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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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December 18, 2012

Pine cone Christmas Trees..simplicity at its best!

 

 

Pinecone Christmas Trees from At The Picket Fence

 I find it interesting how complicated we can make the Holiday Season.  Year after year we pledge that NEXT year we will plan early, plan simply, enjoy this season that comes around but once a year.  Then the hustle and bustle sets in.  The activities, the parties, the trimmings, the shopping and we find ourselves out of breath, out of time and often, if truth be told, a little out of our minds.

We forget that the simplest things can often be the most beautiful.

Incorporating elements of nature; found on a walk through the woods hand in hand with those you love, children’s voices carrying on the chilly breeze.

Pulling out pieces of time worn history; those treasures past down from generation to generation. Worn into a patina by time and loving hands.

pinecone christmas trees in vintage silver

 Sometimes the most magnificent holiday trimmings are free and so simple they hardly need much thought at all.

 

These sweet Pine cone Christmas Trees are a quick easy way to combine nature’s trimmings with much loved treasures.

mini pine cone christmas trees in vintage silver

 Whether you deck your halls to the fullest or prefer a more simple and rustic Christmas, consider bringing a little of nature’s greatest ornaments indoors as a reminder to slow down, simplify and savor this Season!

Pinecone Christmas Trees from At The Picket Fence

 

 

 

18 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Crafts, Good Ideas, Holidays Tagged With: cheap crafts, Christmas, Christmas craft, easy, holiday, pinecones

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Comments

  1. Doreen@HymnsandVerses says

    December 18, 2012 at 5:54 AM

    I love the contrast of the natural pinecones, vintage containers, and sparkly stars! Nice last minute, easy project. Would be great on a Christmas dining table! Thanks for sharing! Wishing you both a blessed Christmas with your families!

    Reply
  2. katie goldsworthy says

    December 18, 2012 at 8:06 AM

    I love this idea! Frugal and so pretty.

    –Katie

    Reply
  3. Sue says

    December 18, 2012 at 8:48 AM

    NEVER have pine cone trees looked so elegant and beautiful!

    Reply
  4. Kristin @ Simply Klassic Home says

    December 18, 2012 at 9:32 AM

    What a simple and clever idea. Love the rusticness. (yes, that’s a word! 😉

    Reply
  5. Judy says

    December 18, 2012 at 3:52 PM

    What a great project and I love the simplicity of it. Absolutely beautiful.

    Reply
  6. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    December 18, 2012 at 4:15 PM

    Oh my stars… this is such a lovely, simple and elegant idea!!! I have given up the Christmas rat race… if I don’t like it or it is not my thing I don’t do it… no cookie baking, only spotlights outside… no 800 light on the tree…no big projects… not elaborate Christmas dinner… equals one very happy and sane Mommy!

    But I do have a lot of silver and a bag of pinecones to play with…

    Reply
  7. Martina says

    December 18, 2012 at 4:36 PM

    I love this idea!! So pretty!

    Reply
  8. Lynn Richards says

    December 18, 2012 at 9:21 PM

    Oooh, Heather, these are too sweet. I am doing Christmas “light” this year and am loving the simplicity of it all.
    xo
    lynn

    Reply
  9. Jennifer says

    December 19, 2012 at 5:34 AM

    So sweet and simple. Perfect for a tabletop setting. I love simple decor the best.

    Reply
  10. Vanessa says

    December 19, 2012 at 7:50 AM

    Hi, Heather

    I love the pine cones, I have so many I used into my Christmas decor. They are lovely

    Hugs,

    Vanessa

    Reply
  11. Nana Diana says

    December 19, 2012 at 11:10 AM

    What a sweet idea with the pine cones. I am with you I always think I will be so far ahead of the game and then the night before Christmas comes and I am like…WHAT? I forgot WHAT?;>) Blessings-xo Diana

    Reply
  12. Carol Reddin says

    December 19, 2012 at 12:34 PM

    We’re in your home right now enjoying your beautiful pinecone trees and everything else “Christmas.” Christmas cookies, popcorn balls, music, late-night viewing of Christmas lights and lots of talking in the days ahead. Nothing could be better than being with family! Love you, Mom and Dad

    Reply
  13. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    December 20, 2012 at 4:14 AM

    One of my favorite projects of the season — simple and beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
    xo Heidi

    Reply
  14. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    December 20, 2012 at 2:51 PM

    You are right…”simplistic elegance”!!!…love them!

    Reply

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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.*
How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully How often is it in our lives that we don’t fully grasp our strengths or our weaknesses until we are put to the test? Little did I know how much I would love my role as a wife, mother and homemaker until I became one. And that in my endeavor to do those roles to the best of my ability, it would bring to the forefront gifts and talents and blessings that I use outside of these walls.

As I water others, I’m watered too because it brings such joy to care for those around me. But it can also make me see more clearly the areas in which I’m lacking and be a very humbling reminder of how much I still need to grow and learn.

Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched and one who waters will himself be watered.”

Have you done any ‘watering’ of others this week? How has it blessed and ‘watered’ you in return?
“Mom, this is one of my favorite meals that you “Mom, this is one of my favorite meals that you make.” Statements like this from my kids fill me with so much joy and such a sense of assurance that my role as the maker of this home is one that makes an impact on them in both big and small ways. It’s not just sheet pan shrimp boil. 

It’s nourishment
It’s time together around the table
It’s laughing as we try to get the butter sauce out of the pan
It’s a memory
It’s an imprint on their lives 

The ordinary act of making a meal becomes EXTRAordinary. And I try to keep that in mind as I do this task day in and day out, year after year. 

***

Ingredients: 
1 pound baby red or yellow potatoes
Green beans or corn (4 ears cut in half) whichever you prefer
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt and pinch of black pepper 
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (12.8-ounce) package smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
Crusty bread for dipping 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or coat with nonstick spray. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook potatoes until just tender, about 10 minutes. Put potatoes, shrimp, sausage and green beans or corn on baking sheet. Pour butter over top. Sprinkle with old bay seasoning and salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Bake for about 12 minutes or until shrimp is pink. 

#shrimpboil #sheetpandinner #sheetpanmeals #homemaking
Temperatures in the 100’s call for fresh and lig Temperatures in the 100’s call for fresh and light cocktails! My husband is my own built in bartender and he put this together the other night. 

2 jiggers of gin (you could also use vodka) 
*you should do a jig when using a jigger 😉*
Crushed ice 
Grapefruit tonic 
Squirt of lime 
Sprig of mint 

Easy and so refreshing!! ☀️

#cocktails #summercocktails
There is something magical about the late summer e There is something magical about the late summer evenings. Maybe it’s because we have a greater sense of the fact that these long days are slowly shortening and we want to savor them as much as we can. I know I intend to do just that. 

I hope you’re having a wonderful August so far dear friends!
Variations of this recipe are on repeat at our hou Variations of this recipe are on repeat at our house all summer long. We’re big on the ‘build your own’ method of making dinner especially on very hot days. Simplicity for the win! 
#recipes #easydinner #easydinnerideas #homemaking
In music, rhythm is a regular repetition or a grou In music, rhythm is a regular repetition or a grouping of beats. No matter what else a piece of music has in terms of its pitch or tone, the rhythm never changes. Its the stabilizing force and brings order to a composition that would be completely chaotic without it.

The same can be said of rhythms in our lives and in our homes. When everything else feels out of control, rhythms and patterns provide us with stability and something that we can rely upon to give us a sense of security in a very insecure world. But, too often, we associate the rhythmic things we do in our lives as merely tasks to be gotten through rather than gifts which provide much-needed balance.

Whether it’s making the coffee every night before we go to bed or doing my devotional in the morning before the rest of the house wakes up or watering my garden, these simple tasks provide a rhythm to my day that is truly grounding. 

What’s something that you do that you would classify as a rhythm or pattern in your week?
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