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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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February 12, 2011

Sister Saturday Valentine’s Edition Linky Party!!

WELCOME TO THE VALENTINE’S DAY EDITION OF SISTER SATURDAY!
Time to link up those great Valentine projects and ideas!


This is also the first edition for Sister Saturday here 
At The Picket Fence!

Now we don’t have to share our Sister Saturday on TWO blogs but we can combine them on ONE!



Confession Time from Heather

my Sister Saturday contribution is not only from last year…sigh.  Don’t even ask what we’re doing for Valentine’s this year..pizza? maybe? I feel lucky right now to get my laundry done…if I wash all of my red and pink laundry does that make it more Valentiney?? 

Also, in all honesty I would not have invited Vanessa let alone her whole family to celebrate last year’s Valentine’s Day with me.  Not only would it have traumatized them all but it might have been a little crowded since Bama Boy and I spent Valentine’s Day locked away in our bedroom..now I’ve got your attention.  I hope you enjoy this “post from the past”, please ignore the bad photography and just enjoy the sentiment behind it. grin.  

I Love My Funny Valentine


 I love my husband..”Well, of course you do”,  I can hear you saying.  But in today’s world that’s not a given anymore.  After almost 18 years (*now 19!!) of marriage and 20 years together, I can honestly say I love him more today than I did then, and I love him more than I did 5 years ago or 1 year ago.  I am so blessed that I get to love him a little more each year, each day….can’t wait to see what 50 years looks like!
Because I love him and because he gives me the gift of providing for me, and allowing me the blessing of staying home each day to educate our children in our home and the opportunity to be a homemaker in a beautiful house, because he never denies me really anything….I decided to do something special for HIM for Valentine’s Day.  Really, who decided that Valentine’s Day was a “ladies only” holiday?

I wanted to surprise him, so I had to do a lot of secret behind the scenes preparation.  This involved finding a place for all four “children” to go, two who are human and two who are canine.  And then, deciding where to take him…This is where we ended up


no this wasn’t some fancy hotel room, or a bed and breakfast tucked away somewhere (okay maybe you already figured that out) but it was special, it was secluded, it was free….it’s our bedroom.  And what better place to spend Valentine’s with my husband…


now I knew he was coming in from a long day of work (really it’s been a long week of work) and I knew I needed a few more minutes of prep time for dinner, so this is where he ended up waiting for me


in a hot bubble bath, with a nice glass of red wine and even some cheesy love songs playing in the background…just to torture him a little..heheh.

and then he got to sit down to a dinner that would rival the menu of any fancy restaurant you could hope to be taken to on Valentine’s Day:
Strip Steak
Citrus Marinated Shrimp
Wild Mushroom Risotto
and
Artisan Bread with Olive Oil 
  and for dessert
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Frosting
and
Champagne (of course)
after a wonderful dinner and delicious dessert, it was time for a movie.  It was so nice to move from our table, to curling up on our bed to watch a movie (chocolates and champagne included) where he indulged me, by watching…Twilight with me.  Isn’t he the best?!  I figured it had just the right mix of romance..sigh, action, and drama..really a perfect guy/girl movie, right?? (I like Twilight. No judgin’ okay…grin) And this my readers is where the curtain will draw on our romantic get-away, because the rest was for “our-eyes” only….grin…
oh but wait!, I’ll let you in on one more thing…a night away isn’t complete with out breakfast delivery to your room, right?

Champagne Mimosas
and Maple and Pecan Baked French Toast

Total Cost of Evening: $27.82 
(for dinner, dessert, wine, champagne and breakfast!) but really it was……priceless!  
and because I know he’s reading this:

I love you my funny valentine, all there is and more than you will ever know. 
(And because I know, you my dear husband, are reading this..again this year…lol…Thank you for supporting my blogging efforts for the last year.  Thank you for not minding that everything we do/eat/decorate/celebrate is photographed and written about..lol.  Thank you for understanding my NEED, my LONGING to put my thoughts into words, my creations into photographs, my heart into this blog.  Thank you for not minding the hours V and I spend on the phone talking “blog-shop”.  Thank you for being…you.  I love you my sweet man.)

Heather

Now it’s Vanessa’s turn to confess…

I recently realized that my life has now been divided into two time periods.
B.B. (Before Blogging)
and
A.B. (After Blogging)
There were many things I didn’t do B.B.
For example, I didn’t put items in odd corners of my house
just so I could get the best light for the photo.
I didn’t know what what HTML code was and I certainly didn’t know how to make a “button”. I did know how to sew one on a shirt though.
And one of the things I am most ashamed of about my B.B. life was that I did not decorate for Valentine’s Day!
There.
I said it.
I own it.
I just might not be able to look you in the eye for awhile.

So, last year I picked up one little Valentine Decoration (that’s it up there) just so that I could assure myself that I am not traumatizing my children. I could just picture them on the therapist’s couch.
“No Dr., my mother did not have heart-shaped doilies plastered to the walls of our home. It’s just…Oh, it’s just too painful for me to talk about.”

And then I entered the A.B. time period.
And had to live with the shame.
Not decorating for Valentine’s Day in Blogland makes me feel like I should go around wearing a Scarlet V on my shirt.

So this year, I tried. Only a little bit, mind you.
But maybe, just maybe, I will be able to break free from the shame and rip that Scarlet V right off…or even just half of it!


My daughter helped me pick out something for our front door.

The little wooden heart nestled in just perfectly to my $8 bargain. A Smith & Hawken wreath I found on clearance at Chez Tar-jay.

I also realized that I could use this Christmas arrangement for Valentine’s Day. Placed inside this urn with the holiday ribbon tucked inside it now does double duty.
And my little cloche (another thing I didn’t have B.B.) now has some “faux” rose petals placed inside.
But, I’m pretty sure that no matter what I do, it won’t ever hold a candle to my friend Julie. As far as I’m concerned, she put the ‘V’ in Valentine’s Day!
Last week I showed you this wonderful Valentine Advent she does for her children.

 
She also has things like this around her home.
Her mom saved many of the Valentine’s cards Julie received as a child and Julie now uses them as garland hanging in her bay window.

And she tucks little things like this around her home.

But, my most favorite thing that Julie did this year was to send out this darling Valentine’s Day card. I actually manged to sneak it away from my daughter to share it with you!

The front of the card is darling.
But, it is what is printed on the inside that makes it so special.

Amen!
Vanessa


So now we want you to share your Valentine’s Day posts!  Recipes, Tablescapes, Decorating, Crafts, Stories, Devotionals, Poetry…if it is related to Valentine’s Day than we want you to share it with us!

**Before linking up we’d love it if you’d take a second to become a friend of At The Picket Fence through google friend connect, email or our RSS Feed.  We’d love to get to know you better!**

Now Link it on up friends!

Here’s how…
1. Add your Permalink to your entry but not your General Blog Address. To get your Permalink, click on the title of the blog post you are wanting to submit and copy and paste the address into the URL box. You will also have to add your email address but it will not be visible to anyone else.
2. Do not try and Link up until you have actually published that particular post on your blog.
3. Please link back to the host blog, At the Picket Fence using our Sister Saturday Button located in the sidebar, so that those who visit your blog will  be able to find some wonderful Inspiration from everyone else. (mandatory)
4) Give some linky lovin’ to some of the other Sister Saturday link ups!  It’s always nice for others to hear how hey they’ve inspired you!  Of course we love to hear from you too so leave us a comment and say hi!


We can’t wait to see your lovely Valentine’s Day Ideas!
Thanks so much for…meeting us at the fence!
And a reminder!  You can still link up to Inspiration Friday through the weekend!  If you have something inspiring to share and it’s non Valentine related…or even if it is…link up to Inspiration Friday!

Heather and Vanessa

7 Comments Filed Under: Holidays, Sister Saturday

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbie says

    February 12, 2011 at 2:22 PM

    I loved BOTH of the valentine’s posts from the sisters. I could relate to each one too. Not only have I had a bedroom getaway a time or two myself, but like Vanessa, I’m actually not a big V-Day decorator.

    That’s why I only had one Valentine post this entire week. I can’t bring it. My daughter has threatened rebellion if I retell her puppy love to one more corner of blogland.

    Kids…

    I LOVE that advent idea! I also love making cards for V-Day. Who says they are only for Christmas?

    Reply
  2. ⚜ ↁℯℬℬᴵℰ⚜ says

    February 12, 2011 at 6:07 PM

    So sweet Vanessa. You are funny the BB and AB..how about the DB, during blogging…LOL! Have a wonderful weekend.XO

    Reply
  3. tickled. says

    February 12, 2011 at 1:42 PM

    Love both of your Vday posts ladies! I too feel like my life is divided into BB & AB! 🙂

    Have a great weekend!

    Lauren @ tickled.

    Reply
  4. Christie says

    February 12, 2011 at 5:08 PM

    I feel a bit obnoxious posting all these Valentine’s links! I love Valentine’s! I may be back later with another one…IF I can get my act together! My husband has taken the kids away for the day and my house is clean (a first!) Now, I feel guilty bc I haven’t planned a thing for him! Arg…Heather, I love this idea of setting up in the bedroom…never thought of that! Clever! So lovely! Vanessa, you are so funny! I know I always say that, but it is true! I only need to come over here to get a good laugh! You both write so well and I know the Lord has great plans for this special gift! You are able to articulate what so many people feel, but like me, are unable to write it so eloquently(sp?) And I am going to ‘steal’ some of your friends ideas! Very cute…AND your Valentine’s decor is perfect! I am lovin’ the petals displayed in the apothecary jar…clever! Have a WONDERFUL Valentine’s weekend girls! Christie

    Reply
  5. Karen says

    February 13, 2011 at 2:54 AM

    Confessions girls – you both were brave! Thanks for hosting and I almost didn’t get this one in – in time! But, it’s a life-saver & a keeper. Hope you both will try it, my boys love it!

    Reply
  6. elizabeth says

    February 13, 2011 at 5:00 AM

    Loved reading your Valentine posts. How many of us do things around the house specifically for our blogs now??? And yes Vanessa, I am from Oregon, Portland to be exact!

    Reply
  7. Green Door Girl says

    February 13, 2011 at 10:48 PM

    Vanessa – I have the same BB and AB syndrom and NO I never decorated my house for Valentines BB!!! 🙂 I think you did a GREAT job this year!
    Heather – can you come cook at my house tomorrow! LOL 🙂 That sounds like a wonderful menu!

    Reply

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“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?
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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?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
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