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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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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.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
“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?
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