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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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July 4, 2012

A Picket Fence 4th of July!

pennant-banner-11_thumb2 (1)
Can you tell how much we LOVE celebrating our nation’s Birthday?!!
As we are busily preparing to enjoy this holiday with family and friends, we thought we would do a recap of all of our 4th of July Projects we have shared with you over the last couple of weeks. Some of them are so simple that you could still get them done in time for your own celebrations!
So, let’s take a look back at
A Picket Fence 4th of July!

“4th of July Jello Firecracker Shots”
jello, shots, 4th of July, desserts, firecrackers, patriotic, alcohol
“Patriotic Pool Noodle Firecrackers”
4th of July, pool noodle, craft, patriotic, firecrackers, Dollar Tree
“Tissue Paper Firecrackers”
Tissue Paper Firecrackers
“4th of July Paper Wreath”
4th of July Paper Wreath
“Tissue Paper Ball Topiary”
Tissue Paper Ball Topiary
“Mod Podge Flag Hurricane”
Mod Podge Flag Hurricane
And here are some of our projects from last year!
“No-Sew” Patriotic Pillows
no sew pillow at the picket fence patriotic 4th of July
“No-Sew Pennant Banner”
pennant-banner-11
“4th of July Flower Tower”
“4th of July Bandana Pillow”
We want to wish Americans everywhere a Happy Fourth of July and remind you to take a moment to remember the WHY behind this holiday!


We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls.  ~Robert J. McCracken
illustration_rockwell_freedom_of_religion


We have enjoyed so much freedom for so long that we are perhaps in danger of forgetting how much blood it cost to establish the Bill of Rights.  ~Felix Frankfurter
Graves at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery San Diego, California, USA


One Nation, Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All! 
~United States of America Pledge of Allegiance
MP900305844


Thank you so much for joining us as we celebrate this very special day and we wish all of you and your families a very
Happy 4th of July!!
dual-signature_thumb2

21 Comments Filed Under: Crafts, Fourth of July, Good Ideas, Holidays, Recipes Tagged With: 4th of July

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Comments

  1. Carmel @ Our Fifth House says

    July 3, 2012 at 7:39 PM

    Happy 4th to you both! Hope you have a wonderful day celebrating with your family and friends! Loved all of this inspiration!

    Reply
  2. Shelia says

    July 3, 2012 at 7:49 PM

    Wonderful post, ladies. Love seeing all of your projects and I too want to wish you and your families a fabulous 4th of July!
    Be a couple of sweeties,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  3. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    July 3, 2012 at 7:51 PM

    Happy 4th to you both!!!

    Reply
  4. Patty (Patty's Pretty Things) says

    July 3, 2012 at 8:29 PM

    You did a beautiful job with this post. Love the picture of the front porch – lovely. Have a fun time with family and friends.

    Reply
  5. FABBY'S LIVING says

    July 3, 2012 at 8:41 PM

    Gorgeous everything in your post, I love it!!..so, have a wonderful 4th. of July!! Yes, I can tell you love the celebration..and so do I!! GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!
    FABBY

    Reply
  6. Coastal Cottage Dreams says

    July 3, 2012 at 8:57 PM

    Beautiful post…Happy 4th!

    Reply
  7. NanaDiana says

    July 3, 2012 at 9:18 PM

    Wonderful project. I especially love the banner. I hope you have a wonderful 4th. xo Diana

    Reply
  8. Honey at 2805 says

    July 4, 2012 at 12:32 AM

    Gorgeous! Have a wonderful 4th of July!

    Reply
  9. Kelly says

    July 4, 2012 at 2:32 AM

    Y’all featured some wonderful patriotic decorations! Hope y’all have a great 4th tomorrow too.

    Reply
  10. Heather says

    July 4, 2012 at 1:07 PM

    Happy Independence Day Heather and Vanessa! Wishing you and your family a wonerful July 4th celebration today! Wonderful inspirational projects featured here and as a miliary spouse its fantastic to see your remiinders of the true meaning of the day! Heather 🙂

    Reply
  11. Dewdrop Gardens says

    July 4, 2012 at 2:19 PM

    Happy 4th of July to my friends south of the border!! We just celebrated our equivalent on the 1st of July, Canada Day, marking the day we became a nation. Our countries are close in so many ways…and I am proud to call the United States a friend and neighbour. 🙂

    Reply
  12. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    July 4, 2012 at 5:10 PM

    Loved the recap….have a very safe and fun 4th with your families!!!

    Reply
  13. Linda @ it all started with paint says

    July 4, 2012 at 5:22 PM

    Love your projects … love the reminder (yeah, I teared up) … and happy 4th to two of my favorite bloggers! Hope you have a wonderful day surrounded by friends and family!

    🙂

    Linda

    Reply
  14. Sue says

    July 4, 2012 at 5:57 PM

    Happy Independence Day Heather and Vanessa! You two are amazing!

    Reply
  15. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    July 4, 2012 at 6:46 PM

    Happy 4th girls! Such great ways to incorporate a little patriotism in our everyday lives!!!

    Reply
  16. Cindy says

    July 4, 2012 at 8:40 PM

    Have a great 4th! Lot’s of inspiring projects! Cindy

    Reply
  17. Vicki Shead says

    July 4, 2012 at 11:45 PM

    Happy 4th! Stay cool and be safe!!

    Reply
  18. Maggie Ann says

    July 5, 2012 at 2:01 PM

    What a beautiful and touching post! Loved it…

    Reply
  19. Cocalores says

    July 5, 2012 at 6:36 PM

    Happy 4th July! Love those pillows =)

    Reply
  20. Dixie Delights says

    July 7, 2012 at 1:01 AM

    Hi ladies – I nominated y’all for the Versatile Blogger Award. I find inspiration every day on your site and have thoroughly enjoyed becoming your “virtual friend.” All the best! Amanda
    https://dixiedelights.blogspot.com/2012/07/blush.html

    Reply
  21. Four Marrs and One Venus says

    July 7, 2012 at 5:11 PM

    Great Post- loved all the photos and projects! Hope your 4th was Amazing!

    Reply

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“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

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.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
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