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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

July 9, 2011

Welcome to Inspiration Friday No. 22!

Is it just us, or did this week FLY by??
Of course with Monday having been the 4th of July and Tuesday being the day to recover from the 4th of July, it is no surprise that the end of the week snuck up on us!

Before we get to this week’s Features, we wanted to let you know how thrilled and honored we are to be guest posting for Judy over at DIY By Design where we are sharing this fun project!
  
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Galvanized Magnetic Drop Cloth Art
 When you are done linking up we’d love you to pay us a visit over at DIY by Design! 
And now, onto our Features from last week’s Inspiration Friday Party!
We just adored this Tractor Themed Party that Audrey from Sweet Cheeks Tasty Treats created for her son’s 3rd Birthday! It came complete with rides on a real tractor courtesy of his grandpa and good old-fashioned sack races. There are so many darling details to see that you must go over and check them out!
We were beyond thrilled when our wonderful friend Debbie from Words on Wheels linked up to our party last week! Vanessa may or may not have actually shrieked with delight which may are may not have caused her husband to think that she had just won the Nobel Peace Prize or something equally “shriek worthy” in his book. “Nope, just happy our dear friend linked to our party, honey!”
Not only did she link up, she shared something pretty fantastic.
She transformed the top of a light post into this darling and festive tabletop candle lantern!

Now, we know you may have seen this next one all over blogland already. Not only on her own blog,
but also on the MANY others it was featured on. But, we just couldn’t resist.
We love this Burlap Ruffled Tablecloth and think it is beyond gorgeous!
Not only is this one of the most dreamy things we have ever seen, it was shared with us last week by one of our most favorite gals. Courtney at French Country Cottage is not only one of our Friday Party Friends (see below) but she is also one of our most lovely and encouraging supporters. We adore her style and talent and we adore HER!

Being moms we always love to see the creative ideas you come up with for your kids! This next link-up was no exception!
Ashley from Me and My Boys created this Quiet Book for her little guy. 
Blog Pictures1
To see how Ashley created this Quiet Book and even more of the pages you can visit her two posts outlining the details!
There was another fabulous party going on last week and Inspiration Friday benefited from all of the wonderful posts created for it!  Debbie over at DebbieDoo’s hosted a “Copy Cat Challenge” Party and boy were there some fabulous copy cat’s out there! Two of our favorites were also linked up over here.
We have featured her before, but her copy cat post was begging us to share it with you all!  Debbie over at Refresh Restyle created a copy cat that was so close to the original it was hard to tell them apart.
She copied this fabulous magazine cover right down to a magazine title featuring her blog name!  If you have never met Debbie, you are in for a treat! You can visit her post where she gives a tutorial on how she painted glass for this special edition of Refresh Restyle… Winking smile 
Another favorite copycat challenge that was shared with us was from Kate at The Garden Bell.
She recreated the table setting you see above…but we’ll be honest here.  We think her rendition is even better!
We would love to sit here and have a bowl of cherries!


If you were featured today (or have been featured in the past) please grab the featured at button located in our sidebar!

Are you following At The Picket Fence on Facebook?  Don’t forget we feature many of your links during the week on our Facebook Page! If you’ve been featured there, grab a button as well! Thank you to everyone who shared so many fabulous posts with us last week!  We appreciate you!
Now it’s time to share with us what has inspired you this week!
Thank you so much for joining us for Inspiration Friday at the Fence,
When you are done linking up head over and party with the other Friday Party Friends
The lovely Courtney at French Country Cottage
Our beautiful friend Alison from Stuff and Nonsense

Stuff and Nonsense

And the gracious Debra from Common Ground

vif187
Now all ya PARTY PEOPLE it’s time to link on up…here’s the rules!
 
  • Friend At The Picket Fence in some capacity
  • Link Up any post you’ve written that has Inspired You and will Inspire Others-it can be a home improvement project, craft, recipe, story, devotional…if it inspires link it up!
  • Be sure to link back to your original post and not just your url (main blog address)
  • Please post our button (code in the sidebar) or a text link on your blog so others can join in the fun! (MANDATORY)
  • Visit another guest. Please try and visit at least the link directly above and below you! We try to visit everyone’s posts but as Inspiration Friday grows, sometimes we miss some and for that we apologize.  It makes us feed good knowing others are visiting people as well!  Thank you..it truly means a lot to us!

We would love to recommend this fabulous post over at Crafter Minds for a quick tutorial on partying at a linky party! We couldn’t say it better ourselves!
“Linky Party Like a Dinner Party?”
This Inspiration Friday is sponsored by

Visit Signs by Andrea and receive $5 off your order for being a friend of At The Picket Fence!

34 Comments Filed Under: Inspiration Friday

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Previous Post: « Guest Post at DIY by Design…
Next Post: A Labor of the Heart Part Five-There’s Good News & There’s Bad News… »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie says

    July 7, 2011 at 8:11 PM

    Thanks for hosting Ladies!! Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  2. SavannahGranny says

    July 7, 2011 at 8:13 PM

    Thank you for hosting! I hope you enjoy Aunt Annabel’s 100th birthday party on the 4th of July. She is a real firecracker. Hugs, Ginger

    Reply
  3. Shelia says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:04 PM

    Hello ladies! Oh, I love all the inspiration I get from your party goers! I’m attending this week.
    Be a couple of sweeties,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  4. Poppy says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:15 PM

    Thanks for hosting and throwing this fun party for us each week. Beautiful inspiring features as always.. Have a wonderful weekend!~Poppy

    https://withadashofcolor.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  5. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:25 PM

    Thanks for hosting girls and have a great weekend, Martina

    Reply
  6. ⚜ ↁℯℬℬᴵℰ⚜ says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:30 PM

    Thanks for hosting. Debbie and Kate’s magazine copy cat challenge blew me AWAY! Really they were unbelievable…so talented these girls.

    Reply
  7. dogsmom says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:37 PM

    Thank you for being such gracious hosts. Someday I will take time to actually write a post and not just throw something together last minute. You think as you get older and are involved in less, the kids are off on their own, you’d fit more into a day. It does not happen.

    I wish I had time to visit every link!

    Reply
  8. Debra @ Common Ground says

    July 7, 2011 at 10:15 PM

    Hey Girlies! I had to look hard to tell the difference of the two photos of refresh/restyle, totally wonderful! Thanks for the great party, just linked up, xoxo Debra

    Reply
  9. Honey at 2805 says

    July 7, 2011 at 10:26 PM

    Great features and always great inspiration! Thanks, girls, for hosting!

    Reply
  10. telisa@sugartotdesigns says

    July 7, 2011 at 10:39 PM

    in love with that quiet book. i wish i had the patience to make one. thanks for hosting ladies and always being so supportive of me!

    Reply
  11. Mary @ Redo 101 says

    July 7, 2011 at 11:27 PM

    Thanks for hostessing, so much fun!

    Reply
  12. Diann says

    July 7, 2011 at 11:28 PM

    What wonderful inspirations yu are sharing today! thank you for hosting!

    Reply
  13. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    July 8, 2011 at 12:43 AM

    Hi Ladies, Thanks for being such gracious hostess each week.
    xo,
    Sherry

    Reply
  14. alison says

    July 8, 2011 at 1:05 AM

    oh my gosh…love the tractor cake and burlap tablecloth…wonderful features! all linked up again…have a wonderful weekend girls!

    alison

    Reply
  15. Audrey @ Sweet Cheeks says

    July 8, 2011 at 1:05 AM

    Thanks SO much for including my son’s Vintage Tractor Party with the other FAB Features! Yay!

    Reply
  16. Carmel @ Our Fifth House says

    July 8, 2011 at 2:51 AM

    Great features! Love that ruffles tablecloth! SO pretty!

    Reply
  17. oneshabbychick says

    July 8, 2011 at 3:12 AM

    Thanks so much for the chance to party! Have a great weekend! :~) osc

    Reply
  18. bj says

    July 8, 2011 at 4:19 AM

    thanks so much for hosting. i love the features here. 🙂

    Reply
  19. Courtney ~ French Country Cottage says

    July 7, 2011 at 9:56 PM

    🙂 You girls are just the sweetest! I absolutely adore you both too and I love your blog and partying with you each week! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing my burlap tablecloth and for hosting today! Hugs, Courtney

    Reply
  20. Jane says

    July 8, 2011 at 12:36 PM

    Good Morning,
    I linked up my Mixed Berry Jam. Thanks for hosting! Have a great weekend!

    Reply
  21. Marcia (One Heart) says

    July 8, 2011 at 2:08 PM

    Oh my, that galvanized drop cloth is gorgeous. I am once again inspired for the weekend. I love this link-up.

    Thank you both for being such gracious hosts. Sorry about my link posting twice. One did not show the picture and I cannot delete from my end. Maybe you can. <3 Enjoy a beautiful weekend. Off to DIY.

    Reply
  22. Jenni says

    July 8, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    Those features are amazing! I love the ones you guys pick week after week.
    Thank you for hosting again! LOVE it here.
    Jenni

    Reply
  23. mary says

    July 8, 2011 at 2:48 PM

    I can’t get any of the links to work!

    Reply
  24. At The Picket Fence says

    July 8, 2011 at 2:55 PM

    Hi Mary,

    I’m sorry something isn’t working correctly. Do you mean the links people have linked up? You should be able to scroll your mouse over the picture and if you click on the picture it will open up a new window with that persons blog in it. The title itself is not a link though. I just tried and it worked for me but please let me know if it’s not working for you so we can see what the problem is. Thank you!

    Heather

    Reply
  25. Kristin @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia says

    July 8, 2011 at 3:04 PM

    So many great features girls!!! Enjoying my coffee this morning and am going to go check out some new talent! Have a fabulous weekend!
    Thanks for all the love and support, you two are amazing!
    XO
    Kristin

    Reply
  26. Ashley says

    July 8, 2011 at 4:14 PM

    wow thank you so much for the feature! you are so sweet!!!:) made my whole day!:)
    thanks
    xoxo
    ash

    Reply
  27. Jo says

    July 8, 2011 at 1:21 PM

    Great feature choices!..thanks girls for hosting.
    Hope the BetterHomes&Garden tomatoe-basil sauce will inspire to get busy canning those fresh tomatoes!I know I really enjoyed this and the homemade sauce is out of this world delish!
    Yall have a fun weekend!
    ~JO
    LazyonLoblolly

    Reply
  28. Cindy says

    July 8, 2011 at 9:09 PM

    So sorry I linked my nachos 2x by accident! I was trying to delete, but it wont let me Yikes! I am a new follower I love your blog and your style! visit me at http://www.thepixietrail.blogspot.com

    Reply
  29. Crystal @ Ordinary Days says

    July 9, 2011 at 2:15 AM

    Thanks for hosting girls! Can’t wait to check out all the inspiration here! 🙂

    Reply
  30. Refreshrestyle says

    July 9, 2011 at 4:44 AM

    Thanks for featuring my magazine copy cat ! Y’all are so sweet! I’ve got to get busy next week! I’m on vacation with my grandsons this week!!! Thanks so much!!!!
    Debbie

    Reply
  31. Debbie says

    July 9, 2011 at 12:00 PM

    You two just crack me up! Poor Debbie is so uninspired in the crafty department that she causes shrieks when she does. That’s so funny!

    Wait. Or does it say something kind of pathetic about me?

    At any rate, thanks.

    And you happened to highlight some that were favorites of mine too. I was bummed that I didn’t know about that copycat thing. I think that sounded really fun.

    Trying to get caught up in blog reading. Serves me right for getting sucked into the dark side down there in Florida.

    Reply
  32. Maggie @ Midwestern {Sewing} Girl says

    July 10, 2011 at 3:13 AM

    Thank you so much for hosting, girls! I hope you’re both have a fantastic weekend!

    Reply
  33. Eileen @ CottageBeachHouse says

    July 11, 2011 at 3:16 PM

    Some great features there. I loved them too, and that copy challenge was so much fun. Thanks again for this great linky, I am off to make some visits.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Link Up! The Theme is...Canning! | Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms says:
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Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to sha Happy Friday!! I’m working on a blog post to share all of the details of our family room shelving makeover but I’m super impatient and just had to give you all a sneak peek!! We are SO happy with how they turned out and it finally looks like I’ve always envisioned. Our quick fix years ago (scroll to see the before photo) never felt quite right but now? Soooo much better!! 🙌🏻 Big shoutout to our amazingly talented friend Matt @redemptive_woodworx for bringing our vision to life and doing such impeccable work.

I hope you all have a great start to the 4th of July weekend and make sure to check my stories later for Friday Funnies!
The month of June is coming to a close and it has The month of June is coming to a close and it has been JAM packed! The highlight by far though was my son's graduation from high school. When I started blogging, he was only 6 years old and some of you have been apart of my community here for that entire time. Now, he's 19 and there is a reason parents are told not to blink because the years truly do go faster than I ever could have imagined. He has become such an incredible young man we are so excited to see how God is going to unfold the next chapter of his life. We celebrated with parties galore (SO many open houses to attend!) and made memories we'll forever cherish. My mama heart was filled to bursting with the joy of it all! Now we're taking some time to just enjoy these warm, summer days making even more memories because, when you’re at this stage of parenting, you know all too well how much you need to grasp every opportunity to spend time together.

I hope your summer is off to a great start too dear friends! 🪴
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts o “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.” F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Happy first day of summer dear friends!! I can’t believe it’s been so long since I posted something new here but life has been crazy. I’ll have some new photos of house projects and life events to share with you soon but, got now, I’m just going to enjoy this gorgeous first day of summer after our ridiculously long, wet spring. ☀️
“It was June, and the world smelled of roses. Th “It was June, and the world smelled of roses. The sunshine was like powdered gold over the grassy hillside.” (Maud Hart Lovelace) 

Welcome June!
“No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom “No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation.”
General Douglas MacArthur

Grateful today and every day for those who were vigilant to the point of death in the preservation of our freedom. May we honor their sacrifice by being vigilant too. #memorialday
“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?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

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.
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