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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

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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Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to sha Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to share all of the details of our family room shelving makeover but I’m super impatient and just had to give you all a sneak peek!! We are SO happy with how they turned out and it finally looks like I’ve always envisioned. Our quick fix years ago (scroll to see the before photo) never felt quite right but now? Soooo much better!! 🙌🏻 Big shoutout to our amazingly talented friend Matt @redemptive_woodworx for bringing our vision to life and doing such impeccable work.

I hope you all have a great start to the 4th of July weekend and make sure to check my stories later for Friday Funnies!
The month of June is coming to a close and it has The month of June is coming to a close and it has been JAM packed! The highlight by far though was my son's graduation from high school. When I started blogging, he was only 6 years old and some of you have been apart of my community here for that entire time. Now, he's 19 and there is a reason parents are told not to blink because the years truly do go faster than I ever could have imagined. He has become such an incredible young man we are so excited to see how God is going to unfold the next chapter of his life. We celebrated with parties galore (SO many open houses to attend!) and made memories we'll forever cherish. My mama heart was filled to bursting with the joy of it all! Now we're taking some time to just enjoy these warm, summer days making even more memories because, when you’re at this stage of parenting, you know all too well how much you need to grasp every opportunity to spend time together.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. 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.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
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What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

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We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
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