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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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  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

April 28, 2011

Inspiration Friday No. 13!

 
Welcome, welcome everyone! We were going to show you a picture this week of Vanessa pulling her Recycling Can to the curb but we thought that might just be a little bit too much after the whole tree-hugging thing.
If you have no idea what we are talking about…well…you might just be better off!
 What we are going to share with you this week is a sneak peek at the progress Heather is making on her Kitchen Remodel on a Budget!

“Hey my favorite girlies and guys?! in blogland!  After a month..yes a month..of this kitchen remodel I am finally putting cabinet doors back up!  And just in time for 40 kids to show up Friday night for the boy’s 17th birthday party..17…sigh..but that’s for another post.  Anyhoo, I thought you all might like to see a quick sneak peek of one of two open cabinets I will have in the kitchen now.  I have been inspired by so many wonderful bloggers out there that I will give credit to in the final reveal but I have to give major props to my friend Courtney at French Country Cottage for inspiring me to create arches in the open cabinets!  I am in L.O.V.E. with how they turned out…Now it was a horribly cloudy day yesterday so I apologize for the lighting…any one else having raining days lately…heh. Pretty much the whole country right?  So ya ready…

Wood beadboard on sides of cabinets

 

Beadboard wallpaper added to backs, tops and sides

My beautiful curved arches thanks to Courtney’s inspiration and Bama Boy’s jigsaw cutting skills
“I’ll share all the details in future posts!  Needless to say this is a time consuming but totally rewarding project! Cant’t wait to show you everything…but you’ll have to wait just a lil while longer. 😉


And now, let’s get to our Features from last week’s party!
 
First up this week is an absolutely GORGEOUS vintage themed picnic, created by Lisa at Simply…This That & The Other for her college-bound daughter.

 
This, as you can see, was no ordinary picnic. Not only did she haul a dresser (you read that right!) to a local park in order to create this stunning setting, she also used this opportunity to speak into the life of her daughter and to reflect on their relationship with each other.
 
 There is also a wonderful video at the end of the post which truly captures how special this moment was and how close these 2 women are. Get your tissues ready and pay a visit to Lisa at Simply…This That & The Other.
 
 
Next up we have another Lisa. This one from Before Meets After, who shared this gorgeous dining room table transformation. It was actually completed, with Lisa’s help, by her friend Christine and we think it looks like the perfect addition to Christine’s already stunning dining room! Isn’t the fabric choice on the seats just perfect with the wall color?


Lisa has so many other fabulous projects happening at her lovely blog and we hope you will pop over and pay her a visit at Before Meets After.
 
 Now, would you believe that you could take these….
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
And use them to make this?

 
Well, whether you believe it or not, you need to head over and visit Jess from
Hill Country Homebody and check out this incredible artwork she created!

 
Elizabeth from Just Following Jesus shared not only her talent as an artist with us, but also the lovely story behind this gorgeous Bluebell Painting.
Did you know that Bluebells are actually considered a weed?
 002

When Elizabeth painted this she had someone particular in mind.
Someone who was feeling a lot like a “weed“.
We’ve all been there haven’t we?
Well, you must go and visit Just Following Jesus to find out more about this story and how this painting of Bluebells helped someone realize the “flower” that they actually are!

 
Now, don’t forget to grab your Featured At Button if you were featured at today’s party or during the week as a Facebook Feature! We have started featuring several links during the week on our Facebook page, so make sure you join us over there to see if you are featured! (did we say the word feature enough?? grin.)
 
Thank you so much for joining us for Inspiration Friday at the Fence,
 

 
When you are done linking up head over and party with the other “Friday Party Friends

The lovely Courtney at French Country Cottage
Our beautiful friend Alison from Stuff and Nonsense
Stuff and Nonsense

And the gracious Debra from Common Ground

vif187

 
Now all ya PARTY PEOPLE it’s time to link on up…here’s the rules!


  •  Friend At The Picket Fence in some capacity
  • Link Up any post you’ve written that has Inspired You and will Inspire Others-it can be a home improvement project, craft, recipe, story, devotional…if it inspires link it up!

  • Be sure to link back to your original post and not just your url (main blog address)

  • Please post our button (code in the sidebar) or a text link on your blog so others can join in the fun! (MANDATORY)
  • Visit another guest Please try and visit at least the link directly above and below you!  We are trying so hard between writing posts, homeschooling, and taking care of our families..grin..to visit everyone’s posts. Sometimes we miss one and for that we apologize.  It makes us feed good knowing others are visiting people as well!  Thank you..it truly means a lot to us! 
This week’s Inspiration Friday party brought to you by our
Featured Etsy Shop of the month!

26 Comments Filed Under: Inspiration Friday

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Comments

  1. Michell @ Girl In Air says

    April 28, 2011 at 10:06 PM

    LOVE that table….I just re-did my very similar…

    I’m new to her fab blog!

    Thanks ladies for hosting!!

    Reply
  2. Vivienne @ the V Spot says

    April 28, 2011 at 10:18 PM

    That table is fabulous! Thanks for hosting the party!

    Reply
  3. Pam says

    April 28, 2011 at 10:21 PM

    I love the new cabinets! And the metal basket among the wicker looks so cute! Great job!

    Thanks so much for having the party. It’s so fun to see the amazing projects that people post.

    Have a great day.
    Pam

    Reply
  4. bj says

    April 28, 2011 at 10:55 PM

    I have really loved seeing all the talent displayed here.
    Thanks so much for hosting such a pretty and all-around meme. And, thanks so much for putting the link up early. That is SO helpful.
    xo bj

    Reply
  5. Andrea at Opulent Cottage says

    April 28, 2011 at 11:11 PM

    LOVE that beadboard! Such a great project, the arches are so fab. Hope you girls are finally getting some sun! Thanks for hosting, and have a great weekend :))
    xoxo, Andrea

    Reply
  6. AshTreeCottage says

    April 28, 2011 at 11:12 PM

    Lots of talented women! Thanks for some great inspiration and for a great party.

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley
    xxoo

    Reply
  7. A Vintage Vine says

    April 28, 2011 at 11:24 PM

    Thanks for hosting…I am loving the kitchen so far!!!

    Reply
  8. elizabeth says

    April 28, 2011 at 11:25 PM

    I love your new cabinets and am a wee bit jealous!
    Thank you beyond words for featuring my bluebell painting! I feel so blessed!

    Reply
  9. Judy says

    April 29, 2011 at 12:18 AM

    Great features. Thank you as always for hosting. I look forward to your party.

    Reply
  10. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    April 29, 2011 at 12:50 AM

    Thanks for hosting girls! Heather your kitchen cabinets look amazing can’t wait for the big reveal!! Martina

    Reply
  11. ⚜ ↁℯℬℬᴵℰ⚜ says

    April 29, 2011 at 1:00 AM

    Thanks for hosting girls. I love that white kitchen table, all your features are lovely!

    Reply
  12. Magpies and Magnolias says

    April 29, 2011 at 4:02 AM

    the beaded board wallpaper is amazing! I need to remember that …

    Thanks so much for hosting!

    Reply
  13. Eleni says

    April 29, 2011 at 6:18 AM

    Thank you so much for hosting this great party:) So much inspiration!!! I love it!!!

    Reply
  14. Stephanie ~ Angelic Accents says

    April 29, 2011 at 6:33 AM

    Anything beadboard is really REALLY doing it for me these days! Beautiful post! Thanks so much for hostessing this fun event!

    Big TX Hugs,
    Stephanie
    Angelic Accents

    Reply
  15. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    April 29, 2011 at 1:56 AM

    Oh your open cupboards are just FAB-U LOUS Heather! They look amazing- and thanks so much for the sweet shout out! Can’t wait to see the final kitchen reveal- thanks for hosting! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Cozy Home Scenes says

    April 29, 2011 at 2:07 AM

    40 17 year olds? You’re either a saint or crazy! Happy birthday to your son.

    About your pictures…. If you have a despeckle option on whatever photo enhancement program you are using, that will erase some of the grainy issues. That’s what I have to do on rainy days. Yesterday was one of those days. Today was sunny, so I was retaking pictures like mad to get my post.

    Thanks for the party and have a great weekend!

    Reply
  17. Christie says

    April 29, 2011 at 4:10 AM

    The cabinets look awesome!! I can’t wait to see it all! And that feature of the mother/daugther picnic? Well, I am crying just from these images! I will check it out! So sweet and that time will be here before we know it…guess Heather you are feeling that, too with a 17 yo birthday! Have fun and enjoy soaking in every minute! Much love! Christie

    Reply
  18. Curtains In My Tree says

    April 29, 2011 at 2:29 PM

    Thanks for hosting today.

    I love seeing all the ideas others have

    I have so many projects to get done

    Reply
  19. Lindsay says

    April 29, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    Thanks for hosting!! Love all the inspiring projects.

    Reply
  20. stefanie says

    April 29, 2011 at 6:03 PM

    how fun, glad I joined this party, off to visit, thanks!

    Reply
  21. alison says

    April 29, 2011 at 7:45 PM

    perhaps we’re no longer on the same wavelength? too sad…:( did you love the wedding as much as i did…and i did a whole lot…my daughter and i were up at 4 to sip tea and munch scones while enjoying the show…in the words of mary poppins, ‘it was practically perfect in every way.’ have a great weekend girls!

    alison

    Reply
  22. Green Door Girl says

    April 29, 2011 at 9:55 PM

    love the art work! I am glad to be linking up again, my three/four week hiatus had me missing all the wonderful projects! 🙂

    Reply
  23. CAS says

    April 30, 2011 at 3:12 AM

    Heather, love the open shelves with the arch. Saweet! Can’t wait to see the whole finished kitchen. By-the-way, my link to the party is about the give-away I won on your blog from Larkspur Interiors. I tried to give everyone lots of credit. Ya’ll rock!!!
    CAS

    Reply
  24. Debra@Common Ground says

    April 30, 2011 at 4:38 AM

    Hi Gals, so glad you joined in today, the more the merrier. Such fun “spreading the bloggy love”!!
    xoxo, Debra

    Reply
  25. andiejaye says

    April 30, 2011 at 6:39 AM

    thanks so much for hosting! i just painted and distressed the base of my white table and am getting ready to do the chairs! great minds think alike!

    Reply
  26. jessica @www.hillcountryhomebody.blogspot.com says

    May 15, 2011 at 4:21 AM

    Oh myI don’t know how I missed this! Maybe it is because I have been a wee bit absent from blogging for a couple of weeks! Anywho..Thank you, Thank you for featuring our wall art!

    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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