• 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

June 27, 2013

Kindle Fire Giveaway & Fun in the Sun Linky Party!

Fun in the sun summer blog hop

We couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off Summer then with a fabulous group of bloggers sharing their amazing talent and creativity as part of this Fun in the Sun Blog Hop!

Have you seen all of the ideas and inspiration?

Let’s take a look back at these incredible projects, recipes and crafts all celebrating Summer!

www.thealbumcafe.com

Kristin from My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia showed how to make Pom Pom Lanterns

paper lantern

Kim from Sand and Sisal showed off this Simple Summer Centerpiece

Simple-Summer-Centerpiece-3-1024x756

Shannon from Fox Hollow Cottage made a fun Aloha Summer Pool Noodle Wreath

AlohaSummerFlipFlopPoolNoodleDIYWreathCraft_zpsb2b507ae

Becca from Adventures in Decorating shared her gorgeous Summer Porch

porchsummerlamp

Heather from Setting for Four shared her lovely Summer Mantel

beachmantel

Debbie from Debbiedoos shared 5 Quick Summer Craft Ideas

recycled-cans-022

Courtney from French Country Cottage shared a lovely Summer Table Setting

mason jar table setting

Mary Beth from Cupcakes and Crinoline made this gorgeous Beach Inspired Dessert

Beach-Inspired-Desserts-one

And Maryann from Domestically Speaking made the Ultimate All American Sundae

ultimate-all-american-sundae-pin

Vanessa showed how to turn an old TV cabinet into a Chalkboard Outdoor Coffee Table

chalkboard topped outdoor coffee table www.atthepicketfence.com

Angelina from JoJo and Eloise shared the recipe for these Avocado Blueberry Coconut Cream Popsicles

avocado-blueberry-coconut-cream-popsicles-gluten-free-dairy

And Roeshel from The DIY Showoff shared her fun Summer Carnival Mantel

summer-carnival-mantel-1

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN! 

We want to see your Summer projects, crafts, recipes, ideas and inspiration!

Link up to the party below and get in on this “Fun in the Sun” action.


Now, would you like to enter to win a KINDLE FIRE??!! We’re so excited to be giving one away and you can enter to win here: a Rafflecopter giveaway
We’re also going to be pinning some of your projects to our Fun in the Sun Pinterest Board and sharing on FB so be watching for some awesome features!

Fun in the Sun Pinterest Graphic

Whew! That’s a lot of fun in one place, right??

We hope your Summer is off to a great start and that you get plenty of time to enjoy a lot of Fun in the Sun!

dual signature

21 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Giveaways

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « My Good Housekeeping Feature!
Next Post: Easy 4th of July Dessert ~ Patriotic Hand Pies »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Susie E says

    June 27, 2013 at 5:13 AM

    Love the porch and patio ideas!

    Reply
  2. Dori says

    June 27, 2013 at 6:08 AM

    Love all the great ideas!

    Reply
  3. Charlene@A Pinch of Joy says

    June 27, 2013 at 6:10 AM

    What a fun blog hop! Hope y’all are having a great summer!

    Reply
  4. Melissa Ellen's Loft says

    June 27, 2013 at 6:11 AM

    Love all the project ideas and delicious looking recipes! Thanks for hosting!:)

    Reply
  5. Sandy Heath says

    June 27, 2013 at 6:46 AM

    I am looking forward to time at the beach, boating, reading with my toes in the sand and crafting!

    Reply
  6. Jodi S says

    June 27, 2013 at 6:53 AM

    Love all the ideas!

    Reply
  7. Kristin says

    June 27, 2013 at 7:08 AM

    Great ideas! I’m looking forward to planning a great summer party!

    Reply
  8. Linda says

    June 27, 2013 at 7:27 AM

    Love your blog – sisters. What am I enjoying most this summer? Coffee and Jammies until 9:30-10:00 a.m. each morning. Shhhhhh………..don’t tell on me.

    Reply
  9. Linda says

    June 27, 2013 at 7:35 AM

    I think there are so many great summer fun ideas here…and I am going to try them! Thanks! oh…and I sure would love to win the Kindle Fire! 🙂

    Linda @ Truthful Tidbits

    Reply
  10. Jill Flory says

    June 27, 2013 at 7:58 AM

    I would love to have a Kindle! Fingers crossed!

    Reply
  11. Aimee - It's Overflowing says

    June 27, 2013 at 9:08 AM

    Thanks LOTS for hosting sweet friends! We have an old Kindle and LOVE it! Such a fun group of blogging decor inspiration! XO, Aimee

    Reply
  12. Marty Walden says

    June 27, 2013 at 9:25 AM

    Awesome summer inspiration. I linked up! We’ve already had our family vacation so I’m just looking forward to hanging around with the kids and getting together with extended family on the 4th.

    Reply
  13. Leena Lanteigne says

    June 27, 2013 at 9:35 AM

    So many wonderful, cute, creative and summer projects! Doing some of these will be a blast! Happy Summer! Hugs, Leena
    PS I am entering your give away as well 🙂

    Reply
  14. Leena Lanteigne says

    June 27, 2013 at 9:37 AM

    I am looking forward to taking my grand babes to see the ocean for the first time! Hugs, Leena

    Reply
  15. Michelle H. says

    June 27, 2013 at 2:34 PM

    Trying to spend a little time everyday doing something “just for me!” I love the inspiration I get from all the blogs and pinterest boards!

    Reply
  16. Carol @arewethereyet says

    June 27, 2013 at 6:21 PM

    Some beautiful projects – need to get our new patio in summer shape! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
  17. Nancy B says

    June 28, 2013 at 3:55 AM

    I’m looking forward to spending some time at the beach this summer!

    Reply
  18. Shamene says

    June 28, 2013 at 1:17 PM

    thank you for hosting the link party!

    Reply
  19. Alisa says

    October 11, 2013 at 4:07 PM

    I am not certain the place you are getting your information, but great topic.
    I must spend some time finding out much more or understanding
    more. Thanks for excellent information I used to be looking for this information for
    my mission.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Reveal — Painted Vanity Chair! | Daffodils at Home says:
    June 28, 2013 at 3:54 AM

    […] Linked to the following awesome linky parties: Miss Mustard Seed DIY Showoff Not Just a Housewife Keeping It Simple Crafts Skip To My Lou It’s So Very Cheri Cozy Little House A Stroll Thru Life Today’s Creative Blog Coastal Charm Sugar Bee Crafts Someday Crafts We Are That Family Domestically-Speaking The Thrifty Home House of Hepworths Seven Thirty Three Live Laugh Rowe My Romantic Home Chic on a Shoestring Liz Marie Blog At the Picket Fence […]

    Reply
  2. Kindle Fire Winner and Fun in the Sun Roundup! says:
    July 8, 2013 at 6:48 AM

    […] entry was following At the Picket Fence on Pinterest. So, it’s a win for us too! Click here for verification of Lauren’s winning entry being chosen through Rafflecopter and […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Shamene 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

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.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 At The Picket Fence