Hi and welcome to Inspiration Friday #17! We had a record number of friends last week! So a warm welcome to our new party guests and a big thank you to those of you who come back each week to party with us at the picket fence! Before we share our features with you, we wanted to introduce our special guest this week. She is very dear to us both and she is a budding photographer! We thought what better way to introduce her to you all than on Inspiration Friday. Please meet Mekenzie Leigh
Heather’s daughter and Vanessa’s niece. 🙂 Mekenzie, who is 11, has just discovered a talent and passion for nature photography and has recently created a little gallery of her art, including naming each piece. 😉 We hope you’ll indulge us as we share a few of Mekenzie’s recent photographs.
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| Spikey Flora |
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| Butterfly on Dandelion |
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| Fly on the Fence |
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| Yellow Flower |
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| The Lone Dandelion |
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| Flash of Fire |
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| Crow’s Feather |
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| Our House in a Bubble |
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| White Bells |
Needless to say, Momma Heather is proud of Mekenzie’s eye for photography! Don’t ever hesitate to put “real” equipment and tools of trade into the hands of a child who shows talent for something. Mekenzie was give no real instruction (besides..keep that strap around your neck and don’t drop my camera! grin!) and through trial and error was able to create true works of art! The capacity for a child to self teach and learn is so amazing! They have no fear or hesitancy, they just do! Thank you Mekenzie for being our guest today At The Picket Fence! 😉
Now onto our Features for the Week! We would beg you to stop making it so difficult for us to choose features each week, but that would mean you would stop linking up such fabulous things and we can’t have that…because we love each and every one of them! There were some issues with Blogger…again…and Vanessa is off having some fun (it helps when you can share the visiting)..so Heather was unable to get to every link this week and leave a comment, but we will continue to visit you all as Blogger lets us.
Our First Feature goes to show again the resourcefulness of bloggers when they want the designer look but not the designer price tag. Wendy from Designed to Dwell was craving the look of the beds she saw at Restoration Hardware but not the $900+ cost (ouch!) She decided she and her talented husband could knock-off the look for a fraction of the cost!
Fraction was right! $25 to be exact! And is it not gorgeous?! Pay Wendy a visit at Design to Dwell and see many of her other amazing projects and ideas!
Up next we have one of our dear friends Ann from On Sutton Place. Ann took us through a literally mouth dropping step by step transformation of her screened in porch. There are so many mouth watering details and Ann shares each one with us. The before and after photos are amazing!
Head over and visit Ann at On Sutton Place and her lovely porch and take a peek at the process of Ann’s porch redo!
Up next we have Stacy from Conspicuous Style. She has the greatest since of humor because she readily admits she’s not super keen on DIY projects. We all secretly have those moments where we HATE caulk..admit it..you know you do. Stacy just isn’t afraid to say it! What we really want to know is does Stacy full appreciate how FABULOUS her DIY Kitchen paneling is?!
Yes we know…just stare and don’t say anything. It’s breathtaking isn’t it?
Stacy shares several more photographs of her new paneling as well as instructions at Conspicuous Style. This is one you dont’ want to miss!
Now were shifting gears a little here. But we thought this next project would be a perfect gift idea for those of us with upcoming graduates or as just a great way to memorialize those fun high school and college years…they were fun weren’t they?? 😉 Heather from Deco-organize Crafts helped her Mother-in-law make these fabulous pillows
out of her son’s old team t’shirts! Aren’t they cool?! Heather’s MIL is redecorating an entire bedroom in her house with the memorabila of her children so that when they come home and when the grandchildren visit they can stay in a room full of their and their parents memories. We think this is such a lovely and creative idea and these pillows would be perfect for a student or even for a dad on Father’s Day! Heather shares the tutorial on how to make these at Decor-ganize Crafts so you can make one too!
and we want to end our Features by inviting you to a lovely Apple Blossom Tea Party hosted by Poppy at With A Dash of Color. There isn’t much that words can say..the photographs do all of the talking…
Sigh…visit Poppy at With a Dash of Color and take a moment to have “tea” with her…I bet she’ll keep it all set up for your visit! 🙂
If you were featured today (or have been featured in the past) please grab the new featured at button located in our sidebar!
Are you following At The Picket Fence on Facebook? Don’t forget we feature many of your links during the week on our Facebook Page! If you’ve been featured there, grab a button as well! Thank you to everyone who shared so many fabulous posts with us last week! We appreciate you!
Now it’s time to share with us what has inspired you this week!
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
Our beautiful friend Alison from Stuff and Nonsense
And the gracious Debra from Common Ground
Now all ya PARTY PEOPLE it’s time to link on up…here’s the rules!
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Friend At The Picket Fence in some capacity
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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!
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Be sure to link back to your original post and not just your url (main blog address)
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Please post our button (code in the sidebar) or a text link on your blog so others can join in the fun! (MANDATORY)
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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!
Loving that kitchen! I don’t really have any time of inspiration this week! I think I need a rest!
Just linked up, thanks so much for the party! I’m lovin’ getting to know you gals! xoxo Debra
Thanks so much for hostessing this fun event ~ I just linked up. That sunporch and kitchen are both calling my name!! Love them! And that lil photographer is awesome!!
Big TX Hugs,
Stephanie
Angelic Accents
Thanks for hosting!! I love that feather and the bubbles!! nSo simple but pretty…
I linked up my easy pineapple cutting as well as a green gift wrapping idea! Hope you likey!! 🙂
That pretty lil’photographer is just so adorable and talented! I have a professional photographer daughter, who’s wonderful and so go on little gal, you’ll do well! I love the before and after photos, breathtakingly beautiful! Thank you for sharing and for hosting this great party, I just linked to it, I have in the past as well. Have a great weekend.
FABBY
She’s so talented! AND Beautiful! 🙂
Fellow homeschooler here! 🙂
http://www.iheartmygluegun.com
That is amazing photography for such a young lady. Heather you must be so proud! Thanks for hosting gals…Have a great weekend.
Mekensie has a real talent! My faves are the “fly on a fence” and “our house in a bubble”. Amazing!
Simply gorgeous,photography! Mekenzie is incredibly talented. Each and every one of them is breath-taking and she is so young! I’m amazed at her talent. You must be so proud of her as a parent and as an aunt…I dropped in to for a visit and to link up and oh my lord what a nice surprise! Thank you so much for featuring my apple blossom tea party,I feel humbled.I love Stacey’s paneling.. she did such a beautiful job on it and her house is so beautiful. And I love love love the sun porch and the pretty pink bedroom…so beautiful and inspiring..looks like something one would see in a magazine cover. Thank you ladies for sharing Mekenzie’s beautiful smile and for hosting this party for us each week and letting us share our creativity. Have a happy and safe holiday weekend!~Poppy
http://withadashofcolor.blogspot.com/
That photography is amazing. What a talent she has. I can’t even do all that yet. She needs to teach me! Thanks for hosting and have a super holiday weekend!
No vain praise here: She is extremely talented!! I wish that I had that kind of eye. She’s also as pretty as a picture and could do just as well on either side of the lens.
Hi Girls!!
The photos are indeed awesome!
Thanks for hosting!
After being away (vacation-did you even miss me?- and moving my Mom) for several weeks, I’m playing catch up and didn’t link up to the party last week. I could have done a couple of more, but thought I should stop at three. Hope you don’t mind. If so, just feel free to delete me.
Hi Ladies! Oh, my goodness – she is one talented young lady and she’s only 11!
I’m joining your party today!
be a couple of sweeties,
Shelia 😉
Beautiful features this week! So inspiring! Thanks for hosting each week.
~ Julie
Oops! I messed up and have my post in here twice! I didn’t think it took the first time! You can delete it – I’m sorry. 🙁
Shelia
What talent! I would love to have ‘Crow’s Feather’ framed and hanging on my gallery wall.
Thanks for hosting the party, you know I love you two ladies and now I’m a fan of Miss Mekenzie too!
Breath taking photos!! Thank you ladies for hosting!!
I’m off to check out your feature blogs:-)
Have a great weekend!
Wowie!!! Mekenzie definitely has talent that she could easily pursue as an artist! Momma should really be proud. Glad I could link up this week- life sure has been busy lately. 🙂 hugs, Sue
What a beautiful home! I’m loving that dining room and kitchen. Have a delightful weekend, Kellie xx
Wow! Blown away by Mekenzie’s eye for photography! I loved the house bubble picture and the fly one as well. Can’t wait to see what she’s doing in a few years with this!!! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Mekenzie’s photography is amazing!
Thanks for hosting! 😉
Her photography is just amazing and she’s only 11!!!??? Wow, and I can’t even take a decent photo, hehehehe!!!
Thank you so much for this inspiring party:)
Hope you have a great weekend!!
xo
That kitchen/dining room/paneling is fantastic! Wow. Thanks for hosting.
Hi Ladies!!! What a talented girl and so pretty on top of it!! Thanks for sharing and thank you for hosting 🙂
The house in the bubble is my favorite, but the picture of your daughter is the most beautiful! These really are amazing! I am dying to learn how to do all of that with my camera! No luck playing around with it! She has a talent there mom!! Have a great weekend! Christie
Amazing pictures! She’s a wonder with the camera :). And the tea party setting is lovely. Jealous of the green green grass and the beautiful tree.
Thanks again for hosting yet another great party!
Emily
soooooo much talent!!!
That screened in porch is gorgeous. I would hang out there all day, every day. Thanks for the linky party:)
Mekenzie’s pictures are great!!
So happy to finally be able to link up!! Hope you both have a great holiday weekend!
Mekenzie is SO talented, and SO cute!
I am very happy to be linking up with you again this week!!! 🙂
XOXO,
Anne
Thanks for your great linky party! I’m off to visit around blogland.
Thanks so much for hosting ~ Happy Memorial Day weekend :O)
Hugs,
Marie
I’m so ready for a sweet tea party!
Love the photo of the butterfly on the dandelion…she has a talent.
Thanks for letting me join your fun party
Janet xox
http://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/
I really like your blog! Such beautiful pictures!
You’re invited to follow my blog! Hope you do! 🙂 Thanks! I will follow your too! 🙂
Well, I found something to post about for the party! Just in time before we leave for the weekend! Enjoy!
What an amazing talent she has at such a young age! Thanks for hosting week after week 🙂
~Melissa
There’s so much eye candy in this post I can hardly contain myself!!!!
And the photos from Mekenzie, well. Are you sure she is only 11? Better watch out!!!
xo
lynn
Wow! That girl has some serious talent for 11 years old! Amazing eye. Do you suppose she could give ME a few lessons? I could sure use them!!!
I will pop by and check out your featured bloggers. Amazing choices! Hugs and Happy Memorial Weekend! xxoo Diana
It‘s wonderful that I found your blog about link at Mustard Seed. I’ve inserted a small stop and like what I see…. 😉 Now I’m your new follower!
Have a nice day
Tine
Thanks again for another great party! Thanks for featuring my t-shirt pillows! I didn’t even think that they would make a great graduation gift as well!
Gorgeous photos… and she’s just getting started! Thank you for hostessing.
Hey girls…I am just now catching up from last week. It was so crazy I had no time for blogging! This is so thoughtful of you both. I’m incredibly grateful for the feature! You two are so generous with your time and talents…thank you so much. ~Ann
Thank you again for hosting. Have a great week 🙂
What awesome pictures!!! MeKenzie is very talented.
Usually I really don’t go through posting in blogs, on the other hand would like to declare that this specific write-up really forced everyone to try and do the idea! The crafting preference continues to be surprised me personally. Cheers, great report.