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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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June 27, 2011

Who Would Have Thought It?! Giveaway Winners and an Introduction

Wow! Once again can we say how excited we are at the success of our first ever Summer Blogger Block Party!



We officially had 1166 links to the party!  Who would have ever thought it would be so successful and it’s all thanks to YOU!! We are wondering what the record is for linky parties?? ha! ha!

If the Summer Blogger Block Party doesn’t provide you with some blog surfing we don’t know what would!

We wanted to take a moment to once again thank all of our fabulous sponsors!  They generously donated items for the party so that we could provide you, our guests, with some gifts for partying with us…cause what’s a party without some presents!

Winners of the giveaways were randomly selected from all party links.  Winners were then verified to make sure they contained a link back to the party in some capacity per the requirements to be entered into the giveaways.

A big thank you to:

Farmhouse Wares and Savvy Southern Style for providing one of their fabulous Bait Bucket Lanterns

The winner of the lantern is:
The 2 Seasons


Twisterz Toys and At The Picket Fence for providing two of their educational and fun products

The winner of the Word Girl and Clifford Twisterz Toys is:
Cottage in the Oaks

Gathered Comforts and No Minimalist Here for providing a lovely French Script Pillow

The winner of the Gathered Comforts pillow is:
Happy to Design

Stella and Dot sales representative Ashley and Green Door Designs for contributing this gorgeous pair of Soiree Stud Earrings

stelladotearings
The winner of the earrings is
Our Life in a Click

Cutting Edge Stencils and SAS Interiors for donating a $50 credit towards the stencil of the winners choice

cuttingedge
The winner of the stencil is
The Summer Porch

The Simple Stencil and At The Picket Fence for donating a garden stencil of the winners choice up to a $30 value

2011-06-23
The winner of the stencil is
Till Death Do Us Part

Michell from Girl In Air Etsy and DIY by Design for providing a $50 credit to her Girl In Air Etsy store

Hand Stamped 'I Love You' Garden Markers Set of 3
The winner of the $50 credit is
My Dwelling Place

Kristin from Uncommon Slice of Suburbia and Uncommon Linens Etsy for donating several beautiful items

The winner of Kristin’s lovely gift is
Adventures in Decorating

Scentsy sales representative Debbie from DebbieDoo’s Blogging and Blabbing for putting together this lovely basket of Scentsy items

The winner of the Scentsy basket is
Hyacinth for the Soul


Debra from Common Ground donated a lovely Vintage Necklace Pendant from her shop Petite Boutique Etsy

The winner of the vintage necklace is
Buckets of Burlap

Alison from Stuff and Nonsense for offering this beautiful vintage painting

The winner of the painting is
A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
and last but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST

Courtney from French Country Cottage for offering copies of
Country French and Modern Country Design

The winner of both is
Something Nice and Pretty

Whew! That’s a whole love of giving!!  Thank you again to all of these fabulous sponsors and donors to the Blogger Block Party!  If you are the winner of any of these prizes please contact the individual host and they will get your information so that you can receive your gift!
If you are like us you may be spending the rest of the summer visiting all of the fabulous blogs that shared their incredible summer posts.  Therefore, we have created a permanent link in our sidebar so you can revisit the Summer Blogger Block Party anytime you want! Just click on the link and it will take you to the linky party where you can surf  the links whenever you want to your hearts content!  Thank you again to everyone who participated in the fun!  It wouldn’t have been a party without all of you!  And we want to also take a moment to thank all of our fabulous hostesses one more time! 

Thank you for your hard work in helping us pull off such a successful party!
You gals are the best and we love ya!

Each of these lovely ladies hosts individual linky parties EVERY WEEK and we can attest to their warm hearts and generous spirits! You can visit and join up with them by accessing their party buttons in our sidebar! We would love to invite you to join us each Friday for Inspiration Friday here At The Picket Fence as well!

We also want to take just a moment to introduce you to another fabulous blogger Angela and her Etsy Store

our newest sponsor here At the Picket Fence!  Her shop is BEYOND AMAZING and we want to invite you to pay her a visit! You can access Unexpected Elegance Etsy through the sponsorship link in our sidebar. As a special offer to our friends here At The Picket Fence Angela is offering 10% off at checkout if you enter code: ATPFB !! Thank you Angela for offering this to our friends!

A big thank you to Unexpected Elegance for your sponsorship of At The Picket Fence. 

Do you have a business, Etsy Shop or would like to promote your Blog here At The Picket Fence?  If so we are offering an awesome sponsorship special for the Summer. 


Two months of advertising for the price of One!!
You can visit our Advertise with Us page for all of the details or contact us through our Contact Page! We’d love to have you as a sponsor of
button 2.psd
Thanks once again for spending some time with us…at the fence!
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24 Comments Filed Under: Blogger Block Party

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Comments

  1. Honey at 2805 says

    June 27, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    Congrats on a hugely successful Blogger Block Party and to all of the winners of your special giveaways!

    Reply
  2. Angela says

    June 27, 2011 at 4:02 PM

    Thanks for the intro! I wanted to let everyone know that if you enter ATPFB at checkout, you will receive 10% off.
    I hope you will check out my store!
    Thanks!
    Angela

    Reply
  3. Pam - diy Design Fanatic says

    June 27, 2011 at 4:11 PM

    It was definitely a fun week of parties! Congratulations to all the winners!

    Reply
  4. Debbie~refreshrestyle.com says

    June 27, 2011 at 4:18 PM

    Ok, I didn’t win…that’s ok because I get to visit some amazing blogs and get some terrific ideas! Great Partay Ladies! Congratulations to all the winners!
    Debbie

    Reply
  5. Little Brick Ranch says

    June 27, 2011 at 4:29 PM

    WOW – thats a whole lotta links! I am going back through to check out some more blogs and super links! 🙂 Thanks, ladies, for all your hard worm as usual.

    Reply
  6. Pattie says

    June 27, 2011 at 5:32 PM

    WOW what a party It was so fun, Congrats!!!! to all the Ladies that won.. Love all their blogs…

    Pattie

    Reply
  7. Leslie says

    June 27, 2011 at 5:35 PM

    That was some honkin’ party.
    I couldn’t come.
    But I sure did visit a lot of party-goers!
    Blessings to y’all!!
    It sure was a blast!
    Love,
    me

    Reply
  8. Shelia says

    June 27, 2011 at 5:46 PM

    Wow! Congratulations to all of the winners! I’m so sorry I had to miss out on all of the fun! I’ll have to go and see if there’s any crumbs left for me to see! 🙂
    Be a sweetie,
    Shelia 😉

    Reply
  9. Richella says

    June 27, 2011 at 5:57 PM

    Congratulations! What an incredible party–it’s just amazing that you ended up with so many links! I think your party was a great idea, especially for summertime. It seems that many of us find ourselves without much time for blogging in the summertime, but you really got people online last week! What a brilliant idea, and y’all executed it so well. Way to go!

    Reply
  10. Mrs.B says

    June 27, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    Oh…I just love that bait bucket lantern…going to check it out! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Andrea@ourbluefrontdoor says

    June 27, 2011 at 10:13 PM

    What a party it was…thank you again for hosting it along with all the other awesome ladies….can’t wait to look through all of the links!

    Have a great week! You ladies ROCK!

    Reply
  12. Sherry @ No Minimalist Here says

    June 27, 2011 at 11:27 PM

    Hi Ladies, Thank you again for putting all of this together! With 1166 links I am surprised all of our computers didn’t crash. What a wonderful party and thank you for asking me to participate. Congrats to all the winners.
    xo,
    Sherry

    Reply
  13. Sue says

    June 27, 2011 at 11:41 PM

    GREAT blog block party Heather and Vanessa!

    Reply
  14. Pam says

    June 28, 2011 at 12:05 AM

    Heather and Vanessa, You put on a great party! Thanks so much for getting the party started! 🙂

    Have a great week!
    Pam

    Reply
  15. Michell @ Girl In Air says

    June 28, 2011 at 12:45 AM

    Congrats on a successful blog party!! It was awesome watching the growth and FUN going thru the links….I still have a goal to get through them all!

    Reply
  16. Paula Jo @ Outdoor Garden Decor says

    June 28, 2011 at 1:53 AM

    You really had a good turn out for the blogger block party, and Congrats to all the winners. Go going!!

    Reply
  17. NanaDiana says

    June 28, 2011 at 3:18 AM

    Congratulations! I am so happy that all of your hard work paid off in such big numbers! Congrats too to all of the winners of the gifts. How wonderful! You gals did good….very, very good! Now…When does the Fall Fest start?;>) xo Diana

    Reply
  18. ❀ⒹⒺⒺ❀ says

    June 28, 2011 at 11:45 AM

    Congratulations to all the winners!
    It was a fun party.

    Thanks,
    Dee

    Reply
  19. dogsmom says

    June 28, 2011 at 1:34 PM

    Congratulations to the organizers and winners of the big prizes. With all the fun we had we are ALL winners at this party.

    So…what do we have to look forward to for autumn????

    Reply
  20. Becky C says

    June 28, 2011 at 3:05 PM

    Wow! What a successful blog party. Great idea 🙂 I had fun joining. Appreciate all your work to pull this off.
    I won the necklace!! Yay! Can’t wait!
    Thanks so much
    Blessings
    Buckets of Burlap

    Reply
  21. The Summer Porch says

    June 28, 2011 at 4:08 PM

    Excellent blog party. A lot of work went into this event… I’m so excited to have won the stencil. Thank you all so very much.
    Enjoy your summer!
    Rosemary…XO

    Reply
  22. Sarah says

    June 28, 2011 at 4:17 PM

    Wow, what a party! Congratulations on the huge success of this event. I had great fun visiting many of the links. Didn’t get to all of them, but I’m still working through the list. 😉
    I’m thrilled to have been one of the lucky winners. Thanks! ~ Sarah

    Reply
  23. Something Nice and Pretty says

    June 28, 2011 at 10:04 PM

    It was a great party and so glad I won the magazines, really thrilled about it!

    Rondell

    Reply
  24. Janette@the2seasons says

    June 28, 2011 at 11:29 PM

    Thanks so much for the prize. We gals here at The 2 Seasons are thrilled that we won it.

    Reply

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Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
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?
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