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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 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!

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

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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

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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.

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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.

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What’s the weather like where you are?
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