• 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

February 2, 2011

Launch Party Giveaway Day Three. Who Doesn’t Love A Great Magazine?!

It’s Day Three of our At The Picket Fence Launch Party!
That Means Another Giveaway!


First we want to say again today…wow, wow, wow!  Thank you all for your support.  We hit 100+ followers yesterday which is a testament to the kindness of the blogging community.  So, thank you again for all of your sweet comments and friendship!  And cause we love ya all so much here is yet another little giveaway to celebrate you our friends…at the picket fence!



I am a reformed magazine junkie.  I used to get several different ones.  Reader’s Digest. Rachael Ray, Taste of Home, Traditional Home, Victoria, Good Housekeeping…

I realized one day though that I just couldn’t get through them all before the next batch arrived.  That is when I decided to narrow it down to three of my favorites:


Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, and Everyday Foods. 

I love these three magazines.  They provide me just the right amount of decorating, crafts, and recipes.  I can actually read through each of them at my leisure over the month.  I actually get a little giddy when they show up in my mailbox!

When they arrive I try to avoid temptation, setting them aside until I have time to just relax and slowly thumb through them.  For example

in the bathtub.


or

 lounging with Zoe…in my Snuggy. And yes she needs a haircut. And yes that is leopard print.  You’re jealous I can feel it. 


or

even while I’m cooking.  My family never seems to mind if dinners a little burned.  As long as I’m happily enjoying my magazines!


I have several years of these magazines saved and they are well worn and much loved.  These three magazines have provided me with great inspiration, creative ideas and delicious recipes.  Which magazines are your favorite?  The ones you can’t wait to arrive?

Heather

We want you to get a chance to enjoy a year’s subscription to one of these great magazines for our third day of giveaways!  Here’s all you have to do:

We are giving you several options….


Tell us your favorite magazine and which of the three magazines you would select if you win. (1st entry)
Subscribe to receive At The Picket Fence by RSS (reader feed) or email subscription.  Sign up located in sidebar. (2nd entry)


Giveaway Three will be open until midnight EST Sunday, February 6.
That’s 2 different ways that you can enter to win a free year long magazine subscription!


All giveaways are now closed!



So c’mon what are you waiting for?

There are still on going giveaways!  Head on over to our TJ Maxx Gift Card Giveaway and our Adopt Shoppe Giveaway!



33 Comments Filed Under: General, Giveaways

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Open House
Next Post: Life, Lemons and a Pie »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie @ OhhBaby says

    February 2, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    I LOVE Better Homes and Gardens! I would love to win that one!

    Reply
  2. Red Gate Farm says

    February 2, 2011 at 3:12 PM

    My favorite is probably Better Homes and Gardens for it’s wide variety of information…. but I already receive that one so I’d be picking Everyday Food which I used to get.

    ~Chris

    Reply
  3. Traci says

    February 2, 2011 at 3:26 PM

    I was the same with with all the magazines & not being able to read them before the next batch came! I have Better Homes & Gardens that I love & I’ve been wanting to get Southern Living but I haven’t so that’s definitely the one I’d choose!

    Reply
  4. Traci says

    February 2, 2011 at 3:28 PM

    I subscribed via email!!

    Reply
  5. Jenna says

    February 2, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    Better Homes and Gardens, baby!

    Reply
  6. Jenna says

    February 2, 2011 at 3:47 PM

    Email subscription complete!

    Reply
  7. Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. says

    February 2, 2011 at 4:28 PM

    My fav’s are Country Living, Souther Living & Better Homes & Gardens. I do get Everyday Food, but I love to cook and could use some new recipes!

    Reply
  8. Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. says

    February 2, 2011 at 4:28 PM

    I follow via Google Reader!

    Reply
  9. Kim says

    February 2, 2011 at 4:41 PM

    Hey Vanessa! Congrats on your new venture. I will happily follow along. I would pick Southern Living! Thanks for offering such a great giveaway. Good luck!
    xoxo, Kim

    Reply
  10. 1 Buddha's Mom says

    February 2, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    Southern Living:)

    Reply
  11. stephanie says

    February 2, 2011 at 5:41 PM

    New follower!! I love them all and already subscribe to two, so I’d have to pick Southern Living! Thanks!

    Reply
  12. Honey at 2805 says

    February 2, 2011 at 5:53 PM

    I perfer Southern Living.

    Reply
  13. michelle says

    February 2, 2011 at 6:53 PM

    Oooh I love BHG!!! You guys are on a role and everything is so wonderful here! 🙂

    Reply
  14. Tyla says

    February 2, 2011 at 9:01 PM

    I happily follow via Google reader.

    Reply
  15. Tyla says

    February 2, 2011 at 9:03 PM

    My favorite magazine is Southern Living. I already receive it and BHG in the mail, so I would pick Everyday Food as my prize if I won. Thanks for hosting these great giveaways!

    Reply
  16. Judy says

    February 2, 2011 at 9:07 PM

    Southern Living would be my choice. Great giveaways.

    Reply
  17. Taylor Renee says

    February 2, 2011 at 3:23 PM

    Yes! I would love BHG. I never buy subscriptions but I should since I always pay more to pick one up at the airport/drug store!

    Reply
  18. Taylor Renee says

    February 2, 2011 at 3:24 PM

    And I’m a Google Reader follower!

    Reply
  19. Lynn Richards says

    February 3, 2011 at 1:22 AM

    Hmmmm..that’s a tough call, ’cause they are all great magazines, but I would have to pick BHG!!!
    xo
    lynn
    p.s.
    WAY too much fun, girls!

    Reply
  20. Jan at Jewelry4Change says

    February 2, 2011 at 6:34 PM

    Hi! I heard about you on DIY By Design and have signed up to follow you. 🙂
    Jan https:///www.jewelry4change.blogspot.com

    Reply
  21. Jan at Jewelry4Change says

    February 2, 2011 at 6:36 PM

    I like each of these magazines, but I think I’d choose Everyday Foods. 🙂 Congrats on the new blog!
    Jan

    Reply
  22. SavannahGranny says

    February 3, 2011 at 4:35 AM

    Please enter me in the giveaway. My favorite magazine is Traditional Home. I would love an extension of my Southern Living magazine. Thanks for the generosity. Hugs, Ginger

    Reply
  23. Connie says

    February 3, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    My favorite magazine is Create and Decorate. It is the only one that I subscribe to at the time. If I win this I would love to have a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens!

    Reply
  24. Connie says

    February 3, 2011 at 9:30 AM

    I am an email subscriber!

    Reply
  25. Linda@Coastal Charm says

    February 3, 2011 at 4:12 PM

    Southern Lady is my fav and if I’m the lucky winner…I would pick Southern Living for my daughter Haley.

    Blessings,
    Linda

    Reply
  26. jkjkjkb says

    February 3, 2011 at 10:29 PM

    I LOVE Family Circle & would LOVE a subscription to Everyday Food 🙂 Kim B.

    Reply
  27. jkjkjkb says

    February 3, 2011 at 10:30 PM

    I’m already a faithful email follower 🙂
    Kim B.

    Reply
  28. jkjkjkb says

    February 3, 2011 at 10:30 PM

    I’m already a faithful email follower 🙂
    Kim B.

    Reply
  29. Melanie says

    February 4, 2011 at 5:00 PM

    I love a lot of magazines so it would be hard to pick just one but I guess I will go with Better Homes and Garden. Or a cooking magazine;-)

    Reply
  30. Melanie says

    February 4, 2011 at 5:01 PM

    I subscribe through google reader.

    Reply
  31. Katie says

    February 5, 2011 at 4:19 PM

    This is an awesome giveaway!! I would get Better Homes and Gardens! I love their stuff!

    Reply
  32. Patti says

    February 6, 2011 at 8:03 PM

    I already get BHG and would love to receive Southern Living! I’m a follower.

    Reply
  33. Roxanna says

    February 6, 2011 at 7:29 PM

    I already subscribe to BHG so would have to choose Southern Living. I am a google reader follower. Thanks for another great giveaway.

    Roxanna
    roxemor@aol.com

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Katie 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