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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 2, 2016

Make Room For What You Love

*this post contains affiliate links

I’m so thrilled to be joining an AMAZING group of bloggers today as we celebrate the release of Melissa Michael’s brand new book, ‘Make Room For What You Love’. This latest book from Melissa (visit her at The Inspired Room) is such a natural extension of her previous books, ‘Love the Home You Have’ and ‘The Inspired Room’.

Make Room For What You Love - A Blogger Tour of Inspiring Ideas to Simplify Your Home and Life - New book by NYT Bestselling Author of Love the Home You Have and The Inspired Room

I am such a firm believer in the connection between our homes and our spirits. In fact, I talk a lot about just that in my ‘The Peace-Filled Home‘ series. Which is why I was particularly excited about this new book from Melissa. She completely understands that correlation so not only is this new book chock full of amazing tips and ideas for organizing and simplifying your home, it’s also a reminder of just WHY this is so important.

Today I want to highlight just a few of my favorite ‘take-aways’ from the book and how I implement them in my own home.

When we dont know our style

There is truly something so freeing about defining your own style. It’s only really in the last 2 or 3 years that I have started to feel more settled in my design sensibility and this has allowed me to stay so much more focused as I shop and has saved me tons of money too.

vintage vignette

I realized that I had a tendency to second-guess myself (a common theme in my life!) and would often buy home decor items that were trendy and then they would end up stuck up on a shelf somewhere collecting dust.

Using curtain panels with woven shades

Once I was able to really claim MY style, I began to look at each room and each item in the room through the lens of that style which in turn prevents me from making the wrong decisions and adding to the clutter.

Storage Should do its job behind the scenes

 

I truly believe that a home can be both beautiful and functional and that incorporating pieces that are dual purpose helps to keep the clutter at bay.

This buffet table is in our breakfast room and not only does it provide me with a pretty surface to decorate….

black farmhouse style buffet table

….it’s also where we store art supplies.

They are easy to access and yet having them in a basket on the shelves of the buffet allows this space to stay clutter free…most of the time. 😉

basket of art supplies

Similarly, this giant basket under our sofa table is one of my favorite purchases because I bought it knowing that it perfectly fit with my style AND that it would provide some awesome storage.

Sofa table and cabinet arrangement in family room

It’s become the holder of all things Playmobile.

basket with toys

Too much of even beautiful things

Open surfaces can be so intimidating. Table tops, counters, mantels, all of these areas in our homes provide us with an opportunity to express our creativity but what I have found is that the real challenge is striking just the right balance between too much and just enough.

Simple spring tabletop decor

In recent years I’ve tried very hard to incorporate pieces into my home that can be moved around and used on practically any surface.

Having too much of anything, even the beautiful things, can begin to have the opposite effect than you are intending.

white french country styled fireplace makeover atthepicketfence.com

I’ve found that by paring down my home decor, I’m able to really enjoy each item and every time I relocate it to a new spot in the house it feels fresh and new all over again.

summer buffet table decor atthepicketfence.com

What I’ve shared with you today is truly such a small sampling of all of the AMAZING tips and ideas that you will find in this book.

But, even more than that, what you will find is the encouragement to truly make your home a place that is a respite, a haven from the world.

 

To read an excerpt or purchase the book click here and be sure to visit the bloggers listed below for more inspiration and insight into how YOU can ‘Make Room for What You Love.’

Eleven Gables / Craftberry Bush / At the Picket Fence / Julie Blanner / Beneath My Heart / Thrifty Decor Chick / Emily A. Clark / Reluctant Entertainer / My Sweet Savannah / Domestic Fashionista / At Home In Love / 320 Sycamore / Sunny Side Up / Happy Happy Nester / The White Buffalo Styling Co / Sweet and Simple Home / Finding Home Farms / In My Own Style / Fox Hollow Cottage / The House of Silver Lining / Infarrantly Creative / Fieldstone Hill Design / Shabby Nest / Today’s Creative Life / Sarah M. Dorsey Designs / Just A Girl / Southern Hospitality

Thanks so much for meeting me at the Fence today,

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9 Comments Filed Under: Good Ideas, Good Thoughts, Reviews Tagged With: review

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathie Briggs says

    May 2, 2016 at 5:02 AM

    I am an artist and my studio has always been in my home. Most of my studio storage is in beautiful old pieces like a pie safe or a Hoosier cupboard. I still have some awful plastic shelving but hopefully that will be consigned to the garage. I am in the middle of a move to a wonderful townhouse with fabulous studio space and I want to be able to look around and see only beauty where I create art. I sold, donated or discarded over half of my furniture and “stuff” so I am excited about having more space for my things and for me to breathe.

    Reply
  2. Emily@11gables.blogspot.com says

    May 2, 2016 at 5:23 AM

    What a lovely post!!! I am so sorry my link isn’t working… here is my new link https://11gables.blogspot.com/2016/05/make-room-for-what-you-love-challenge.html

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      May 2, 2016 at 6:36 AM

      Thanks Emily! I fixed your post link. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Melissa Michaels says

    May 2, 2016 at 9:03 AM

    Vanessa, your home is lovely. It takes time for each of us to discover what we love and what we don’t love so much. Paring down and finding just the right balance is a process but when you start to find that right mix, it is refreshing as your images demonstrateso well. Thanks for sharing your home and inspiring us! And thank you for being a part of this book launch, it means so much to me. xo

    Reply
  4. pamela says

    May 2, 2016 at 6:08 PM

    Great post and insight.
    Be Blessed

    Reply
  5. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    May 2, 2016 at 6:47 PM

    I think we all tend to get into the somewhat of a trap of finding something that we love and over doing it in our decor. I have certainly been a victim of that. I have started a fun and rewarding project today after taking an assessment of my surroundings…..The book sounds wonderful!

    Reply
  6. Shauna says

    May 2, 2016 at 7:28 PM

    I love your take aways from Melissa’s book. I used to buy the on trend item all to frequently as well, only to end up throwing it in my storage closet. It is such a freeing feeling to decorate with purpose. You have a lovely home!
    xo

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      May 2, 2016 at 8:15 PM

      Thank you so much Shauna! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Julie Blanner says

    May 4, 2016 at 2:46 PM

    You have a beautiful home. Thank you for sharing your insights!

    Reply

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In this season of motherhood, my soul is feeling a In this season of motherhood, my soul is feeling a bit more tender. When Christmas rolls around and I no longer have wish lists that include Lego sets or dollhouses, I find that I want my home to reflect this craving for all things gentle.

So our hot cocoa station this year is much more simple and done in a neutral color palette that just subtly blends in with the rest of the decor. It still feels festive and is definitely still “user friendly” but it’s just a bit less…well…less.

And, that’s ok. It’s not that this area won’t ever again have bright colors (maybe even pops of red!) but, right now I’m happy to have things this way.

With all that is going on in the world right outside our door, my desire is for our home to truly feel like a respite. I want it to be where we come and let our guard down, our heart rates slow and to be flooded with a sense of peace in knowing that here is where we can just simply be. I want it to be a place of rest. Rest from the constant onslaught of news and information. Rest from the seemingly small struggles of school and jobs that can so often feel like big struggles.

And, most importantly, we rest in the comfort of knowing the One who is Sovereign over all and is the reason this month is so very special and sacred.

Many blessings to you dear friends as we kick off this wonderful season! ✨
Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary to popular belief, the celebration of Advent is VERY different from just simply doing a ‘countdown to Christmas’. It’s not about having little drawers filled with candy or doors to open with prizes inside. Those things are so much fun and definitely help to build anticipation as you head closer and closer to the big day.

But Advent, from the latin word ‘adventus’ meaning ‘arrival’ or ‘appearance’ keeps the focus completely on celebrating the arrival of the King who came in the form of an infant.

This is one of our favorite family traditions and over the years I’ve figured out how to incorporate the Advent candles into my decor without using the traditional wreath. I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration as we head into this sacred season. 🌲

#advent #adventdecoration #wearethehomemakers
Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Bec Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Because it’s the Saturday after and my house is almost completely ready to start the season! So I’m sitting with my coffee and just soaking it all up knowing that now I can focus on shopping, hosting and preparing our hearts for the start of Advent. The only thing left to do is get our fresh tree for the front room and then the decorating is done. 

Starting early is a gift I give to myself and I’m always grateful for it! 🌲

#simplechristmas #traditionalchristmas
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest fo “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours dear friends! 🍂
Christmas has arrived in the family room where I k Christmas has arrived in the family room where I keep things simple but festive! We’ll get a fresh tree after Thanksgiving which will go in our front room bay window but this slim faux tree with its colorful ornaments tides us over for now. Which room in your home gets the Christmas treatment first? Or do you just start doing a little at a time in each room? 🎄

*pillow covers are from @jshhomeessentials
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And I have a confession ...I’d rather have cranberry sauce smothering the turkey on my plate than gravy any day!! And this, this right here? Well it’s the best (and easiest!) cranberry sauce ever!! I eat on crackers and sandwiches and sometimes just by the spoonful. It’s so yummy! And I’m just so very thankful for all of you that I’m going to leave the recipe right here instead of making you go to the blog to get it. I promise you won’t regret having this on your Thanksgiving menu but be warned...you may find yourself up in the middle of the night sneaking some helpings of this deliciousness. Or maybe that’s just me!

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh or frozen cranberries
2 oranges
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup white wine.

Instructions:
Wash and pick over berries, removing any that are soft. Peel and dice oranges removing any seeds. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a full boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking until cranberries pop open and mixture is thickening.
For best flavor, prepare and let stand for several days before using.

Gobble, gobble!! 🦃
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✨I want them to feel like my home is greeting them with a smile.

✨I want them to feel like this is a place where care has been given to details (but not to the point of being too stuffy or too busy or too overwhelming). 

✨I want them to feel like there is peace here.

✨I want them to feel like they are welcome…because they are. 

My home is a reflection of my heart and my heart is a reflection of the ONE for whom I live and try to honor and praise all of my days, but especially at Christmas.

How do you want people to feel when they come into your home? 

#christmasentry #simplechristmas #simplicity #wearethehomemakers
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Several years ago I felt a conviction in my heart about how much time and money I was spending on trying to create a new look every Christmas. I was not being a good steward of my resources and I was far too easily swayed by the peer pressure in this area. And a funny thing happened when I smashed this idol that had taken up residence in my heart. I suddenly found renewed joy in decorating for the season. By keeping things simple and maybe only buying something like a new spool of velvet ribbon, I actually realized that I could be far more creative reusing and repurposing what I already had.

In the coming weeks your news feeds will be filled with temptations for MORE. Maybe, this year, you too can find the joy in LESS. 🌲

#simplechristmas #simplicity #wearethehomemakers
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