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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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    • Featured

March 26, 2011

Inspiration Friday No. 8


Can you feel it? There is something in the air.
The soft scent of daffodils and hyacinth…
Heavy coats giving way to windbreakers or maybe even…wait for it…
NO COAT AT ALL!
Ok, so must of us aren’t at that point yet.
But, the days are longer and we can take walks after dinner and have it still be light out.
Peter Rabbit and friends are hippety hoppity-ing their way around town.
Gardens are being planned and mapped out.
The kids boots are at their muddiest.
SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!
And never has that been more apparent than at

We can tell that you all have severe cases of Spring Fever because the creativity and inspiration is in full bloom, just like the gorgeous cherry blossoms.
There was a treasure trove of wonderful inspiration from last week’s party and as always, we AGONIZED over how to pick just a few to feature.
Now, we don’t like to AGONIZE.
So, we made a decision.
We are going to start Facebook Featuring a few folks throughout the week so that we can share with you even more of the great Inspiration that we are so honored to view every week!
So, if you aren’t already a Facebook Friend of At the Picket Fence, be sure to come on over and “Like” us so you are sure to know when you have been Featured.
~~Now, on to some highlights from last week’s party!~~

First up we have Landee from Landee See Landee Do
She performed death defying acrobatics in order to freshen up her entry way that she described as “lame.boring.vanilla.blaaah.” Her words folks!

Here it is Before

And here it is After
And here she is in her one woman show “Landee the Magnificent”!

Be sure to pay her a visit and see the rest of this remarkable makeover at
Landee See Landee Do!
Next up we have Rachel from Low Country Living.
She and her husband have done an amazing job renovating their home and this room is no exception. 

Here is their Living Room Before

And here is the After!


Look at that incredible fireplace transformation and all of that lovely woodwork!
Be sure and pay Rachel a visit at Low Country Living.

And then there was this jaw-dropping makeover courtesy of Ange of
Love from my Kitchen.
She had a wonderful play-room space and she knew she could help it live up to it’s full potential. 

Here is the space Before
And here it is After!

You will have to go over and visit Ange at Love From My Kitchen to fully appreciate just how incredible this transformation really is. You won’t believe your eyes!
  Last week Kristy from Hyphen Interiors presented what we think were two firsts for At The Picket Fence. First, she finished a project quickly enough to link up both the before post of her chair where she was in the process of refinishing it, but also managed to finish it in time to link up the after of her chair. 
Here’s the before:


Kristy picked up this chair for $60 off of Craig’s List and transformed it into this:


Yes it is stunning…but what is even more stunning is…it’s painted!  Yes you read that right…painted!  And that I think is a first here At The Picket Fence.  Oh yes we’ve had lots of lovely reupholstered pieces, but never any that have been painted.  If you’re mouth’s hanging open you are not alone.  Kristy shares a full tutorial over several posts, but was kind enough to do a new post with step by step instructions!  You can read about Kristy’s painted chair on her post: Painted Upholstery-The Process Revealed 

Now, we have such a Spring in our Step that we can’t help but feature just a few more creative folks!
Kim from Too Much Time on my Hands really knows how to Spring Forward!
She made this amazing Pottery Barn Inspired Clock.
Abbi from My Garden of Eden made these adorable Jellybean Topiaries.
We are definitely going to be trying our hands at making these!
And Natalie from A Turtle’s Life for Me shared this fabulous Spa Themed Birthday Party
that was just perfect for her Niece!
We hope you will take some time and visit all of these wonderfully creative folks!
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 also want to give a quick reminder to pay a visit to our Etsy Shop of the month

Now it’s time for you to share you inspiration with us! Please take a moment to read the instructions and then link up your favorite posts!

After linking up to Inspiration Friday click the graphics below and pay a visit to our other
Friday Party Friends!



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


It’s so easy to link-up…here’s a few rules to help you:

Just a quick reminder since it’s so easy to just skim over the instructions.  We’ve noticed lately several people have forgotten to link back to Inspiration Friday.  While we we’ve decided we won’t delete your entry or “call you out” on it we pretty please ask that you take an extra minute to link your post BACK to At The Picket Fence.  It’s a pretty standard “rule” for linky parties and is a way to “thank” your hosts for well…hosting the party!  We want “your guests to be able to come back here and see all of the wonderful inspiration in blogland and to maybe link up one of their posts.  Thank you for honoring this mandatory requirement!

  •  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! 
So go on now and link up!


 

32 Comments Filed Under: Inspiration Friday

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Comments

  1. Vivienne @ the V Spot says

    March 24, 2011 at 11:11 PM

    Thanks for hosting the party each week. Amazing before and afters you featured! Seeing Landee waaay up there on that ladder is giving me heart palpitations!!!

    Reply
  2. Judy says

    March 24, 2011 at 11:13 PM

    Great features. I know, I couldn’t believe that chair was painted either…amazing, right? Thanks for hosting.

    Reply
  3. Martina says

    March 24, 2011 at 11:18 PM

    Hi girls thanks for hosting, Martina

    Reply
  4. jandjhome says

    March 24, 2011 at 11:20 PM

    Hi, thanks so much for hosting. I just want to make sure my link back to you is OK. I did a linky party page on my sidebar. Is that OK or do you like it on the specific post. Thanks so much.

    Reply
  5. Andrea at Opulent Cottage says

    March 24, 2011 at 11:28 PM

    I just cannot believe that chair! Ot the stairwell, just amazing. Thanks for hosting, and for the inspiration!

    Reply
  6. At The Picket Fence says

    March 24, 2011 at 11:35 PM

    @jandjhome Hi! While we always love to have a link back to the party in the actual post, we are okay with our button being on a “party page” as well, as long as there is some link back to Inspiration Friday somewhere on the blog. I know every host feels differently about this, but we try to be pretty relaxed with the “rules”. Hope that helped answer your question and answers it for anyone else wondering. 🙂

    Heather and Vanessa

    Reply
  7. Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says

    March 24, 2011 at 11:40 PM

    No way would I work that high now but her stairs look great. Thanks for hosting.

    Reply
  8. Natasha says

    March 25, 2011 at 12:23 AM

    Thanks so much for having me today. I look forward to checking out everyone’s ideas.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

    Reply
  9. Laurel says

    March 25, 2011 at 12:39 AM

    Hi there…new follower and new to your party…thanks for hosting! Now I’ll go peek around 🙂 Laurel@chippingwithcharm

    Reply
  10. Linda@Coastal Charm says

    March 25, 2011 at 1:02 AM

    The jelly beans are just too cute…love this look!!! Thanks so much for hosting.

    Blessings,
    Linda

    Reply
  11. Mary Ellen says

    March 25, 2011 at 1:02 AM

    Thank you for your fun party every week!

    Reply
  12. Natalie says

    March 25, 2011 at 1:19 AM

    Thanks so much for the feature and for hosting! Off to go check out the other cool links!

    Reply
  13. Farmer's Wyfe says

    March 25, 2011 at 2:53 AM

    Those are some fantastic features! Thanks for the link-up party! 🙂

    Reply
  14. blesid says

    March 25, 2011 at 4:16 AM

    Love your blog … signed up to follow and linked up too! jules

    Reply
  15. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    March 24, 2011 at 11:01 PM

    Hi girls!!! Love those picks!! All linked up- thanks for hosting! Hope you are warm and dry this weekend… snowing again here… I was thinking it was supposed to be spring now?! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Happy Homemaker UK says

    March 25, 2011 at 6:38 AM

    Thank you for hosting such an *inspirational* party! Have a great weekend

    Reply
  17. alison says

    March 25, 2011 at 11:34 AM

    you have got to be kidding me…this is starting to get humorous…okay, i can tell you one of my features next week involves calf rennet, but as for the rest…apparently twisted minds think alike!

    all linked up,

    alison

    Reply
  18. My Garden of Eden says

    March 25, 2011 at 11:35 AM

    Hey Girls!!! I am in LOVE with that entryway! WOW!!! That totally makes me want to paint!

    Thanks for featuring my topiaries!!! That made my morning!

    Abbi

    Reply
  19. The Hopeless Romantic says

    March 25, 2011 at 12:23 PM

    Hi Ladies, thanks for hosting, some great inspiration here. I would never climb that high on a ladder, that the kinda thing ya hire people to do, lol. Im gettin dizzy just thinkin about it……………Bonnie

    Reply
  20. Kim says

    March 25, 2011 at 4:10 PM

    Hey Ladies!
    What a wonderful surprise to see my “clock” featured today!!! Yippeee

    Reply
  21. LowCountryLiving says

    March 25, 2011 at 5:33 PM

    Thanks for featuring the living room. You guys are so sweet!

    Reply
  22. Karen At Home says

    March 25, 2011 at 6:01 PM

    Amazing features! Thanks for hosting such a fun party (and blog!)

    Reply
  23. Richella says

    March 25, 2011 at 7:11 PM

    Wow–y’all attract some great projects! This is a great re-cap post! Makes me want to get busy and get creative around here!

    Thanks for hosting a really nice party. I’m glad it’s turned out to be successful for you!

    Reply
  24. kara@elements-interiors.net says

    March 25, 2011 at 9:08 PM

    Awesome features! Love PARTYING with yall every friday! Thanks for hosting:)

    xoxokara

    Reply
  25. kara@elements-interiors.net says

    March 25, 2011 at 9:12 PM

    h yeah…I linked up 2 times:)
    My plastic eggs and my Repurposed Candle jars…have a BLESSED weekend:)

    xxokara

    Reply
  26. Whatitsallabout... says

    March 25, 2011 at 4:38 PM

    Wow!Those are some amazing room transformations! There are so many talented women in this world. Thanks for hosting!

    Heather

    Reply
  27. Heidi says

    March 26, 2011 at 12:53 AM

    thank you for the link up!

    COme visit
    and enter my GiveAway if you want!

    chickhardware.blogspot.com

    Reply
  28. Alicia@ eco friendly homemaking says

    March 26, 2011 at 1:43 AM

    I agree those are some awesome room transformations! I am new to your blog. Really like it!!

    Reply
  29. Lynn at Cottage and Creek says

    March 26, 2011 at 1:44 AM

    Great features. Love the stairway update. Thanks for hosting this fun party. I love seeing what others have done.
    ~Lynn

    Reply
  30. Landeelu says

    March 26, 2011 at 2:48 AM

    Thanks for the feature of my entry way! You guys make the life-risking-sweat-inducing time I spent up there all worth it! Love your link parties & linked up again (something else, of course)!

    Reply
  31. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia says

    March 26, 2011 at 5:01 PM

    The entry way is gorgeous, I must go see 🙂
    Enjoy your weekend!
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply
  32. Hyphen Interiors says

    March 26, 2011 at 9:00 PM

    Thank you so very much for mentioning my chair project on here! So cool to have firsts on your site!! I love that foyer. And, that school room is amazing!!

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
.
…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole lockdown thing began, I’ve come to appreciate this time of day even more.

It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
When I was in college I would frequently call home When I was in college I would frequently call home and pour my heart out to my mom, sharing with her all that was happening in my life in that completely unfiltered way that you can talk with the person who potty trained you. These phone calls usually took place at night and my mom would patiently listen as I vented frustrations about professors, roommates, boyfriends and the food in the cafeteria. And, inevitably, they would end with my mom saying, “Everything seems worse when you’re tired. Try not to overthink things or make any major decisions tonight, especially when you are feeling emotional.” Dear friends, may I pass along this advice to you today?

If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

My prayer for you in these days is that you will have the clarity to know what is true and that you will be filled with peace even while we live in this season of so many unknowns.
Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

What have you baked so far during this time of social distancing? I’d love some new ideas!
There are a LOT of people out walking in our neigh There are a LOT of people out walking in our neighborhood right now (but still social distancing!) and she decided that she wanted to bring them some joy and put a smile on their face when they pass by our house. Also, the square with ‘say no to coronavirus’ is priceless. 😂 I just love her so much!
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