured Florida 1, our beautiful antique ceramic nativity set that my deceased brother made when he was 15 is nestled on a shelf right behind the camera where my sweet daughter’s set it up every year. You’ll also find baby Jesus lit up under the tree, although he is not photographed here. Although I do not have baby Jesus on our tree, it’s adorned with angels and like I mentioned in the article I usually top the tree with an angel that was from our tree in the 70’s. Although my decorating style for Christmas is very much focused on Santa & candy canes, I assure you that my family knows the true meaning of Christmas, but do not feel it is necessary to prove it within our decor. I hope that makes sense. ~ Julie redheadcandecorate.com

      Reply
  2. Jean Jenrette says

    November 16, 2016 at 5:47 AM

    Julie,
    You should title this 5 ADORABLE Christmas ideas! I love these! Thank you for sharing.

    Jean

    Reply
    • Julie says

      November 16, 2016 at 8:32 AM

      Thank you, Jean! So happy you enjoyed my ideas. Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  3. Sarah says

    November 16, 2016 at 9:30 AM

    I’m loving each and every one of these creative ideas! I LOVE the personal mementos on your tree and think the hat topper is genius! Great post!

    Reply
  4. Erin Spain says

    November 16, 2016 at 9:34 AM

    Love your ideas, Julie! Everything looks beautiful.

    Reply
  5. Heather says

    November 16, 2016 at 11:20 AM

    Beautiful ideas from someone who I know to be a beautiful soul, through and through.

    Reply
  6. Heather Metzler says

    November 16, 2016 at 11:53 AM

    Such great inspiration! Thanks for the cute ideas Julie!

    Reply
  7. Kristin salazar says

    November 16, 2016 at 2:16 PM

    I love all of these fun and festive ideas Julie! You always have such wonderful ideas and you are also so incredibly generous with the biggest heart, I can testify to that when our youngest was so sick. XO Kristin

    Reply
  8. Barbara Sawyer says

    November 16, 2016 at 8:49 PM

    I saw on someones blog today It was just a back porch decorated for Christmas….I LOVE the whole house but being 76 and ill for 4 years I am thinking a small sunporch I have might be a cute way to go

    Reply

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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
Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. W Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. We woke up to the sound of chainsaws and rushed downstairs to find that our backyard neighbors were having two of the huge trees that line our shared fence removed. These trees have been here longer than the neighborhood and no, they weren't dead or causing damage to roofs, foundations, etc. They were beautiful and gave us wonderful privacy. We had no notice of this happening so this came as quite a shock. Because we were given no notice, we didn't have the chance to cover our outdoor furniture or plants and everything is now coated in a thick layer of sawdust including the fresh bark we recently put in the garden beds. And now our lovely privacy is gone, replaced by a direct view of an above ground pool and RV. I know, I know, it's totally a first world, privileged kind of problem to have. But, now we have to spend thousands of dollars on plants to try and recapture some semblance of privacy. Now we have days worth of clean up to do after we had JUST done a massive freshening up of our backyard. My overarching feeling has just been weariness at the way our world is today.

I think about how often we try to do right by people, to be respectful and courteous. To be thoughtful and considerate. And it’s not reciprocated. How its starting to seem more and more like people have just given up on those seemingly small niceties. And my soul just feels heavy. Because I feel like so much of what used to be common courtesy is not so common anymore. Drivers on the roads are angrier and more reckless than ever before. Red lights being run are an everyday occurrence around town. On our recent family vacation, I heard more people using the F word out in public than ever before even while around children. Where are manners? Where is kindness? I'm finding myself being surprised when someone is thoughtful because it seems like a rarity. And that's just all on a micro, local level. Don't even get me started on the insanity in our world/culture. After I returned from grocery shopping (which can also be soul crushing), I found myself desperate for a reminder of the truth. 

*Part 2 continued in the comments.*
How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully grasp our strengths or our weaknesses until we are put to the test? Little did I know how much I would love my role as a wife, mother and homemaker until I became one. And that in my endeavor to do those roles to the best of my ability, it would bring to the forefront gifts and talents and blessings that I use outside of these walls.

As I water others, I’m watered too because it brings such joy to care for those around me. But it can also make me see more clearly the areas in which I’m lacking and be a very humbling reminder of how much I still need to grow and learn.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched and one who waters will himself be watered.”

Have you done any ‘watering’ of others this week? How has it blessed and ‘watered’ you in return?
“Mom, this is one of my favorite meals that you “Mom, this is one of my favorite meals that you make.” Statements like this from my kids fill me with so much joy and such a sense of assurance that my role as the maker of this home is one that makes an impact on them in both big and small ways. It’s not just sheet pan shrimp boil. 

It’s nourishment
It’s time together around the table
It’s laughing as we try to get the butter sauce out of the pan
It’s a memory
It’s an imprint on their lives 

The ordinary act of making a meal becomes EXTRAordinary. And I try to keep that in mind as I do this task day in and day out, year after year. 

***

Ingredients: 
1 pound baby red or yellow potatoes
Green beans or corn (4 ears cut in half) whichever you prefer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt and pinch of black pepper 
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
Crusty bread for dipping 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender, about 10 minutes. Put potatoes, shrimp, sausage and green beans or corn on baking sheet. Pour butter over top. Sprinkle with old bay seasoning and salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Bake for about 12 minutes or until shrimp is pink. 

#shrimpboil #sheetpandinner #sheetpanmeals #homemaking
Temperatures in the 100’s call for fresh and lig Temperatures in the 100’s call for fresh and light cocktails! My husband is my own built in bartender and he put this together the other night. 

2 jiggers of gin (you could also use vodka) 
*you should do a jig when using a jigger 😉*
Crushed ice 
Grapefruit tonic 
Squirt of lime 
Sprig of mint 

Easy and so refreshing!! ☀️

#cocktails #summercocktails
There is something magical about the late summer e There is something magical about the late summer evenings. Maybe it’s because we have a greater sense of the fact that these long days are slowly shortening and we want to savor them as much as we can. I know I intend to do just that. 

I hope you’re having a wonderful August so far dear friends!
Variations of this recipe are on repeat at our hou Variations of this recipe are on repeat at our house all summer long. We’re big on the ‘build your own’ method of making dinner especially on very hot days. Simplicity for the win! 
#recipes #easydinner #easydinnerideas #homemaking
In music, rhythm is a regular repetition or a grou In music, rhythm is a regular repetition or a grouping of beats. No matter what else a piece of music has in terms of its pitch or tone, the rhythm never changes. Its the stabilizing force and brings order to a composition that would be completely chaotic without it.

The same can be said of rhythms in our lives and in our homes. When everything else feels out of control, rhythms and patterns provide us with stability and something that we can rely upon to give us a sense of security in a very insecure world. But, too often, we associate the rhythmic things we do in our lives as merely tasks to be gotten through rather than gifts which provide much-needed balance.

Whether it’s making the coffee every night before we go to bed or doing my devotional in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up or watering my garden, these simple tasks provide a rhythm to my day that is truly grounding. 

What’s something that you do that you would classify as a rhythm or pattern in your week?
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