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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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February 2, 2016

Window Seat Decorating

If there was a club for people who struggle with having too high of expectations, I would be the president. I’ve been known to have my expectations dashed when it comes to everything from birthday parties to relationships. I tend to build things up in my head only to be brought back down to reality with a THUMP.

I’m really trying to be better about this and believe that I’ve come a long way in lowering my expectations. But sometimes, well sometimes, the expectations get blown out of the water by a reality that is just way better.

window seat pillows atthepicketfence.com

I’ll never forget when we were touring our home for the first time, trying to decide if it was the ‘one’ for our family, and I walked into the bedroom with the window seat. My husband said, “Who will get this room?” And I looked at him like he had lost his mind because to me it was BEYOND obvious that our daughter would get the room with the window seat.

She wasn’t even 1 year old at the time but I could just envision her sitting there serenely reading ‘Anne of GreenGables’, maybe while twirling a strand of hair and occasionally stopping to simply gaze out the window and wonder when she’ll meet her own Gilbert Blythe.

But, soon, the window seat was found to be the perfect place for a stuffed animal tea party or to set up a Lego village. The lid has been lifted to reveal the perfect hiding spot in our family games of hide-and-seek and it’s served as the road for many a plastic horse-drawn carriage.

3D felt flower pillow atthepicketfence.com

I realized that my original expectation for the window seat was perhaps based on my own sense of what it should be rather than the potential of what it could be. Frankly, this seems to be a common theme in many areas of my life.

Where I just saw a place to read, my daughter saw a place to play. A little nook where she could get lost in her imagination.

A bushel and a peck pillow atthepicketfence.com

What I’ve realized in my journey towards embracing lowered expectations is that by doing so you leave TONS of room for being surprised. If you start out at zero then anything above that feels like a win, right?

And this has definitely been true when it comes to the window seat.

Letter 'L' monogram pillow

Because a few weeks ago, I awoke early in the morning and noticed that the light in the room seemed a bit different, a tad bit brighter. They had predicted snow and I hurried over to peek between the blinds where it was confirmed. Snow!

I stepped into the hallway to see if the kids were awake yet. A quick peek confirmed that my son was still asleep but I could see that my daughter’s door was closed all the way, a sign that she was already awake since normally she sleeps with it open.

I quietly turned the handle and saw something so precious, so sweet that I didn’t want to move for fear of ruining the moment.

fabric scrap garland atthepicketfence.com

 

There was my girl, sitting on her window seat with the blinds pulled up just gazing out at the snow-covered landscape.

The image of her in her PJ’s with fuzzy bedhead hair framed in the window will be forever emblazoned in my mind.

I couldn’t have predicted it. Couldn’t have conjured it up. Because like most things in life, it’s the sweet, unexpected moments that make the biggest impact.

laurens window seat

And frankly, at this stage, I’d rather her be sitting on her window seat and dreaming about snow angels than dreaming about meeting her own Gilbert Blythe anyway! 😉

Thanks for meeting me at the fence today,

Vanessa signature

Sources

All pillows are from HomeGoods

Scrap fabric garland gifted to us and originally seen here

1 Comment Filed Under: Bedrooms, Decorating Tagged With: bedroom, decor, decorating, little girl's bedroom, vintage bedrooms

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  1. Cindy says

    February 11, 2016 at 9:10 AM

    Those pillows are beautiful…great finds. Such a sweet spot for your girl and the scrap garland is amazing!
    Sweet image to cherish forever…loved this story!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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Happy weekend friends! My halls are decked and I’m so thrilled to finally have my Christmas home tour ready to share with you! There’s even a crooked star on one of our trees that I’ve made peace with after much consternation. Follow the link in my bio to read that story and see more of my house all dressed up for the season. ✨🌲
#traditionalhome #traditionalchristmas #timelesschristmas #christmashometour #frenchcountrychristmas
I’m working my way through a GK Chesterton Adven I’m working my way through a GK Chesterton Advent devotional and the first day there was a line in his writing that has been running through my head ever since I read it. “Advent is a desire in the Now for Not Yet”.

Every Christmas there’s this ache in my heart that accompanies my love for the season. I take such pleasure in decorating my home and making all of the preparations but there’s often a sense of melancholy that creeps in. I used to worry about this feeling and analyze it to death. But then I realized that it’s actually a good thing. God created in me this desire for something, Someone, beyond this present world. As such, my soul is longing for the ‘not yet’ even while I’m going about the work of living in the ‘now’. That tension is always with us whether we acknowledge it or not but it’s even more present at Christmas.

As we prepare our homes and our hearts to celebrate the birth of the ONE who came to fulfill the prophecies and promises, may we embrace those feelings and let them serve as a reminder of the hope we have in Him.

#adventdevotional #wearethehomemakers #advent #gkchesterton #proverbs31woman #club31women
This is such a busy time of year and I’m always This is such a busy time of year and I’m always on the lookout for easy recipes that use minimal pots and pans therefore requiring minimal cleanup. 🙌🏻

This one sheet roasted veggies, sausage and gnocchi definitely fit the bill! And I don’t know how I’ll go back to boiled gnocchi after tasting it roasted. 😋

Here’s how easy it is to make: 

Preheat oven to 425

Use any combo of veggies you like. I used sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and red onion. 

Dice into small pieces and spread on a sheet pan. 

Slice up the sausage and add to vegetables. Then add the uncooked gnocchi. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. You can also add any herbs you like! 

Roast in over for 25 minutes stirring once halfway through. 

While it’s in the oven, melt a stick of butter in a saucepan and add in two teaspoons of garlic. 

When you remove the pan from the oven, drizzle the butter/garlic mixture over the top and stir well to coat everything. Top with Parmesan cheese! 

Easy peasy and SO yummy! ✨

#sheetpandinner #sheetpanrecipes
The first weekend in December seems like a good ti The first weekend in December seems like a good time for my annual gentle reminder about this month. I don’t know about you but, for me, December is a month of mixed emotions, ranging from joy-filled moments to ones that have me wanting to pull my hair out.

There are so many expectations and we put so much pressure on ourselves to create magical memories. And for years I have felt the added weight of wanting to make sure my family had opportunities throughout the month to grow in their relationship with Christ.

We celebrate advent and read all of the appropriate Baby Jesus books and encourage a spirit of generosity and heavily emphasize the real reason for the season.

But sweet friends, I want to remind you today that one month out of the year does not a strong relationship with the Lord make. December doesn’t define our faith in Christ.

For our families or for us.

There are 11 other months in the year. 11 other months to live out our faith in front of our children. 11 other months to pray with them. 11 other months to help them wrestle through their questions and add depth to their walk with the Lord. 11 other months to encourage them to have generous spirits.

Let’s stop putting so much pressure on this one month out of the year. Let’s be surprised at the ways we might be able to celebrate the baby in the manger without a dozen countdown calendars. Let’s give our kids some grace when they are focused more on gifts because…well…they’re kids after all.

And while we’re at it, let’s give ourselves some grace too.

Grace when we think we should feel all the warm fuzzy feelings about Christmas but we really just want to take a nap. Or have a good cry. 

Grace that reminds us that this month will soon be over and we will have a brand new year ahead of us.

A new year filled with big moments and little moments and everything in between.

A new year to draw even closer to our Savior.

My hope for you is that, as you head into this season, you will be given fresh perspective and that you will give yourself (and your family) permission to just ‘be’. ✨
✨ The first Sunday of Advent is upon us and this ✨ The first Sunday of Advent is upon us and this year I created a super simple centerpiece for my dining room that incorporates the candles we will use each of the four weeks leading up to Christmas. While we will only light one candle each week, I used more than four so that the centerpiece would look a bit more filled in. In keeping with my goal to embrace a softer approach to my decorating, this arrangement works perfectly and helps to keep our focus on the beauty and the meaning  of the Advent season. For more ideas like this, check out my previous Advent post! ✨

#advent #adventcandles #simplechristmas #wearethehomemakers
In this season of motherhood, my soul is feeling a In this season of motherhood, my soul is feeling a bit more tender. When Christmas rolls around and I no longer have wish lists that include Lego sets or dollhouses, I find that I want my home to reflect this craving for all things gentle.

So our hot cocoa station this year is much more simple and done in a neutral color palette that just subtly blends in with the rest of the decor. It still feels festive and is definitely still “user friendly” but it’s just a bit less…well…less.

And, that’s ok. It’s not that this area won’t ever again have bright colors (maybe even pops of red!) but, right now I’m happy to have things this way.

With all that is going on in the world right outside our door, my desire is for our home to truly feel like a respite. I want it to be where we come and let our guard down, our heart rates slow and to be flooded with a sense of peace in knowing that here is where we can just simply be. I want it to be a place of rest. Rest from the constant onslaught of news and information. Rest from the seemingly small struggles of school and jobs that can so often feel like big struggles.

And, most importantly, we rest in the comfort of knowing the One who is Sovereign over all and is the reason this month is so very special and sacred.

Many blessings to you dear friends as we kick off this wonderful season! ✨
Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary Next week is first Sunday of Advent. And contrary to popular belief, the celebration of Advent is VERY different from just simply doing a ‘countdown to Christmas’. It’s not about having little drawers filled with candy or doors to open with prizes inside. Those things are so much fun and definitely help to build anticipation as you head closer and closer to the big day.

But Advent, from the latin word ‘adventus’ meaning ‘arrival’ or ‘appearance’ keeps the focus completely on celebrating the arrival of the King who came in the form of an infant.

This is one of our favorite family traditions and over the years I’ve figured out how to incorporate the Advent candles into my decor without using the traditional wreath. I hope this gives you some ideas and inspiration as we head into this sacred season. 🌲

#advent #adventdecoration #wearethehomemakers
Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Bec Why do I start decorating before Thanksgiving? Because it’s the Saturday after and my house is almost completely ready to start the season! So I’m sitting with my coffee and just soaking it all up knowing that now I can focus on shopping, hosting and preparing our hearts for the start of Advent. The only thing left to do is get our fresh tree for the front room and then the decorating is done. 

Starting early is a gift I give to myself and I’m always grateful for it! 🌲

#simplechristmas #traditionalchristmas
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest fo “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” ~ G.K. Chesterton

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours dear friends! 🍂
Christmas has arrived in the family room where I k Christmas has arrived in the family room where I keep things simple but festive! We’ll get a fresh tree after Thanksgiving which will go in our front room bay window but this slim faux tree with its colorful ornaments tides us over for now. Which room in your home gets the Christmas treatment first? Or do you just start doing a little at a time in each room? 🎄

*pillow covers are from @jshhomeessentials
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