• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

March 11, 2011

Inspiration Friday Party No. 6

Six! Really!  I tell ya the weeks fly by in the blogosphere…don’t you just love that word…blogosphere.  I feel like Elf…“blogosphere..that’s fun to say!” Okay sorry, got off track a little! 

First, we want to offer a quick apology for last week’s link up mishap for the first group of you who linked up.  It seems they were changing servers in the middle of our party and somehow “lost” the images to all the links that were there before the change over.  We do not anticipate this happening again but…okay we’re just going to believe it won’t! grin!


Second, we want to invite you to enter our Etsy Shop of the Month Giveaway sponsored by the wonderful Kelly and her Etsy Shop Cotton Breeze.  The giveaway is open through the weekend!  So take a second to throw your name in the hat for a $25 credit to Kelly’s store!

Third, we will state once again in case you in anyway doubted our sincerity how honored we are that you link up your fabulous, awesome, creative and of course always inspiring projects, crafts, recipes, stories and devotionals!

If it inspires you in anyway we want you to share it!

So it is our pleasure to once again welcome you to

Our linky guests have begun to make it almost virtually impossible to *choose* projects to feature!  The bigger the party gets the harder this task becomes.  As you know from past Inspiration Fridays, we try and focus on newer guests to the party and people we haven’t featured before.  If we have featured you in the past, we’d love you to grab the “I’ve been featured” button on our sidebar!  We might have to start using a random generator to pick features I tell ya..they are all that good! 


~So onto the the feature portion of Inspiration Friday~


Up first we have a feature that caused us to stand up and take notice because we both have been wanting to do something like this in our own homes.

Lesha over at The Uncluttered Lifestyle transformed this:


yikes!


into this!!


Oh Lord, be still my beating heart!  “Lesha, if you hear noise in the night and your buffet is gone it wasn’t us I swear…oh by the way I get dibs on it first Vanessa!” To see how Lesha took this worn out neglected dresser and turned into this beautiful buffet visit her post: Dark vs. Light the Battle is Over. She will share all of the details with you!  Also say hi, while you are there.  She has entered the blogging community just recently and we want to welcome her!


Up next we have Dianne from The Inspired Housewife.  Dianne shared with us her “ugly lamps” that she rescued from a Habitat for Humanity Resale shop. 



 Head over and follow her on her journey to save these lamps from a life of hideousness on her Save the Lamps post.  She took these “butt ugly” (her words..grin) lamps and through some elbow grease and paint


Transformed them into these beauties!

There is nothing ugly about these lamps anymore!  We think they would be right at home in a Pottery Barn catalog!  You can read more about Dianne’s ugly lamp transformation here: The Ugly Lamp Reveal

We love posts that show us how to take what is often a difficult but necessary aspect of home design and turn it into something attractive and functional!  Heather at Tallgrass Design does just that!  How many of us have or have had these horrible little basement windows.  


They are a necessary design element but they are just not very pretty. Heather first covered the window with contact paper per instructions from The Thrifty Decor Chick then proceeded to add these


and then these


to create a faux window that gives the allusion of a nice large window in the basement


Doesn’t this look like the perfect place to curl up with a good book?  You can read more about Heather’s great idea on her: Basement Window Solution Post

And one last post to get you in the mood for spring and Easter and chocolate…okay so we’re always in the mood for chocolate around here.  This post is great because it’s chocolate without the guilt!

Jennifer at Closet Crafter shared with us these adorable stuffed chocolate bunnies!  


For real, we thought they were chocolate when we saw the photo.  They are just too precious!

Jennifer shares step by step instructions on how to make these “chocolate bunnies”

on her post: Chocolate Bunnies!


We think these would look so cute in an Easter Basket, don’t you?  Thank you Jennifer for sharing the tutorial on this!

Now don’t forget to grab your “Featured At” button ladies!
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!

We can’t wait to be inspired!

Love the girls at the fence,


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

Let’s get this party started! 

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


  • 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!
  • Visit another guest Okay we are trying this different ways.  So if you would do us the honor of following this one step for sure, it would be a gift to us!  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!



28 Comments Filed Under: Good Ideas, Inspiration Friday

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « This, That and The Other!
Next Post: A Winner and our Blog of the Week! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Becca says

    March 11, 2011 at 12:17 AM

    DARN! I *soooo* thought I was going to be first linking up. 🙂 I am drooling over the transformation of the dresser. Wow! And, V, when YOU hear someone in YOUR house in the middle of the night, it’s me stealing it from you! LOL. Thanks for hosting, ladies! Becca

    Reply
  2. Natasha says

    March 11, 2011 at 12:18 AM

    Thanks so much for having me today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

    Reply
  3. Vivienne @ the V Spot says

    March 11, 2011 at 12:19 AM

    Thanks for hosting! If it’s any consolation to Becca above me, this is the first time I’ve EVER been the first person to link up. Ever. 🙂
    Again, thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  4. Michell @Girl in Air says

    March 11, 2011 at 12:37 AM

    Thanks for hosting each week

    Reply
  5. Shelley says

    March 11, 2011 at 12:45 AM

    Thank you so much for visiting my blog and inviting me over here! I can’t wait to look through your blog 😀

    Shelley

    Reply
  6. Rachel says

    March 11, 2011 at 12:56 AM

    Thanks for letting me link up to my first link party…. Hope to have some new creations up soon. 🙂

    Reply
  7. The Uncluttered Lifestyle says

    March 11, 2011 at 1:46 AM

    Hi Vanessa and Heather! Thanks so much for honoring me with a featurette (not a real word, but I like it). Working on table I’m hoping to finish in time to link up.

    Reply
  8. Lynn Richards says

    March 11, 2011 at 1:53 AM

    Hi girls!!! ahhh, my favorite party of the week!!! My tummy is growling looking at the chocolate bunnies and I am aMAZed at what people can see in ugly pieces of furniture. Unbelievable.
    thanks for hosting!!
    xoxox
    lynn

    Reply
  9. Kristine~Lakeshore Cottage Living says

    March 11, 2011 at 2:06 AM

    The buffet and those lamps have me speechless! Wow! I will have to go and check those out.

    Thank you for hosting!

    Reply
  10. Sonya@Beyond the Screen Door says

    March 11, 2011 at 2:31 AM

    Hi, Ladies! Thanks for hosting!

    Reply
  11. ⚜ ↁℯℬℬᴵℰ⚜ says

    March 11, 2011 at 2:51 AM

    Thanks girls for hosting your partay! Great features too!

    Reply
  12. The Polka Dot Closet says

    March 11, 2011 at 4:20 AM

    I am your newest follower and linking up for the first time. Thank you for hosting this party!

    Carol

    Reply
  13. Dianne says

    March 11, 2011 at 4:22 AM

    Thank you soooo much for featuring my lamps..I would like to clarify..I did not call them “butt ugly” Those were my best friends words…I would never talk like that…heheee…

    Reply
  14. Heather says

    March 11, 2011 at 6:16 AM

    Thank you so much for featuring my Basement Window Solution! I’m grabbing your button now to put on my blog!

    Reply
  15. A Vintage Vine says

    March 11, 2011 at 6:30 AM

    Girls, thanks for hosting, you two are the best! Love this blog!!!

    Reply
  16. saltbox treasures says

    March 11, 2011 at 6:41 AM

    Hi. Just found your blog and your Friday party and linked up for the first time. I look forward to joining future parties. Thanks for hosting.
    ~ Julie

    Reply
  17. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    March 11, 2011 at 12:23 AM

    What a great transformation on that dresser!! Wow! Thanks so much for hosting ~ I’m all linked up!! 🙂

    Reply
  18. Sarah says

    March 11, 2011 at 9:37 AM

    I love this link party and that dresser is seriously lush! Thanks for hosting!!

    I am compiling a list of link parties and i hope you will drop by my blog and add this one!

    Loves,
    Sarah. x

    Reply
  19. laxsupermom says

    March 11, 2011 at 12:44 PM

    Wow! Talk about some terrific inspiration! I love that faux basement window – what a great idea! Thanks for holding this party each week.

    Reply
  20. alison says

    March 11, 2011 at 1:03 PM

    i’m all linked up and loving partying with you girls!

    blessings,

    alison
    stuff and nonsense

    Reply
  21. The Hopeless Romantic says

    March 11, 2011 at 1:43 PM

    Hi ladies, im Bonnie, ur lastest follower. Found ur blog purely by accident, and so glad i did! Thanks for allowing me to link up. Now that i know where u are, ile check back……..Im pasting ur button in my sidebar for easy access……….til next time….Bonnie

    Reply
  22. Jodie says

    March 11, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    Thanks for hosting. I am linked up and following now. Just found your blog today. I love a good transformation, that dresser is beautiful!

    Reply
  23. Katherines Corner says

    March 12, 2011 at 1:59 PM

    Love this post!!!!!! thank you for the linky too. Hugs

    Reply
  24. kara@elements-interiors.net says

    March 12, 2011 at 2:37 PM

    LOVE that dresser! Uuuuuhhh, Vanessa, if YOU somehow end up with that dresser…aaaaand, YOU hear a Bump in the night only to find that dresser GONE…it SO wasnt ME :-O Just sayin! Thank you for hostessing! Ive linked up a couple of things! Love you guuurlzzz!!!

    xoxokara

    Reply
  25. Santa's Gift Shoppe and Ideas says

    March 12, 2011 at 8:36 PM

    Hi..I’m Barb… I am your newest follower. I hope you will get a chance to visit my blog @ santasgiftshoppe.blogspot.com
    & get inspired by something for your family/home. I hope you will follow me as well. I am also still pretty new to Facebook & would really appreciate your creative support by becoming a “Fan” & “Like” it. Thanks so much!!
    Nice to meet ya new friend!!!

    Reply
  26. Buttercup Bliss says

    March 13, 2011 at 3:53 AM

    Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog! I am still fairly new at blogging – your blog is one of my very favorites! Of course, it tickles me that you love all things southern!

    Thanks also for your blogging hints that you have posted recently. I still have a lot to learn.

    Again, I think your blog is awesome. I nominated you for a Stylish Blogger Award. Check out my blog for details at http://www.buttercupbliss.blogspot.com

    Lisa

    Reply
  27. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia says

    March 13, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    Thanks for letting me join in on the fun a little late 🙂
    Hope you ladies are having a fabulous Sunday!
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply
  28. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia says

    March 13, 2011 at 3:53 PM

    Thanks for letting me join in on the fun a little late 🙂
    Hope you ladies are having a fabulous Sunday!
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • Why We’ve Chosen Vacations Over Projects April 26, 2022
  • A New Look for the Family Room March 1, 2022
  • Christmas Kitchen and Family Room December 19, 2021
  • Christmas Home Tour Part One December 10, 2021
  • Easy Hot Cocoa Station November 21, 2021

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

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? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

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. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

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.
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 At The Picket Fence