• 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

April 14, 2015

Taking Down the Blinds

Hands down one of my MOST favorite parts about being a mama is the absolute joy I get from embarrassing my kiddos. And hands down one of my MOST favorite ways to do this is by singing loudly and dancing like nobody’s business. I happen to think I have some awesome moves but for some reason they seem to be horrified disagree.

I’m particularly fond of singing songs to them which tend to be extra annoying if you are already in a grumpy mood or have just awakened. I know, I know, it’s just a tad sadistic. But, we gotta do what we gotta do to get through this parenting gig, right?

dried hydrangeas in urn in kitchen window atthepicketfence.com

And while they might think of it as totally humiliating and annoying, I choose to think of it as character development.

One of my personal favorites is a song from my childhood. One we sang each week in Sunday school and is particularly great to belt out at the top of your lungs first thing in the morning. It’s called ‘So Let the Sunshine In’ and the main chorus goes like this..

“So let the sunshine in face it with a grin smilers never lose and frowners never win
So let the sunshine in face it with a grin open up your heart and let the sunshine in”

I mean, can’t you imagine how much my kids just LOVE hearing that over and over again?! 😉

Well, they better brace themselves because I did something recently which has caused that song to be perpetually on the tip of my lips and it’s anyone’s guess when it will just burst forth.

I decided to take down all of the blinds from the windows along the back side of our house.

I opened up the heart of my home and let the sunshine (or at least a little bit more light!) right in!

family room windows with no blinds atthepicketfence.com

It was like one day I just got a hankering. I HAD to take them down. I needed light. Not filtered light through blinds I was constantly having to dust. Just light!

Soon after we went through the great painting extravaganza of 2015 (also known as the family room makeover, built-in cabinet makeover and island makeover), I realized how much I had been craving more openness.

And while for some time now I haven’t had blinds in our breakfast nook, I still had them on the windows in our family room and kitchen.

But not anymore!

polka dot curtains in family room atthepicketfence.com

“So let the sunshine in, face it with a grin”!

I love that now I can really see the blooms on my beautiful snowball tree. Even though we live in a neighborhood, we have huge trees along the back of our yard which give us wonderful privacy.

snowball tree atthepicketfence.com

And on those dreary, rainy Oregon days, getting as much unfiltered light as possible streaming through the windows is definitely a must.

breakfast nook decor atthepicketfence.com

My kitchen windows meet in the corner and simple drapes on either side which match those in the family room add softness next to the cabinets but don’t obstruct the view of my cherry trees.

corner kitchen windows atthepicketfence.com

I think even my little miss approved when she got home from school and realized she had extra light by which to draw.

daughter drawing atthepicketfence.com

And of course, when they got home from school on the day I took them down, I couldn’t resist breaking into song as my way of sharing with them the awesomeness that is our nekkid windows!

lilac and snowball blooms atthepicketfence.com

They, of course, were not mortified at all and didn’t run from the room begging me to stop.

Nope, not at all. 😉

I’m still considering adding some kind of roman shade to the windows but for now, I’m just loving them in all of their nekkid glory!

Vanessa signature

16 Comments Filed Under: Decorating, Good Ideas Tagged With: decorating

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Crystal Glasses and Paper Napkins
Next Post: The Path »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hope Williams says

    April 14, 2015 at 3:21 AM

    Ahhhhh, the joys of parenting! I love nekkid windows during the day, but night time is a 180!
    Embarrassing the kiddos is awesome! They, as most kids do it too. It’s just part of growing up. Now I have to ask one question; whatcha gonna do when they start singing with ya? Same Sunshine song?
    Oh oh! I know, SING IT LOUDER!

    Be blessed, Hope

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      April 14, 2015 at 7:11 AM

      I totally agree about night time being a different story without the blinds Hope! Still trying to decide how I feel about it and I’m definitely leaning towards maybe getting some soft roman shades or something that we can pull down. It honestly kind of spooks me out to just have the dark windows! LOL!

      Reply
  2. Sue Tait says

    April 14, 2015 at 7:51 AM

    Love love love “Nekkid Windows”…

    I get it that might be a little unnerving at night when you live in a neighborhood, but I have lived in the middle of 65 acres of woods for over 20 years and it is great. I have never put anything on my windows that closed off the light. I have drapes but they stay pulled open as far as I can pull them. No shades, no blinds no “Nuthin’ ”, Just light when it’s day and stars and moon when it’s night…

    Oh , and by the way, I love all the pictures you post… Your home is so beautiful!

    Reply
  3. Channing says

    April 14, 2015 at 9:05 AM

    I loved this! I make up silly songs too and sing them to my family. Your home is beautiful, and I enjoy your nekkid windows!

    Reply
  4. Judy says

    April 14, 2015 at 11:49 AM

    I love the bare windows letting all the light in. It makes the house look bigger and make you feel more like you are outdoors.

    Reply
  5. Carol Reddin says

    April 14, 2015 at 12:15 PM

    Oh, Vanessa, you DID IT! I really love the light! Mom

    Reply
  6. Nancy says

    April 14, 2015 at 4:17 PM

    Embarrassing the kids was always so much fun. Now I get to watch my daughters have that fun.
    I bought my house 13 years ago for the big beautiful windows. I was determined not to cover them up. We moved in Halloween. When warm weather started I had to rethink those big beautiful windows in the Florida sunshine. But Plantation shutters aren’t too bad!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      April 14, 2015 at 7:28 PM

      I definitely love plantation shutters Nancy! And yes, embarrassing the kids (and grandkids too right?!) is fun!

      Reply
  7. Lisa Mothersead says

    April 14, 2015 at 4:30 PM

    It looks beautiful. Your home is so inviting. Every time I visit Paige Knudsen’s blog, I admire her bare windows, too.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      April 14, 2015 at 7:27 PM

      Thanks Lisa!! Using the word ‘inviting’ to describe my home is the highest compliment! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Jane @ Cottage at the Crossroads says

    April 14, 2015 at 5:39 PM

    Your “nekkid” windows are gorgeous! LET THERE BE LIGHT! What a darling photo of your little one happily drawing in the sunshine!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      April 14, 2015 at 7:27 PM

      Thanks so much Jane!

      Reply
  9. Rose L. says

    April 14, 2015 at 6:48 PM

    Naked glory does not work for the bedroom! I like letting the light in and having views out.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      April 14, 2015 at 7:26 PM

      LOL Rose!! Definitely need window coverings in the bathroom!! 😉

      Reply
  10. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    April 19, 2015 at 7:55 PM

    Oh another post that I so love and which brings back fond memories of that song…in which I sing to my granddaughter when she spends the night and on some days I wake her up in the morning with that song….She just gives me “the look”…..Love your nekkid windows…I have many as I do not need the privacy in many of my rooms and love an unobstructive view…Your views are so beautifl…Even though the kids may give you “the look” or groan a bit when you are happy and singing to them, they will have those memories and will one day tell you how they did appreciate a happy mom!!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      April 20, 2015 at 2:13 PM

      Awww…thanks so much Shirley! Hugs to you friend! 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply 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!

  • A New Look for the Family Room

    A New Look for the Family Room
  • Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

    Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze
  • The Slow Exit

    The Slow Exit
  • Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

    Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

Sign Up and Never Miss A Post!

Must Reads

Latest Recipes

Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Apple Bread Pudding

Grandma’s Banana Bread

view more recent recipes

Recent Posts

  • Winter Decorating Ideas January 27, 2023
  • Nostalgic Christmas Home Tour December 10, 2022
  • Vintage Inspired Hot Cocoa Bar November 21, 2022
  • Autumn Home Decor Tour October 7, 2022
  • Built In Shelving Makeover in Family Room August 31, 2022

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?

It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
What if you could do something at the beginning of What if you could do something at the beginning of your day that would be a gift to yourself later on? That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Tip Tuesday! #tiptuesday
The sun decided to make another appearance today! The sun decided to make another appearance today! It’s been such a lovely Sunday. Chocolate croissants for breakfast followed by church then naps/football/reading/etc and soon we’ll be heading out to dinner with friends. These are my favorite kind of weekends. Hope yours has been lovely too! 🌿
Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshi Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshine is breaking through the fog and my house just seems happier. We definitely needed to see that light streaming in through the windows and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted.

And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here i Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here in the Willamette Valley has me feeling less frustrated about my migraine forcing me to just snuggle up indoors and these flowers in my kitchen are lifting my spirits. What are you up to on this holiday weekend?
It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offe It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offering a gentle reminder from my own parenting experience after feeling my heart pricked with conviction about what was waiting for my daughter every day after school. I hope it will encourage you! 🌿#tiptuesday
The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now). 

And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kic Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kicking off the year with a brand new series! Each weekly installment will feature a tip for everything from your home to faith to parenting to family life and so much more. My goal for 2023 is to have far more personal interaction with this community while continuing on with the mission of weaving together all things heart and home. I hope you enjoy this first tip and I’d love to hear from you about whether or not you decorate for winter! 
#tiptuesday #organizing #winterdecorating
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. H “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

Here’s to beginnings. Happy new year friends! May you experience the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord in 2023 like never before! ✨
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 At The Picket Fence