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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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December 9, 2020

Tradition and a Christmas Home Tour

The movie ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ was released in 1971, but a few years later there was a holiday re-release of the film. And my parents decided to take me and my sister to see it along with some of our extended family. It was being shown at a beautiful, historic theatre with long curtains framing the screen that stayed closed until it was time for the movie to start. That only enhanced our anticipation and, since going to the movies was a rare treat, we were so excited for the show to begin.

Outside, the rain that had started earlier in the day had turned into a full fledged raging storm and we could hear the wind whipping around the theatre and the huge rain drops pummeling the roof. But, since we were midwestern transplants now living in Southern California, we were completely unphased.


As the lights dimmed, the curtains began to slide open and it was time for the show to start. I was just a little girl at the time, but from the first few lines I was hooked. The nuances of the story of the humble milkman, Tevye, and his family may have been slightly over my head. But the songs? The songs were to be forever etched in my mind.

About 30 minutes into the movie, we began to hear rustling in the audience. And then we felt them. Drops of water falling on our heads. As we looked around, we noticed people pointing at the ceiling and realized that it should most definitely NOT be sagging like that. The beautiful curtains framing the screen began opening and closing over and over again and my parents quickly grabbed us and raced out of the building with the other movie goers. It was definitely a memorable experience! And the irony of the roof beginning to cave in as we watched a film with the word ‘roof’ in it was not lost on us.

But, while we may have missed out on seeing the rest of Fiddler on the Roof that day, we managed to hear the most recognizable song from the film before our escape from the theatre.

‘Tradition’ is sung by Tevye and the villagers and, while it is very upbeat and VERY catchy, it gives us a glimpse into the main tension in the story. A Jewish father, clinging to the traditions of his faith and heritage while his daughters push the boundaries of what he deems acceptable and change becomes unavoidable.

This year I realized that the older I get, the more I relate to Tevye.

No, we won’t be selecting our children’s spouses for them (although I think I would do a pretty awesome job!). I won’t force them into a certain type of job or demand that they live in our town for the rest of their lives.

But, the traditions? Well, the traditions I’ll fight for. Not all of them, of course. Because life has a tendency to force us to make adjustments to the way we’ve always done things. We welcome new family members, come up with creative solutions for celebrating long-distance and try to be understanding when, for some reason, our teenagers don’t want to ride the Santa train anymore. Go figure!

Traditions are like an invisible thread that connects the past, present and future together. They provide us with a sense of continuity in a world that is ever-changing.

Traditions bring us so much comfort and stability when everything around us feels as though it’s anything but stable.

And maybe that’s why this year, more than ever, I’ve been clinging to our traditions.

While the world around us is tugging and pulling and trying to break us apart, traditions serve as an opportunity to bring us together and act as an anchor, connecting us to something solid and enduring.

We drive around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights, we bake homemade goodies for our neighbors and find ways to give to our community.

My kids are given their special yearly ornament to add to the small Christmas trees in their rooms.

We practice Advent and light a candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas.

I bake my husband’s favorite orange cranberry bread and buy him his own jar of lemon curd so he can slather it on every slice.

Our kids open a special gift on Christmas eve that is just from dad. This is a tradition carried over from my own childhood when my dad realized that he rarely knew what was wrapped in the boxes under the tree since my mom did all of the shopping.

The list of Christmas traditions in our household is long. But, each one is a piece of a puzzle that we slowly put together all month long. Oh, and we LOVE doing Christmas puzzles too!

The reality is, though, that the cookies and the lights and the gifts and the Christmas countdowns don’t really matter all that much without the greatest tradition of all.

The remembrance of the Child born fully God and fully human. The One who came to save us from our wretchedness and offer us redemption.

The One who IS Christmas.

My prayer for you this season, dear friends, is that your traditions will remind you of how God has carried you through your past, will give you encouragement to sustain you in your present, and will give you hope for how He will fulfill His promises for your future.

“Tradition. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as… as a fiddler on the roof!”

Merry Christmas to you with love,

27 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Decorating, Good Ideas, Holidays Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas decorating, Christmas home tour

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Comments

  1. Mary Roth says

    December 9, 2020 at 12:57 PM

    Thank you Vanessa opening up your beautiful home and sharing it with your viewers. I enjoy your blog and become enthusiastic with decorating ideas.
    Also thank you for reminding us of the true gift of Christmas. May you and your family have a Blessed Christmas and 2021.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 2:43 PM

      Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words! I hope you and yours have a truly joy-filled season! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Diane Leigh Lawrence says

    December 9, 2020 at 1:15 PM

    Love this, Vanessa!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 2:39 PM

      Thank you so much Diane! I know this will be a special Christmas for you with your sweet new grandbaby! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Darlene says

    December 9, 2020 at 3:18 PM

    Your home is beautiful and your traditions are lovely. So sad that we all have a different Christmas in store for us this year. I like e in. Anaya and my husband and I will be eating dinner ourselves. But that night we are having a bonfire and all our grown up kids and grandchildren are coming to sit outside. We live on a farm so that is possible. Blessings for a lovely Christmas.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 2:39 PM

      Thank you so much Darlene! I hope you have a wonderful joy-filled Christmas with your family!

      Reply
  4. Kathy says

    December 9, 2020 at 3:28 PM

    Very well said, Vanessa! I love the simplicity of your decorations without being “minimalist”. Just beautiful.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 1:33 PM

      Thank you so much Kathy! Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  5. Peg says

    December 9, 2020 at 3:31 PM

    Simple elegance!! I enjoyed your home tour so very much!! Merry Christmas Vanessa!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 1:33 PM

      Thank you so much Peg! Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!

      Reply
  6. Cindy says

    December 9, 2020 at 3:37 PM

    Thank you, Vanessa, for your sweet words. I love your Christmas story about the theater. I pray you and your family have peace and joy this Christmas. You are a beautiful person.❤️

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 1:31 PM

      Thank you so much for your kind words Cindy! I hope you and your family have a joy filled season as well! <3

      Reply
  7. Lin says

    December 9, 2020 at 4:29 PM

    Beautiful! Holding on to those traditions and adding a few new is absolutely needed this year! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 1:20 PM

      Thank you so much Lin! Merry Christmas! 🙂

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

    December 9, 2020 at 7:51 PM

    Enjoyed your post! Vanessa, your home is decorated so beautifully. Traditions are so precious and especially this year with everything being so different. May God Bless you and your dear family.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 1:20 PM

      Thank you so much sweet friend!! I pray you have a joy filled season with your family! xoxo

      Reply
  9. Shirley Johnston says

    December 10, 2020 at 4:49 AM

    What a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing your heart and your home. Merry Christmas!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 1:20 PM

      Thank you Shirley! Merry Christmas to you and yours as well!

      Reply
  10. Dee says

    December 10, 2020 at 6:02 AM

    This is one of the most beautiful posts I have read and I felt such peace while reading it. Thank you for sharing your lovely home and the peace that is within it.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 1:14 PM

      This is one of the best compliments you could give me Dee!! I’m so glad that you felt peace while reading my story and I hope you have a truly joy-filled Christmas season. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Terry says

    December 11, 2020 at 7:53 AM

    Just beautiful! Thank you, and Merry Christmas!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 11, 2020 at 1:13 PM

      Thank you so much Terry! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

      Reply
  12. Ann-Marie says

    December 11, 2020 at 7:39 PM

    Just absolutely beautiful and elegant.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 12, 2020 at 1:28 PM

      Thank you so much Ann-Marie!! May you have a truly joy-filled season!

      Reply
  13. Sherry says

    December 13, 2020 at 7:38 AM

    As I read your post, I took several sighs. What divinely written words of truth and encouragement. Thank you, Vanessa, for the time you spent compiling this. Your home is by far one that obviously speaks your heart. I so enjoyed the peaceful tour. Absolutely beautiful. God bless you throughout the season. May you feel His love and His peace in all your traditions. May you be blessed as you bless others.

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 14, 2020 at 12:05 PM

      Sherry, your kind and thoughtful words brought tears to my eyes! It means more to me than I can express that you enjoyed the tour and that it blessed you. That is always my goal and I pray that you and your family have a truly joy-filled season as we celebrate our Savior’s birth!

      Reply
  14. Pamela says

    December 22, 2020 at 12:31 PM

    Well said. I think I needed a little reminder of the many traditions we are able to continue this year despite the fact that COVID has robbed us others, most importantly, COVID took my mom’s life in April. She was Christmas’s biggest fan and her absence looms painfully large but as a family we are choosing to grow and change by creating some NEW traditions that weren’t possible when I was caring for her in these last years even in the face of COVID restrictions. I’m even adopting some of her annoying Grandma habits like asking for Christmas lists in September! Growing into her role, haha. Truthfully, traditions and temporal things will one day all end…but our source of rejoicing, Christ our Lord, never will.

    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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