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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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April 26, 2019

My Favorite Decorating Tip

I am on a mission. A mission to help you discover how amazing it feels to live in a peaceful home. More than ever, I believe that we are yearning for spaces where we can shut out the craziness of the world and just ‘be’. With access right at our fingertips to all of the things all of the time, somehow as a culture we are becoming more anxious and less connected.

And there’s a reason it’s said that our homes should be our havens. So, I am passionate about helping you build a foundation of peace in your home which will sustains you when all of the craziness of life comes at you.

I’ve had the great privilege of being a guest on multiple podcasts (I LOVE doing podcasts!) and the one question I am asked over and over again is, “What is something easy that I can do today to make my home feel more peaceful.” My answer to that question is the same each time.

Give your eyes a break

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again and again; when our homes are chaotic our hearts are chaotic and when our hearts are chaotic our homes are chaotic. Everything is intertwined. In order to invite more peace into our hearts, we need to create open space. We do this through weeding out the things that are keeping us from experiencing freedom. And when we’ve done that weeding, there is room for new beautiful growth to emerge.

And, so it is with our homes. As we cast our eyes around the rooms in which we spend so much of our lives, there need to be places where they can come to a rest. Where there are no papers and backpacks and unfinished craft projects (just me?) and water bottles and bills. Where there isn’t just regular stuff but rather, intentional stuff. What exactly is ‘intentional’ stuff.

Well, it’s the stuff of our choosing. Those things that are just a bit different from everything else in our homes. You see, giving your eyes a break as they make their way around a room doesn’t mean we have surfaces with absolutely nothing on them. Now, it could mean that. Especially if it brings you peace to see a table or a countertop with absolutely nothing on it. But, for most of us, what it will look like is finding a place where you can display items that bring you joy and where no one is allowed to plunk down their junk.

It might be as simple as a side table that you decorate to reflect the seasons.

Or intentionally keeping just a simple, pretty centerpiece on your dining table which allows you to easily sit down for dinner without having to clear everything off first.

Or keeping your countertops cleared off so that you aren’t always having to move things around in order to find the space you need to prep for cooking.

It’s going to look different for each of us as we decide what will bring us the most peace. But, what is vital is that we fight for those spaces. Because when I walk into my home and trip over shoes and backpacks dropped in the laundry room and see pillows thrown off of the couch onto the floor and bills and permission slips piled up on the desk, I always know that I can glance around and find a place for my eyes to stop and rest on something that brings me joy. A little corner that allows my spirit to exhale.

So, do you do this already in your home? If so, what areas in your home have you chosen to fight for and how do you keep them peaceful?

If you haven’t made this a priority in your home, what area do you think you could start fighting for today?

I promise you that the peace you will feel is so worth it!

And if you would like to hear more of my tips and ideas, I have created the most beautiful FREE, downloadable gift for you!

6 Ways to Have a More Peaceful Home will be delivered to your inbox just by simply taking a quick quiz to discover how peaceful your home really is.

Click to take the quiz and get access to this little ebook that I created just for you!

I’m so passionate about helping people invite more peace into their lives and to have that overflow into their homes. I truly believe that getting there is a journey worth taking and I want you to know that if this is something you are longing for, I am here to help you along the way!

1 Comment Filed Under: Decorating, Good Ideas Tagged With: decorating, peace

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  1. Carol says

    September 18, 2019 at 12:25 PM

    My pastor told me the other day he likes to come to my home because it’s peaceful. What a wonderful compliment!

    Reply

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And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
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Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

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Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
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