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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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August 23, 2014

Our Readers Strut Their Stuff

We hope you know that we sure do like you. Like, a lot.

Being a blogger has some really awesome perks. Frankly, we get ‘stroked’ a lot. We share our hearts and our homes with you and you leave us lovely comments (except for the crazy spammers whose comments look like they were written by someone with multiple personalities!). We get to try out fun new products and share the results with you and then you leave us lovely comments. We get to travel, speak at conferences and connect with other bloggers. We come home, share about our adventures and then you leave us lovely comments. You support and encourage and cheer us on.

strut your stuff graphic

And frankly, we’ve started to get a little sick of US!

Don’t get us wrong, we still LOVE to do all of those things and soooooo appreciate those lovely comments and emails. But, sometimes it’s just good to have a little less ‘us’ and a little more ‘you’.

Which is why we were so thrilled to launch our new ‘Strut Your Stuff’ series. We put out the call and invited you, our readers who are non-bloggers, to share your summer outdoor projects with us and it was so fun seeing these awesome projects hitting our inbox!

We’ve selected a few to share with you today and we know you’ll love them as much as we do!

Susi in Georgia transformed her plain garage door by doing a ‘faux’ carriage house look and we think it looks just gorgeous! Here are her tips for doing this project.

garage door before

Faux Carriage House Garage Door in 3 Easy Steps:

1.  Thoroughly clean garage door.  I power washed without any chemicals.  If a washing product is used, be careful to make sure no residue remains.
2.  Paint doors.  I spray painted my door, but the texture on the doors would allow for using a paintbrush.  I used latex paint without a primer, but my door was in excellent condition.
     Note – many blogs and info sites recommend latex paint, but suggest consulting with a local expert before beginning the project.
3.  Attach hardware purchased at local home improvement store.

AFTER:

Garage door after

From Elizabeth in Wisconsin, we got to see ‘Betty Lou’, the newest member of their family! And we think she is fabulous!!

camper

Meet Betty Lou, our bunkhouse up at the lake for our fast growing family.  My husband Steve and I spent the summer restoring/remodeling our late spring purchase of a 1961 Canned Ham.  She is our bunkhouse yet our 2 year old granddaughter thinks of her as her very own playhouse.
I tore out the closet, heater and cupboards and we built a full size bed frame with tons of storage underneath.  I took out the stovetop and sink and we put in a countertop because she will be used as an extra bedroom. I primed, painted, made pillows and new covers for the cushions and of course I had to make her a banner.
We just finished building a deck and will be doing more to her in the future (for starters…curtains).
camper makeover

Pam in Oklahoma showed us her brand new deck complete with custom table and benches and a beautiful pergola!

 New Deck & Pergola 2014
Table & Benches

Then we got this email from Bill and…well…we felt quite certain that this was exactly why we started this series in the first place!

Good Wonderful Morning Ms. Heather & Ms. Vanessa,
My wife Brenda and I recently moved to the beautiful area of Chuckey, Tn.
We live out in the country surrounded by cattle farms and beautiful views of the mountains in the Cherokee National Forest. The mighty Nolichucky River flows just a few miles from our back door. History surrounds us in every direction we turn. Davy Crockett’s birthplace, Jonesborough, the oldest city in Tennessee, Greeneville, the home of President Andrew Johnson and the list could go on and on. 
As anyone knows, when you move into a new home, that projects around the homestead are a part of  life. I could send you many projects we have completed since moving in last year in November. Although tempted to do just that I decided you might be too busy for so many emails. So I decided to send the latest project we completed this past weekend. 
A few days ago Brenda mentioned that we needed a bench to go in the area between our large flower pots beside our porch.  So I started thinking about what I could build to go in the spot and came up with an idea and drew out some plans. Then I bought some lumber.  After a day in my shop measuring, cutting, assembling came up with this Peacock Back Bench.  
bench
We liked the rustic look so decided not to stain but to just protect it with a couple of clear coats of polyurethane so the greens and yellows could be seen. We set it in place and stepped back for a look.  We think it fits the space perfect and Brenda really liked it too! 
The last picture is the view of the mountains that we have while sitting on our new bench.
mtn view 1-2014_FotoSketcher
Hope you ladies like our Peacock Back Bench, we sure do.
Just found you ladies on Facebook and enjoy reading and seeing your projects too!
 
Hope you pick our project. Thanks for giving your fans a chance to strut their stuff.
Have a great day,
Bill 
Bill & Brenda from Tennessee

You see, Bill’s email, like so many others, allowed us a glimpse into your lives!

This series serves as a reminder of what we are all trying to do in our homes…make them feel comfortable, welcoming and most importantly, reflect who we are. It really bonds us all together, don’t you think? That process of carving out our own little corners of ‘home’. So, what do you say we keep this series going?? We’re game, are you?

Be watching for the ‘Strut Your Stuff Fall Edition’! 

And thank you as always for meeting us here at the Fence today!

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15 Comments Filed Under: Good Ideas

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Comments

  1. Susie says

    August 23, 2014 at 4:15 AM

    WOW. Imagine my surprise when I opened your post and saw my garage door. Thank you so very much for using it in your Strut Your Stuff summer series. I am honored. Truly honored.

    It’s a real confidence builder.

    I’m looking forward to submitting a little idea for your fall series. :-))

    Have a wonderful week-end,
    Susie

    Reply
  2. Suzi says

    August 23, 2014 at 4:46 AM

    Wow! As they say in Blogland, these projects are certainly blog-worthy…and beyond! I love this series.

    Reply
  3. Kerry Purcell says

    August 23, 2014 at 5:07 AM

    These are awesome, inspiring, and a perfect motivation to start my Saturday morning. Love how you help others “strut” and shine!

    Blessings, Kerry

    Reply
  4. Ashley @ 3 Little Greenwoods says

    August 23, 2014 at 5:45 AM

    I always love being inspired by others! Love the series!
    ~ Ashley

    Reply
  5. Becky says

    August 23, 2014 at 6:08 AM

    Love these.
    Can we get info. on the color of latex paint used in the Faux Carriage House Garage Door? I am crazy about that look!
    Love this blog and all the great ideas here!

    Reply
  6. Claire @ A Little Claireification says

    August 23, 2014 at 6:44 AM

    What a super fun series! This was such a great way to include some very talented non-bloggers and get a little peek into their lives. I love it!

    Reply
  7. June says

    August 23, 2014 at 7:11 AM

    Wow…I love all the pics and projects. Envious of all the creativity. What a great idea ladies…or should I call you the “dynamic dual”:) I can’t wait for the fall pics.

    In the meantime, I have another idea for you. This post has obviously shown so much of the talent that is out there. I would love you to feature once in a while problem projects where readers like me can get advice from your readers.

    For example, I recently became inspired because of one of your blogs to not only re-position my dining room table, but to move my large hutch to a living room wall. It not only opens up my dining room which is right off the kitchen as we took down a wall, but it cozies up the space in my vaulted ceiling living room which is an extended part of the dining room. It’s all a work in progress. What I’m looking for help with is what to display. Friends say going back to my dishes takes away from the fact that I moved it out of the dining room. One has suggested displaying some of my decorating books and to integrate small pic frames. I do have my kids baby china each in it’s own corner with their bronzed shoes.

    Thanks for considering my suggestion. Keep up the great work. I LOVE your blog.

    Reply
  8. Elizabeth says

    August 23, 2014 at 7:11 AM

    I AM SO EXCITED!! Like Susie said, imagine my surprise and excitement to see Betty Lou when I scrolled down…I just about spilled my coffee on myself! Talk about a confidence booster indeed!
    Thank you so much for featuring her in your Strut Your Stuff series, you girls made my day!!

    Have a great day and again THANK YOU!!

    Elizabeth

    Reply
    • Jessica Griffin says

      August 23, 2014 at 7:50 AM

      Betty Lou is absolutely adorable!

      Reply
  9. Jessica Griffin says

    August 23, 2014 at 7:50 AM

    I’m taking little Betty Lou on the road. She is just precious! All the projects are so beautiful. Wonderful talent!

    Reply
  10. Jeanie says

    August 23, 2014 at 9:03 AM

    What fantastic ideas. loved all of them but my favorite was the garage doors and the camper!…

    Reply
  11. Janelle@The Peaceful Haven says

    August 23, 2014 at 9:38 AM

    I really enjoyed this post! More than that It has inspired me to tackle a few things around the house…thank you for sharing other readers exceptional projects!

    Reply
  12. Emily, Our house now a home says

    August 23, 2014 at 4:45 PM

    I think this idea of having your readers share their space is wonderful. What a great idea! You have some talented readers. And we must have the same spammers because mine are confusing and interesting too. I seriously love this idea of letting others shine!

    Reply
  13. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    August 24, 2014 at 4:21 PM

    I love this series…I must tell my friend who has been through many years of decorating with me to join in on the fun!!!…So many great ideas here…and it was great to meet “Betty Lou”…

    Reply
  14. Susie Heller says

    August 25, 2014 at 10:20 AM

    Loved seeing all those projects. Keep them coming often.

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
.
…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole lockdown thing began, I’ve come to appreciate this time of day even more.

It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

What feels ‘normal’ to you right now? Whatever it is, keep doing it. 🌿
When I was in college I would frequently call home When I was in college I would frequently call home and pour my heart out to my mom, sharing with her all that was happening in my life in that completely unfiltered way that you can talk with the person who potty trained you. These phone calls usually took place at night and my mom would patiently listen as I vented frustrations about professors, roommates, boyfriends and the food in the cafeteria. And, inevitably, they would end with my mom saying, “Everything seems worse when you’re tired. Try not to overthink things or make any major decisions tonight, especially when you are feeling emotional.” Dear friends, may I pass along this advice to you today?

If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

My prayer for you in these days is that you will have the clarity to know what is true and that you will be filled with peace even while we live in this season of so many unknowns.
Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

What have you baked so far during this time of social distancing? I’d love some new ideas!
There are a LOT of people out walking in our neigh There are a LOT of people out walking in our neighborhood right now (but still social distancing!) and she decided that she wanted to bring them some joy and put a smile on their face when they pass by our house. Also, the square with ‘say no to coronavirus’ is priceless. 😂 I just love her so much!
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