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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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December 17, 2012

O Holy Night Mirror and Advent Mantel

Friday was a day of unspeakable tragedy, loss and heartache. We are grieving along with the rest of the world and we have held our loved ones a little bit…ok…A LOT…closer.

It can sound trite to say that we are praying for those who’ve lost, but we truly are. Our mothers hearts ache.

There are some bloggers who’ve chosen to have this be a day of silence and we respect that. But, we’ve chosen something different today. We’ve chosen to share what or rather WHO can bring light into the darkness, comfort to the grieving, peace to the hurting.

In my family, celebrating advent has become a beloved tradition. And last year I added to this tradition by putting a twist on things and doing an advent mantel rather than an advent wreath.

I’ve done the same thing this year with the very special addition of an ‘O Holy Night’ mirror. In the midst of sorrow and suffering, “the weary world rejoices” at the arrival of a Savior.

I purchased this incredible vinyl ‘O Holy Night’ decal from our Sponsor Leen the Graphics Queen. She was able to customize it to the size of my mirror and I kind of squealed a bit when I got the first letters on and realized how much I was going to love it!

 On the mantel itself, I placed a wooden tray candle holder with 5 candles perfect for marking each Sunday of advent leading up to Christmas as well as Christmas Eve.

 Greenery and berries help to fill it in and I also wove in a strand of battery powered lights.

Each Sunday evening, we gather in the family room together and read from an advent devotional our church provides and often add a children’s book or story to help our children understand why we celebrate this holy season.

Then we light the appropriate number of candles and just relish the moment of peace in the midst of what is such a busy time of year.

It was only after I had placed these fresh little trees in glass jars that I realized how symbolic it was to be able to see the soil and the roots. A reminder of being rooted in God’s love and the foundation that gives us.

Glittery pine cone candles in trophy urns finish off the mantel.

I’ve always thought that this should be called our “living room” instead of our “family room” since this is where we do most of our “living”. But, when I really stop and think about how often we gather here together as a family I think it’s  name is the most fitting after all.

 We will be gathering here together a lot in these days leading up to Christmas. My children will race down the stairs early Christmas morning to find their stockings “magically” filled to the brim and I will see their eyes light up with joy.

More than ever before, I will be aware of just how precious and fleeting this life is. I will know that there are parents who will be having a very different kind of Christmas morning. And, I will be praying for them to feel the comfort and healing that can only come from the One who arrived that Holy Night all those years ago.

Thank you for letting me share my Advent mantel and my heart with you today at the Fence,

Sharing here:

Metamorphosis Monday

Home for the Holy Days

Tuesday’s Treasures

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25 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Decorating, DIY, Holidays Tagged With: Advent, Christmas, Christmas decorating, Christmas mantel, O holy night

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Previous Post: « Framed Christmas Wreath and Front Porch Decor
Next Post: Pine cone Christmas Trees..simplicity at its best! »

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Comments

  1. Carolynn says

    December 17, 2012 at 6:33 AM

    Thank you for sharing such a beautiful and uplifting message of HOPE! It has been a difficult week for so many and yet, one thing has not changed. God is love…He loves us and offers us hope for better things to come!
    Blessings and a Merry Christmas,
    Carolynn

    Reply
  2. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    December 17, 2012 at 7:02 AM

    So beautiful. I love the mirror and your mantel, both are perfect. I think we are all feeling a little different this Christmas. Such sorrow at such a wonderful time is so hard to put together. God Bless you and your Family and may you have a very Blessed Christmas. Hugs, marty

    Reply
  3. Amy says

    December 17, 2012 at 7:28 AM

    Lovely message, and what a great idea for an Advent mantel. Thanks for the inspiring message and for continuing to spread HIS light, even in darkness.
    XO
    Amy

    Reply
  4. Thistle says

    December 17, 2012 at 7:35 AM

    Vanessa,

    What a beautiful, beautiful post! My heart is so heavy for those who have suffered unspeakeable tragedy. You have put into words what so many are feeling today.

    Thank you for blessing me today,
    karianne

    Reply
  5. Kristin @ Simply Klassic Home says

    December 17, 2012 at 8:40 AM

    Beautiful post Vanessa. I love that you decided to share something beautiful and hope filled in the midst of great sorrow. That is what Advent is all about. Thank you for the reminder.

    Reply
  6. Bonnie says

    December 17, 2012 at 9:24 AM

    Very appropriate, Vanessa. I personally feel that it is good to see positive “pretty” things in a world so full of evil so we are reminded that there is still good in the world. I do think these times call for simpler posts with an acknowledgement of what is going on in Connecticut by sharing our sorrow. When we continue on immediately after without a thought about the tragedy on our blogs, it seems kind of shallow. In a way, I feel we have a responsibility as “public” spokespersons. With that said, I so appreciate your words and your room that shows the reason for the season!

    Reply
  7. Sharon says

    December 17, 2012 at 9:29 AM

    I absolutely love the idea of an advent mantel. And the Holy Night graphics added to the mirror is striking. The photography on this post is beautiful too.

    Reply
  8. Judy says

    December 17, 2012 at 2:24 PM

    Your advent mantel is a wonderful idea. Gorgeous in it’s execution as well.

    Reply
  9. Leo @ Cottage at the Crossroads says

    December 17, 2012 at 4:07 PM

    Vanessa,
    Beautiful photos. Merry Christmas

    Reply
  10. Debbie says

    December 17, 2012 at 4:35 PM

    I remember your advent mantel last year. I loved this year’s version even more. The O Holy Night mirror is the perfect touch, too. (I loved the part of seeing the roots in particular.)

    I have contemplated the silent blog day. I understand the positive message of it yet can’t decide if being silent is what I feel called to do. Still pondering.

    Reply
  11. Elizabeth@ Blue Clear Sky says

    December 17, 2012 at 5:24 PM

    Your mantel is beautiful and the meaning behind it even more special. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  12. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    December 17, 2012 at 6:15 PM

    Vanessa, you were right to speak out with these beautiful words!!!! It is important to remember that only God can truly comfort us… and that Jesus is God’s physical comfort to all the world. Beautiful decoration… beautiful post!!!

    Reply
  13. Richella @ Imparting Grace says

    December 17, 2012 at 7:57 PM

    It’s just beautiful, Vanessa. Our hearts are all so heavy–yet the darkness around us does show us just how much we need the Light, doesn’t it?

    Bless you, friend!

    Reply
  14. Aimee - It's Overflowing says

    December 17, 2012 at 8:54 PM

    Beautiful…this is what it is all about. Thanks so much for sharing not only these beautiful pictures of your warm home, but sharing your heart!! He truly is the greatest gift EVER! XO, Aimee

    Reply
  15. Maureen says

    December 17, 2012 at 11:25 PM

    I do think it’s important to shine some light into the darkness that descended last Friday. We have to believe that there will be an end to this kind of horror.

    Reply
  16. AnaMB says

    December 18, 2012 at 2:02 AM

    great post, great photos, great thoughts…

    Reply
  17. Recreate and decorate says

    December 18, 2012 at 4:09 AM

    Thanks for the inspiration today. My heart breaks with America. Our prayers will be with the families as well. Your advent mantle is beautiful and I love the stockings I have two of them myself! Great taste! 🙂

    Reply
  18. Cynthia says

    December 18, 2012 at 5:45 AM

    Just lovely the mantel and the mirror look spectacular.

    Cynthia

    Reply
  19. Jeannee says

    December 18, 2012 at 6:44 PM

    LOVE THIS! Ty for sharing <3

    Reply
  20. Donna White says

    December 18, 2012 at 6:56 PM

    Very soulful and inspiring! Thank you!

    Reply
  21. Kate says

    December 19, 2012 at 4:16 AM

    https://www.embracinglifesjourney.com/2012/12/why-does-it-take-tragedy.html?m=1

    Reply
  22. Vanessa says

    December 19, 2012 at 6:08 AM

    How lovely are your Christmas decorations! Truly beautiful.

    Hugs,

    Vanessa

    Reply
  23. Linda says

    December 19, 2012 at 6:28 AM

    We lost our 6 year old Granddaughter Anna, 8 years ago this past November. She had been born with heart issues. We had no idea she would only live 6 yrs., and it was so hard…and yes, that Christmas was so hard to face without her. Our hearts are saddened by the loss of so many sweet children around the same age as our Anna. Our prayers are with all of those parents and families of those victims.

    Thanks for this beautiful post! I am so glad we have Jesus who was born on that Holy Night! He truly is our Hope..and our everything!

    Your home is lovely!

    Merry Christmas!

    Linda @ Truthful Tidbits

    Reply
  24. Carol says

    December 19, 2012 at 3:40 PM

    Your mantel and mirror are truly lovely, Vanessa, and your sweet, heartfelt message is beautiful!

    xoxo,
    Carol

    Reply
  25. Michele says

    December 20, 2012 at 4:33 AM

    To shut down and turn inward to grief is a natural response, but does little to honor the spirits of those lost in the massacre a week ago. Your mirror and mantel speak to the eternal, hard to keep in mind sometimes, but oh, so important.

    Reply

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On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the po On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the pouring rain outside contributed to my feelings. But the primary cause was this overwhelming flood of thoughts about how much in our world and in our culture is going off the rails. I’d planned to make pumpkin bread that day but I was tempted to just curl up in a ball on my bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend that this would actually solve something. I didn’t give into that temptation though. Instead, I got out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe and found that, as I worked and prayed and hummed worship songs, my spirit began to settle. When the world feels very loud, the demands of family and home can actually help to quiet our souls. As each family member walked through the door later in the day, they commented on how wonderful the house smelled. It’s better than any fall candle in my opinion! And I knew that the extra loaf that I get from the recipe would be a welcome treat for my widower neighbor. So, if your heart is feeling a bit unsettled this week too, maybe this recipe will come in handy!

Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 🍂
Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. W Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. We woke up to the sound of chainsaws and rushed downstairs to find that our backyard neighbors were having two of the huge trees that line our shared fence removed. These trees have been here longer than the neighborhood and no, they weren't dead or causing damage to roofs, foundations, etc. They were beautiful and gave us wonderful privacy. We had no notice of this happening so this came as quite a shock. Because we were given no notice, we didn't have the chance to cover our outdoor furniture or plants and everything is now coated in a thick layer of sawdust including the fresh bark we recently put in the garden beds. And now our lovely privacy is gone, replaced by a direct view of an above ground pool and RV. I know, I know, it's totally a first world, privileged kind of problem to have. But, now we have to spend thousands of dollars on plants to try and recapture some semblance of privacy. Now we have days worth of clean up to do after we had JUST done a massive freshening up of our backyard. My overarching feeling has just been weariness at the way our world is today.

I think about how often we try to do right by people, to be respectful and courteous. To be thoughtful and considerate. And it’s not reciprocated. How its starting to seem more and more like people have just given up on those seemingly small niceties. And my soul just feels heavy. Because I feel like so much of what used to be common courtesy is not so common anymore. Drivers on the roads are angrier and more reckless than ever before. Red lights being run are an everyday occurrence around town. On our recent family vacation, I heard more people using the F word out in public than ever before even while around children. Where are manners? Where is kindness? I'm finding myself being surprised when someone is thoughtful because it seems like a rarity. And that's just all on a micro, local level. Don't even get me started on the insanity in our world/culture. After I returned from grocery shopping (which can also be soul crushing), I found myself desperate for a reminder of the truth. 

*Part 2 continued in the comments.*
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