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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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August 25, 2014

A Tour Through Blogland…

 

If you read a variety of different blogs, like I do, you may find yourself wondering what makes the bloggers behind the blogs tick? How do they come up with their projects? How do they determine their style and what they are going to write about each day.  Maybe you’ve even wondered that about ME!

I was so excited when my dear friend Yvonne, from Stone Gable, asked me to join her for this fun Tour Through Blogland Series!

Stone Gable

If you aren’t familiar with this talented, and more importantly funny, kindhearted and warm blogger, than you are in for a treat! Be sure to visit Stone Gable today!

Me 11 - BLOG

 I was asked to answer FOUR questions about myself to give a glimpse to the inner workings of my brain (can be a scary place occasionally) and how I come up with ideas for the blog!  Then I’ll be introducing you to THREE of my blog friends that will share their answers next week!

1. What am I working on?

I know it’s still August but I am already swimming in pumpkins, mums and the color orange.  I have FALL on the brain!  Fall Home Tours are just around the corner and I am already transitioning the house from my summer decor to autumn decor.  There is a lot of discussion on social media these days on, “when is too soon to start thinking about the next season” but in blog world, where much of the seasonal ideas and inspiration come from, we have to always be two steps ahead!  I can’t wait to share this years Fall ideas an decor with you!

Southern fall front porch

Fall 2013 Front Porch

 

2. How does my work differ from others in my (lifestyle blog) genre?

This is such a difficult question to answer because there are so, so many talented bloggers out there! I think one way my (our) style differs is that we love to weave a story in with our projects.  We want to inspire people to find their inner creativity, that we believe the Creator, has instilled in everyone.

You may get a recipe, but you’ll also get a side of some encouragement  for your heart or some humor (we love to laugh at ourselves) along with it.  Like when I shared about my “beautiful” 1987 white and gold checkered lamé homecoming dress and showed you how to make White and Gold Decoupage Pumpkins.

white and gold decoupage pumpkins

 

With us….you’ll always get a story, for good or bad! ha!

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

The short answer….because when you feel full of creativity you have to let it out!  Both Vanessa and I have always loved to express ourselves through our homes.

Lemon-Lime Dessert Shots

Whether that was decorating, crafting, cooking or just writing we feel passionate about surrounding ourselves with beauty and inspiring others to do the same.

Inspire

4. How does your writing/creating process work?

The end of the process ends right here.  Sitting here at my breakfast table typing up a post for the blog.  In fact this is where I am sitting right now typing the answer to this question.

Summer Home Tour Breakfast Room

The beginning of the process can start anywhere.  Wandering the aisles of a store and seeing something that I KNOW I could DIY for cheaper.  Or in the middle of the night with a moment of inspiration! Maybe it’s a small nudge from God to share encouragement with a fellow mom who needs to know we are all on the same path, trying to do the best we can.   The in-between is where the work lies.  The creating, the photographing, the editing.  It is FUN, don’t get me wrong, but it is also work to take an idea from conception to conclusion.  But it’s rewarding work…and we wouldn’t trade it for anything!

 

Now three of my blogging friends will introduce themselves to you! You can see how they answered the four questions above on Monday, September 1st!

My lovely friend Heidi, from Parties for Pennies is a “party girl” through and through….

Parties for Pennies

“Hi! I’m Heidi Rew and I love to party. I know that probably sounds like a sorority line. But on my blog, Parties for Pennies, I like to show you how to throw caviar-style parties on a hot dog budget. I’m a Georgia peach that loves champagne, watermelon bubble gum, and fun aprons. Hope to get to know you better, too. Until then…party on!”

 

If you need to know it, then my friend Anna, of Ask Anna, will have the answer….

Ask_Anna_Moseley

“I’m a girl that never thought she’d end up as a blogger. I’ve always loved cleaning, organizing and decorating but I never dreamed I’d be able to help people on a large platform. My blog, Ask Anna, is filled with lots of tips to make cleaning, organizing, decorating, party planning and more, simple and easy for everyone. It absolutely makes my day when I get a comment from someone, that something I posted made a task easier and/or helped them with their problem. I’m a wife and a mother of 2, a 5 year old and an adopted 16 year old. Each day is a new adventure for us as we try to figure out our lives as a blended family. A year ago, when we adopted, we moved into a new home so we have spent the last year demoing, remodeling and designing a house for our new family.”

and last but never least my friend Leslie, of Chaotically Creative, who has found ways to be creative in the chaos of life….

lesley chaotically creative

“Hey Ya’ll I’m Lesley of Chaotically Creative and I blog with my mom Denise. On our blog we are finding the keys to calming the chaos of life. And when we find them we teach you through tricks and tips that are simple and affordable. We write tutorials on subjects like organization strategies, kid-friendly design, DIY and gardening which help make your life just a little bit easier. We understand that life is chaotic! We also know a thing or two about challenges. Not only do we write about the fun stuff but we get honest about the real stuff. Like challenges with anxiety, struggles with food addiction and chaos in general. Through these real life experiences we foster a community of growth and mutual support with our readers. We love hearing your stories and hope you join us today!”

See you back here soon and as always, than you  for meeting me….at the picket fence!

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8 Comments Filed Under: Behind the Blog Series, Community

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Janelle@The Peaceful Haven says

    August 26, 2014 at 6:40 AM

    So many lovely ideas that inspire me! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  2. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    August 26, 2014 at 9:14 PM

    So lovely to hear a little more about you sweet Heather! You are such a bright spot in the blog world!!!!! Thanks for the very kind shout-out!!!
    xo

    Reply
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    August 27, 2014 at 2:59 AM

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  6. Suzi says

    August 27, 2014 at 9:07 AM

    Just alerting you that when I click on Ask Anna it takes to YOUR blogpost 5 pumpkins 5 ways.

    Reply
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Trackbacks

  1. A Tour Through Blogland - Parties for PenniesParties for Pennies says:
    September 1, 2014 at 4:42 AM

    […] I was so excited when my friend Heather, from At The Picket Fence, asked me to join her for this fun Tour Through Blogland […]

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
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…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
“Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every si “Sighing, tears, frustration, anger.” Every single one of these emotions has made their way through our home in recent days and, my guess is, they have in your home too.

I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole I’ve always loved evenings, but since this whole lockdown thing began, I’ve come to appreciate this time of day even more.

It feels the most...normal. Daytime is strange and foreign right now. My husband has taken over our home office, I’m suddenly taking over the responsibility of managing my kids’ distance learning and let me just say that teaching 7th grade algebra to my daughter is hugely ironic since I struggled with math all the way through school. I’m trying to do my own work but it feels utterly futile with the constant interruptions which take precedence right now. In the daytime, I’m constantly reminded of how upside down life feels.

But, in the evening, I cook dinner like I’ve always done and we gather around the table like we’ve always done and we laugh and tell stories and then clean up and play games or go on a walk or watch a show. And that feels SO gloriously normal.

So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

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If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

If you are tempted to quit a job, start a business, start homeschooling permanently, stop homeschooling permanently, move to a new city, buy a farm, quit pursuing your dream, join a commune or make any other major life decision just…wait. Because, if it is in fact the right decision, it will be made even clearer once our lives return to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’. Instead, in this strange season, let’s all just take a deep, collective breath and let it out slowly, releasing the anxiety that threatens to overtake us. Let’s help each other maintain some perspective and not slip into a posture of over-thinking every little thing in our lives. Let’s remember that the enemy of our souls would love nothing more than to use this time when things feel dark to manipulate us into thinking that aspects of our lives are worse than they actually are.

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Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking thes Raise your hand if you’re doing more baking these days! 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m trying to avoid gaining the #corona15 but my daughter and I LOVE baking together and it does help to pass the time plus it counts as a science lesson right?

If you’re able to find flour in the stores (for the love people please stop overbuying!) and you’re doing more baking at your house too you need to add this apricot bread to your list of new recipes to try!

Normally I’d point you to my blog for the directions but I’m going to do you a solid and leave the full recipe in the comments.

What have you baked so far during this time of social distancing? I’d love some new ideas!
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