• 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

February 2, 2015

Go Small or Go Home!

No friends, that’s not a typo. I really do mean go SMALL or go home!

You see, I realized something recently. I’m fairly certain that if someone were to conduct a study on the feeling you get after accomplishing a BIG project it would be pretty close to the feeling you get after accomplishing a small project.

Think about if for a minute. You’ve been putting something off for weeks, months, maybe even years.

You know it won’t take very long to get it done. And yet, it always seems to be way down on the priority list.

And then, you finally come to that point where you simply can’t put it off any longer or where you simply can’t shove one more thing into that drawer or where you get attacked by ribbons when you open that cabinet door.

Please still like me after seeing this next photo. 😉

messy craft supplies

I mean, for reals folks. This is how this cabinet has been for a looooooonnnnnggggg time. Like, at least a couple of years.

For the love of all that is good and organized, look away you OCD people, look away! I don’t want to traumatize you!!

Meanwhile, while this basket sat there looking like it vomited ribbons, I’ve somehow managed to accomplish big projects. Like this one and this one.

Obviously I had the time to tackle my cabinet of overflowing craft supplies. But, it always seemed like there was sometime more important, more worthwhile I could be doing.

messy ribbon basket

Until one day when I simply reached my breaking point. I realized that I wasn’t even remotely interested in attempting any new crafting projects because I dreaded opening up those doors and digging through all of those supplies.

Enough was enough.

organized craft supplies in cabinet atthepicketfence.com

And guess what. This took me all of oh…say…about a half an hour.

organizing craft paint in cabinet atthepicketfence.com

And as I was throwing away old, dried up paint and little bits of ribbon (which had me seriously questioning my sanity because why on earth would I hold onto so many little bits of ribbon?!), I realized that the emotions I was experiencing were very close to the emotions I felt after I accomplished those so-called bigger projects.

organized ribbon drawer atthepicketfence.com

The thrill I felt looking at the row of ribbon all neatly wrapped and bound sitting in the drawer was almost exactly the same feeling I’ve felt after painting a room or doing a big DIY project.

organized ribbons in drawer atthepicketfence.com

I talked at the beginning of the year about how it’s ok to start small. Because starting small is better than not starting at all.

And I think I’m just going to make that my mantra for this entire year.

Don’t get me wrong. I still have BIG projects coming up. In fact, next week there will be some major painting and DIY’ing going on up in here.

But, frankly, it makes me exhausted just thinking about what needs to happen to get ready for this BIG project.

organized craft supplies in drawer

And, you see, that’s the glorious thing about these small projects. They usually don’t require BIG preparations.

I mean, honestly, the feeling of pure joy I get from seeing my scarves all rolled up in a drawer is pretty awesome.

Oh sure, after walls are painted and shelves are built next week, I know I will feel a lot of joy then too. But it will be tempered by the amount of work that will have gone into it.

But, this drawer, well this drawer can be just pure joy because so little effort went into getting to look like that.

organized scarves in drawer atthepicketfence.com

And, every time I go to pull out a scarf and see them all greeting me in their neat and tidy rows I’m reminded that you don’t always have to go BIG in your home.

Sometimes it’s just as good to go small. 🙂

Happy Monday Friends!

Vanessa signature

7 Comments Filed Under: Decorating

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Custom Wood Sign Giveaway
Next Post: Treasures »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nancy says

    February 2, 2015 at 4:10 AM

    I know how you feel!! I did the same thing last week! All of those small disorganized space!! Spent a little time and voilà, nice and tidy. Ahhhhh!

    Reply
  2. Beverly Cook says

    February 2, 2015 at 4:27 AM

    What a great idea to tidy up the scarves in this way! I have two sock drawers that need to be emptied as I never wear the cute doggy socks anymore. Going to fold up my scarves and make much better use of the drawer. Thanks so much for this post. I’ll work on my ‘small project’ today!! <3

    Reply
  3. Kim says

    February 2, 2015 at 4:45 AM

    So good to see someone else who has little messes that are put off. I have been slowly cleaning up junky areas, too and it feels so good.

    Reply
  4. Jean from Georgia says

    February 2, 2015 at 2:34 PM

    I feel your pain. For two years my baseboards have needed sanding and painting. For the entire month of January I have been sanding and painting and getting fresh manicures each Saturday so I can attend church paint free. The project if about half finished and I am feeling so good! Hope to finish before spring weather makes me want to dig instead of paint.

    Reply
  5. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    February 2, 2015 at 7:27 PM

    I need to get cracking on my scarf drawer too!…Love that way you used the tiered stands to display and store your paints, glues, etc. Everything looks wonderful….and Happy Ground Hog Day too!….it’s too bad he saw his shadow!

    Reply
  6. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    February 3, 2015 at 6:46 AM

    So right Vanessa! I love to accomplish small jobs and I do get so much satisfaction! That’s how I accomplish big jobs too. I “chunk” them out! Little bit, by bit. I can get a little overwhelmed if I look at the whole big huge job! LOVE your ribbon collection. xo

    Reply
  7. Julia G. says

    February 5, 2015 at 10:44 AM

    Thank you for the motivation to make my scarves look neat and tidy!

    Reply

Leave a Reply 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

“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
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 At The Picket Fence