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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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May 22, 2020

It Reminds Me of Home

The other day, my in-laws gave me bearded iris clippings from their garden.

I wish I could properly put into words the feelings that flood my soul when I smell them. The best way I can describe it is that breathing in their aroma reminds me of ‘home’.

But, the funny this is that I don’t think we ever actually grew bearded iris in our yard growing up. Or, I should say, in any of our yards. We moved around quite a bit so the word ‘home’ to me doesn’t just represent one place. 

When I inhale the scent of the bearded iris, it reminds me of my mom and how much she loved them and would always tell me about how much her mother loved them.

In fact, my grandmother was quite the gardener. Here’s a snippet from her obituary highlighting just how much nature was apart of her life. 

“Wherever Beryl lived, her flower gardens were enjoyed by friends, neighbors and strangers and were often featured in the local newspapers. She was a member of both the Albion and Marshall Garden Clubs and was honored with a Life Membership by The Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan.”

And I think it’s that connection I feel to my history every time I smell them that floods me with feelings of ‘home’. Home to me is always people. Home is my mom and dad no matter where they are (and they’ve lived in a LOT of places). Home is hearing my mom say, “Smell, girls, smell!” every time my sister and I would go on a walk with her or when she would spot a favorite flower and force us to bend over and inhale.

Home is me doing the same thing with my own children, knowing that they will probably do it with their kids too someday.

What about you? Is there a fragrance that always reminds you of home or brings back special memories?

I’d love to hear from you!

7 Comments Filed Under: Community, Family, Gardening, Good Thoughts

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  1. Terri says

    May 22, 2020 at 12:17 PM

    Growing up I loved visiting my grandmother. Her house was a short bicycle ride away & I spent many days and nights in her company. Her skin always smelled sweetly of the fragrance of Jerkins lotion-the original cherry and almond. Even after almost seventy years, the fragrance takes me home.

    Reply
  2. Michele M (Finch Rest) says

    May 22, 2020 at 12:43 PM

    My auntie – my mother’s sister who lived close once we moved from Michigan to Ohio when I was 3 – was an avid gardener, too. She had full sun so could grow so many plants and had a huge gorgeous perfectly weeded vegetable garden that her husband (my uncle) handled. My uncle was German – not blood – but I guess a very German flower is Lily of the Valley. My auntie and unc had that and it reminds me of home. I remember my mom got cuttings and grew it. We lived closer to the lake and had a very wooded home – so my mom was an avid rock and shaded plant gardener – was so beautiful but not the same as all those colors and scents my auntie grew.

    When I worked up at our lake office for my father’s business my auntie gave me some Lillies of Valley to grow there. Last time I was up there (we closed the office there when my father passed and now have one huge center down here in Columbus) it was still growing at that building. I also have some here at this house from those clippings that were from my auntie’s garden.

    My mother wore Les Mugets perfume – that is from for The Lillies I think b/c it was the exact smell of them. I cannot smell it without thinking of my precious dear mom and her wonderful sister. ♥♥ I miss them so!!!

    Loved this post. It brings happy memories back, thank you for that. Hugs.

    Reply
  3. Design Chic says

    May 22, 2020 at 1:31 PM

    Definitely gardenias, but this irises are beautiful! Love the colors! Happy weekend ~

    Reply
  4. Bernadette Angle says

    May 22, 2020 at 4:56 PM

    Lilacs! Our neighbour had a huge lilac bush and we could take as many blooms as we liked. My mother adored the smell of fresh lilacs and would put them in vases around the house when we brought them home.i love them as she did and when I moved and got my own home I planted several expensive bushes but could not get them to survive. One night my husband arrived home with a piece of a Bush that someone had torn out of the ground when trimming theirs and he dug a small hole in our front yard and hoped for the best. He passed away last year but the bush is now huge and beautiful when it blooms and I think of my mama and of him when I smell them ❤️

    Reply
  5. margaret says

    May 22, 2020 at 8:27 PM

    The smell of honeysuckle when we were riding in the car with the windows down when I was growing up.
    Also the scent of Jergens lotion….my mother used it and so do I.

    Reply
  6. Naomi S says

    May 23, 2020 at 5:12 PM

    It’s the smell of daffodils which grew along the fence on one side of the yard of the farm where we lived when I was between the ages of four and eight. My mother didn’t have time to garden then with three little ones to watch so the bulbs were there when we moved there. There were also the little white what we called narcissus, too. They are sold under the name of “Poet’s Daffodil” nowadays. But the smell of those two flowers every Spring takes me back to that farm and days of roaming the pastures and yard quite freely. I also love the scent of the summer grasses that grew everywhere on that little piece of sweet land.

    I recognize the towns of Albion and Marshall from you post as I am a Michigander also, living in the Lansing area. My sister, who has lived not far from Marshall for many years may recognize your grandmother’s name as she is also a fabulous gardener but gardens in the country near Springport. I have never had the energy that she has to maintain all the flowerbeds she plants but do enjoy a tour of them most years.

    I also love iris and have a very small bed in my back yard which I am hoping to enlarge this year. The one in your second photograph is just gorgeous. I would love to plant one in those colors.

    Thanks for your post. It was fun to think back in history to the farm with the daffs along the fence.

    Reply
  7. Lori says

    May 26, 2020 at 11:50 AM

    We have many beautiful bearded iris colors growing in several beds in our back yard. They all bloom at different times, so we have weeks and weeks of blooms. My favorites are our yellow ones, from my mother’s large garden, and our deep purple ones, from my husband’s boyhood home that his mother grew.
    We always wonder which will bloom first, since they usually bloom at the same time! They are lovely reminders of our childhoods and the legacy of gardening that has been passed down to another generation. We are also passing them along, so they will continue.

    Reply

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I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. W Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. We woke up to the sound of chainsaws and rushed downstairs to find that our backyard neighbors were having two of the huge trees that line our shared fence removed. These trees have been here longer than the neighborhood and no, they weren't dead or causing damage to roofs, foundations, etc. They were beautiful and gave us wonderful privacy. We had no notice of this happening so this came as quite a shock. Because we were given no notice, we didn't have the chance to cover our outdoor furniture or plants and everything is now coated in a thick layer of sawdust including the fresh bark we recently put in the garden beds. And now our lovely privacy is gone, replaced by a direct view of an above ground pool and RV. I know, I know, it's totally a first world, privileged kind of problem to have. But, now we have to spend thousands of dollars on plants to try and recapture some semblance of privacy. Now we have days worth of clean up to do after we had JUST done a massive freshening up of our backyard. My overarching feeling has just been weariness at the way our world is today.

I think about how often we try to do right by people, to be respectful and courteous. To be thoughtful and considerate. And it’s not reciprocated. How its starting to seem more and more like people have just given up on those seemingly small niceties. And my soul just feels heavy. Because I feel like so much of what used to be common courtesy is not so common anymore. Drivers on the roads are angrier and more reckless than ever before. Red lights being run are an everyday occurrence around town. On our recent family vacation, I heard more people using the F word out in public than ever before even while around children. Where are manners? Where is kindness? I'm finding myself being surprised when someone is thoughtful because it seems like a rarity. And that's just all on a micro, local level. Don't even get me started on the insanity in our world/culture. After I returned from grocery shopping (which can also be soul crushing), I found myself desperate for a reminder of the truth. 

*Part 2 continued in the comments.*
How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully grasp our strengths or our weaknesses until we are put to the test? Little did I know how much I would love my role as a wife, mother and homemaker until I became one. And that in my endeavor to do those roles to the best of my ability, it would bring to the forefront gifts and talents and blessings that I use outside of these walls.

As I water others, I’m watered too because it brings such joy to care for those around me. But it can also make me see more clearly the areas in which I’m lacking and be a very humbling reminder of how much I still need to grow and learn.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched and one who waters will himself be watered.”

Have you done any ‘watering’ of others this week? How has it blessed and ‘watered’ you in return?
“Mom, this is one of my favorite meals that you “Mom, this is one of my favorite meals that you make.” Statements like this from my kids fill me with so much joy and such a sense of assurance that my role as the maker of this home is one that makes an impact on them in both big and small ways. It’s not just sheet pan shrimp boil. 

It’s nourishment
It’s time together around the table
It’s laughing as we try to get the butter sauce out of the pan
It’s a memory
It’s an imprint on their lives 

The ordinary act of making a meal becomes EXTRAordinary. And I try to keep that in mind as I do this task day in and day out, year after year. 

***

Ingredients: 
1 pound baby red or yellow potatoes
Green beans or corn (4 ears cut in half) whichever you prefer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt and pinch of black pepper 
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
Crusty bread for dipping 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender, about 10 minutes. Put potatoes, shrimp, sausage and green beans or corn on baking sheet. Pour butter over top. Sprinkle with old bay seasoning and salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Bake for about 12 minutes or until shrimp is pink. 

#shrimpboil #sheetpandinner #sheetpanmeals #homemaking
Temperatures in the 100’s call for fresh and lig Temperatures in the 100’s call for fresh and light cocktails! My husband is my own built in bartender and he put this together the other night. 

2 jiggers of gin (you could also use vodka) 
*you should do a jig when using a jigger 😉*
Crushed ice 
Grapefruit tonic 
Squirt of lime 
Sprig of mint 

Easy and so refreshing!! ☀️

#cocktails #summercocktails
There is something magical about the late summer e There is something magical about the late summer evenings. Maybe it’s because we have a greater sense of the fact that these long days are slowly shortening and we want to savor them as much as we can. I know I intend to do just that. 

I hope you’re having a wonderful August so far dear friends!
Variations of this recipe are on repeat at our hou Variations of this recipe are on repeat at our house all summer long. We’re big on the ‘build your own’ method of making dinner especially on very hot days. Simplicity for the win! 
#recipes #easydinner #easydinnerideas #homemaking
In music, rhythm is a regular repetition or a grou In music, rhythm is a regular repetition or a grouping of beats. No matter what else a piece of music has in terms of its pitch or tone, the rhythm never changes. Its the stabilizing force and brings order to a composition that would be completely chaotic without it.

The same can be said of rhythms in our lives and in our homes. When everything else feels out of control, rhythms and patterns provide us with stability and something that we can rely upon to give us a sense of security in a very insecure world. But, too often, we associate the rhythmic things we do in our lives as merely tasks to be gotten through rather than gifts which provide much-needed balance.

Whether it’s making the coffee every night before we go to bed or doing my devotional in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up or watering my garden, these simple tasks provide a rhythm to my day that is truly grounding. 

What’s something that you do that you would classify as a rhythm or pattern in your week?
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