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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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December 9, 2011

Holiday Dining at Vanessa’s House and a winner!

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Before I share my Dining Room with you we need to announce the winner of last week’s giveaway for these gorgeous Burlap Stockings! (Giveaway for Blogger Block Party still going on!)
  from
The winner is:
Kathy from A Delightsome Life!
Congratulations!
We will put you in contact with Judy so that you can add these to your Christmas Collection.
Now, are you up for seeing another Dining Room today?
 I only wish we could go so quickly from Heather’s house to my house in real life! One of the best parts about us blogging together is that we actually get to see each other’s homes all decorated for Christmas since we so rarely get the chance to see them (or each other!) in person.
This has truly been one incredible week so far in Blogland and it’s not even over yet! Whew!
You are one talented group and I cannot believe the eye candy I have seen in the last few days.
I know we will see lots more still and I’m excited to share a little bit of my own creations this afternoon.
Welcome to my Dining Room at Christmas!

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Now, Heather had her Dining Room table all set and ready to welcome guests, but I had to leave my table with some free space since it will soon be filled with every kind of cookie you could imagine.
Each year I host a Cookie Exchange for the gals in our Community Group at church and that will be taking place this Sunday. The hubbies are very encouraging of their wives attending this event!
We also hosted a neighborhood Open House last weekend and I got my 
centerpiece done just in the nick of time!

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The only thing I had planned ahead of time was to have these pots of paper whites on the table. 
Other than that I was just kinda winging it!
They are slowly but surely growing and I hope by Christmas to see some actual blooms.
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Bunched up sage green burlap creates the perfect foundation to build the arrangement.
I filled a large apothecary jar with pine cones and then added the berry branches for a pop of color.

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I’ve used these for years in a variety of places and I love the sheen the berries have. 
They look fantastic when they pick up the light at night!

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These Candle Holders were such a fun and inexpensive project and are based on some I saw at Tuesday Morning (for about 3 times the cost!). I’ll be showing you how I made them next Wednesday when Heather and I share a Guest Post over at Lisa’s from Before Meets After! 

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With the berry branches all around I was a bit nervous placing candles on top of the holders. So I used these Battery Operated ones from Target and I still can’t get over how realistic they look!
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Of course, I had to have the real deal too so I placed these low pillar candles on top of 2 of my small Spode 
 “Winter’s Eve” plates. I love this pattern and I’m constantly on the lookout for more!

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Here’s another peek at my Citrus and Evergreen centerpiece on my side table as well as my homemade boxwood wreath. I’m definitely going to be keeping that up on into the New Year!
The windows were dressed with Cranberry wreaths and I love the pop of color they bring to the room.
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So, there you have it! My dining room at Christmas.

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Should I save you some cookies? 
Be sure and come back in the morning with Heather will be revealing her remodeled Kitchen all dressed up for Christmas and you will get the chance to share from the Heart of your Home too by linking up to her Christmas in the Kitchen Party!
And, don’t forget, my Doors and Porches party is going strong and there is still plenty of time to join in the fun along with all of the other amazing parties happening as we speak!
Including this one:
Thanks so much for stopping by the Fence today,

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22 Comments Filed Under: Decorating

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debra @ Common Ground says

    December 8, 2011 at 11:51 PM

    Just gorgeous! I love those wonderful plaid drapes!! xoxo

    Reply
  2. Debbiedoo's blogging and blabbing says

    December 8, 2011 at 11:52 PM

    Looks so beautiful and festive in your neck of the woods!

    Reply
  3. Honey at 2805 says

    December 9, 2011 at 12:03 AM

    What a delight it would be to dine at either your home or Heather’s!

    Reply
  4. Susan (My Place to Yours) says

    December 9, 2011 at 12:04 AM

    You and Heather have added such festive touches to your dining rooms! What a treat for your family and friends. (Was last weekend’s Open House the Sally List project you wanted to do? Just curious…)

    Reply
  5. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    December 9, 2011 at 12:15 AM

    Congrats to Kathy! It’s very lovely and I’d never know you were winging it, Vanessa! : ) I love how everything flows together.

    Reply
  6. Betsy@ coastal-colors says

    December 9, 2011 at 12:17 AM

    Your dining room is lovely! I love the natural elements you combined in to your decor! The fresh greenery must smell so wonderful! It’s has such a casual elegance about it all!

    Reply
  7. Judy says

    December 9, 2011 at 12:32 AM

    Your home looks gorgeous all decorated for the holidays. I love the idea of a cookie exchange. It’s so nice to get to tour both of your dining rooms.

    Reply
  8. Jann Olson says

    December 9, 2011 at 1:10 AM

    Very pretty Vanessa. Love the berry branches. Also love all of the natural greens. Your paperwhites will bloom before you know it. They grow so dog gone fast. Mine have buds and are just about to open. Can’t wait. My red amaryllis burst forth with a beautiful red bloom yesterday.

    Reply
  9. Tanya@takesix says

    December 9, 2011 at 1:58 AM

    Vanessa, your diningroom is beautiful and looks so festive!! I love your berry branches and your gorgeous red transferware!

    Reply
  10. Lakeshore Cottage Living says

    December 9, 2011 at 3:10 AM

    Oh how I love your blue dishes in your cabinet. Everything is so beautiful…oh and did you say COOKIES? mmmmm. that sounds like fun!

    Reply
  11. Sue says

    December 9, 2011 at 3:28 AM

    You and Heather both have such beautiful homes! So warm and inviting.

    Reply
  12. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    December 9, 2011 at 3:38 AM

    I would love a cookie right about now Vanessa LOL!! Your dining room looks beautiful and I love the centerpiece you created for your table! You girls are the best for hosting this fun week long party! Martina

    Reply
  13. Crimson Heart Studios says

    December 9, 2011 at 4:42 AM

    How fun, I would love to do this with my sister. Come over to my blog. I have a vintage garland tutorial and giveaway. Thanks, Cindy

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

    December 9, 2011 at 6:47 AM

    Your dining room looks wonderful! I love the candlesticks, and all the cranberries!

    Reply
  15. Betty Sneeringer says

    December 9, 2011 at 11:58 AM

    I like the naturalness of your table. Hope your paperwhites perform just on time. Mine are about to bloom but are up about two feet tall – didn’t want them that tall! Had to put a ribbon around them already.

    Reply
  16. Wendy @HerBallistic Garden says

    December 9, 2011 at 1:12 PM

    It’s all so pretty, but I like the chippy split candlesticks best! Very cool!

    xo

    Reply
  17. Crafty Mischief says

    December 9, 2011 at 8:22 PM

    Wow! Beautiful!

    Reply
  18. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    December 9, 2011 at 11:11 PM

    Hi Vanessa, The candlesticks are so cute! I am looking forward to seeing how you made them. Thank you for sharing your beautiful dining room at my party.
    Hugs,
    Sherry

    Reply
  19. Angela says

    December 10, 2011 at 12:02 AM

    Visited the sponsors for another chance to win. It would be so hard to choose, but I like the the numbered napkins at Cottage in the Oaks and the wool headbands at Curly Willow Collections.

    Reply
  20. Debbie says

    December 10, 2011 at 12:55 AM

    I wish I could come to the cookie exchange, sounds like fun and your home is so beautiful and inviting…those candle sticks look great!
    Debbie

    Reply
  21. adventuresindinner says

    December 9, 2011 at 8:02 PM

    What gorgeous ideas, thanks so much for hosting this fun party. The whole week has been a total treat.

    Reply
  22. Becca says

    December 10, 2011 at 2:39 PM

    Let’s see … where do I start? The fabulous centerpiece with the perfect addition of burlap … the traditional and beautiful cranberry wreaths on the windwo … the gorgeous handcrafted candles … the fruit tucked in the vase on the sideboard? It’s all stunning, Vanessa! I wanna come to the cookie exchange!

    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
I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?

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
What if you could do something at the beginning of What if you could do something at the beginning of your day that would be a gift to yourself later on? That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Tip Tuesday! #tiptuesday
The sun decided to make another appearance today! The sun decided to make another appearance today! It’s been such a lovely Sunday. Chocolate croissants for breakfast followed by church then naps/football/reading/etc and soon we’ll be heading out to dinner with friends. These are my favorite kind of weekends. Hope yours has been lovely too! 🌿
Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshi Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshine is breaking through the fog and my house just seems happier. We definitely needed to see that light streaming in through the windows and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted.

And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here i Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here in the Willamette Valley has me feeling less frustrated about my migraine forcing me to just snuggle up indoors and these flowers in my kitchen are lifting my spirits. What are you up to on this holiday weekend?
It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offe It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offering a gentle reminder from my own parenting experience after feeling my heart pricked with conviction about what was waiting for my daughter every day after school. I hope it will encourage you! 🌿#tiptuesday
The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now). 

And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kic Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kicking off the year with a brand new series! Each weekly installment will feature a tip for everything from your home to faith to parenting to family life and so much more. My goal for 2023 is to have far more personal interaction with this community while continuing on with the mission of weaving together all things heart and home. I hope you enjoy this first tip and I’d love to hear from you about whether or not you decorate for winter! 
#tiptuesday #organizing #winterdecorating
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. H “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

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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