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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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Search Results for: label/Behind the Blog Series

July 16, 2012

Blogging Together…our number one question answered!

Recently Kathy of  a Delightsome Life asked us to share some on blogging and how we do it, we thought we'd share our post here with you today.Believe it or not the number one question we get asked about our blog At The Picket Fence is not…”how do you come up with projects?” or “how did you get sponsors or advertisers?”The number one questions is: “How do you blog TOGETHER?” The concept of multiple blog authors is still relatively new in the blogging community.  Blogs originally were a platform ... continue reading...

28 Comments Filed Under: Blogging 101, Good Ideas

September 12, 2011

Behind the Blog with Savvy Southern Style

We are so excited for today's installment of Behind the Blog!Please join us in welcoming Kim, Miss Savvy Southern Style herself!For many, her blog was what inspired them to begin blogging themselves. And for countless of us, she was among the first to pay us a visit after we finally took that plunge and joined this crazy world called Blogland! She also hosts the popular Wow Us Wednesday Linky Party and you can find us there every week partying away with so many of you. Her gorgeous home provides ... continue reading...

29 Comments Filed Under: Behind the Blog Series

August 15, 2011

Behind the Blog with…Ivy and Elephants!

Welcome to another edition of Behind the Blog where we introduce you, our friends, to the fabulous bloggers behind the blogs we love!!  We have had so much fun these last few weeks and while our previous guests were what you would consider more "seasoned" bloggers, we are thrilled to be introducing you to a couple of "newbies" today! It has been our extreme pleasure to get to know the lovely Patti and Paula who co-author the blog Ivy and Elephants. We know you will love them as much as we do! ... continue reading...

13 Comments Filed Under: Behind the Blog Series

August 8, 2011

Behind the Blog with…Anne and Fiona and Twig!

    Welcome to another edition of Behind the Blog where we introduce you, our friends, to the fabulous bloggers behind the blogs we love!!  This week we are so excited to welcome the gracious, lovely, and romantic (yes we think she’s romantic and so do many others..smile) Anne from Fiona and Twig!  Anne describes herself as “Elizabeth Bennett in cowboy boots”…our kind of gal! Many of you are familiar with Anne and her beautiful blog and gorgeous photography!  If not, you are in for a real treat! ... continue reading...

33 Comments Filed Under: Behind the Blog Series

July 26, 2011

Behind the Blog…with Roeshel and The DIY Showoff!

  Welcome to another edition of Behind the Blog where we introduce you, our friend, to the fabulous bloggers behind the blogs we love!!  This week we are so excited to welcome the lovely, talented Roeshel from The DIY Showoff!  Most DIYers are familiar with Roeshel and her generous heart! Roeshel loves to show off other DIYers on her blog and give them a chance to shine! She also hosts the very popular DIY Project Parade each week, definitely one of the most attended parties in blogland! That ... continue reading...

16 Comments Filed Under: Behind the Blog Series

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Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.

While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.

We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.

If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.

“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?

It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.

“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
What if you could do something at the beginning of What if you could do something at the beginning of your day that would be a gift to yourself later on? That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Tip Tuesday! #tiptuesday
The sun decided to make another appearance today! The sun decided to make another appearance today! It’s been such a lovely Sunday. Chocolate croissants for breakfast followed by church then naps/football/reading/etc and soon we’ll be heading out to dinner with friends. These are my favorite kind of weekends. Hope yours has been lovely too! 🌿
Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshi Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshine is breaking through the fog and my house just seems happier. We definitely needed to see that light streaming in through the windows and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted.

And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here i Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here in the Willamette Valley has me feeling less frustrated about my migraine forcing me to just snuggle up indoors and these flowers in my kitchen are lifting my spirits. What are you up to on this holiday weekend?
It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offe It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offering a gentle reminder from my own parenting experience after feeling my heart pricked with conviction about what was waiting for my daughter every day after school. I hope it will encourage you! 🌿#tiptuesday
The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now). 

And I’m choosing gratefulness. 

“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kic Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kicking off the year with a brand new series! Each weekly installment will feature a tip for everything from your home to faith to parenting to family life and so much more. My goal for 2023 is to have far more personal interaction with this community while continuing on with the mission of weaving together all things heart and home. I hope you enjoy this first tip and I’d love to hear from you about whether or not you decorate for winter! 
#tiptuesday #organizing #winterdecorating
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. H “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” 

Here’s to beginnings. Happy new year friends! May you experience the majesty and sovereignty of the Lord in 2023 like never before! ✨
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