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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 17, 2011

A Harvest of Ideas and a Feature!

We were so honored when the lovely sisters of Wayward Girls’ Crafts asked if they could feature us as part of their Saturday Sister Spotlight Series! Say that 5 times fast! It is just so neat to connect with other sisters who blog together and we were more than thrilled to be included in this fun series.
But then, they put a little twist on the Feature by issuing us a Challenge!
They give us a Theme. We come up with the Craft.
Our theme was: Harvest
Heather immediately began “pinning” ideas on Pinterest while Vanessa began to sweat. You see, over the years, Vanessa has loudly and proudly declared herself to be somewhat Craft “Challenged”. So to be issued a Craft “Challenge” caused a bit of anxiety. But, as all good big sisters do, Heather talked her down from the crafting deficient ledge and encouraged her to take a look at the board of ideas she had “pinned”.
Up first…Vanessa’s Harvest Challenge!
Did anyone see pigs flying overhead last week? Because I, who swore I would never do this in my lifetime, finally caved to the crafting pressure.
I made a WREATH!!
Those of you who know me well can pick yourselves up off of the floor now.
And I didn’t tackle just any wreath.
I aimed high!
This is my version of the Martha Stewart Harvest Wreath.
It only took about an hour to complete it and I absolutely love how something as simple as folding cornhusks (which have been soaked in water to make them pliable) in half and layering them on top of each other can look so elegant!
Not bad for a Grand Total of $10!
All it took was a straw wreath form ($4), one package of cornhusks with LOTS left over ($3)
and a box of tacks ($3).
Pin It
Now, we won’t be holding our breath for another wreath from Vanessa anytime soon, but now she can finally say she did it and survived!
Let’s take a look now at what Heather has been up to!
Wow! Harvest…so many ways you can run with that.  Since I like to kick off my fall decorations with my mantel (it tends to set the stage) I thought I’d create a simple and easy craft to add a fresh new look this year! White pumpkins are all the rage and well…I LURVE them!
monogramed-pumpkin-4
I wish I could tell you this was a complex and detailed craft but well…that would mean me lying and my blogging integrity might be brought into question. grin. This sweet little pumpkin couldn’t have been easier or cheaper to make…cheap as in $1.00!
Fall Photos1
Pin It
I picked up a little carvable pumpkin at my local Dollar Tree. Now these pumpkins don’t even remotely look “natural” in their well… natural state.  They’re a pretty garish orange.  But with a little white and brown paint I had on hand and a simple monogram. This Dollar Tree pumpkin could almost pass as real. I love it on my mantel. It really personalizes my fall display.
Fall Photos
It’s so easy to monogram anything with a little paint and a stencil…even a pumpkin! Happy Harvest!
We’d love you to visit us over at Wayward Girls Crafts to meet these lovely sisters and see our Feature! Come on over and say “hi!” and a big thanks to the Wayward Girls for our Saturday Sister Spotlight!
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Our weekly Inspiration Friday Party is still going strong and we would love to have you share some of your own projects and ideas with us there!
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This post is partying at:
Project Queen: I Turned The Daunting Into The Doable Tuesdays

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia: Tuesday’s Treasures
Savvy Southern Style: Wow Us Wednesday
DIY By Design: Sizzle into Summer
No Minimalist Here: Open House Party

22 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Good Ideas, Guest Posts

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Next Post: Corn Husks…they’re not just for Tamales! »

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Comments

  1. Lori says

    September 17, 2011 at 1:17 PM

    Omagah! I saw those the other day and I need white pumpkins for a bridal shower. I’m going back today, and the monogram thing will be just the right touch.

    Thanks for the inspiration.

    Reply
  2. Kelly says

    September 17, 2011 at 1:51 PM

    I love both of those ideas. I haven’t begun to decorate for Fall yet, but I’m enjoying seeing everyone elses. I particularly like that pumpkin idea. I’ve even seen white pumpkins each with one letter that spells out BOO staggered down front porch steps for Halloween. So cute.

    Reply
  3. https://findingsecrettreasures.blogspot.com says

    September 17, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    I love both projects! I’ve started my decorating, but have plenty of space to “copy” these to add, Thanks for the inspiration!

    Lorrie

    Reply
  4. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    September 17, 2011 at 3:14 PM

    Hi Ladies, I love seeing all these wonderful new Fall projects popping up on blogs now. This has me anxious to start decorating for Fall. Great job!
    Hugs,
    Sherry

    Reply
  5. Marla and Steve @ Always Nesting says

    September 17, 2011 at 3:30 PM

    Looks like we’ve all scarfed up those dollar tree pumpkins! Great minds think alike 🙂 I have to say, my creation does not look near as classy as your creation but it is white. My hat is off to you for getting the monogram to look so good working with those ridges.

    Reply
  6. marty (A Stroll Thru Life) says

    September 17, 2011 at 5:19 PM

    Oh my word, you both did a fabulous job. Love the cornhusk wreath. What a great idea and it does look so elegant. I love the monogramed pumpkin also. I really need to buy some stencils. Your mantel looks fabulous. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
  7. Michele Smith says

    September 17, 2011 at 6:30 PM

    Beautiful wreath! I just ordered a vinyl monogram for a pumpkin on my porch after searching michaels for stencils.
    Thank you for the inspiration.

    Reply
  8. NanaDiana says

    September 17, 2011 at 8:06 PM

    You girls both did a GREAT job! Wow! Vanessa-for being UNcrafty you did pretty darned good! LOVE it! And Heather-GREAT job! Love that little monogramed pumpkin!

    Happy weekend, girls- xo Diana

    Reply
  9. sissie says

    September 17, 2011 at 9:09 PM

    Ooh, the cornhusk wreath is stunning….love it! And the little white pumpkin is adorable. Love the monogram.

    hugs
    Sissie

    Reply
  10. Jordan McCollum says

    September 17, 2011 at 9:17 PM

    Thanks so much for participating! I love both your crafts. I pinned the corn husk wreath earlier this week, even though I’m anti-wreath, too!

    Reply
  11. Just Jaime says

    September 17, 2011 at 11:29 PM

    Awesome job on our challenge! So glad you stopped by! I love that wreath! I got one of those Dollar Tree Pumpkins too!

    Reply
  12. Karen says

    September 18, 2011 at 12:34 AM

    loving the cornhusk wreath~ just where did you find the cornhusks? I haven’t seen any.

    Reply
  13. Catie @ Catie's Corner says

    September 18, 2011 at 2:19 PM

    Hi Ladies, Lovely wreath Vanessa! I can’t believe that’s done with corn husks. Just gorgeous. And Heather I love your painted pumpkin. I’ve already been pinning a few myself. My daughter wants one spray painted hot pink! That should be interesting. ; ) Hope you two are having a great weekend!

    ~ Catie

    Reply
  14. Lori says

    September 18, 2011 at 3:38 PM

    Yesterday, I got all nine pumpkins that $ tree had left! Painting today! I’ll post. Lori

    Reply
  15. Liz says

    September 19, 2011 at 1:23 AM

    The corn husk wreath is so festive for fall, I absolutely love it! XO ~Liz

    Reply
  16. Marianne says

    September 19, 2011 at 1:15 PM

    You ladies never cease to amaze me with your creativity. I just love that corn husk wreath. I was reading this blog post the other day so I ran to the dollar tree yesterday and bought some of those lovely $1 pumpkins…..hope you don’t mind if I copy! The poor dears do need some sprucing up…and I’m a bit tired of waiting for the real deal to be ready for picking. So I’m off with my pumpkins and some white paint!
    Marianne 🙂

    Reply
  17. Shannon@vintagerestyled says

    September 22, 2011 at 2:05 AM

    I am running to Dollar Tree! Love it!

    Reply
  18. Judy says

    September 27, 2011 at 10:29 PM

    Heather, I just love those monogramed pumpkins. I will be featuring them tonight at my Fall into Fall party (formerly Sizzle into Summer). Please stop by and pick up an I’ve Been Featured Button. Thanks so much. BTW I think I will be doing this with my kids this weekend…it’s really too cute.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. A Tale of 3 Pumpkins … Pumpkin One: Book Pages says:
    January 27, 2013 at 5:38 PM

    […] Tree pumpkins! I shared with you a couple of weeks ago my first use of a Dollar Tree pumpkin, my Monogramed Pumpkin.   I have since found three more ways I just love!  Up first, the Book Page Pumpkin! I first […]

    Reply
  2. Corn Husks...they're not just for Tamales! - At The Picket Fence says:
    August 6, 2013 at 6:57 PM

    […] to use $3 worth of Corn Husks! 1. Make a Corn Husk Wreath On Saturday, we showed you two of our Harvest projects and I shared with you that I, after years of saying that I would NEVER make a wreath, […]

    Reply
  3. Dollar Tree Valentine’s Day Ring of Roses Wreath - At The Picket Fence says:
    August 24, 2013 at 7:14 AM

    […] for me here At The Picket Fence. It started with my Dollar Tree Pumpkins! We came up with a Monogramed Pumpkin, A Faux Nail Head Pumpkin, A Ribbon Pumpkin and the most popular one my Book Page Pumpkin. For […]

    Reply
  4. Dollar Store Pumpkins - Done 25 Ways - A Night Owl Blog says:
    September 15, 2013 at 2:22 PM

    […] Monogrammed Dollar Store Pumpkin / At the Picket Fence […]

    Reply

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What do you do when you want to use a bunch of boo What do you do when you want to use a bunch of books in your decorating but it can cost $50 or more for just ONE brand new book? Head to the secondhand bookstore of course! I’m so excited about this new look in my family room and this easy, inexpensive decorating tip I’m bringing to you for this #tiptuesday
Today feels like one of those days that is worthy Today feels like one of those days that is worthy of a chef’s kiss. Blue sky with nary a cloud in sight, perfect mid-70’s temps, a gentle breeze blowing through my hair as I walk around my yard to see the status of my flowering plants.

This morning I was running errands and the weight of hard things that are happening in the world, the culture, my own community and even in our circle of friends just felt so heavy.

But, as I was exiting a store, I passed a couple who were in their late 60’s/early 70’s and holding hands as they walked through the parking lot. I happened to glance over just as the husband lifted his wife’s hand up and planted a kiss right on it. It was a moment that reflected such love and tenderness and it was made sweeter by the fact that they weren’t spring chickens. I felt honored that I had been the one to observe and appreciate that moment.

What an incredible thing it is that as humans we are able to hold so many emotions in our souls all at once. To feel sorrow for the pain a friend is enduring, grieve the decline of a culture drifting further from the Lord, ponder how to navigate a challenging school situation, marvel at and enjoy the beauty of creation right outside my door and feel joy at getting to see a tangible example of lasting love while walking through a parking lot.

I truly believe that as we mature in our lives and in our faith, we learn to embrace the tension that comes with the collision of different emotions and recognize that they can all coexist at the same time without one taking something away from another. Simple joys make the hard stuff a bit easier and hard stuff makes us appreciate those simple joys even more.

What’s a simple joy that you are thankful for today?
Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here Oh what an absolutely lovely weekend we had!! Here are some highlights…

*Friday night I joined some wonderful ladies at church for a time of fellowship and yummy desserts. I made a strawberry lemon coffee cake and it was amazing if I do say so myself. ☺️ We are new-ish to this church and have just felt so warmly welcomed and folded in which has been very healing.

*Saturday was filled with getting our outdoor spaces spiffed up and my guys got our new table put together!

*Sitting outside for lunch with a yummy salad and iced tea felt like a little slice of heaven.

*Sunday we went to the iris gardens with my in-laws and then came home for naps and the most mouth watering ribs that my sweet husband had on the smoker all day.

*This glorious weekend ended with some ferocious rounds of UNO-corn (a hilarious version of UNO) and brownies my sweet daughter made for our dessert.

How was your weekend sweet friends? 🌸
I am absolutely and completely a better version of I am absolutely and completely a better version of myself when the sun is shining! Raise your hand if this is true for you too.

And, not only do I feel myself seeming to physically rise up from a slumbered state to greet the sunshine we've been longing for, I find that it seems like my house is rising up too. Every room, every nook and cranny (even though I now see dust bunnies that I missed during my cleaning on the dreary days), every leaf and flower outside...it's all coming to life and breathing fresh hope into my spirit. What a gift it is to be able to enjoy this home in all of the seasons of the year and of our lives. Now, I'm going to head outside and clean our deck and maybe there will be some time leftover for those dust bunnies!
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If you’d like the link to order them, just leave a comment with the word ‘bottles’ and I’ll send it your way. They’re even on sale right now! 🙌🏻
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Lilac season is so bittersweet because it’s over way too soon but, fortunately, I’ve figured out how to capture the deliciousness of the fragrance by making my own lilac scented room spray. It’s SO simple!

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.

This sweet little project was first featured in my book Life in Season and is definitely one of my favorites.

Have the lilacs started blooming where you live?
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