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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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November 29, 2020

Tabletop Hot Cocoa Station

“That jar of gingersnaps just makes it feel so cozy, Mom.”

My 17 year old said this as he passed by the hot cocoa station I was setting up on top of the side table in our breakfast nook.

It was two weeks before Thanksgiving and I had made the decision that what we needed was a little bit of comfort and joy in our home. The rainy, cold days had arrived here in Oregon and the lockdown orders by our Governor had been (and continue to be) extended and expanded, leaving all of us feeling anything but cheerful.

Our home has truly become the one place where I feel as though I have some measure of control and, since we are here a LOT these days, I am determined to do everything within my power to create an environment that provides us with a sense of peace in the midst of all that is so very hard right now.

I’m not going to lie friends, things have been hard. Teenagers (and all kids) in states like ours, where going back to school or sports or activities anytime soon seems like an impossibility, are struggling. My mama heart aches to be able to solve this and I fight against being angry that I have no power to provide them the things that would actually help them right now.

So anything I can do to bring a little bit of cheer into their lives and put smiles on their faces is my goal right now.

Peppermint sticks, jars of sprinkles and chocolate chips, fun straws, marshmallows and, of course, hot cocoa, may not seem like a very big deal. But they represent something that is, in fact, incredibly important this year more than ever before.

They represent the things that are constants in our lives. They represent what never changes about our home. The love and care and concern. The desire to do everything in our power to provide stability in this very unstable time.

And, they represent how well we know each other and the things that will meet a need, spoken or unspoken.

Because, even simply a jar filled with gingersnaps can be just the thing to remind our family that this truly is the season of love and hope.

8 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Decorating, Family, Good Ideas, Holidays Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas decorating, hot cocoa

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Comments

  1. Janis Stufflebean says

    November 29, 2020 at 11:25 AM

    This is wonderful!

    Reply
  2. MARY-ANN (FROM CANADA!) says

    November 29, 2020 at 11:54 AM

    Vanessa, I always enjoy meeting you “At The Picket Fence”! I loved your post.

    This has been quite the year and one that has created so much uncertainty with all of us. It is so good to have a little bit of “normal” in our homes and in our lives — and especially at such a special time of the year.

    Your cocoa bar is so cute and sure does add that bit of cozy that is so necessary. This Christmas is going to be like one we have never experienced with our total lockdown in our province. However, we need to keep things as normal as possible and enjoy all the Christmas traditions as best we can. How great to know that Jesus is the Reason for this wonderful Season!

    Bless you and your dear family in a special way!

    Reply
  3. Patty says

    November 29, 2020 at 12:04 PM

    Vanessa, it looks so pretty & inviting – your tree is just gorgeous! This has been a rough year – sounds to me like your kiddos are blessed to have you for their Mom! How sweet that your teenager noticed & told you so.
    There are so many people suffering in this strange time in our world, which makes us feel so helpless – little acts of kindness are needed by all. Sometimes it’s our own families that need it most. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful cocoa bar & your thoughts. Wishing you a blessed Christmas season.

    Reply
  4. Jani Drury says

    November 29, 2020 at 12:07 PM

    What a wonderful and comforting idea. I hope things get better soon.

    Reply
  5. Linda Mossgrove says

    November 29, 2020 at 12:18 PM

    So very true. We look for miracle answers and so many times it is the simplicity of traditions that we had to this point taken for granted. May your family stay safe and together get through this time.
    Thank you for being you!

    Reply
  6. Kathy Menold says

    November 29, 2020 at 2:04 PM

    What a lovely way of reminding your family how much you love them and that is really what the season is all about. Thankyou.

    Reply
  7. Helen says

    November 29, 2020 at 9:21 PM

    Thank goodness for the joy that the holidays bring this time of year. Your beautiful Christmas tree and cocoa station are just the type of merriment that we need and will inspire us to do the same in our homes. Thank you for sharing your ideas and your home with us. Yes it is very difficult for all of us but maybe we can continue to seek the good that comes from a difficult situation. We pray for a better tomorrow soon. Happy Holidays to you and your family….🎄🎄🎄

    Reply
  8. Teri Perrott says

    November 30, 2020 at 9:24 AM

    Love this! And your photos are so beautiful!

    Reply

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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?
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