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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 18, 2016

There’s a Refrigerator in My Hallway

Oh yes, yes there is. Why is there a refrigerator in my hallway you ask? Well, we decided that things weren’t crazy enough around our house right now so we figured why not have some flooring ripped up and replaced?!

‘Tis the season!

refrigerator in hallway

Ok, so the REAL reason we are doing this right now is because we’ve partnered together with the incredible folks at Shaw Floors to try out a fabulous product from one of their amazing new lines.

I am beyond excited to be having these beautiful floors from the Epic Plus Hardwood collection installed in my home this week!

stack of shaw wood flooring

They’re going in the family room which has always had carpet and already this room looks twice as big. A beautiful new rug is on its way to us too and I cannot wait to see how it all comes together.

Shaw flooring installation 2

The kitchen is getting some love as well!

It had floors in desperate need of attention after 20+ years of neglect.

shaw flooring installation 1

And, I’m afraid that I will forever be known to the amazing installers working in our home this week as the crazy lady who bubble wrapped her cabinets.

Because when only a few months ago you paid to have your cabinets professional painted and the flooring people tell you that it can get kinda crazy when they pull up the old floors you decide to risk looking insane and break out the bubble wrap!

under construction

So far it’s worked like a charm even if it does make it just a tad challenging to get into any of the drawers. 😉

bubble wrap on cabinets

 

And in the midst of it all I’m also decorating for Christmas. Because, when things are already really nutty why not add a little bit more nuttiness into the mix?

This buffet table in my dining room is honestly the only pretty place in my house right now. When I’ve gotten overwhelmed this week I just kind of stare at it and pretend like everything behind me doesn’t look like a bomb went off! 😉

Christmas buffet table decorations atthepicketfence.com

 

But, today is the day when it should all be completed and I’m so excited to share the big reveal with you soon! Heather is also having new flooring installed in her home this week so we will have so much to show you in the coming weeks.

Until then, I’m just going to go and remove the bubble wrap, enjoy my new floors and scrape off the layer of dust that is now on every.single.thing in my house!

Hope you have a great weekend friends,

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5 Comments Filed Under: Good Ideas

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Comments

  1. Jeanie says

    November 18, 2016 at 4:18 AM

    Wow…a lot going on!! I cannot wait to see it all finished!!

    Reply
  2. Julia says

    November 18, 2016 at 4:23 AM

    Oh yes I would bubble wrap everything too! Can’t wait to see how it all looks!

    Reply
  3. Patty says

    November 18, 2016 at 7:57 AM

    Soooo excited to see the finished look. And have fun now getting it all put back together just right!

    Reply
  4. Carol Reddin says

    November 18, 2016 at 9:01 AM

    I LOVE the new flooring, Vanessa! It is perfect with the rest of the house! Great choice!

    Reply
  5. Judith Dragos says

    November 18, 2016 at 1:18 PM

    You actually made me laugh out loud about the refrigerator thing. Life is crazy sometimes, this will become one of your favorite stories to tell around the holidays for many years. Have a Happy Thanksgiving Vanessa with your entire family as well.

    Reply

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Front door wreath….✔️ The very last Christmas dec Front door wreath….✔️

The very last Christmas decorating to be completed and one of the most important since there’s nothing I love more than welcoming people into our home this season.

I bought the wreath for $15 from a wonderful local vendor, reused my favorite bells and added a velvet bow in the color I’m carrying throughout the house this year.

Do you buy a fresh wreath each year or do you use a faux wreath on your front door? 

#frontdoorwreath #christmaswreath #christmasporch
The first day of December and the first Sunday of The first day of December and the first Sunday of advent. As we enter into a month that can be filled with stress, anxiety, worry and even sadness, let us turn our hearts towards the ONE who came as the ultimate, undeserved gift. Because it’s all about Him. 

“Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.” (Corrie Ten Boom)
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Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours dear friends! 🍂
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And I have a confession ...I’d rather have cranberry sauce smothering the turkey on my plate than gravy any day!! And this, this right here? Well it’s the best (and easiest!) cranberry sauce ever!! I eat on crackers and sandwiches and sometimes just by the spoonful. It’s so yummy! And I’m just so very thankful for all of you that I’m going to leave the recipe right here instead of making you go to the blog to get it. I promise you won’t regret having this on your Thanksgiving menu but be warned...you may find yourself up in the middle of the night sneaking some helpings of this deliciousness. Or maybe that’s just me!

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh or frozen cranberries
2 oranges
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup white wine.

Instructions:
Wash and pick over berries, removing any that are soft. Peel and dice oranges removing any seeds. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a full boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking until cranberries pop open and mixture is thickening.
For best flavor, prepare and let stand for several days before using.

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Take the base recipe up a notch by using a full stick of butter, extra tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce and an extra 1/2 tablespoon of Lawry’s seasoning salt.

I guarantee you’ll never go back!

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Having my home all ready to welcome the next sacred season doesn’t take away one iota from my ability to express gratitude on the official day set aside each year where we do that collectively.

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“My children have grown up seeing antique books on a coffee table, vintage toys in their bedrooms and even pieces of furniture that were all passed down from one generation to the next. But as my nest gets closer and closer to being empty, I’m keenly aware of the fact that many of these cherished items might not be as welcome in the homes of future generations.”

*Read the rest over at @cleartruthmedia*
All of my CTM articles are saved in my highlights
Not too long ago, someone told me that they liked Not too long ago, someone told me that they liked it better when I just talked about decorating and didn’t mention anything else. This person preferred me to keep any opinions or convictions to myself and just focus only on content about home decor, crafts and recipes. Aside from the fact that I’m always astonished that people feel so free to say things like that, I do agree that it would be a lot easier and more palatable if I didn’t talk about things like a Biblical Worldview, apologetics and the nature of reality itself. For one thing, Instagram wouldn’t throttle my account with its algorithms that are skewed to diminish voices like mine. It would be much easier to be so tethered to this app that I change everything I post to fit into its preferred framework. I would be asked to be part of influencer groups and activities like I was years ago. But I’m not that person anymore. Yes, the core of this community will always be an emphasis on homemaking which will include decorating and recipes but I can’t separate that from the core of who I am as a follower of Jesus Christ.

It would be so much easier for me to just show you the latest Amazon products I’ve bought and tell you to “comment” to get the links. But I’m not called to take the easy path. Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.”

I truly believe that so many have been lulled into thinking that the narrow gate wasn’t really all that narrow. But, it’s never been more obvious that it really is. And every day I seek to stay on that very narrow way.  More than ever before, I believe that our world needs to know that there is objective truth and a solid foundation to stand upon as we navigate our lives. My role as a homemaker is predicated on that foundation and everything else flows out of it. Talking about these things isn’t going to get me lots of views here. 

But I live for an audience of ONE.
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✨ Read the full article over at @club31women ✨

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#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #homemakerschristmas #club31women
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