• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Shop My Home
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

July 3, 2012

Sharing HomeTalk and some exciting news!


We mentioned this great website at Inspiration Friday this past week, but wanted to share some more details with you!

HomeTalk

HomeTalk.com is an amazing resource for homeowners, renters and anyone interested in making a “house a home”. At HomeTalk you can find everything from inspiring projects shared by other members, answers to questions (and you can ask your own), professionals in your community (who are active members of HomeTalk) and keep track of ideas you find for future projects for our own home!

What we love most about HomeTalk is the sense of community.  People are quick to answer questions another member might have. Everything from “do you recognize this plant?” To, “can you give me some lighting ideas for my cottage?”

It’s also a great way for BLOGGERS to share their amazing talent! HomeTalk appreciates the contribution from the blogging community and will often feature their projects on the HomeTalk Facebook page, which has over 380,000 followers!

Talk about a great way to get your talent noticed!

But, even if you aren’t a blogger you can still create an account at HomeTalk and upload your photos and a description of your project for others to see. What a great way to get affirmation and feedback on your hard work! 

The HomeTalk community is very active in commenting and conversing.  Take for instance Vanessa’s “If You Don’t Have a White Kitchen” post.


As you can see not only has she received tons of page views but it has also generated a very lively discussion on white kitchens! 

Recently Shirley at Housepitality Designs shared her sunroom

and has not only received lots of views, but was also featured on the Facebook Page…yeah Shirley! 

HomeTalk also stays connected with their community through the HomeTalk Twitter Page as well as through the HomeTalk Pinterest Boards!

In fact, we’d love you to follow the DIY that Inspires Board where you’ll find our pins of stand-out, trending projects from the HomeTalk website! 

Which leads us to our exciting news!

The gals here At The Picket Fence have been invited to serve as HomeTalk Ambassadors! 
This means that we will be working with HomeTalk to connect the blogging community and our readers with this amazing resource!

Here’s what we need you to do! Take just a second…right now…go…go…lol and sign up for HomeTalk.com  on the website and take a moment to follow them on Facebook, and while you’re at it go ahead and follow us on the DIY that Inspires Board over at Pinterest!  Be sure to sign up through a link here on the blog…and come right back…

HomeTalk

…okay, welcome back! Now how does all of this benefit you? Besides the obvious of HomeTalk being a great place to hang out and talk “all things home” as mentioned above; it can be a great place to share your projects!

 So take a moment to pick a few of your best “DIY, home improvement, and home related” content (please steer clear of crafty type projects) and share it over at HomeTalk.  Make sure to follow us over at HomeTalk while you’re at it and we’ll be sure to follow you back! We’ll be keeping an eye out for our top picks and sharing them on OUR Facebook Wall as well as on the DIY that Inspires Pinterest Board.  

Miriam of HomeTalk has shared some great blog posts on HOW BEST to submit your projects and get them noticed:

Getting Started on HomeTalk
How To Post Projects
How To Share a Compelling Project

So that’s all there is to it! An opportunity to be a part of a great community and resource that is growing everyday by leaps and bounds!

As part of the HomeTalk Ambassadors programs we will be featuring HomeTalk projects on our Facebook Page on a regular basis, pinning and tweeting amazing finds from HomeTalk and also sharing some of the best of the best from Inspiration Friday over at HomeTalk each week! We also have some other fun plans up our sleeve that we’ll be sharing with you soon!

So, are you convinced yet that HomeTalk is amazing?!

We sure hope so…and we look forward to working with you, our readers, and HomeTalk connecting amazing bloggers and homeowners with HomeTalk.com!

We are serving as representatives of HomeTalk.com, but all opinions are our own.  Please see our Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Email Updates
Facebook Page
Pinterest

25 Comments Filed Under: Community, Good Ideas, HomeTalk

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Inspiration Friday No. 71~ 4th of July Edition!
Next Post: A Picket Fence 4th of July! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Cherished Bliss says

    July 2, 2012 at 2:35 PM

    How fun! I signed up to join in on the fun! : ) Have a great week ladies!

    Reply
  2. Pam - @diy Design Fanatic says

    July 2, 2012 at 2:37 PM

    I love Hometalk and have posted a few project on my page there. The one problem I’ve had in the past is that my photos won’t load since they are 12-18 megapixel and are probably too large. Hometalk is definitely a great site though!

    Reply
  3. thistlewoodfarm says

    July 2, 2012 at 3:20 PM

    Top four reasons I like Hometalk:
    (1) They have amazing inspiration (like Shirley’s porch that she just posted, too)!
    (2) I have an old house with old house questions. And I need answers.
    (3) It’a a great place to find out if I should paint my couch with chalk paint….LOL 🙂
    (4) I get to hang out with you girls over there 🙂

    Thanks rock stars for all the inspiration!
    karianne

    Reply
    • Karah @ thespacebetweenblog says

      July 3, 2012 at 9:38 PM

      Great post, ladies! Fun comment, Kari!
      🙂

      Reply
  4. Sophia's says

    July 2, 2012 at 3:52 PM

    Thanks so much for sharing this…looks like a great site! I’m heading over to sign up!

    Reply
  5. Miriam@Hometalk says

    July 2, 2012 at 3:57 PM

    Loved your post, Heather and Vanessa!! Pam, I hate that we’re missing out on any of your projects 🙂 Right now, photos can be up to 10 mb, and as of tomorrow that will change to 20, so you shouldn’t have any issues. 🙂 Please email me if you do.

    Reply
  6. Honey at 2805 says

    July 2, 2012 at 4:43 PM

    Congrats, ladies!

    Reply
  7. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    July 2, 2012 at 7:03 PM

    I am so happy that you two and KariAnne are Ambassadors…When Kari emailed me and said hook up some of your rooms!…I did…and so glad that I did as I am having so much fun with it!…Just love the concept!…AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FEATURING MY SUNROOM.!!!…I am so very honored….You two are the best and it is no wonder that Hometalk chose you two to be their ambassadors! Here’s to the success of Hometalk….!!!

    Reply
  8. Cherished Bliss says

    July 2, 2012 at 7:37 PM

    Hey ladies, How do you set up the featured images on your profile? I can’t seem to find that anywhere. Thanks so much!

    Ashley

    Reply
  9. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    July 2, 2012 at 8:12 PM

    I just signed up! Exciting new forum, girls!! Thanks for sharing!
    xo Heidi

    Reply
  10. Sandy says

    July 2, 2012 at 8:23 PM

    I just signed up and gave them a tid bit on my Faux Fireplace
    for someone who would love to do such a thing but afraid to
    build one…. thanks for the heads up because I am always looking
    for new and inspiring ideas!

    Sandy

    Reply
  11. Katie Goldsworthy says

    July 2, 2012 at 9:04 PM

    That’s awesome! I started posting to HomeTalk a few weeks ago. It seems like a great site!

    –Katie

    Reply
  12. Jessica Kielman says

    July 3, 2012 at 12:56 AM

    Woot Woot! Way to go ladies! Karianne sent me the link…what a completely fabulous place!!!

    Jessica

    Reply
  13. Eclectically Vintage says

    July 3, 2012 at 1:30 AM

    I’ve been a regular over there for a couple of months and love it! So much fun to share ideas and post a question (how to I restore my vintage glider) and then get responses from so many different people.
    Kelly

    Reply
  14. reFresh reStyle says

    July 3, 2012 at 2:38 AM

    I love HomeTalk too! I just need to get back over there! Congrats on partnering with them!
    Debbie

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 3, 2012 at 5:06 PM

      Thanks Debbie!

      Heather

      Reply
  15. suzyq says

    July 3, 2012 at 1:02 PM

    Awwww – only for the U.S????

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 3, 2012 at 5:10 PM

      Hi Suzy! Was it because you have to enter a zip code when you sign up? I will see if this prevents a non US resident to enroll for some reason.

      Heather

      Reply
    • Funky Junk Interiors says

      July 4, 2012 at 6:08 PM

      I’m Canadian and just signed up through my Facebook page. 🙂 Great writeup this was, gals!

      Reply
  16. Linda @ it all started with paint says

    July 3, 2012 at 1:26 PM

    I’m a huge fan of Hometalk on all its mediums! Congratulations on your roles as Ambassadors ….

    🙂

    Linda

    Reply
  17. Laurie says

    July 3, 2012 at 3:57 PM

    Thanks for sharing this site. I signed up and now I’m going to tell all my friends. 🙂
    https://www.laurieslittlebitsofcreativity.com/

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      July 3, 2012 at 5:03 PM

      Thanks for sharing Laurie! It really is a great site!

      Heather

      Reply
  18. Bullfrogs and Bullfrogs says

    July 4, 2012 at 3:05 PM

    Congrats ladies! I just signed up myself! Have been browsing and looks like a fun site! Thanks for the post!

    Reply
  19. Kerry Rossow says

    July 6, 2012 at 2:09 PM

    Woohoo, fancy pants! I signed up and even downloaded some pictures! Can I link entire posts or just pictures? Thank you for sharing the love!
    Kerry at HouseTalkN

    Reply
  20. Inspire Me Heather says

    August 15, 2012 at 1:41 PM

    Great post, this sure explains Hometalk very well! I’m still new at it and haven’t asked any questions yet – but perhaps soon! I have this linked to my Hometalk post as well today, for anyone else wanting to know what it’s all about! Thanks, see you on Blogtalk!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

  • A New Look for the Family Room

    A New Look for the Family Room
  • Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

    Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze
  • The Slow Exit

    The Slow Exit
  • Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

    Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

Sign Up and Never Miss A Post!

Must Reads

Latest Recipes

Strawberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze

Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Apple Bread Pudding

view more recent recipes

Recent Posts

  • Decorating a Sofa Table May 31, 2023
  • Strawberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze April 19, 2023
  • Console Table Refresh March 24, 2023
  • Laundry Room Makeover February 23, 2023
  • Winter Decorating Ideas January 27, 2023

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

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?
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 At The Picket Fence